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BD, much of it may be psychological. Certainly some of us grew up being kicked out of the house at noon and not welcome back in until supper time on a Saturday. (Parents just got sick of yelling at you to do chores while all you did was try to watch cartoons on TV.) Sooner or later we would figure out that we could easily get ourselves five miles away from home and back in that time period if we tried. That's not the case anymore with most kids in the country. You need them to experience that walking a mile or two is hardly any imposition on their time or energy before they try anything longer.

Hope he enjoys the next six months! Adults will rally around a driven youth, even if he transferred in yesterday. At his SMC he'll get a load of advice. probably most significant: start the Personal ** badges ASAP, and decide what he'd like to do for a service project.

Invite some special guests: - Local game commissioner (this is especially useful the month before fishing season) especially one who might be able to teach tracking or suggest a simple service project. - Former scout just back from his tour of duty or boot camp. - An NRA certified instructor for some basic gun safety/maintenance instruction. - How many in your troop are driving age? A mechanic with some basic car care tips might be handy. - Ask your committee if they know any pro athletes who may be willing to visit. (Seriously, this happened at our troop once.) These may prepare you for a camporee, or they may provide pleasant relief from the other weeks when you are conditioning.

Sometimes, mapping out where the cute girls live helps extend those walks. But, no point in telling your boy that. It sounds like if it's your idea, he'll ignore it. My oldest, who was very athletic, was insulted at the suggestion that he could walk a mile to his buddies house instead of pacing the floors writing for us to be ready to haul him there.

Well, to put all my cards on the table, I am listening to how different folks handle this because our SM broached the subject to a few of us ASM's last month in relation to a life scout and his FB page. Keeping this boy may have been one reason that some parents left and spun off a new troop. The kid has improved greatly over the years, but no doubt a few rough edges remain. Anyway, we told the SM we'd back him however he wanted to handle it. Bounced around a few pro's and con's, and suggested he give our district advancement chair a call, just to be sure that whatever we do is consistent with how other troops in the neighborhood may have handled similar issues. And, we want the boy to have a chance to deal with it before he comes up for his EBOR.

Sounds like you've got a plan. When he's beyond the "after school" stage, have the boy get a counselor for more ideas for what to prepare for. For example, I've been told that flash floods are a serious issue for some parts of the SW in some seasons. Even, in the hills of PA and WV, we know to make a few phone calls about certain streams if there have been consecutive days of rain or if a large snowpack has begun to thaw. Based on what was last reported to the ranger station, we adjust our hike plan accordingly. Also in terms of hiking buddies: 1. Don't shy away from dumping this on Mom. A lot of times relationships at this age consist of her telling him to do something, and him ignoring it. This might be a good way for them both to simply enjoy each other's company. 2. Involve his patrol. He can help his patrol leader write a plan that will meet the SM's approval. This may require you shelling out for a pizza or two while they meet at your place to hash it all out. 3. Take the merit badge with a buddy. Sometimes an MBC might actually prefer this, because it makes for better discussion.

I've never heard of a general prohibition from Christian circles. Old Testemant references indicate that peircing was used indicate voluntary servitude for life. In the Apocolypse, Christ returns with a "King of Kings" tat on his legs.

Solve one problem at a time. Let the SM and scout choose a course of action and give them time to implement it. Then point out to parents that appropriate action was taken and encourage them to support the SPL as best they can. Also tell them that going to the DE over a matter like this hurts the SM deeply, an apology to him on their part would be in order. If their confidence in the SM is really so low that they won't apologize, then you could suggest another troop where they may feel more comfortable. ( Give them the number of the SM who annoyed you most at the last camporee!)

When I was a teen, I read my brother's copy of "Our New Navy", which discouraged tattoos and helped me make up my mind never to get one. I explained to my kids that we are a bunch of unmarked cars! That said, I saw one awesome fleur de lis on a gentleman this summer.

Sorry I blew the DE connection out of proportion. Sounds like this guy was giving you his general opinion when asked. Not butting in on behalf of "concerned parents". In matters like these, a CC should support whatever decision the SM comes to. Sometimes a kid will not respect the SM or his parents and it's time to haul him before the committe so that he gets that dismissal is not far off. That doesn't seem to be the case here. (Lucky you.) Most of the time a CC's job is to rally parents around the SM and support his decisions. The COR's responsibility is to convey the CO's opinion on such matters. So, talking to your institutional head would be an appropriate step. But you may already know what they'll say. For example, most religious institutions would take a posture of grace and deal with a sin only in the area where it occured. The boy should be made aware that his actions were found to be offensive. IMHO, how he makes amends is up to him, but I would advise him that an apology on FB would be in order. Apologising in front of the troop would not be appropriate. (For one thing, it would make boys who didn't see the video want to look it up!)

Our nation has a vast public lands. Most private property is outdoors - not indoors. Cleaning water for (and waste from) 300 million people is no trivial task. Understanding how one person can manage these limited resources is the first step in good citizenship. Walking the trails that Native Americans once walked was my first history lesson of substance. When we enter a wilderness recreation area for some adventure, I remind my youth about how that designation is no trivial matter. In some cases it involved citizens banding together, looking at a land that was ravaged by logging, fire, overgrazing, and bombing, and in reflection saying "Oh God, What have we done?". The "recreation" is not for us, it is for the land, and the only way the wilderness will truly be re-created is if they take up the mantle as citizens and advocate for its right to be left alone. Personally, I would rather have an electorate who has reckoned with the outdoors. When they turn 18, that's one reason why I give a scout or venturer a voter registration card and say "Ok now, run my country." Citizenship cannot be separated from the outdoors.

Have you seen kids and their school packs lately? They break my back just watching the little gompers carry them two blocks!

"Defacto Troop Encourager" Now that would go well on a sleeve!

Is the DE actually getting involved? Or is he just telling Cross what he would do in a similar situation. It's unfortunate that the DE got involved. Not because the SM will need to change a thing that he's doing, but that in addition, he should respond in writing. Not E-mail. Probably old school typed or handwritten with one copy going to the boy (probably by hand when the SM has to break the news to the kid). I had to do this once. It was very handy in getting aggrieved parents to talk *to* me rather than *around* me. The gist of the SM's message to the DE is that he appreciates the concerns of the parents, but lacking any evidence of predatory behavior, council needs to let this rest firmly with the unit leaders (SM, CC, COR). And, that it being a boy-led troop, and seeing this particular youth being an honorable lad, he will leave the decision of how to response entirely in the SPL's hands and no one else's. [Obviously if the SM intends to do something specific he can rephrase that.] Finally, any concern about the SM's choice of action can be relayed to the SM through the unit commissioner, and discussion of this matter outside those channels of communication will be summarily dismissed as uniformed gossip. (Boy, do I hate paperwork.) No offense Cross, but if you weren't asked by the SM to run interference you had no business talking to the DE (except maybe to give him the SM's phone number, just in case they have the wrong one at HQ). Be far quicker to listen to the boys. They may be mortified when they realize so many adults got involved in this. They need to know that you all are standing by them.

Smaller bodies = lighter clothes, so your son has some advantages to start with. Hiking and marching band are good cross-training sports. If he works on hiking now, band will be easier. Routine drills that are good for "core stabilization": sit-ups, push-ups, deep knee bends, and balance exersizes. Basic stretching is always good. My problem was I didn't want to commit an hour, so if you can, help him choose a 10' - 20' set before he hits the shower. That way he can have something to do daily that won't try his patience. On weekends, 1-2 hour walks with friends is a good idea. Use this time to BREAK IN THE FOOTGEAR!!! This is the most important. These walks should give him an idea of how thirsty he can get and help him figure out his water needs. (Although being in the habit of carrying 4 quarts is always good, I usually carry only 2qts for a day hike.) Within three weeks, he'll know if he's up for extending his walk to ten miles. Where he walks for conditioning depends on the terrain he chooses for his hike. His conditioning hikes should match the terrain. This can be tough. My brother is a hiking guide in the rockies but winters in Ohio! He found a farm with a 100ft ravine that he can walks up and down repeatedly so he stays in shape. He showed me the place once. I busted his chops for wearing a rut in the hillside. If he plans well, each 10 mile hike will have slightly more varied terrain, so that the first couple prepare him for the last few. Needless to say, this can be a good parent-son activity if he'll put up with you or his mom.

Yep, FB has given us a lot more opportunities to reveal the breadth of a boy's character. The "goal" I've set for our boys is to be bold enough to give each other "12th point" challenges. That means if the boys hear us [adults] cussing, they have the right to call us on it, and we will humbly return the favor if the need arises. That doesn't mean we interrupt each other mid-speech, but we should -- after addressing the speech's content (e.g. get first aid kit) -- point out to the speaker that their language was offensive. And the speaker will apologize and do better the next time he has something to say. So, if this SPL was *my* friend, I would say that I didn't appreciate the obscene posting. (Sometimes I've put a "don't cuss" comment to youths' FB posts.) He would apologize. We'd move on. IMHO CRW, your SM is on the right track. Yes, he will need to explain to the other scout leaders his reasoning, but there's no reason to expect them to walk out over it. But, he should also talk to the younger (hopefully 13+ year old) boys and ask them why they didn't challenge their SPL on that posting. It's easy to wait for a SM or teacher to "blow the whistle", but those adults aren't always around, and the scout law is about taking responsibility to hold each other to that higher standard. As far as Chaplain's aid goes, I've known a few good clergy who were old cusses (and a few vile ones whose speech was impeccable), so I can't see how this makes matters worse. If he has the khustspa to ask forgiveness, he's got what it takes to hold the patch. (Although as SPL he should be looking to farm that out.) As a practical matter, you could ask the boy to delete the offensive post. If the content of the speech is important to him, encourage him to do the work of copying it, carefully removing the expletives.

Nar - I don't recall NESA offering anything except to help one stay connected with other Eagles. That said, Eagles are a diverse group. Herding them in any one direction is not easy. And, maybe not the most desirable thing! The one thing that I missed on as a young adult Eagle, was to participate in scouting internationally. I just didn't see how I could make it "fit" into everything else in my life. Now that I have kids, and lots of adult leaders who were not scouts in my unit, coaching them (and learning from them) seems to be the best use of that bird I earned.

Ya SP, I don't see it working as a bludgeon very well. It's better used as a net: "We're all in it for the boys, so what's the best we can do with our time and talents that will guide them to being caring adults?" For some that's get trained. For others that's getting a spiffy uniform. For some it's throwing down some serious cash. For others that's leaving some knots in the drawer! For others it's listening closely to the youth. For others it's explaining the program to the parents and keeping them a distance from the SM! For others it's telling the youth, "Well that's the way it is, let's suck it up and get it done." We all come into the program at different starting points. The challenge is getting as many of us as possible to grow into it peaceably!

Ya, jblake, and I'm sure one day there'll be a tourist guide on America that will say that you'll only find Boy Scouts out camping on warm summer days. But, the ones who would listen to angels (or -- if you hew to the more modern mythology of Le V. -- would use them as an excuse to sneak back into town for a little warmth) would be the only one's crazy enough to be camping out on a mid-winters night. The story of God's generosity to the lot of us stinking shepherds is about the best Christianity has to offer for an otherwise bleak season. Make of it what you will. Boy do I miss camping this month. But I did get to go wading with the dolphins Christmas Eve morn. They kind of ruined our fishing though. But, it made the Mrs and Daughter happy because they thought they were gonna be just along to help Grandpa stay warm from the shore. Later, we caught up with some little great nieces and nephews and took them paddling on the Sebastian river. (Kayak rental was my present this year!)

m2c - You would be surprised the number of folks who have potential to make $10k purchases of popcorn, but don't. It's hard to judge at a distance if mom and dad were the sole movers and shakers in that deal, or if jr. asked dad if he could sell popcorn. Our kids weren't allowed to solicit at either mine or my wife's office, so we were grateful to the one dad in our den who could and did do something like this. Maybe Mom and Dad were so touched by how much the den did for their boy that making popcorn the corporate gift (instead of the usual gift certificate inside some neutral festive card) was the least they could do FOR THE BOYS. Your district should have a pizza party for the top 5 sellers, so the boy who hit the streets gets a chance to meat the boy who "leveraged" his family assets. The latter might need a helping hand from the former some day. (In a family business, there is no true write-off. Spending capital on edible biofuel decreases the value of your company. That 10k today will no longer gain value and be counted in the boy's trust fund.) You do have a point, that all eyes can be on the one big donor to the exclusion dozen who earned only 1/10th as much. It's good to remember that 12 times $1000 > 1 times $10,000. It's even better to remember that 12 times $1000 + 1 times $10,000 is even greater.

I miss midnight Christmas Eve service! You knew you were "grown up" when you could go to it! And several churches gathered in one building for a combined service. You could catch up with all your friends who came home from college.

I'm sorry, but unlike "Pistols" and "Muzzle Loading" I don't see "Overnight Patrol Camping" on the list of unauthorized activities. Once again we are confusing youth protection with general health and safety. A well-prepared patrol is no more likely to suffer injury with adults vs. without adults on an overnight. Do you know of a case where there was an injury on a patrol overnight and the insurance did not cover it? Moreover, if liability were an issue, your injury is more likely to occur on the G2SS explicitly approved patrol day-hike, than on a camp-out.

Like any quality program, it's the combination of elements, not any single element, that makes it distinctive. Change the thread to "doing without cheerful service" or "doing without brotherhood", and what answers will you get? I think Short's points about really making an effort to connect with your local Native American tribes is important. It's important that boys participate in preservation of something of value, but making an effort to capture the nuances of the ceremony may be the best cross-cultural experience some boys will ever have. (Not everyone goes to world Jamboree.)

jp's line of reasoning is not new, and if abstaining from certain meats helps him march through life with his head held high, more power to him. However, my upbringing was closer to EA's. In SW PA, cattle and bean-crops (your protein substitutes) were for paying bills. Wild game was for feeding the family -- God's blessing to your community for setting aside lands from farming or mining. We knew hunters who were in it just for sport (and to keep their corn fields from being ravaged), and knowing Dad was disabled and Mom had a knack for finding folk who would need some help to make it through the winter, they would bring their kills at our house for us to butcher. I loved skinning deer (a lot cleaner than snapping turtle), and the pelts would go to some poor farmers kid who could sell them. And all the expense for guns and gear for stalking and time spent tracking? Well, we'd all be doing that anyway to prepare for when the Soviets invaded! Like EA, I'm no hunter. But would never turn down fresh game. Moreover, when it comes to knowing local trails for my crew to hike, it's the hunters who can give me the details I need. I'm just trying to figure out how important it is for my state to set aside Sunday for a rest from the sport. P.S. - Oh and EA, if you're ever inclined to share that venison, drop me a PM!

With my oldest B&G was nice, but my favorite memory was when he, his best buddy, his dad and I went on the boys' first backpacking trip. For those two, that defined the transition from cubs to boys..