General Scouting Thread - BSA + GSA

[Chad Fuck 17658]

In this context, it's probably worthwhile to understand some aspects of bankruptcy.  Most people think that bankruptcy is needed or filed when an entity is insolvent, that is its liabilities exceed its assets.  And that's probably true here, especially considering the unknowable extent of liability for the sexual abuse claims.  But it doesn't inevitably follow that a company that files bankruptcy is insolvent.
Another aspect is that it imposes an order on the chaos of dozens, hundreds, or thousands of claims coming in through lawsuits filed at unpredictable times in unpredictable locales with unpredictable outcomes.  Now, most/all claimants will have to come through the bankruptcy court to establish liability and compensation.  This is less costly for both BSA and the claimants, in most or a lot of cases.
Finally, everyone thinks of bankruptcy as a way to stiff creditors or claimants, forcing them to take less than they're owed.  And that is true.  But without bankruptcy, it's first-come, first-served as far as payout is concerned.  Those that come later may get stiffed entirely, while the first claimants get paid dollar-for-dollar.  I don't think anyone would consider that fair.
Considering that tort compensation/damages have an element of arbitrariness, it's not grossly unfair to have all the claimants come to the table and divvy up the assets in an equitable manner.
So yeah, bankruptcy sucks for BSA.  It sucks for the victims.  But it's an attempt to spread out the suck so no one has to bear it all.
I would expect this to end by BSA forming some kind of pool or trust of funds through which victims can make claims for compensation.  That's going to strip their assets down close to nothing and they'll have to build up going forward.  It's a strain, but it probably beats most of the alternatives.

As a bankruptcy attorney, all of this. Everyone gets a haircut and it may not be pretty, but hopefully the victims get something and the program carries on having learned some very hard lessons.

On a brighter note, I was talking to our District Executive last night about the biggest fundraiser of the year for national which took place earlier this week. There was great concern that there would be less turnout given the bankruptcy. On the contrary it was full and they raised a lot of money. That’s a hopeful sign that donors believe the current organization is acting in a responsible way towards the victims and its’ own finances.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Btw, no one asked at the PTA meeting, but I used it as an opportunity to talk briefly about YPT and all the safeguards Scouting currently used to provide a safe environment for Scouts and Scouters to grow in.

[Sbbruin 21828]

At our Eagle Court of Honor for 3 of our scouts. Incredible watching them grow from young boys to young men.

[TwiceHorn 31435]

On 2/21/2020 at 6:47 AM, Chad Fuck said:

As a bankruptcy attorney, all of this. Everyone gets a haircut and it may not be pretty, but hopefully the victims get something and the program carries on having learned some very hard lessons.

On a brighter note, I was talking to our District Executive last night about the biggest fundraiser of the year for national which took place earlier this week. There was great concern that there would be less turnout given the bankruptcy. On the contrary it was full and they raised a lot of money. That’s a hopeful sign that donors believe the current organization is acting in a responsible way towards the victims and its’ own finances.

I never knew, or asked, that bk was your area.  Cool.

I think most people understand that it's not a death knell for the debtor, most of the time, but I also figured some surly bastard might come along and sling some feces for trying to take the easy way out (that happened recently on one of the plant explosion threads).

I heard one of the plaintiff's lawyers on NPR the other day that was asked about the filing and she gave a good explanation of the benefits to the creditors, as well as the drawbacks to them and was remarkably even-handed and even-keeled about it.  I didn't really expect a full-on Avenatti, but I was impressed with her.

Figured I'd relay some of that message for those of us with Scout affinity.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

I heard one of the plaintiff's lawyers on NPR the other day that was asked about the filing and she gave a good explanation of the benefits to the creditors, as well as the drawbacks to them and was remarkably even-handed and even-keeled about it.

I also heard the piece & was equally impressed that she explained the potential benefits of bankruptcy filing & how it can help those affected by old, shitty BSA National policy.

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[Chad Fuck 17658]

I never knew, or asked, that bk was your area.  Cool.
I think most people understand that it's not a death knell for the debtor, most of the time, but I also figured some surly bastard might come along and sling some feces for trying to take the easy way out (that happened recently on one of the plant explosion threads).
I heard one of the plaintiff's lawyers on NPR the other day that was asked about the filing and she gave a good explanation of the benefits to the creditors, as well as the drawbacks to them and was remarkably even-handed and even-keeled about it.  I didn't really expect a full-on Avenatti, but I was impressed with her.
Figured I'd relay some of that message for those of us with Scout affinity.

I did straight corporate bk for three years straight out of law school. Now it’s a corollary to my primary plaintiffs practice but I have my finger in it everyday. I was in BK court in NC just last week. In any case, what the Scouts are proposing looks a whole lot like a Section 524g trust. That sticks in a lot of plaintiffs attorneys craws, for good reason. But the BK Code does contain some elegant solutions to some thorny problems.

[TwiceHorn 31435]

9 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

 

I did straight corporate bk for three years straight out of law school. Now it’s a corollary to my primary plaintiffs practice but I have my finger in it everyday. I was in BK court in NC just last week. In any case, what the Scouts are proposing looks a whole lot like a Section 524g trust. That sticks in a lot of plaintiffs attorneys craws, for good reason. But the BK Code does contain some elegant solutions to some thorny problems.

 

Given today's Congress, you wonder where and how the hell they came up with some of our laws.  A lot of them are pretty good and ingenious, considering how many of them are absolute crap.

I don't know the history of the bankruptcy code other than the Article I/III snafu.

The most recent patent act (1952) was written by an appellate judge having jurisdiction over patent matters and a long-time employee of the patent office.  They did a remarkable job.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Given today's Congress, you wonder where and how the hell they came up with some of our laws.  A lot of them are pretty good and ingenious, considering how many of them are absolute crap.
I don't know the history of the bankruptcy code other than the Article I/III snafu.
The most recent patent act (1952) was written by an appellate judge having jurisdiction over patent matters and a long-time employee of the patent office.  They did a remarkable job.

Well, there’s a gaping loophole in the Code that Congress needs to fix or there will be no way for individuals to collect against big corporations, but that’s a topic for another thread instead of clogging up this one.

In Scouting news, I’m going to get whip cream pies in the face at the Pack meeting tonight as a reward to those who had the highest popcorn sales. Poncho packed.

[relapse98 634]

On 2/20/2020 at 3:49 PM, Armybrat said:

Mortgaging Philmont to pay for settlements is mind boggling. 
 

As is grown men fucking little boys.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

10 hours ago, relapse98 said:

As is grown men fucking little boys.

[insert my "whataboutism" here]

[ROFL BOX 6647]

FYI to you "family campers" who use the big tents, Hiker Direct has some nutso pricing right now.

2 room / vertical sidewalls (easy stand up space), retails for approx. $ 280 through Sportsman's Guide , Hiker Direct for $ 140.

 

There's all sorts of fun stuff on their splash page.

If your Pack does a Spring camping trip, get one of these boogers.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

New daily deals, this week only.

& YES!!! YESS!!! I admit it - I am addicted to backpacks! I so wanna buy this however I so do NOT need it @ all!!

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[ROFL BOX 6647]

Sacred Springs Camporee will probably be canceled.

What's going on in your Units?

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[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

Looks like our "camp card" fundraiser is kaput.  I assume all meetings are cancelled/postponed since the schools will be closed.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Looks like our "camp card" fundraiser is kaput.  I assume all meetings are cancelled/postponed since the schools will be closed.

This. Circle 10 cancelled everything through the end of the month. Our Pack has followed suit. No activities at all. We will reconsider in a couple weeks.

[atomheartbevo 89619]

On 3/13/2020 at 1:24 PM, ROFL BOX said:

What's going on in your Units?

Just found out this morning, as expected, our Blue & Gold and last camping trip were canceled.   Well, we may do B&G online through Zoom or something.  

We still have some kids in our den who have not completed their requirements.  Their parents are getting reminders, and most have the time to get it done by next week (our normal cutoff for advancement requirements).    The deadline has been known for months, and reminders sent out monthly on what kids were missing what achievements.  

Any advice for nudging parents who should put a few hours into helping their kid move up to the next rank, but aren’t?  The parents have been getting reminders, and the info on what to do.  Hate to see some of these kids not advance through no fault of their own.  

[atomheartbevo 89619]

Welp, just got an email stating that the advancement cutoffs were extended all the way to July 31 for Cub Scouts and Webelos.    If our pack extends, my kid will have almost all of the Tiger belt loops.   

Quote

For Cub Scouts, the BSA will allow parents and other adults in the Cub Scout’s family to sign off on Webelos and Arrow of Light requirements through July 31, 2020. Normally, only a den leader may sign off on these requirements.

Also, Cub Scouts can continue to work on their current den’s advancement through July 31, 2020. This gives extra time for Cub Scouts to complete their badge of rank; if they earn their badge of rank prior to July 31, 2020, they may advance to the next rank.

Eagle Scouts can get an extension through September, providing they meet the requirements (read the article below), and it has to be shown that COVID-19 is the reason for the delay (due to local restrictions, etc.)  

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2020/03/25/advancement-during-covid-19-official-details-about-eagle-extensions-and-more/
 

Edited April 1, 2020 by atomheartbevo

[Saint Tacky 1614]

Very worried about Philmont (mid-July) and Sea Base (early-August).  At least I'll keep my record intact. I've never had a Philmont trek scheduled that wasn't canceled until the following summer.

[atomheartbevo 89619]

2 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

Very worried about Philmont (mid-July) and Sea Base (early-August).  At least I'll keep my record intact. I've never had a Philmont trek scheduled that wasn't canceled until the following summer.

That’s a decent ways off, and they are still staffing various facilities.   If things can truly peak by May, and we can get practices in place and better testing, should be hard to spin everything back up in June.  
Maybe there will be a social distancing badge by then?

[ROFL BOX 6647]

A Philmont cancellation would be crushing, esp. for Crews that were denied last Summer due to the fires & took a rollover to 2020.

As to getting parents on board with belt loops & advancement, honestly if the Scout or Adult Partner wasn't motivated before, it will probably be equally difficult to get them on board now even though they have the available time to get every available loop or pin for that particular rank.

All I can suggest is that you position this as a way for the Adult Partner to get in some quality time that provides a structured method, i.e. the various loops have a plan & list of what to do, so "no thinking / having to come up with ideas on your own" for something new & interesting.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Also, JOTI is coming up - Jamboree On The Internet.  It's an annual way for Units from across the globe to connect via the web.

https://www.jotajoti.info/

 

 

 

[atomheartbevo 89619]

44 minutes ago, ROFL BOX said:

A Philmont cancellation would be crushing, esp. for Crews that were denied last Summer due to the fires & took a rollover to 2020.

As to getting parents on board with belt loops & advancement, honestly if the Scout or Adult Partner wasn't motivated before, it will probably be equally difficult to get them on board now even though they have the available time to get every available loop or pin for that particular rank.

All I can suggest is that you position this as a way for the Adult Partner to get in some quality time that provides a structured method, i.e. the various loops have a plan & list of what to do, so "no thinking / having to come up with ideas on your own" for something new & interesting.

Yeah, it’s being pitched to those missing some of the core requirements in our den that some can be combined, like the hike and backyard jungle, and some of the electives, like the bicycle one, could be done in the course of a normal outing.  

We asked if the Family Adventures were still on at Philmont (we are going to try this summer if we can work out the schedule and if there are good slots), and got a response back pointing to this page, and saying that more info would be forthcoming on April 15:

https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/coronavirus/

If you read that, they are still prepping, but taking measures to keep things safe between now and then.   

Edited April 2, 2020 by atomheartbevo

[Sbbruin 21828]

Just got word that Philmont has cancelled all Ranch programs for the remainder of 2020. My son is devastated, as this was the only thing he had to look forward to this entire summer. He has one more shot at it next year. Normally our troop does Philmont every other year (and a Mt Whitney climb on the off years) but I'm assuming this gets bumped to next year.

[Native Horn 3498]

Man, that blows.  Hopefully he gets there next summer.  Forest fires, pandemics, I mean what else could go wrong?  I think he's golden next year!

[BottleRocket 644]

They are going to let kids that age out this year go next year without counting towards the crew/advisor ratio.

[atomheartbevo 89619]

So ideas for Cub Scout camping this fall?  Our Lexington trip is obviously out.   Camping as a pack will be....difficult.  We are talking about camping as dens, and also being very accommodating of those who don't want to risk anything.

 

[ROFL BOX 6647]

3 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

So ideas for Cub Scout camping this fall?  Our Lexington trip is obviously out.   Camping as a pack will be....difficult.  We are talking about camping as dens, and also being very accommodating of those who don't want to risk anything.

 

I know some places - where are y'all again?

Right now, my biggest concern for Packs is recruiting.  Very difficult in the age of Covid.

[atomheartbevo 89619]

On 8/28/2020 at 4:58 PM, ROFL BOX said:

I know some places - where are y'all again?

Central Austin, willing to go up to an hour outside of town, although that's pushing it for those wanting to do Friday night.

Going to talk to a buddy on the CAC about how Bastrop is going to shake out.  Outside of the Lexington, that seems to be the place where the kids have the most fun (BB guns, archery, fishing, etc. all in one little area, plus we can let the kids run wild for the most part).  Also have a friend at TPWD, so we will see what they would be happy with, but I just think the pack outing will be tough.

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by atomheartbevo

[atomheartbevo 89619]

Wood Badge in the Austin area was moved to the spring.  I was going to be going through that in October and November.

Edited August 30, 2020 by atomheartbevo

[atomheartbevo 89619]

On 8/28/2020 at 4:58 PM, ROFL BOX said:

Right now, my biggest concern for Packs is recruiting.  Very difficult in the age of Covid.

Extremely.  We are close with our PTA, and we've got parents who will be putting out the word on Living Tree and other school-related social media, so we are lucky in that aspect.

We have plans to do hikes in the area greenbelts, and we've got some outdoor places we can get the kids together without having them get too close.

Thankfully, this past year we had a solid Tiger den, and all but one or two are continuing on, and while the upper dens are smaller, they are all staying in.    And we are benefitting from an AISD school shutting down (Pease, transfer school), so the students that were there at that pack (through their PTA) are all coming back to the schools they were zoned for, so we are getting a handful from there.  And we have enough younger siblings that a halfway decent Lion den is going to be in the mix.

And we've had inquiries from another pack that's had.....some issues over the past few years keeping things going.  We don't poach, but we aren't turning people away.

We are also going through the books and putting together meetings and activities that can meet the requirements for moving the kids along to the next level.

I think that's where we are at - we've resigned ourselves to taking care of re-chartering quickly and the other administrative stuff, and then focus on doing things that can get the kids their loops/achievements to move up to the next level.  The year isn't a loss, but we need to hunker down and move the kids through as quickly as possible - we got extremely lucky this past spring, and many of the kids were just one or two achievements away from moving on, and we had just completed our camping trips right before things went to shit.

I will say, that even with the closures, BSA stepped up and put out a lot of activities and guidance over the last 3-4 months to try and keep things moving along for those having to go it alone.

[atomheartbevo 89619]

By the way, normally I don't think you can camp as a den outside of Webelos, but from what I was told, it's sounding like they understand the situation of limits on numbers of people, and they explicitly mention on their COVID FAQ that you must comply with state/local regulations.  Sounds like if you get permission up front, and you have the Cubmaster or assistant along, they are cool with that, but you have to talk to them up front.

We are debating whether to skip camping for the fall, given that the kids are magnets for one another.  There's a lot to unwrap with this stuff.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

We’re having our Pack leadership meeting this coming week to deal with recruiting and Covid adjustments. We had a “drive by” awards pick up a week or so ago so the Cubs could get recognized for the work they’d done over the summer.

As we are a large Pack, I think we are largely
going to have to shift some stuff down to Den level, but we already had a Pack hike at a local green space and that was great. We knew the kids wouldn’t be able to keep from being all over each other, so we were prepared to be strict about masks. Turns out no discipline was necessary. The Cubs were diligent about maintaining masks on their own (mostly).

[Chad Fuck 17658]

As for fall recruiting, our DE has been all over that for us. He’s already arranged with our school principle to jump on Zoom meetings (in lieu of in person class presentations) to pitch Cubs. We have had three kids join in the last two weeks without any prompting.

 

Also we did a yearbook at our school that came out over the summer. While it helped that Mrs. F was spearheading the layout, the most important thing is we had a couple parents who had high res pics of many events. So the Scouts got four pages - more than any other school associated group. I think that’ll probably help is as well. And I attend all the PTA meetings to address any Pack related questions and make sure to at least mention whatever service we’ve been up to. We try and have at least one Den doing community service related to community building each month, that way we always have something to talk about at PTA. This month it was collecting food for our school food shelter at the same time the guys were getting their awards. Kind of a two-fer, that one.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

On 8/29/2020 at 10:05 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Central Austin, willing to go up to an hour outside of town, although that's pushing it for those wanting to do Friday night.

Bastrop is a good spot with the BB opportunity, fishing, etc.

If you want straight up camping & have the $$ to order up some porta cans, I know places out here in Drip that are privately owned & can probably accommodate 150 or so total people.  I'd have to ask, of course - one of them is right on 290, the N side, & he could run a hose down the hill for you.  Again, I could ask.

For a smaller Pack, I know another spot that is much more densely packed with trees & that's off Hamilton Pool Road, a hair W of RR 12.  I had asked that fellow for possible use back with I was Cubmaster & he was up for it; the Pack ended up going to a different privately owned place on 200+ acres.  Since we're in Drip already, all of these places are a max 15 minutes from 12 & 290... so that's quite convenient for us.  I meet people all the time in my roofing & restoration business & am not afraid @ all to ask for possible use.

As to the who can camp thing, yes - Webelos only unless it's a full on Pack camping.  Of course you ...c o u l d... simply go & do it, but not actually do it as Cubs.  Your call.  Hopefully you have people that are BALOO trained (even though, again, not "official" camping).

[atomheartbevo 89619]

18 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

As to the who can camp thing, yes - Webelos only unless it's a full on Pack camping.  Of course you ...c o u l d... simply go & do it, but not actually do it as Cubs.  Your call.  Hopefully you have people that are BALOO trained (even though, again, not "official" camping).

We've had official campouts turn into unofficial campouts before - things happen, Cubmaster couldn't make it, or there weren't any BALOO trained folks.  I'm BALOO trained, as are a few of the others, so we are good these days.

We can call it a Pack campout, but if it's within Austin/Travis County, we are limited by size (very limited, technically gatherings of 10 or less), and that's what the guy I know at CAC was talking about.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Camping this weekend, kinda ½ way between San Saba & Brownwood... San Saba County.

1st one since Feb... 7 months.

Had 4 Tapped for O.A., Scouter / Scout duo, 2 Scouts.

I was grub master, did dinmer fajitas w/ HEB pre-cooked beef & chicken meats + veggies, hand cut pico, etc. Knocked the cover off the ball... tasted awesome.

& Would you check out this fucking awesome Chuck Box??!!!????!?!?!?

We had some fishing activities, caught off dwindling stock pond & relocated them to a larger pond.

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[sasquatch69 596]

After years on Surly/Shag/Hornfans, I never knew there was a scouting thread until I happened to run across it tonight. Excellent.

My journey to scouting was unconventional, as I was never involved as a kid.  My eldest got roped in by friends in 1st grade, so we joined our school's pack.  He took to it like a duck to water, and we had a solid den leader with a pretty large/active pack, so we got involved pretty quickly.  Fast forward two years and the outgoing committee chair pleaded and begged for me to take over - I finally said yes after 3-4 nos.  The incoming cubmaster ghosted us right before the new school year, so I ended up doing both jobs for 18 months until we finally found a new cubmaster (thank heavens).  In the meantime, our youngest had gotten involved too and ended up in a den that grew to 16 boys.

I still sort of kept BSA/scouting culture at arm's length (simply because I only knew the Cub Scouts side of things) until our oldest crossed over and joined a troop.  He's in a great medium-sized troop (about 35 boys with a co-chartered girls troop of 12 girls) with strong scout and adult leadership.  In the three years we've been involved, I ended up doing IOLS and other trainings, taught a couple merit badges and have chaperoned too many campouts to count - and loved every minute.  It's really gotten me into camping in a big way, too - much to my wife's chagrin since her interest in camping has really waned since our pre-kid days.

Bpth our boys are in the troop now and I've just accepted the committee chair position beginning next school year, so I'll be kinda shadowing our current CC (the same guy I succeeded as CC in the pack) this coming spring.  Our oldest just did his OA ordeal this past weekend and we've both signed up for Philmont this coming summer, so I guess we're really in it for the long haul now.

Glad this thread is here - I look forward to reading more!

 

   

Edited October 6, 2020 by sasquatch69

[ROFL BOX 6647]

14 hours ago, sasquatch69 said:

After years on Surly/Shag/Hornfans, I never knew there was a scouting thread until I happened to run across it tonight. Excellent.

My journey to scouting was unconventional, as I was never involved as a kid.  My eldest got roped in by friends in 1st grade, so we joined our school's pack.  He took to it like a duck to water, and we had a solid den leader with a pretty large/active pack, so we got involved pretty quickly.  Fast forward two years and the outgoing committee chair pleaded and begged for me to take over - I finally said yes after 3-4 nos.  The incoming cubmaster ghosted us right before the new school year, so I ended up doing both jobs for 18 months until we finally found a new cubmaster (thank heavens).  In the meantime, our youngest had gotten involved too and ended up in a den that grew to 16 boys.

I still sort of kept BSA/scouting culture at arm's length (simply because I only knew the Cub Scouts side of things) until our oldest crossed over and joined a troop.  He's in a great medium-sized troop (about 35 boys with a co-chartered girls troop of 12 girls) with strong scout and adult leadership.  In the three years we've been involved, I ended up doing IOLS and other trainings, taught a couple merit badges and have chaperoned too many campouts to count - and loved every minute.  It's really gotten me into camping in a big way, too - much to my wife's chagrin since her interest in camping has really waned since our pre-kid days.

Bpth our boys are in the troop now and I've just accepted the committee chair position beginning next school year, so I'll be kinda shadowing our current CC (the same guy I succeeded as CC in the pack) this coming spring.  Our oldest just did his OA ordeal this past weekend and we've both signed up for Philmont this coming summer, so I guess we're really in it for the long haul now.

Glad this thread is here - I look forward to reading more!

 

   

Don't forget, "it's only 1 hour a week".

Lulz

Your story sorta mirrors mine in many ways.  My Dad was practically a lifelong Scouter (over 50 combined years) but wasn't involved in my life much due to the divorce.

Now with a son, I knew he should get the benefits of Scouting & I enrolled him in 1st grade (prior to the advent of Lion Cubs by maybe 4 years).  I was intending to be "involved Cub Scout dad" & by the Bear year was Assistant Den Leader, then next year Webelos 1 Patrol Leader (swapped with the Den Leader) & then for his Webelos 2 / AOL year was Cubmaster.  Now in his 3rd year I'm merely Troop Committee, but do assist when asked.

We're planning for World Jambo in South Korea, whether Trooped or solo attendees.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Well it’s no World Jambo, but we had our first parent and pal (postponed from April) this past weekend. It was a huge success. Social distancing and masks were in use and the Cubs all had a blast. We had about 7 Cubs participate out of 54 in our pack. We had more signed up but the move from April (and I’m sure cv worries) had some drop. But for those who did go it was great to be back outdoors.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

We're camping this weekend.  Headed to Brownwood to do the annual "Survival" deal... adults in tents, Scouts making their own shelters.

Last I checked, it's a 40% chance of "wintery mix' with nightly lows 20f or less.  This oughta be fun..

[ROFL BOX 6647]

On 2/10/2021 at 12:19 AM, ROFL BOX said:

We're camping this weekend.  Headed to Brownwood to do the annual "Survival" deal... adults in tents, Scouts making their own shelters.

Last I checked, it's a 40% chance of "wintery mix' with nightly lows 20f or less.  This oughta be fun..

We didn't go.  would have been AWESOME for us to be on national news because we had someone die from hypothermia under a high of 27 overnight low of 19.

Was rescheduled this this coming weekend.  It's for the Outdoor Survival MB.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Outdoor Survival MB Campout.

Arrived close to 2100 on Friday night, tent set up in moonlight diffused by cloud overcast.

Saturday, the Scouts spent ⅓ of the day creating their overnight shelters.

We then ran them through how to make a fire with a 9 volt & steel wool, basic lighter & tinder / kindling / firewood, + restarting a fire from almost dead embers.

If you had completed the MB in any prior year, you could overnight on Saturday in the shelter but w/ a sleeping pad & sleeping bag.

The 4 Eagles in attendance all rated the shelters (see pic w/ one of them climbing in) & the Scouters told the Scouts what improvements were needed.

One bunch were too cold (3 of them) & decided to head back for their tents, left some snack wrappers in the shelter.

Hogs came through after them & demo'd the thing.

Sunday was how to use a LifeStraw, how to collect water via boiling, how to collect dew & proper use of tablets.

Lunch for Sunday was MRE's. Correctly answer a ? about tr he MB requirements, get your choice on an MRE.

Get it wrong, go to the back of the line & try again (tuna apparently is NOT a popular choice with 14 year old Scouts, nor anything with Jalapeño).

"What is S.T.OP."
"What are the 7 items for basic wilderness survival?
"What are the different ways to make a fire?
"What is required to make a fire?"

The last pic is our Adult cooking station. I wasn't the Grubmaster this go, however we ate well. Pulled Pork on Saturday night.
Breakfast tacos on Sunday AM.

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[sasquatch69 596]

Our troop did our canoeing campout this past weekend, with a group of 30 scouts/adults paddling 10 miles down a particularly beautiful stretch of the Brazos downriver from the PK dam.  After a late start Friday due to storms, we made it to the campsite after 10pm, had to set up quickly and get scouts to bed, and then wake up at 6am to eat breakfast and do a 30-minute class on the safety aspects of the merit badge before we hit the water.  It was great - had a few of the new scouts who struggled, so we moved scouts around to even out the strength level on the boats.  Water was great - not too swift, and mostly high enough to avoid portaging (except for a few short stretches).  Our top adult grubmaster was on this trip, too, so the grownup meals were incredible.  Scout meals varied widely by patrol, as always

 

 

[ROFL BOX 6647]

We're getting prepared for the Pioneering MB; have been doing lashing & rope stuff - braiding twine for real rope (drill, rope guide), etc.  I'm providing the cedar posts, probably bringing close to 40 out.  The "sucks" part is I have been so busy lately with hail calls that I was sorta hoping to sleep in.

 

Noape.

[castolon 193]

On 4/27/2021 at 1:52 PM, sasquatch69 said:

Our troop did our canoeing campout this past weekend, with a group of 30 scouts/adults paddling 10 miles down a particularly beautiful stretch of the Brazos downriver from the PK dam.  After a late start Friday due to storms, we made it to the campsite after 10pm, had to set up quickly and get scouts to bed, and then wake up at 6am to eat breakfast and do a 30-minute class on the safety aspects of the merit badge before we hit the water.  It was great - had a few of the new scouts who struggled, so we moved scouts around to even out the strength level on the boats.  Water was great - not too swift, and mostly high enough to avoid portaging (except for a few short stretches).  Our top adult grubmaster was on this trip, too, so the grownup meals were incredible.  Scout meals varied widely by patrol, as always

 

 

In a past life, I spent a summer leading groups through this. 

https://www.longhorncouncil.org/camps-properties/texas-high-adventure-base/brazos-river-canoe-trip/

It was a great summer. I hadn't done the whole 47 mile stretch before, so I went out there with my helper and knocked out the whole river in 1 day prior to taking scouts down. We finished the last few miles well after dark and it was an interesting experience. 

 

[atomheartbevo 89619]

For those of you who still have Cubs in your family, they are retiring 19 electives in the summer of 2022.  Hate to see some of the genealogy and STEM ones drop off, but these are all being earned in the single-digits, and will probably be replaced with something else.

We still have a bunch of Cubs who plan on earning electives through the summer, and some of them have decided they are going to earn the expiring ones for their rank.

http://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/se-packet/2021-05-10/Announcement-retiring-adventures-SE-packet.pdf

Spoiler

619922	Tiger	Family Stories
619925	Tiger	Earning Your Stripes
619930	Tiger	Tiger Tales
619931	Tiger	Tiger Theater
619940	Wolf	Collections and Hobbies
619944	Wolf	Grow Something
619947	Wolf	Hometown Heroes
619950	Wolf	Motor Away
619958	Bear	Beat of the Drum
619960	Bear	World of Sound
619963	Bear	Make it Move
619968	Bear	Robotics
619978	Webelos/AOL	Looking Back Looking Forward
619979	Webelos/AOL	Maestro
619997	Webelos/AOL	Project Family
619992	Webelos/AOL	Build My Hero
619989	Webelos/AOL	Adventures in Science
619975	Webelos/AOL	Fix It
619982	Webelos/AOL	Movie Making

 

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Yeah, I saw that email & FB notification.  The program is consistently undergoing changes.  Some better received than others.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

We just finished Grow Something on Monday with our Wolf den. It was fun!

Also even with Covid our Pack made our top Journey to Excellence goals. It was work but worth it!

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Double Eagle Court of Honor today.

Great program / slides.

1 Of them + his dad received the Grand Slam of High Adventure patches + Summit Bechtel. They are the 1st from our Troop with both receiving the GSoHA.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Double Eagle Court of Honor today.

Great program / slides.

1 Of them + his dad received the Grand Slam of High Adventure patches + Summit Bechtel. They are the 1st from our Troop with both receiving the GSoHA.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

Can you expand on gsoha? What is it?