perdidochas

That sounds like a nightmare. How are you related to the Pack?

I'd have no problem with it, depending on the boys. There are some Scouts (First class or otherwise) that I wouldn't trust for this. There are some I would. Interestingly, in asking my sons about their fellow scouts, their views coincide with mine (and they are two of the Scouts I would trust in the above situation, but not the only two). I recently had a situation that about 5 mins into it, I had doubts. I had about 6 Boy Scouts and as many Webelos on a nature hike. The Webelos and a First Class Scout didn't want to go any further. We were about a quarter mile from the campsite. I let the Scout (who I do trust) bring all of the Webelos back. The rest of us went and did a few miles and came back. No problems.

That is the way of the world these days. Parents aren't teaching kids as much, in general. My boys, when they entered Boy Scouts, could cook eggs or toast. They can do laundry and wash pots/pans/dishes, in a kitchen sink, camp sink or dishwasher (even commercial dishwasher now, due to helping out on a service project involving the church kitchen). That said, if you look at personal management or Family life merit badges, parents should be teaching that as well. Same with cooking merit badge, etc.

I like the slogan "Prepared. For Life." I believe that the scoutcraft we do teach is preparing scouts for life. I know that the scoutcraft I learned as a Scout back in the late 1970s helped to prepare me for life. I don't think this is a bad badge, but I would like it if it replaced Family Life and Personal Management. That way the number of Eagle required remains the same (after the addition of cooking), and we get rid of a non-outdoors MB. I'd also like to see the Citizenship MBs reduced to one, and add two either/or badges--either Canoeing, Backpacking, or Kayaking and either Pioneering or Orienteering. My sons are currently Star and Life, and have gotten all of the "fun" Eagle required badges. The Star Scout has a bunch (all the Citizenships, Communication, Fam life, and personal management, for example). The Life has three (communication, Fam Life and Personal management).

Irritated at being dumped on, but on the other hand, it's probably the best thing that could happen for the Webelos.

We're sort of a compromise troop. We don't wear full field uniforms when in the outdoors (except for Camporees). We do wear full field uniforms every meeting, and during travel to and from outings. We do require uniform pants/shorts (or at the least similar colored ones) and uniform socks (with shorts).

Ghermanno, National has pushed that back to 12-18 months, not under a year. That said, about half of our First Class scouts are far from being first class. The problem is that we took in a lot of kids from other troops, and trusted their Scout handbook sign offs. A couple are because we trusted summer camp signoffs. At our Camporee last weekend, I was pleasantly surprised that all of the boys knew their knots, basic orienteering and fire building.

LDS troops don't camp on Saturday night, so that probably skews their stats. For them 5 nights of camping is 5 trips, for us, 5 nights of camping is 2.5 trips. That said, it is on the low side.

When we got new dining flies, I did the same thing--I removed all of the doobers (my name for the mechanical tautline hitch replacements), so the boys had to use TL hitches. I was pleasantly surprised at the camporee last weekend, when the boys in my troop knew all the 6 knots in the knot relay. They lost the competition (speed), but I was happy that they knew all the knots. Finally, I agree with you totally about the trucker's hitch. I canoe/kayak/windsurf and I use a modified truckers hitch to tie the bow and stern of the watercraft down. By modified truckers hitch, I mean I use an overhand loop for the knot in the body of the rope, which is semi-permanent, as I am usually tying the same watercraft on the same vehicle. I also use slipped half-hitches, because I can double up the line, and don't have as much leftover line then. The painters of my watercraft are at least as long as the watercraft are, so I have some extra line that needs to be dealt with.

When camping at a park, we've always had a good reception by rangers. Scouts generally keep campsites in better shape than, for example, church groups.

I guess I wasn't typical. After being a Cub Scout Den leader for 3 1/2 yrs, I loved Boy Scout meetings. My last year as a Cub Scout leader, I was also Advancement Coordinator for the Troop. I barely survived Cub Scouts.......... That said, as our troop is becoming more boy led, we are also becoming a bit more chaotic (and fun). Some of the older leaders cringe when the boys start doing things like spontaneously going into the "announcements" song.

From what I googled, pressure cooking is recommended as a way of cooking to retain nutritional value of vegetables. Microwaving is also a good method. Fast is best in terms of nutrient retention.

I'd have to say my homemade hammock. It makes hot nights (above 70) bearable in terms of temperature, and is much easier on my back than the ground.

Well, like it or not, any time we use wilderness (or other land) we effect it. Sacrificial sites are necessary in order to adversely effect the least amount of land. it's just pragmatism, which is sometimes lame.

Dedkad, Go to http://www.hammockforums.net You can get answers to any question about hammocking there, and it's a pretty friendly forum. I just hope you're using straps rather than ropes. Straps are recommended as the most tree-friendly way to tie the hammock between two trees.

Wow, I treat the sheet bend as a required knot. I now know it is not. It's still a useful knot, and is one of the knots I use. My oldest son's favorite knot is the monkey fist. It seems I'm always having to take it out of the end of a rope.

None. I use straps and carabiners. Ropes aren't recommended. Now, I do use a slipped half hitch when attaching the straps to the double ring buckle.

Our troop contemplated custom chuckboxes--we use rolling plastic tool boxes that are about the size of a typical cooler. They work ok, The good thing is that even our smallest scouts can move them around. The waterproof part is great.

The Summit is a sacrificial site, per LNT. Sometimes you have to mar nature for human use.

I use the bowline for the use it's name implies. It's the knot I use to tie a line to the bow (and stern) of a boat. That said, for the cute girl packing the stuff on top of her car, I teach my sons the trucker's hitch (my favorite usage of half-hitches). I teach the other scouts it as well, but don't get quite as much repetition in as I can with my own sons. To DC: IMHO, the goal of Boy scouts is to create better men. Character, competence in the outdoors, leadership, the ability to fend for themselves are all parts of that.

In our diocese, all adult Scout leaders (all adults who deal with youth on the church grounds) who have contact with children (we have an exemption for committee members) have to be fingerprinted/background check every 5 years, and go through the diocesan courses--Shield the vulnerable. Thankfully, those courses are now online, and are similar to YPT, but are a bit more detailed and also have parts on elder abuse as well.

When I was a Cub Scout leader, I often lapsed into the Boy Scout oath when doing the Cub Scout oath. Was not a good thing for the boys.

It can be part of requirement 9b for Camping Merit Badge. It's also part of the National Outdoor Badge in Aquatics or Adventure.

Vandals are vandals.