perdidochas

I agree with you 100%. My sons (one just finished his second year of college, other one just finished his first) went on a variety of trips with different organizations. I'm not aware that they had ever been routinely searched. If I were a SM or ASM again, I wouldn't routinely search for contraband. I might have the older boys make sure the younger boys have what they need for a trip, but no routine search for contraband. That said, there are no 4th amendment issues with school officials doing searches of luggage in extracurricular trips. Why? Extracurricular trips are a privilege, not a right, and you choose to go on extracurricular activities. In my local district, this means they have to agree to random drug testing to participate.

I wouldn't be a scout leader in a troop where routine searching of luggage was the norm. I agree that the power to do so should exist, but I also believe in trust. There is no way you can gain trust without trusting someone. Now, if there was a reasonable suspicion, I could see searching, but not without it. As I've said, my sons were involved in Scouting, sports, band and church groups, all of which involved overnight travel at one point or another. I'm not aware that any searches were ever done of them, and I would find it odd if it did.

What kind of fascist place do you live in? I'm glad I live in a free area of a free state.

My sons were involved in sports (with overnight trips to games) and band (with overnight trips). Never once did their luggage get searched, although, I do know the coaches/band directors had that power. Do the searches that you claim happen occur secretly, or in front of the students?

I think the problem most of us have, is that it was done while the Scouts were at activities, and that they were never told about it, but figured it out. I agree totally that the SM has the right to search a backpack or locker, as part of his en loco parentis. However, since he's not the parent, he should do so transparently--out in the open, in front of the Scout who's stuff is being searched.

This is a tough one. First, I do agree that the Scoutmaster has the right to go through a scout's bag.That said, as a former ASM, there is no way I would go through somebody's bag without a witness, and I wouldn't do so without the knowledge of the Scout. Our Troop had a policy of the Scouts managing their own medication, unless the parents of the Scout specifically asked the SM/ASMs to manage their medication.

Sounds to me like the boy didn't want to lose a corner of his Totin' chip. My troop had no policies about it. I don't see the big deal.

I know some that do that also. I've had to correct them when it came to my own sons. I don't have any problem with the Eagle Required MBs being worked on in summer camp, my problem is the book based ones (namely the three Citizenship badges, Sustainability, Personal Management and Family life) and Personal Fitness. The rest can be started (or completed) at summer camp. Swimming/Hiking/Cycling, Lifesaving, Environmental Science, First Aid, Camping, Cooking and even Communication. That said, camping and cooking couldn't be finished at summer camp.

I agree, except for the case of old Life Scouts (17 years old) that need the eagle MBs.

I agree totally. The downside of that requirement is all of the extra door knobs that will be installed at the Scout Hut.....

When a Star wanted that requirement signed off, we would ask the younger Scout that he trained to show us the skill at the next meeting (the meeting after he was trained to do a skill by the Star Scout). If the younger Scout couldn't do it, we would require the Star to try again.

Sons' old Troop called a troop activity anything that the Troop did as a whole outside of fundraising for the Troop (this was a few years ago, so we had individual scout accounts for fundraising). If the Eagle project was open to the Troop, it counted.

Personally, except for Life Scouts working on Eagle in fear of aging out, I discouraged Scouts from working on "book-related" merit badges at Summer Camp. I don't think my sons ever took one at Summer camp. They took most of the aquatics badges, the activity badges (climbing, etc.), at Summer Camp. Life's too short to spend hours at summer camp listening to a ill-prepared Scout teaching Citizenship merit badges.

I wouldn't want BSA lifeguard, etc. to become a requirement. I don't think that anybody but a water-loving great swimmer should become a lifeguard. If we made it a T21 requirement, it would end up being too watered down to be effective.

Well, technically speaking, the Scouts should be teaching these skills.

We don't need to camp, either. This is not a matter of absolute needs for scout camping or camping, but for life. I can see maybe getting rid of axe skills--saws are much more useful, but I can't see getting rid of the saw skills. Most people need these in one way or another if they own a home. Fire skills, too, are probably more important for everyday life than in scouting today. (that said, fires are a great way to keep kids in Scouts, when weather conditions make them possible). What tracking in the First Class skills? There is a requirement to see evidence of animals, but not necessarily tracking. Plant and animal identification is an important life skill for anybody that wants to be an outdoorsman. Also, honestly, the skills you have mentioned are among the most fun that the T21 scouts learn. Knots are much more useful than clips because clips can't be used for everything. I do agree with your wanting to make scouts more adventurous, but taking away axes, fire and compasses is not going to make scouting more adventurous. Also, your post seemed a bit strange, as in the first two paragraphs you talk about how obsolete map/compass/axe/firebuilding are, then in the 4th paragraph you include all of the above as new first class requirements. You can't learn orienteering without also learning the basic map/compass. Also, not sure what you are talking about with "pre-made" meals, other than for backpacking? Does your troop just buy a bunch of Mountain-House meals for a car-camping trip? My sons' troop just bought ingredients and made the food for car camping from the ingredients (yes, they did buy just add water or milk pancake flour). Here's the only two things I would add to current T21 requirements: Sewing--require sewing on of a button, patch and repairing a hole. This must be done in front of the tester (ASM, SM, or older scout). Not adventurous, but would be essential for McGyvering (IMHO, knots are essential for McGyvering as well). "Away from the road" camping. One of the camping requirements in 1a should require the scout or group of scouts to bring all of their essential gear with them for a camp overnight for a distance of at least a mile without motorized transport. This could include backpacking, snowshoe packing, cross country sky packing, bikepacking, or canoe/kayak camping.

By OLS, do you mean Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS), which is a requirement to be trained as an ASM. It should come first.

I agree 100% of this with Mike Rowe. I've found myself guilty of some of the safe space stuff back when I was an ASM (primarily on backpacking trips, where I knew medical help was hours away), but tried my best to let the boys take risks and govern themselves. I had problems with a fellow ASM in our troop--an ASM who wasn't with the boys nearly as often as I was (I'm not sure I ever saw him on a campout with us), but his son was about to age out (and had completed all but his Eagle Scout project and one or two merit badges years earlier), and he had work circumstances that didn't allow him to be with us every week/campout. He criticized me and the other leaders for allowing the boys to play some field game (not sure which one) without direct adult supervision. My thoughts were at first, ok, if you're worried about them I'll go out there with you. Something felt wrong about doing it, but I didn't want to confront him. Over the next week, I thought about it, and realized his trouble with it. He didn't know and trust the older boys in the Troop as well as I did. I had no doubts that if there were some kind of accident (and there was more than once), that the older boys in the Troop would take care of it. They would do what they had been taught, and assess any injury as well as get help if it was beyond their abilities. I felt bad for caving into mistrust of them.

I pretty much agree with your views. Talk to the old SPL and see what's going on.

Why would Scouts need much adult supervision? The older Scouts should be doing supervising.

Your question "Can the PLC change the rules on who may participate in certain activities?" doesn't really match the situation. You explain it as the PLC saying that scouts not going to the activity shouldn't be forced into planning it. I think your question really is "How much authority does the PLC have in actually running the troop?" Personally, I agree with the PLC and the former SPL. I don't want Scouts who don't want to be involved in planning an activity to be forced to plan an activity. It's different if they want to. A scout forced to plan an activity is not necessarily going to be doing so in the best interest of the patrol. That said, I also wouldn't look too kindly to a scout that doesn't want to help their patrol out, even if not going.

There is nothing wrong with EDGE. It's a basic formula for instruction in physical skills--Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. It's basically what good instructors do for physical skills. First you tell how to do it, then you show how to do it (can combine the two steps), then guide them to actually doing it, and finally give them opportunities to do it. Is it the only way to instruct in physical skills? Of course not, but it's a pretty good basic method. The real problem is that in most troops, we don't do the second E well enough.

Our Church youth group hosts pancake breakfasts. IMHO, it's the best bang for your buck for fundraising. We generally give three pancakes and a sausage patty, with juice and/or coffee and charge $5. A 10 lb bag of pancake mix (just add water) is less than 10, and will make 270 pancakes.

As Sentinel says below, Unless they changed it in the late 2010s, it has been the rule for ASMs not to be allowed on a Board of Review.

One option is to get a cheapie chinese canister stove from Amazon. You can usually find them for around $10 and they are great for boiling water. Or you can go just a bit more extravagant, and get something like a Primus Classic trail stove for around $20. With it, you can adjust the flame somewhat, and I could use it for steambaking, which requires a low boil. It's a bit heavier than other choices (8 oz vs. 3-4 oz for other choices), but as I said, it adjusts rather well. I have both the cheapie, and the Primus Classic, as well as a jetboil imitator. All have their uses, but if I were to have to just use one, I'd probably go for the Primus. It's more stable and much better built (it's rugged) than the cheapie, and more versatile than either the cheapie or the Jetboil-itator. The Primus Classic Trail Stove: https://www.amazon.com/d/Camping-Backpacking-Stoves/Primus-P-224383-Classic-Trail-Stove/B000RHCOP0 I've also seen it on walmart.com for a bit cheaper.