Tampa Turtle

I'd count as a camping night but not for tent requirements. Still pretty cool.

I saw a clip from 'E" TV with Ann Curry on her Facebook page saying it was true. Hrumph...meddling kids..

We provide the PLC with last years schedule and a future master schedule blank with some stuff filled in--school testing dates, holidays, CO service dates, known major conflicts etc. Also a list of previously boy suggested outings that we never got around to (trips cancelled, etc). Boys then make a draft and work with the SM because it is not so easy. I have seen some SM "great ideas" dropped due to lack of interest. Oh course I have seen low attendance on trips the boys pushed hard on as well. I think once a working draft is made does an adult starting working on checking availability...

Medical information is always a sensitive subject. I understand privacy concerns as well BUT I hate when there is an incident and THEN a boy shares "Sorry I get rage attacks unless I take my medicine and I forgot". This from a boy and parents I have known for years--you'd think I'd get a heads up before spending a week with a lad.

TAHAWK thanks for posting that. Hmmm I guess I can't really make a photocopy either at work since that is really just a scanner connected to the network. So there is only one copy? A lot of times are Troop is having multiple activities--one weekend we had one Eagle Project, One Service Project, a Campout and a contingent at an OA event. Some guys shuttled between things, So we would need multiple notebooks...and what about Canoe trips, AT trips, etc? Do these guys actually camp much?

Having some Boy Scouts in uniform (if possible schedule wise) is good. Also water bottle rockets or stomp rockets, etc. A sample campsite with a tent gets them excited as well. We used to have a dumbed down FAQ for prospective Tiger parents since a lot of them were intimidated with the prospect of camping, lack of skills, perceptions of danger, etc. We also stressed the hands on aspects and that it ws not school--that appealed to certain parents.

Well speaking as an yokel, ;P , (ye-haw) how effective is paper records control for units--how many times has the 'paper notebook' been misplaced or is insecure? I just don't think this rule has been real world tested. Even without the electronic records we have had times when the medical facility requested a fax--how secure is that? BTW we have a pretty organized troop with a 'base' committee medical officer who has to be reachable at all times when there is a Troop away activity. We want a backup upon backup upon backup. Our focus is on getting the scout medical attention as quickly as possible-not on being penalized because the adults taking the boy to the emergency room forgot the 5 pound notebook... Hey look, I'm not sniping just for fun. I think RichardB wants to do the right thing and I am open to some solutions. If part of the reason is a BSA CYA exercise why not just have a disclaimer/release form for parents? Maybe BSA can sell some approved encrypted dongle thingie--they are pushing electronics hard in Boys Life and Scouter--why not find a modern solution than a lawyered up prohibition?? (and as for the GSS placement--that is really a website design issue. I am pretty dumb--I'd just make a permanent link (with latest edition date) more prominent.

Richard, maybe I did not understand something, "• Records are NOT to be digitized, scanned, sent by email, or stored electronically by unit leaders." Well I did a quick scan and I think it is ridiculous that we cannot scan or email medical forms. Parents scan and send them in, we forward to or medical officer, and print off a copy for the Troop notebook and an archival copy. Our medical officer always has a backup copy. Parents usually prefer to keep the original. On trips we bring the notebook as well as a flash drive of the boys going. On more than one occasion a hurt boy was not with the medical form and only the Scoutmaster's thumbdrive was available--in fact at one Hospital we were given kudos for being prepared.

You might want to put a direct link or place it more prominently on that page.

The man also was CONVICTED and it included penetration of one of his scouts FOUR different times starting at when the boy was 12 to 14. So he didn't slap on the but but raped a boy he was Scoutmaster to. He used to babysit and have boys over at his house, His parents considered him a good friend--obviously he was grooming the boy. I hope that is plain enough. Yes there were no danger to boys with lots of parents in the room BUT it took a lot of nerve for him to show face around there.

Well that is just silly and you know it.

Nice way to do it. Happened to our Troop and 15 years later it was re-started so you never know.

I realize over the weekend I got no perspective on this. When I was in 5th grade me and another boy were molested by our PE coach. I never told but the word eventually got out. I think my Dad had a little talk with him and he left the school. A few years later he shows up as my High School Football coach. I can remember thinking "I can't believe this $H&!, guy is still around kids." Of course his Boss our old HS swim coach used to grab girls breasts and groins in class (a lot) for life saving demonstrations. So predators like to be where the kids are. I found out as my mother was dying that my Dad was raped by a priest when he was an alter boy. He was always very bitter and cynical about religion and it really messed him up. These guys leave wreckage behind. I know this is a sensitive subject with Scouters because of some bad actors in our history and many parents hold us a little suspect. Maybe we may veer too far in the area of protectiveness (I for one hesitate before hugging a youth for example) and probably a few adults have been falsely accused and even kicked out but given the gravity of our charge to protect our youth I'd rather lean toward protectiveness than to being totally fair with a known, convicted molester. If his actions caused him to lose all associations with Scouting than so sad for him; what happened to the boys he messed with? Are they not living with the consequences as well. If he wanted to contribute he could have done so anonymously... I too agreed with Merlyn and thought it was the 7th Seal tooLOL. The 1st was the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl.

Why designate him a sexual predator if that designation had no consequences on potential victims? You can forgive but does that mean you give him a free pass around children? I'd keep an eagle eye on him and probably ask him to leave. If he was a former SM he knows exactly what his being there means. I'm sorry but there is still consequences to your actions even after you have done your time. Molesting a youth ain't stealing bread from the convenience store because you were starving.

My Pack experience as well was that most folks only did one or two campouts, We used to offer three and cut down to two, And yes since it is family camping you run into issues. Throw in one or two extra Webelos campout. Our Boy Scout Troop experience is similar,

I did mine over 4 hours a day over a week at Summer Camp. Left time to practice knots before properly learning how to raise a dining fly; plenty of time to master food prep and cooking, etc. I think I would not combine.

Good for them!

I wish there was an easier way to find groups when travelling... I love to hear the boys smack talk on Skype: "You mean she (usually a model, pop singer, etc) is British? But she's HOT!". LOL

I notice with the OA stuff the boy leaders pick the music so it is at least (current) top 40. I used to listen to Punk, I started to introduce some of it to my sons before realizing how filthy it was LOL! Besides they hate what they cal "guitar music".

I agree with the co-DL concept.I stumbled upon a good situation on my 2nd try with Webelos. We had 2 co-leaders, a mom and a dad. I did the outdoorsy stuff, gear, and Boy Scout stuff. She did the crafty, lecture stuff. Both approaches seemed to appeal to the boys. It helped me in that she was better organized as well.

We attempted this with (some) success. Skype is a great tool and as a parent I can hear what the boys are discussing in case I have concerns--kinda keeps stuff out in the open. Also shared games like Minecraft seem popular but it helps to have a secure server/access set up to keep weirdos from logging on. That said I have seen my younger son strike up some relationship with some foreign scouts online. They mostly talk trash about the others sports and pop stars and brag about how life is better on their side of the pond. Funny my son had seen more of London than one of the London scouts. Skype is pretty cool. My son plays with a kid from Brazil all the time.

I can see this if one's tent had a catastrophic failure or to avoid hypothermia BUT I have seen this also, especially in Cub Scouts. You need to share the same deprivations and conditions as the Boys. If you don't how can you look 'em in the eye and give them the "come on I am a crippled old man I was out there too!". Seriously a recent memory was a total tarp failure during a storm on backpacking trip and sheltering under a dining fly with one of my scouts. We were holding on for dear life, completely soaked, and the gale went on for a very long 30 minutes. The scout is a real nice guy I helped get him trained up as a newbie 4 years ago. At the height of the 35mph wind he turns to me "So Mr Turtle, how are things going with you lately". We ended up talking about school, cars, etc in a slightly absurd situation. Priceless.

I liked the last field book OK. Especially since I got it for $4 marked down. A Scout is Thrifty.

This is a good discussion. I agree that BSA policy is far from clear. I am coming around to the realization that the SPL in a strong PL culture troop is not much needed. Adults are the biggest obstacle to the Patrol method. Some Patrols will be terribly led and organized and the advancement of boys will suffer and folks quit and leave. I am very much in favor of 'boy led' but it is not a suicide pact--boys and adults value different things.