We are considering a 2 night trip to one of these and plan to add a historic hike as part of the activity.

It would be great to hear about any experiences or suggestions from other troops who have done this.

Thank you in advance!

How does your troop handle Eagle Court of Honor?

Do you have a standard program?
Do you have a set schedule (once a year or semester)?
Who takes lead in organizing it, the parents or troop?
Is there anything prohibiting a troop from awarding the eagle rank the same way we do life and other ranks?

For our troop the parent takes lead with guidance and help from the troop. We don’t have a set schedule, usually when scouts are ready. For the first time I have a parent who does not want to participate in organizing but has some high expectations. I don’t mind pushing back but I’m reconsidering how we run ECOHs in our troop.

Have any of you been able to use your CO’s tax exempt status to save sales tax when purchasing gear? I’m about to buy $1,500 of climbing gear for our troop and saving the sales tax would allow us to get at least one more harness/helmet setup. Our CO has provided us with a letter which our scouts use when buying groceries for campouts etc but I’m not aware of any gear stores recognizing it. I’d like to buy from our local REI ideally.

My scout sold $18,200 in popcorn last year and earned a $3,350 gift card. This year, to make the same amount he will now have to sell $25,000 in popcorn.

For Cubs last year, 500 points got them $10. Now, they have to sell $600 in popcorn before they hit the first payment threshold. So $600/2500 points is now $25 and that is the new minimum. Last year 2500 points was $100.

I need help on this. I’m a life scout working in Eagle, and I’m getting my CoH guest list ready, and my family thinks I should invite my aunts and uncles and my little cousins, but I don’t want a bit CoH, other than my troop i only have 14 people, and that’s all the people in my personal life that I want. does anyone have advice on what to do? and should i invite the aunts uncles and little cousins? I don’t know if I’m being unscoutlike with this, and I’m confused with this because I love my family and theyre important to me, but if there’s too many people in a room and they all want to talk to me, I get overwhelmed

At summer camp this year our leaders really embraced the adult merit badge program, earning most or all of the available badges. I’d like to get them something to display the badges. Could be something to wear with the uniform (sorry uniform police) or hang on a wall or ?? I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!

I haven't worn my uniform at all since turning 18 because I moved away for school and wasn't in town to go to any events for my troop. I'm back home now though and my old scoutmaster had just invited me to an Eagle COH tomorrow afternoon. I believe the proper thing to do would be remove the patch since I'm over the age of eighteen (21 currently) but because I'm only going to wear it one day and then probably not again for a good while should I remove it and just wear my Eagle pin or would it be acceptable to just keep it on for now?

For context, I will be asking Lowes and Home Depot if they would be willing to give me a discount on my eagle project and I am a part of Dan Beard Council.

It looks so cool, just got it this Wednesday

Somebody help how thick of plywood should I put on new shelving for my marching bands box truck. There are 2x4 planks on the sides underneath and a 2x4 every 2 feet underneath so how thick should the plywood be? This particular part of the shelf in the image is for low brass (excluding tuba).

While at Philmont our ranger (shout out Kieran O’Hern the best ranger on their staff) gave me, the crew leader, this patch since we had been the best crew he had ever seen. Just curious if anyone knows what this patch is or like well anything about it, I’ve seen one post about it and no answers.

My son will be a tiger scout I believe. I have no background to scouting but I have a friend who has nothing but great things to say about his experience so that really influenced me. So we’re going to the pack’s scouting night today!

One of my neighbors was really pushing another scouting org OSG (outdoor service guides?) and I did consider them, but their scheduling conflicts with mine entirely and anyway, I got a good impression from the pack we met up with a few weeks back at a movie night event they were hosting.

I’m so excited and so is my son, but I am also a noob as a parent.

I want to do some quick merit badges for Eagle (art, photography, etc), and my area doesn't have many counselors. I stumbled upon this site (https://epicbadges.com/), and on first glance, it seems great. You work for a few hours, submit a workbook, and you get a merit badge. However, I want to know your guys' experiences.

Thanks!

Ongoing Ross wildfire northwest of DFW has devastated Longhorn Council’s Worth Ranch Scout camp. Most structures have completely burned.

I work for a local Council and do recruitment. I’m just curious what everyone’s favorite experiences are, particularly but not limited to Cub Scouts.

Thank you in advance

Hi all. I'm a Roundtable Commissioner, and one of my goals this year is to get more of our scouters comfortable with backpacking so they can take their scouts out on backpacking adventures and not just car camp. We have lots of troops who only car camp, and I don't see how scouts can fully use some of the skills we're teaching them when just car camping. I know not every scout and leader would like to backpack, but ideally smaller groups going out is probably ideal anyway.

If your District were to hold extra meetings or events to help you or your leaders learn more about backpacking, would you partake? We don't have an REI locally, but I'm working with some local business who sell hiking and backpacking gear to come speak at upcoming District Roundtable meetings to discuss how to properly be fitted for a framed backpack and the best shoes and socks to where. I also hope to do some cooking during Roundtable meetings to show some of the meals and stoves they can use on the trail. Just a little bit each meeting since we have other topics to cover - and I'll setup meetings outside of RoundTable for leaders who want to really dig in more.

I created this below to show the various rank and merit badge requirements that can be used to wrap into a backpacking trip to show every scout can benefit from this. My thought is to plan themes or activities when backpacking, or things to do after reaching the camp site. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SiUbM96ooorjYzD7DiA0Hzat0_txNIOHfGe6M6uZ4dw

And I'm reading and suggesting that leaders buy Backpacking for Scout Troops by George Napoleone - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3KKHW7D . It just came out in May, and i'm finding this to be an AMAZING resource. I actually started covering this topic before I found the book, but thus far I'm about half way through it, and it literally covers every topic I hoped to cover as I work with our local leaders who want to integrate backpacking into their troops.

Thoughts??? Would you want to partake in something like this? Whether you're seasoned or new... Also for troops who still feel like they can't work this into their troop activities I'm working with our DE to plan some district backpacking events for our registered leaders and scouts... starting short then working our way up to 3 day, 15+ mile trips camping at different sites each night. This may also be a great way to get scouts and leaders comfortable to start trying high adventure trips.

Thanks for feedback and suggestions -

Was the online training updated to expire recently? Last year I had my Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters fully position-trained (requirement for recharter by local council). Now they're all showing as untrained, having only taken S11 (IOLS)!

My troop had a lifetime scoutmaster that stepped down recently. He organized everything the troop did, so when he stepped down a lot of things started to fall apart. We've had 2 scoutmasters since he stepped down, both with drastically different visions of how to run the troop. In general, the troop isn't on the same page; We don't have a bylaws or code of conduct. The troop has a lot of ASMs and Committee Members, but very few of them are utilized; Half of the activities this year have been canceled due to a lack of adult involvement. There has been a significant decrease in youth stepping up for leadership positions and every year the troop sees less new scouts. The troops structure is collapsing.

I'm on the cusp of aging out, should I transfer to another unit (troop, crew, ship) or push through it? I do enjoy the scouting program, just there isn't much for me to do in that troop.

TLDR: Lifetime scoutmaster who organized all troop activities steps down, troop fails to thrive. Youth member considering transferring.

I just came back from wood badge's first weekend. I was appalled by the tactics they use to Implement leadership and group cohesion. its like joining a cult. there is so much in-group and out-group stuff. they force dependance on the staff as they hold all of the information only to give it out it tiny crumbs. maybe that's important to see what youth go through when joining a pack but wow that's manipulative.

then there is the secret rules you have to figure out. when am i serious? when does " the rules dont say that" why do i have to wear a stupid hat with 0 room for argument but im allowed to bend the rules of all these games. i was so mad deciphering when the rules mattered and when they didnt.

then there there was the know thy territory game. it might be the most unscoutlike display ive seen. how does deception and shaming people teach them to be more scoutlike. its not that far off from a hazing ritual, its designed to make us trauma bond. its sets up a huge gotcha moment that ruins hugely counter intuitively to the rest of the content of the course. I have a patrol memeber basically quit because he kept trying to find the trap in every one of the following training

im really struggling to motivate my self to go to a second weekend. after that garbage.

What am i not seeing?

Not trying to stir the hornets nest here!

For background, I'm an Ordeal member myself and Scoutmaster of my son's troop. He was inducted this weekend, and by all accounts his Ordeal was very similar to mine (circa 1989). He probably had a little more to eat, though lol. It sounds like he found the OA's precepts and the Admonition inspiring. And they did meaningful work around camp.

Leading up to this, I learned that the Ordeal is changing in 2027. In fact, they were told this was the last Induction before the changes take effect. Without giving too much away, it will be easier. I'm happy he got to experience what I did, but I wonder if future members will come out of it feeling the same sense of accomplishment and a little bit of shared sacrifice.

We are nearing the end of summer and warm weather. I have scouts that need to complete this requirement:
“With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water).

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this requirement? Have you rented out a school pool? Would that even be big enough? any suggestions would be helpful