CubScoutJo

I'm trying to find contact info for Paul of the metalworking booth. My sons left there projects there to cool on tues and by the time they were able to make it back the booth was closed. Would like to see if it would be possible to track them down Jo

Now to speak to the other issue now in this thread: Patch trading In our council, I believe it was focused on too much beforehand in our contingents pre-jambo meetings. Special sets ordered that were included in our jambo fee (whether we wanted them or not) and then more sets offered to purchase so the boys could trade. There wasn't one meeting where patch trading wasn't brought up and encouraged. So probably boys who would never have even had any interest in patch trading, started to think it was the thing to do. Multiply this by hundreds of councils across the USA with adults probably doing the same thing, and you can see how this monster was created. (This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)

Well, you've got two issues going in this thread now. I'll speak to the one in your thread title 1st, the patch of the day. On the Trading Posts FB page, whenever there was a complaint about this, they posted this stock answer over and over again: >> Jamboree Trading Post While we understand your frustration, the Patch of the Day was designed to be just part of a series of events honoring this historic Jamboree. The number of patches was limited to 2010 to mark the anniversary year. We know that collectibles... uniquely commemorate the event so we offered a wide variety of exclusive items. However, we hope your Jamboree experience was wonderful and can override this specific issue. Thank you for sharing your concerns.

Our council had boys fill out an application of sorts, and they originally said that they would do interviews and select based on having a good mix of ranks and experience. However, when my sons "applied" they were immediately accepted, so there was no screening. Incidently, my younger son's patrol ended up being one of those "dysfunctional" ones. He said many of them didn't step up and take responsibilities even if they were on the duty roster. He said that meals sometimes took more than 2 hours from start to cleanup! They also seemed to have little experience with cooking, and even though my son said they had step by step directions, they did things like cut open the bag for the boil in the bag rice. The older son's patrol meshed better though.(This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)(This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)

Two Questions: Question A. 17 year old Eagle Scout Elected and "tapped out" in July; 18th birthday in August; Plans on registering as ASM; Ordeal is after his birthday later in August. Can he still participate in this ordeal and join OA as an adult member? Question B. Same guy, 17 year old Eagle Scout Elected and "tapped out" in July; 18th birthday in August; Plans on registering as ASM; May not be able to attend the Ordeal in August Can he be re-elected as an Adult candidate at the next election in order to go to the next Ordeal in May? Jo

We, too, had a good experience as visitors (with some boys from the troop) to Jamboree yesterday. We arrived around 8:00am, and first tried to go through the Villeboro Gate. At that gate we were told that they couldn't let anyone through that gate until 11:00am. So I think that gate was for staff only until that time. We headed down to the main gate expecting the worst, but turns out, it was smooth sailing. We probably were in and parked in less than 1/2 hour. We did a lot of things in the Armed Forces Adventure area,which was awesome and had lots of freebees, then headed up past one of the action Centers to observe and continued to the Conservation area. I stopped in one of the trading posts. The line was long, but not unbearable. I believe I was a total of 1/2 hour from line to check out. At 11:00am our two scouts who are attending Jamboree met up with us, and we spent a long time in the conservation area because all of our scouts wanted to earn the patch by completed 10 of the exhibit activities. The only thing I wish I had known was just how far back that area went. There were tons of things to do and we stopped at the very first ones, which ended up being more crowded. Had we knows the conservation trail went as far back as it did, we'd probably have gone further down to do our 10 activities. But it was overall a good experience (and they all earned the patch!) Next the visiting scouts went to Brownsea Island and Disabilities awareness, while my husband and I joined our sons to go to an action area. We got to watch them do climbing, rapelling and buckskin games. they also got their hat "branded" in that area. They really wanted to do mountain boarding, but the line was already cut off at 4:15 or so. So we ended up just going back via the bus. After we said goodbye to the boys, we went in the Visitors center trading post which had ZERO lines (not as much merchandise, but they had the Tshirts that I needed to get). Maybe because it was the second to last day and also a weekday, it didn't seem too unbearably crowded to me. It was a great visit and all the scouts want to go in 2013 either as participants or staff. Jo(This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)

Incidently, the guy who won the phone for the ScoutQuest thing in DC was an adult leader as well. Jo

I hope you won't leave us hanging after you get some sleep! We are leaving now for DC and then Tommorrow (Monday) Jamboree. Thanks, Jo

From what I've been reading from others posts on FB, it's kind of hit or miss as far as going earlier than the gates open. If you go too early, they make you drive around some loop (which I have yet to find out the roads this loop takes you) until the gates open. So it is possible that if you arrive at 5:00am you may have to drive around this infinite loop until 9:00am and then depending on where you are in this loop, when they open the gate, you may still have to wait until after 9 to get in. If anyone has more information as to what "driving around" means (which roads must you drive around if gate is closed), please post. Jo

I really thought we should have just stayed with Keystone Council, which really fits more, since Pennsylvania is the Keystone State, and the Keystone is a very recognizable symbol. It's just a great name for a council. Just as United and Continental airlines are going to merge, and yet chose to use the name "United Airlines" sometimes the best name is one you already have. I'm not sure what happened with this naming. First, they held a contest. However, the units weren't given a vote in this contest. Then they said they were going to announce the new name at our program launch in June. But when it came time to announce it, instead, they said that they had picked a name, but the name went all the way to National and was disapproved because it sounded too much like another name. Now, I am not sure if this New Birth of Freedom name was the one that was first disapproved, or if it was one of the other choices submitted for the contest, or if it was just some entirely new name that someone came up with. It would have been nice if the units did have a say, maybe one vote each. Because so far, everyone I've talked to about the new name, has not been in favor of it.

double post(This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)

Does anyone know if a local council can require the medical form to be turned in earlier than the Jamboree requires? My son's contingent says they have to be turned in in January. My son's last physical was in February 2008, so I would need to wait until February 2009 in order to have my insurance pay. QUOTE from JAMBO SITE: All applicants will be required to submit a complete and detailed health history, meet immunization requirements, and undergo a thorough physical fitness examination between July 27, 2009 and March 1, 2010. Physical

Maybe if the families are expecting them ALL to be READ or presented, that's where other people have a problem with them. That could make for a pretty long, dull COH.

Two special ones for my son were one from his former cubmaster and one from his first Scoutmaster (we moved). It's funny how strong the opinions are on these. (kind of similar to people's opinions on mass-Christmas letters) I am guilty of requesting letters for my son. He had a lot of fun opening them and actually, his younger brother made a big deal out of it any time he got one. The most amusing one we got was from George Lucas's secretary! He didn't have his secretary write it and then him sign it, but it is signed by his secretary. LOL. Now whenever we see his name on movie credits, our whole family teases "Hey you got a letter from that guy's secretary!"

On the tag on my son's new uniform, the pocket was labeled as a "technology pocket"

We visited the 2005 Jamboree on the day of the Arena Show (the rescheduled one, not the one where many were dehydrated). We went as a family, not as a troop, and our two boys were able to do some of the things that were put on by outside entities. Things I remember was a rescue tent by the Coast Guard and a flight Similator by the Navy. There was a boy's life tent that they went in. They probably could have done a bit more but we arrived late and they started closing thing up things early due to the arena show. When that happenned, we simply walked around and looked at some of the gateways and such. We did not even try to get into any of the program areas that the paying boys were in. I imagine we wouldn't have been able to do any of that...and rightly so. The arena show was well worth the trip. The skit was a bit corny, but the fireworks display was spectacular, and it was great that they got to see the president speak.

I like it! Very funny. Usually, I send a couple of letters along to camp with my son for him to open. One year, I sent him one that I created to be a "mad lib" letter for him from me about camp and he and his friends filled in the blanks. Here it is: Dear Son, Now that you've been at Boy Scout camp for (number) days, I hope you have been having a (adjective) time. I can't wait to hear about it and all the activities you are doing, like (an activity), (and activity) and, of course, (an activity). Keep notes in your (non) at the end of each day, so you remember all the (adjective) fun you've had. So, what is the food like at camp? Are you eating lots of good (plural noun) made with (plural noun), (a liquid) and (plural noun)? Is the food (adjective)? I hope your tent keeps you (adjective and (adjective). Does your tentmate like to (verb) Has the weather been (adjective)? Have you had any (plural noun)? If you have I know you will (verb) and tel us all about it. We look forward to (verb ending in ING) when you get home. Do you miss us much? We miss you (adverb ending in ly). Don't foreget the most important (noun) of boy scout camp: Never, ever do anything (adverb) enough to cause the (plural noun) to (verb). Love, your (adjective)Mom And here's what he brought back from camp: Dear Son, Now that you've been at Boy Scout camp for 1,495 days, I hope you have been having a slimey time. I can't wait to hear about it and all the activities you are doing, like worm farming, bus driving, and, of course, laser eye surgery. Keep notes in your spleen at the end of each day, so you remember all the smelly fun you've had. So, what is the food like at camp? Are you eating lots of good elevators made with hot peppers, motor oil and wood beetles? Is the food sticky? I hope your tent keeps you fuzzy and silly. Does your tent mate like to skate? Has the weather been green? Have you had any giraffes? If you have I know you will gag and tell us all about it. We look forward to sneezing when you get home. Do you miss us much? We miss you crazily. Don't foreget the most important Brussel sprout of boy scout camp: Never, ever do anything dumb enough to cause the aliens to tickle. Love, your quiet Mom I think maybe I'll do one as a mad lib to be FROM him to me. Which is kind of like your original idea. (This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)(This message has been edited by CubScoutJo)

Agreed, that it is more for the parents than the scouts. In the past, "boys will be boys" has been an excuse for unscoutlike behavior and really not much was ever done besides "talking to" the offender. But now there is new leadership...so now "new" expectations. He wanted something in writing so parents aren't taken by surprise. This is also stated verbally to the boys, but we all know that boys don't always pass along info to parents. Jo

Thanks OGE and SMT for your help. Your examples are what I originally asked for in my post. I didn't ask for a debate about whether or not it should be done, or an accusation of the level of our leaders' "courage" Jo

not really a contract, just a sentence or two to add to the permission slip to reiterate the "expectation".

We have a standard permission slip that we have scout parents fill out for each outing. Due to some behaviors on some trips, we'd like to add a short statement that the scout has to sign, somewhat of a "contract" that he will follow the scout law, or the parent may be asked to come pick him up. Does anyone do anything like this? If so, could you give me a boilerplate for what yours does say? Jo

Well, now even the Chief Executive says the pocket is for an IPOD. http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-17/story/boy_scouts_today_work_with_ipods_and_twitter >>>Boy Scouting's chief executive is a realist: Today's kids are tethered to technology, and their parents are light years removed from the lifestyle of June Cleaver. So if it takes a Twitter account or an iPod pocket on the uniform to get their attention, Robert J. Mazzuca is OK with it.

http://tinyurl.com/cyqdnv Sadly, articles like this one are what give Merit Badge Colleges a bad name. Quotes from the article: >>>Earning a Boy Scout merit badge can be a time consuming process. For a number of area Scouts, however, that process took them just one day.>There are 11 required badges to become an Eagle Scout and a minimum of 21 badges must be earned. Some of the badges require more concentration than others. The one-day crash course allows scouts to focus all of their attention on the project at hand for one day. It gives the Boy Scouts a chance to earn merit badges very fast with a one-day crash course. They can get a majority of the requirements out of the way in just one day, said Dr. Daniel Robinson of Troop 545, who was conducting the veterinary medicine and animal science course. Its a way for us to give the kids the opportunity to get a merit badge in a hurry. We super-saturate them.could also take courses on citizenship in the community, in the nation and in the world as well as communications, personal management and emergency preparedness.

I agree, Desertrat, (BTW, when I saw your name, I thought for sure you were going to agree with my anti-rodent bias complaint) I especially agree with the idea that the low expectations of some counselors is what makes them less meaningful. We've had boys go to camp and do "Communications" badge. Instead of actually being required to go to a public meeting (city council, school board, debate), the group had a mock meeting during one of their sessions where they pretended to be the meeting. Contrast this with two boys who did this badge on their own, who went to a township meeting and got the whole experience of a REAL public meeting, with REAL differing points of view expressed, by REAL members of the community. They were very excited about the arguments presented by both sides for a new water line and zoning issues. (it got heated at times) One of the boys even wanted to go back the next month to see how the issue would be resolved. You just don't get the same experience when counselors dumb down the requirements. Jo

Our advancement person has a hard copy of the Advancement guide and it says: "An approved merit badge counelor may cousel any youth member, including his or her own son, ward or relative" BUT her copy is dated 2004. Does anyone have the most current copy? Jo