Tampa Turtle

Cambridge, Must keep the Mrs happy! If you are doing the DC area you can walk around the National Mall and see the Smithsonians (thanks for your Mr Smithson). Museum of History was good. I enjoyed Mt Vernon and you can throw in a Civil War battle field or two. Gives you an excuse to go out in the country. If you visit the Capital the cafeteria in the basement of the Supreme Court was pretty good. Next door the Library of Congress Jefferson Building is pretty cool in it beaux arts glory. I'd throw in a cruise on the Chesapeake if you can. Mind you it will be hot and humid. We are debating Cambridge, Bath, Portsmouth, and Winchester for our UK day trips.

Yes the grubmaster/cooking requirements slow some boys up. Especially when you do single age patrols and everyone needs it. One year we had cooking "triads" of 3 boys each rotating duties. I didn't like that approach. Cook as a Patrol, eat as a Patrol. In mixed age Patrols the older boys get tired of doing grubmaster so the younger guys get a shot and feel like they are contributing more. One issue we have is portions--some campouts a little guy (mostly likely his mother)portioned for all little guys and the older scouts were complaining they didn't get enough to eat.

Cub scout camping. Trying to erect our 9 man mammoth tent (well it was such a deal) with my Bear and Wolf in a 35mph gusting wind. Even with the minivan as a wind block. I was swearing up a storm but no one heard me as the winds just whipped my voice away. That night the front came through and 2 out of 3 families bugged out. Some slept in cars. We stayed in the tent and it the ground was so wet it condensed on all our gear. The bags were cold, etc. The tent across from me had set up in a low spot and sure enough had 4" of water in the morning. That morning we huddled on the ice chest under the rain fly eating cold MRE's. My boys thought it was great!

We're odd! Well... It is a BIG country and it all depends on what you want to do. OGE, I read the smoke was from forest fires in N. Florida.

We have many of you brits come to Pinellas County for the beaches...they really are QUITE good. Quite a few Germans as well of late...and you know they know a good deal! Pass-a-grille is very nice in an old time way and Clearwater has *ahem* better scenery of fulsome pulchritude. The mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee are nice that time of year . A bit cooler, some hills, and if you plan it right you can do some pretty nice day hikes. Miami is good (if expensive)if you want the international/Caribbean thing. New Orleans is nice too. I have done some very nice road trips up AIA and the East Coast: Kennedy Space Center-St Augustine-Savanna-Charleston-Brookgreen Gardens. Beachfort, South Carolina is VERY nice if you like small southern beach towns. A lot of movies have been filmed there. I would fly into Atlanta for that. I married a southern girl so I am a bit biased. Russia sounds cool, I have heard Poland and the Ukraine are pretty interesting. But what do I know I want to go the UK next year?

If you have a staff member assigned to a Troop/campsite (and I am talking to you Woodruff)have them make a point of stopping by when the scouts are around and ask the adults if their are any issues. If possible eat with the boys or go on a hike or do a little something. I have had a lot of ghost staffers that only showed up on the next to last day. Gee we would have fed them and everything...

I found the no difference between Eagles and other Scouts of some interest. I have to agree that it is a "light" study-the kind that institutions commission in order to reinforce what they already believe. I have to agree in my limited observation many of the boys who make Eagle tend to be a somewhat self-selected group (that is their parents mostly doing the selecting). Those kids--in general--seem to have pretty involved parents as a support system. Also what about scouts vs. other sports?

pj, I was really hoping you would say that. I was planning to only go along to provide 2-deep leadership. Also a scouting trip hiking across the UK would be a blast as well.

Venividi, We switched from same age patrols to mixed age patrols about 18 months ago. Overall a move in the right direction though we lost some older boys despite a "Venture Patrol" option. We did retain a number of really good older boys who are good with the younger guys and overall our retention is a bit better. We are using standing patrols that guys age in and out of. We are doing a newbie patrol before the "newbie draft" in a month or two. The first three campouts have separate activities for the new guys so they can pick up some basic skills and get a hang of how Boy Scouts is different. Some of the 3rd-4th years are doing instruction 75% of the time(even a few 2nd. years) I have been pleased with the quality of the instruction and yeah they listen to boys better than adults. I think our Troop's biggest issue is a cultural one. We have two feeder Packs, one that is more hands-on and another that is, well, kinda producing future parlor scouts. They do not always mix well. But when they do we get super patrols.

Very nice little read.

Buffalo, I had the same experience.

I hear we (troop) had a Eagle Candidate actually say recently: Q: "Why do want to be an Eagle?" A: "It looks good on the college application". Q:"Any other reasons?" A:"No, not really. (thinking)My parents wanted it." Had another parent say "He has to get Eagle fast so he can move on to sports later" (Sigh) Kinda discouraging. But then there are a few boys that come along and are enthusiastic, actually go home and do things, and eat it all up. And that makes it worthwhile to keep going. Some kids "get it".

Normally I would find it amusing. However as a Scouter that went through Heck in supporting a Patrol who had a smart a$$ name it brings back bad memories.

(1) Go to Seabase for 1 week training. (2) Sail a schooner to Costa Rica. Tow a target. Boys get to handle firearms to repel borders. (3) Backpack across Costa Rica to Pacific Coast. (4) Adults and older Scouts fly to Rio for a little R&R. Younger guys and new adults practice FCFY work their way back home on a freighter. (5) After losing a few scouts to the older boys when they are introduced to Brazilian girls by the Brazilian Boy Scouts we return home after a second rest stop in South Beach. (6) The survivors meet up in Tampa where the newbies show off their knots and the older boys their tattoos.

Yeah, I was once a Den motha!

Scoutfish, I was given a plan by a trainer at Woodruff that while it was a sample plan by another Troop was handed out by a person that claimed to be on the advancement committee and helped edit the handout. It showed how to do 30-count 'em-30 FCFY "check offs" the FIRST campout! I am all for providing the activities and opportunities and review, review, review. Most of our reviews are via Patrol competitions. I think we need to do more hands on at the meetings. We try to get the older boys to do some of the training for the newbies but they are a distinct minority...the older boys seem less and less interested and it affects camping attendance. I am aware you schedule separate, more ambitious activities for the older guys but it really complicates logistics for the adults.

I like the incorporation of the different areas of the Merit badges for advancement. Are their additional requirements on top of doing one MB from each frontier?

I looked at the Flag patches. Obviously the blue trimmed one is for commie-democrats like me and the gold-trimmed one is for the Imperial New World Order wing of the BSA.

Insert Generic Explanation here! If they got Green numbers so what? Most parents take months to get the right thing sewed on. They got that gawky plaid necker, blue tabs, belt loops, and webelo cap aint no scout gonna confuse them for a Boy Scout. That said I did the red numbers with the first one. This is an area I would encourage-once but not require.

If he is buying the tan shirt then IMHO by all means get the green numbers and don't worry about it.

I also have noticed that trend. But assuming you offer enough opportunities (camping 9=10 times, activities, summer and winter camp) many "slow achieving" boys I have seen tend to be ones that are under-attenders and often do not like camping that much. I have noticed a trend in our Troop of more "late entry" boys joining at 14-16 who have to struggle to get to 1C but make outstanding Patrol leaders.

Can't sleep on the ground anymore only use a Hammock. Not for the Claustrophobic.

I thought this was the stupidest training yet.

A chance. Yes. But IMHO it is Obama's to lose.

We dont have neckers; wish we did. I have used a bandanna wetted down my neck when it gets hot--really works great!