jumpyg

Our pack primarily recruits in the springtime. Summer events they can do include Day Camp (get them shooting BB and archery!), a submarine/baseball game sleepover (alternates every other year), a hike or two, and two other events like a visit to the local trout farm, bicycle derby, etc. In Michigan, you have to capitalize on the warm summer months and get the boys outside! It also gives new leaders the summer months to figure things out and make the first den meetings in September go more smoothly.

I agree with this. Some boys are really motivated by earning patches. Something that keeps them having fun and participating is a good thing, IMO.

Our pack sells popcorn and also wreaths/grave blankets/garland from a local farmer. We get a higher margin on the greenery, of course. We set a minimum sales target of something like $260. If a scout doesn't want to sell, the buyout is $130. That is pretty reasonable to fund a whole year of scouting, far cheaper than any sport. Some families do the buyout every year, and some sell every year. We have no trouble funding our pack with this method.

BSA's problems with sexual predators are largely attributable to people looking the other way. I think erring on the side of caution and keeping convicted pedophiles away from kids would be the safe way to handle things. I would guess if people at the fundraiser knew the truth that a pedophile was in their midst and leadership wasn't going to do anything about it, many would have left. You have to wonder what's best for the future of scouting. BSA needs to fix its image, and having pedophiles around is not that way to do it. Stories like this are going to send parents running for the exits--that's a fact.

Okay, I went through these computer exercises and they do provide valuable information. I plan to show them to my den at a meeting where it's too rainy or too cold to go outside. I like the new patch for the Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award. I'm not sure that many will be interested in the name tag for the Action Award, however. A name tag?? The requirements for the Action Award are similar to the old LNT award, for what it's worth.

Thanks!

I was told by two separate people (including a scout shop worker) that BSA was sued because they infringed on the LNT copyright, which is why they yanked the patches from the stores. No idea if that's true or not.

Hi all, I have a Bear den who has been working on the LNT award this year. So far, 3/8 have finished and been awarded the patch. Two more are very close and can finish this month, but our advancement coordinator said the patch is no longer sold. Is there any way to procure these? I haven't checked to see if the local Scout shops cleared them out or not. Ebay turned up nothing. How disappointing for a boy to work on an achievement and then find out it was discontinued! I see that the newer Outdoor Ethics Award has arrived, but the requirements are totally different. Thoughts? By the way, can anybody find a link about this lawsuit? It seems very difficult to find a news story about it. I follow the scout websites and never saw any mention that LNT was going away. I would love to see the official announcement.

Hi all, Had this discussion with several Scouters and could not come to a consensus. What is the proper placement for items on the boys' right sleeve? Unfortunately, the Uniform Inspection Sheet by BSA is lacking in this area. For one thing, they do not show the patrol patch on the different right sleeve options. Second, if you look closely at the boy in the middle on page 1, the colors seem to be place directly over the patrol patch. See link for inspection sheet from BSA: https://www.scoutstuff.org/media/content/docs/pdfs/34760.pdf My opinion of what makes sense: US Flag, patrol patch directly below, Webelos colors directly below that, then a JTE patch (if present) would have to be overlapped by the colors. Is that correct? Second question: The council is always coming out with special edition CSP patches, for our Rendezvous (big camporee that happens every four years), if you contribute a certain amount to Friends of Scouting, etc. Are those CSP's purely keepsakes, or do people actually wear them? What are the guidelines here? Thanks!