perdidochas

1. Based on the information above it, yes. 2. Based on the total information, no. As a committee member, if you were in my son's unit, I would ask you to leave the unit.

Two separate ceremonies. AOL is for those who earned AOL. Crossover is for those who are joining a Scout troop.

I agree that Swimming should be an Eagle requirement. I disagree about Lifesaving. I think Lifesaving would be watered down as an Eagle required badge. I want Lifesavers to be doing it because they truly want to, not because it's an Eagle badge. That said, I think I would change the Emergency preparedness to a Wilderness First Aid badge as a requirement.

The facebook picture from two weeks before the incident don't show somebody that is "solid muscle."

NLD, Did you look at the picture of the boy in news accounts? Hardly was he just muscle. People who are just muscle don't have the makings of a double chin. http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/2009/may/11/103216/

Seattle, Silly rejoinder. Impossible for an epipen (used to treat allergies) to cause an allergic reaction. If someone's about to choke to death because their throat is closing due to an insect allergy, there is really no way to make that worse.

Swimming is a basic survival skill. There is a reason that Scouting has that requirement. I think the boy's life will be enriched if he gets rid of that phobia.

As a layman, I would take Tom's epipen, and inject Bill with it. I would live with the consequences of illegally using a prescription drug on a different person. However, my profession and livelihood aren't on the line.

Seems unfair for the suit to proceed without an autopsy. After all, the defendant deserves the right to have all evidence used for their defense.

In terms of McDonald's, they serve coffee hotter, because that is what their customer base wanted. I knew many people previous to the lawsuit that chose McDonald's coffee because it was still hot when they got to work. I avoided it, personally, because it was too hot (I like my coffee warm, not hot).

The patrol method works because you learn by doing, not by just watching.

Parents do have the right (and responsibility) to determine if they think an activity is too risky for their child. The troop leadership also has that responsibility.

From what I've read, wheels farther apart are ideal.

Beavah hit the target with that response, IMHO. The most fundamental thing is that the leadership should have responded with compassion rather than legality. One thing that no one brought up is that First Aid for heatstroke is a Second Class Rank requirement. All the scouts on that trip should have been watching out for heat stroke, and known how to treat it. NLDscout: In terms of temperature, the actual temperature seems to be 92 from various reports. The heat index was 100. (IMHO, the attorneys for the Scout should be reprimanded for mistating that, but I'm a stickler for facts).

IMHO, it would be best to have AOL and Crossover at two separate occasions. Have the AOL on a Pack night (either a campout or a pack meeting) and the Crossover on a Troop night (either a campout or a troop meeting). That said, when I was a Webelos leader last year, we did them on the same night, but I don't think that's ideal. As a Webelos leader with another den, this year, we will do them separately.

I've heard of people using metal washing machine pans to build fires for dutch ovens.

JoeBob, I think the areas where catholes are prohibited are rare. I would think places like river bank campsites that rafters commonly use is one of those, as are places like the Grand Canyon--places with high traffic that don't allow for the waste to break down.

Tough issue. The ones that are 11 and older on the crossover date can crossover with the AOL scouts. I think the others will just need to go to the Webelos I den when I crossover with the other group.

Had a discussion with the Scoutmaster of the troop most of our Webelos cross over too (same CO) about this subject. Recently in our council, we had a case of a boy going up for Eagle that "crossed over" from Webelos to a troop without earning AOL, while he was still 10. He earned two Eagle required merit badges (Swimming and First Aid) at summer camp (while still 10). When it came time to apply for Eagle, he had to re-earn those two merit badges because he couldn't have officially become a Scout without AOL at age 10, and hence, he couldn't earn merit badges.

Thomas, Good point about buying his own knife.

Talk to the Troop they are joining first. See what they recommend.

Seatle, Re: trouts in mountain lakes You are making the assumption that the only important aquatic life is fish. In the case of the lakes you're talking about, I'm sure that there are species of invertebrates that are being endangered by the trout.

I stand corrected. A boy has to be either 10 1/2 yrs old or 6 months past the completion of 4th grade to get AOL. I don't understand people trying to rush this. Honestly, the typical 4th grader doesn't need to be in a Scout troop. They aren't independent enough.

A Webelo can't earn the Arrow of Light in 4th Grade. Here is the First requirement of AOL: Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

If I were to choose one pocketknife for a 14 yr old, it would probably be a Leatherman Skeletool. It's a lightweight multitool with pliers, knife blade and interchangeable screwdriver bits (contains 4 different ones). It has a carabiner like loop at one end, has a pocket clip on the side. The stainless version weighs 5 ounces. The knife blade can open while the tool is closed, and it's a lockblade. A close second would be a Swiss army Knife Adventurer (sold by the BSA supply) or Trekker series. They have a lockblade and just a few tools.