packsaddle

If anyone is thinking about taking this route (sometimes called a 'bridge' program), make sure you understand in advance what articulation agreements, if any, there are between the two institutions. Also make sure you study a course transfer equivalency list to make sure that what you do at the community college will transfer as a substitute for the courses you 'think' you need for the final degree program. Also, remember that the program for the year that you enter the university is the one that sets the requirements, not necessarily the one that is in effect during your work at the community college. These requirements sometimes change. Failure to keep track of these things can cost you an extra semester or year at the end of the program and as far as I can determine ALL programs require a strict minimum of about a year or more of final credit to be taken AT the final institution, no more substitutions. Believe me, I've had to advise lots of students in bad situations because they were unaware of the limitations when they started out.

JoeBob, this is indeed a tough one. Without being 'in your shoes' I can't offer much more than a suggestion as to how I would try to identify the details of the problem. One thing I've considered is that I might think of a scouting (camping, pioneering) problem to address and ask the Tenderfoot if he'd like to help me to work on it. Once I had a good idea of how motivated the Tenderfoot was I might then ask the Eagle to assist as well. There are few better ways to get to know each other than to work together to solve problems and the three of us might see each other in a very different 'light' as a result. At the very least, I think this would give me the opportunity to understand the interaction in maximum detail. At most, it might even solve the problem.

Yes, do your homework on all the packs which are of interest. You might want to call some of the den leaders or parents of cubs to ask about the way the packs run, their growth or decline, support by the charter organization, etc. You will also need to know if any of them have restrictions. In our area a troop announced that only boys from one particular pack would be allowed to join the troop and that had a strong effect on other units. Let your son have strong input as well, see if his buddies are going to join cub scouts and which packs they are interested in. And...once you're in, enjoy it. Cub Scouts is the best thing BSA has in my opinion.

We did both the 'cleanup' ideas (mostly around lake shores) and the weed (invasive) removal. The most fun was cleanup because around a lake shore they could skip rocks and have fun discovering what kinds of things drift ashore from boats, etc.

Regarding the Epi-pen, what do these things cost these days? What is their shelf life?

For all the nutty types who are worried about water balloons and such, I offer the following video to give you something REAL to think about, as well as how stupid some people can be:

Aside from reputation that rests on myth, I'd like to dispel the myth that Harvard students are somehow 'better' than other students. Please view the video: http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html?pop=yes&pid=9 A vast majority of fresh Harvard graduates and faculty couldn't even explain the seasons or phases of the moon. My freshmen can do that and more without hesitation.

Play 'Taps' and say a prayer over the grave. Time to get on with life.

I'm not sure that 'laughter' is the response but ecologically, intraspecific competition is rarely less intense than interspecific competition. If someone argued that we're just monkeys, doing what monkeys do, it would be difficult to identify strong evidence to the contrary.

Skeptic, I do understand what you describe. One thing about AP credit..I'm not sure what the process is for other institutions but this one requires anyone wishing to get that credit to take a qualifying exam. Quite a few who have done well in their AP courses don't make the cut. But most of this is academic outside of math skills. Someone who thinks there is a career path in sociology, for example, is going to encounter relatively easy admission requirements. Engineering and the sciences are more demanding. I do advise students all the way through and some summers I assist with what we call 'first' students, the first of their families ever to attend college. These students are particularly vulnerable because their families often have no idea what college demands or what it means to attend. The students are often marginally prepared intellectually. And it is a sobering moment when the math professor informs the vast majority who are enrolled their first semester in a remedial course, that THAT course is going to cost them an additional YEAR of work before they get their degree. Thundering, stunned silence. Welcome to reality... and it also extends to many non-'first' students. They get to discover this reality on their own.

Will someone please show me some studies or other evidence from authoritative sources (CHE for example) that indicate that a 'B' on a transcript is no better than an 'F'? I'd like to see the basis for that claim. As for extracurricular activity, OTOH, if you have nothing outside of the classroom that broadens your horizons, you can forget such things as a Rhodes Scholarship, for example. The problem is that these are subjective and therefore difficult to quantify and factor into the admission process. But they do count for something. Eagle Scout is right there with winning the science fair and leading the church choir or being recognized by the community for a service project.

Gotta say that when this much discussion over, what - 10 years?, can occur regarding how to wear a hat, there is little wonder about the way discussions go about something that's actually important. Awesome....

Better yet, "I started that with no matches" and looking at the stars, "I can figure out where I am on earth by looking at those". Best of all, the secure feeling of knowing that they have the skills to survive if they did get into a survival situation, maybe help others to survive as well...THAT is a source of real leadership.

The Scout Law should be sufficient. Are we talking about a real event here?

Me too! I wish I could help with a solution but all I can say is to keep your nose pointed into the current and swim as hard as you can.

See, we agree on something. I liked Bugs too.

Merlyn, it is a common reaction by most anyone being taken off the dole. Those receiving handouts eventually tend to come to expect them and then they strongly resent it when they have to fend for themselves.

AZMike, I am deeply heartened by your evident sensitivity regarding animal rights.

Eagledad, that is confusing. Are you saying that the public has the view that immorality is a religious myth and that the gay activist wants to change that?

Leaders are separate, boys are on their own for the most part. On backpack trips, the adults mostly take the 'lone wolf' approach, each on his/her own. The only time we eat food cooked by the boys is if we are invited by them.

Is loss of their matching funds (as you describe, a 'pittance') really going to result in "all those poor blacks and Hispanics that won't be able to do scouting now that Mickey has spoken from on high."??? Really? Seems like a lot of effect from a "pittance". Do you know this for a fact? Have you seen the BSA budget details which can demonstrate this impact from the loss of that "pittance"? Where can I get the detailed budget to see this for myself?

dedkad, this unit won't feel a thing either way. I'm sure some top brass might worry about their bloated salaries, OTOH.

The NERVE of that corporation to think they can decide for themselves what to donate money to!!!!! LOL Jblake, by your logic you should welcome Disney's 'pullout'. Now they have no leverage whatsoever over BSA. Problem solved. As I have often advocated, members of BSA ought to be 'paying the freight' for programs they benefit from and they should not expect handouts from others, corporations in this case. If you want to be free from corporate influence, turn away from their donations. I DO appreciate the irony of the hand-wringing by persons who claim to be conservative, simply because they aren't recipients of corporate welfare anymore.

5scoutmom, There will probably be no repercussions since there were no bad consequences during or after that event. I am pasting in the words from the Guide to Safe Scouting: "It is the policy of the Boy Scouts of America that the use of alcoholic beverages and controlled substances is not permitted at encampments or activities on property owned and/or operated by the Boy Scouts of America, or at any activity involving participation of youth members." That last part (any activity involving participation of youth members) is the part that your unit violated, IMHO. My advice is to read the Guide to Safe Scouting. READ it, don't merely let the words pass by your eyes. There is much more in that document besides the policy on alcohol.

The key to the answer is whether or not this was a scouting event. If the troop organized it, someone probably goofed on this one. On the other hand, if it was a spontaneous gathering of several family members, some of whom happened to be wearing scout uniforms, it's open for discussion.