5thGenTexan Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 In October 2017 I picked my son up at school. He informed me he wanted to join Cub Scouts. So, we got him signed and then they got me signed up. 🤣 This weekend he is going alone on his first Troop campus. How did that happen?? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldscout448 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 " And you ain't seen nothin yet" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 My youngest Cub Scout turns 40 this weekend. How did that happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Just make sure the laundry that you need for the week gets done before he comes back! His will deserve special treatment. ☢️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InquisitiveScouter Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 (edited) And please, for the love of all that is Scouting, make him pack his own gear! You can go through the Scout Handbook checklist with him to guide him, but please make him pack it. And starting today, after school & homework, have him gather at least about a third of his stuff ... if he waits until the last minute (Friday after school) , there will be problems for both of you. Windy and chilly in your area this weekend. Lows in the high 20's. Hats, gloves, and layers are a must. Don't know if you two are used to those temps. Is his sleeping bag good for that? And a final trick...use a wide-mouth Nalgene filled with hot water as a hot water bottle in the bottom of the sleeping bag. He'll literally be a bug in a rug 😜 And congratulations, Dad (?)! Mine got his driver's license yesterday, and I bought him a celebratory milkshake (his favorite). Celebrate those milestones!! Have a short parent-son treat on Sunday when he returns home. Edited January 12, 2022 by InquisitiveScouter 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSScout Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Yep. It happens. The Cub that wanted to build a bird feeder is now driving his own Freightliner. Give him opportunities, not instructions. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5thGenTexan Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 So,,.. that campout was cancelled. It supposed to be in the upper 30 to low 40s all day Saturday with 30 mph winds and maybe getting down in the teens at night. The Troop has decided to make a trip to a local indoor city pool instead, I have also made the decision to skip UoS and go with my kid. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InquisitiveScouter Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 1 hour ago, 5thGenTexan said: It supposed to be in the upper 30 to low 40s all day Saturday with 30 mph winds and maybe getting down in the teens at night. Sounds wonderful! No bugs, fewer other campers, and a good chilly night to sleep 😜 Hope your other outing goes well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jameson76 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 On 1/12/2022 at 10:41 AM, InquisitiveScouter said: And please, for the love of all that is Scouting, make him pack his own gear! Oh My God, that is so true Had a Scout come to the leader area on an outing, his challenge was no sleeping bag. We went to his tent, sleeping bag was in fact in the bottom of his pack. His comment "I guess dad put it in" Chatted with parents on Sunday on the importance of the Scouts packing their own gear, being responsible for their gear. Assisting and guiding is great, but THEY need to OWN it!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle1993 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Jameson76 said: Oh My God, that is so true Had a Scout come to the leader area on an outing, his challenge was no sleeping bag. We went to his tent, sleeping bag was in fact in the bottom of his pack. His comment "I guess dad put it in" Chatted with parents on Sunday on the importance of the Scouts packing their own gear, being responsible for their gear. Assisting and guiding is great, but THEY need to OWN it!! I agree; however, parents need to know their kids and do a check for those who need it. We had a scout attend a cold wet outing. While in the 60s in the day, it dropped to low 40s and rain in the late afternoon. He had shorts and shirt with no pants, sweatshirt, rain jacket, gloves, boots, anything. He had his fishing pole (even though we were nowhere near a lake/pond/river/body of water other than puddles of rain). It was pouring so much that it saturated all rain gear ... so we struggled to find enough dry/warm clothes for him (he was a large kid). We told his parents, they said yep, will watch out in the future. Next camp out (not as bad) once again not prepared. So, we ended up having our PL check his pack for the next few campouts. Edited January 14, 2022 by Eagle1993 typos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberSchiff Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 For my sons' first year of camping, I would check but not pack. Once I found a GREEN ham and cheese sandwich from the previous campout. That I did unpack . IMHO for inexperienced scouts, the SPL/PL's should check packs before outing and at the next troop meeting after where packs should be clean, dry, empty or pre-packed with essential outdoor items. My $0.02, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuctTape Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Patrol leaders ought to be doing gear checks before setting out. There is a rank requirement to present oneself to your PL properly dressed and packed... this should be standard operating procedure NOT a 1-and-done requirement. Prior to the 1st campout of the year(or even more often), the PL (or another scout) should be bringing in their pack to a patrol/troop meeting and demonstrate what and how to pack it. (This would fulfill a req for Communications mB). Scouting done right can fulfill requirements by just doing scouting right. Rank and mB requirements are not the program, but knowing them and how they complement each other helps ensure the program is a good one. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 20 hours ago, 5thGenTexan said: So,,.. that campout was cancelled. It supposed to be in the upper 30 to low 40s all day Saturday with 30 mph winds and maybe getting down in the teens at night. The Troop has decided to make a trip to a local indoor city pool instead, I have also made the decision to skip UoS and go with my kid. So, like what my troop was camping in last November. Truth be told, it was a little rough on the boys. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2Eagle Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, qwazse said: So, like what my troop was camping in last November. Truth be told, it was a little rough on the boys. My nephew recently moved to the mountains of Utah, he and his sons' first troop campout was in October --- snowy at 7000 feet. His not so subtle message to me with the pictures he sent was "hey Uncle T2, you're not the toughest camper in the family any more. " ETA, although I don't think where he is he'll ever again encounter the 35 degrees and raining that we often see here in the Midwest/Northeast, which I think is really the most miserable of conditions. Edited January 15, 2022 by T2Eagle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2Eagle Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Our training for parents is to make sure your son gathers everything and checks it off the checklist, and then make sure HE puts it in the pack. Unless we're backpacking, I always keep some spare gear in my car. Especially for newer scouts, one miserable experience can end their scouting career. Sixteen year olds who show up with nothing but a hoodie for a November campout get a lot less sympathy. A scout is Helpful so I share what I have, but I don't have to wash my own dishes that weekend. If we're backpacking we do at minimum a check for raingear and sufficient clothing layers before we get in the cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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