Tampa Turtle

When it turns into a class every scout meeting the Troop goes downhill fast. My troop seems to cycle into this pattern over and over. Best time we did was trying to pair up some merit badges that helped you had skills (backpacking, canoeing, geo-caching) into future campouts...then it seemed like their was a purpose and not just getting a check off. But you can't do it more often. We had some luck running a few Merit Badges before the meeting and on Saturdays but eventually they bled into the regular meeting. The latest push is by accomplish driven Scouts who feel like playing a game at a meeting or showing up and not getting an advancement or merit badge ticked off is a waste of time. So we have boring, boring, boring meetings with speaker after speaker relating to merit badges...we might as well give them chicken diners and make it a Rotary meeting! Funny, like others have observed it doesn't really result in many more merit badges, but since it is youth led and was their idea the Scoutmaster is letting them pilot this flaming zeppelin right into the ground. Painful to watch.

My mom made us boys cook just enough to survive and so we wouldn't be so reliant on a girlfriend. I knew enough to make a couple things and survive. When my wife and I were dating she went off to graduate school in a city about 2 hours away. One thanksgiving break she had to stay and wrap up her masters project and couldn't go home so I showed up at her apartment with a basket of groceries and made us a thanksgiving dinner (canned ham, instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans-hey it was the early eighties). I did not know she was running low on groceries and really didn't know how to cook anything--I looked like a wizard and I think that was when I 'clinched the deal'. I was very glad I knew some rudimentary food skill (thanks Mom!) then and I have told some of my scouts the same story. A man who can cook can earn some smoochy benefits! <3 <3 <3

ditto, amen, I concur. At best Eagle might get you a pause in the screening process or a pass if they wondered why you were not more active in other extra circulars. It helped Son#1 apply for college because he is a nerd and it made him look a little more rounded. Playing a sport would have worked too. Scouts (not the Eagle) has helped him because it gave him enough material for about four different personal essays he has had to write as part of the college process. But other life experiences might have helped too. The Eagle did help him in a few personal interviews networking (with Monks and Priests of all people -- he is studying theology) because they were in scouts as boys too and apparently the same issues you have with your buddies at summer camp still come up in a monastery! Son#2 has started looking at colleges too...he is really into the tech thing and visited a obscure experimental we do nothing but programming and build stuff college. Of the 6 guys in the orientation group 4 were Eagle Scouts so it helped as a 'tribe identifier' but no great advantage except to show that he is a two-dimensional geek. In both cases it has helped them qualify for some very modest scholarships ($500-1000) nice to have but not life changing. Given how some voracious some of the families in our Troop are to get Eagle for 'ticket punching' I think it would be easier for them to do to the Lacrosse sport thing or rowing crew credential. That would at least leave me with the families that really want their boy to learn some life skills, leadership, and make friends.

I mentioned this discussion with Mrs Turtle and she was amazed it took me this long to realize that some new folks might game the system or make an appeal to grab the college resume credential even if they are joining too late because we have become the 'everyone wins a trophy' nation. She has seen this with the younger parents in the activities she is involved in. BSA national talks a lot about character issues and the iconography and legend of the traditional scout but has so over-emphasized the Eagle rank as the goal with an implied *wink wink* 'it looks good on resumes too' that will eat us alive. Mrs Turtle said it will not end until about a 1/3rd of scouts get Eagle and it becomes meaningless. I think many folks at the local level have fallen into this trap as well..Eagle COH as coronations, big banquets, special merchandise, even the "Eagle Scout fir Life" thing gets out of hand.

I had to read that a couple times before I realized I agreed with that. signed..the plodding turtle of orthodoxy.

Be still my beating heart. I have been giving this speech for years. You got good patrol leaders a lot of things take care of themselves from the bottom up. Unfortunately adults (and some scouts) try the SPL as management from the top down and it doesn't work.

I was always told "we don't repeat grades in Cub Scouts". It depends where his buddies/peer groups go. If he is pulled out to home school then that is another issue. The main thing is if he is having a fun time with boys who welcome into his group. I had this happen to one son who had to repeat third grade, he stayed with his den. It worked out OK, occasionally his schedule was different. He went on to Boy Scouts and got his Eagle, too. In retrospect I anguished way too much over this.

Alas she can't be 'Rogue One' -- Felicity Jones got the part.

Son#1 was waving a pdf of the Guide to Safe Scouting during his Eagle Project prep talk though he was just making some stuff up. Made him look on the ball...Scoutmaster eventually started looking stuff up later sayin' 'I didn't know that?'.

In order to do a good Cooking MB one must 'add' to the excitement if not the requirements. We have tried in the past to combine ours with various cooking competitions both individual and patrol and follow up on making sure Patrols are actually cooking real food on some campouts. Once it becomes part of the culture -vs pringles, ramen, and pop tarts- they get better at it. If the emphasis is on just getting the Eagle required MB and moving on than you will see much improvement. Progress is apparent if a parent tells you later that their boy starts cooking a dish at home frequently or if a particular Patrol starts acting a little 'foodie' at campouts and other patrols kinda get jealous and up their game. I was going to carp on how much more boring the food safety book learning expansion has made the Merit Badge BUT both my Eagle sons were arguing the other day on how no one needs to worry about e-coli or salmonella anymore. Not reassuring when they are cooking the family meal. *sigh*

These activities matter less and less in the college resume arms raise. There is rampant 'accomplishments' inflation as well as outright fraud at our High $chool. I bet there are high school college admissions parents meetings where someone is asking if they all school be starting a non-profits and hiring an admissions coach. (my kids high school has had signs advertising 'college essay help' for months now. I bet some of that 'help' is the actual writing) On the transfer issue I'd think my boys would resent the fact that while THEY choose Scouts over competing programs someone can do something else and transfer in credits.

Boys play nice or at least make the bickering more flavorful and entertaining.

The great thing about this approach is it increases 'the cost of admittance' and quickly weeds out folks who are gonna balk at more expense and inconvenience. YPT does that a little bit.

While we online Scouters gripe, gripe, gripe about a gradual sense of erosion of the traditional program I think what we are about to experience is that 'tilting point' where there is a sudden and drastic change is the sustainability and viability of BSA National. It is not too big to fail or too historic an institution to go away. You can sense we are quickly approaching some sort of crisis point. That said I think, again, Scouting as an ideal will continue without all the ScoutStuffs, Summits, and executive boards. Maybe (to use a religious example) the difference between a large centralized denomination model and an organic home church model. If BSA cannot navigate this change it really will only have to double down, double down, and double down again on selling its brand and exclusivity. Maybe we are already in the mix of such a time of turbulence where there are competing visions and versions of what Boy Scouts really are. It may only be clear in retrospect. In any case I am working on getting the camping gear ready this weekend.

I am concerned that the conceptual model of 'Family Camping' will only hold up until a few unregistered siblings get hurt at an event and a good lawyer finds big enough hole to drive a "this is really an offical BSA event" through. Even partial liability will be worth a few new pages in Scouter. I guess it gives risk management job security along with the headaches.

I think my SPL son nailed it a while ago when I asked him for his opinion and while he'd prefer no girls it was not that big a deal to him compared with adults ruining the program.

@Jameson76 I get the 'true believer' in the middle of chaos thing...I think Scouting in the U.S. will survive even if BSA may not...but a downside will be that we ALL will be branded with whatever poor behavior any family units might do at parks, etc. Boy Scouts already have a mixed reputation with a lot of rangers. In addition there were more push-back from parents when you try to do a traditional program because the troop they were at before the move seemed like it did a totally different program.

I have been using a chinese rip-off of a pocket rocket for a while (it was only $7 but only has two settings "off" and "flamethrower") but it is a bit noisy. I have an alcohol stove, stand, and fuel container I have been wanting to test for that very reason. The noise can be intrusive. Also I always seem to have a partial canister and carry and extra and then carry two and that gets bulky. All I do is boil water, maybe I should do a playoff.

Billy: "Why" Ted: "Its that new scout Sally" Billy:"Sally! The new Patrol Leader? She's swell...she's the best camper in the bunch of new scouts that came in this June!" Ted:"Yeah, I know, I know. She's got her Eagle Court of Honor next month" Billy: "shhhhh...that's her dad with the AK back there...."

I have seen this attitude at Pack camp-outs (often the less engaged parents) and occasionally at Troop events when a dad gets brow beaten into spending quality time with their son, bails out half way, and expects the Troop to accommodate them. Like 1/2 of a 2 man canoe with gear bails out, in the Everglades, on day 2 of a 4 day trip, in my canoe. Not that it bothers me.

Ted: "Hi Billy" Billy: "HI, Ted. Whats wrong" Ted: "I feel so frustrated about scouting I just want to give up" MUSIC QUE: Sad Harmonica plays quietly in background.

I give up! Campfire stories are being censored!! (See how I did that)

$50 per scout, includes advancement materials (merit badges, rank), local and national fee, and Boys Life Magazine. Campouts extra running $35-$55 a Scout.

Comrade, the survey will have overwhelming support regardless of the outcome. (You will of course not get the survey.) And as for you Citizen Stosh I here the camping is delightful in Siberia this year.

Ah nears Hicksville. I was born in Bay Shore and my sister in Patchogue but left when I was a wee one. Went back once.