ScoutNut

First thing that comes to mind - did you wear to bed ANYTHING that you had been wearing during the day? That includes bra, panties, & socks. If your answer is yes, than that was your problem. You should remove ALL clothing before bed & put on ONLY clean, dry, clothes. The sweat in any clothing worn during the day will evaporate during the night & chill you to the bone. 30 degrees is actually not to bad, at least not to those of us from northern Illinois! I hate to have the mummy hood closed. I toss & roll so I have on MANY occasions awakened to find the sucker flipped around & over my face. I will put on fresh sweat pants with a hoodie & clean, warm socks. The ratings on bags are not always accurate either & can be affected by a variety of conditions. Having a sleeping bag liner or a fleece blanket to toss over helps. Last thought - Get rid of the air mattress. The air is not a good insulator & might actually have helped to make you cold. If you want more padding add another sleeping pad.

BTW - Why don't you work together with the other BALOO trained leader to plan the campout? The more heads & hands the better. It helps to spread the work around so that 1 person is not doing it all.

As the BALOO trained leader filling out the tour permits, who have you listed on it as having current Safe Swim/Safety Afloat training? Whoever that is should be in charge of keeping the waterfront safe & making sure all of the rules are followed on the beach & the boat. As for where you are camping, as the BALOO trained leader in charge of the campout that is pretty much your call. Get a list of approved campsites from your council & start checking them out. Find 2 or 3 that meet your Pack's needs & present them at the next committee meeting. Let them know that those are the only choices.

I take it that you are making 10 bird baths, not just 1 for your CO, library, city hall, etc. Yes, you could use pie pans. They are too slippery to use as is though, & also might be to deep. Your best bet would be to glue sand all over the bottom, sides, edges, etc. Where ever the birds would stand. You could then glue some small pebbles to the bottom. This would give better footing & make the pool shallower. The boys can then set the pie pan on the ground, on an upturned log, on a small table under a tree, etc. Make sure it is far enough away from bushes & hiding places that the birds can see predators coming. You could hang it from a tree, but the pie pans might not be strong enough unless you use multiple pans. Another easy bath to make is to use terra cotta or plastic pots of different sizes & a large saucer on top for the bath. You can use 1, 2 or 3 pots of various sizes depending on how high you want the bath. If you use 1 pot simply turn it upside down & put the saucer on top (of the bottom). For 2 pots you can put the largest top down & the next sitting on top with the saucer sitting on top of the top pot. For 3 (or 2) you nest the pots upside down with the largest on the bottom & the smallest on the top & the saucer on top. Or you can just use the saucer (which would be sturdy enough to hang). You can use liquid nails to glue everything together. The terra cotta is rough enough, but you could glue some pebbles in the bottom, or a small pile in the middle. The plastic should be roughed up a bit with sand, pebbles, or even stickers used to give traction in a bathtub. You can leave the bath natural, paint it, cover it in a design of rocks or shells, or whatever.

Yes, a smaller number of larger, quality Troops might be a good thing. However, if you look back at the posts you will notice - "We also have "traded" scouts that were having problems with one of the groups with great success. Some people just do better in different environments." AND "I hold no ill will against them because I also feel that if they are not feeling like they fit in with us, then they should feel free try somewhere else." AND "I am also possibly getting a boy into my troop from another struggling troop for the same reason (not fitting in well)" That is the whole point of having a variety of Troops to choose from. Every Troop is different. The personal dynamics are different. The things they do & places they go are different. You see it on these forums all the time. Families, stuck in Troops they don't like because there aren't any others in the area to go to, who are seriously considering dropping out altogether. A Troop with 10 or 12 boys can be a GREAT Troop. It just takes trained, dedicated leaders & families that care.

What if "everyone" is wrong? At this point it would just be gossip on your part.

Since your UC has resigned, you need to contact your District Commissioner ASAP. He should be able to contact your CO/COR & help to resolve this. Good Luck. It is a shame that with 60+ happy, advancing boys, a Pack might fold because the adults can't play nice. Let us know how things turn out!

It used to be that the GSUSA SILVER award project could be done for the Girl Scout community, but the GOLD award project could not. There no longer seems to be any specific statement against doing a Gold Award project for Girl Scouts that I could find. I do not have a copy of the "Go For It" booklet, so there might be something in there. This is the information on the GSUSA National site : http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/highest_awards/gold_award.asp While it no longer specifically states that projects benefiting just Girl Scouting should not be done, it does seem to say that the project should be more than that. From GSUSA on the Gold Award Project : "The project is something that fulfills a need within a girl's community (whether local or global), creates change, and hopefully, is something that becomes ongoing. If it is an event, the event should be something that people will want to continue for the next year; if it is a service, it should be something that creates change or action with long-term possibilities, empowering others besides just the girl; if it is something tangible, it should come with a plan for use and maintenance within the community." If your daughter has a project in mind that involves the Girl Scouting community only, she should talk to her Gold Award Advisor about it. Whatever she does, she will need to have the project approved by her Council's Gold Award Committee BEFORE she starts it. If she is a Senior in high school, she has limited time to get a project approved & finished & can not really afford a lot of wasted effort on a project that will not be approved. Have her talk to her Advisor or her Council's Gold Award person ASAP.

Well, I suppose it could be done completely indoors instead of at your local Scout Camp. However, you lose some of the pratical, hands on stuff. It's kind of hard to cook over a campfire if you don't have a campfire & just being told how to set up a camp, instead of actually seeing a sample campsite, is not as effective. Holding it at your camp gives the participants a chance to see what the facilites there are & gives them an idea of what they need to look for in a campsite. Also, it's a lot more fun! Sitting in a room all day (8am - 4pm) being talked at is downright BORING!

A PACK running a BALOO training? How is this done? BALOO training is another National syllabus &, like NLE, etc, can be taken anywhere, but it should be run by folks from your Council who are BALOO trained & have experience.

Unit Commissioners are NOT registered members of the Units they serve. They are registered as Unit Commissioners with their District & Council & need only the approval signature of the Scout Executive (or designee). A Unit Commissioner can not be registered as a District Commissioner, or in any other Commissioner position, at the same time as they are registered as a Unit Commissioner. They can serve as Unit Commissioner to multiple Units of varying levels (ie - 1 Pack, 2 Troops, & 1 Ship). (This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

I am very sorry to hear about your Pack. However, please do not blame this on lack of help from your council. Remember, the whole area was devastated. More Packs, Troops & Crews than I like to think about. The council itself, & the professionals that work there, were also all affected. Your council had (& still has) a LOT of work to do to rebuild. Unfortunately, your Unit is not the only one which has had to fold. As sad as it is, you should be thankful that there are are viable Packs in your area you can transfer to & that none of the Cubs in your current Pack lost their lives in the storms. Perhaps in the coming year or 2, when the area gets closer to being "normal", your CO might be able to get the Pack up and running again.

"Boy Scout device #00927, emblem earned as a Boy Scout; AND/OR Venturing device #00930, emblem earned as a Venturer or older Boy Scout or Varsity Scout." OK, so you are limiting the Varsity Scout based on the OR, but ignoring the and/or for the Venturing device? This says to me that if you earn a religious emblem as an older Boy Scout you can choose which device to wear, the Boy Scout or the Venturing. Personally, I don't think it is that big of a deal, but I really do not like the idea of wearing the Venturing insigna when not in the Venturing program.

We have a few 5th graders who joined this year too. As long as they are having fun & learning, that is what counts. Some camping, some activities with the Troop, some Webelos Activity Pins, & they will be all set to cross to Boy Scouts with their buddies in April.

Disabilities in Scouting pretty much mirror what is in the general population. You notice it more it Scouting because that is where you are interacting with the youth. Those same boys are also in the schools, sports & other organizations, but you don't personally deal with them there. As SueM states, these boys have always been in Scouting & the general population as well. What we now know as disabled, we used to just label as "stupid", "lazy" or "troublemakers". There is also some research to indicate that the percentages are going up overall, and that it could be related to the fact that there seem to be genetic links to many of these disabilities.

When you go to roundtable, put a bug in their ear about providing more trainings. As has been suggested, the New Leaders Essentials & Position Specific trainings are National trainings and the same all over, so you can take them anywhere you can find them offered. Ask at roundtable about upcoming training dates. Also, look for a council calendar or training list on your council's website. Many councils have their basic trainings 2X a year (Fall & Spring) to cover the new Leaders. While on your council's website look for online Fast Start & Youth Protection trainings.

I was planning on taking SM training at our all level training day. Then I was asked to present "Outdoor Fun" for Cubs instead. I then was all ready to take SM Outdoor when I was approached to work BALOO instead. I just received a form in the mail from my friends at council to sign up for our "Trainer Development" training. I am beginning to think there is plan in action here!

seabear is correct, as an adult you should only be wearing the knot, not the medal itself. To fix the connector on the medal check out your local craft store (Michael's). They will have pieces for making jewlery. You should be able to et a whole bag of connectors for a couple of $.

I agree with OGE. I would consider this to be a capital improvement to a business property & not Eagle project material. Schools & parks are not private property. Building the putting green on city/county/state park property would be an acceptable project. Trevor um, before you go anywhere with service projects for this nursing home you should run them past your Dist Advancement Committee. Find out where your council sits on these projects. Their opinion is what really counts!

You said your CC has already spoken to him about his behavior. It is now shape up or ship out time. Your CC & COR need to inform him that unless his behavior changes he is in danger of losing his BSA registration due to Youth Protection issues & at the very least replacement as SM. Then they should start looking for a new SM.

"But as an ASM signing off advancement, a Merit Badge councilor, or Crew Advisor where do we draw the line?" In all cases, the youth should be a member of the program & at the level required for the activity. If the requirements state you must be a Star Scout to do an activity than doing the activity while a Tenderfoot does not count. When it comes to signing off on advancement, in most cases the boy has to demonstrate an ability. The ASM, or whoever is signing, should be satisfied that the requirement has been completed. In Venturing, as in Boy Scouts, the Adviser who is signing off on a requirement has to be satisfied it has been accomplished. For many of the Venturing award requirements it states that the award candidate should consult with the Adviser when setting their goals for the requirement. This means that nursing home visits with your school class last year, before they had set any personal growth goals for the Gold Award, do not count. Utilizing things they do in the community & school is fine, but they should be prepared to demonstrate and/or prove their accomplishment. Use common sense.

NO - You can NOT hold "elections" for Pack Leaders. A Pack is not a Democracy. It is owned, lock, stock & barrel, by your Charter Org. I don't know what possible problems could have prompted this, but someone in your Pack needs to get the head of your CO (IH), your COR, & your Unit (or District) Commissioner all together to discuss your Pack's problems. These people need to know that the unit is in trouble!

Michelle, The knot device denotes which PROGRAM the boy was in when he earned a religious award. A Boy Scout should not wear a Venturing knot device if they were not a Venturer when they earned their award. If 2 religious awards were earned while a Boy Scout, the Scout would wear 2 Boy Scout knot devices on his knot.

You should check out the Wolf &/or Bear Handbooks & the Cub Scout "How To" book. All have instruments. Or, here is a site with lots of links for homemade instruments at every difficulty level: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/homemademusic.htm

Have it be their ideas instead of the leaders ideas of service. When it is something they are interested in, and something they have worked to put together, the boys are more likely to participate. A donation of $1-2 per scout is not to bad if you were asking the SCOUTS to donate. I don't know to many 11-17 year olds with $20+ burning a hole in their pockets. If you were asking the FAMILIES to donate, that is a bit different & you had a right to be dissapointed. However, if the families were donating, than you have no right to blame the individual scouts for the actions of their parents. If the donations were supposed to be solicited from the COMMUNITY at large, than I have a problem with allowing youth to solicit funds, and possibly the scouts families did too.