derf56

Thank you to all who responded. We have received all info from national, in writing. A troop cannot move from one council to another for any reason, Unless all leaders and scouts physically move to that council. Also they would get a new number, and a new sponsor.(unless sponsor moves with them) My wife is their commissioner and doing a great job. I am the district commissioner but have bein staying out of process.

They say that they are unhappy with couNcil. Thay attended an out of council campoRee this past weekend. They talked them into coming to their summercamp. THan after talking about councils,they were told they could change coucils. Just need to find out if they can. Thay have not talked to charter partner aabout if yet. Just for referance i am former scoutmaster.

We have a troop in our city that wants to change council.Can this troop move their charter to another council and fisically remain in their present council?

An article in Saturdays New York Times talks about a new program being rolled out in 2009. A program to target hispanic youth. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/us/27scout.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper thought it was interesting enough to pass on.

There are two things I feel will help the program. One, I have to agree with many of you that we have to get rid of the merit badge mills and bring back what summercamps should be for, fun and adventure. second, I think the age limit for Scouts should start at 10 years of age. Most cubs by the second year of webelos are bored and need somthing new. Most of what they do for the arrow of light they have to do over again after they join scouts. Boys at 10 years need what scouting will give them.

The Scoutmaster conference should be as unformal as possible. I very rarely did one at a troop meeting. I tried to do them on campouts, hikes, or even at a carwash. This way the Scout was always at ease. You should be talking about his goals not what he has already done.

As a Scout growing up in Oyster Bay,in the 50's, I remember that every Memorial Day we made a pilgrimage to TR's grave and placed a wreath. I would contact the Theodore Roosevelt council,BSA,in New York, they could probably help you. Or contact the Theodore Roosevelt association in Oyster Bay, NY. I know there are pictures because I have seen some. My father was part of those pilgrimages in the 20's and 30's.

#11 Scouters Key Green knot with kahki backing This is the first knot i earned.

#9 Scoutmasters Key Green and White knot with green backing #10 Silver Beaver Blue and White knot With tan backing My two most prizes square knots

I used to be a Fox, and a Good Old Fox too, But now I've finished Foxing and I don't know what to do. I'm growing old and feeble, and I can Fox no more! So I'm going to work my ticket if I can! Back to Gilwell, Happy Land, I'm going to work my ticket if I can! Horney Fox Patrol NE-3-90

A tour permit is not needed for an OA lodge meeting or Lodge training. As An OA member since 1975, and a past Advisor I have never heard of such nonsense. If it was needed it would be the responsibilty of the Lodge Chief and the Lodge Advisor. Have your meeting and don't sweat it.

It is definately the "consevation of Natural Resourses" merit badge. I have one in my collection. Am not sure if it ever had a silver border. It is from the mid 50's

In my place of birth, Long Island, NY, Oysters and clams on the half shell were my favorite delicacy. In Texas, my new home, BBQ brisket is the preferred delicacy

National got it right, the distict and council got it wrong.It is called a "position of responsibility" not a "Position of Leadership". (by the way an Eagle candidate shows the required leadership when he does his project) The EBOR or any BOR is not supposed to judge a scout on his POR, that is the SM's job. If the SM signs off on the POR than he has fulfilled that requirement period. This is Nationals stand on it and I applaud them. Just like merit badges and the previous ranks the EBOR cannot take the POR away from the scout or question if he did them. If a scout fails while doing his POR, blame the SM. Never remove a scout from his POR, work to make him better. No matter how good or how bad he does his POR he gets credit after he puts in the time. Removing the scout does not make him better it will only turn him of. I know this from experience.

I have read everything you have all said. I agree with some and disagree with others. I decided to add my 2 cents. 1) Whatever a Webelo has done for his advancement cannot be used for adv. in scouting. The only exception is he can use the req. he earned for AOL to get his Scout badge. That is if the scoutmaster wants to do this. He still needs a review from the scoutmaster and do the parent booklet in the front of his scout handbook. He has to do the physical fitness req all over again. 2)In the past scoutmasters, most of the ones I know, gave a Webelo who earned the AOL credit for part of the Tenderfoot rank. The Webelo could not get his Tenderfoot badge by getting the AOL. This was not allowed by national adv. policy. This i know for a fact. 3)The Scout badge when it was introduced in the mid 80's changed a great deal of the program. It became the first rank you earned. Like the Bobcat badge, which must be earned before a new Cub could earn any advancement, a new Scout has to earn the Scout badge before he can earn any other rank. The Scout badge is called the joining badge for a very simple reason, it contains all of the joining req. that use to be part of the Tenderfoot rank 4) I am in the Scouting program long enough to remember when you had to be a First Class Scout to work on merit badges. I do not remember working on merit badges at summercamp. They might have allowed someone under the rank of FC to do this but I was not allowed, my father was the scoutmaster. (I do remember that the summercamps were not merit badge factories).This all changed in the late 60's when the FC rank was change. They made earning the first aid merit badge a req to earn the FC rank. 5) As for the skill awards,that someone alluded to, they started in 1972 as part of the new inner-city program. you had to do certain req for each skill award and certain skill awards for each rank. Most of the Tenderfoot through First class req. that are done today came from the skill awards. As a foot note; By the way I failed my Tenderfoot Board of review twice before I passed and never got past first class. That was between 1955 and 1959. I still think that most Scouts today cannot do what we had to do back in the 50,s and 60's Derf56