Buffalo Skipper

You bring up some great points; ones which I have reviewed carefully. I am working hard to foster in our troop a MB program as is implied by the quotes you have posted. And yes, this all must go through the Scoutmaster. As an example, next month, the PLC has chosen the theme of "Pioneering." Does this mean that at our campout all of our scouts will earn Pioneering MB? Not likely, as none of the scouts have come to me to get a blue card, nor have they met with a MBC. If the scouts were in touch with a MBC, there are certain things which could signed off for this MB. In fact, this MB (unlike most others) states that a scout may do some of these projects at at troop outing (rather than individually). But I do not want to digress too much on this particular one. In the past, there have been parents (who chose to register as MBCs) who have run MB classes after meetings, especially for the 3 Citizenship MBs. I do not really like this idea--at all! These MBs require research and learning on behalf of the scout, not a lecture to hand feed them what they are suposed to learn. Besides one purpose behind the Merit Badge program is to have the scouts reach out, often beyond their normal troop leadership and to "strangers," to meet and learn about various topics. If "scouts" was a bunch of classrooms, then we would have very few scouts. In fact, I did not promote the district's MB day this year, because I did could not in good conscience approve this as an acceptable method in which to learn badges about which the scouts had no interest. I do not want to go off the deep end on this, though. I might (or maybe not) be run out of the forum on a rail if I objected to classes at summer camp; but let's be reasonable about what is being offered at camp. Keep it camp or outdoor related. Waterfront, Orienteering, Wilderness Survival, Fishing, Handicraft, Climbing, Shooing Sports, Nature, environmental and the like? Sure. The 3 Citizenships, Communications, Personal Management? Hogwash! What a waste of good outdoor time! Outside of summer camp and these "troop classes," I cannot see where a scout in our troop has independently earned a single Merit Badge in years. That is the true legacy of this failed process, that scouts do not learn what they want to learn, when they want to learn it. I am trying to change this culture, but it is not easy. I also want to get these parent-counselors to training, but our troop's worst offender could not go in the fall because it was the training was offered the same day asher (oldest) son's ELSP. What a shock. Sorry about the rant. Bet you couldn't guess that I feel strongly about this.

DeanRx has it, as presented on page 17-18 of the 2009 G2SS. It also states (clearly) that Cub Scouts may only camp at "Council approved" sites ("councils use Pack Overnighter Site Approval Form, No. 15-508"). I opened up a can or worms 3 years ago when I asked from the council approved list from the DE. This list should be maintained by the council. Whether or not your council does this or not is a matter for debate. I always thought that if the OA and any "resident" camp inspectors (especially ones who are OA leaders) could put together a list of this sort without much hastle, but it hasn't happened here. BALOO training (though as dry as Death Valley) is good material for Cub Scouters, and I would recomend it to all Cub Scout leaders who camp.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

I would not transfer any funds from one unit to another in this way. If the units belong to the same chartered organization, then that may be one thing, but what if a scout is transfering from one CO to another? Technically, bank accounts belong to the CO. Ar you going to transfer funds from (as an example) a pack sponsored by a Baptist church to a troop sponsored by a VFW post? But if you do one and not the other, that is not fair either. I would keep Pack funds as a part of the pack, and troop funds as part of the troop. We don't worry about individual "accounts" with the pack anyway. What do you use them for?

Well the other half just got her today uniform and loved it. Not in the dog house YEAH!!! Well done. May we all be so fortunate. Tell her happy birthday from the group! On another note, in organizing my patches last nite, I found the most current Quality District patch. looks like I back at the drawing board with up to date uniforms. It never ends. I need to change our my wife's pack patches for troop ones, as did my son on his uniform. I still have to put on the CQU patches on 2 of my troop uniforms. For the reasons listed on this thread by others, I really am unimpressed with it--it is just too big and gaudy. I liked the old "Honor Unit" patches. Small and subtle. Glad the doghouse video kept you in stitches.

Not to complicate it, QU or CQU patches should only be worn by those who were members of the unit when it was earned. As an example, we had 6 Webelos cross over to our troop from 3 different packs. All 3 packs earned the 2008 CQU award, as did the troop. But none of these new scouts wear the 2008 CQU patch on their boy scout uniform because the were not boy scouts with our troop when the award was earned. Does that make sense?

Working with 2 Sea Scout Ships in the district, it is interesting to see how differently they communicate. One texts all the time, both the youth and leaders. Constantly, in fact. In the other, the skipper refuses to participate with unit texting (he does communicate all day with his job via his "crack-berry," as he calls it, both emailing and texting). He insists on phone calls to communicate ship business. I have not joined the texting revolution, yet. I am due a (double) upgrade on my cell phone (6+ years old now), which is not a text-friendly machine. I can do it now, it just isn't convenient to do, but when I get the next one, I will consider texting with the SPL and other leaders as needed. But it will be a tool in our box, and I do not expect it to replace our phone tree, which, in spite of technology, I am working to revive. Isn't a phone tree still a part of the Emergency Preparedness MB? I have a question for the group. For those of you who use email as a means of passing information, reminders and such, at what level are the emails being sent out? PLs? Scribe? SPL? Committee? ASM? SM? And how many of you leaders text with your scouts as a means of keeping in touch? (or vice versa, how many of you scouts text with your leaders?)

I am glad you enjoyed the video. Puts some things into perspective. My wife's birthday is mid-May and often falls on Mother's Day. About 4 years ago, she asked me for a single gift for each her b-day and M-Day. For the first, she asked for a cordless screwdriver, so she wouldn't have to go out to my workshop to find mine, and second, she asked for a (specific) camping table for the stove. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! But I did find myself looking around the corner suspiciously, hoping it was not a ruse to lure me into trouble. Luckily for me, she loved both and still uses them often. Have fun with the wife's vintage uniform.

Hopefully Once I'm finished with the wife's vintage uniform for her birthday, I'll get back on board with mine. Carefull what you say here, you may end up in the doghouse. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F2md4uGmMU

JoeBob, The CQU patch may be worn until a new one is earned by the unit. If you earned it in 2008, but not in 2009, you may still wear it until the unit earns it again, hopefully 2010. This is, however, one reason I do not recommend anything other than hand stitching of patches. I do not like "badge magic" or other products. I used to "tack" on patches with hemming tape amd stitched the patch, but that does not come out either, if ever you remove and do not replace the patch. But this has been discussed plenty in other threads, and I will not bore you with the details. And welcome to the forum. It is always nice to have fresh blood--I mean a new face!

Eagle 92, It seems to me that you gave some good advice and that is reassuring. Twice, I was "close" to attempted suicides in a troop environment, but those incidents were long ago. One was when I was a scout (and I was not supposed to know about it) and the other was when I was a 19yo ASM, and that was mostly handled by those higher than me. I will say that one of these incidents was the direct result of a scout's not being allowed to be participate in troop activities as a punishment. The main advice I can give is that this is obviously a family issue. When you said: "...i think that Scouting is his only fun time," I think that sums up what is really going on here. Decisions as to counseling and such are the family's responsiblity. I do, however, agree that the SM needs to meet with the family to become familiar with what is happening, but he must support the family's decisions on this matter; if his advice is welcomed, all the better. The troop must, of course, be there to support this scout. As I can relate to this situation from decades old personal experience, I will keep that scout, his family and the troop in my prayers.

When I was cubmaster (we had a weak committee chair), I was costantly on the lookout for my replacement. I was fortunate to have found him in a 3rd generation Eagle (whose father is on the regional committee and whose grandfather is still an active cubmaster; his aunt was the cubmaster who recruited me!). This was a no brainer, but he could have been overlooked if I had not put forth the effort, as he was more interested in Boy Scouts than being a Pack leader. I spent 2 years as Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner. I inhertited the job (literally) when I was working on staff and the sitting commissioner lost his battle with cancer. The first thing I did was identify potential candidates for staff who could replace me. I recruited 3; one of these became a standout, and 2 years later, I stepped down and he remains a strong and effective CSRTC. The other 2 whom I recruited to assist me still work with him on his staff. I showed up on the doorstep of our COs troop for a committee meeting some 3 and a half years ago. I announced that I was the cubmaster of a 70 strong cub pack and, as of that month, we were now to be a part of the same CO. The effect was stunning. I spent 3 years on the committee, and without much talk, they groomed me for the SM job, because everyone did the math and figured out that the the same time the SM's son was to turn 18 (8 days ago) my son was going to be crossing into the troop (7 days ago). I allowed them to prepare me, and I became an actively involved with meetings and campouts a year ago (thereby establishing myself as a leader in the eyes of the scouts before they ever met my son). I have been the SM for less than 3 months, but I am already looking for my replacement, and I have found him. He is the CM of the other pack our CO charters. He earned his Eagle in our troop in 1990 and has never really left scouting (his father was the longest serving SM in our troop's 72 year history and one of the more prominent vetreran scouters in the district). He and I are already working together planning for when he and his son cross over to the troop, next year. Am I wanting to step down already? Not on your life! I love this job, but he and I are already discussing what we want to see happen in the troop. The troop had 60-70 active when he was a scout, and we are working to see that the troop is made strong and that recruiting is healthy again. It is obvious that we share much common ground and that is good. I believe that the most important job you can do is identify, recruit and train your replacement. It works.

Khaki, tan or cream colored Velcro is not hard to find in 3/4" strips. I would start at a fabric store (regional/national chain store if have one in your area). This size is also easy to find on the internet, but use the search "hook and loop fastener". If on the other hand you are looking for wide material (4"-6"), I will admit that is harder to find. I wanted to use it on position patches on one of my uniforms, and I finally found it at a military alteration shop near the local navy base. It cost $6.00 for 4"x36" strips, with each hook and loop strips sold separately. Good Luck.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

Beavah, Thanks for the tip on Quantum Mechanics. I will have to brush up on that in detail, to counterbalance the G2SS section IX on Skateboarding. I would never want to be accused of showing favoritism to one over the other.

Vicki, Sorry, I wasn't really at odds with anything you were saying. I was only adding that there is a time and place for email, but it should not replace a phone call. And as many scouts are lacking phone etiquette skills, it is a topic which must be addressed at some point, but is really key to communication success. Just my 2. No worries.

Vicki, I don't think this is too off topic. If you like, spin off another thread. Regardless, I agree that email and texting are not the end-all, be-all of communications. But they are not without merit. We transmit much information via email, but much is a followup of what we have already discussed with the scouts a week or more before, calendar and event reminders, deadlines, etc. Email is great for transmitting documents or small masses of information to many people at once. I am working on my scouts phone etiquette, as it is obvious they lack basic skills. Frequently I will get a call from a scout who, as soon as I pick up and answer the phone, begins directly into a question or some such, with neither an identification of who they are or a basic greeting. I will be working through upcoming training to include some simple but basic instructions on phone etiquette. This will fit in with the ideas that we are working our phone trees more and the PLs will be expected to communicate more effectively with their patrol members. I don't, however feel that the SMC should be sidelined by a communications lesson, and as tempted as it may be to discuss this when I have the scout in front of me, there is a better time and place for this.

Yes, it is a public park. And thanks for the tip on Henson Scout Reservation. I will look into that.

Well if I was keeping score, up the Pecan tree would be the winner for "Most Unusual Location" ROTFL. My schedule puts me at our meeting place 30 minutes early every week, and our treasurer also arrives at about this time. I always make it clear that if a scout needs to talk to me about anything (or have a SMC) that he can meet me at that time, but of course it is best to confirm this first. I have had a few talks with scouts, and sometimes they were surprised that I signed off on the SMC, but like many of you, getting to know the scouts is what it is about. Likewise, I knew a SM who would only conduct a SMC if the scout was in a complete uniform. He was very adept at working with youth, and had a real passion for his job. I appreciate his good intentions, but I believe it caused more than one misunderstanding. I encourage scouts to wear the appropriate "uniform of the day," but it is never a requirement. On the other hand, our troop now meets with almost everyone in a complete uniform, which is good, so this had never been an issue. Campouts, I agree are one of the best opportunities to have a SMC, and as I build a rapport with my scouts (not boys, btw), I will encourage them to seek me out during this time.

We have also struggled with using them--or have we? We bought a fresh set of these publications last year, and they are in possession of the SPL. We have chosen themes, and though he never brings a "Troop Meeting Plan," our meetings have run smoothly and better than they have in some time. I suspect he is reviewing them (read "cramming") the night before the meeting and winging it. I guess I cannot argue with the improvement. We will have a new SPL in a week, so it will be interesting to see how he is able to use them. In our upcoming training, we will be reviewing the material and discuss how to best implement it.

We have a scout who has been asked me (more than once) me to set up a skateboard/campout. I have little interest in this, but not to squelch his enthusiasm, I have encouraged him to speak to his Patrol Leader to organize this as a patrol activity. Whether he did this or not is irrelevant, as he has now been elected PL. Our PLC will begin their training this weekend, and I know he will bring it up. Any ideas on how to encourage him to do this? Has suggested that he could camp on his uncle's property (1 acre in a nearby rural community), which happens to be near a skatepark. Our troop has never really done much in the way of patrol camping, but I am working to change that, and I have certainly been talking it up with the scouts for some time. My problem is that there is a disconnect between the "talk" and the "action." How do I go about ensuring that this is going to be conducted in a safe manner. I know about as much about skateboarding as I do about quantum physics(and given the choice between the two, I would probably choose the latter). Strike that. I just read in the G2SS that skateboarding is approved for Tiger and up, but I can't find anything in it on quantum physics. Any ideas are certainly welcome.

I've stayed quiet on this one, but if as the SM you do the SMC, I see two likely outcomes. One, you refuse to sign off the "active" section, therefore no BOR should take place (or it should be done without that requirement completed), and/or you sign of the SMC as completed, but do not give a favorable recomendation to the BOR. I know it has already been discussed and it is pointless to say, but I see no reason or authority for the district to convene or conduct a Eagle Palm BOR. A very unfortunate situation for you to be stuck in. I hope things do work themselves out.

When I conducted the SM conferences for the crossing AOL candidates, I took the time to go to their houses. I did this to put them at ease, working with them in their "comfort zone," so to speak. Most of the Webelos already knew me, so this was not a big issue. Concucting a conference before, during or after a meeting can be hectic sometimes, and on more than one occasion I have felt rushed, or had to interrupt for other business; I do not like this. OTOH, I do like to go to a scout's house on a non-meeting night. My preferred place to conduct a SM conference is on a campout. So, when and where do you conduct your SMCs?

As always, thanks to the peanut gallery for their frank and open remarks. One of my concerns is that our troop does not have much of a selection of ASMs. We have our outgoing SM who is certainly qualified, but his availablity is quickly becoming limited. We have another (20yo) who is all right, but is in school and works and only makes maybe 1 meeting in 5 or 6. We have another (18yo) but he had not been to training and hardly sees himself as anything other than an older scout. As many of you have posted, in a troop as small as ours, I should be able to do all the SM conferences. But I will certainly give consideration to having our ASM do my son's. He is not ready to advance (heck, Monday was his first meeting...), so I guess I can put this off until later.

I have some questions about SM Conferences. Our troop is small (but growing). We will be up to about 20 scouts by the end of the crossover season, all but 2 or 3 of whom are fairly active. As such I intend to do all my own SMCs. I do have 2 questions relating to this. First, I have seen others talk about SMCs being done by ASMs. I have looked throught the material (Boy Scout Handbook and SM Handbook) and I have found nothing which suggests this can be done by anyone other than the SM. I certainly may have missed it, and if I have, please let me know where this is so I can review it. Second, my son is, as of last night, a member of the troop. I have heard others talk about not doing SMCs for one's own son. Is this documented in the SM Handbook or Advancement Guidebook, and if so where (again so I can review this material). I understand the "image" of having a conference with one's own son, but if that is the case, why should one scout be exposed to a different "standard" than every other scout in the troop? Likewise, the SMC is not a pass/fail test, so what is really so "negative" about having a SMC with one's own son? I am not trying to slam troops or SMs whose ASMs are helping with this job, I am only looking to find the documentation of the official references and discuss the matter.

Prehaps, but 2000 years ago and before it was cause to be imaginary.

We ususally do our foil packs with hamburger, tater-tots and fresh carrots, with optional onions and spices. Variations on this with chicken or pork would be great. I also like to substitute corn (on the cob) or any other veggie the scouts will eat, but we always use fresh veggies for this. Some of you probably know this but others may not. The real trick to foil cooking is air (or lack of it). Wrap your foil packs tightly in heavy duty foil. Be careful not to puncture the foil and be sure to make a very good seal and remove all air (keep it tight). Then flip it over and repeat with a second air-tight layer of foil. Air (O2) causes things to burn and char. If you pack it all air tight, it can only brown as much as there is 02 in the food. Other related tips: if you see your dinner smoking or steaming, that is not good as there is air getting in (and out). A propery prepared foil will make a perfect dinner every time. For the cubs, we usually use a coffee can stove for cooking. Take a (#10) coffee can and make a ring of holes just below the top (1") and just above the bottom (1.5"). Run lengths of coat hanger through the holes. The bottom layer is for charcoal, so make sure you have enough to keep it from falling through. Use a church key to make venting holes below the bottom ring. The upper layer is to hold your dinner; two wires properly paced should do the trick here. Fire your coals in a chimney and when they are ready put 7-10 coals on the lower wires, insert your upper wires, and place your dinner on the top. It should be round and fit nicely into the top of the can. 15 minutes per side (depending upon contents) will do nicely. We did this for the webelos at our last campout and they had an absolute blast! And not a one of them left a single bite uneaten.