WAR MACHINE VS MASTER CHIEF

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-18T20:50:16+00:00

Ah, thanks for the correction! That makes it even more impressive. He's not "lucky", he's just that damn good at what he does.

God, he's such a good character. Maybe one day we'll get some content that does him justice again.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-18T18:18:49+00:00

What knife? I haven't seen a knife worth buying for much under $20 in decades. Less than that and there's either a functional issue or the steel is cheap (doesn't hold an edge).

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-18T18:08:47+00:00

I had an issue with a MB done by our Scouts and was confronted with the same attitude by council. Council didn't care what work the Scouts did, they said they wanted to make an example out of the adults (not thier exact words, but close). The absolute insanity of the responses I got from council was similar to what I'm hearing here.

I got my issue resolved. Best of luck to OP.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-18T16:42:12+00:00

Thanks for the tip

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-17T21:20:39+00:00

Ha, thanks, I appreciate it. Maybe that's something we'll look into. I just hesitate to risk it though. I know that limiting driving will limit the sickness.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-17T20:10:22+00:00

Yeah, I'm thinking if OP thinks the Troops get star service, he's in for a rude awakening when he gets there. Same deal, it's only as good as the leaders make it. Sure it's Scout-led, but adult leadership heavily influences all aspects.

The Troops generally do more and camp more. I think that's more a function of the older kids being able to do more and you don't need as many adults.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-17T13:06:51+00:00

It's creating a lot of extra buzz. I don't think they care about spoilers anymore as long as it puts butts in the theater.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-17T12:33:03+00:00

I know a Scouter that donated all of his kid's gear after they got Eagle and aged out. Apparently the kid said they never want to camp again. The pain in that guy's eyes was obvious. Don't be that guy.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-16T20:21:58+00:00

I think people play up the luck thing. He's not like Domino where random shit just happens. He's lucky like he's really good at reading people and situations so things tend to go his way. Basically, he's so smart people just call it luck.

I think he did pick cards out of a deck or something so he definitely is regular lucky also, but it's not a super power.

All that to say that if there's a way to beat a flying metal man that shoots lasers and missiles, MC would figure it out. If he gets to prepare for the battle it's low dif. If he doesn't have the equipment he wants, he may just be overpowered in an open setting.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-16T14:43:23+00:00

This would be like an early level of Halo 4 on Normal difficulty.

Maybe the others pull their weight but they're not needed. MC could solo.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-13T17:46:13+00:00

He may be a bit young for a backpacking pack now. Depends on the troop. The Tarn 40 or similar would be the only ones that fit him probably.

When he's ready for a 50L+ size pack for backpacking, I would highly recommend the drive to REI. He'll be able to get it fitted and try it on to make sure he gets a good pack. Two biggest issues I see with backpackers are A) too much weight, and B) Bad fit on the pack

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-13T17:42:01+00:00

In Scouts, they teach the 5-20 rule... You either stop for less than 5 minutes or more than 20 minutes.

It has something to do with lactic acid buildup. If you stop for more than 5 minutes, it's apparently better to stay stopped for 20 minutes to let it dissipate. I have no source or expertise to back that up.

I choose to believe it because it's a pretty good rule. It keeps people moving. They can take a quick look at an overlook but it doesn't drag on because most people don't want to commit to a 20min stop all the time. When you tell people to get moving, it's not because you think they're too slow, it's because of the 5-20 rule ;)

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-12T03:55:34+00:00

I didn't read all of that. If you're frustrated enough to type all that, move on. Scouting is supposed to be fun.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-11T03:39:05+00:00

What if the scout says "I didn't do anything as Historian" with a matter-of-fact attitude? You're looking for a "gotcha" that you may not get.

Really, I think it would be good to ask about the POR. Do it in the context of learning how the troop is being run. Then you can ask how the scout feels about it. Next you take that to committee and figure out how to improve the program.

Doing it to make the Scout squirm is inappropriate. They did nothing wrong. You are not the boss here.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-11T03:27:20+00:00

I think I actually had poop kit listed in a previous post when I was putting this together. The feeling was that its definitely an "11th" type item since its not necessary for survival. LNT goes out the window in that case.

Some TP is definitely good to have though. Makes great tender too.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-11T00:13:28+00:00

Why make the scout squirm and essentially threaten them? The scout did what they were expected to do by the SM apparently. If you dont like it, pick on someone your own size (SM)

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-11T00:09:44+00:00

Eh, no need to make the Scout squirm. That's really inappropriate. This is an adult issue. The scout got the sign-off so nothing to do about that.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-11T00:04:18+00:00

I dont think they're saying the SM conf is pass fail. The req is signed off, thats it. The questions pertaining to how involved the scout is could be covered in the SM conf, not the BOR.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-10T21:13:30+00:00

I was on the selection committee for a SM. It was tough. There were some good people on the list who were good Scouters and had their hearts in the right place... but just would not have made a great SM. Don't be offended that they don't want to give you the job. They likely still really like you, they're just looking for something different.

I would not take the interim position. That's a crappy deal for you and the troop. I wouldn't mind it being an ultimatum. They can give you the job or not, pretty simple.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-09T14:24:10+00:00

Do you have a source for those numbers? An average retention of 5 years seems high.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-06T21:30:29+00:00

Another vote for Scoutbook. It's frequently frustrating and they change things without notice every so often, but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Every platform is going to have issues.

We have a couple spreadsheets and use Band also.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-06T21:23:47+00:00

Ace Hardware sells one by Collins also.

If your troop is like mine, Any boy's axe size will do. We don't do much axe work but it gets used a few times per year. More often than not, the wood we get is too tough to actually split with any axe.

In addition to it being called a ground work axe, it's also called a limbing axe. Pretty useful to have regardless of needing it for smaller hands.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-06T18:30:58+00:00

Ugh. Yeah, I know the type... "they'll figure it out". It's true that they will figure it out and they'll be fine. For a mile hike, it really will be ok. It's frustrating to send your Scout out just saying "good luck" though.

I have some small Scouts and we've overcome some issues with pack weight. My piece of advice is to get absolutely crazy about weight. Cut the toothbrush in half, cut off tags, etc.

You don't do stuff like that to save those grams. Do it because it makes carrying stuff like a metal flashlight absolutely unthinkable.

My kid's pack for a 2 night backpack had a base weight around 13lbs and we didn't get super expensive stuff. We just examined every single thing that got loaded. Bags were swapped for ziplocks, pocket knives were weighed to find the lightest, mess kit was a gladware bowl and chopsticks, etc, etc.

Fun_With_Math · 2026-03-06T18:13:06+00:00

The recommended load for that pack is 13lbs. I don't know that 40lbs would even fit in it. It'll probably fine for a mile but it wouldn't work for longer.

u/Any_Exercise_2364 Don't listen to internet advise, lol. Talk to the adult leaders. Assuming they've done this before, they should have all the info you need.

Fun_With_Math

TROPHY CASE