perdidochas

The problem with new parents observing a troop is that they don't know the boys outside of their own boys' friends/cohort. Those of us who have been with a troop for a while, know the boys. We know when we can trust the older boys to supervise. We had an ASM who was fairly new to the troop (his son was a Life Scout, and we were his third troop in town) and he was there only occasionally and only camped with us once or twice (he worked offshore in the oil industry, and was out of town two weeks a month minimum), and he used to want us to helicopter the boys when they played their outdoor games during meetings. Why? He didn't trust the older boys. He didn't trust that they would do what they were supposed to do in an emergency. I didn't have any problems with it. I knew them, and knew how capable they were. I figured they could handle the first stage of an accident as well as most of the adult leaders. We would be able to assist after that. In terms of the tents, my answer to the parent would be--If you want him to have a new tent, buy him one. Our troop allows personal tents.

I think new parents need to be guided to useful things that don't interfere with running the Troop for at least 6 months after their son joins the Troop, ESPECIALLY the former Den Leaders. I was the Webelos Den leader for the tenure of my oldest son in Webelos, then I was the Webelos Den leader for the last year of my youngest son in Webelos (they are one year apart in school and Scouts). Our SM at the time knew to keep me diverted away from the Scouts in terms of meetings. He had me as Advancement chair, and it was a good way to observe the Troop, and still help out. There were a few times that first few months that it was a good think I had a job to do, otherwise I would have tried to Webelos III the NSP (aka my former Webelos Den). Cooking can be a major problem between adult volunteers. I enjoy camp cooking, but I also enjoy eating other people's camp cooking, so I don't have much ego involved in camp cooking. We did have a couple of ASMs who would make the adult food their job, and they would pull out all the stops. (downside to that was that they made an awful lot of pots and pans dirty in the process).

Well, in terms of the camping trip, I recommend that you talk with the parents and have their Cub Scout aged kids help them set up their campsite. Yes, I know that it is harder to set up with a 6-9 year old "helping" you than it is to set it up yourself, but IMHO, in Scouting, doing things the easiest way doesn't help the boys. When my boys were Tiger/Wolf age, they helped me set up our camp for family camp. They helped me unload, they helped put in tent stakes, they helped put the tend poles through the sleeves in the tent, etc. Their first campout as Boy Scouts wasn't a surprise. They were used to working to set up camp, not playing while their parents set up camp (they played afterwards). Another thing our Pack used to do for all aged scouts is to have the Scouts (with their parents), cook their lunch hamburgers over "buddy burners." Buddy burners are homemade "super candles" made of a spiraled piece of cardboard in a tuna or pineapple can (the short ones) filled with paraffin. The Webelos den would make enough buddy burners and stoves (stoves being a large can with a few airholes and an opening to put the buddy burner in ) for the Pack, and parents/Cubs would cook their burgers. Took 5-10 minutes after the burners really got going/stove was heated up.

Background checks only catch the people who've been caught before. I agree, it's not the cure for everything. I do think that YPT, if practiced, does cure a lot. I know personally, I am always aware of other adults. I have yet to see suspicious behavior in BSA events, but I'm on the lookout.

I agree with you about the practice thing, and not wanting help. I have asked scouts for help on other things, but I think I'd be a bit embarassed to get help with the hammock.

Pretty much the same. However, I find that without my boys in the Troop, my interest has waned. That said, the years I was a leader, the Scouts had an overall better experience than I did. That's why I was a Tenderfoot with 1 MB, and both of my sons are Eagles.

Pocket knives are always popular with Scouts. Or something like a headlamp, or maybe a knit cap.

Don't tell the leaders that. They might not want to camp as much.....

Only a 50% pay bump? I'd been getting a 100% pay bump every year (and a 200% bump at my 5th anniversary).

I resemble that remark, especially when using my extra wide hammock (72" wide). That is why I always hang my hammock with the other adult tents between me and the Scout tents.

And hammocks really shouldn't be using ropes to contact the tree. Ropes can connect the hammock and straps (and usually are), but straps should be all that contact the tree. That, and some of us have homebuilt hammocks. I guess that means I can use any "rope" as I am the manufacturer of my hammock.

We have a few female leaders that the Scouts would like to hug (they are momma figures, as they used to be Cub Scout Den leaders). The solution is side hugs, which is usually considered benign.That will probably be the solution if teenaged girls enter the troops.

Really? I don't see the scout handshake as not being manly. The same rules apply--firm handshake, etc., as in conventional handshaking. The difference is the hand that is used.

I think he was writing in general as well.

Well, I got the same impression as you did. That suddenly shaking hands is what old-fashioned molesters do.

Glad I live in a more traditional community. Shaking hands is how most adult men friends greet each other. Most of the boys greet us that way if we haven't seen them in a while.

Well, in Cubs, we used to pin the badges on upside down (with the scout right side up), until they did a good deed.

Sad to say, it's because for whatever reason, scouters have a worse reputation in terms of molesters than do coaches.

I agree 100% as a former Scouter with two sons that became Eagles, I didn't go to all outings for that reason. Didn't go to summer camp until my boys were past First Class.

In my case, Son #1 loved it when Son #2 was his SPL. He loved watching his brother do the hard work.

This is sometimes a hard way to communicate. I wasn't as clear as I should have been either. The local school system got rid of zero tolerance rules a few years ago.

It was fun. that said, I don't have any personal experience with it, either as a cub in the 1970s or a cub leader/parent in the 2000s. I'm worried that we just are taking all the fun and life out of things. Everybody wants everything sterile.

It's silliness. My sons both got emergency took kits to keep in their cars. We had to remove the utility knives from the kits, at least while they were in high school. It's just the way of the world.

The rule I'm speaking of is a safe harbor rule that allows the student to turn in the knife (or lighter, etc.) when they realize that they accidentally left a knife in their coat pocket, or backpack, etc. This is the opposite of zero tolerance.

It happens. Best bet is to just keep on doing his best. If the boy is enthusiastic, at least he's making the best of the situation. Ideally, we want motivated kids who want to be there, but sometimes we get kids who don't want to be there.