5thGenTexan

How does one afford to go to Summer Camp, especially when its gonna be the family? Troop has picked a summer camp in Colorado that is gonna be $400 per Scout, plus getting there and back. (To and from Texas). $400 for camp. Whatever MB cost once there. Travel - Food - Lodging to get there and home. I am seeing $600 per Scout. I have my son and daughter. Boy is 11 and just crossing over. Daughter is 2nd Class. So, they are both going. Need female leadership, so she has to go. I might as well go as well because you know because I am a Leader. Camp fee for adult is less than Scouts, but still not free. So.... looking at $2,000 to go to Scout camp. They have some fundraising money to pay for part, but not near enough to clear $600 each. I looked at a local council camp at the maverick program and its still almost $400 for the week, Geez.... Edit.... $395 per Scout - $325 per Adult

I got my DL in 1991 and I am unsure if they fingerprinted me then or not. (State of Texas) I do know I had to get fingerprints when I got my Real Estate License. I was on the Board of Directors for my kids preschool (working around youth) I got my CHL. That one was Texas Dept of Public Safety and the FBI. I'd like for some of that to be used rather than having to go in again/.

Maybe not as "dirty" as some of the jobs, but I would like to see him do a show on the PWD car process https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/02/01/from-idaho-to-indiana-this-is-how-pinewood-derby-car-kits-get-made/

Being a leader with Cub Scouts is good experience... Makes one an excellent cat herder.

Funny you mention that... I use my knife wrongly when Scouts aren't around. 🤪😆

Should a CC who has a Scout in the Troop stay for meetings or drop and go? I am unsure how much I should be around now.

Our Pack has a 4 digit number. It causes much confusion at the Scout Shop when they try to find our account and no one can ever remember that first digit.

I have tried to keep up, but its not easy with all the legal jargon. Our CO met this week to discuss their position on affiliation with the BSA. I need to report to our committee on what is going on, so I would like the Cliffs Notes version of why the Methodist Church decided to vote "No" so I can explain to people that have not kept up at all. I understand the part about how they will revisit continuation with the BSA at the end of March. Thanks

Unless there is a YPT violation or criminal activity... District and up is not going to get involved in Unit level issues.

I will be CCing three Units. 🤪 I get how "Scouting" works, but I am not entirely comfortable with being a direct contact leader at the Troop level. So, going forward I think I will be on the Unit admin side of things and be available if the SM or ASM needs me

Tonight was my last AOL Den Meeting. Scouts have 1 or 2 requirements here and there to complete, but all are essentially done. They are going to start attending Troop Meetings and getting to know the Scouts there. I started with Tigers 4 1/2 years ago. I have 3 Tigers left from that original group that are going to crossover.

Dodgeball? Pfftt. Here are Scouts playing Mumbly Peg. Now that can get you hurt.

I use a ferro rod with a dry cotton ball and vaseline cotton ball for my fires. I light the stove and a charcoal chimney with a flick a flame thingy.

I can get a charcoal chimney just fine with some paper. Probably faster than lighter fluid. I wont even let my Webelos and AOL start a fire with a match. When I do fires in camp, I dont even use a match. Its a sore spot for me to see lighter fluid in the world. 😁

District / Council level events can almost be a waste of time. In Oct we went to a Webelos Woods and one the of the Troop led rotations was "Hiking". The Scout presenting told Cub Scout Webelos, if bitten by a snake to kill the snake, cut off its head and take it to the hospital with you so they can see what it is. This past summer, I saw pictures from our Council Resident Camp for Cubs, not Webelos Resident Camp. There were Scouts showing Cub Scouts.... squirting lighter fluid into a charcoal chimney. I am unsure what they were "teaching", but I hope and pray none of ours were paying any attention that day.

Just generally... How does the process for a new COR work? Our COR of 15 years is calling in a day, so we need a new one. I am pretty sure we have found a new one. Member of the CO, but has Scouts in the Pack and one soon to be in the Troop. They are talking with the Pastor of the Church this week, so I understand that is totally their deal. But, for the BSA side of this. Who signs the new adult application? So on and so forth?

An AOL Scout left during the day to go to a birthday party, and the parent is a leader. Parent/leader wasnt attending the event, just came to pick up his kid. Just wish they gave us more priority. You know... "No, you arent going to make it to the party, you have Scouts this weekend"

We use Slack as our communications platform for the Pack. CM and CC are in every Den Channel. So, we have a pretty good idea on whats happening. But yes, they need to communicate with the CM about that sort of thing.

We had a Webelos / AOL campout this weekend with the Troop. Only parents we had stay were leader parents.

So... how do you make Scouts a priority? I feel like we run a pretty solid program, but this past weekend I had Scout leave the campout for a couple of hours to go to a birthday party. And it was one of our leaders. It seems like most of the time Scouts even falls below, "family weekend speaker wire straightening time". As a I said, we are providing plenty of opportunities, we just don't make the top of the to do list. I understand that being involved in sports means putting a burden on the other team members if someone is missing, but they know that when signing up for activities. I just get frustrated with Scouts being something families do when there is nothing else going on. And in Cub Scouts, this is on the parents.

My policy is just "No" Never ever... When AOL comes around, that is a different matter.

I don't know what to do about WB. My bad experience was detailed last year. After that year, I am still not inclined to try again. I have come to believe WB is successful for only certain personality types. People that are excited and engaged to attend that type of training I think are more likely to have a good experience. Honestly, I have almost zero tolerance for role playing, and games,, and songs, etc. I would be more than happy to sit through a couple of days of the leadership training itself. In fact, in January I am signed up for UoS with almost an entire day of Troop Committee admin type stuff. Now... I have been involved as an adult leader for 5 year, (this year). I have been a DL the entire time, I was CM, ran camp cards and a fundraiser on our own, did memebership one year. I have led the effort to create a new Troop for Girls that is very successful right now. I will be CC for the Boy Troop at the first of the year. I was a Cub Scout and got Arrow of Light and was a Boy Scout for a time, so I feel like I kinda get the program side of it. I don't feel like I am a bad leader because I havent finished WB... I just cant get past all the silly stuff that is required during the course.

This weekend we are having a campout just for our Webelos / AOL Scouts. Our Unit has our own meeting place which makes life easier in many many ways. We are holding the campout there. The Scouts, this weekend, will be practicing the Patrol Method. They have planned their menus, generated a shopping list, and will be preparing and cooking all their meals. There will be Scouts there from the Troop as well. ALL Scouts will get an opportunity to raise and lower the Flag as part of a color guard. They will work on fire building again. They will work on knots again, We are going to review all the requirements in Scouting Adventure. Scouts are supposed to have an activity ready to lead on their own. Show that you are an active leader by planning an activity for your den without your den leader’s help. Ask your den leader for approval first. Im very excited.

We did great this year. Whole district did great.

I have heard of that, but I dont think something done in Texas. But yes, something similar to that. I never assume anymore there isnt some rule against something.