Grape, what do you mean by doing your silver award with animals?

Glad the girls came back from camp fired up! How cute!

How do the parents want the girls to specialize more....specialize in scouting?

Not having daughters, I don't know if this makes any sense, but I did a year-end event for my boys at a climbing gym! They had a BLAST - and even better, they were exhausted at the end of the evening.

Grape, I wish there were more leaders like you here in Texas! You sound so devoted and concerned about your (scout) girls.

It's a shame we can't find any groups out here that focus on the GS things we did when I was growing up. Maybe if I headed a little further away from the big city?

CSue, my kids would LOVE the Climbing Gym! Maybe something to do this last week before school starts. . .

SLH,

Don't forget to take your camera....I got some of the best pictures with them hanging like bats in some; climbing 30 ft high in others.....it was awesome!

CSUE
I keep reading, but I am still buried at work, and it's hard to reply.

Have to leave again this Wed fir 4 days.

What a bunch of excitement you had at camp! Had I been in charge, I would have told everyone that "one of the leaders is sick, it could be his heart. We don't know what is wrong yet, but we are working on it." A little informaton goes a long way to helping others be comfortable. At least then you know the egg salad sandwiches are OK.

I can identify with everyone talking about fund raising. We are just starting the "Friends of Scouting" fund drive. I love the program, but it takes money to run it. I am much better at being a scoutmaster than doing admin work.



2long,
I bet the girls were never the same after you drove them to activities. I mean that in a good way too. You know I do.

It helps to be exposed to people that care - even if they are just the driver.

SS

Whew, with all that's been in the news with deaths in scouting; I am happy to report that all our boys are home from their backpack trip safely.

There were a total of 24 people on the trip; which is a pretty large group. Lots of rain, but it was usually in the afternoon giving them a chance to dry out before nightfall.


They were thrilled to see a mountain goat herd. The adults formed a circle with the babies in the center when they saw the group of scouts.

My OS got sick the day before they came home. He had some sort of a reaction to either the water he drank or the purification tablets that were in it. Fortunately there were 2 doctors in the group. The concern was that they were way out in the middle of nowhere, and he was getting dehydrated.

So they switched the water he was drinking to water purified by some newfanged technology; and he started feeling better. He had been nauseous, dizzy, pounding headache, and weak. By the next morning he was normal; and was able to hike out carrying his own pack.

The group had already made plans to divide up his belongings and carry his stuff for him if need be. They're a great group! My husband appreciated all the extra support he got from everyone. We're the only family that has 2 children in this scout troop, so the other parents are good at pitching in and helping.

My YS had a very good trip; his new backpack made all the difference for him. The one he had previously was rented and the fit was poor.

So alls well that ends well! They arrived home at midnight last night! Now all I have to face are the dirty wet, smelly socks....well that's not all, but that's the worst of it!

We posted about the same time. I'll read yours and see where you are.

SS

SS,

I knew you were out there somewhere! I am so pleased to read all these posts! It's wonderful!

Your point about the camp leaders is right. I'm sure they had their reasons - but we could have detoured the boys to the pool for swim check if we'd known we would have been delayed so many hours. But they weren't letting anyone out of the parking lot.

FOS is very important to our district...we lost United Way funding 2 years ago - and we're struggling as a result.

I like backpacking better than fundraising. But I do what is needed.

Sounds like a good trip your boys had.
It's funny what you say about the pack fitting him better. I would have such a hard time getting parents to understand that. It's like shoes. Sometimes they wanted to borrow a pack that was almost bigger than the boy. We wouldn't let them go if the pack didn't fit. Better to stay home than be in pain the whole trip. I think we always found a way to make it work though.

Having lived in Durango, (was a scoutmaster there when we went to Frank Rand) I know the mounrains are fun. We had some good fishing trips over the few years I was there.

Does your H like going, or does he do it for the boys?

SS

SS, he loves going!

In fact he's going backpacking with a friend this weekend.

It's probably his favorite outdoor activity - that and snow skiing! He still uses the old backpack he got in the 70's.

Oh, you probably know the Chicago Basin area very well!

JL wrote: "I have signed off on Eagle projects at 11:45 PM before a scout turned 18, and we have had scouts make Eagle at 13."

I have to say, I have always been a little suspicious of making Eagle at 13. I achieved Eagle the summer I turned 17, and they made me work like a dog for every advancement on my way there. No one in our troop made Eagle before age 16 the entire seven years I was a Scout.

But, you are right – to each his own.

Good, that makes it a lot easier.

How about you?

What things do you BOTH like doing?

Are you getting in your 15 hours a week?

Ummmm, just wondering. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

SS

Aph,
I saw it once. The boy was amazing. He was first class when he turned 12, and had all the stuff done for star except waiting the time. He went on to get nearly 100 merit badges, and was a youth leader until he went away to school. He would call me on Tuesday and ask me "have you got everything done for Wed night, can I do anythihg to help?"

Not everyone is like that though.

Ss

SS, & Alph,

The kid that made it 13 had 35 merit badges by that time, had been a patrol leader in his troop and in his jamboree troop, and also been a den chief for Cub Scouts. It can be done, but they are few a far between. The Scout ended up with just short of 90 merit badges as well and was active right up until he was 18.

Interestingly, he had followed another scout who had not advanced as rapidly but was a stellar scout so he learned from this older scout who had set a great example for him.

But, you are right most of the adults in the troop thought this kid was advancing too fast, but they could NOT hold him back as he finished everything they gave him to do and did a very ambitious eagle project as well.

JL

PS: So SS you are a scoutmaster now? My hat is off to you, it is a daunting job and one that needs to be done. How big is your troup? I know what you mean about the fund raising aspects of things. The good news for our troop is that Safeway had a way to raise money when my sons went through, so they basically were able to support their activities and also raise money for the troup. Still I have a lot of FOS mugs in my house, <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> not to mention pens, and what have you.

Grapegirl,

I know of one very successful GS troop that got into ham radio in a big way. They were very successful, because the girls could "travel" without ever being at risk. I know in the day of the internet that doesn't seem so amazing but I think the girls got a lot out of learning building a lot of their equipment. You know something like that might interest them.

You could also look at the BS merit badge book and see if there is a topic in there that the GS might like to take on as their own as well or at least it might provide some ideas for what your troop might want to focus on.

JL

Csue,

I am glad I could offer some ideas. Going into middle school is a very hard time for most kids and especially boys unless they are maturing early and most do not. I do remember my kids in middle school and they all could not wait to get out. I remember being in those grades and I was so glad to get through it.

As for the mouth thing, it seems at that age boys come in two flavors: they have big mouths or they will not say a thing, it is mostly grunts etc. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As for the water issue, it might have been dehydration. Especially at altitude, the kids don't know they need to be drinking and when they don't being sick to your stomach is a major sign of dehydration. Had some scouts do that on a backpacking trip in Alaska (Yup is was hot). Got them rehydrated and they were ready to leave everyone in the dust, which of course was the reason they were dehydrated in the first place, too anxious, would not drink when everyone else was because they were NOT thirsty. You know about the horse and water thing don't you. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> They paid and beleive me they hydrated on every trip after that. In fact they were the ones telling all of the other scouts about drinking enough water.

Must go, but I do hope your son comes to like scouting it is a great program run by some amazingly dedicated people.

JL

JL,
I am no longer a scoutmaster. I get to be a unit commisioner now and I help teach and train leaders from 7 units.

I think scoutmaster is more fun, I have done that three times, plus Varsity coach, and Venture leader. Followed my sons through the age groups. Changed jobs last summer, after a backpacking trip.


The easiest way I ever had to raise money was to call someone I knew in business, and say "The scouts want our money again, I'll donate XXXX if you will."

There are a lot of good people out there that help when asked.

CSue,
Excited to hear more, but I leave town on business Wed afternoon. No net access until next week.

SS

Ah, here this thread is. It was lagging behind.

CSue,
Still interrested in the rest of your camp.

You sound happy these days. You give excellant help. I hope things are as good as they seem.

SS

SS,

I have some thoughts for this thread....just don't have time at the moment!!

I have updates that I'd love to tell you about - just probably in little snippets!

I'm trying to stay positive...when in reality my husband has been very concerned about anxiety I've had for the past 2 weeks.

It has to do with my younger son (the one who struggles) starting middle school this year....YIKES!!!!!!!!!!

Kids can be so mean, and my younger son is socially and emotionally vulnerable. So, I'll be back!!

SS,

Tell me about Camp Alexander which is near Colorado Springs!

We're heading there next summer.

I don't know anything about that one at all. Is there info on the web?

We only lived in Durango two years, so my experiance in CO, and NM is limited.

Most of the ones I know about now are in UT, where we live now. Out troop did go to Catalina Island one year, but that was a long time ago and I was not able to go that summer. I think it is the only summer camp I ever missed. I believe it was camp Emerald Bay.

How come so far away (eastern Co) and do you know why they picked that camp? I have no concerns, just interrested.

Are you on the troop committee?

How is your younger son doing?

I know what you are saying about some kids being mean. We moved around a lot in the early years, and after one move, it came to my attention that some boys were bullying my second son. I asked him what was going on, and if he watned me to get involved. He told me "No, if you get involved it will just get worse. I have been though this before, and I can handle it." I think he was 12 at the time - grown up for his age. He did fine in the long run, but the first 6 months were hard.

As a Scout Master, I had to deal with it sometimes. Usually a simple talk would do it. I would tell the boys that I knew someone was being teased. I would tell them I had information on all of them that would result in THEM being teased if I relased it to the general group. Not that I would do that, but I could. Why didn't I do it? Why didn't I take advantage of them?

I went on to tell them that I loved, and respected them, and wanted what was best for them. Not to see them squirm, or to see them made fun of. I wanted them to stick around and be Eagle scouts, and make someting of themselves. I told them that, and encouraged them to look around the room and choose the boys they wanted to drive away with their teasing. Point them out to me - who is not worth our time - and who is not worth our effort. Of course, they never would identify anyone.

Then I said something like " I have never treated any of you badly - never. I expect you to treat each other like I treat you. I expect you to help each other like I help you, to love each other like I love you. Will you do that for me?"

I only had one boy that couldnt or wouldn't do it. He was bad early on, and we couldn't seem to help him. I knew what he was, so we watched him closely, and one day one of the smaller boys that he picked on (who had started wresteling in school) put him in a hold and wouldn't let him go. This bigger boy was humbled and he refrained from picking on his fellow scouts again as far as I know.
He has been serving time in jail recently, so he didn't learn much while I had him.

Now, this is not to say we never had trouble, but lots of thought, prayer, and hard work seemed to get us a long ways. I am sure your leaders can help - and have you talked to them about your concerns?

Hope all is well at your house.

SS