perdidochas

Disagree totally on Sustainability. It's the worst Merit Badge I've ever read. (and I've read the rest on your list). It's the boring parts of Environmental Science, expanded.

My sons' old troop provided patrol boxes (basic cooking equipment), coolers, dry boxes for dry food, lanterns on tree, propane tanks per patrol and tents for each buddy team. We also had three or so dutch ovens.

IMHO, it should count, however, it's kind of skirting the rules. That, and IMHO, camping is when the majority of learning to be a Scout occurs. Honestly, 20 nights is a very poor minimum number of camping nights to be considered a decent Scout. If I were running things, I'd require 50 nights (but allow non-Scout camping as part of that) in tents, under tarps, or under the stars.

I agree with you mostly. I do think that a Troop should be set up so that theoretically a Scout could do First Class in their First year. By that, I mean that they go on enough campouts and outings so that it would be possible. In my sons' troop, 16-20 months was a fast time to get First Class. IMHO, that's about right.

That's the party line, but it's rarely done. It takes a very dedicated and active Scout to get First Class in the First year. I've found that 18 months is the reasonable time for an active Scout to get First Class. Join the committee and see if you can change their minds. IMHO, two is not enough COH's for a year. IMHO, three is about ideal, but four is what is in the guidelines for a good troop.

I've been an ASM, primarily for the pay raises. My salary was doubled every year I was a Scouter.

I agree that a linked troop would be the easier (and more appropriate) to start.

I was an ASM, and other than records (i.e. things that I could look up in our Advancement/outing records, like number of campouts, etc.), I couldn't sign off any of my sons' rank requirements. In terms of Paul Patrol Leader, non-attendance to meetings/campouts would be enough defense (at least at District/Council level) for the charge of not wanting a girl to be Eagle.

Well, I look at all other Scouters with suspicion. I don't act on it, but I view everybody suspicously. It's my part of YPT (along with my church's version of YPT, which is much more comprehensive). Thankfully, I have never witnessed any untoward behavior, either by other parent leaders (leaders who have or have had kids in our troop), or our occasional non-parent leader (local Navy base occasionally has Eagles who want to volunteer, and we had a retired gentleman from Ohio who helped with our FL troop). However, I am suspicious of all of them. In our CO, I could probably be a successful SM for a girl's troop, but that's only because I'm well known to the parish, and both of my sons earned Eagle with the CO's troop.

No, but I would help a linked Scouts BSA Troop for Girls get off the ground if my priest or deacon (i.e. the IHs of our COR, which has a BSA Boy's Troop) asked me to.

Theoretically you can do it. As the others have said, you need a minimum of 12 months after you get Star Scout. If you're barely 16, it should be easy to do if you just keep on task. If you're almost 17, it may be hard to do. If you're serious about this, the first thing I would do is talk to your SM about all of this. As part of that meeting, you need to get a MB counselor for Camping, Cooking, Physical Fitness, Personal Management and Family Life (if you haven't already either gotten or started these badges). These are the most time intensive Eagle Required badges. Actually, it's 16 months of PORs to get Star, Life, Eagle starting at First Class Scout. (4 to get Star, 6 to get Life, and 6 to get Eagle).

I agree with that 100%.

Well, the normal standard is COH's 4 times a year. In my sons' former troop, the PORs were given their patches usually the week after the election. Rank advancement patches were given as soon after the BOR as possible (usually as an announcement just before the SM's Minute). The official paperwork was given at the COH. Merit Badges and any other advancement was awarded at the quarterly COH. It's a waste of time to have COH's more than 4 times a year or so.

You can never go wrong with an engraved knife (unless you spell something wrong on the engraving)

My troop does what I call grocery store backpack cooking for the most part. We do have a few boys/parents who buy Mountain House or other premade, but most of us do it the cheap way. Everything we eat you can buy at the grocery store. For breakfast, we usually have instant oatmeal or instant grits cooked in the bag. Just add water, and mix with your spoon, and you can eat either one straight from the paper bag that the single serve instant oatmeal/grits are packed in. Generally, it's a good idea to have a bowl or cup to put the bag in, though. For lunch, we will do a sleeve of saltines with a bag of tuna or chicken or with some summer sausage. Usually with some dried fruit with it. For dinner, the two favorites are stovetop stuffing (don't really need a stovetop) and ramen. We cook the stovetop stuffing in the bag, and usually mix in some kind of bagged meat (chicken is the favorite). Ramen we usually cook by boiling water, adding the ramen and let it sit until it's soft, although the boys sometimes just take the ramen layers apart and eat them like crackers. We've also done the Knorr/Lipton noodle sides.

I've used nalgenes for hot water bottles (wrapped in a sock). I wouldn't do that with a cheaper brand.

We've done it with and without the potatoes. Potatoes seems to be the preference. I've also done it with adding some green peppers and onions, but we have a couple of adult leaders who can't tolerate green peppers. Didn't think about the bacon, but it would be a good variant.

In my Troop, the adults (and SPL/ASPL) eat as a patrol. Over time, we've pretty much standardized our breakfast for most campouts. Sometimes on Sunday AM, we will go simpler, but this is pretty simple. Our breakfast is usually breakfast burritos. We make this as a one-pot meal, and more often than not, serve it without using a plate--we will use a paper towel. Ingredients: Breakfast sausage in a tube (Jimmy Dean's is a favorite, but we have used other brands, we have used mild, hot, and maple at different campouts-maple is not a good combo, IMHO). Usually we use a pound for 5-8 eaters. Sometimes we'll use half a pack, and save the second half for Sunday Breakfast, if we have only 3 or 4 eaters. Eggs: Basically, we plan two per person. Hash browns--either plain hash browns, or if everybody tolerates onions, the potatoes o'brien (cut potatoes with onions and peppers). Wheat Tortillas: two or three per person Grated cheese--either cheddar or mexican style, depending on if we will use it for other meals Salsa Cooking: Start with browning the sausage in a skillet. While sausage is browning, crack eggs into a bowl, and scramble. (if we do this for a small patrol, I'll often just crack the eggs directly into the skillet after the sausage is browned and potatoes done , and scramble in the skillet). After sausage is browned, add hash browns. Cook together until potatoes are done. Then add eggs, and stir. Keep stirring until the eggs are done. Then remove from heat. (while this step is occurring, get the cheese, salsa and tortillas ready). Serve egg/sausage/potato mix on tortilla, add cheese and salsa to taste. This is a fairly hearty breakfast, so a smaller lunch is usually enough.

This isn't an original idea, but I have actually done this, and found it to be fun, but not necessarily practical, in terms of time and fuel, for long distance backpacking. You take a 1 liter or so pot with a lid (I have an MSR stoway that's either 1.1 or 1.6 liters), and you buy a disposable aluminum pan (8x14 or so). You cut a circle in the pan just a bit smaller than your pot (ideally, you perforate this with small holes, but it's not necessary). Then you cut a strip about 3/4 an inch to an inch wide, from the sides of the aluminum pan. You spiral the strip in the bottom of your pot (with the short side perpendicular to the pot), almost cover the strip in water and then put the aluminum circle on top of the strip. This makes the steam baking "oven." Then mix up whatever packaged muffin mix (just add water type) per the directions. Put the batter into an AL muffin liner to about half full. I can put about three half-filled muffin liners in my pot on top of the apparatus. Then fire up your stove until the water just begins to boil. Reduce the heat, and cook for about 20 mins or until the muffins rise. This makes a soft muffin, but it really doesn't harden into a crust. It's a nice treat, just takes a few minutes. There is a commercial version of this called the Bakepacker. http://www.trailcooking.com/fauxbaker/

Well, then you are a better man than I am. When I was a first year Scouter with the Troop (after having been a TDL, DL and 1 1/2 year WDL, and still being a WDL for the next Den), I was assigned a job by the SM as Advancement chair. Best thing they ever did. When the NSP (my former Webelos Den) was not working right, and having problems menu planning, I almost jumped up to help them. Thankfully, I had a job to do with the Troop, and couldn't do that. It's too tempting for most of us WDLs to turn the NSP into a Webelos III den. A Boy Scout leader shouldn't be herding cats. The SPL and PLs should be.

This needs to be repeated: DO NOT LET THE NEW SCOUTER ANYWHERE NEAR THE FIRST YEAR CAMPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it just a job, and you dislike doing it?

So you're saying you don't enjoy being a scout leader, and you aren't a better man for being one? I learned a lot as an Assistant Scout master. I had never backpacked before, for example.

In the early days of Scouting, leaders could earn Eagle.

So you want the Scout oath changed?