ScoutNut

At this week's Troop meeting give a bit of a SM minute on proper, and improper, behavior. If the meeting is past, or you are having no meeting before this weekend's trip, then do the SM minute onsite after camp has been set up.

For AAD and PPXII, the Scouts MUST use a counselor trained by the diocese. Training is usually available once a year, and is good for three years. These awards are worked on as a group. There are one or two area wide Catholic Religious Emblem BORs to approve the workbooks. The medals for the older youth (6th grade and up), and adult awards, are awarded by the diocese (not the local parish) at a special, group, area ceremony. Remember, these are awards from the religious institution, NOT BSA awards. Out Troop is chartered by our local Catholic parish. We have one of our Troop's volunteers

Typically, we draft a preliminary annual calendar at our June Pack Leaders Meeting, and finalize it at our August meeting when all of the various calendars (including council's) are out. Our school holds a registration day in early August, and the Pack has an info table at that. We collect contact info from interested families and hand out invites to our Pack Picnic/Rocket Shoot the Saturday before school starts, in mid/late August. New families get to know the Pack families, and leaders, in a fun, informal, setting. We hold a registration evening the first, or second, Friday after

I understand that folks who wanted the zip offs shortened most often had a seam put in above the zippers. Unfortunately, this sometimes put the zipper at an uncomfortable spot for kneeling.

>>"I don't have time to spearhead it, so mostly I'm stuck just making suggestions. Hopefully we can also find a great champion for it."

>>"Why is there an Alumni Association, the NESA, Council Eagle Scout Associations?"

Probably easier to ask what positions I have NOT held! Unit Level - Tiger Adult Partner Wolf/Bear/Webelos Den Leader Committee Member (various including Advancement, BALOO, Popcorn Kernel, Religious Emblem Coordinator, and many more misc) Pack Trainer Tiger Den Leader (permanent) District level - Cub Scout Fun Day Staff Cub Scout Day Camp Staff Cub Scout Day Camp Program Director Cub Scout Summer Camp Staff Cub Scout Training Staff BALOO Course Director District Popcorn Chair (not just for Packs) UC (not for unit I was registered with)

>>"my district has found quite a number of people who were dropped as registered district leaders because their Youth Protection training expired after two years. They weren't notified by e-mail to renew it, they were just DROPPED."

Mandatory training is a separate issue from registration. Even for Youth Protection training, National has backed off requiring a completion certificate to be attached to a new application in order for it to be processed. I am not really "surprised" that a Troop's volunteer records are poorly maintained. There are lazy, inefficient, people all over. However, it is a bit surprising when none of a unit's top leaders (COR/CC/SM) can be bothered to read/check their charter, not just one year, but multiple years in a row. How did they know how much to pay in registration fees? Did th

>>"mail them a (registered??) letter with amount/due. If you get no response, CC it to the council for further directions/collections."

Although Disappointed's posts are disjointed, and confusing, what I get out of them is that - A Young Man (former youth in the Troop), with legal issues, filled out a BSA Adult application for a leadership position in the Troop. He listed his legal problems on the application, and handed it in to the Troop. Young Man, and a misc Troop Mom, were both added to the Troop charter at re-charter as adult leaders. Troop Mom was a re-charter, Young Man was a brand new leader on the charter. Some time period later (days/weeks/months ?) the Institutional Head of the CO contacts Young Man,

>>"Any suggestion on whether you would draw her into this, and if so, how? "

It is a Tiger DEN, not Pack. A Pack is a group of Cub Scout dens (Tiger/Wolf/Bear/Webelos). The numbers in a Tiger den can vary widely from year to year. One year I had 3 Tigers, the next I had 12, the year after 7. It depends on a lot of factors. With Tigers, one of the biggest factors is that an adult is REQUIRED to attend everything with the Tiger. Packs that have small Tiger dens will often get more registrations for the 2nd grade Wolf year, when adults are not required to attend with their sons.

Thanks Pack, but I prefer to rest a spell by the 'ole watering hole, sipping some something tasty, and catching my dinner!

The "sweetie/honey" names are not really terms of endearment, they are more of a cultural thing. Some cultures, areas, families, tend to use those terms instead of the more formal "ma'am", or "sir". Personally I find them extremely irritating, especially when used by a person I do not know, or one significantly younger than me. The last time someone I did not know called me "honey" I replied with "well thanks sweetie pie, but honey is not my name". Gave them a bit of a pause.

DS - the issues you describe in your opening post are not gender specific. They are program specific, and illustrate a Boy Scout Troop that did not fully/completely/clearly explain the differences between Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting to a new parent, and a new Scout. I did wonder about the program, and leaders, in your son's Troop when, in a post of yours on another discussion, you told how you regularly shared your son's tent, and how, on one particular trip, you shared not only your tent, but your sleeping bag with your son and another Scout who was down to only his wet unders. T

I would tell them to read their son's Webelos Handbook. Most of the information they need can be found there. I find the parent sections at the beginning of the handbooks are rather good. I would also give them an "area of interest" parent survey to find Activity Badge Counselors. Anything else is just den specific stuff. Things like when/where/how often you will meet. What you expect from the Webelos and their parents. What activities you are planning. What gear they might need, and how much to spend on it. Webelos den dues. Etc.

Just wondering - if the Scout did not "secure the ingredients" (and I note it states secure - not purchase), than who did? I am assuming, since the other parts were completed there was actual food there that he cooked. How did it get there?

jblake47 - my comments were not directed to you which is why you did not find the quote I copied in your posts. My comments were directed toward dwalto02 who talks about the "art" of becoming a "real man" and a "real woman". IMO that is just scary. And dwalto02, when I asked people around me who I respect what they think, I learned they think you are scary too.

>>"But if I were to plop myself as a man down at 10pm around a campfire of young girl scouts talking about what they want... I would ruin the dynamic and the moment. This is how they learn to be young ladies, from each other, from their female leaders."

>>"How can I understand the fine art of becoming a young lady if I've never done it? How can I teach that? Likewise, how can a women be the best choice for teaching young men the fine art of becoming a man?"

Not a new Scoutmaster, you need to find a new Troop for your Webelos that has a better Scouting program. You are NOT locked into joining only that one Troop.

Welcome to the forums, and welcome back to Scouting. First of all, your soon to be 7 yo will be joining a Tiger den in a Cub Scout Pack, not a Boy Scout Troop. I would visit a number of Packs in your area looking at how stable their organization is, what they do with their Cubs, if the Cubs seem to be having fun, if they are active over the summer months, and how well the adults interact. Ask to have a copy of the current year's calendar. Is there a particular Pack that the boys in your son's school would most likely join? You son might enjoy being with the boys from his cl

We have a couple of the Alps Taurus 4-man as our family tents. Gotta say we love them. They have been thru some nasty weather and held up fine.

As a Troop parent it is not your job to discipline these Scouts. Bring the matter to the Scoutmaster's attention and let the Troop leadership handle it. I would also keep an eye out for any reoccurring behavior of this sort from anyone on future campouts.