ChaiAdventure

I am not sure what the deal is with the CS knives, but IMHO, the best knife for a boy is a version of the classic 110 buck folding knife. If I were going to suggest a holiday present for the parents of the Bears, that would be it.

Totally agree with BP on this. I was in a similar positions and I was torn between trying to save a Pack , or just moving to a well-established one with a good program. I decided to move to the well-established Pack and do not regret it at all. In fact, I served as their CC and later as the CM. Take care of your boy, find a good Pack, and let him enjoy his scouting experience. Taking on a role as a scouter in your new organization will serve that Pack well and your boy will enjoy your involvement/enthusiasm as well. Good luck....

"so what??" the "so what" is history...and the study of history is critical to avoiding it repeat itself..... Scouting attempts to take what is corrupt and wrong in mainstream society and create environments where those situations are overcome. While I too have never experienced racism in scouting, it cannot be understated at all that scouting is not evenly represented throughout our populace. We try hard to get there, but only with the help of the lessons that history teaches us.

If the boy is turning 11, and the Mom is so "involved and interested" to know when she wants her boy to crossover....I would let him go. At the same time, I would hold him to the standards for AOL and if he cannot pass the requirements (even if they were signed off at one time in his life) to KNOW things like the oath and the law, the he does no qualify for the award. It sounds like you are doing the right thing and have the right attitude.

could be a rodeo fan...could be a discount chain offering to pass on its savings...

Great question.... I have always encouraged my Den Leaders to do advancement activities as part of their Den meetings. In my opinion, this does two things. First, it provides group opportunities to complete requirements. Second, the advancement requirements, in my opinion, are better activities than making sock puppets, or imitating dinosaurs (or some other silly program helps games). Not that I am knocking program helps, but the cycle of losing boys starts when you place high expectations on the parents to help in a program they do not understand (you think Cub parents spend any time on forums checking out the latest trends in scouting). then the boys do not advance...the boys become discouraged...the parents do nothing to make the situation better...and the boy has dropped out of the Pack. I would rather retain my boys, send them to a troop prepared to take on Boy Scout responsibilities, and let them sink or swim from there.

Balance is truly the key... I cringe every time I have to do something involving scouting that does not involve my children. In your case, Wood Badge is a great example. When I did WB, my wife did not understand the scouting program and my motivation, which led to the sense that she was competing for my time with my ticket item time. When I recently took Powderhorn, I took Beavah's track on things. I carefully explained what I was doing and why I was doing it. I also told her what the program was, and how much time it would take. This worked very well. I got her blessing and encouragement; something I never got during the WB process. That being said, I strictly limit myself to activities that do not include my children regarding scouting. As an example, my son is not in OA, and I do no OA activities though I am a lodge member. I constantly remind myself that my children are the scouts, not me. It is very easy to get caught up in the Scouter activities. I also limit myself to one major event (WB, Powderhorn, PTC, Jambo, etc.) per year. Remember, this is a lifetime activity and there is no reason to overload. good luck

Jessie I think I am most impressed when you said that the boy did not earn his Tiger badge. There are so many boys who just earn it by "showing up" that it is truly refreshing to see that you upheld the standard. We use scout track as well and it does become an issue with some of our Den Leaders. I had our advancement chair go strictly by scout track reports and not random emails or conversations and eventually, it worked. As for the parents who don't care...they fall into two basic categories from what I see. One is that they just don't care, and the other is that they just don't understand the program. If it is the latter, easy fix. If it is the former, don't expect the boy around for much longer. Wolf and Bear require parent-boy activities and that will get frustrating for parents that are too busy to work with their boys. In either case, my advice would be to spend 90% of your effort on the boys and parents who care, and 10% on the others. Unfortunately, it usually works the other way.

I agree with the majority here. That money belongs to the Pack (read, the CO). Pack funds do not follow the boys to the Troop, just like funds do not magically appear with the influx of Tigers. Our boys crossover with a neckerchief, handbook, and epaulets. These, by the way, are provided by the Troop. The cubs leave a legacy and some funds that helped to raise. The cycle continues year after year and should not be interrupted. Overall I see two things. 1. You have an outgoing CM that has a vested interest in "taking money" with him. That is a dangerous situation. 2. You have a lot of folks who need to attend, or re-attend training. The roles of the CC, COR, CO, and CM are very clear in the guides available from BSA. These issues are discussed in training. Good for you to bring this up in the forum. There is a lot of collective wisdom in this group that I am always amazed by... good luck

Basementdweller Glad I don 't live in your town.....

All we are doing already exists as part of the program (e.g. fitness requirements, food triangles, etc.). We don't have much of a problem with overweight scouts....just some of the leaders....

Interesting discussion...but I wonder if our opinions would change if we were referring to a boy who was a father, and wanted to join a troop. Are we treating the girl differently because she has to carry the baby until birth? Are we assuming that there is no male in her life to take some responsibility? Again, interesting topic.....

I have never heard that term used and I hope I never do.... The hole at the bottom of the pocket is more likely for drainage than earplugs...or I could be wrong. Do the other pockets have them???

Not only do I agree, but I double that statement by some of the ridiculous rules in the guide to safe scouting. and not only with kids..... I was at training this weekend and was told that because our scout training lasted beyond 5:00pm, we had to stay at the camp and could not go home. Apparently it was based on "fatigue." I am going to try that at work to see if my boss has an issue with me sleeping in the office if I work after 5.

I don't the issue here. If he earns his AOL by the time of the crossover, he can enter the troop (regardless of grade). If he does not earn his AOL, he can enter the troop at 11, and does not have to do a "Webelos 3" year at all....just maybe a delay until his b-day without AOL.

my American flag and the tab that says Boy Scouts of America

Interesting topic...and it should be with 6 pages of posts. I am working on my 24th year in the military, and have my share (and more) and patches, pins, and ribbons. I served in Iraq twice, AFG twice, and am on my way back to Iraq this winter. Despite all this, there is nothing that I have been awarded for my time as a scouter that I feel means any less to me than the decorations awarded to me for my military service. What we do as scouters DIRECTLY affects the quality of our nation both now and in the future. We should not downplay the significance of this program, nor those who run it. A knot or two is a small token for an immense effort. That being said..... What I think we are looking at is broader than that. What I believe we are discussing is the existence of an adult scout program. When we talk about earning distinctive uniform items as an adult which may not directly correlate to "service to youth" we shift into another realm. We ask ourselves if scouters do certain things for their own recognition, or simply as volunteers to youth. I believe that the vast majority of scouters do both, but in varying degrees. One example for me is when a female leader becomes a member of OA, and never serves as a Lodge Advisor. Is this for the good of the lodge, or the good of the scouter, and is it being good for the scouter wrong in any way. My personal opinion is that the mission of scouting applies beyond the age of 18 (or 20). Scouting goals are lifelong goals that create better citizens and people. Do we have scouters out there that are "buffs?" Yes. Do they seek knots, and recognition, yes. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so...but it should be recognized for what it is. Does it make them any less selfless? I don't believe so...and if the opinion is that it does, then maybe we should explore why we have scouter recognition in the first place. just my opinion, flame suit on

I have to agree with John. My course had so much good in it, and I made so many bonds for life, that I could not imagine one simple event having enough of an impact to cause such a visceral reactions as yours. We played the game, got the concept, and moved on. I suggest the same for you.... It is not about a game at WB, it is about molding youth to be good citizens, make ethical decisions and to have them live their lives by the Scout Oath and Law...

I have to agree with the uselessness of tour permits for Cub Scouts when they are each being driven by their own parents to a District/Council event. I constantly hear the blabber that it protects the CO, but let's come to grips. There is no court in the land that will hold a CO liable when a parent is transporting their own child. When there is shared transportation...fine. File the permit, but I am not going to ask parents for their DL number to drive their own child. If that were truly the requirement, then I would have to file a tour permit to have them bring their kids to a Pack Meeting since no one lives at the CO....

You can never go wrong with less and uncluttered. I would ensure that your uniform is clean and pressed and that it fits well. The centennial uniform and green tabs are not essential. The ODL uniform and red tabs are perfectly acceptable. The pins should not be on your uniform, nor should you wear or bring an OA sash. The EBOR is not an OA activity...the pocket flap however is fine. The belt may be impressive....but if it does not meet the requirements on the inspection sheet, it simply offers something that could be questioned. The arrowhead will say it all...and I would absolutely wear that. Shoes should be appropriate. I would recommend something dark and casual. You can't go wrong with clean hiking boots. Your sash should be updated so it reflects the records that the board sees. If you have 20 MB laying around, it is time to get them on there. I would question a scout on why they did not think it was necessary to include 20 MB. That is very significant amount and not including them may show a cavalier attitude toward them. Remember, it is perception that is key. Other than that, relax and consider the board an opportunity, not an obstacle. Good luck....

I like the new green ones. I can wear them for other activities and no one wonders "why that dude has red stripes on the top of his socks." While I see the utility in the knee high socks, I hated them as a youth and I would not wear them now. For the times when I need the protection, long pants will serve just fine.

I concur that the bang for the buck in scouting is pretty good. There is nothing else my kids can do for that cost. The increase is the same as a kids meal.

BF Interesting that you say that UoS is not nationally recognized. While I agree that there is a wide disparity council to council, I would say that national does recognize the program. Proof in point would be that UoS is specifically mentioned as fulfilling the annual requirement for various training knots. I do think that if the trend continues to have UoS replace Pow Wow, that national needs to do "some" standardization of the program, degrees, etc.

looks like I'll be raising Pack dues this year too make up for the additional $5 per Cub

We also camp about twice a year and planned recently to buy a trailer. The plan sounded good until we realized that the gain was not worth the cost. In the end, no trailer...and I think we did the right thing.