perdidochas

The general rule in my boys' troop (I was one of the ASMs) is that parents didn't sign off anything unless they were the only people permitted to sign it, or it was a matter of troop records on the online system (number of outings, campouts, etc.). By only person permitted to sign, I mean things like if we had one Environmental Science counselor, then he could sign off on his sons' advancement, etc. Our SM's sons had their SM conferences with one of the ASMs.

It's not sustainable, but on a one time basis, it would be possible to have ten events in 12 weeks. One campout a month for the three required. Have three hiking trips on other weekends. Then have 4 other events in that time. It's less of a time committment than most sports for that time period. For a motivated Scout with a Troop/leaders willing to go the extra mile, it would be easily possible. It would be hard to do this all of the time, admittedly, but it's possible.

My oldest got a series of tents and other shelters. He got one he called the coffin--small one man single-layer tent. He hated it, because it had almost no ventilation. Then he bought himself a cheap popup tent--the instant kind. Next was a hammock, then a two man backpacking style tent. He also camped in a tarp, as well as under the skies in a bear burrito (because of dew, they would put down a tarp, then their sleeping pad, then their sleeping bag, and would then cover themselves with the rest of the tarp). Youngest just got a one person tent and was happy with it.

The solution to the above is to have the 14 year old tent alone, and the 11 and 12 year old in another tent. In my boys' old troop, they had a rule that Star and above scouts could tent alone. Most did. That said, had I been creating the rule, I would have had it be First Class and above, but it was troop tradition long before I was an ASM there.

At an OA event that the local Lodge sponsors both as a fundraiser and an opportunity to camp, the staffers all had pink shirts to stand out.

The point is your blanket statement is incorrect. There are plenty of serious outdoorsman who like bright colors. If you had said "most" serious outdoorsman in your earlier statement, I wouldn't have quibbled. The way you stated it implied that you weren't a serious outdoorsman if you liked bright colors. Also, what's in a store is primarily what the store's marketing department likes, not necessarily serious outdoorsman.

I disagree. Sectarian preaching at the unit level is allowed. It is rarely done, but it is allowed. If my troop is sponsored by the local Catholic Church, I would expect a bit of Catholicism in it. That said, there should be alternatives allowed for Scouts in the Troop.

So now you're saying I'm not a serious outdoorsman? Basically you are saying that anyone that disagrees on this issue with you can't be a serious outdoorsman. I don't see that bright colored clothes leave a trace at all. They cause absolutely no damage to the environment, other than your sensibilities.

best colors for cubs are bright colors for that reason.

There are different reasons. My old troop had the neckers that were forest green with yellow writing (BSA symbol, etc.). Our Class Bs were the same color scheme. I don't really buy the LNT argument against bright colors. I don't find bright colored gear to be offensive. That said, the neutral colors are better for nature watching. The bright colors are safer, especially in the woods during hunting season.

Well, maybe. I have been a Tiger Cub Den leader, Bear Den Leader, Webelos Den Leader (through AOL), Advancement coordinator, Assistant Scoutmaster, Merit Badge Counselor and Eagle Project advisor. That's not too non-typical in BSA.

Edit: Decided not to comment.

Guide to Safe Scouting: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/

Both of my sons were in OA. The oldest was Vigil Honors (highest honor you can get in OA), the youngest was Brotherhood (middle honor). Your boy needs to talk to other OA members in the troop to figure out if he wants to be in OA. My sons loved it. They got a chance to camp as just fellow campers, without having to worry about the younger boys all the time, as they would during Troop campouts. Based on talking with a former SM in our troop, he wouldn't recommend just going to the Ordeal if you have no intention of being in OA--he calls those people "Sash and dashers."

At least in my Council, merit badge Councilor and Assistant Scout Master require separate applications. Not sure why you would need a separate adult membership, if you're an MBC and an ASM.

Why don't you start posting about girl issues in Open Discussion, then? Is something stopping you from doing that?

The difference is in fuel, not actual time.

Has he tried Benadryl before he goes to bed at night? That and using a washcloth to wash any smoke that may get on his face. Also, try Flonase, which I've found works well and was recommended by my doctor.

Only if every den has a stove, etc. It's really a different situation. Cooking for 50 is different than cooking for 8 groups of 6.

Chili cookoff, where you get the parents of the Pack to provide the chili. The Pack buys hotdogs. We generally would do lunch on buddy burner stoves--a large can (gallon?) with some venting done by an old fashioned canopener (that makes the triangular holes), and a cutout to put the buddy burner, which was a homemade candle, made with a spiraled piece of cardboard in a tuna (or small pineapple) can covered with paraffin. Need 6 or 7 spatulas. The Webelos II (now known as AOL) den was in charge of making the buddy burner stoves. Buy the frozen hamburger patties, and put them in a cooler the night before. We generally did breakfast either by dens or on their own. A lot of the dads wanted to break out their campstoves, and show their stuff. When I was WDL, the Webelos made ziplock omelettes, which was a favorite of my oldest son.

Have you ever made grits? You have to boil for at least 5 minutes for quick grits (15 minutes for regular grits). That and the cleanup make it impractical for backpacking.

No need for the paper cup. If you have a coffee cup or small bowl, put the packet into the cup (open the top of the packet), you can just pour water into the instant grits (or oatmeal)pack it, stir it up, and eat. Much smaller waste. I usually eat the grits first, then use the same cup for coffee.

Takes too much fuel to make real grits while backpacking. If it's a choice between instant grits or instant oatmeal, southerners prefer instant grits.

We did the same. Every year when the parents turned in a new form, we would return the old form. I think that's part of what sets up a situation of trust.

My thought as well about trust. If you can trust me to supervise your son in a wilderness area at least three hours walk from a road, you should be able to trust me with their health information (and one of the leaders did carry that health info for the scouts present in their backpack).