The Blancmange

I've used this site before, mostly for re-stocking my first kit with things like Cortaid and antibiotic ointment. Small items like this come originally in first aid kids, but are hard to find separately. I get condiment packets from restaurants. Basementdweller hints that there might be a shady aspect to doing this. I look at it like this - I never walk in a take a big handful; when I am eating there, I take a few packets, no more than you would expect a customer who really likes condiments on their food would otherwise take, and stock up on them over the course of the year. Sometimes you can even find interesting things like sauerkraut. A friend of mine from Ky. has a leather belt sheath for his Tobasco. He hikes with it. There was a guy with one of those at camp last summer. Great conversation starter.

>>>>>>It is called fire hose practice. The Coast Guard hooks up a couple fire hoses to the hydrant and hangs a big round fender from a line. Teams man the hoses from either end of the line and play reverse tug-o-war. It is impossible to stay dry, and it is more fun than any water fight I have ever been in before.

I opened this thread expecting to read another health and safety thread about power tools.

So it only took 2 hours for someone to send us the question.................anyone going to admit it are you just going to post the reply? It was me. I included my name and contact information, and did not ask the question under any pretext. We are planning a pack activity for later this summer and had discussed a wide-area game using squirt guns. It never occurred to me that some might consider that against the rules. I would appreciate an answer. If you don't want that answer known publicly (although I can't understand why), I will respect that. I would apprecitate the same consideration regarding my personal information which you now have.

I'm assuming you're aware that QU has been replaced with Journey to Excellence and are asking about past actions by your district or council. The QU form clearly requires a unit signature: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/513-190_wb.pdf The motivation for a district to submit one on behalf of a unit that did not submit their own is clear - it is a factor in quality district/coucil. So the question is, how do they know whether all the goals were met? They have access to some of the info, like membership and retention, but some of it would only be known by the unit.

Also, if someone can tell me why I can reply but get syntax errors when trying to start a new thread, I would be most appreciative. If you were using the "spin-off a new thread" function, did you select a forum in the "Choose a Forum" drop down box? It does not automatically default to the forum you are in.

Dilbert. ;-)

The archery MB thread brings up an interesting question. In general, what level of proficiency should a scout demonstrate in order to earn a MB? Clearly he shouldn't need to be an Olympic qualifier, nor is merely sitting through a classroom session enough. I don't know enough about archery to know whether these new scores being discussed are too onerous. To me, it seems that the requirements should allow an average scout, who puts forth reasonable effort, to earn the badge in a reasonable amount of time. I don't think either the published requirements or a counselor's discretion should require what I'll call an expert level of proficiency. Swimming comes to mind as a good example to illustrate this. For an inexperienced or non swimmer, the requirements are by no means "easy." In fact many scouts struggle with them. But absent a physical or mental impairment, a scout, who really wants to earn it and who works diligently over the course of a week at camp, maybe with even with some extra instruction, should be able to earn it. Are there any other badges where the actual requirements or interpretations commonly held by counselors that make the badge particularly difficult to earn? I realize that a much more common problem is counselors, particularly at camp, who set the bar to low, but I'm just curious if the opposite is ever true.

My condolences to your family.

Something is missing from this story. Someone does not get arrested for missing a payment on a note.

I lost my dad at 17, and I have worked with a couple of other kids who went through this as teens as well. The best advice has already been given - just be there for him. So many people shy away because they don't know what to do or say. It doesn't have to be anything special, other than him knowing people care and are there.

I was Den leader at a day camp last week and the range safety officers both told me the boys had all gotten the belt loop and pin but I don't have anything "official" like paper work etc. Why does Renax not want to take their word for it? If there are doubts about the veracity of the verbal report, how would memorializing it on a piece of paper change that? It's not an Eagle application, it's a Cub Scout belt loop or pin that doesn't even have any effect on Cub Scout advancement. Two scouters in a responsible position have reported that they were completed; that certainly seems like enough evidence. I think the report of the scout store that requires a certificate from the event is in the minority. Belt loops and pins are not restricted items.

Some good thoughts here already. What do the other committee members do at meetings? Do they sit there like potted plants, or are they frustrated too? Has anyone (SM, COR) sat down with her, outside of a regular meeting, and expressed these concerns? That might work better than what what probably perceived as a threat when everyone was going to come to the committee meeting. What is the COR's role in all of this? Is he/she active and even aware of the potential problems? That would probably be the best next step - a meeting with the COR to explain the situation.

There are several differences. Crown land is not a designated wilderness, so you may encounter motor boats and are not subject to many of the strict wilderness restrictions, like party size. As far as encountering other visitors, I wouldn't let that stop me from going to Quetico. It is not nearly as busy as the BWCA, especially entering from the north. Numbers have also been down since they raised the fees significantly for non-residents a few years ago. That also brings up another consideration - fees are lower for crown land (but I've never gone through NT, so I don't know how they pass along permit fees). Sorry this is kind of rambling, but my personal choice would be to go into the Quetico.

Does the BSA contridict itself elsewhere though? It's odd that so many seem to think work has to be done after a MB counselor is assigned. While we could probably fill a multi-page thread with inconsistencies from other BSA publications, I don't believe this is one of those situations. I haven't seen anything that contradicts this. I think people are just reading in a requirement that isn't there. The most common example that comes to mind is camping nights. As long as the counselor is satisfied that the count is correct and otherwise meet the requirements, it doesn't really matter when they were done. This is why I encourage our scouts to use the camping log in their handbooks. If the rule were otherwise, it would be best for every scout to obtain a camping blue card the day he signs up.

There's also this language in the BSA training: The Scout telephones the merit badge counselor to make an appointment, and together they schedule a date and time for the Scout and his buddy to meet. The counselor suggests that the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet, the Application for Merit Badge, and any work that he has started or accomplished, and that he prepare by reading over the requirements. [emphasis added]. http://scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/TrainingModules/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx

Raining all day. Grass on hill very slippery. So .................................... ^___^ That's pretty close to sledding. I trust everyone wore helmets.

Maybe this will just lead to the conclusion that we have strange kids around here, but my favorite is, at a knot-tying station, "will you show us how to tie a noose?" Umm, No.

Around these parts the blue cards for the listed merit badges are required when youth apply for Eagle rank. Nothing else (council records included) is acceptable. So what happens with a kid who transfers in from a unit / council that does not use blue cards? Is he SOL? At least the adults will feel good about maintaining the integrity of the process. Did anyone ever consider how preposterous it sounds to tell a scout that we believed you engough to give you the merit badge when the advancement report was turned in, but now our own record of that issuance is worthless?

I'm not sure how providing additional anecdoctal examples of units or districts who don't follow the program as designed adds to this discussion.The answer to the original question is quite clear. I might think it's a good idea to let 4th graders who have earned their Webelos badge attend regular summer camp with a troop, but that doesn't mean it should happen.

wanted to have something close to scouting but wanted to avoid any copywrite issues. You don't have a copyright issue. As a BSA chartered unit, you are authorized to use logos, etc for program prurposes. You can download the files from the national website. Where units run into trouble, and what you might be thinking of, is when units use commercial outfits that are not licensed by BSA to produce shirts, hats, etc. with official logos. National gets upset because they are supposed to get a licensing fee from these for-profit businesses for using the logo. That is not implicated if the unit hand makes its own items.

Why are you afraid he might tell you to find the counselor on your own? Has he told you or other scouts to do this in the past? Those who have told you to ask your scoutmaster to assign a counselor are correct. It is the SM's job to assign a counselor from a list maintained by your district. Talk to your SM again and see if maybe there is some misunderstanding between the two of you. If he does insist that you find your own, you should politely refer him to his scoutmaster handbook. I actually just looked through the scout handbook thinking there would be a simple statement explaining the process, but there is not. You could also refer him to this page: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx Good luck.

At what level do you want to volunteer? Unit, district, MB counselor? If you don't know of a unit with which you want to volunteer, I would contact you council service center and see if they can put you in touch with a unit that could use more adult leadership. It would then be up to the unit leadership whether or not they would like you on board. Or contact the councill and sign up to counsel merit badges for which you are qualified. Regardless of the postition you choose, you will need the current youth protection training (which you can do online), as well as the appropriate position-specific training. Welcome back!

Shoes. Leather or canvas, neat and clean. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34283.pdf Interesting. The uniform inspection sheet for Leaders (http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34048.pdf), Cubs (http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34282.pdf), and Webelos (http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34635.pdf) only say "Neat and Clean," while the Boy Scout/Varsity form adds leather or canvas. So much for consistency. So, it's OK to wear hot pink Chuck Taylors (http://www.converse.com/#/products/Shoes/ChuckTaylor/M9006) but nylon trail runners that match the uniform socks perfectly are out?

This is drifting slightly off topic, but I think the "open to observation" language from the G2SS is a red herring in the context of committee meetings. It refers to observation of the scouting "program," and in the context of scouting, "program" refers to activities involving youth. A committee meeting is the antithesis of program. I think it's inappropriate to close a committee meeting to people who have a genuine interest in the troop (parents, ASM's, etc), but for the practical reasons I stated before; not because of any rule or official policy. On a side note, there is a "Private Message" function on this forum that will send a message to another user's email. It' easy to use by clicking the link next to a poster's message.(This message has been edited by the blancmange)