OldGreyEagle

It seems lately quite a few positngs have been centered around poor scoutmasters who seem to want to be a one man show, a my way or the highway kinda guy. I have deep sorrow for mommascout and BWACfan. Now I realize I am most likely preaching to the choir here, but I cant understand why someone that miserable would stay a scoutmaster. I loved being a scout and I know I had a great scoutmaster as a youth. I think I am part of a pretty fine troop right now. You hear the expression a lot about a "once in a lifetime experience", seems we have 2-3 of those a year. I cant tell you how happy I am my son feels the same about scouting I do. Yet often I meet people whose experience in scouting was not the idyllic experience I remember or the excellent program my son's troop has. Being run vastly through volunteers, the quality of the scouting program varies wildly from area to area, troop to troop. I tell our jumior leaders the most important thing they can do is be a good example, because whether they want to or not, they are role models as are we adult leaders. I just cringe when I see scouting not presented as it was intended. I know after reading about these events, I will try harder to be sure my troop could never be a subject in one of our discussions

Longhaul, Once again I refer to my comment, "I must be out of the loop". When did the LDS tell national that it had to make a rule no gay leaders? What documentation is used to support this claim? I am not disputing it, I just want to know where this information may be found as I am constanly reading things on this foum that I never knew (Thank you Scouter.COm for this forum)and these facts are presented in a manner that makes me feel I am the only one who doesnt know this stuff. When is this stuff discussed? Not at any committee meeting I have been to or round table or even at the national jamboree have I heard this topic brought up by any adult leader. The only reference I hear to the no gay policy comes from scouts who usually tell me they dont understand why gays cant be leaders. Other than this forum, where do you guys discuss this subject?

Mom, I agree with Bob, now that you know what the requirement is that is holding this scout up, do what you can to get the requirement finished. Either through a junior leader, ASM or yourself. Decide you are going to make it happen, and make it so. You may have found a niche for yourself in this matter. Offer to fill out an advancement poster for the troop, it will give the troop a valuable morale and incentive tool and you will be quite intimate with who needs to do what for what. Then you could help set up situaitons to get the requirements done. Then having a boy getting lost in the cracks would be harder to have happen. Our troop uses the poster and the Troopmaster software. If your troop doesnt use a software tracking tool and you have over 20 scouts, its worth it (my opinion). You can see who needs what in a heartbeat. I take it if you can post on this forum, you could input the date in the program. In this way you have found a valuable role in the troop without displacing anybody or telling anybody what they are doing is wrong. With the advancement poster or software, the PLC can see what types of outings would be beneficial to advancement. (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Our troop uses the New Patrol method and we aim for first class in first year, but it seems like first class in first 18 months is more realistic. The boys cross over in February and our goal is to have them be first class by the SECOND september they are scouts. This gives them 2 summer camps and plenty of time to attend troop events, campouts, etc. We have had a few scouts do first class in one year, and the biggest reason is they come on events and are active. We generally work on the various ranks in order, but if an opportunity for a group of tenderfeet to do a few first class requirements presents itself, then we do it. Passing the first class swimming test is a requirement in our troop before a scout may attend a canoe or whitewater trip, but the scout may attempt the test at any time. To keep the boys interested we use the poster and show the advancement of the troop as a whole. (stolen thought from another thread) Scouting shouldnt be just about awards and ranks, it should be a journey a boy starts and relishes well into manhood.

I agree with KoreaScouter, if you are or were or could be so afraid of what your CO would/could do with assets and funds you want to start a "dummy" front, you have problems that need to be addessed immediately.

I had a talk with my 16 year old son about this topic. This thread sparked the conversation, but I was also looking for some input on a related topic. We have a large troop and it seems that a number of the older scouts all want to go off by themselves and just socialize, I asked my son how do we make scouting interesting to the older guys and if scouting was cool. He said he didnt know if scouting was cool or not, but he liked it. Today was his first meeting of the Councils JLTC staff, this will be his second year as staff. He said he likes the guys who will be on staff, that they all like the same things he does. I asked him if he ever gets teased in school about being a scout, he said not really, when kids find out he is a scout, he says "yeah, I like it,its fun" and the kids accept it. If he backed off and was non comittal he thinks he might get abused. He said the issue is that scouting is a leadership program, and that when a kid gets to be 15-16, either he wants to be a leader in the troop or he dosent. If he wants to be a leader and help the younger kids, then he has a role. If he does not wish to be a leader or have a role of responsibilty, scouts doesnt have much to offer him. He added having older scout actvities of a more extreme nature wouldnt help, because in his view, the kids who dont want to lead at the meetings arent that interested in expending a lot of energy in hiking, climbing, etc. He added that a lot of the older scouts are friends and are from different schools and the only time they see each other is at meetings or outings. He didnt see a solution. That there will always be some scouts that the program passes by. I said it was my job as an adult leader to not let that happen. He said that it was an impossible task. So, as a question, do we try to make scouts cool, or keep it a leadership program and realize attrition happens. That scouting is for all boys, but some boys are not for scouting. Is it possible or even prudent to keep every scout in the program?

I wonder if the Bank does business awith any of the local Catholic Church's (sex discrimination)?

Bob, what are you, the representative of the Semantic Police for this forum? Would it make you feel better if I reworded my posting to assure you that I am a member of a boy lead troop? That I get it? I thought I was clear enough, would "adult trip leader" have been more to your liking? I thought "oversee" the menu selection process and food buying meant the boys were the primary ones responsible for these duties. I guess that wasnt clear enough either I did say let the new adults work with the PLC to develop the calender, not that the adults do the calender. Is there a problem with that? Do you think you could read a posting and not immediateley assume that if it doesnt meet with your rhetorical criteria of how to correctly describe a "boy run troop" that the poster needs to be chided? Give it a rest Bob, we are dedicated scouters doing our best to deliver the promise, I deeply regret not being able to explain my idea to your satisfaction

One of the people I most respected was an old boss of mine. He always said the perfection of management was when the fire chief could come 10 minutes late to a fire and sit in a bus stop bench across the street and never say anything. He/she didnt have to, because everyone knew their job and did it without being told. If you have parents looking for something to do, make them the official trip leader(s) for an upcomming event. That means put out the sign up sheets, arrange transporation and oversee the menu selection and oversee the food buying. Have them get the tour permit if needed and all the drivers information. They wil get a taste of real action and feel they are contributing while you have a load off your shoulders. The best manager is always training his/her replacement, that way when you are not there, you know it will be done the way you would have done it because thats the way they were trained. Have them "scout" out new activities, have them help the PLC put together next years calender. Put in the givens, for us its fall camporee, klondike, spring camporee and the Courts of Honor. Tell them you want an overnight a month and see what they come up with. They get a feeling of a boy run troop working with the PLC and odds are the events will be fresh stuff that the kids will like and you will have an interesting program with minimal effort on your part and new adults who know your leadership core Who was it that said "No Man is an Island" ? The more the adults do the more fun they have and others will see how much fun it is and this will attract more active people and active scouts. We have 90 plus scouts in our troop with 41 registered adults all contibuting.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Yeah, just wait a few score years, then being a senior anything wont have near the charm you think it does now

I think I have the best way of displaying patches. My mother and father retired from Chicago and went to live in the Arkansas Ozarks, around Claksville. While there my mother "fell-in" with a pack of rabid quilters. Well, one thing lead to another and she made the best present that a scouter could ever receive. She took all my old patches whether for rank or activties and put them all on a khacki quilt with red piping. Its composed of one foor square quilted squares. Inside each square is a quilted Fleur-de-lis. Inside each Fleur-de-lis is a rank patch, merit badge, etc. The Center square has our own town Red and White Town strip and troop number. Its queen size big and genuine Ozark hand made by the Sulphur Springs Quilting Club. I cant look or even touch it without a few tears leaking out

Well thank you for considering it, I didnt know you were that close

In our troop the older boys teach, but the scoutmaster or asisstant scoutmasters sign off to provide quality control. Personally I always sign with a pencil and then tell the scout that if I ever ask them to do the skill I just signed off and he cant do it, I can always erase my name. That usually gets their attention ;-)

Actually I kinda think there is one, unexpected travel plans will have the OldGreyEagle in Mesquite, Texas next week , is there a troop nearby I could visit?

Sager and Rooster, before you two start to duel, I do want to be sure I understand the issue, I tend to get lost a lot in these threads as some of my posts prove. You are both self-professed Christians, as such you both believe in Jesus Christ and both see the Ten Commandments as rules to live by. So the debate will be over whoose view of the Christian God is accurate, right?

Hey MOM, What is this about Ozark Trails being a "low end" tent? Rememebr my retirement, (every day its a day closer) you go right ahead buying all your gear from Wal-Mart. The GreyEagle household has 5 Ozark Trail tents we bought from Wal-Mart and they are holding up fine. BTW, on the advice of a "real outdoorsman" a gentleman for whom I have the upmost respect when dealing with outdoor topics I stuff my tents.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

See, thats what's it all about scouters helping scouters help scouts. A big thank you EagleWB for all your help. I dont suppose you are going to be in the Bethlehem PA area on April 21rst are you?

As observation of his duty to be Reverent in following the dictates of his faith, the scout is being punished? I would see the camp director first, who ever is that persons supervisor and then the DE. I see no reason why he cant have meals in the dining hall prepared for him

I hate when that happens, the link I set up went dead, oh well, use this one http://pagebiz.com/banjo/scott/?7

Thanks EagleWB, it is indeed "Scotland the Brave", My son has his Eagle Court of Honor comming up in April and we were talking about music to play. As it happens a member of the Venture Crew he is also in is a Bagpiper in a High School bagpipe core. She has 3 other pipers besides herself lined up for the event. They were going to play Amazing Grace at the end, now they will play Scotland the Brave at the beginning as well. I would still like to see lyrics to "Scouting Thunder" tho it may be known by other titles. At the National Jamboree it was played on stage and in the 2001 National Jamboree Video tape they show the piper and have the music in the background a lot. Here is a link to a site where you can hear it http://www.contemplator.com/folk/scotland.htm(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

This one has a lot of information I use http://www.usscouts.org/venturing.asp

We have two such scouts, one is Hindu and follows a strict vegatarian diet, our council's camp has been very accomodating to him. We have another scout who is very allergic, is lactose intolerant etc. His mother provides the food and the camp kitchen staff stores and prepares the food. I couldnt have asked the Camp to be any more helpful than they have been. In a way, this is an ADA issue, and the Camp has to provide "reasonable accomodation" to the scoout

Does anybody know where I could get the music to Scouting Thunder? I have the lyrics (i think) but I would like the actual sheet music. Or does anybody know what the actual name of the tune Scouting Thunder is sung to? Please help

Bob, if you notice in my original post I put the word "expert" in quotes, I was implying that the counselor needs to have more than just a passing knowledge of the subject, more than just reading the MB book, nothing more. While Sister Mary Elizabeth always told me I needed to work on my reading comprehension, Brother Richards said I should be more clear in my composition. Sorry I wasnt more lucid(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Well, I am glad popcorn works for some people, I wanted to see if anyone else felt as I do. I just see door to door sales fundraisers as glorified begging. Then again, I hate to sell so I admit I may just be me putting my own spin on things Happy and prosperous selling to you all and be sure to have a buddy when you sell(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)