OldGreyEagle

Started as a Wee little cub long long ago, went Wolf, Bear, Lion, Webelos, and then to Eaglein Boy Scouts, aged out at 18 and stayed as an ASM until 20. Joined back with my son in Feb, 1997 Its been a wild ride

Here's a thought KA6BSA, your council withdrew the rule that a scout couldnt take more than 5 eagle required merit badges from a single person because the rule arbitrary and most of all, against BSA policy. I agree with a scout going outside his troop for merit badges, and I hate (well only a little) to bring the topics of other threads in, but the "5 merit badge rule" is an example of what Bob White is talking about when he talks about Scouting doesnt need rules, leastwise not a Council one that conflicts with BSA policy. (I think)

KA6BSA, Maybe you are right, but I still cant let his questions go unanswered. If it is a fraud and he finds entertainment in a charade thats fine with me, because he might also be genuine, and I would rather play the fool than turn my back on a scout

SPL_15, you know I like you, I find your wit and love of scouting refreshing. But as a District Advancement Chair, the answer is simple NO Organzing a blood drive is NOT an Eagle Project. This has been reviwed before on this forum with different opinions. (what a shock)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditonis habes (If you can read this you are over-educated) and now I am finis

First, as long as the scout is first class when he joins the crew, or attains first class as a crew member, then he can earn Star, Life and Eagle in the crew. As far as the Scoutmaster goes, I didnt know he was in the position to decide how much scouting fun a kid could have. Now, I must also add, that if a scout becomes a Crew member and wants to stay in the troop and advance in the troop, then he has to be diligent in his position of responsibility. If he becomes SPL, then he dedicates himself to the troop for 6 months or what ever the term of office in the troop is and fulfill it to the best of his ability while not using a Crew activity as an excuse for blowing off the troop. Now, a simple solution is to recruit non-boy scouts, perhaps even girls, ::gasp:: (see other threads) boys who didnt like scouts for one reason or another, perhaps an overbearing scoutmaster, moved into the area and missed the first few years of scouting. Your target recruiting should be any eligble youth. Now, as far as the relationship? Its the same as between the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, generally in the same business, but two different programs each run different ways.

Actually, the greatest lesson learned was: Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditonis habes(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

FOG, I dont know where you live, but you should visit Bethlehem, PA some time. Down close to the center of town is a very old cemetary known as God's half acre, its where the original founders of Bethlehem are buried. Also there is the grave for a native american said to be the model for Chingachgook in James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans. But thats not the best part. The original founders of Bethlehem were Moravians and the cemetary follows the practice of the day, all the males are buried on one side of the plot, all the females on the other side, with a main walkway separating them.

Our Advancement Committee has kicked around the idea of havin the scout orally present his Leadership project at the Advancement Commitee meeting. The advanatages would be a faster turn around time in approvals as we could iron out details with the scout in front of us and if a major re-write in needed then the scout would be in on the discussion of exactly what is needed. What do you guys think? Edited Section Saltheart, I neglected to add that the Advancement Committee I am taking about IS the District Advancement Committee.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Ah, Campaholic, you wouldn't happen to be president of your crew would you and be Vice-President of the Councils Venture Youth Organization and sister crew member of Outdoor Thinker would you? Your experiences sure sound familiar, like I have lived them

Dang it all, well a scout is trustworthy, which includes honesty and this ol' bear has to give it Scoutmaster Ron, the wise ol' owl. Woodbadge for the 21rst Century presents skills and tools you can use for non-scouting pursuits as well. (Non-scouting pursuits? I didnt think they existed, but unfortunatley they do) you want a good reason for taking Woodbadge, heres two, you will be a better Scouter and in your occupation

I come from a Venture Crew that ::GASP:: has girls !!! As you peruse this forum you may come across Outdoor Thinker, she is from the crew. She was Scoutcraft Director at our Summer Camp last summer ::Hums:: "On the banks of old Stillwater..." As such she lead two "outposts" (away from camp) a week. One was wilderness survival and the other was the canoe outpost. Recently our crew went back packing to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Outdoor Thinker was accompanied by two fellow sister crew membes and my son. The girls did GREAT, as they always do. The only real issue is female leadership, you have to have a female over 21 on all over nighters and thats where we scramble, but then we have taken to during joint trips with another crew that has a female advisor but not mamny members. We provide logistics, they supply the female, its win-win. Now, if your guy wont take girls, heck, start your own crew, co-ed if you want, but to really wrankle him, do a all female crew and develop a program that will turn the boys as green as their shirts.

Golly Beav, don't worry about the Bass Pro Shop opening, there will be a bunch of kids there and junk and so crowded you won't see whitey or lumpy, just a bunch of eddie haskells. And you might bump into Miss Landers checking out handguns (she was a survialist you know) I suggest going to training (never a bad choice) and then check out the Bass Pro Shop the following week end without all the hub-bub, bub.

This may be something for the scouter looking for Roundtable topics, but at our districts December Roundtable another leader and I will be presenting a power point presentation titled, "its knot fun" with south mountain district. We have pictures of the knots and basic requirements

I thought I had posted this already, but I cant find it, which either means I was dreaming, which, no Offense Scouter-Terry but if I start dreaming I am posting here, it may be time to taper off, OR I posted it into the wrong thread. Anyway, the troop started to get into backpacking. We had a demo from a troop dad that was really into lightweight back packing. Next camp out could have been titled "Attack of the Bivvy Sacks". Its tough to stick two kids in there.

As much as I hate to disagree with my teeny tiny little feathered friend, but Bears are the only way to go. Of all the Woodbadge critters, only the Bear is an omnivore, we have the most varied diet... As far as when to take Woodbadge? Why as soon as you are eligible, that is after the requisite training. Dont wait, what you learn will enhance your value later on

well, when you are in a Catholic Seminary, studying latin is second nature. Mens sauna, sauna corpora, qui est?

So, I was at this campout at Hawk Mountian Scout Reservation, it was winter and we were in a cabin next to the dining hall. At about 8:30pm the leaders noticed it was very quiet so we went to check on the boys. The were all huddled around a table listening to the musical group "Rhomstein" A german heavy metal band, and the three scouts who took German in school were trying to translate the songs. All the kids were paying attention and watching as bits and pieces of the songs were written down. One of the translators, a fairly new kid was radiant, the whole troop was listening to what he said and the other two were agreeing with him. Sometimes unlikley things make for a special moment.

"...But ask me to make him acheive a rank, and I will fail everytime." To be blunt, who is asking you to do this? Its not the BSA, so tell whoever it is to go screw up some other organization, we both love scouting too much to put up such misconceptions. On another topic? A WoodBadge ticket that says 100% of all new scouts will be first class in a year? Are you serious? (I mean you must be, you said it) That is so wrong from so many different angles, I scarcely know where to start. At our Woodbadge course we were told not to write ticket items that depended on the actions of others, such as something like this. You couldnt say you were going to start a troop at a certain church, unless you had an agreement with the church already. Bob, Your post just attived as I was doing mine and I must say I dont understand your response to what I wrote. Perhaps I didnt word it as well as I should have. What I was driving at was the BSA does not dictate that every troop have a new scout program, but they have all the materials and support information and statistics to show why First Class First Year should be part of the troops program. I was also comemnting on the absurd notion that it is the Scoutmasters duty to drag every scout kicking and screaming if necessary to first class. The Troop program should be structured to allow the scout to attain first class, support in the form of a troop guide and ASM directing the FCFY is to be presnt, a killer of an exciting program is key, but if the scout decides soccer and baseball are more important, then it will be tough to make first class in a year. Thats what I was trying to say in my own clumsy way(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

CC here's a thought, show up with gear to go on the trip. You are a trained leader AND a parent of a scout going on the trip. As Boy Scouts has no closed or secret societies and is open to parents at all times, the scoutmaster cant refuse your participation. If you could get a few other moms to do the same thing, it might be easier. Of course, you may lose you scoutmaster over this, but I am not sure it would be much of a loss from what you have said. WHo knows, you may be changing from CC to Scoutmaster, after all even Baden-Powell said women could be scoutmaster!

We will be doing the in town hike through the historic section. Most of us have done the Johnny Reb and Billy Yank trails at least once. A few have gone to the Eisenhower farm and the in city hike will complete my Gettysburg patch. The best part is this time we will have a special guest along with us, a real Civil War geek, a guy who already knows the script to Gods and Generals, who is being kidnapped by his princess of a sister to spend his birthday at Gettysburg.

A Scout is Courteous... A awhile back, in April, we had a campout with alot of the first year boys along. We had some rather mild weather and when the boys woke up at 5:30 am, they decided to take their baseball and gloves outside and play catch. It didn't take long to rouse most of the camp. The SPL chastised them for making so much noise. Later the event was discussed, the new scouts were told not to get up to early, but werent given a time. 7:00am was given as the time unless he has "business" (IE Cook) and work is to be done quietly. Another issue we have had is people tossing things in the camp fire. A tissue doesnt seem bad, until some one sees the tissue go in, then a paper cup goes in and then a empty paper plate, then a full of food paper plate until finally somebody sleeping bag is in the fire and no one knows where it got out of hand. We have a wood only rule concerning what goes in a fire. As befitting a fire bug troop we have a few other guidelines regarding fires. Once a stick goes in the fire ring, it stays there. We have tried to keep all sticks out of the fire, but lost that war long ago. ANother one the PLC made was the height of the log in the fire couldnt be more than the diameter of the fire ring. I think of them as a guideline, some one else may cal them rules and there isnt much difference. What I would like to know is how do you keep order without such guidelines. I see these as compromises, but there has to be concrete limits, doesnt there? If I am missing the point, I can accept it, but do tell me where.

Proud Eagle First Rule of Civilization: Bonum Est Semper Ubi Inlimis Sub Ubi

Once again with feeling No where in the BSA (that I am aware of) does it say the Scoutmaster must assure a new scout will make first class in a year. The BSA does reccommend, insist, really leans on you to have a program that would allow a scout to become a first class scout in a year. There is a huge difference between making sure the boys attain first class and having a program that enables the scout to become first class, if the scout shows up at meetings, activities, shows scout spirit, etc. As far as Venture Patrols and Venturing Crews we could do several threads on that alone, what am I thinking, we already have!!!

Well, it wasnt camping, but it was an adventure, the Venturing Crew, featuring Outdoor Thinker and the renown YoungSpikedEagle took a pilgramage to the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA. While there we saw at least three boy scout troops in full uniform and a few cub scout in their blue uniform. We roamed the store for three hours and need to go back as we havent seen quite everything yet.