Tampa Turtle

Welcome. As a (former) academic I encourage you to get involved. Not only is it fun bust fascinating for people watching.

Eamonn--first off it is good to see you back! I missed your posts. I do not think you can predict how you will react at any given moment. Isn't that why the train and train military guys and first responders to get a more consistent response? There have been several times when I was in buildings on fire and my cold reptilian brain turned on and I was calm, methodical, and rational. I am ashamed to say another time I saw a minivan get hit and flipped and I felt no need to run over. Other people did and everything turned out OK but I just was not prepared to do so at that moment. In my youth I came across a man who had been stalking the future Mrs Turtle. I broke off a table leg and would have beaten him to death if the police had not showed up. I am a pretty meek and mild guy and was shocked at "my inner cave man". Other times I have said nothing and sometimes I have stood up to an entire group threatening some stranger. I do not know why the switch is on or off. I suspect their have been a few PhD's completed on the subject. Sometimes I say things to another Troop and other times, yeah I don't get involved. I am sure you have been on the receiving end of "helpful" comments about your boys--and happily thanked the person or felt they were being a busy body. We constantly go over this as ASM's. If it is a safety thing we will intervene. If it is a "form thing" --uniforming for example--we might let it slide. I think we keep going over it to get a consistent response and it is human nature to be inconsistent. I think that is why (Sandusky thing again)we have "you must report" laws--because not everyone will report everytime and they need a little push.

I think it depends on the weave. I find the green Thorlo scout socks help a little but the weave is so open that they get through. I use Permethrin on my boots and socks, and 100% DEET on exposed flesh. I also wear lightweight long pants and sleeves on occasion. 100% DEET is scary stuff. Melted my plastic watch band--took an hour to get that thing off. Do not spray near plastic glass lenses either! And DO NOT spray in your open mouth by mistake! But man the Mosquitos hit that stuff and died on contact. Finally I always hike near a tastier scout.

For 2nd grade a topo map is pretty hard to understand. I might show it as an exhibit. I have used park maps (if good), road maps, and transit maps.

Now I feel guilty for trying to get 60 boy start doing "We will Rock You" by pounding on the tables. You got extra points at camp for showing scout spirit for that as well. It was a fun moment; though yeah my silverware and drink was bouncing around. We had a few young boys run up and hug the camp director at announcements. It was silly and delayed things a bit. But hey it's camp not the army.

We have the kids pick a tent-buddy and one of them get a two-man tent. Usually someone has access to one. (We try to discourage the 3-4 man tents--they always seem the ones with chattering boys all night and too heavy). We tell the parents to wait a while the first year because they will typically upgrade the "big 3" (backpack, sleeping bag, tent) What typically happens is by the end of the first year a few hardcore boys will have acquired a one-man backpacking tent, hammock, or bivy. Kinda fun to see the boys check out the variety. The Troop still has a couple tents the boys can borrow--but we have not had a good history. The ASM's often drag a loaner along before we leave. So boys don't do without.

Hi my name is Turtle ("Hi, Turtle!") I too am a re-design-a-holic and admit I need a power bigger than myself to cure me of this addiction. I confess I have 8 Patrol Box designs I have drawn up at home.

Some times it helps to switch jobs. Some ASM's have moved on to Committee positions or once-a-year fund raisers.

I am not so sure about the shipping but trees get shipped to Miami and they really don't cost that much more. I think it depends on your local market. The Troop I know that does it gets people willing to pay a $10-15 premiums on the trees they could get at Home Depot down the road. But they pay $50-80 for getting a tree and helping the scouts. The wreaths go anywhere from $10-15 and, like i said, are made from the bough trimmings. They even sell little sprigs with ribbons as "mistletoe" for $3-5. So they have a range of products that even a cheapo like me would have a hard time turning down. Most of what they have are pre-orders. But then they have been doing it a long time. I think if you were starting up a big issue would be the best time to get the trees.

I was flirting with the idea of throwing my ASM hat in the ring for SM but the words barely got out my mouth when Mrs Turtle got out the bazooka last night. Wasn't pretty.

Do as I say not as I do. (Our Troop did this one year) When determining the Troop Calendar the CC sat the new SM down and the FIRST THING they did was have him schedule the time for his family vacation AND several campouts he was NOT to go on during the year so he could take his wife out. CC went to great lengths to make sure the SM defended those slots.

Are Bears Attracted To ...Cupcake Scouts? Because the other kind smell too bad?

Yes we have had as much problem from the parents on the electronics than the boys. They keep insisting on an 'emergency' cellphone. I am thinking of recycling material from the USDA "Unplug: Discover the Forest" campaign. They have some visuals and material on getting kids away from all "the screens" and out into nature. Maybe run a video for new parents after crossover.

Our neighboring Troop sells Christmas Trees and uses the inevitable extra lost boughs from trimming and makes the wreaths themselves. They made a lot of extra money that way.

Never mind I should have read your post better. We have a lot of folks from PA.

Welcome to a fellow member of the ASM Union: "We who also serve while avoiding being the Scoutmaster". Did you hear we get a 3% Cost of Living Bump next fiscal year? I now the stainless steel Patrol Box is on the internet; you might want to review the Patrol Box threads on this forum using the search on the upper right corner. I am pretty sure anything you do is basically a custom metal shop sort of thing. If you insist there may be better variations on the traditional Patrol Box: http://www.blueskykitchen.com/plans_book.html is a link to some Australian "Drifta" Box knock-off plans. I also the Instructables.com website. They have some fascinating ideas folks have hacked together. I saw one recently for an outdoor grill that was made from a discarded stainless steel double sink and counter. IMHO I love Patrol Boxes but as my scouting years go by I am starting to see the argument that they are charming but cumbersome obstacles to Patrol camping. In any case welcome to the Forum. Where are y'all from?

Congrats. I would say the thing if it was Romney.

I read this one and thought overnight about replying. I think Scouts should not charge for doing flag ceremonies. It is who we are and what we do. Scouts get asked all the time to lead these things or the pledge just because. I think using what is something we do out of respect for our country and communities seems wrong. Even if it isn't IMHO it is tacky and "cheapens the brand". My boys and I were visiting Mount Vernon in our uniforms one time and they got asked to lead the pledge and wreath laying ceremony at Washington's tomb as a result. It was a honor because we wore the uniform--we didn't hand them a bill as a result. Now for putting the flags out as a service. I guess it is OK. Individuals are benefiting--it seems creative--but you better do it right. Still a better way would be to provide it for free or for veterans but you would need some support for that I suppose. My only issue is it LOOKS like you are doing a good turn when you are really providing a paid service. (Maybe I'm prejudiced on that one. I remember where I lived as a kid Scouts put out flags on certain houses (mostly widows and mothers of boys killed in Vietnam) just because.)

On a pack campout I was a Wolf DL and along with a Tiger DL we led a 30 minute nature hike along the edge of the campground. 11 kids. 2 adults. Kept counting 1,2,3,..11. Check. Over and over...how many. 11-great. Started with 11 and ended with 11. Problem was 2 of the 11 were different than we started with! We were the worst Den Leaders ever--we lost kids! Apparently one boy saw his mom coming out of a bathroom and ran over, his buddy went too. A couple other kids saw the nature hike and joined in. Now I know better, but it is easy to screw up.

Agree, as long as you stick to YPT guidelines I think it is great. Should be easier to concentrate on the boys if you do not have to worry about the travails of parenthood. Our old CM did it for 25+ years, her 4 boys were long gone.

ALL OF YOU: Stop complaining and give me some laps!

We usually had a tandem system--A WDL who already had a boy in boy scouts, or was a boy scouts, and intended to be an ASM after the cross-over. The AWDL was often the ongoing den leader, more of a "cubscouter", or in training. I was the AWDL for #1 son and the WDL for #2. We tried to cater to the mix of personalities and differing levels of physical maturity of the boys. Our goals: (1)Bringing in as many Boy Scouts as we could and getting them ready. (2)For those who were not crossing over we wanted them to have a real quality experience. (3) Fun! We placed a lot of emphasis on introductory scout skills--putting up a tent, fire, some knots, flag ceremonies, etc. Not at Boy Scout level but at theirs. And we still did some crafts and stuff because a lot of boys still liked it. Tightened up on uniforming, etc. My wife does Sunday School planning and this transitional age is a tough one--a lot kids drop out of a lot of things because they are (1) getting bored with the little kid stuff and (2) not quite ready for the next step. Takes a lot of care.

At camp I saw a multi-trailer unit with a trailer that turned into a mobile kitchen for their two meals they had to cook on their own. They also had a generator in another going all the time with flood light towers. I heard stereos going all the time. No doubt the leaders were working on piping in AC to all the individual tents. Must have been tough on the poor laddies...away for 6 days and all. Kinda soured me on the trailer thing a bit. Must say they always looked marvelous...Zippy uniforms and all. Maybe there was a laundromat tucked away somewhere.

A very large council.