qwazse

Well, at least you didn't derail the entire subject by dinging the troop on the lack of compliance with Flag Code 36.176.c.

Well, they probably don't think they are aweful. I suspect that these boys aren't in the honor guard for much besides the parade. Thus, the lack of interest in the patch.

@bearess, this sounds like our typical rogue troop. (I know of one such troop in our council.) Sometimes these troops register their girls through GS/USA or some other organization, but everything else is a Boy Scout program. Others don't register their girls at all until they turn 14. Evidently there are enough such troops out there, that giving them legitimacy seems worthwhile.

Welcome, and thanks for all you do for our youth.

Eight, -- floods were first.

From time to time, we've had scouts join asking questions about rank advancement. Not sure if which, if any of them, reported getting their bird. We've had a few young Eagles ask "what's next?" But @ItsBrian, you're the odd duck who feels that strangers on the internet are worthy of a play-by-play.

How strange. We always seem to get a set of boys who have opposite interests (typically heavy sports/karate vs. heavy scouts). I don't think our pack ever turned away a brother from the occasional event. But, if he made regular appearances, we'd hand him an application and say, "Why not?" Our venturing crew considered a $5 surcharge for "guests", which would be used to pay rechartering fees and the youth's registration if they came frequently enough. That thinned the herd quickly.

So, what have you done with male siblings who aren't registered and don't want to be?

Welcome to the forums. Only one temporary insignia may be worn over the right pocket of the uniform shirt. Some folks (i.e. me) will sew one insignia on the pocket and hang another from the button. But that;'s not proper uniforming. If you want to display multiple patches, get a brag vest.

Although I see your point, given the nature of our litigious society, the balance of risk is on the JASMs because they are the ones soon to transition, and this age 18 boundary is more artificial in their psyche. (It's not imposed at school, work, or dating relationships.) We train scouters on how to work with 17 year-olds and still maintain YP. That allows JASMs to transition to ASM a little more gracefully. In my experience, it's easier to keep adults compliant (mind you, we are picky about who registers with us) than getting a "suddenly 18 year old" to cut ties with a younger scout whose been his chum up until age 17.99. I've received "the call" from an exec about such friendships and supposed incidents - all outside of scouting activities. I didn't like it. So, maybe I'm a little more sensitive than most.

UC? It would be nice to meet what's-his-name. We were sent a different form about whether we were starting a BSA4G unit, and if so, what type. Seemed more like one of those sales pitches disguised as surveys.

Extremes ... like if a boy is helping a little old lady cross a busy street, he should send a selfie video of them to two registered leaders, thus ensuring that there was no inappropriate contact!

Based on the "Pedro" thread, maybe we could swap Scouting Heritage for Family Life on the required for Eagle list.

Generic language? I have never had any of my kids call me "Parent, dearest." Now that the grass is tall, everyone expects me to mow the lawn. They aren't looking at Mrs. Q to do it. Same for Son #1. Not only that, Son #1 and I are somehow expected to know how to fix every motor in every tool my father-in-law acquired at his lake house. Moreover, when a family from church needed help getting their lawn mowed, neither of our Mrs. was copied on that Email. Did I mention that DiL and Daughter can assemble anything? As in factories and mills and derricks. But, when remodeling needs done, they pick the colors and tell us boys to "Make it so." Son #2's GF was scrubbing deck chairs, not running the power washer Saturday. Family free of sex roles? Imagine that. Because that's the only way I see it ... in my dreams! As to when BSA decided to get their noses in this stuff, Family Life was first issued in 1991.

I've never known an SPL to disagree with the SM on this. Assuming that he and the SM have good intentions, I could imagine a situation where the SPL knows something about a fellow scout that the SM does not. It could be that the SPL simply knows they boy doesn't want to be JASM, so why bother with asking the SM about the appointment?

It's very reliable. But in case that's not enough, let's crack open The Patrol Leader Handbook Either the SPL has everything to do with the decision, or you're doing it wrong.

To be fair, @shortridge, you weren't merely using @blw2's words. You were using a non-sequitur to set up a false dichotomy. And using that to put his posts in the worst possible light. It does not follow that someone who disdains my restrictive sexual ethics would be less welcoming to me and my family in their scout unit. Nor, would it follow that someone who thinks less of a family built on a permissive sexual ethic would be less welcoming to that family. In fact often the reverse is true. Many times people go out of their way to point out they don't like my world view (or even how I may parent, at times), but will gladly let me hike and camp with them. I certainly pass that kindness along to others. And part of that kindness has been to point out to certain parents (once I've earned their trust) that they aren't being very effective in their roles.

@Pale Horse, you seem to be citing exceptions that prove the rule. I have had a handful of college-age men who, being raised absent a father, look to me and other men for guidance. Were I to respond that the women in their lives provided everything they needed, their Moms would have come and slapped me silly. So, maybe, role #1 of a mother: steer your children clear of fools. of a father: don't be one of those fools. But you are really missing the larger purpose. This is a big country .. with varying expectations on what a young person should grow up to be, especially in regards to raising progeny. Those expectations are sex-specific and vary by the many cultures welcome in our country. It is a delusion to think one can pretend those roles are immaterial, expect one's partner to ignore them, then start spawning or adopting children and getting a result that would mutually satisfactory to one's partner, one's extended family, or one's progeny. There certainly will be scouts who might have the same answer for both Mom's role and Pop's role. But, the requirement is not about what makes a better or worse family. The spirit of the question is "where will I fit in". And if a girl is working through the MB, she might have a clear understanding of a father's role, but knowing that won't help her reflect on the role that she will most likely be called to fulfill. Generalizing to "parent" may work for some, but the personal ramifications may be lost on others. Besides, for families raising their youth with a complementarian world view, maybe we should have been asking a boy about what makes and effective mother all along.

@MattHiggins, will Bechtel really lock out the beer tent? Probably. There are plenty of other countries who would happy to not hazard some scouter getting loaded then driving a WV ridge road. Hide the "reminder" bowls of prophylaxis? Unlikely. Not worth risking the hundreds dead worldwide to keep up the appearance of 100% of membership hewing to a restrictive sexual ethic.

Out of the mouths of babes and post-modern nomads ... Here's the thing. PM is so simple that we have a hard time believing that a vision of the pinnacle scouting experience, hiking and camping independently with your mates, is all that a bunch of scouts (military or boy) would need. GBB's articles in Boy's Life were pure gold. They gave you, the scout, tips on how to take your boys out and do stuff. Then, when you had a scout who needed to hike around for one requirement or another, you'd pipe up and say, "Hey, while we're at it, let's try this! Be at Dave's house Saturday." I never got a lot of directives of how to behave as a PL. We got a room in the meeting house, and were assigned tasks. As a troop, we filled in the blanks on permission ships, which included an "I can drive __ scouts to/from the activity". You'd set up camp. How well you did it was up to you. The SM/ASM/JASM or SPL would then come around and throw down tasks/challenges (from either Scouter or Boy's Life). The BSHB showed ideas on how to make a stencil for a flag. So I begged/bought the fixings to make our banner at summer camp. (It did not warn me that my can of spray paint might be procured for an improvised flame thrower.) On the flip side, it was rare that we went camping more than 30 minutes from home. Never worried about a trailer. Water purification was never a concern. (Don't like the sulfur water from the local well? Bring your own canteen next time.) Most parents dropped off and left. ASMs were mainly college students who had precious little resources to buy fancy camping gadgets. And, we never saw the inside of a cabin! We might use public adirondaks on our trails (never saw another hiker on the ones we picked at the time of year we hiked them), but they were often nasty enough that I requisitioned a tent. Big-ticket scouting was what one or two scouts might every year or two. The options were Jambo, WSJ, Philmont, and you went provisionally. There was no cluster of parents who would get together and raise funds for a patrol to blow that much coin. In that context, summer camp and council camporees were the grandest things most of us ever saw. I guess with those limited options, it was much easier to be a patrol, to get to know farmers and public land managers, and to as the shoe slogan goes Just Do It.

@fred johnson, it doesn't sound like you're looking for safety guidance. It sounds like you're looking for a section in the BSHB on courtesy with electronic devices. That chapter has not been written. Even among adults, I think the rules of conduct have yet to gel. For example, does anybody know if Robert's Rules have guidance on use of digital communication/teleconferencing? We've boiled our guidance down to: When at a meeting, be at the meeting.

Welcome to the forums. Never had your job but loved seeing cheerfull commishioner making the rounds of camp.

Welcome to the craziness that is Cub Scout day camp. The down-side of cycling through all the districts in your council is that you may be dealing with different volunteers, and sometimes kids from different backgrounds. Some will be more conducive to handicraft learning than others. The up-side is that you will meet lots of other adults, many of whom will grow to think of you as "the guy" for leatherwork. Hopefully one or two of them will invite you to visit their den or pack. Maybe one will volunteer to help with some other events/camps. After each activity, if you have the chance, ask the adult leaders for feed back. You could even ask some of the kids what their most favorite and least favorite part of the activity was. Enjoy the summer. May it be as rewarding as it is wild!

Not sure about in other regions, but here Solo lost to a high pressure ridge leading to a Great Lake flatter than glass. The kids were considering the movie as everyone gathered Friday, but the weather took an unexpected turn for the better. My DiL wanted to make up for lost paddleboard time last summer, where every weekend had 2' - 6' waves (... so sad seeing her come up from the boat ramp every morning all dejected). And everyone else (be they kayaker or swimmer) pretty much agreed that we needed remind 54-degree Erie that it was time to warm up for the summer. I accompanied her for a mile paddle into the sunset last night, and felt guilty about disturbing the water at every stroke. I suspect the folks with sailboats would be inclined to the theater. But that's a small slice.

One that son #2 enjoyed: the troop built a footbridge over a stream near a favorite camping spot. The goal was to reduce bank erosion from the traffic walking around the lake. They weren't interested in the outdoor ethics awards or anything. It was just a muddy load of fun.