ValleyBoy

The only camping trips that we do not have fire at is when the area is under a no burn order or during the summer when the temperature is very hot then on a small cooking fire.

With our local councils camporee coming up this weekend and from reading posts on this site for the past few months it has got me to thinking about what type camping locations other Troops use for camping trip. Our Troop usually only camps on scout property at most 2 times a year. One is the upcoming camporee this weekend and another scout property if a council event is scheduled for that location. The second scout property is mainly used cub scout family camping and other district or council activities. We usually camp once a year in the primitive area of a local public campground. Troop has never been charged to camp at this location. In the 13 years I have been with the troop, we have only camped in a state/public campground 3 times. The rest of out troop camping trips have been on private property. Out of all the private property that our Troop has use I know of no cases were the property owner would not allow the Troop to return to the property. Usually the only cost that the scouts have for these camping trips on private property is the cost of the food for the camping trip. What type locations do your units usually use for camping trips.

A camping trip is not complete with out a fire. Adults in our unit do like to burn some wood. A fire does have it uses. Nothing like cooking over a fire, then letting the fire turn into outdoor TV.

My son's project was inside the city park playground just a few blocks from our home. The other 3 Eagles from our Troop were: 1) An outdoor class at the Elementary school that he the scout had attended. 2) Covered pavilion at the Church that is the Charter Organization for the Troop that the scout and his family is also a member off.. 3)Moving the location of a flag pole from a Cotton Mill that was being torn down, across the street so that the flag pole was next to a WWII monument that listed all the citizens of the community that died in WWII. One of the other Troops in our area has had several different scouts that built covered Bus stop pavilions in different locations around town so that student do not have to stand out in the rain waiting on the school bus. I have been on several Eagle Boards were the scout came up with their project from just calling the Army Corp of Engineers that are over a local lake.

My old council scout camp which is still in use by my present council was all cabin camping for summer camp. All but 2 of the cabins were open air due to there not being any chinking between the logs. All each of the cabins had was lights, electrical outlet and cots.

The Troop that I am a member of had over 50 years with no lapses in the charter in the mid 70'. The unit did lapse something in the later 80' or 90' not sure when. I do have an old green' scout shirt from the later 70' that I still ware on occasions that has the yellow 50 years badge below the unit number. With a Council merger years ago our units number did officially change. All the unit numbers from the old Council were changed to 9000's. Our units number officially changed from Troop 9 to Troop 9009 with the merger. When it come to the uniform all the members of the Troop only have the number 9 as the unit number. We have never been question by anyone from the District or Council on this subject.

Yes Scouting is a global movement but the core building blocks of Scouting are still based on the local unit.

In our Troops the SPL does function as a TG and the main youth mentor to the PL & APL. We have a ASPL due to the fact to fill the gap and step in if the SPL is not able to attend a Troop meeting or activity. At this time we only 12 active youth in the Troop. 1 that ages out the next 6 months. 2 that will age out in a little over a year. A 15 year old that has not wanted to take any leadership responsibilities within the Troop and 8 brand new scouts. The SPL & ASPL at this time are the two 16 year old that will age out in a little over a year. The 17 is working on his paperwork for approval of his Eagle Project. PL and ASP are both one of the brand new scouts. All the new scouts have just started to bring up the subject of replacing the PL for missing meeting. At this time the SPL has his hand full getting all the new scouts past the pop tart and P&J menu stage for camping trips among other things.

Good Information. Several times in the past our Troop has tried to go from 1 patrol to 2 patrols and usually after several months due to the numbers we have ended back with just 1 patrol. System we have used is the Troop being boy led by SPL, ASPL, PL, and APL. SPL and ASPL plans and runs the scout meeting and most activities for unit outings.. PL and APL responsible for running their patrol during activities set up by the SPL and ASPL.

Man I wish I could post that good of an response. He is right you know Brian. I know you will do the right thing.

I would inform the teacher that asked you to do the Flag Ceremony about this possible conflict, then go from there. You might be surprised.

There is only one person in this world that you can control how they feel and act and that one person is yourself. From reading some of your post in the last few week I get the feeling that you are a Boy Scout because you want to be a Boy Scout. You have to be happy with your own actions because in the long run you are the only one that controls your own self esteem.

Yep that would be us. Would probably be one that we had been give to retire that we had in one of our auto.

That the way I feel. I am just glad that our unit is now in the position to purchase a Troop Flag.

In my area yes the Boy Scouts have gotten more expensive since I was a youth but folks are still just as charitable as they at that time. The made difference is the local resources are not where near where they were when I was a youth to the scouting program due to the decline in my area in population an other changes in the local economy. These changes have really effected the scouting program in my area in the following way due to the changes in support that the scouting program was supported since my youth. Just a little history of scouting in my area. First Troop was chartered in 1911. The biggest supporter of the scouting program was a local textile company that is no longer in existence. This is how that company supported the scouting program in our area until the mid 1980's. Each of the 7 small communities in our area had a scout hut that was owner and maintained by this company. Today only one is left. Most were sold by the unit sponsoring intuitions after they received ownership from the local council and are now in private ownership. This company also paid all registration fee's and Boy's Life for all scout units in the area. The company also paid for a complete scout uniform for each adult that worked for the company and paid them for time missed from there job when attending scouting activities. If a youth's parent worked for the company they would pay for a completed uniform for that youth. Also each youth in the program had at least one parent that worked for the company. Besides the above the company paid all cost for rank advancements and merit badges earned by all youth inside the council. Where it has really hurt the units in my area since that time is that this company was the real sponsoring intuition of all the units even though they were not the one listed on each units charter. Even thought it has been close to 30 years most of the local sponsoring institutions are still living in the past when it comes to the scout units that they sponsor. Its a battle we fight every day.

Our Troop has not had a Troop Flag since our flag was destroyed when the SM at that time house burned down about 15 years ago. Since that time we had looked into getting a new flag several times with the last time being 4-5 years ago. At those times with the only option being a flag with embroidered lettering the price of the flag was just more than the troop could afford. Yes the embroidered flags look better but how many units have had to make the decision not to get a unit flag just due to the cost.

I wish I have a nickel for every time I have told a new scout have they asked their PL when they have asked me a question even though I could have given them the answer.

Then after the meeting then.

Just my opinion, but it is not the job of the unit committee to monitor how each boy is doing in their position of reasonability. Let me take that back they can monitor by getting feedback from the SM on how the SM on how they are feeling the position, but that is all. Also for advancement purposes if the youth holds the position then they are signed off on that position no matter how good are bad a job they did in that position. It is alright for the SM to meet with the SPL to help him become a better SPL, but when it comes to the other youth positions it should be left to the SPL and the other youth in the troop mentor them in their position.

Our Troop has only canceled one camping trip. The reason that the trip was canceled by the unit leaders was because we had just started the troop and it was going to be the first camping trip for all the boys inside the troop. The weather report was for high winds with 100 % rain all weekend and high temperature all weekend in the mid thirties. As unit leaders we knew cold weather the boys could deal with but cold and wet was a different story. This camping trip which is a District Camporee the last full weekend in January is one that we have attended every years since an with the same weather conditions we would now attend as a unit. The difference is the boys inside the troop are now trained an know how deal with thoughts type weather conditions where the boys that would have been on the canceled trip were not trained. About a year later on another camping trip we waited to Saturday morning instead of Friday evening to leave due to tornado warning for a storm front moving thru the area we were going to be camping.

Yes times have changed. My son who is a senior in college did cut the grass of the elderly couple that lived next door to us until they passed away several years ago. He also still does all the yard maintenance for another older couple that we know. Both paid him for the work he done.. He and both couples knew if asked by the city code enforcement officer or any one else that he was only helping them because they were unable to do the yard work themselves. In our area it does not snow so I can only guess what the city would say if it did snow and sidewalks and driveways need to be shoveled. But my best guess would be that it would only be OK with the City if the Home owner was only asked if they wanted there sidewalk/driveway shoveled the word donation could not be used. My city likes to look for anyway they can to make money and if any type service is provided that is also provided by any business and money changes hand they wont there cut.

In our city our scouts ( or anyone else) can mow lawns or rake leafs an receive a fee for those services without a city business license. Do you want us as adults to allow our youth to break the law. Per city law they could only do the above as "Good Deeds" Closest location that buys recyclables is so far away that by the time to you take the cost to transport the recyclables to them your in the hole. Does not snow in our area plus sidewalk shoveling would fall under the same city laws as mowing lawns. So out of your list that only leaves car washing as a fund raising idea that our boys can use with out breaking the law inside our city. Now our boys have had a yard sale in the past an made and were able to make all of an average of less than 10 dollars each. Location were yard sale is held can only have a total of 6 yard sales a year lasting only 1 day each with a no cost city yard sale permit. One thing I do know is that breaking the law is not part of the BSA program.

I will try and answerer this for you. My local District that I am a member of way a Council until I believe 1991 when it became a part of our present neighboring council. The Council that was collapsing was merged into the other Council by a merger agreement. between the 2 councils. The new council received the old Councils Trust Fund that per the agreement only the interest earned could be used by the new Council and the principle could never be touched. Also the new Council agreed to keep the old Council area covered as one of it Districts with the District name being the name of the old Council. Also the New Council received the old Councils Scout Camp and agreed to maintain the Camp. In the early 2000's the new Council planned to sell the old Camp until they were informed by present scouters that were aware that the Camp was not owned by the Boy Scouts but held in trust by the Boy Scouts just as long as the Boy Scouts did not abandon the Camp.

True but our Troop will never turn a boy away because he and his family does not have the resources to pay the actual full cost for him to be in the program. All we ask of each boy is that they do there best.

Yes the Troop Committee supporting the scoutmaster. The SM brought up the subject of the flag. I have work with the SM inside the scouting program for 13 years and have know him for even longer and in no way will he insulted by these parents ordering this flag behind his back.