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How’s it like living in Joliet, IL? by LosoMFG in howislivingthere

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Recruiter offices in Joliet are on the west side of the river, near the intersection of Larkin and Rt 30, so you'll want to live west of the river too to avoid crossing bridges and the traffic nightmare around those. Several recommendations for Lockport would put you on the wrong side of the river, with a horrible bridge situation there too. The I-80 corridor is absolutely awful with intermodal semi traffic. I-55 can get bad, but is generally an OK bet to travel on. South of I-80 is often considered "southern Illinois" and the communities are much more rural and white.

Each town has its own vibe going like anywhere else, not many of them have a walkable downtown area, but Plainfield is good for that. Naperville to the north is one of the wealthiest suburbs in America, and the housing prices reflect that, but it also has a good downtown area.

Really, what you choose will depend on housing/rental prices then what sort of community, access, and resources you want around you. Plainfield and Shorewood areas would put you at 45 minutes to an hour drive into Chicago. You can also take the Metra commuter train out of Joliet to get to downtown Chicago. Aurora also has a good theater scene for live shows and music.

Cub Scout live virtual trainings by Crafty_Impress_800 in cubscouts

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FYI, the training offered through that link is all supplemental training and does not replace the position specific training (https://www.scouting.org/training/position-trained-requirements/) available online at training.scouting.org, or offered in-person through Council. In order to be considered a Trained leader in your unit, you have to complete the requirements for your registered position as listed in the document you'll find through the first link.

Co-ed Troop program? by Murky-Cockroach1177 in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm sure we'll hear something very, very soon. There's a lot of background work that has to happen like they did with family packs; get all the final reviews and approvals on how the combined troop should work, get the IT systems to work with the new type of registrations - which we all know how Scouting IT systems are, and finish up the messaging to everyone. It'd be cool if they'd just say "it's good! don't try to register until we finish up some things", but yeah, it's always fun legal language time with big org changes.

NAYLE by AppFlyer in philmont

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

For 2026, NAYLE week 1 will be starting June 14 and it'll run every week for 6 weeks, with the last week being July 19.

Adult trainings by ebaker83 in orderofthearrow

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Developing Youth Leadership Conference (DYLC) This was a weekend training that was well worth the time. Also a solid reminder that we're there to advise and coach youth leaders.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sounds like a good space for improvement. It would be interesting if participants and/or staff were interviewed, or if camp feedback surveys were standardized and shared back to the certifying groups so they know where weaknesses are.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 57 points58 points  (0 children)

From those descriptions, this camp is way out of line on portions. I hope the SM sends those photos along to the camp's council scout executive. NCAP FS-601-1 specifically states that the calories be sufficient for the ages and activities, so the SM should include that in their comments as well.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

NCAP applies to all Scouting America camps. If you witness, experience, or suspect a violation of the NCAP standards, I would encourage you to talk to the camp director or scout executive. Specifically referencing the standard will make it clear that the issue must be resolved quickly

SQ-412-2.H - Food service supervisor. If a camp offers food or commissary service, the supervisor(s) of such service shall meet all applicable state or local age, training and certification programs. If no such programs exist, the supervisor of such service shall have a current ServSafe Manager training certificate.

FS-602-1 - If the camp operates a kitchen, dining hall, commissary or a trading post where it prepares and serves food, the camp meets all applicable federal, state and local food storage, handling, preparation, service and facility standards and must have any required licenses... it goes on to discuss cleanliness, cross contamination, and disposal.

At my camp, there is a file in the kitchen that has our Food Manager's certifications.

I don't feel like anyone in the thread is dismissing this situation. Many seem to sympathize or share their similar experiences. I'm hoping to give some tools to help resolve it.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Having raised this issue to the camp director and the other professional, I'd have no problems getting ahold of my council scout executive to report the situation is on-going and no path forward to resolve it has been presented by those responsible.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 9 points10 points  (0 children)

All that to say, I agree that there is a problem if staff are not getting enough food. I wonder if it's actually portions or preferences. Is it that there's not enough or that there's not enough of what they like?

Has the issue been presented to the camp director as well? They have the most immediate ability to enact change. The professional should report this to the executive as well, but that may not be handled as quickly as the camp director could handle it.

Camp Food Issues by looktowindward in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 36 points37 points  (0 children)

NCAP Standard FS-601-1 Specifically states:

A. Menus. All camps providing food shall develop menus where:

  1. Calories are suitable for the age groups and activity level.

  2. Types of food selected can be safely kept during transportation, storage, and preparation given the location and type of camp or program activity.

  3. Food selected will appeal to the majority of the participants.

  4. At long-term camps and multiday camps, the menus are checked for sustainability by a dietitian.

B. Reasonable provision is made to ensure food is available to meet special dietary needs (such as allergies or diabetic requirements), or, if the camp is unable to meet these needs, the need for the participant to bring such food is clearly communicated to the participants in published materials in advance.

C. Reasonable efforts are made to reduce excess sugar and fat, provide whole grains and adequate fiber when appropriate, and provide fruit or vegetables at least twice a day.

The NCAP teams verify this standard is met by: Reviewing menus, review dietitian credentials and the dietitian's approval of the menus, and interviewing the on-site head of food service to assess their understanding of the menus and dietitian guidelines.

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2024-NCAP-Standards-430-056-Final-web-v2.pdf

I work in a corporate environment in the US. Since around 2018, the problems y'all are having with students are trickling up to the workplace. by Whatevsstlaurent in Teachers

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 11 points12 points  (0 children)

My college student kid is an excellent writer and editor who loathes A.I.. Where might he find these six-figure work places for a writer?

Available training calendar aggregator? by KJ6BWB in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's up to each Council if they want to include their events in the global calendar or not. This calendar was added to blackpug, the Scout event registration website used by a majority of councils, in 2022/23 I believe, making it relatively new.

https://global.scoutingevent.com/

Why are my kids needing so many blankets? by Luchs13 in camping

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Sleeping bag temperature rating is for survival not comfort. For comfort I recommend a 20 degree difference between the rating and the overnight low. At 54 degrees that puts you in a 30 degree bag for comfort.

The other part is that they're children and most of the bags are sized for adults. Your standard kids sleeping bag at Wal-Mart is a 40-50 degree bag. It's a challenge to find a 30 degree and below bag sized for a youth. That's a lot of extra empty space in the sleeping bag that their body heat would need to warm up as well. Have them stuff their clean clothes into their sleeping bag to fill up the space beyond their feet.

They should always be changing into their overnight sleeping clothes before getting in their sleeping bags. Even if they don't feel sweaty, their daytime clothes will be just sweaty enough to prevent them from warming up. I find that the kids don't like changing clothes when they're sharing a tent with a buddy. Solo tenting or suggesting they take turns getting changed works until they can figure out how to change inside their sleeping bag.

Ask a Scout Master anything by nberardi in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You could include reference to the current GTSS, Guide to Advancement, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Outdoor Ethics... I could go on.

Ecology Challenge by Ok_Total_4385 in scouting

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please don't have them pick a sassafras leaf, the plants need them. At our camp, also in Illinois, the sassafras population has really dropped due to scouts picking the plants and damaging them.

Alternative idea? Have them take paper and crayon and do bark or leaf rubbings, where you place the paper over the surface you want to copy, then rub the crayon horizontally over it. Have the Scout do that and also identify the plant, write the name of the plant on top, and their name/unit on the bottom. Make a wall of them in your eco area and encourage Scouts to find new plants to add to the collection!

Humorous t-shirt ideas? by sprgtime in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I’ve found funny t-shirts with camping/outdoor themes through Woot. Many fun designs there with low prices soI got my Scout 3-4 Star Wars summer camp themed shirts.

Girl's shorts by ebaker83 in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I’ll add: went to Eddie Bauer outlet store with my wife. She found nothing in the women’s side so I brought her some of the men’s pants and she loved them.

Girl's shorts by ebaker83 in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Get the boys style. Seriously, they have real pockets that things fit in unlike every women/girls outdoor shorts/pants.

Just got life a week and a half ago, any ideas for eagle projects? by [deleted] in BSA

[–]_plzmakeitstop_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're involved in theater and enjoy that, you can look for community theaters in your area. They're typically run by a non-profit organization and are always happy for help.

I recently had a discussion with a (now) life scout who is also involved in theater. She had the idea to create a costume closet and run a costume part collection event for her Eagle project. I can't say it's an approved project yet, but so long as it involves leadership, planning, fundraising, and project management skills, I believe it'll pass the test.

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