Rock Doc

I strongly second this approach! Whenever possible create situations for youth to teach youth, with adults in the background. Failing that, use a train-the -trainer approach to establish a cadre of instructors confident in their abilities. Once you've started that ball rolling the youth should start to become more self-sufficient and successful. The same applies for the adults - challenge each other to learn the skills, and have throw downs with the youth to see who is learning the fastest; competition is a great motivator!

Our Lodge consists of three chapters each representing dozens of units. Total Lodge membership is north of 600

Does your troop have a strong youth-led ethos? My experience has been that given the opportunity a youth-led PLC will shy away from the proscriptive approach and generally try to keep things fun with a pinch of advancement thrown in - especially right after crossover

Can't speak for all Lodges, but in our Lodge scouts attending OA events must still be supervised by an adult OA member from their home unit, or a trusted OA adult member approved by the home unit. It's not an unsupervised drop-off activity.

Several reading/written requirements, but nothing hands-on.

This weekend, a local council held a merit badge college where scouts were able to earn the Cooking Merit Badge in half a day! Apparently they followed some "Nationally-sanctioned" program. Anyone heard of this?

All good points. However, in your mind, how far would be too far to move to a sturdy structure? I've certainly encountered situations at scout camps and state parks where it might take 15 minutes to reach a vehicle or enclosed building. Just trying to gauge folks tipping point between hunkering down and evacuating, because it's not always cut and dried.

This was my rationale too. Our tents/hammocks were widely spread throughout the campsite and gathering everyone together to move to the distant bathhouse seemed more risky.

I agree that evacuation is the best course of action if an organized storm system is forecasted, but this scenario relates to the unpredictable pop-up storms common in spring and summer.

This ended up being our decision, to hunker down primarily due to lack of high winds. We reasoned that trying to wake and move 30+ scouts in the dark during heavy rain might be more risky than staying put. Our situation was not any different than the surrounding area (no prominent features), was not prone to flooding, and the bathhouse was too small to accomodate our entire group.

In absolute terms I agree with you that the bathhouse would be the safest option. However, what are your thoughts about how quickly you could roust 30+ scouts (including moody teenagers who can sleep through a zombie apocalypse) and get them to stumble 100 yards in the dark while the rain is coming down in buckets? FYI my question is loosely based on an actual situation

It's time for Springtime pop-up thunderstorms that can occur any time day or night, often without warning. So, your troop consisting of 30+ scouts and a half dozen ASMs have bedded down for the night at a local state park, each in their own COVID-required tent or hammock, pitched in a stand of mature pine trees. No severe weather watches or warnings are in place. The campsite is adjacent to a large lake with relatively level surrounding topography. Nearby is an open picnic shelter adjacent to the lake, and an enclosed bathhouse a little further away. At 2 AM in the morning you're awoken by sudden intense lightning and thunder, and light rain. The rain quickly ramps up to a torrential downpour but with no significant wind. Phone reception is spotty and radar slow to load, but the storm continues unabated. Having been jolted awake by the sudden onset of the storm, in your addled state do you leap from your (hopefully) warm and dry cocoon yelling for everyone to jump out of their sleeping bags and hightail it a hundred yards to the shelter or bathhouse, or do you tell everyone to stay put and hope for the best (and what if they disagree and refuse)? Go!

I strongly recommend your son schedule a meeting with your troop's Eagle coach(es) before getting too involved with the proposal. There are frequently local tips and tricks to be shared (District/Council idiosyncrasies, preferred beneficiaries/beneficiaries to avoid, permitting assistance, resources, etc). The coach also helps the scout develop a realistic schedule and provides non-parental accountability. Good luck!

Wee man should be fine as you suggest. As for you, I'd go with an insulated air pad (Big Agnes, REI, etc.). They're close to 3-inches thick and allow plenty of isolation from the odd root or rock. Air mattresses are bulky and cold, you'd need to use the thermarest on top of the mattress to prevent a chilly night. Good luck!

As a non-Wood Badger, but with 20+ years of scouting experience, just remember that scouts don't know or care about Wood Badge. They only care about what you say and do, and how you treat them. So, use your training wisely, and remember that this journey is not about you, it's about developing tomorrow's leaders.