Tampa Turtle

As for the responsibility we warn them that if they are lost or damaged for any reason it is at their own risk. That includes the car rides up and back. If the purpose is for communication for pickup at the end of the trip they can use an adult leaders phone. And we have had boys lose $300+ phones (and the occasional Scoutmasters' phones in the river).

We are a Troop that collects and stores during outings. We have had boys lose, destroy, 'borrow' phones on campouts, text girl friends all weekend, and just play all day on them until the batteries die. While I think I think we may be on the losing side of the war I will keep fighting those battles. I look a little askance at a Scouter in a suit recommendations.

Packs are not Troops but I would stick to Boy Scouts. Kosher thing is an interesting problem...I have found bowls work as well as mess kits.Just get boys to buy (or scavenge from home) a couple bowls and get a couple sporks. Maybe color coded. May need to make sure they have their own stuff sacks to not cross contaminate. I strongly discourage folks from getting mess kits unless they really want one. I have used the Glad disposable containers to good affect. One son uses plastic food containers that would have gone to recycling and just tosses at the end of the trip.

BUT BUT BUT,,,I thought the idea to get the Eagle was for college application enhancement!

I agree. We had issues with a (kinda lazy) scout who still wanted to make Eagle like his Eagle Dad, Boy would skirt requirements, game, not engage in patrol/troop activities, etc. Eventually we help up his POR credit and while the Dad got angry (literally stalking the hall way during BOR's) eventually a face to face discussion yielded his response "OH you are one of those Troops where they REALLY have to do those things. I don't know". Once the expectations were known he supported us though the boy dropped out anyway.

Find an real CO and punch the eject button. You cannot fix this. Furthermore if they are doing things wrong you may be jeopardizing some of your liability shield as SM. Mostly though leaving will allow you to restart with the proper focus on the boys.

It is a MBC call but I think it is legit for a SM to ask a MBC on how he teaches a class. I do have to constantly tell the boys "The worksheet is NOT the merit badge" I am thinking of getting the forehead tattoo. But some boys know the material forward and backwards and will not bother with the worksheet--a thoroughly boring and unimaginative form of teaching that has taken over many schools and seminars.

The Science, Natural History, and V&A are all right next to each other in case one is too crowded/not interesting. Greenwich is pretty cool. When I was in Scotland in July I experienced cold damp foggy morning, a mid-day monsoon, a pleasant sunny afternoon, and a hot evening all in one day. Layers! Many places do not have AC. A temperature swing of 30 degrees is not unusual. I found the TV weather there not particularly helpful. We lived off the 'Meal Deals' at the shops. Also younger son sampled 20+ UK candy bars of which 90% were better than any here in US. And the Crisp (Potato Chip) flavors were fun to try--Pickle and Prawn anyone?

We did just that last summer. London is crawling with scouts from europe over the summer--that was fun. Met some Girl Guides on an outing as well. Stirling near Edinburgh has a super cool old Scout Hut/Boys Brigade building--I'd try to meet up with some. Bring extra council patches/neckers for trade. I was not that impressed by BP house. BTW visit the London Museum of Science south of Hyde Park my boys thought it was awesome (and they have been to a LOT of that sort of thing). We wore our Troop shirts a lot and got stopped once in a while. Maybe you can connect up with a local leader there and do a presentation at a meeting--the kids can Skype first and then meet up. Some of the guys in our Troop play games with Brit scouts over the internet now. As for awards--I don't know. I think you can help THEIR scouts get one. I think it is a requirement for the Queen's Badge (like the Eagle). Highly recommend the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London in the evening. Google it. Need to request for tickets way ahead of time but it was really cool to be in a small crowd at night with a 600 year old ceremony. Email me if you need more help.

As time goes on and I see more scouts with issues my takeaway is that (1) You are doing an enormous service to scouts with borderline and moderate issues as the scout program gives them more option than schools today--many of them progress dramatically (2) those with more serious issues benefit by being in a different environment and getting some life skills and teach the rest about being around someone who is different. I have had a few scouts who had more severe autism and realize 'they are the way they are' and that can be tough for all concerned.

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/04/01/vr-scouting/ They got me good! I was outraged...

We use Google Groups, one for Troop, one for Committee, one for Scouters, and one for each Patrol. Some Patrol Leaders use it. Pain to set up but works well once it gets going. Seems like Google buries it though.

Jblake is right. My older son also has Tourette Syndrome. Every once in a while we get a teacher that has had a touretter before. We have to remind them "If you have had a child with Tourette's...you have had a child with Tourette's." Everyone is different.

Sounds like a good program. Did the boys have a hand in planning it? Even so in our Troop we had a lot of complaints when the boys planned a canoe trip and then that was what was carried out. We got a couple boys who are really into 'Glamping' then camping. But for some boys a camping trip just seems like more work than fun. Takes a LOONG while to change the culture and there is a lot of backsliding along the way. But all it takes is a cadre of 'real' scouts who like that stuff to start turning things around. I agree with Qwazse (again!!) that some easy activities might be the way to go to let the boys get to bond and hang out. We did a movie night and sleep over at our church (though the boys opted for board games and poker) and the PLC leadership campout was mostly a paddle out to an island, sun, sleep and eat event. I think some boys are pretty over-booked these days and want a break. So there is hope. But some whining non-camper talk can be a downer--I think some of our worst campers are only staying in to get their 'Eagle College Application Credential'.

Our Troop just doesn't do it. We might just sit around a campfire and chat. We had a couple of cross-over Dad's with guitars try to strat stuff up but the boys just thought it interfered with the conversation. But then 1/2 mile a way is another Troop and they so sing along, contests, shows the whole deal. I thing it really varies by Troop...

I used to bring my wife's hot pink chair and a lot of boys would not be caught dead in it (during the day at least)

Sometimes we have had a silent night hike to clam the boys down and a bunch of games to wear them out.

We strongly discourage 3+ in a tent. Everytime we relent it seems we regret it. 1-2 to a tent. And we make the tents spread out--no tent ghettos. All it takes one chatty guy.

Friday night is always worse than Saturday especially for the newbies. We use 10pm for the younger guys and 11pm for the older ones. That way the older guys pressure the younger guys to get in the tents and pipe down. Cracker Barrel Friday night seems to help. Actually a lot of the High Schoolers seem so burn't out from school they want to use the campouts to catch up on sleep.

I confess I deliberately left my empty chair out as a lure just to get the requirement done...

I like the Scoutmaster MB at Woodruff. You get points for taking a nap or kicking a boy out of your chair. I told my sons that camp is for those things that are hard to do at home; outdoor adventure, aquatics, etc. We have had some scouts whose parents made them take 5 MB's on the rush to Eagle...can't say they had fun. Boys today are so overscheduled it is important that they have some 'off' time each day--but it depends on the age of the scout. We let the older (and mature) boys a bit more freedom and the younger guys get more structured activities (group climbs, swim time, etc).

I have had the best luck with Home Depot pullys and paracord/rope. I'd say test, test, test to avoid disspointment.

NASA has a help the educator program. I agree with quazse--make it fun. Also look at MAKE magazine and the Instructables website for inspiration. Boys LOVE catapults! Especially those that heave water baloons at staff! Levers with concrete blocks make the demonstration hit home. Scouts is all about hands on not ho hum. Ask around there a lot of real passionate engineers out there... Our Troop is going to a new Summer Camp that is stressing STEM Merit Badges but it turned a number of boys off. It is all in the presentation.

NASA has a help the educator program. I agree with quazse--make it fun. Also look at MAKE magazine and the Instructables website for inspiration. Boys LOVE catapults! Especially those that heave water baloons at staff! Levers with concrete blocks make the demonstration hit home. Scouts is all about hands on not ho hum. Ask around there a lot of real passionate engineers out there... Our Troop is going to a new Summer Camp that is stressing STEM Merit Badges but it turned a number of boys off. It is all in the presentation.

I am also a bit surprised but imagine how unfair it might seem to be to a private vendor to be undercut--that might be the issue.