RememberSchiff

Mark thanks for dropping in, please stick around and educate us about TLUSA. As I understand as a cost saving, the TLUSA does not plan to own/manage camps or council offices. Is that correct? Will your online registration system allow the registrant (scout or adult) to drop-out before anniversary of joining/renewal. Seems both the BSA and TLUSA could do that and then have current accurate membership and demographic data. So do TLUSA adults just register once? Recall in the BSA, adults have to register again whenever they change or add a position. When is your first Jamboree? I know a place in West Virginia looking for bookings, well as long as you remain non-profit. Thanks

Patrol method = every patrol member has a job to do and every patrol member helps finish all patrol jobs. Key characteristics: NO one is sitting on their duff watching others work. If a patrol is working smoothly, it is not readily apparent who the leaders (PL/APL) are (true for any group). Adult role: Optional, though I guess G2SS requires an adult(s). Sometimes mentoring and logistics support. SPL/ASPL - may assign patrols certain troop duties like flag ceremony, skits, latrine duty. Mentor PLs as needed, handle discipline issues, Always used patrol method: No unfortunately. Klondike Derby and patrol method summer camps are our best examples where we use patrol method. My $0.02

6% of 2.7mil is 162,000 members dropped. If all estimated 30,000 TLUSA members came from our dropouts, can we assume that 162,000 - 30,000 = 132,000 did not care for either the BSA or TLUSA?

My interest in TLUSA is learning what they are doing better than us. As far as transparency - reporting the numbers, membership and finances, they are just as bad.

You gave away your biggest bargaining chip. IMO, you should have made your acceptance of the CM conditional on some changes you want as it would increase the chances of committee and adult support. Program planning is reasonable and you will certainly need help. Preparing a budget is the Pack Committee's responsibility, though you contribute there as well. Beware the unit culture. You cannot change a unit program without a large body of support. The corollary, don't fight battles you cannot win. And third, you never actually lose, as your Plan B is to spend time with your son, your family. If the rest of pack wants to spend summer vacation with their families, that can work for you too. My $0.02,

Done all this. Remember Safety First 2 boards, 2 empty 2 liter plastic bottles. Set up boards as ramps of equal slope. Half fill one bottle with water. Then ask scouts which bottle will win the race. Race bottles and again. Results may surprise. Good exercise in Scientific Method. Balloons and static electricity. Hair-raising is cool too. We made wicked capacitors with aluminum foil, nail, water, and 35mm film container. Simple machines (lever, wedge,..). Use mechanical advantage to move something they cannot move alone. Make playdough, Ooze, slime, rock candy (crystals) http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...a-Turtle-Ooze/ Made bird suet (that was a HUGE mess) Plenty of books of easy science experiments for that age group. Experiment should to be engaging, helps if it is surprising, and should be hands on. Save the one-man shows for magicians.

Ask your Council Rep to show you that in writing, not for re-charter or Journey to Excellence. You may find that FOS is optional altogether. Not saying that FOS is bad, just that it is not required.

Well you can vote on a MSNBC poll, Should Amazon drop the Boy Scouts from its AmazonSmile program? http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/poll-shou...nsmile-program Currently 43% - Yes. it (Amazon) shouldn't be helping discrimination. 57% - No, people should be able to donate to BSA thru Amazon All rather meaningless.

Good job, a well built wolf house, I doubt any pig could blow that down.

Even with gridlock, I haven't switched citizenship to another country without our problems,

Smokey Bear would be proud. April, 2014, HARRISON, Neb. The final tree has been planted in a 25-year effort to reforest portions of western Nebraska's Fort Robinson State Park that were devastated by a massive wildfire which burned 48,000 acres in 1989. About 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of the Longs Peak Council and other volunteers planted 10,500 trees at Fort Robinson State Park on Saturday. Since the first planting of 300 to 400 pine trees in 1990, more than 450,000 trees have been planted at Fort Robinson. http://bit.ly/SPoP2s http://columbustelegram.com/news/sta...12e3eeb0f.html

Two reasons come quickly to mind: the loss of local control/influence and the selling of camps. If you want to just merge or eliminate Councils, okay but leave the camps under local control. Merging and downsizing have done much harm to the American worker and his/her family and with less competition, consumers have seen higher prices and reduced quality and service. Some companies are now just names, does Maytag make Maytags? On the bright side CEO's are doing quite well. My $0.01

Thanks that was fun to watch. Fairly common over here for schools to do this type of video and post.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865603779/Boy-Scout-numbers-grow-in-Utah-defying-national-trend.html?pg=all Over a year ago, in a survey by the Utah Great Salt Lake Council, 83 percent opposed the membership policy change and 70 percent of local Utah Scouting leaders indicated they would either end or decrease their participation in Scouting if openly gay youths were allowed to participate. Since the policy change and despite that survey, all 3 Utah councils have seen membership growth - Great Salt Lake Council increased 1.5%, Utah National Parks Council increased 4.56%, and Trapper Trails Council increased 2.1 %. Nationwide membership dropped 6%. LDS is credited for the growth and the article also notes there are no competing Trail Life units in Utah.

Yes. I think you called it right. Sharp eyes there NJCubScouter.

Regarding a Camp Fire Girl, more outdoorsy seems likely. In all my years, I have only been involved in one joint outdoor activity with Girl Scouts, a day hike (walk). It was comical. Never took so many breaks and long ones at that. Each girl had a small picnic cloth which was spread out and set at each break. Boys were eager to get moving, girls content to sit and talk. Anyway, I have also heard this explanation: "The Camp Fire Girls organization was begun in the United States with the joint efforts of some of the very people who were instrumental in founding Boy Scouts of America, and by the sisters and wives of the men who built BSA in this country. James E. West, first Chief Scout for BSA, always made clear that Camp Fire Girls was the "sister" organization to BSA; West served as the top executive officer of BSA from 1911 to 1943. " http://www.alicemariebeard.com/campfire/bsacfg.htm Camp Fire Girls is now Camp Fire, an inclusive youth organization.

Why is there a Camp Fire Girl instead of a Girl Scout in this poster?

Oops. Smokey Bear it is. Thanks.

Like he did as Secretary of Defense, Mr Gates needs to get in the field to talk and listen with the troops - scouts and us. . And if he could come in a Black Hawk copter that would be very cool. My $0.02

Well if only we had someone with experience in working with government. Oh wait, we do, Robert Gates.

http://www.scouter.com/forum/open-discussion-program/7350-e-chit http://www.scouter.com/forum/open-discussion-program/7647-e-chit http://www.boyscouttrail.com/docs/techchiptraining.pdf Hope that helps.

Smokey turns 70 this August! We used to do a lot more PR and education with Smokey and the U.S. Forest Service. We need to reconnect. Maybe summer camps can run with this - fire prevention program with Forest Rangers, a Smokey whittling contest,... Happy Birthday Smokey, we switched to all LED lanterns.

Yes, we called it "teaching" and it had been around long, long before Wood Badge. Later, others felt a need to rename, repackage, or otherwise over-complicate what usually comes natural for most. Show-Tell-Do, EDGE

Good luck finding what the intent was then. (here's when Kudu comes to the rescue) There is no mention of duty to family in the BSA Scout Oath. I have been puzzled about that omission.

How so? If by listing order then Cheerful takes precedence over Reverent. For me, the priority would be Family, Friends, Community (might be town, country, or world), and God. Mostly I figure God can take care of himself, but I'm available to write new Commandments. My $0.02