RememberSchiff

No epaulets or loops on my old scout shirt; I like it that way.

GREAT IDEA! Let's see what National thinks http://scoutingwire.org/scoutings-place-in-the-big-game-this-sunday/ For me, it means Scouting is relevant as it’s ever been and we’re getting it right. So keep this story in mind as you catch the kickoff Sunday. Me … I’ll be watching the game here in Dallas with a number of our National Board of Directors members arriving for our meetings starting Monday. And while I don’t have a huge favorite, I have family in the Carolinas. So the part of me that isn’t rooting for Matt Paradis will be pulling for the Panthers. Enjoy the game! Mike So we're OK, go back to watching your TV.

Feb 8, BSA birthday, just another day here. Maybe once you turn 100, you forget birthdays?

If i could change the micro-managing, no-added-value nature of Council to a activity resource provider, I would be a happier scouter. I need and anyone else who plans a camporee - a porta-potty contractor (hopefully one that Council has negotiated a contract). I tell Council I need 4 potties + one handicap and they handle it with contractor. - Outdoor Sports/Activities resources. I tell Council that I need some archery instructors for event and Council gives me some BSA-certified instructors. - water truck/tank. Council provides. - First Aid resources (maybe an Explorer Post or Venture Crew) My $0.02

We are re-evaluating. We have found a COH without food works as well maybe better. Less school night stress, just show up for ceremony with no mess to clean up. Maybe this year, two of our COH's will have pot-luck and two no food. YMMV

Hmm, I thought a troop needed a SM or ASM for outdoor activities but looking at the Tour Permit two adult (registered) leaders are required. Could the Troop Treasurer and Popcorn Guy take the troop camping if the SM approved and they had the required training? Seems so,

We had 4 boy scout troops and 3 Cub Packs in town. Each had a store window display during scout week. Our troop usually had either the Florist shop window or the pharmacy but definitely not the prime 4 corners 5&10 store. Catholics! All displayed their unit flags and neckers. Cub Packs displayed Pinewood Derby cars and den projects. Troops displayed scout craft (lashing projects were common), camping photos, merit badge books, and some merit badge projects (my Electronics Flip-Flop breadboard). We were permitted to paint (Tempera?) the inside of store windows. If the owner permitted, we added lights for campfire effects or Morse code signaling. Took some planning as we wanted to upstage the bigger troops in town, particularly the Catholic troop. Righteous battle. Only Christmas rivaled Scout Week's window decorations. Community Scouting what a concept.

Boy Scout Week in February. Celebrated the birth of Scouting within our local communities. - Placed on the program calendar and permission sought with store owners for window displays, write an article for local paper complete with photos. Publicity, publicity, publicity! Nope, not even a check-off on the lastest Most Excellent Unit Six Sigma Universal Annual Quality Award or whatever it is called. - Saturday the day before official start, set up window displays around town. Nope - Started on Sunday, Scout Sunday. Nope, nope. That's SuperBowl Sunday, nothing more Holy than Football and that's the Holiest Day of Football. - Wear scout uniform to school. Even Catholic schools would allow us! Nope, nope - Saturday, remove window displays and do some town clean-up service projects. The only remnant I see around here is adults arguing whether Scout Sunday, excuse me Scout Sabbath is on the weekend before Super-Bowl Sunday or the weekend after. Maybe the new tradition will be National asking scouts to wear their uniform while watching the Super-Bowl on Sunday? What if the Ground Hog came out of hole and saw Boy Scouts in the woods? My $0.02

I am stunned. What happens if after all this investment by OA, your Council decides to sell? Or is this camp in a land trust? Maybe OA should take over Council? Just stunned.

Thanks.

Here the OA sells candy bars and sugar drinks for their fundraising. We don't need that. I thought OA just provided the worker bees and maybe tools for camp service projects which were funded completely by the camp/council. Same goes for camperships.

Yeah, they know when and how to sell. Some "scout moms" lead them around troop camp sites during Sat evening meal which is running late... business is brisk.

So you are approached or maybe ambushed by some District people, "Heh, our scouts need you to plan the fall/spring camporee." You first thought is to politely say no with maybe an excuse of your preference - family, work, knee operation scheduled... But you reflect and consider if I'm in charge, we can finally get a camporee done right but first I need to make my conditions CLEAR to these micro-managing District-types. What would your conditions be to accept? Maybe - No one is selling anything at this camporee. I don't want to see OA selling candy/drinks (frequent) or girl scouts selling cookies (annoying). - Focus more on fun/challenges for older scouts rather than simplified games at Weebs level. - Yes to patrol competitions, no to merit badges. - Our SPL suggested a "dress down camporee" similar to school. I'm not sure how that would work. - Each unit is responsible for carrying health forms. We are not collecting them at event. - oh, uniform police need to pre-register. Registration fee is $150 which includes official camporee uniform police cap with jurisdiction limited to your own unit. Or other conditions? What would you require? Around here, camporees are dumbing down into merit badge college and/or Webelo recruitment weekends. Older scouts attendance is down even with fast-track merit badges, though admittedly it is a draw for younger scouts. Troops attendance is down too. Let's get back to fun patrol competitions and set aside fundraising, merit badge mills, and recruitment. Wonder why District hasn't called me back? My $0.02

Mostly rent for around $10/day. Some have made primitive (hemlock or balsam branch) snowshoes. We have not made PVC snowshoes and I am not keen on using PVC in frigid temps as in my experience, it can shatter.

Yes, Snowshoeing is also the AFFORDABLE snow option for my scouts.

Balonie. The revisions for 2016 are not all there and no response from e-mail. Snow Sports MB added a Snowshoe option but only usscouts.org had revisions which we need now while there is still snow. http://usscouts.org/mb/changes/mb135-16.asp Forward.

It came from Boy Scout Troop 514 in Monument,CO but read the rest http://www.9news.com/story/news/2016/01/28/american-flag-survived-challenger-explosion/79487138/

Gold Bond is my friend.

Follows down the chain of command, with frequent hiccups and repeats SPL ---> PLC,TC PL's ---> scouts scouts ---> parents ^ SM....: ........................> ()TC() <--> ()TC() yes TC wears earmuffs, SM has hearing aid

http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/former-defense-secretary-robert-gates-explains-leadership-as-a-matter/article_ab9df5ab-4f4f-5553-8060-04be58bb302e.html Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said his first leadership role was as a patrol leader of a Boy Scout troop in Kansas many years ago. He said nothing teaches leadership skills like trying to get a bunch of 11- and 12-year-old boys to do what you tell them to do -- especially when you're only a year older than they are. ... Gates said there were two aspects to his book. The first is to give a practical approach on how to lead change in a bureaucratic environment -- how to delegate authority, empower people and hold people accountable for performance. The other side of the book, he said, are techniques for how to deal with stakeholders, community members, alumni, athletics fans -- all the people who have influence in the affairs of an organization. He also discusses the personal leadership characteristics he believes are necessary for someone who intends to lead change. Gates drew a distinction between leadership and management. He said education can make someone a good manager, which every organization needs, but it's hard to teach good leadership traits. "If you don't like people, if you don't respect people, if you think you're superior to other people, you're not going to be a good leader," he said. "It is a matter of the heart, it is how you look at other people -- can you empathize, can you motivate, can you inspire? I think those are hard things to teach."

Our scouts don't e-mail. Texting, Xbox live, face-to-face (troop meeting), handouts. Face-to-face at troop meetings appear the most effective communication. Even our adults rarely read/respond to e-mails, they prefer texts or phone calls. YMMV

Provisional crews organized by Philmont. Minimum age: 14 or 15 depending on trek. Duration: 6-21 days. Cost: $300-900 depending on trek (does not include transportation) . Two adult leaders provided by Philmont. Transaction between individual scout and Philmont, no troop or Council middle-men. http://www.scouting.org/~/link.aspx?_id=E2D2654CB05840F79E53AA1F29149456&_z=z Something a couple of our free-spirited, thrifty scouts are considering.

^---This. Like any job know what you are walking into. Review http://www.scouting.org/filestore/financeimpact/pdf/Fiscal_Policies_and_Procedures_for_BSA_Units_March_2015.pdf

1. If you can in your state, move your council camp(s) into land trusts so neither Council nor National can sell it. 2. Vote NO to merger. 3. Most of scouting is local, keep control local. Good luck, resistance is not futile. Some councils have voted NO.

Well supposedly a Snowshoeing Option was added to Snow Sports MB this year but I can find no info online. National Merit Badge Maintenance Task Force, General Quarters