ScoutNut

I would not worry about the lighter colored line. Your son only needs the blue uniform until the end of 3rd grade. Rather than buy a new pair of pants for only 1 year, get used to the line. I have also heard of folks covering the line up somewhat with a navy sharpie.

Especially if your District's Troops go along with that idiocy. What a shame when people's egos get in the way of the program.

After many (at least 16) years of joining the Cub Scouts in decorating the bushes outside of our church for the holidays, our Girl Scout Troops have decided this year that the event is just to much trouble, and they do not have the time for it any more (???). So our Cub Scout Pack is doing it on our own, and inviting the entire school to participate (even our cranky GS!).

Our Pack, Troop, and GSUSA Troops, attend our CO church's Thanksgiving Day mass bringing items for it's Food Pantry. These items, along with toys collected from the parish for the next 1.5 months, are wrapped, sorted into family gift baskets (wrapping and sorting done mainly by Scouts), and delivered in time for Christmas.

"Is it stated somewhere that certain positions in the pack cannot hold more than that position?" From the BSA Adult Application - "No one may register in more than one position in the same unit, except the chartered organization representative (who can multiple only as the committee chairman (CC) or a committee member (MC)) and the ScoutParent unit coordinator (who may multiple as chartered organization representative (CR), assistant den leader (DA), assistant Webelos den leader (WA), assistant Scoutmaster (SA), assistant Varsity Scout Coach (VA), mate (MT), and leader of the 11-year-old Scouts)." "we have extra positions for Training chair and Fundraiser chair- anyone have these positions and can give me a rundown of thier duties?" Fundraiser Chair would normally be a duty of the Treasurer. From the list of Treasurer's responsibilities listed on the BSA National link you posted - "Guide the pack in conducting council-approved pack money-earning projects." If you are separating out a Fundraiser Chair (Popcorn Kernal) then his/her duties can be whatever you feel they need to be. A Training Chair would be a Pack Trainer. The responsibilities of a Pack Trainer are listed on the BSA National site - http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts/AboutCubScouts/ThePack/ptrnr.aspx "Is there anything you all added to the duties listed on the BSA website? And for that matter, does anyone know if all that is even right/current?" The information on the BSA National Web site is accurate. You can add (or combine) anything you want to, depending on how many willing parents you have available. The only additional, "official" position, not listed, is that of ScoutParent Unit Coordinator (PC). National does not have a synopsis of their responsibilities on it's site. You have to go to a private site - http://www.scoutparents.org/ , which is not even referred to on the BSA National site, to get any info.

Because this is an overnighter, I would recommend that you contact your council and find out if they require you to have a BALOO trained leader in charge of this event.

The 2008 printing of the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook shows no such requirement. Ask them to show you - IN WRITING FROM BSA - where this "new" requirement is listed. Remind them that they do NOT have the authority to add to ANY BSA requirements.

If you read the parent section in the front of the Tiger Handbook, it specifically states that Tigers who miss meetings (den or go-see-its), for whatever reason, can do the missed Tiger Requirements with their familiy at home. They do it at home, sign off in their son's Handbook that it was completed, and then you put it down as completed in your den records. You can't force them to complete the requirements for the Tiger Rank Award. There is every possibility that you will have some who never do, and will not get their Tiger Badge. And that is OK. Maybe they will learn and get with the program for Wolf.

I would recommend that you FIRST find out why these Tiger Teams are not attending meetings and activities. IS there a conflict with the meeting time/day? Are they overbooked with sports? Do they just forget? Communication with your den families is essential an all Scout levels. Do a den newsletter with upcoming den and Pack meetings/events listed. Depending on what is going on, you should do one at LEAST 2X per month. Hand it out at den meetings and snail mail it to those who miss the meeting. Get e-mail addresses for every family and sent the newsletter out to everyone that way as well. If Teams miss the den meeting or outing, make sure you let them know what requirement they have missed and that they are now responsible for completing it on their own. There are ways that some requirements can be completed a second time in a different way. This will help those that have missed it the first time, and not seem like repetition to those that have already done it. Have all of your Tiger Teams earned Bobcat? They must receive their Bobcat before they can receive their Tiger award. Bottom line is that you can only do so much hand holding. Once you make it plain to them that THEY are responsible for weather or not their son receives awards, there is not much else you can do. It is then up to them. You asked 2 questions that have confused me a bit - "how do I make what the Den is doing fit that Achievement if they have nothing to do with each other.....Need 1D (Family Scrapbook cover) and we are making Tye-Dye shirts?" Tye-dye shirts are not even remotely close to scrapbooks. Making shirts simply does NOT complete Tiger requirement #1D - period. Why would you even try to use it in that fashion??? "Need ALL FIVE Dens but everyone eles has finished them and have the Tiger Badge already?" Your Pack has 5 Tiger Dens? What do you need all 5 dens for? Every den, and every Scout in every den, works at THEIR OWN PACE. If the other 4 dens have already received their Bobcat and Tiger Badges, GOOD FOR THEM! They must have been working their bottoms off to get everything done in less than 2 months (or did they start in June?). What the other dens are doing, or not doing, has no relevance to what YOUR den is doing. Shared Leadership is important. It gives each Tiger a chance to be in a leadership position, and to shine a bit in front of his fellow Tigers. Since your Tiger Teams have not signed up themselves, lay out a calendar yourself, and assign each Team a meeting date and a requirement, or elective, to cover. Give them all the calendar at the next meeting. Let them know that you will be willing to help them and work with them, but that it is THEIR meeting to run. Make sure they also know that the Tiger and Tiger Partner are to work TOGETHER on the meeting. Give them copies of Cub Scout Program Helps and any other recourses you have to help them. Let your Tiger Teams know that it is only common courtesy to give you a call if they are unable to attend a Pack or den meeting or outing. Always have quick and easy alternative activities with you that you can pull out to fill in when necessary. Songs, and games work well for that. Also, electives like puppets, art, 911, and making things like paper airplanes and paper kites.

Yes, it is allowed, as long as BSA rules are followed. However, it is not recommended. Is this a single parent home? If not, why can't the other parent be Tiger Partner? Are there any other close relatives who can stand in? A Tiger Partner can be 18 years old, so even an older sibling or cousin can do it. If it must be this other family, or nothing, than I would go with it, but be sure the Tiger Partner knows that they will be working side by side, and going everywhere with, BOTH boys, not just their own. When they take their turn at running meetings BOTH boys will be sharing the "Boss for a Day" position.

Your son is no longer a youth in his BSA Troop. Only youth members can wear rank insignia. He should update his BSA uniform by taking off all of his youth insignia, including his Life rank and JASM patch. Put on his current position patch (ASM), and the trained patch if he has completed his ASM training. As far as Eagle goes, the BSA Insignia Guide states that adults wear the Eagle medal on formal Eagle occasions only. Other than that, adults wear the Eagle square knot (#05011).

Your best bet to get accurate info on YOUR Webelos Woods is to contact the Camp Director, or whoever is in charge of the event. They will know exactly what you will need to do.

Using ScoutMomSD's criteria of appalling creepiness, the boys in Den 1, Pack 173 of Port Jervis, NY would have been out of luck for the last 50 years. See the article in the newest Scouting Magazine about 90 year old Marion Rohner who is STILL a den leader after 50 years in Cub Scouts. http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0811/d-news.html GO MARION!!!

I started with BSA because I wanted to help provide my son with, what I consider to be, one of the best programs for youth around. I continue with BSA now that my son is 19, because I still believe that it is one of the best programs for youth around. I am still around because I want to make sure that the BSA programs in my area continue to be active, healthy, vibrant, programs, and that as many youth as possible can take advantage of those programs. Many of the volunteers who provide YOU with training, Commissioner Service, running and staffing council activities (including that Roundtable you are so creeped out and appalled by), and helping your Council go, no longer have youth in the programs. Without them helping YOU, there would not be much of a program for YOU and YOUR son. I give of my time, my families time, energy, money and sanity so that YOUR son, and other peoples sons, can have a great BSA program. Wow, how creepy and evil can you get! (This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

What scoutldr said. If the camp grounds are not on your council Cub Camping approved list, than you need to get them approved, or camp aome where that IS approved. If the site is approved than your council has ok'd bringing in your own water and the porta potty situation and everything should be fine.

There is nothing wrong with a den of 5 Tigers & their Partners! I have had as many as 13 Tiger Teams (26 is quite a crowd at a meeting!). Last year I had only 3 Tiger Teams and they had a blast too (they recruited their friends and are now up to 6)! You say the den leader is running a fun program. However, you have one boy who is unenthusiastic (bored?) and ready to quit and 2 others who only show up once in a while. your problem is NOT that your den is too small. Your problem is the den itself. Why is the den meeting seen as simply a play date? Are they working on award requirements (Bobcat and Tiger)? Electives? Or are they just playing games? Are they using Shared Leadership with each of the Tiger Teams taking turns running meetings? Are they an active part of the monthly Pack meetings? Are they receiving recognition for their accomplishments? Are the parents having fun and doing all of the activities alongside their Tiger sons? Has the den leader taken any training? Visiting a meeting to see what the dynamics are might be a good idea.

At just about every council run activity I have ever been at there has been an evaluation sheet for the participants to fill out. Did your CM, or anyone there from your Pack, fill out an evaluation and mention the problem with the RO? If there was no evaluation (or in addition to) did anyone there from your Pack talk to the Camp Director, or the person running the event, about the RO? At the time of the event, did anyone from your Pack talk to anyone working at the event (other than the RO) about their problems with the RO? You said your council has a form to fill out if there is a complaint. Have the people who were at this event fillout and turned in this form? Why are you doing all of this days/weeks after the event? Was your CC at the council event in question? Why isn't your CM, who was there, involved in contacting the DC?

This lady is a nut job and is creating a mess for a lot of folks. Who is going to be ordering this popcorn? Who is picking it up? Who is sorting it out? Who is delivering it to her? Who is collecting the money? Who is paying Council? I'm sorry, but if I was the Popcorn Kernal for your Pack I would have told her to fill out a new form with ONLY the $200 worth of popcorn on it and the incentive prize for the $200 level only. I would have given her an empty form and told her to give the rest of her order to the unit of her choice. There would be NO WAY I would put myself out, and go thru all of the paperwork nightmare, to satisfy her sense of spite. As to her nasty comment to the District Popcorn Chair, I agree with Mike. I would make a point, at the very next Pack Leaders Meeting, of mentioning to her that I had heard she had some problems with how the Pack was spending its monies, and request that she clarify what exactly she felt the problems were so that the group could act on them immediately if necessary. I would also keep a close eye on her, from her actions she has proven herself untrustworthy. She is trouble waiting to happen.

Our Pack tries to pay the Scout's cost for all outings. We have talked about big $$ activities like this, and decided that the budget could not support it. If we decide to do one, we will put it in the budget at the yearly planning meeting and those that want to go will do a separate money-earning activity, or 2, just for that.

If it fits. Those things are made to fit kids with arms the size of a stick. My son is built like a 100 year old Oak tree. He is big, and solid. The regular cords fit him for maybe 2 years, then got uncomfortable. He has never been able to wear the Award cords, especially with the regular cords. He has all of his cords hanging on his dresser.

The "Centennial Uniform" is a new tan/green version. The tan/green uniform is worn by leaders, Boy Scouts, and Webelos Cub Scouts. So far, that is the only uniform that has changed, although I would think that updates for the other levels would be coming eventually. Currently Cub Scouts wear the blue uniform. They do have the option of zip off bottoms. Question - Why are you ordering the uniforms for your entire den? They really should be tried on individually to make sure how each boy fits. Also, some families might not be willing to pay full price for a uniform and would rather buy from garage sales, thrift shops, or e-bay.

Yep, that's what I said. However, what you (OneHour) said was - "however, they are still referred to as and by their den number." As I stated, and you did too by the way, they are NOT referred to by their den NUMBER, they are referred to by their den NAME.

My thoughts exactly. Usually, the only "bad" feedback we get at Cub Scout Summer Camp is that the Range Officers were to "mean". Parents just can not understand why the RO yelled when they were just trying to get a photo of their son while he was shooting - from in front of him. They can not understand why it was such a big problem that their son ran out to collect his arrows before everyone else was finished shooting. After all he only wanted to get in a few more shots. They get extremely upset that their son was evicted from the range and never got a chance to shoot. After all, he was ONLY PLAYING when he pointed the gun/arrow at his friends, and threatened to shoot them! Bad Range Officer! (edited to add that YES - ALL of the above incidents have happened)(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

The BSA National Web site has an entire section devoted to Venturing. http://www.scouting.org/Venturing.aspx Your council should also have a DE for Venturing. Hope your daughter has a great experience as a Venturer (not a Venture Scout).

Actually, if a Webelos den decides to use a den emblem, it would replace the den number in position 2 on the Webelos right sleeve. The Webelos den would then be known by their den name and not their den number - The Dragon Den. Bottom line - DEN - Cub Scout program. PATROL - Boy Scout program.