TXscouter

Electromechanical designer, using computer aided drafting programs I make drawings and generate 3d models of things to be built. Plastic molded parts, sheet metal parts, die castings, electronic and electrical controls that type of thing. About to enter the unemployment market.

Well a troop in our district celebrated their 90th back in March. They set an historical marker in front of the scout hut. Had boys camping on the scout hut grounds. Boys wore complete older uniforms. Sold food morning noon and night as a fundraiser. Did a Webelos crossover. Had an OA dance tean in the evening. Guest speakers included many many previous Scoutmasters, several that had been members of the troop in the 40's (and later), a state representative and the council exec. They also did a ground breaking for a new scout hut, said they were going to turn the old one into a museum. Can't wait to see what they do for their 100th.

Yep, I can't quote chapter and verse, but in the new Cubleader Handbook it says that Tiger and Wolf age boys can indeed earn the whittling chip card. Now I am not going around spreading the "good news" to the boys, and I'm not going to encourage it should any of our packs den leaders start reading their handbooks, but it is allowed.

I wish I could go back and edit my statement from a couple of days ago, because I can see this in a new light, but not because of what has been said here. If a bully had a boys hat and was making him jump for it to get it back, it would be considered harassment, right? Well making someone do something out of the ordinary whether jumping or singing, its still harassment. You might say, as I did, but the boy can refuse to sing and he will still get his possession back. Well I learned as a kid if you refused to play the bully's game he would normally throw the hat back also. It's just a kinder, gentler bully that makes the boy sing for his possessions. Why do I see this in a whole new light? Well today I noticed where Sheila was posting from and immediately knew what troop it is (I knew about their singing, but not about the "fry like bacon"). This caused an additional realization because as FScouter said "I can see where some kids would fail to claim their lost item." I happened to have found a very nice, brand new, never been sharpened pocket knife a while back where that troop loads and unloads for caming trips, and that knife was identified over the phone by a Patrol Leader of this troop. I was supposed to give the knife to one of the adult troop leaders a while back so it could be given back to the boy, but kept forgetting to pick it up on the way out of the house. I have been told to not worry about being so forgetful, since the boy has not asked for it anyway. Now why do you think a boy wouldn't be asking about this knife every chance he got? Now I have to figure out how to chase down this scout and give him his knife back, and how to approach this matter with the Scoutmaster! Sheila, if you happen to see Daniel, let him know I still have his knife and I won't make him sing.

Another good source for skits (and other resources) is http://www.scoutxing.com/

Although this may not fit the a classical defination of hazing, it could be seen as going against the BSA's defination of "scouting a safe place", since singing or performing an act could lead a boy to feel embarresed or picked on. As long as the boys in the troop will go agead and give back the lost item if there is a refusal to participate in the tradition there is probably no real harm done. I remember several times as a boy having to get up and entertain the troop when I would forget to go back and retrieve something I had laid down. I almost had to sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot a few months ago when my hat was lost at Round Table.

I thought that the exemption in the first paragraph to the council owned camp is you do not have to file a national tour permit when the council owned camp is more than 500 miles away, a local tour permit would do.