OldGreyEagle

Well, I guess I should have known that anyone with a name like Anarchist would be against having more rules, and I understand your point. I am just so fed up with the posts I see here and elsewhere, my council wont let me work on merit badges until I am first class, I have to wait 3 months between ranks, the scoutmaster decides at what age merit badges can be taken, Boards of review take hours as knots and stoves are bing tied and lit, it just gets overwelming the amount of stuff that goes on in the name of, but isnt really the program. BTW, I had a friend who joined the Anarchy movement but he got thrown out, seems he wouldn't follow the rules...

fighter pilots often have symbols along the cockpit window demonstrating a symbol for each victory, maybe a decal of the Eagle badge and a date under it of the BOR or COH to make it special for each scout. then again, and as devils advocate, would not such a tradition make it seem the goal in scouting is to make eagle, when it isnt ? Isnt the goal in scouting to develop citizenship, charactor and personal fitness? If you decide to do the Eagle thing, please also add text along the lines of "Troop (your number here) Developing able bodied cititzens of charactor since (date of inception)

Dippity Doo ? A little dab 'll do ya? The wethead is dead!

Its been awhile, so can anyone tell me why Sen Kerry voted against the 87 billion dollars to fund armor for the troops? I must admit seeing Rumsfield on TV fielding questions made me think of this thread. Let me make this clear, I don't think Bush's approach has been correct, but why did Kerry vote against providing the armor and then promise to give the military everything it needed?

How about doing a Scoutmaster Conference with the scout, or even Board of Review (they don't have to be for advancement you know) with the scout and lay out expected behavior. Have the members of the board cite specific incidents where the scouts behavior was lacking and how it should change. Then present the scout with a letter explaining all that is expected of him and list behavior which will generate a call to the parents to come get him whether at a meeting or an event. Have the scout sign it and give him a copy. You may wish to share it with his parents or not depending on which approach would be best. Then implement the plan, the scout will know what to expect when his behavior is untoward and so will his parents.

Thanks Beav, I thought it may have gone over everyone's head, sorta like when I introduced a Modest Proposal, Anyway, I feel pretty, Oh so pretty I feel pretty and witty and gay (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I am not so much for one size fits all, but that the rules are applied evenly, if you see that as the same thing, ok but I dont. I am talking about troops that don't elect SPL's, dont use the patrol method, require a set precentage of activities or hold Board of Reviews that last hours. All I can tell you is I see so many posts about units, both in Cubs and Boy Scouts that are run by power mad twits and it just hurts me. I'll live, but I just want everybody to have the same fun I am,

Zactly !

White Tees and Blue Jeans? I guess there would only be two patrols in the troop, The Sharks and The Jets. The PLC would have to rumble to decide if the hair dressing would be Brylcream or Wildroot. Actually a personal first aid kit could be rolled up the t shirt sleeve instead of cigs, and I guess a pair of engineer boots would work on the trail.

I am not sure I am familiar with the Toten' Chip badge/patch. Take a look at this link http://www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/PaulBunyan.html If this is the patch you have, do not sew it on the uniform, note that it is a pack or blanket patch, it is not to be placed on the uniform. You might also clarify whether or not your son earned the Paul Bunyan or Toten' Chip. If its indeed Toten Chip looks like I may have to expand my idea of certifying Troops to include camps (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Semper, I agree we should all follow the program, but my experience, given by what I have read on the forums is that there are a significant number of troops that just flat out dont follow the program yet they get to opererate just like the ones that do. Such a program would give guidance to units that have trained leaders but aren't always sure of the next step. If it could be incorporated to an exisiting part of the BSA great! I just know I meet and hear from too many people who destroy others perception of the scouting program because they dont follow the program and nothing can be done about it.

FScouter, the idea is since its voluntary the renegades (great term) dont have to have their troop certified. But when a parent comes in here and asks what do they look for in a troop, we say BSA certified. Troops that are BSA certified can extoll it, ones that are not, cannot. It voluntary. I agree its what commissioners are supposed to do, but the problem is they don't and havent for a long time. I understand there are cases where the commissioner system works, but how many horror stories have we heard about renegage leaders who invoke executive privileges, add to the rules, etc. It would be a way of saying in this troop, we do it right as certified by a group that isnt from this troop. Thats all.

Oh, this is just looking for ideas, fesability, I just see a problem and want it to be fixed

I dont know if this is heresy or not, but here goes: After a few years of watching this forum and a few others, I have come to the astounding (for me at least) conclusion that the BSA program is administered on a wildly varied basis One troop requires 75% attendance, another 60% and yet another none. A scoutmaster finds the Patrol method too hard to work with and eschews it while another feels appointing SPL is best for this troop. Other Troops require uniforms or no advancement and yet others make the Board of Review for First Class such an ordeal, that in later life survivors of this carnage will view an oral defense of their doctoral thesis as a mere walk in the park. So, I have this idea and I need help filling it out, I have mentioned it before but this time I really want to explore it. The idea is to have a Voluntary program to certify Troops as following the program. As a voluntary program Troops could participate or not, it wouldnt effect their Charter, but certified troops could say we have been certified since 2004 or something like that. Parents looking for a troop could ask if the Troop is certified or if they are in the process to be certified. Again, its not a requirement; its voluntary although the intent is clearly to have certified Troops flourish while the others dont. Troops that seek such certification would have to provide 2 adults who would help certify other Troops. The whole idea is not to add work to the Councils. Such things as records of PLC meetings, results of elections, minutes of the PLC annual planning conference would be reviwed. Documentation of POR job descriptions and adult support would be required. Interviews with key youth and adult leadership would take place. All in the name of assuring the troop is indeed following the program. Maybe it would take a few years to reach certification and the troop could say it was Certified Pending, that would mean they werent there yet, but they were working on it. I know this sounds like a lot of work, and maybe its over kill, yet time and time again we have posters who come here talk about how some scout is being denied advancement because of some silly and arcane rule that someone thinks is necessary. I loved being a Scout, I thought it was the most fun I had as a kid. Being an adult scouter is the most fun I have as an adult. I cant tell you all how much it hurts me when I read a posting here about a renegade scout troop or I talk to an adult who left scouting because it was too much like the military, or took their kids out of scouts because of the local troops idiocy. Currently the situation is best described by Walt Kelly, creator of the classic comic strip Pogo who said, We have met the enemy and they are us, and if we dont address the situation somehow, then the Firesign Theatres I think we are all Bozos on this Bus, will be more true than anything Pogo said.

GungHo, ever hear the terms Forming Storming Norming Performing Before ?

Just amoung us peeps, there really isnt a such thing in Boy Scouts as a Class A, I know its a term that gets used a lot, but if we are trying to set the example, then we shouldnt say class A. next, I have to ask, if a scout says he doesnt have a uniform and is not likely to have money for one, then what does you troop do ?

Way back when I was a youth, Lo those many years ago, it was after Brownsea island but before the demise of the red berets, (BTW I loved the red berets), you had to be First Class before you could work on merit badges. Its not like that anymore, a scout can work on merit badges the day he signs up for scouts. Now for the particulars, when you say Council, I really have a hard time believing that, are you sure? Where did you hear that ? Can you find the Council Office phone Number ? Call and leave a few mesages for your Disitrict Executive and Scout Executive and make sure its a Council policy, I think someone told you wrong or you misunderstood

Our Scoutmaster wore a suit when his son had his Eagle Court, he said on that day, he just wanted to be tbe the dad, just the dad.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

We have about 70 scouts in the troop and Courts of Honor can tend to get long, especially in the fall after summercamp where will may have over 120 meritbadges to award. Tradiiton had the troop doing 3 Courts a year, Fall, Winter and Spring. One year the PLC suggested a fourth Court be done to cut done on the time required to do them. The Advancement Chair issued a stern thumbs down on the situation, he had a hard enough time organizing merit badges and ranks, et al for 3 Courts, he didnt want to do 4...

"What was your favorite scouting position?" Sleeping on my lounge chair at a campout and/or reading a good book! See, now that would have been the definitive stance if you would have added ...Comfortable in the knowledge the scouts were trained to handle any contingency...(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I saw this on TV, and I was thinking. Law schools exist because our society is based on the rule of law. The military is charged with keeping our society safe from those who would seek to change the basis of our society. Therefore, by barring military recruiters from Law Schools, the Law Schools prohibit the very instrument that allows them to exist from visiting. YIKES!

I know this is a cheap and easy one, but I am surprised no one has mentioned it yet, the scouting position I loved more than any other was that of proud papa,standing behind my Eagle Scout son at his Eagle Court, that was my favorite scouting position. As far as the list goes? Challenging the patrols in the troop to come in first second or third in a District Camporee?klondike Competition and if they did the patrol leader could throw a pie (of my choosing) in my face. Well, one patrol came in third twice in a year so I told them they had to come in first or second if they wanted to pie me. The next Fall Camporee they came in first. DOnt tell the scouts I love getting hit by a pie as muchas they like doing/seeing it happen

Beav, you are right, a scout is kind, but you would hardly know it reading many of the entries in this thread, however, since you asked, I must tell. Richard Millhouse Nixon was a member of the The Religious Society of Friends (AKA Quaker)so he never swore the oath of office, he did affirm it.

Well there is at least one more...

So,who was the only American President who didn't swear his oath of office on a bible?