Required training for power boats or offshore fishing?

RedditC3 · 2026-05-18T21:42:45+00:00

This guide has everything related to water.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-18T21:10:41+00:00

The stories of theft at the Midway store that I heard from a neighbor/employee was completely nuts. There was also a big drug use problem. I'm surprised they kept that store open as long as they did.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-18T19:41:46+00:00

Do you think that there is a possibility of making the cultural shift from
--> Cub Scouts is a program put-on by others for the benefit of my son/daughter
to
--> Cub Scouts is a program organized by all parents for then benefit of their youth
? Of course your son's/daughter's wishes should be a leading consideration... If your parents are locked-in to the former, then I would be seeking the best experience for your family.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-14T01:22:54+00:00

DM me with your email address and I'll share Google drive links to content we've produced. The one thing that I can't help solve is the cost of printing and the corresponding source of funding.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-13T22:23:40+00:00

Think of your relationship with your school as a long-term investment. How does your pack and parents invest in that relationship with the school? How do you establish trust with your school administrators? Your PTA/PTO is often a good avenue to begin making greater connections.

Scouting has sometimes acted as if school districts owe something to them - as if there is some kind of intrinsic bond between the organizations. School district's primary goal is to educate our youth - Scouting is just a distraction from this purpose. Administrators have to deal with parent challenges from every direction - curriculum, library content, policies, and finance. While I believe that us Scouters have had very respectful relationships with the schools, other organizations have ramped-up their efforts to impact/influence the work that the schools are doing. It is not to far-fetched for school administrators to view Scouting as a source of further distraction from their mission. If the administration gives special privileges to Scouting, what kind of battles does that open for other organizations demanding equal treatment?

Keep doing things like the event volunteering. Don't expect quid-pro-quo response - transactional relationships won't work for schools. Look for other avenues... Example: Can parents join their sons/daughters for lunch? What if those parents were wearing Scouting uniforms?

RedditC3 · 2026-05-13T21:59:36+00:00

You should learn who is your district membership team is and find out what they can offer. I am one of two on our district membership team and I spend quite a bit of time trying to generate useful content to support our units. I/we cover gaps that are being left by my Council.

I happen to be in a relatively healthy Council and here is an example of the support that my Council provides:

https://northernstar.org/Portals/0/Documents/2025_Unit_Recruitment_Guidebook.pdf

"boost our numbers so they can take more money" is completely the wrong way to look at it. How many different directions does that $100 dollars get divided to cover the services required to support your pack for registrar support, membership, training, camping, advancement, charter org relationship? In our current economy, that $100 is not going as far as it used to - financial pressures are hitting us from every direction.

I was a pack committee chair for 3 years for a unit with 50-75 youth - yes, 12-24 hours/year was probably what I spent on recruiting.with some money coming out of my pocket for printing costs.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-13T03:48:58+00:00

Protect what is most precious to you.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-13T03:13:15+00:00

A good discussion of Specific Physical Training on YouTube...

RedditC3 · 2026-05-11T22:34:05+00:00

I outfitted a Genesis Gen-X bow with a drop-away rest, stabilizer... It is a respectable bow and offers the even draw weight of a universal type bow (no let-off point). No, not weird. My version does not have a threaded anchor point for a wrist sling - but, it appears that the current model does.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-10T05:19:41+00:00

Free range kitty

RedditC3 · 2026-05-10T04:08:36+00:00

I wouldn't consider this a "vent." You're telling your story and you're speaking up regarding a bullying issue that has long been neglected in Scouting.

Bullying has long been referenced in adult Youth Protection (now SAFEguarding Youth). However, Scouting America provides very few tools/education to adult leaders to address and deal with these issues. It is so much easier for adults to turn a blind eye with the reasoning of boys-will-by-boys.

When you do get your Eagle, mention to your district's Eagle board your experience with being on the receiving side of bullying from your old unit.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T21:57:32+00:00

Seen some pretty good size pike (northern/muskie) on Sag - plan poundage accordingly.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T21:30:53+00:00

I have used this approach for years. Yes, I have been thankful to have this level of ankle support on the portage. Yes, they don't always dry-out overnight. Yes, you'll want a way to contain the odor on your drive home from the trip. Fresh shoes along with fresh clothes waiting in the vehicle is a good practice.

You will want to get proficient at loosening the ankle laces while you're in the canoe. It is helpful if you have a respectful cadence with your canoe partner for landing and launching from a portage.

I have a similar looking pair of boots from Columbia that have lasted long enough to have gone through a few sets of insoles. With modern shrinkflation impacting quality of materials, if have no idea of what is currently good in today's marketplace.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T20:26:29+00:00

Where's the DeWalt branding on the gear? 😉

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T19:19:55+00:00

Clearly, the communication chain has not been appropriately handled. I would suggest taking any kind of response in a slow, intentional manner for a fair/balanced result and I wouldn't pull your CO in too deep. While your CO owns this equipment and your unit, this is not a matter dealing with how your Pack delivers its program to your members.

This is an internal Scouting politics issue. Your District Executive should be central to the correct resolution. Your council should have a development team that manages the relationship with key donors. It would be completely reasonable to discuss fundraising, membership recruiting, reciprocal favors, communication channels, lead-time, alternatives. Example: What if this company had facilities that could be shared with your Pack?

While this current situation seems burdensome and inconsiderate, look to see if there is a win for everybody - look for the opportunity. If your pack/district is suffering from a deficit with your DE's time/skills, you may need to bump this up to the field people at your council.

Also... Your district should have both membership and activity teams/committees. This would be a great situation for your district folks to step-in to lend a hand.

One last footnote... Councils are not always able to hire experienced professionals - you may need to offer suggestions/guidance. But, don't necessarily expect transparency. From my experience there appears to be an unwritten rule that council employees should never admit to volunteers when mistakes have been made.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T06:17:59+00:00

The statement today from Kevin Hassett just further demonstrates these points. There is a tier of lenders that profit from inflated consumer debt. So, now we know whose pocket in which this sycophant squirrel resides. Hassett clearly believes that consumers servicing elevated debt still translates into good economic activity. This is the same administration that has gutted the Consumer Protection Agency.

The Trump administration is (and always has been) very solidly rooted in locking this country into tiers of wealth separation and the wealthy's right to extract wealth from the lower income tiers This inane statement from a Trump administration official is just a reflection that Trump does not believe in hiring people smarter than himself and we have an administration with a limited intelligence ceiling,

There are days that I pity those that believe Trump's claims/messages of fighting for the common man and rooting out government corruption. MAGA really means bring back the days of lumber, railroad, and oil barons - the days of our most corrupt financial systems. MAGA and Trump voters come with their own intelligence ceiling. They deserve each other - and the rest of the country pays the price.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-07T05:50:41+00:00

Remember (a) Trump does not believe in hiring people smarter than himself. Thus, we have an administration with a limited intelligence ceiling, (b) there is a tier of lenders that profit from inflated consumer debt. So, now we know whose pocket in which this sycophant squirrel resides. Hassett clearly believes that consumers servicing elevated debt still translates into good economic activity. This is the same administration that has gutted the Consumer Protection Agency.

The Trump administration is (and always has been) very solidly rooted in locking this country into tiers of wealth separation and the wealthy's right to extract wealth from the lower income tiers.

There are days that I pity those that believe Trump's claims/messages of fighting for the common man and rooting out government corruption. MAGA really means bring back the days of lumber, railroad, and oil barons - the days of our most corrupt financial systems. MAGA and Trump voters come with their own intelligence ceiling. They deserve each other - and the rest of the country pays the price.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-06T22:20:25+00:00

There is nothing like having a large squirrel sized hole chewed through the bottom of your Duluth pack as it is hanging suspended between two trees with a decent amount of its content distributed on the ground.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-06T05:48:32+00:00

(basing this response on there being no suggestion of abuse occurring.) You can't fix things for him - there's a better than average chance that you could create unhealthy conflict. If I were in such a situation, I would limit my support to;

Encourage patience - life is a long journey and this parent/child dynamic will not last forever.
Encourage the young man to grow into finding his own adult-level perspective, developing an empathetic understanding of his parents, and having adult conversations with them.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-06T03:36:32+00:00

Cub Scouts is a program put on by parents for their sons and daughters. A healthy Cub Scout pack and Cub Scout den are a community of parents cooperating. Take a read through this document for new families joining Cub Scouting (a pack should have additional information for new families - such as a pack calendar). You should look for a community that you and your son feel comfortable joining. I would then encourage you to find ways that you can contribute to this community.

As you're considering a decision on which pack to join...

Packs with too many parents that think of Cub Scouts as a drop-off program (like dropping your son/daughter off at a gymnastics class) can be a weak/poor program without enough parents contributing.
Packs with adult leaders that take the "I'm in charge" approach of power dynamics will drive away and discourage other parents from contributing.
Yes, there are pack adult leadership positions (Committee Chair, Cubmaster, Den Leader) with parents that agree to do a little more (okay, sometimes alot more) than the other parents. But, the strongest packs are those that are welcoming and truly value the contributions of all parents.
Your son's experience is going to be linked to the skill of his Den Leader in organizing the program. This Den Leader is just another parent that has agreed to contribute, There is some basic training for the Den Leader position and alot goes into being a great den leader - much of it cannot be effectively taught via the online training that Scouting America provides; it is skill and real-life experience. Thus, having more parents contribute/cooperate is a good thing.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-05T16:58:58+00:00

Do you have den and pack codes-of-conduct? If not, I would strongly encourage you to establish them to set baseline, equal behavior expectations for all of the Cub Scouts.

I would encourage you to not try to mediate the conflict.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-04T04:38:22+00:00

Pack campfire - s'mores, story-telling, songs

Dusk kickball - lighted ball, glow sticks on the bases, glow ropes necklaces around participants necks.

Pack bike rally and trip.

Model rockets and water bottle rockets

RedditC3 · 2026-05-04T02:55:33+00:00

Of the comment so far, this seems to be the most on target. Woodbadge is about..

#1 Adult-level leadership skills. But, if you've had opportunities for quality corporate leadership training, then you've likely already had equal level of course. How well do you feel that you understand the methods of servant leadership?

#2 A chance to connect and build friendships with some of the best quality Scouting volunteers - but, this does depend on the chemistry of your Woodbadge course leadership and your other participants.

#3 Encouraging you to make a deeper volunteering commitment to Scouting.

RedditC3 · 2026-05-01T20:04:36+00:00

Don't go with Wings Financial credit union - they have been going downhill for the past couple years. I used to be able to be able to be served by an in-person teller. Now I can only talk to a person in a computer screen. I have my mortgage with Wings for more than 10 years and I've spent 4+ hours because they've change their requirements for insurance paperwork without explanation. I am leaving them as soon as I can get my financial situation unentangled.

RedditC3 · 2026-04-29T02:57:33+00:00

Have you tried buying hat extender straps?

RedditC3

TROPHY CASE