Tampa Turtle

Son#2 calls them 'instapalms' now too.

Gee whiz, thanks. I think it could mean different things. I think it does not including a lot of the behavior coming out in the news. Gee Mr. Spacey I guess character does matter.

It's all fun and games until the Tiger Kid gets burned, cut, or gets into with an older scout.

Food and Firewood help a cold campout. Might make a legendary campout we once camped on the edge of a Tropical storm (on the water). Now deeply understand the concept of "wind breaks" and "un-staked tents really do fly".

Try contacting your local Highway department or Police Department. They usually already have some stuff/speaker for a target audience. That is a good thing to work with and augment for the requirements.

So...it depends...and it is complicated. OK.

I always use "Boy Led mixed-age Patrol Method". I typically do the new parent briefing.

Just as curiosity what happens when a Council collapses...it seems the facilities get folded (at least for a time) into the neighboring council. Does the by-laws let them do that?

Thanks, that is what I figured. Hope it works out. I get the empty/full issue...like when they hold some non-profit athletic event on the field of an empty NFL stadium..

Good for you and your son. My Tiger to Eagle Son#2 is aging out in a couple weeks. For all my angst the adventure was well worth it.

Hard flag had a big hole in it from when a still-hot hot dutch oven was hurriedly loaded on top of it in the trailer one Sunday morning and the nylon melted. At summer camp a neighboring old scouter offered to repair it and now it is patched. Some of the boys wanted to just get a new one but we told them it was like a battle flag, scars and all. They did keep it and now tell the newbies all sorts of made up stories about the patch.

Same here. When my son was SPL he and the PLC kept requesting financial information so they could figure out why the costs of the camping trips had gone up so fast but were constantly rebuffed either because of adult disorganization or embarrassment. Actually requested a seat at the Committee meeting on the issue. Things got stalled and stalled and deadlines passed and it became moot. So they started disengaging. The boys planned some more adventurous trips but when the going got tough (rough hikes, canoe difficulties) it was certain adults who bailed out early causing shortened trips and frustrated scouts (and wasted money). That took a huge toll in trust.

I do not mean this as a National bash but do share others concerns about the Summit debt. I do see what they were trying to do. I have been involved in the planning, both logistics and security, of some major special events with comparable duration and attendance. I think they could have figured out other venues around the country and come out ahead. I am think they thought a permanent location would double as a 'Philmont east' and they would get more bang for their buck. It was a reasonable gamble but it appears their assumptions were off (probably wishful thinking) and the development costs were a lot more than expected. Special events today is getting tougher and tougher, peoples expectations and what folks need to provide keep rising and it is a real challenge. (in my opinion that is why I think it may be best to leave that to someone's else venues but I understand the desire to do one's own thing) It is really really hard to make the economics work on virgin land development vs a legacy property. (That is why selling off an old camp is a greater loss than it appears...recreating it would cost so much more). I suspect that the Summit ran into the mountain real estate trap us Florida flat-landers sometime fall into. There is a reason that some hilly land is so cheap and undeveloped....because it can be really expensive to provide access to, develop, and maintain. I do not claim to really understand the balance sheet (I am the only non-accountant in the family) but BSA would not be the 1st entity whose fiscal solvency is threatened by an overly ambitious real estate development. Usually the big winner is the guy picks up the pieces afterward. I am with David Co the Summit events are too rich for my blood...for that kind of money I'd rather do another kind of adventure. I feel like BSA has been slowly pricing my family out (but that and the Summit should be another thread.

In our COH the SPL has the PL hand his guy his awards and the Scout shakes the PL and the SPL's hands.

.......*sigh*.......

Back Pack, thank you for your insight. On the whole you "get" the intention of the program. Keep the faith.

Awesome!

Colonel Flagg: You're dumb Freedman, very dumb, but you've met your match in me!

Conspiracy Mode = *ON* Back Pack, ever consider switching to a journalism major? I read this and thought 'BINGO' the girls inclusion, right or not, is hoping to bring in a LOT of new scouts QUICK to turn around a probable fiscal crunch. To meet those Summit bonds I think a lot of assets, especially land attractive to development may be sold off. Not sure how that will shake out at the Council level. GSUSA is looking at a huge pension deficit. A 2013 article said it was $300+ million and growing. Despite cookies. I can see both imploding and some sort of shotgun marriage of the two down the road from the shattered rump states of the boys and girls scouting kingdom. Maybe BSA is planning the long game and \figuring by opening up to girls will let them be the dominant partner. However GSUSA is a best selling 'Brand' as well. While 2023 seems like a long way off it really is only 5 years as we are almost at 2018...about the time some of those girls would be getting those Eagles. Shame to shut that down... Conspiracy Mode = *Off*

What was the name of the patrol?

That is one big can kicked down the road...$136 million! I guess Jambo will pay for that...

My boys only just got smart phones and when they were Life Scouts. But yes it could be done....geez our High School has student body elections using the Supervisor of Elections old polling stations. It could be done but it wasn't and never will be, now. Why, who knows? Practicality--there is a good argument for that. Maybe. Cost-surely an issue...National seems to be spendthrifts compared to many local units. And cash flow seems an issue for them. Fear of results? Could be...and THAT would be a good reason to just avoid it. At this point, good or bad, the die has been cast. I do not think any Scout or Scouter opposition uprising is going to change the decision. We will all have to see how many feet walk away and how many walk in.

"Too big to fail". It is now looking like a huge gamble that may not pay off.

Thanks for the report...I would have never found it. Florida seems rather poorly represented. On the other hand when adjusting for Eagle Scouts per population (per Bryan on Scouting) Florida is #47.

Son#2 looked at the info and was not too impressed with one local Venturing unit --they seemed more like an older Venturing patrol scabbed onto a Troop. (Some of the guys I know in OA seem to be in almost 'sham' Venturing units). I like the green uniforms though. He really doesn't want to go the ASM route...he just doesn't think it sounds like fun...and he really served his Troop so I can't blame him. He wants to go the "College Reserve" route and get more active in OA, maybe work Summer Camp, etc. Might want to drop in on the occasional camp out...I hope so the younger guys think he is awesome. I do envy the smoother aged tier program of the UK scouts...seems like you turn 18 in BSA you turn into a red headed step child. IMHO BSA needs to do a much better job explaining Venturing...the information is confusing. Maybe it is just me and it is hard to get my head around the looser concepts and awards after all these years of Cub and Boy Scouting.