SWScouter

Ed, the scout is above the legal age, hence the problem.

I think the only preparation needed for preparing a Cub Scout for Boy Scouts is ensuring that the scout has so much fun in Cub Scouts that he won't hesitate to join Boy Scouts. I think that, too often, the Cubs get bored with Cub Scouts and then don't want to join Boy Scouts. KISMIF! Keep It Simple, Make It Fun! SWScouter

About the letter, this is a letter to members of a Cub Scout Pack, not a Boy Scout Troop. I'd look towards the Cub Scout Promise and Law, not the Boy Scout ones. SWScouter

Owl62, There has already been a few threads where Corps of Discovery has been mentioned. See: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=106700 http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=119806 http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=132050 I believe you started the second one so I imagine you're looking for more. Anyway, the first has a link to http://members.aol.com/venturecod/index.html that looks pretty informative. SWScouter(This message has been edited by SWScouter)

Fred, I just measured mine. On my jac-shirt (size 40) it's 5 1/2" On the jac-shirt I had as a youth (size 14) it's 3 1/2" On my red wind jacket (size M) it's 5 1/2", though I have a bigger 8" Wipala Wiki lodge patch on it. I think I would lower the patch to 6" if I did it again. What I did, was pin the patch on the shirt and looked in the mirror and played with the plcacement that way. When I found where I thought it should be, I asked my wife if she thought it was placed okay. She said yes and probably would have whether it was placed +-2" from where it is. You could always take a measuring tape to round table. My suggestion though, is to place it between the lower end of your shoulder blades. SWScouter

Take the Lead starring Antonio Banderas (Zorro). Man helps troubled inner city youth by teaching ball room dancing. It's based on a true story. SWScouter

I have to go with emb021's #4 & #12. I see a lot of uniform shirts with way too much space between the CSP and unit number and position patch, etc. I also see a lot of knots sewn on upside down. This is especially true with the single color knots such as the youth religious emblem knot. SWScouter

I used to mow lawns when I was a scout. I must admit I never contemplated using a lawn mowing as a hike. I used to mow my Dad's lawn too (I suppose it was the whole families, but we just called it Dad's lawn). I used a push mower for several years. It took me 4 1/2 hrs to mow the lawn. If I did all the edges and stuff, it would take closer to 6. If I just walked where I mowed without mowing, it would probably take an hour, two at the most. I don't think I would try to equate mowing with hiking. When I left for college, my Dad bought a riding lawn mower for my younger brother to use. He was able to mow the lawn in a couple of hours. Go figure. SWScouter

Trevorum, So are you saying that for Eagle, these positions such as Patrol Scribe would not count since the wording, "or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop" is only included for the ranks of Star and Life? SWScouter

OGE makes a very good point. That's also the reason I brought up the troop org chart. Reporting to the PL doesn't cut it. For the POR to be valid I believe the scout needs to report to the SPL, ASPL, or SM. SWScouter

I believe the PORs listed are for troop positions. Actually, I think they are for positions reporting to the SPL, ASPL or SM. Positions such as Assistant PL (which is not a POR for rank), patrol scribe, and patrol QM, report to the PL. This is all shown in the troop org charts in the SPL, PL and SM handbooks. Also, for librarian, the patch does say, Troop Librarian. This is not the case for Scribe, Quartermaster, nor Instructor. Also, there was recently a thread on this very subject in the usscouts forums, see http://usscouts.org/discuss/messages/5/2859.html SWScouter

The requirements for the Athletics MB have just recently been revamped. My understanding is that either the old or new requirements can be used through the end of this year and as of 1/1/2007, only the new requirements can be used. SWScouter

Mmhardy, Do you really prey for her wretched soul, or did you mean pray?

Hi Dave, Welcome from another Grand Canyon Council scouter! What district is troop 61 in? I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster in the Thunderbird district up in the Phoenix NW Valley. I'm glad to have you along. SWScouter

Cubmaster Randy, Like Uz2bnowl, I'm one year ahead of you. I was a DL and WL for two years each. My son crossed over to Boy Scouts last February. I've had all the training too, including wood badge (like Uz2bnowl, I highly recommend it). When my son crossed over, I had a talk with the troop committee chair. I told her that I would prefer to be an ASM but would serve any position that she and the CO felt would be most beneficial to the troop; I'm an ASM. It's been seven months now. The first several I did very little. I helped out on outings but other than that, outwardly I didn't do much. Inwardly, I was watching, learning, and getting to know the troop's dynamics and how the adults work together and how the scouts interact. It's been great, I've really enjoyed it! After being a DL & WL it's been a great vacation. The troop has several very active and dedicated scouters. That is such a great change from the pack I was a member of where there wasn't enough scouters. The SM is a wonderful man. The way he interacts with the scouts is great. He is very charitable and unselfish and goes out of his way to help the scouts as best he can. The troop is blessed to have him and I pray I can develop that same kind of interaction and selflessness with others. I can continue raving about the SM and other scouters with the troop. Does that mean the troop is running the ideal program? No, it doesn't. I can see several ways to improve or things to change to be more inline with the Boy Scout program. I can see several things that are missing and should be added to more follow the Boy Scout program. There are lots of changes I would start to make if I were SM, but I'm not the SM, I'm an ASM. What I will do, is work with the SM and the other scouters. If I see a weakness in the program I may make suggestions, but I will continue to defer the the SM. I'm with Beavah on this stuff. I and da othah scouters need to work togethah, eh, not against eachothah to give da Scouts da opportunity for a great program, eh. I'm not really sure where I'm going here. I guess that I feel that it's best to get involved with the troop as needed and then to work with everyone. Don't try changing things right away just because they may not be what you percieve as ideal. You need to earn that respect from the other leaders and you need to let them know that you respect them too. Enjoy yourself and the transition you will journey through from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. SWScouter

Beagle, Welcome to the forum. It is the responsibility of every Tiger partner to share leadership with you, the TDL. It is important for you to have some meeting with all the Tiger partners to plan who will be planning/running each meeting. When my son was in Tigers, each partner signed up for a month. For us, that entailed running one den meeting and planning one go see it. The TDL, really just made sure everyone knew what was going on (good communication) and covered the pack meetings and the Tigers' advancement. Good luck with this, you should have a lot of fun as a TDL! SWScouter

Personally, I've found it takes much longer to clean a DO when tin foil was used than when it wasn't. It seems the tin foil leaks and then whatever is between the foil and oven ends up getting burnt on the oven, whereas if the foil wasn't there it wouldn't have. I was a scout for six years and never heard of a DO. My biggest clean up problem was figuring how to get the soot off the outside of the pot, so it wouldn't get everything in our backpacks filthy, including the inside of the pot the pot would nest in. Covering the outside of the pot with soap before cooking never seemed to work as well as advertised. SWScouter

Just an FYI, there is a new Pack Trainer Award and knot. Pack Trainer Knot: Royal blue and bright yellow Pack Trainer Award (Note: tenure and performance requirements for thsi award may not be met retroactively. You may begin earning this award on ar after September 1, 2006.) Training: Complete Fast Start training for the pack committee. Complete New Leader Essentials and be familiar with and able to explain the key elements of Leader Specific Training for all volunteer positions in the pack. Complete Youth Protection Training. Participate in a trainer development conference. Tenure: Complete two years as a registered pack trainer. Performance: Participate in a Cub Scout leader pow wow or university of Scouting (if your council conducts them) during each year of tenure for this award. Have Cub Scout roundtable staff certify your attendance for at least 30 percent of the roundtables during each year of tenure for this award. Attain 100 percent trained leadership within the pack for the committee chairman, Cubmaster, and all den leaders. Have a working plan in place for delivering Fast Start training to new leaders within 48 hours of their joining your pack. Have a working plan in place for helping leaders who have not taken basic training to attend New Leader Essentials and Leader Specific training. Keep and update training records of all leaders in your pack. During the pack annual program planning meeting be available to answer questions about training courses. Review ongoing pack leadership training status and provide leaders with updates on any available supplemental training.

Kansascity53, Welcome to the forum. If they're bored with the basics, then for the skills portion of the meeting, go beyond the basics, do the advanced stuff. New scouts need the basics, and the older scouts can move beyond that. There's no reason everyone has to cover the exact same stuff. If you look in the troop program resources, skill instruction is usually broken up into different levels depending on the age/experience of the scouts. SWScouter

Robbyynn, I'd have a talk with the Webelos Den Leader (WL) and tell him/her more or less what you told us here concerning how your boy feels. How he was excited about being a Webelos Scout and how he didn't have fun and felt excluded at the campout. Ask the WL if he can encourage the den to include your son. Also, a den (not pack but that would be nice too) induction ceremony may really help since it will let your son know he has become a member of the den and let his den mates know that he is a part of their den too. The other den members may have been together since Tigers in first grade and have some history together so it will take a few meetings for all of the den to get to know your son and for him to break into their group. However, with an induction ceremony and some effort by the WL to ensure your son isn't left out, this, I would hope, should occur in a month or two. It would also help for you and your husband to get a good rhapor going with the WL. Let the WL know how you will be able to help the den. Be sure to support the program the WL is giving to the boys; don't try to second guess the WL and complain about any "deficiencies" you may see. If the WL sees you and your husband as supportive, friendly, and helpful, that will go a long way towards the WL ensuring that your son is made a part of the den. The start of Webelos is a great time for a boy to join Cub Scouts. The program changes a lot from Wolf/Bear cubs to Webelos and so not being in the program earlier really shouldn't be a problem. Actually, it may be better since it is all new and Boy Scouts is less than two years away. I wish you and your son the best in scouting. SWScouter

Kichkinet, Have you seen the OA trail crew journal? http://www.main.oa-bsa.org/features/oatcjournal/ How about the OA High adventure web site? http://adventure.oa-bsa.org/ SWScouter

FScouter, I respectfully disagree. The sentence I cited is just one of a paragraph with the subject of the Star/Life service hours/project required for rank advancement. As you mention, another sentence states that the service can also be for assisting on an Eagle service project. For those that don't have access to the document, the full paragraph is: For Star and Life ranks, a Scout must perform six hours of service to others. This may be done as an individual project or as a member of a patrol or troop project. Star and Life service projects may be approved for Scouts assisting on Eagle service projects. The Scoutmaster approves the project before it is started. SWScouter

Acco40 wrote, "They do not have to be approved in advance." This is not the case. From the Advancement Committee Guide, Policies and Procedures, p. 27 Service Projects last sentence under Star and Life Ranks: "The Scoutmaster approves the project before it is started." SWScouter

Even though they are no longer supplied, the Male Uniform Inspection sheet still shows them: http://www.scouting.org/forms/34284.pdf Go figure SWScouter

Gonzo, I have some pictures of me doing high cope wearing my red BSA activity shirt/uniform this summer. It's your basic polo shirt. The material, cut, and style are fine. It's pretty similar to any other polo shirt you might buy. I'd wear it more often but for scouts, I'm usually either wearing the field uniform or the troop's own activity shirt (troop T-shirt) instead. SWScouter