OldGreyEagle

I had been with the Troop I served for about 15 years, we went from 30 scouts to 90 scouts back to about 30 scouts all without a trailer. It may be nice to have but its not a necessity, unless your idea of getting away from it all includes bringing most of it with you

Worf? Worf? Worf was Star Trek . . .

In moving to more "backpack style" cooking, would there be any benefit to linking it with Leave No Trace? Dining Flys, Patrol Boxes, Chairs, Tables, all have to leave more of a trace than Buddy Cooking

May the Fourth Be With You All!

I think its easier to start backpacking with a group pf uyounger scouts that older one. The younger ones who have not experience "car camping at its finest" do not know you need the kitchen sink and accompanying accoutrements to really get away from it all will learn how to open and light a sterno can and use a sterno stove. They can graduate to more sophisticated stoves later. They don't have to carry their equipment far at first, have them walk in a few miles, set up camp and then spend the day hiking a loop back to camp. If they cook and sleep in buddies you lose a lot of trouble with who is cooking, who is cleaning, they know as buddies they cook and clean up and then move on. Start the expectation every trip is backpacking style even if it isnt and where are you located? I need a unit to join

isnt all this, registration, proof of insurance etc. asked for on the Tour permit? http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-014_fillable.pdf Units I have been associated with updated their Drivers list once a year to get corrent copies and validate insurance. The Tranpsortation Chair of the Committee did this

I think BadenP is correct, as we trend to larger and larger councils, then the District becomes more important, not less. That is not to say all Districts, or District Execs are created equal, they certainly are not

I am a past recipient of the DAM and Silver Beaver, and I also have a current "streak" if you could call it that of nominating 4 individuals for the Silver Beaver. In the Council I serve nominations for the Silver Beaver close on Sept 1 for the Council Dinner in January. Anyone can nominate Scouters and I have successfully nominated 4 people in a row. (one for the past 4 years) I usually make a minimal donation After I received the Silver Beaver I was looking across the room and saw some people who had not been so recognized and I felt cheap, knew I had to get them one before I could wear mine. So, I got started. The forms are available from the COuncil WEbsite and FOS is not mentioned. But other places could be different, we have all seen that In the District I serve I have been on the DAM selection committee for about 6 years now, never has FOS ever been brought up and I am not sure we could get our hands on it if we wanted. As far as I know, no professional has ever told us we had to give a DAM to someone, for any reason. But, all scouting is local and just because we experience something does not mean all of scouting is done that way

FOS is mandatory? Do you mean the presentation or the giving to? BD, you do live in a different scouting world than that I do All I can say is its not like that everywhere, leastwise not where I live

This will all be assumptions, but them, what else isn't? The Cost of an UNit in a District? Well, there is the Cost of the DE, and that includes the Direct Cost of the Salary and then the indrect costs of Benefits and Travel expenses for Training. Then there is the Indirect cost of whatever the Council appplies to overhead such as Secretarial support and Office Space for the DE. Then there is the overall Cost of the Council as has been pointed out, a Distrct rarely has a budget all its own. There is the cost apportionment of the Council Exec, Assistant, HQ Executive Secretary and various Field Directors all who are supposed to support the DE and the Cadre of VOlunteers in the District. There is also the COuncil Properties and Ranger costs, both Disrect and Indirest and cost of upkeep on the Camp(s) and Scout HQ building. Add in Computer replacement/respair programs and all the other costs of running an office and it can tend to get pricey. KInda see why there was a resistance to Pro fessional Scouters in the first place Payment for either the lease on the Scout Office or mortgage for the property unless the Council actually own the property and I am sure many other things. I can see that a COuncil would break it down to the cost per scout registered member then per unit as units can vary so wildy in number, per person is probably a better gauge. And I mean both youth and adults as well

I always thought the Eagle Scout badge was a distinctly American thing, B-P had requirements for Eagle? I thought his program ended at First Class I love the stuff the you learn on here

One of the reasons we got the new rules for Eagle projrcts was because of all the stupid, brain crushing add on ignorant baggage that Councils, Districts and Units piled on. Perhaps if "rules" were followed we wouldnt have the system we have now. There is nothing in BSA policy that says that the parents cannot fund an Eagle Project. The original poster asked a question and deserves a straight answer. No, the unit cannot change the rules. How active you want to be in fighting the ignorance of a unit is up to the individuals. They are much better equipoed to decide to go along to get along than we

This wouldnt be an LDS Troop is it? LDS does not allow women as leaders and that works for them as they are the CO.

I don't know as its people getting lazy as much as its a lawyers need to make a buck. We know that if you see a warning label on something, like a ladder, its most likely because somebody did something and got hurt and sued the ladder maker because it lacked a proper warning. So, now we have ladders with the paint holder shelf emblazoned with a sticker that says "Not a Step" or some such thing. Lawyers runb ads trolling for customers, not liking your life? I can help you figuer out who is to blame and we will sue them blind, just let me try for you no fee unless I collect, I mean we collect Society went down the tube, lawyers just greased it

A favorite quote of mine Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers. Who said this again?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

And you want the DE's to do the testing? I like the concept BD, but I am not sure having the DE's do the testing would be salient Maybe the Scoutcraft Director of the Councils SUmmercamp (If they are any good) but not a DE

So, can a swimming merit badge be earned in a day? Is that the real point? How many times does a scout earn the swimming merit badge in a day? Namu, is that the real point?

Whilw it would be great if only males were leaders in the BSA, it would also be great if every backpack expedition was lead by a pair of Board Ceritified Trauma Surgeons but at times there is this thing, its called reality and as hard as it is to understand what we would like doenst always occur. I beleive in the scouting program and for the most part, with rare exception, the people who say they are determined to the deliver the program to the best of their ability and I just don't pay that much attention if they are male or female. I have seen plenty of poor leaders who were men and women. What was the point again? I forgot(This message has been edited by oldgreyeagle)

"At least we don't have to endure the birth certificate thing again" Don't be so sure about that, I have it on good authority from my Brother-in-law who got it from an on-line first shooter game buddy that his sister said that her cousin in DC says that all it takes is the high sign from Newt and a thousand black helicopters will start to blanket the US with documentation that the president was born in Kenya... Why else would Newt still be in the Campaign?

If they are falling apart, and I have no reason to doubt that they are, then take them back to the store. Perhaps if enough books come back, the quality will improve, stranger things have happened

OK, this may seem cruel and unscoutlike, but WOnder if he could not make the weight limit for the Jamboree and this is his way out? The issue of Scouting where they had the push for getting leaders in shape with the picture of him and the other two fatties will resonate with me for a very long time. Now Tico Perez has done quite a job in losing his poundage, Big Bob? Not so much

So, now is the time to push Kudu

Pack So, do you need to be a New World Monkey to be a member of the New World Order or could an Old World Monkey fit in as well? Inquiring minds want to know...

... and Welcome Once Again to the continuing saga of Scouter Forum's series loosely known as "Knot Fun"...

Pack Pack Pack, I hate to argue semantics with you as I would not want to be termed anti-semantical, but We are primates I agree, but we are not monkeys, momkeys are primates as are Lemurs and Gibbons Now, get it right, you big ape!