ScoutNut

I remember the dino, and the Pegasus, and thought both were cool. I also remember no self-service at all, and gas being $0.50 per gallon. At least I'm not old enough to remember the Cubs winning the World Series! Don't know if that is a good thing or not.

>>"The citations from the Cub Scout Committee Guidebook are interesting. There is nothing that detailed in the editions of the Troop Committee Guidebook that I have seen."

Thomas, you said this man has been using his position as UC to be a recruiter for his Troop for TWO YEARS, but that you have never in all that time talked to his District Commissioner (or even your Troop's UC) about the problem. Why? This man has not been Cubmaster for TWO YEARS. Have you been working with the current CM, and Webelos den leaders, to repair (or create) a connection between your Troop and this Pack? You complained that your Troop's recruiting troubles are this man's fault because he played dirty tricks, has Den Chiefs in the Pack, and is always at the Pack meetings with these Boy Scouts. Yet in your old posts you state that in over FOUR years, you have only had ONE group of Webelos, from ANY area Pack, cross into your Troop. You have stated that you rarely have Den Chiefs because you do not push for Scouts to take that POR. Your reasoning is that the boys are to busy with school classes, school extracurriculars, and the 2-4 Troop events each month that are IN ADDITION to the regular Troop meetings. You have also stated that you have found the issue to be one of program, more than anything else. The area (not just from that one Pack) Webelos parents want a structured, advancement oriented, adult run, Troop for their sons, which is not what they see in your Troop. You also have stated that your Troop sustains their membership through transfers from other Troops, and boys new to Scouting. Are the actions of this man what a good UC should be doing? - No. Should you discuss his actions with your District Commissioner? - Yes. Is he solely responsible for your lack of recruiting Webelos? - No. If you are getting transfers, then there are boys out there that are taking a second look at your Troop's program, and deciding they like it better than where they are currently at. If you are getting boys that are new to Scouting, then these boys see something in your Troop's program they like. If you want to get more Webelos, then you need a bigger presence in the Cub Scout Packs. More than JUST your CO's Pack, although there too. Talk to your Scouts to see if they would be willing to cut back on some of the monthly Troop events to allow them time to take on the important POR of Den Chief. Get to know the Webelos Den Leaders, along with the Cubmasters. Make a point to visit the Cub side of Roundtable to talk to them. Ask your Scouts to reach out to the friends of their younger brothers/cousins/etc. Make sure that the Webelos parents that DO visit your Troop understand the pluses of joining your Troop. In other words, talk to your DC, and then stop complaining, and start doing.

In most states the rules are 5 before the cutoff date. So while your son might be one of the oldest in his grade, and be well past 10.5 at crossover, someone born in September, or October (or later for states with Nov/Dec dates) would be some of the youngest, and might be just over 10.

Actually, with many states having kindergarten entrance dates September 30 and later, it is quite typical to have a boy turn 10 years old in fifth grade, and cross into Boy Scouts with his AOL before he is 10 1/2.

Unit Commissioners, training staff, course directors, and camp/program directors are not part of the District Committee. I have never been to a District Committee meeting in my life and I have held all of the above positions. The only one I had to register for was Unit Commissioner.

The only time I ever filled in a new adult application was when switching Scouting programs (Pack to Troop to Crew), and when applying to become a Unit Commissioner. I would also need a new application for Merit Badge Counselor. I never turned in a new application when switching positions within a unit. I also never turned in an application to be on the District/Council Training staff.

If they came to you, and you did not go out and actively recruit these Scouts from the other Packs then I fail to see the problem. They wanted to move to your Pack. Did you tell them no when you found out they were transferring from other Packs? Of course not. It is not YOUR decision where families register their sons. It is theirs. If you are concerned, I suggest you simply ask the families why they decided to transfer. If they say it was because they felt you had the better program, say "thank you", and leave it at that. If there is some kind of problem in the other Packs, then you might want to call your District Commissioner, and give a heads up.

Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Cub Scouts do not need parents to attend den meetings. In fact the BSA program is set up so that the den meetings at the Wolf/Bear/Webelos levels are for the boys, and their leaders, to interact with each other, and to learn to work together. Parents should only attend den meetings if they have a specific purpose in being there (leading an activity, helping their disabled Scout, Webelos Activity Badge Counselor, etc). Pack meetings are an entirely different thing. They are for all of the Scouts from every den, and their families (siblings too). BSA expects families to attend Pack meetings, but not den meetings.

DE = District Executive = Scouting professional in charge of the district (area) you are in. Look on your local council's web site. They will usually have a list of staff names and contact info.

Our local Catholic grade school did these at various restaurants in the area. The restaurants would let the kids stand outside and had out coupons as long as they did not bother the customers. The kids, would work clean up inside, with parents supervising. The kids/parents would wear school shirts, and the business would advertise the fundraiser on their signs. It was a win for the restaurant in extra business and adding to their rep as being a community supporter. It was a win for our school as it gave them some added funds. A few problems I see with a Scout unit doing this - You should not wear your Scout uniform during this event. Unless you get permission from your Council SE which I do not see happening. The donation from the restaurant would not be tax-deductible if simply made out to your unit. If your Charter Organization (owner) is a 501©(3) non-profit they would have to make the check out to them, and use their EIN in order to be able to claim it on their Federal tax return. This could get sticky. Scouts are NOT supposed to solicit money. Are you planning on turning in a BSA Unit Money-Earning Application to this fundraiser approved by your council? If so, you might wait and see what your council has to say.

I would have a talk with your District Commissioner. Actually I would have had that talk 2 years ago.

>>"Can a second grader join as a tiger if there aren't enough wolves to have a den?"

You never quit recruiting. Contact your DE and see if he/she will do a "Boy Talk" for the first grade. Send home more flyers inviting parents and boys to a Tiger "Event". Have something simple like paper airplane races, or kite building/flying. Involve the parents. Have a school parent stand at the doors at the end of school the of/before your event and put a sticker reminder w/contact info on every 1st grade boy that comes out. A two kid den will most definitely NOT "suck"! Please don't broadcast that attitude to the families, and ruin their experience. Yes, they will be a small den. But with just two Tiger Teams there will not be a lot of schedule conflicts. They will work together, bond closer, and have FUN! There are many positives to highlight, instead of simply saying it will "suck". Have the 2 registered Tigers and their parents talk to classmates and their parents. It should be easy for them to brag about what a great program Cub Scouts is, and what a great Pack it is, as they are both current Scout families. This often will get the best results. If the boys recruit a buddy make sure to award them the recruiter strip at the next Pack meeting.

>>"My purpose was to give a demonstration to Scouts who weren't present">"By splitting more kindling and making fuzz sticks and leaving those materials arranged so they could likely be lit I was able to offer some help and instruction to Scouts on how they could get a fire started."

No one has said they were "ignorant" of, or did not know how to make, a fuzz stick. Just that they did not see the point of making one, and/or had never needed to make one. Also, using an axe on a chunk of split firewood is not how to make a fuzz stick. An axe is for splitting large pieces of wood, not for whittling. Splitting their firewood and foraging for usable tinder is what those Scouts needed to do. If that was to much trouble it was no wonder they went hungry.

As others have noted, I have also never needed to make a fuzz stick. I have always managed to get a fire started, and keep it going, even with wet wood, without one.

The date of the successfully completed Board of Review for a rank is the date the tenure for his next rank begins. When the Court of Honor is held has nothing to do with it. A Scout should never have to wait 4 months (the minimum tenure needed to earn Star), or more, to receive a rank badge he has earned.

You don't rinse in boiling water. You use warm water you can put your hands into. I would not put my hands into a bucket with sanitizer. Wash in hot, not boiling, soapy water. Rinse in warm clear water. Put dishes in mesh bag. Dunk in cold/warm water with sanitizer. Hang to dry. Dishes should be ready to go for the next meal.(This message has been edited by Scoutnut)

Hopefully your CC will find a replacement Advancement Chair soon so the boys awards don't get overlooked.

Having no leader for the Tiger den, and simply throwing all of the new Tigers Teams in cold, on their own, with no support, or knowledge of what is going on, is a sure way to loose those families from Scouting. Hopefully your CM, and your CC, have a plan in place to help their Tiger dens.

How can it be "double dipping" to wear both the Eagle Scout Award knot, and the medal the knot represents? You earned the rank of Eagle, correct? Per the BSA Insignia Guide - "Embroidered knots are representative of pin-on medals or around-the-neck awards and are designed for the convenience of the wearer." You would not wear medals on a camping trip, or during a Troop game of basketball. The BSA Insignia Guide also states this about the Eagle Scout Award medal - "Adults wear only on formal Eagle occasions." I would consider an Eagle COH ceremony a "formal Eagle occasion", but not a regular Troop COH. However, it is up to you if you wear your medal or not.

The 2009 Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures book states the same thing as the National web site that Adam S posted a link to. Alternate requirements for T-2-1 are for disabilities that are permanent, not temporary.

I agree with you Basement, when paying that much to attend camp with your son, you should get to enjoy camp with your son. Having 3 boys dumped on you, without your prior knowledge, from a Pack who did not bother to register the required leaders, is just plain wrong. Your council was in the wrong to accept their registrations in the first place, and then compounded it by dropping their problem in your lap. This is one of the reasons why many council Cub camps require a Scout to sign up with a parent. Personally, I am all for it.

The GSUSA organization, and it's programs, including their camping progression, are very different from those of the BSA. One of the main differences is that the BSA Cub Scout program is family-oriented, while the GSUSA programs (even the younger ones) are not. One of the purposes of Cub Scouting is "Family Understanding". The BSA Cub Scout Resident Camp Guidelines state - "The objective is to provide Cub Scouts, parents, and other volunteer leadership with a meaningful, enjoyable experience and to strengthen parent-son relationships." "The length of camp can be from two to five nights. A camp of three days, including two nights, is recommended." "The camp ratio of adults to boys is set by the council, but each boy is responsible to one designated adult." The Atlanta Area Council, youth/adult ratio for for Wolf/Bear Cub Scouts is 1 adult per 1-2 boys (they state they have found the younger boys to need more supervision). Their youth/adult ratio for 4th/5th grade Webelos is 2 adults/2-4 Scouts, 3 adults/5-8 Scouts, 4 adults/9-12 Scouts. So momof2cubs could attend a 3-night camp with both her Scouts together if they were Wolf/Bear Cubs, or attend a 3-night camp with her Bear Cub Scout, and send her 5th grade Webelos Cub Scout to either a 5-night, or a 3-night Webelos camp with his den and without a parent along. Some councils use a ratio of 1:1 for all levels of Cub camping. Some use a ratio of 1 adult per 3-5 Scouts for all levels. Some, like Atlanta Area, require parents to register with their Wolf or Bears, but use a looser (1:4-5) ratio for Webelos. My council has 1-night weekend camps at the local council camp, and 3-night camps at our out-of-state camp. All require a parent (1 or both) to register with their Scout(s).