qwazse

So, lots of us are really frustrated by the loss of the personal message on the forum. Every now and then it's nice to get a note to somebody about something without some spammer discovering your contact info and using it for some nefarious purpose. So, how to get around this? One idea I had is those of us who want to initiate personal correspondence creat an account on another service. I was thinking geocaching.com. It allows player-to-player messages. Plus, it gives you something different to do with that map and compass. If anyone has a better idea, let me know.

Don't know if this happened nationally, but 11 years ago, our council received an endowment from someone who asked "why aren't more boys making Eagle?" And, the donor(s) wanted their gifts to go to programs that addressed that question. As a result, our council camp had a "trail to Eagle area" that star and life scouts could hang out and discuss what they needed to complete advancement. Let's face it, in some troops kids don't see anyone making rank, but if they see boys from other troops year after year, they might conclude like Pack, "Oh, I *can* do this."

Hope everyone took the CC's "Here's how it's gonna be..." with the appropriate grain of salt and is now at home helping those kids master a first class skill or two! BTW, there's nothing inherently wrong with a tenderfoot PL in 1st year, but it can limit what the patrol will do relative the other patrols (other patrols being likely more seasoned and high adventure oriented). If the SM would rather PL's be a little more balanced in skill sets, then things like FC rules come in handy. Bottom line: it's the SM's call. Everyone one else falls in line. Period.

Yes, as a discussion point under substance abuse, sub-topic addiction.

In the US, the size of the boat depends on the location of the unit. Many cruise on small lakes just like yours. Did your group build your boat? Or did you raise funds to get it?

So it's funding. Think of it this way: Adults pay from their own pocket, or Adults pay from their boys' pocket. Either is fine as long as everyone knows what's going on. The treasurer's expense report should specify "amount paid from dues collected" vs. "amount paid from troop fund". Chances are your more active adults if they understand what's happening will want to make a donation to offset their membership costs, if they can. Like everything in life, there are pluses and minuses to either approach, leave that for your committee to hash out while you're tending the boys.

I resent the tone the article takes toward my "at risk" venturers of a particular race and child-rearing situation. Were I to take it to it's conclusion, I would presume that my (fortunately formerly) homeless youth of minority persuasion is doomed to thuggery, while I have nothing to worry about from my supposedly well-parented poor-impulse-control youth. Actually, it seems that the former youth is being forced to work (picking up magician jobs at the last minute) for a living and necessarily has to be courteous to all to keep from the brink of starvation. Meanwhile, the other fellow has free time and sufficient shelter to develop a surly and ill-tempered attitude. Our kids are exposed to innumerable man/womanhood rituals that undermine their proper character development. It's our jobs as caring adults to call their attention to any of it. One of my phrases to ALL of my "gangsta wannabe" youth: "Thuggery does not become you." I really, really hope they all take it to heart.

Scouting Magazine for every adult New advancement requirements A whole lot of lawyering That about sums it up.

So, it sounds like your adults don't pay dues. Are you concerned because the boys will have to raise more funds to pay for adult registrations if you keep your pool of adults large? Or, is this about more than just money?

Growing up, my SM operated this way. The committee was just a few parents (including my dad) and started its meeting during the troop meeting and once the boys were dismissed, SM went upstairs to give his report. I distinctly remember waiting in the scout house (along with lads waiting for BoRs) for my dad. Never knew anyone to have a problem with it. SM had more hours to spend with youth. The CC and COR represented the SM to the rest of the committee. The all went to the same church (and school, I think, growing up), so they were pretty tight. My son's SMs aren't comfortable with this, and sit in on the entire meeting. So, we hold it on a different night. Takes up more time out of people's week. With lots of folks pulling double shifts to maintain their standard of living, you lose adults. As Advisor, I play a much different game. (The chart IS different too! But most folks come in with a sense of things similar to your parents'.) I told my crew committee to not hold any meeting in the absence of the crew president. That solved a multitude of problems. (Caused others, like if a youth doesn't step up and make some phone calls, there is a high probability of their pet activity not happening.) Different strokes, I guess.

You can't possibly mean Scouting as it was understood by Baden-Powell: Proficiency Badges that measure a Scout's current proficiency in Boy Scout skills only? Bad idea! That would attract boys who like camping, in the same way that basketball teams attract boys who like basketball, baseball teams attract boys who like baseball, football teams attract boys who like football, and soccer teams attract boys who like soccer. The Merit Badge system is designed for adults with a marginal interest in Cub Scout outdoor skills for teens, but seek to make up for the shortcomings of the public school system by turning Scouting into after-school school. Oh, the horror that a Boy Scout might pick up Personal Management in a one hour trick-or-treat session, while we struggle to uphold the standards that most red-blooded outdoor boys hate, have always hated, and will continue to hate until the end of time. Yours at 300 feet, Kudu Will reducing the number of MBs get us any closer to "proficiency badges" (in the outdoors or otherwise)?

No! The worst thing we can do is teach our kids that the only things "out there" are a few occupations and interests that are economically valuable and all they need to do is master those and the world will be a better place.

Like I teach the kids in my youh group, steer clear of Christiena. They're a vicious lot who'll ruin your walk with Jesus if you let them. Some concerned individuals threatened to do the same thing to my unit if a particular adult was stayed on my roster. The person didn't want any trouble, but I concluded cow-towing would invite more trouble, so I recharted with no dropping anyone. Lots of ranting to H.Q., calls from HQ, me writing a succinct letter of the facts for the record, and making clear to my DE that no positions would change. We're still here years later. Your mileage may vary.

Let's see: because I pursued Eagle Scout I: - learned to develop film long before I joined camera club. - understood how to read weather maps. - made insane orienteering courses. - had one-on-one conversations with bank presidents, county sherrifs, professors, miners, EMTs, clergy, organists, journeymen, etc ... Because other boys were earning it I ... - Learned to use the come-along that was hanging in my dad's garage (logs for trout ladders) - learned every detail of steam locomotives (from inside the boiler out) - gained a healthy respect of mountain laurel and limestone caves in the same weekend .., and the list goes on. But that should be enough to answer your question.

I hope by "rank" you really mean his title/position of PL, and not his BSA rank (2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, etc). Once a BSA rank has been awarded - no one - except the BSA National office, has the ability to remove it. Certainly not your Troop's committee. Talk to your Scoutmaster - NOW. BTW - what was done with Alex for his multiple incidents of shoving, and (especially) Jacob for shoving, stabbing, tripping, stealing, and punching? James might have incited the incidents, but these boys were the ones to actually demonstrate, CLEARLY, what it means to NOT live by the Scout Oath and Law. The excuse of someone else "making" them act like aggressive bullies does not fly in my book. It was THEIR choice to act the way they did. Do these parents get that it's the SM's call when elections happen? It's his call about which troop customs to uphold/amend. The ASMs assist him. Period. Typically it's the boys who vote their leaders, and leaders don't get removed lightly.

I hope by "rank" you really mean his title/position of PL, and not his BSA rank (2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, etc). Once a BSA rank has been awarded - no one - except the BSA National office, has the ability to remove it. Certainly not your Troop's committee. Talk to your Scoutmaster - NOW. BTW - what was done with Alex for his multiple incidents of shoving, and (especially) Jacob for shoving, stabbing, tripping, stealing, and punching? James might have incited the incidents, but these boys were the ones to actually demonstrate, CLEARLY, what it means to NOT live by the Scout Oath and Law. The excuse of someone else "making" them act like aggressive bullies does not fly in my book. It was THEIR choice to act the way they did. SN, I agree with you that the common thugs need to have a light shined on their behaviors. I also agree that the committee shouldn't be bothered with who's in what patrol. I think the one point NAE learned (and tried to discuss with the committee) is that shuffling players does not increase discipline. That kind of thing might work if you have a low performing patrol and a high performing patrol (low and high in terms of skills, not discipline) and a couple of boys in the high-performing patrol are up for the challenge of helping those boys up their program. But as a corrective tool, it rarely succeeds. But, if a kid is trying to undermine leadership at every turn, they need to be rewarded with some time out from under that leadership. Being disloyal, unfriendly, and unclean (it doesn't have to be cussing to be foul speech) also demonstrate a disregard of the scout law. My co-advisor had a GS in her troop who was equally divisive. Made things miserable for all the girls (especially her "best friend"), until about age 16 they all realized life was so much better when everybody united and ignored her.

Scout (a.k.a. joining rank) SM conferences are little more than a handshake and "how ya doin?" But every SM approaches them differently. Even if he had one with a boy before AoL, he might want to another once the boy crosses over anyway. So don't think of it as repeating the requirement. Think of it as getting each boy comfortable with introducing himself to different scouters. Many of us think that is the most significant part of the program. That the advancement program exists is to encourage young men to increase their level of adult association.

Meeting the SM of the troop they might join in a year or so sounds like a good idea.

SM"s call. But here's how I would advise him. Shoving match with PL, one week suspension. Abusive behavior, one month suspension. Inciting to riot, six month suspension. To be shortened if the writes an essay on Absolam's rebellion (and considers getting a haircut).

Son #1 and his buddies were just nuts about improvisation at that age. They would do skit after skit, and wouldn't stop. Before meetings, after meetings, on campouts ... Son #2, they just followed a short script for the Pack's Blue and Gold banquet. If you are visiting a troop on a campout, ask if they have a skit time in the evening. If so, challenge the boys to prepare something for that.

Agree with Stosh. Furthermore, the nice thing when someone lies about you, you know to believe the opposite when they "help" you by providing an opinion about someone else,

The SE replied to the article, and his council taking the responsibility of repairs without saying any of the boys are responsible.

After my last snarky remark, I was just thinking what if the forum had scouting equivalent of emoticons? Like: -88- Figure eight on a byte? =x= Clove hitch? _-_ Smoky-the-bear hat (help?) Clearly, this is egg ain't all fried yet, but maybe you can reply with better ones.

I'm so proud of being a scouter, I drop young women and men off cliffs! (After teaching them how to tie-in on a figure 8 on a bight. )

Just make a low fire ring from flat stones (or wood painted to look like stones if you really need to nail everything down). Pile it high with red/yellow/orange/black wrapped candy that the boys can toss to the crowd. Keep a backup box of candy in the tent. Ask your council HQ if they might have any swag to give away to the crowd.