DuctTape

Propane? Or the smaller IsoButane/propane canisters? Butane is the worst as it gets cold due to its vaporization temp is 33 deg F. IsoButane is often used b/c vaporization temp is 11 deg F. Vaporization temp of propane is -44 deg F which is why it is often mixed with Iso for the "winter mixes" problem is the propane will be used first if the temp is below and all that is left in a 3/4 canister is the Iso. The reason propane is not used entirely in the small canisters is the pressure required. Additionally as the fuel is used the pressure drops which cools the fuel even more making it even more difficult to vaporize. White gas does not have these issues, however it has others. The greatest issue with all chemical fuels is they require significant supervision by an adult (GTSS) which can interfere with the independence of a patrol. Thus, I recommend using wood fire whenever possible and legal.

Sleeping tip, put on a fresh pair of loose fitting wool socks. Even if they "feel dry" there will still be some moisture from the day. Loose fitting (not floppy) so as to not restrict blood flow. A fresh base layer for sleeping is also advised for the same moisture reason. Put clothes for next day (might be what was just taken off) in sleeping bag with you. They will be warm&dry for the next day. In ultra cold, my boots also (in a bag first) go in my sleeping bag.

Upstate NY here. We camp in subzero regularly. Here are some layering tips. Baselayer: wool or synthetic, don't overdue this. The purpose is to wuck moisture from the body not be your insulation. Warm layer: fleece, down, wool. This is a thicker layer with the purpose of providing the majority of your insulation. This should stay dry. Top/over layer: Purpose is to keep elements away from insulation layer, whether it is wind, rain or snow (or all three). Some use a top layer to keep fire sparks off their insulation layer. Some add additional layers, but this is the basic idea. It is likely you have all three layers already. For example, long sleeve synthetic base layer, wool sweater, water resistant coat.

I am not sure I agree with much of that. At least not in my area. Recruiting is done at the unit level, new units really aren;t necessary as there are so mnay already which can easily handle an increase in numbers of scouts. Camproees are done by district and IMO are good for the youngest scouits but after two or three the scouts want to do other stuff. Summer camp perhaps, but technicaly it is a stand-alone system; it can still operate without a council overseeing it. Volunteers at the unit level provide 99% or more of what makes scouting fun and memorable, NOT the professionals. Your area might be different.

I agree that the degree of the act of service is to be defined by the scout and spiritual leader. I would also note that the requirement does indicate the act is to be "for someone in your family, neighborhood..." so I would encourage the scout to identify the specific person for whom the service was for (even if they do not know the person's name).

Everyone. All members have the right to vote with their feet.

I agree with not skipping an event. They could even ask the event supervisor to teach them some lashings during that time. At the very least encourage them to get the maximum points for "show scout spirit".

Cool article! I consistently bring up the Scout Motto (on this forum and elsewhere) as the examplar of all Scouting Ideals; the article appears to agree with me. I would suggest that beyond society not understanding, is many Scouters do not either as advancement seems to be the focus, with service relegated to a rank or mB requirement.

Patrol leaders ought to be doing gear checks before setting out. There is a rank requirement to present oneself to your PL properly dressed and packed... this should be standard operating procedure NOT a 1-and-done requirement. Prior to the 1st campout of the year(or even more often), the PL (or another scout) should be bringing in their pack to a patrol/troop meeting and demonstrate what and how to pack it. (This would fulfill a req for Communications mB). Scouting done right can fulfill requirements by just doing scouting right. Rank and mB requirements are not the program, but knowing them and how they complement each other helps ensure the program is a good one.

I am not sure looking at other large not for profits is the answer either. The problem with BSA top leadership AND with other not for profits is all of them have a singular focus which is fundraising. All of the organizations regardless of good ol boy clubs, or seekers of new blood suffer from this same affliction. Listening in they willfully acknowledge this is priority #1, they even justify it with statements such as, "we cannot serve the members, or advocate for cause 'xyx' without $". I think this is what happens when an org gets too large, it believes that its structure is necessary and thus funding to maintain said structure becomes necessary. What happens in almost all of these orgs is their purpose becomes sustaining the org not fulfilling the mission. This results in abdicating the real mission and replacing it with fundraising or other metrics equivalent to $.

I would think any "buffer" would be included into any charter agreement. The agreement would run until Feb 28/29. If the agreement states an end at Dec 31st, then the "two month buffer" is Nov& Dec. I am not an attorney, but mine has repeatedly told me that "unless it is in the contract, it doesn't exist". I would think the Chartering Agreement should include what is in the Handbook, as the agreement is what gets signed by both parties.

I would also think that without an active charter, one cannot even call it cub scouts or BSA or anything of the sort. Like calling your burger joint McDonalds without being an actual franchise. What is currently being done is solely a church youth group, and is 0% affiliated with Scouting(tm).

I would trade wearing the sash for banning "workbooks" (except as a scout used tool for helping them organize).

"should" being the key word. We must also remember that many Scouters are little more than "tenderfoots" themselves.

Sadly in my area there is zero verification of competency/qualifications.

Den leaders not being committed sounds like a major issue. I see a parallel here to a troop where the SPL is trying to do too much b/c the PLs aren't. If the cubs arent getting a good scouting experience due to uncommitted den leaders, I am not sure a pack meeting can really bridge the gap. I am sure it is better than nothing. The den meetings are the bread&butter of the cub program. But wow! If this is the reality I feel badly for the cubs and the cubmaster. I also agree that cubs is wayyy too long. However I have seen the age for cubs moving into a troop as too young in many cases. IMO the age/grade exception for AOL should not be there.

wow. seems like a lot of pack meetings to me. no surprise then the amount of questions/issues from cubmasters I see here. I wonder if one solution is to extremely lessen the number of pack meetings, move more to the den level.

Question for all you Cub Leaders... how many pack meetings a year do you have? I recall 3 per year, the rest of cubs was den meetings or pack campouts.

and to continue with T2Eagles ?s, Can you describe a typical troop meeting... agenda, roles, etc...

This discussion reminds me of the history of the Talmud, the written Torah and the Oral (Mishnah). If the Rabbis of antiquity needed a compendium of interpretations and discussions to apply the Torah to everyday life, then I accept that us mere scouting volunteers will have difficulty following the GTSS as it manifests in the complexities of everyday life.

That was my initial thought reaction as well.

I know that every survey I have completed over the years I have brought up the "Eagle as the goal" issue. Perhaps someone has been reading my survey responses?. . . . . . . nah!

question... do other secured creditors "unrelated" to the survivors claims also vote on the bankruptcy provisions, or do these creditors vote on their separate piece? If the latter, how does the bankruptcy balance these since both parties are in effect in conflict?

I do not disagree.

Not much upside for us volunteers either. One might argue the COs have more upside than us mere volunteers as they can use their "sponsorship" of BSA as a marketing tool. Others might argue that giving back to the community by being a CO is (part of) the COs mission. Part of me is smh at even stepping into this discussion as I do not view everything as transactional; I do things without expectation of something in return. I would hope that the BSA slogan and other values are not isolated to the bsa but other individuals and organizations also do good things without reward or gain. Doing a good thing is its own reward.