perdidochas

Well, my general observation is the opposite. The leaders' kids are the ones that stay in line, and do what they are supposed to do, at least in our troop.

Then they need to get all of their requirements to read the same in all places. From http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/joining.aspx Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old. I read that as 11 years old or completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old. Admittedly, it's not the clearest of writing, but that's what they have on their web page. Now in other places, they say other things. From the application PDF: Your son can be a Scout if he has completed the fifth grade and is at least 10 years old or is age 11 or has earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but has not reached age 18. The first is unclear, and I would argue it allows 9 yr olds who have finished the fifth grade. The second is clear.

That, in my reading, applies to the AOL only, not to the finished 5th grade....

Well, had the boys finished 5th grade at 9 years old? if so, it's legal. The requirements are: Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.

Not much of a difference, but it was nice to put the verbage "myplate" or the lastest USDA guidelines. I like the requirement of explaining the methods of cooking and requirements to use different methods of cooking.

Wow, I haven't read through the latest, but the first revisions in 2014 were necessary.

Not sure about the first poster, but we have a local Coleman outlet that gives a 10% discount with current BSA id.

The key is knowing your boys, and trusting them. Without that, you can't run a Troop as boy-led.

Do Councils actually look at Blue Cards? I know ours doesn't. They use the advancement report. The Blue card is for use when there are discrepancies in records--usually from a Scout who has changed Councils.

IMHO, we sell adventure, patriotism and life skills.

Exactly. That is part of the reason our Troop always travels in uniform. I haven't gotten that reaction much locally, but have heard it more while traveling.

I would, but I agree that it's rare.

Not very likely. I wouldn't worry about that too much. Camping with scouts is different than camping with dad.

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/gunning_for_nutria_at_the_17th.html The Jefferson County SWAT team is still executing the nutria.

I think you might be talking about the controversy when the sheriff or Police Chief in the NO area authorized his officers to shoot nutria on the levees on their offtime--the department provided the ammo.

Doesn't ring true. There has been a bounty on nutria since about 2002--$5 a tail. http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/01/bounty_hunters_making_dent_in.html http://modernfarmer.com/2015/01/can-anyone-stomach-orange-toothed-giant-rodent/

well based on our UC, who is an Eagle from our troop from about 10 years ago, I agree with you. It's not a good place for a 20-something year old young man. UC should be somebody who has been a unit leader/assistant at some point. I may become a UC when my boys age out.

You don't know much until you have your first "papa bear" moment. My sons had a teacher like you. Very gungho with young kids. My wife told her that her attitude woudl change when her kids were in school. The teacher later told her she was right. Your priority should be your family. I know you don't want to hear it, but that's what you get for posting stuff on the internet :-)

Suggestions on being a Scoutmaster--be laid back. The boys don't need a tough coach. They need a Scoutmaster that trains them and trusts them to lead. No offense, but the skillset for a soccer coach and scoutmaster are different. I was a mediocre soccer coach, but am a pretty good scout leader. Why? I trust the kids and let them lead. I sit back and make sure nobody's seriously hurt, and intervene minimally. Think about it. Your young son doesn't need an active dad today, but he will in about a year or so. Fundraising ideas--intensive popcorn sales.

Exactly. Being a soccer coach isn't the same as being a Scoutmaster.

It's called teamwork. Scouting is not like being a coach on the soccer team, as you should know. A soccer coach pretty much dictates what is done. A SM guides the boys into dictating what is done. Much different focus. Parents are necessary--if nothing else, you have to have a parent buy-in to get the kids rides to scouts, to drive on campouts, etc. Irritate the parents too much, and they will stop driving Jr. to Scouts. The better alternative is to recruit parents to help you in your goals, and give them jobs so they stay out of the boys' way. My troop had a SM who thought he could do it all. The Troop slowly dwindled. Then we started the team approach, and we've gone from a troop that camped in the same 5 or 6 places ten times a year, to a troop that in the last 18 months has gone caving, backpacking, kayaking, is about to go swimming with the manatees, and sailing. Why? Teamwork.

Exactly. Htusa, most of us talking have been the father of little ones and have watched them grow. I know if my Webelos sons (now both Eagles) had walked into a Troop where the Scoutmaster said "Parents suck", I would run away from that troop, especially if the Scouts heard that. To me, that sounds like the first sign of a child molester who is trying to undermine me from my sons, or that the SM is an egomaniac. Neither is appropriate, IMHO. The other is you've got young kids who need a lot of time. Being an SM takes a lot of time. Being a fairly new husband takes a lot of time. Having a job takes a lot of time. You can't do all of those well. I know you are set to do this, and I wish you well, but unfortunately, I can't predict a good outcome from this.

Velcro predates the space program. The Space program just popularized it. It was invented in 1948, and patented in 1955.

I have a map like that on my smartphone.

I don't see the point. I would rather that WDL's instill other things in their Webelos--like advancement without parents, independent thinking, and working together.