ScoutNut

nldscout - Are these Boy Scout Summer Camps or Cub Scout Summer Camps?

The Age Appropriate Guidelines limit axes & hand axes (which is where a hatchet would fall into) to Boy Scout level & up. Webelos should NOT be throwing hatchets. I would mention this activity to your DE & to the person who approves your Tour Permits. As fun as this activity might be, hatchets are a tool, NOT a toy & your Troop should not be encouraging Webelos to consider them as such.

This is why I suggested that questions about council events be asked of your council. Every council does things a bit differently. In my council, district events, including camporees, are open to anyone from any district. We have even had folks from nearby councils attend & our Troops have attended their camporees.

AHHHHHHH! The light bulb flickered in finally. Sometimes the old brain cells just don't talk to each other very well! Gee, could be lack of sleep!

Why didn't you ask at your Council Service Center or at your District's Roundtable? I have no idea what council you are in & council's run these things differently. However, from what I understand, a Camperall is similar to a Camporee, but Webelos (& sometimes Cubs) are allowed to camp along with Troops. There is usually a special event theme with activites for all age groups. My Council & District only do Camporee's, not Camporall's. It sounds, from your description, like your Council has it organized so that the Troops can invite Webelos to camp with them (I doubt it is the Webelos doing the inviting). It is usually up to the Troop to submit a camping application & include the number of Boy Scouts, Webelos Scouts & adults in attendence. It is also usually up to the Troop to pay the camping costs when they submit the application. How the Troop pays for these costs is up to the Troop Committee. The Troop can charge all youth & adults the camping fee. They can charge the Troop's folks the fee & pay for the Webelos & their adults. Or they can pay for everything out of Troop funds. Depending on what your Council had planned for the event, the cost is usually not that much. How does your Troop usually handle costs when it invites Webelos to a Troop event? Or doesn't your Troop have Troop/Webelos events?

Webelos are the life blood of a Troop and you can NOT just "assume" that they will automatically sign up with your Troop because you share a CO or you are the most convenient Troop. Troops & Packs, especially the Webelos, should do as much interacting as possible. How else are they going to get enthused about staying in Scouting and/or joining your Troop? It sounds like the Camperall was a great way to introduce Webelos to your Troop. Granted, forcing it on the calender was not a good thing, but it seems to me that both sides got what they wanted in the end. The Troop Committee got its outing with the Webelos, & did not force all the boys in the Troop to attend when they did not want to. It sounds like the only Boy Scouts who attended the Camporall had Webelos in their families or parents involved in the Pack. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves. The boys also got the hike they wanted. Absolutely nothing wrong with 2 events in 1 month! The fight over Scout Sunday could have been averted by having all calendars (council, Church's, schools, packs, towns, etc) at your PLC's yearly planning session & taking them all into consideration. It sounds like the problem stemmed from committee members/leaders who had children in BOTH programs (Pack & Troop) & did not want to miss either event. I can understand & sympathize with that. It also might have been that the Committee felt that it would be a good thing to have the SM & some representatives of the Troop at the Cub Scout Blue & Gold to welcome new Webelos "Crossing Over" to the Troop. I know that one year no one from our Troop bothered to come to our Pack's B&G to welcome their new Boy Scouts & those boys felt unwanted & never finished out their 1st year with the Troop. After that we actively encouraged our Cubs to look elsewhere for a Troop that REALLY wanted them. It could also have been that in the month it took the Committee to approve the February shedule, they were also approaching the Pack's Committee trying to get them to change the date of their B&G. They just never told you about it. BTW - What do you mean that B&G is where the Cubs make their money? A Blue & Gold is a celebration & Pack Meeting not a money earning project. Sounds like all adults in the troop need some refresher training.

Um, OK, I realize that a Den Chief is a Boy Scout position, that he reports ultimately to his SPL, & that his SM should be keeping tabs on what he is doing as a Den Chief. I also realize that "boy led" is a real "hot button". What I don't understand is how a Boy Scout Troop's CC, SM, ASM, SPL, PL, or anyone else in the Troop besides the Den Chiefs involved, has anything to do with planning a CUB SCOUT PACK MEETING! If the Pack's committee & the Pack's CM have approved the Den Chiefs planning & leading a CUB SCOUT PACK MEETING, it is up to the PACK LEADERSHIP (CM & CC), NOT the Troop's Leadership, to sit down with the boys & work out the particulars. If msnowman is on the PACK committee & helps in planning Pack meetings, then I am sure she can offer up any suggestions she feels are appropriate when the Den Chiefs meet with the CUB SCOUT PACK committee. Of course, if one of the Den Chiefs is her nephew, she can give him all the ideas she wants while at home. Then it will be up to him what he does with them. Or am I reading the first post incorrectly?

You can have only ONE (1) registered Committee Chair. You can, however, have any number of registered Committee MEMBERS. Register as many as you can & then find things for them to do. Somehow I doubt it will be too difficult!

"No double dipping" is a Girl Scout thing. In this case (art belt loop) I would say NO. Not because of using 1 thing to cover 2 requirements. Unless you talked about, mixed together, & worked with, primary & secondary colors while decorating the birdfeeders, it does not cover any of the art belt loop requirements at all. Get a copy of the Academic & Sports Program book & show her the requirements for the art belt loop & pin. This can be a fun loop/pin for the boys to earn. Do it right.

I am kind of confused when you said - "The Webelos haven't tented with their parents for years". Why is that? According to the G2SS, Webelos are supposed to camp with a parent, or a parent approved adult, at all times. Before Webelos, the only time they were allowed to camp with out parents was at Council Resident Camp. So, if the Webelos have been bunking together in tents "for years", & you have been following BSA G2SS guidelines, where have the parents been sleeping up until now? Why should it suddenly be a problem?

To explain what Wingnut & FScouter are talking about - "I put out an email to the parents on what went on during the meeting." S/B Committee Secretary "I go to Roundtable and then tell her what was discussed and she told the committee." Training Committee Member, or Secretary. Actually I am not sure why she was the one to tell the Committee what went on at Roundtable when she did not attend. Why didn't you just tell them yourself? "I also register the boys for district events." S/B Events/Activites Committee Member. "I did not do Board of Reviews" Why not? Being on a BOR is NOT strictly a CC job. As long as you are a registered Committee Member, not an ASM/SM, & not related to the boy undergoing the BOR, you are eligible to be on a BOR. The one thing a CC does that you have not been involved in is Re-Charter. If you are interested in the job, then go for it! Make sure to get trained ASAP.

Then don't take them to see it. But, you can't force your opinion on other families. It is up to them.

"I don't think the BSA would stand behind these folks at all if any problems arose as a result of this kind of camping." If it was a council approved camping ground & the Cub Units had approved Travel Permits, then why on earth would you think the BSA would NOT stand behind them? Of course they would. Public camping grounds or BSA, it really makes no difference. If someone really wants to harm a child they will find a way.

Keep in mind that this was ONE movie review, only ONE person's opinion. BSA is not forcing Cubs to see the movie. The decision is strictly up to the families. I know a few families who went, took their kids, & enjoyed it a lot. But, as one mom said to me, you really have to been through a PWD to appreciate the humor. "An even bigger concern (because it takes up so much of the movie's running time) is how relentlessly dads are caricatured as immature, selfish and out-of-control." It may be a BIT over the top, but the fact is (& the reason why it hits home for so many) is that in every Pack there is usually at LEAST ONE adult who goes crazy over the PWD!

Actually, you should salute the flag no matter what it is you are wearing. The question should be weather to salute using the Cub/Boy Scout Salute or to simply put your right hand over your heart. While in a BSA uniform (A, B, C, etc) you should salute using a BSA salute. Anyone else should salute using the hand over the heart salute. Practice at your Den meeting flag ceremonies.

Go to the link posted by acco40 & click on the "Buy Now" button or contact the Cubmaster at the email link provided.

Hi & Welcome!! Tigers are FUN! You said you have taken training. Did you take both New Leaders Essentials & Tiger Leader Specific? How about Youth Protection? Your council should have a link to online YP training on their council website. Fast Start training online is also a good thing to check out. It has a good overview of the program & a downloadable pdf Guide with a nice section for new Tiger Leaders. You also said that you had to purchase "all of the basic supplies" for your Tigers. What supplies are you talking about? Remember, Tigers are set up differently from any other Cub Den. The Tiger Teams of Scout & Adult Partner should be SHARING the responsibilities of running the den. That means sharing the costs too. Check with your Council office to find out when/where your next District Roundtable is and plan to attend. You will get some good ideas, meet your Council folks, meet Cub Leaders from other Packs in your area, & keep up on what is going on in your Council & District. You should also find out when your Pack has their Committee meetings & attend those. That is where you will find out what is going on with your Pack & how best you can help. Good Luck - Have Fun !

"The Scout's "Totin' Rights" can be taken from him if he fails in his responsibility. {Emphasis is mine.}" This phrase is not in my son's Boy Scout Handbook. I am not sure of the issue or edition as the front pages up to Tenderfoot (which is taped on) are missing, as are anything past "R" in the back index. Regardless of weather or not a Totin' Chip card has been issued, these are skills that should be taught at the scouts very first campout, are required for advancement to 2nd Class, and should be reinforced at every single campout the scout attends. If a scout starts acting like a horse's back end with any "woods tools" a search for a card to snip would not be the first thing that I would rush to do. Any & all "tools" would be immediately removed from his vicinity/person untill he has been re-trained in their use & demonstrated his understanding. I would probably also put him in charge of "woods tools" wounds at the next First Aid Meet! Boy, with the memory of stitches in numerous places, I think that I will have a little refresher with my very own "Capt Bowie Knife" before Camporee!

Don't know about your group, but with ours, you would be hard pressed to find even 1 boy who can still produce the card after having it in their hands for 1 day, much less a whole month. They live in black holes called rooms & carry numerous smaller black holes (called pockets by some folks) around with them. What goes in very seldom ever sees the light of day again! And, if by some miracle, it does resurface, it is usually barely recognizable!

John-in-KC - You can be "SCANDALIZED" all you want. I was neither "insulting" or "callous". You, on the other hand, were more than a bit rude. Herms stated - "the God and Service which is awarded by P.R.A.Y." I simply corrected that statement. ALL religious emblems, youth or adult, are AWARDED by their respective RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. The P.R.A.Y. Publishing national board, while it is an organization which develops the God & Country program, & the organization you can order the awards from, it is NOT the RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION which AWARDS it to the youth or adult who earns the award. I never said a word about the Hazelwood's themselves or about their religious commitment. Kindly calm down.

Either way you go, CC or CM, contact your PTO President/Pack Treasurer/Webelos Den Leader & ask who she has designated as COR for your Unit. I would suggest to her that it should be someone other than herself as she has way to many Pack hats on now as it is. You should also find out from your Council Training Commissioner if they hold COR training (ours does) & get your PTO Pres & COR to attend. Another thing you can do is contact your Unit Commissioner. Helping units with these kinds of problems is what their job is about!

As your BALOO training stated, cooking should be done on charcoal. This can be easily done either in a charcoal grill or in a designated campfire space. For cooking foil dinners I would recommend doing the charcoal in the campfire space, you have more room which you will need for the packets. Use 1 or more charcoal chimney's on one side of the campfire to get (& keep) charcoal briquettes going. Spread your hot charcoal out a bit away from your chimney's & put on your foil packets. You can add hot charcoal as needed from the chimney's. I will give your BALOO trainers the benefit of the doubt & say that they used foil simply as a teaching method because there was no campfire area handy. They SHOULD have stated that & made many discalimers. Now they have folks thinking that is the way to cook with charcoal - SHEESH!

As an FYI - "If they miss use their knife or any woods tools you are supposed to cut a corner off their card. Once all 4 corners are cut they lose their Totin Chip and must retest. In a serious case they may lose their Totin Chip right away without any corners being cut." This is a local addition to the requirements for earning a "Totin' Chip" and is not a BSA regulation.

It is NOT ONLY your SM who is under obligation to report any YP violation. It is the obligation of ANY registered BSA volunteer. This means you, the parents of the boys involved, any Scouters who witnessed the event & anyone with ANY knowledge of the situation. It is not up to any of these people to investigate the incident, but to report it to the SCOUT EXECUTIVE. Not the UC, DE, or the council secretary who answers the phone. It should be reported to the SCOUT EXECUTIVE today. The only people in your unit who have any special obligation in this are your CC & COR, NOT your SM. The obligation your CC & COR has is to determine, irregardless of what your Council & the SE find, if they want this individual to continue to be a member of their unit. There is no "banishing" involved, he is a parent of a youth member after all. However, he can have his membership in the unit revoked by the CC/COR.

PRAY is a publishing company. It does not award any religious medals at all, it simply provides information & sells some of the books & medals. The first place you should contact is your local United Methodist Church (the one the SM is a member of). They should be able to tell you where to go from there.