perdidochas

Most of our deathbed Eagles weren't around much before they got the urge to finish Eagle. Only one of our older Eagles has come back to help the troop. Don't have any younger Eagles to compare them with.

I found the best training I had been to as a Scout leader was Webelos OWL training--conducted outdoors, and by a man with a lot of Boy Scout experience (not just Webelo). BALOO was basically just about the rules for family camping. Wasn't a bad course, but it was on the dry side. IOLS was a joke to me, but it was because I had a background in all the topics covered. I learned a little about LNT and Backpacking that I didn't know. Helped teach the other students in IOLS about knots (but as I had already been a WDL for two years, I pretty much knew them well).

And orienteering is fun.

That's unbelievable. My boys were homesick their first (and second for the oldest, sympathy for homesick younger brother), but they never contemplated going home for that. By the time they did their Ordeal, homesickness was unthinkable. I do agree that our society is producing prissier people, and it's most noticeable in Scout aged boys. When I was WDL, I had several boys that didn't crossover because they (and their mothers) didn't think they could take camping without their mother. I think the boy was lazy (Mom did everything on the Family/Webelos camps we did), and the Mom overprotective. Had others that did crossover that didn't last long--two or three campouts. IMHO, your son's OA lodge was lucky that those 10 boys didn't finish the Ordeal. They weren't mature enough to be in the OA.

At summer camp, I asked this young scout why he had a cord around his arm, through the epaulets. He said that meant he didn't know his 6 knots yet, and he couldn't take it off until he knew his 6 knots. I kind of think that's not a good thing (verging on, if not outright hazing), but it would encourage the quick learning of knots.

Doesn't take 9 months, but 6 months. Never says that you have to wait 6 months after getting Webelos badge, says 6 months after completeing the 4h grade.

Crossover is no problem if he's 11 or will be 11 by the time of crossover. If he won't be 11, at the time of crossover, then he needs to get his Webelos award and his Arrow Of Light. It is possible, on my second go-round as a W2 leader, I had a boy go from new to scouts to Arrow of Light by March (when they crossed over). Takes a motivated scout/parents to do that, though.

Use Scoutlike invocations. There are some very neutral ones out there. 1. A SCOUT'S PRAYER Lord, we thank you for this day. Help us to do our best every day, And forgive us when we slip. Teach us to be kind to other people and to help them at all times Bless our parents and teachers and leaders and all the members of Scouting Bless us, Lord in your love for us Help us to be a better Scouts and let us do our best for you Amen 5. A SCOUTER'S PRAYER "Build me a Scout, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory... Build me a Scout whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a Scout who himself is the foundation stone of knowledge... Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail... Build me a Scout whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high. A Scout who will master himself before he seeks to master others, one who will march into the future, yet never forget the past... And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength... Then I, a Scouter who knew him, will dare to whisper, `I have not lived in vain.'"

I actually use a thermometer when I'm slow-cooking meats on the grill. I'm not as sure of the field tests.

The wierd thing is that I was a Scout at that time. I even have my old Handbook that has the skill awards on it. I can't recall anybody in my troop getting one. I also got Tenderfoot, and have no idea what I had to do to get it.

There are field signs for temperature. No need for a thermometer while cooking. I've used these for the 25 years I've cooked on my own. The only time I've had food poisoning is from eating an egg salad sandwich that had been left out on a courtesy table. For example, with chicken, you can tell temperature by the color of the juices coming out. You can also tell the temperature that the meat has reached by how it feels when poked by a fork. The same with most cuts of meat. I basically agree with BD, it verges on paranoid.

On paper and in front of his parents, the boy is great. He's been to NYLT and NAYLE in Philmont I believe he's helped teach NYLT , he's in the OA, he worked at Philmont this summer with an OA work crew, etc. He's got about 60 merit badges. However, he has his mom fooled, and has managed to fool enough leaders in the past (our previous SM was good friends with his family). We are his third troop. He got Life in his second troop. It may just be my standards of scoutlike behavior are higher than other people's standards. Or it may be that I don't objectively see his good points because I dislike him (one of two in our troop of 30 or so that I don't genuinely like and enjoy being around). I do clearly see his flaws. Other leaders may not see that.

9b, to me, is the real great part of the badge. It forces troops to do different things--not just plop camping and messing around.

Thanks, koolaidman, I hope this boy finishes in time so that this doesn't become a requirement for him. I want him to leave the troop. To me, he's a bad influence on the other boys. He has Scout habits from the two other troops he was in prior to ours. He's also a shirker and figures out ways to dodge doing anything useful.

Had a discussion with two of my Life Scouts (one that has finished his project and MBs, and the other that is working on his project). Basically, to spur them to get everything together before January 1, 2014, I told them that if they didn't have all their requirements (except EBOR) finished before January 1, that they would have to get the Cooking MB. The mother of one claims that she was told that since her son has been Life since 2010, he doesn't have this requirement. I think she's wrong--that there is no grandfathering for this requirement, but is there an official advancement source that says it? I've read unofficial things that say that, but nothing official. The boy is just 16, so if he has plenty of time to get the MB if needed.

Sounds like mothers who don't know anything about proper etiquette and simple politeness.

Exactly! The YP guidelines keep those of us who aren't pervs out of being falsely accused. Nothing will stop the pervs but vigilance, by the leaders and the boys. We have a local lawyer (also a scout leader) who specializes in sexual abuse to talk to our scouts about once a year. He discusses one major aspect of protection a year. Like you, I keep my eyes and ears open, and thankfully, I haven't noticed anything predatory. If I do, I will have no problems reporting it.

I would ask the parents to show up to a few meetings. Let them help you with strategies. If they refuse, think about letting the boy go. It's not fair to the other scouts to have a disruptive scout (even if disabled).

http://www.scouting.org/Training/Adult/Supplemental/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx The Merit Badge Process The requirements for each merit badge appear in the current BSA merit badge pamphlet for that award and in the current edition of the Boy Scout Requirements book, available at Scout shops and council service centers. When a Scout has decided on a merit badge he would like to earn, he obtains from his Scoutmaster the name and phone number of the district/council-approved merit badge counselor. At this time, the Scoutmaster also can issue the Scout a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card). The Scout telephones the merit badge counselor to make an appointment, and together they schedule a date and time for the Scout and his buddy to meet. The counselor suggests that the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet, the Application for Merit Badge, and any work that he has started or accomplished, and that he prepare by reading over the requirements.

To some degree, BSA has always been a boy fun organization. Well, boys aren't getting a lot of votech in schools, and they enjoy that sort of thing. It's a no-brainer that BSA should do it. As long as it doesn't replace outdoorcraft, I'm fine with vo-tech as a supplement.

The theory goes that they sometimes cook under tarps at Philmont, but never in tents. Tents are not associated with food, tarps are. One of the keys to hammock camping is the tarp.