The Blancmange

To begin with, I don't have a problem, as a general rule, with parents counseling MB's in which they have knowledge, but the system has clearly been abused in your case. How does he get blue cards? When the SM issues a blue card to him, he should assign a different counselor. If he is turning in completed blue cards without the SM's intitial approval, the SM needs to have a discussion that this is not appropriate and will no longer be tolerated. You don't mention whether he is registered in any troop leadership position. I realize that this suggestion may run counter to many troop's problems of generally not having enough parent participation, but simply tell him that there are enough leaders on a particular trip and it will not be necessary for him to attend. If he is a leader, is he trained? If he is trained and persists in this, the SM or CC need to speak to him and explain that he is undermining the program, and must stop. My guess is the problem reached this level because while many realized it was wrong, none of the leaders have put their foot down.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I am mistaken, but my understanding is that the role of the district finance committee is not to micromanage individual unit finances, but rather to manage the district's finances.

PS. Madame Marie Curie nee Sklodowska was Polish, she was kinda smart And let's not forget Casimir Pulaski: Revolutionary War hero, honorary U.S. Citizen, and hero to countless Illinois schoolchildren who get a day off school each year in his honor. Or Nicolaus Copernicus, father of modern astronomy and one of the first to publically advocate the theory that the earth was not the center of the universe.

Hello & welcome to the forum. You actually don't have to do any electives for rank advancement in the Cub program; hence the name elective. For the Tiger program, he has to complete all of the "Acheivements" in order to receive his Tiger badge. Once he has completed those, he can receive elective beads for the electives he has done (he can do the electives before completing the acheivements, but can't actually be awarded the beads yet. It is similar for the Wolf and Bear years, but he receives arrow patches instead of beads for the electives.

Meanwhile the former SM comes up to the Parent/Adult accompanying the election team, and goes on and on about if he was the current SM he wouldn't even allow the boys in. OK, fine. OA team turns around and goes home. Problem solved. Membership in uniform police extended for another term.

I said, "You know, I bet I could submit a tour permit listing our destination as Hell and you'd approve it." Just for fun, submit one for a proposed skydiving, base-jumping, or tornado-chasing trip, with 16 year old drivers carrying everyone in the back of an uninsured pickup truck, and see what happens Oh, and have it be a patrol activity.

Anyone have a smartphone? Record the conversation at a meeting - just set your phone on 'record' before you walk in and leave it that way for the whole meeting. Check your state's wiretapping laws before following advice like this. Some states prohibit such recordings unless all parties to the conversation are informed. Other states only require the consent of one participant.

>>>>>> It needs to be on the Council approved list... they don't have time to approve new places just because that's where you want to go. If I received a response like this to a request to approve a site, or had a tour plan denied for a place that otherwise meets the requirements (especially if my Council did not already have a current list with a reasonable number of choices), my reply would be that our unit doesn't have time to accomodate a FOS presentation, and I don't have time to find my checkbook either. This is a service that your council should provide, and if they are going to go around denying reasonable tour plans at the same time, then units have a right to question why they are providing support to the council.

Darn, I was hoping that the scouts had a clear policy on this so I could just follow the rules and be done with it. It doesn't have to be a National policy. Chartering organizations can set their own membership standards. Just have a meeting with your Chartered Organization Representative or Institutional Head and explain to them how this has become a problem. Convince them that they should adopt a policy prohibiting the speaking of foreign languages at pack or den activities. If they refuse to comply, they could just be expelled from the pack. Problem solved.

Can I go to the Polish Blue & Gold? Or am I stuck going to the non-Polish one? Only if you bring the golumpki!

Sounds like the problem is the mothers are having conversations, not that they are speaking in foreign languages. If that is the case, then why mention the specific ethnicity and/or language eight times in the original post? It just isn't relevant. It's also not consistent with the first line of the original post, "Does anyone know if the Scouts have any guidance on whether or not adult partners of Tiger Cubs should be allowed or discouraged from speaking foreign languages with each other at den meetings?" If the problem is that the OP has problems with people who are speaking to one another when it is more appropriate to pay attention to whatever the den activity of the moment is, then he/she would have just said that. IMO, Calico Penn's assessment is spot on. Perhaps the complaining parents are troubled most by the fact that they cannot listen in on these other folks' conversations. I think the most likely explananation is that English is their second language, and they simply feel most comfortable speaking to one another in their native language. (This message has been edited by The blancmange)

The person who told you this is clueless. There is no online mechanism for an individual scouter to record training that was not taken online through myscouting. Ask the person who told you to demonstrate it.

They have already started and if it doesn't get completed soon he will have to miss this batch of eagle scouts and join the next one. This statement along with the fact that the scoutmaster is even involved in the project speaks volumes. Your primary contact should be with the prospective Eagle. You're dealing with a unit that places an undue emphasis on its scouts making Eagle at any cost, and you are witnessing the degredation of the process as a result.

Cabela's tents are amazing... but only if you have the $500+ to pay for it! I paid about $350 for mine on sale (with the fiberglass poles, but these are significantly better than the Coleman-type poles. Aluminum is more). I went through 3 Coleman tents in about 6 years, at about $100 a pop. I have no doubt that this Cabela's tent will last 10+ years. I hate to sound like I am bashing Coleman. The make a lot of quality products at a decent price, especially the Exponent line. But, IMO, their family tents sold in the big box stores are just not a good buy for a family or organization who is going to use them more than a handful of times a year, and only in the best weather.

Scout Stave (especially one made by his Cubs) That's a great idea! In case you're not familiar with those: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/b-p/staff.htm (with thanks to Kudu)(This message has been edited by The blancmange)

I would never even think of asking families for a donation of that scale. As a leader, I wouldn't want something like that. What do you do if someone can't come up with that kind of money? Not put their name on the card? I think a gift card for dinner would be about the limit if you really wanted to do something of monetary value. Have them make a book of memories with pictures, patches, or other mementos from all the Cub years, and messages from the boys. It's something they could hang onto forever and remind them long afterward.

The Coleman family tents, in my opinion, are OK in decent weather, but the biggest drawback is the fly, which typically only covers the vent areas. That means, on many areas of the side, the nylon wall is directly exposed to rain. Anything inside the tent touching the side causes water to wick through. Also, the sides present too high a profile to the wind and cannot effectively be staked against a very strong wind. If you buy them through the Scout Direct discount program, Alps Mountaineering's Merramac 6, Merramac 2-room, or Merramac 3-room designs would be much better choices. I know you asked for inexpensive, but in my opinion, Cabela's Alaskan guide 6 is about the best tent you can get, short of specialized mountaineering gear. They market it as a 3 season tent, but it can take several inches of snow and 30+ mph winds without a problem. Not for traveling light, though, at about 30 pounds.

I don't quite understand the question. Are you saying the COR and CC are not on the same page and the COR wants to reject someone that the IH wants, or just that the IH wants the COR to do the leg work. If I recall correctly, the troop committee training suggests that the unit committee, or a leader selection sub-committee be involved in interviewing and recommending candidates to the IH, who has the ultimate authority. If the IH has delegated this to the COR, then he/she would make that call. There is a brochure entitled "choosing unit leaders" or something like that which has some guidance as well. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I just recall seeing this with the other literature available at our service center. Sorry if this doesn't exactly answer your question.

Do you have a troop with whom your pack is affiliated? Ask some of their leaders, or other scouters you know, to borrow a proper pack and tent. If you do borrow a tent, be sure you know how to put it up before you are in the field. I would absolutely not bring the big cabin tent. I'm not sure what part of the midwest you are in, but if this is next month, you may well need the heavy sleeping bag. If you decide you may want to try backpacking in the future and want to buy some equipment, here are some sources with reasonable prices: www.scoutdirect.com www.campmor.com If you really want to look like you know what you are doing, get one of these: www.hennesseyhammock.com

When I was younger and went to ball games at old Comiskey Park with my dad, people were always offering to watch our car during the game for $5. Maybe you could try that. ;-)

>>>>> The boys completed their Tiger Cub badge requirements, and I was planning to finish out the year by doing Electives and working on Belt Loops and Pins. However, a parent in my Den told me that I should now start working on the Wolf badge requirements. Is this correct? Welcome to the Forums! You are correct. They do not become Wolves until June 1 and should not be working on the requirements until then.

I agree with those who say the vest is an official uniform piece and can be worn while in uniform. I couldn't find anything conclusive in the IG, but the "Cub Scout Leader Book" No. 33221, has this paragraph under the heading, "How to Wear the Uniform" Patch vest. A red vest is available to display temporary insignia and previously earned badges and insignia.[/i} The other paragraphs under the same heading are "Caps," "Neckerchiefs," "Temporary Insignia," and "Jackets," all of which are clearly uniform items. I also question the motivations of someone who wants to tell the boys they cant wear their vests.

Beavah wrote: The SE is hired by and works for the council executive board, not the BSA. I've never really understood the dynamics of this relationship. I get it that the council is a separate entity that does its own hiring, etc. But National controls and maintains the pool of candidates from whom pros can be selected. To that extent, they maintain a great deal of control over who gets placed in what position. With that tight of relationship, one would think there would be a risk of this coming back to bite National, if for example, they keep moving around someone with a history of complaints.

I think it may be semantics that we are disagreeing about. A 15 year kid old can take a 30 hour ARC lifeguard class and get a job at the municipal pool. That does not make him/her a professional. I have no idea if what the DE said is accurate, but if it is, I disagree with the policy under most circumstances. A professional police officer or firefighter might be obligated to respond to an emergency while off duty (at least while in his/her jurisdiction). But the same cannot be said of the other types of "certifications" discussed, in particular the Scout in the original story or my hypothetical lifeguard. The scout in the story was under no obligation to attempt a dangerous rescue. No one would have faulted him if he called for help and waited for the "professionals." But he did, and that is what the award recognizes. Edit: I, too, don't understand why the second scout in the canoe wasn't recognized, as he was equally at risk.(This message has been edited by the blancmange)

E92, I certainly would not classify someone who has passed BSA or ARC lifeguard as a professional. Not that they haven't learned certain skills, but that term implies a higher level of expertise. Along the same lines, anyone who is certified in CPR/AED would be disqualified, or WFA. That just doesn't seem to make sense that if a person takes a risk outside the scope of their job would not be eligible. Why should having beneficial training be disqualifying?