wadahoot

Mr. Phelps, Thank you for bring to my attention the fact that the link I posted is NOT the one I thought it was. I was told (back in 2003 when my son went to White Stag) that the link was for the National program, upon which Crossroads of America Council based their program. Apparently, this isn't accurate! I tried to edit my post to show the correct link, however, we can only edit within 1 hour of posting, and 2005 has been a bit longer than an hour ago! LOL! I wish my kiddo had been able to attend one of your White Stag programs ... it sounds a LOT better than the bore-fest he attended!

Thanks for the public and private replies I've received! I didn't make it clear that he's going with a Council Contingent, and the Crew of which he is a part is made up exclusivly of Scouts/Scouters from our Troop. So, I'm expecting there is some set schedule already prepared, although I don't see any details on the original flier and/or sign-up sheet. Any other takers out there to tell me the bad and the ugly - or point me toward tales of terror?! Thanks!

Hello! I've been involved in Scouting for 13 years as a Cub Leader and on to become an Eagle Mom. My son has always heard that Philmont is the trip-of-all-trips, the Experience That Will Change Your Life, etc. We NEVER hear negatives about Philmont. My son is now 19, finishing his Freshman year in college and has a chance to finally go to Philmont. I'm not trying to be a worried Mom (that's long past!), but to be sure he has reasonable expectations of the trip. He's not inexperienced ... he's camped a lot with BSA, went to Jambo 2001, was the SPL for Jambo 2005, been to Sea Base - however, he's never backpacked! I'm just not sure he truly knows what he's in for at Philmont. Can anyone point me in a direction to read JUST how hard it will be, even if they have to be negative reviews of Philmont? He needs to decide SOON, so anything you can steer me toward would be most welcome!

My son, who is 18 and just became and Eagle Scout (hurrah! hurray!) started dying his hair in 7th grade and wanted to get his ear pierced. I was OK with the hair, and told him if he still wanted to have it pierced, he could when he turned 16. He did ... if he still wanted it years later, go for it! I pick my battles ... hair grows out, or can be shaved off. Ear piercings can grow closed. I figure that, if my son thinks that dying his hair and getting an ear pierced is living on the edge ... then go for it! The 'edge' could look a LOT worse from up here! p.s. He wears a very small hoop most of the time, and when he needs to dress up, either in or out of Scouts, he wears a small, neat stud. Anita

My son went to White Stag leadership training http://www.whitestag.org/ for a week the summer he was 14, and was ready to go home the 2nd day. It was boring - lots of classroom work and stuff they have gone over and over at school and in Scouts. It's 2 years later, and he still considers it a huge waste of time. He seriously considered volunteering to be on staff to try and liven up the program and make it meaningful, but decided he didn't want to devote another 2 weeks of staff training and then volunteer 4 weeks for a program he really didn't believe in! The really sad thing is that he's the only Scout in his 50+ Scout Troop. The adults go on and on, that he should be able to preform virtual miracles because he completed White Stag training! They expect so much from him, when he received so little. Too bad the program stinks (at least in our area).

Glad to see you had luck selling them! The blanket is really neat - wish I'd seen this a while back ::: grumble grumble ::: =) Anita Indianapolis

double post, sorry(This message has been edited by wadahoot)

Pack391, you might try also posting here in Patch Trading Central http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewForum.asp?forumID=31 Good luck! Anita Indianapolis

One of our Scoutmasters called home tonight and told his wife that one of the men injured in the electrocution died Thursday, and that a Scout with an undiagnosed heart problem died. Anyone hear anything about this stories? I've looked through the local Virginia papers and don't see a thing, so I'm hoping desperately they are just rumors!

My son got (via trading) a patch honoring Mr. Rogers! LOL!! and he got a patch commemorating the film "It's a Wonderful Life" ... I can't even imagine ... I think I'll need to see them to believe them! Our Council's patches all have Garfield on them, and are going like hotcakes!

nldscout - I don't know if they are wild rumors or not - the comments I quoted were directly from 2 on-location Scoutmasters yesterday. I would like to believe they are wrong!

>>"Why does the Army provide personnel from many military units for the National Jamboree? Why send engineers, telephone specialists, automotive mechanics, physicians and nurses, helicopter pilots and even air traffic controllers for a Boy Scouts of America event? The answer is training.

The above link doesn't work, because of the one little period at the end of the sentence! It apparently also attached to the URL, so just take off the dot and you're good to go! The joys of technology!

I was surprised by the lack of info on the Council webpage! http://www.sfcbsa.org/Camps/LoneOak.html All it says is "Camp Lone Oak has been sold. Please visit one of our other Council Camps" Here's an article: http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=4&q=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/23/Citrus/Old_Scouts_site_seeks.shtml&e=10401 There's an archeological site on the property! http://fn1.tfn.net/~cdk901/Counties/c5citr.htm Here's the auction: http://www.maxanet.com/cgi-bin/mnarcview.cgi?atkinson/20040514 http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/news/2004/082404.html That's all I can find - hope someone answers you with the 'inside' story!

In brief, CNN says: The next gathering is set for 2010, to coincide with the group's 100th anniversary, but it might not be held at Fort A.P. Hill, which has hosted the Jamboree since 1981. A federal judge recently ruled that the Pentagon can no longer financially support the event. If the ruling stands, the Boy Scouts would have to find another location for their next gathering. A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois contends that the Defense Department's sponsorship violates the First Amendment because the Scouts require members to swear an oath of duty to God. On Tuesday, the Senate took a step toward allowing U.S. military bases to continue to host Boy Scouts events. By 98-0, the Senate approved the measure in a provision that's part of a bill setting Defense Department policy for next year. (Full story) In exchange for getting use of the Army training base, the Scouts have spent about $20 million on base improvements that include road paving and plumbing upgrades. The Army says it uses the Jamboree as an opportunity to train personnel in crowd control, communications and other logistical skills. Here is a much longer article: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/26/congress.boyscouts.ap/index.html