Summer camp booze break: Drink before camp, drink after camp, but never during camp.

When I feel like drinking I have a peanut butter cookie and take a hike. It is only 5 days, I can wait for my Ben Nevis.

@SW, sounds like it is time for a talk with the committee. There should never be events that cannibalize each other. Sometimes this is not avoidable but with good planning I suspect most of the time it is.I think we all struggle with sports and school conflicting with Scouts, but it is insane for the troop to cannibalize it's own program.

We had a similar instance two weeks back. There was a training program on the calendar for months. A Merit Badge college was the same weekend. Lastly, a church member who is also on the TC asked us to support something at the church. When this last item came up we discussed in the TC and I advised them that we may not get that many takers for the last event given the long-planned events that were already on the calendar. They went forward with staffing it knowing it would be a pathetic turn out. Lesson Learned: The TC needs to give their planning dates to the PLC in advance of the annual PLC planning meeting.

As far as being at the TC meeting, I feel your pain. Many of my PLC have parents on the TC which always meets at the same time. I have changed the PLC meeting times (and dates) on several occassions only to have the TCC change the TC time to correspond. And yet, I get talked down to when I cannot make those meetings. Go figure. I eventually convinced the TC that I need to be at both in order for the unit to stay healthy and coordinated. I used the cannibalization of events as evidence. They eventually (grudgingly) agreed.

Clearly if you DON'T align yourself with the Tea Party, civil liberty organizations or selected church groups all is good.

Richard Nixon is rolling is his grave at the lack of indignation coming out of the press on this, Bengazhi and the AP wire tapping scandals.

Hope you bought him an ice cream and had a father son moment. Those don't come along that often.

This has been helpful to me too. Thanks.

Unfortunately I am in the same boat as Krampus in that I get no support from my Troop Committee. If I were to hold someone back without obvious behavioral or attendance issues I would be in for it with the parents and committee. I wish that were not the case. At times I feel like finding a new troop that thinks more like I do but my area also has this culture of entitlement. I'd swear half my parents (and kids) have law degrees the way they argue.

Wow that is different. My council you need a new app for every position. SM=app. MB Counselor=another app. It is a standing joke in our area exactly how many apps you submit in your Scout life. My personal record is 5 so far. I know someone who has submitted 8. So much for the 21st Century technology.

I think what he meant was outside of flag ceremonies. At least that's how I read what he wrote. Doing flag ceremonies has always been allowed.

Wow. Sounds like you need a Bylaws amendment channelling all financial matters through you Troop Committee.

@EmberMike...the BSA policy has always been well known. Don't kid yourself. The reason that it is more "open" now is because of activism, social media and the recent swing in this country of the political pendulum. But the policy has always been well known.

There is nothing on the news here. Nothing on the national news that I have seen, though given how the national media picks and chooses what should be an issues I am not surprised.

If there are Scouts or Scouters making political statements of ANY kind they should be sanctioned. Current rules preclude that.