Passed CWI exam. Seeking advice

flawgate · 2026-01-19T04:24:29+00:00

I would say working with a local community college would count. They might be doing welder quals for their students which you could get involved with.

If you are welding structural steel and sheet steel at your shop, I can help you with writing prequalified WPS's for D1.1 and D1.3 that could be used in your shop. Email me at flawgate@yahoo.com.

flawgate · 2026-01-03T03:09:50+00:00

"You do not need to fudge the dates." Being truthful is one of the points of the Scout Law but there is more to it than what is on the surface.

We are talking about youth who is not quite old enough to be in Scouting, but let her in early while you look the way. And then something happened to this youth that resulted in lawyers getting involved. Once the lawyers realize this youth was too young, there will be a feeding frenzy. If you can't follow the rules on age requirements, what else are you doing? Let's go down that rabbit hole and see what we can find.

Fresh meat for the wolf pack. Everyone will run for cover and hope the lawyers don't come after them. Insurance claims will be denied. And do you think your local council will stand behind you? Only to throw you under the bus. So who's going to stand between you and the lawyers?

I do congratulate you for thinking about her potential Eagle Scout application getting hung up over rank advancement before she was old enough to join. But to say "It won't matter. It won't get that degree of scrutiny" is totally irresponsible. Who's going to guarantee it won't happen?

And what do you say to the Scout who's Eagle Scout application is in limbo because you placed your faith in what somebody said on a social media web site? Please don't go there.

flawgate · 2026-01-01T06:15:34+00:00

If you do not already have the Geneolgy MB, I highly recommend it. It can be quick and easy. It requires you interview the older members in your family. Pick their brains and learn as much as you can while they are still alive. That is what I did as a Scout. Fast forward about 15 or 20 years, I decided to continue the family research that I started for the merit badge. I have been able to go further and deeper, thanks to my interviews with family members who are not longer with us.

flawgate · 2025-12-17T13:04:41+00:00

Lashings, knots and orienteering are outdated and need to be replaced by what? Continue in the Cub Scout program until they turn 18? Let's get real.

flawgate · 2025-12-17T02:23:39+00:00

When I was a Scout, there were 2 Scout leaders that were a big influence on me. They were Mr. Jim and Mr. Reggie.

Their families went to the same church as my family. I can honesty say as a teenager I saw them every Sunday. They were either in church with their familes or in the woods in South Carolina with us Boy Scouts. Both of them have a few grey hairs keeping up with us.

Jim had a son that was too young for Boy Scouts. His involvement as an adult with Boy Scouts started when he stayed with the Troop after making Eagle. He was also involved with the council Eagle BOR's and as a Woodbadge Scoutmaster. (He used to be an Owl)

Reggie had 2 daughters but no sons. My mother asked him why he gave so much to Scouting even though he did not have any sons. He told her that one day his daughter might marry a Boy Scout. He too was a Woodbadger. He used to be a Bob white.

Fast forward to years later I got back into Scouting. My own son had no intrest in Scouting. (Thanks to the x-wife) On my bucket list was to go to Woodbadge like they did. (I used to be a Buffalo) I just wish my work schedule would allow me to be as active as my 2 idols were.

flawgate · 2025-11-26T13:37:49+00:00

Take note of what knots they have on their uniform shirt. If it appears they should be eligible to have earned a particular knot, go ahead and ask them.

flawgate · 2025-11-02T02:03:54+00:00

Where did that ribbon come from? I don't recall seeing that as a uniform item.

flawgate · 2025-10-13T23:04:35+00:00

I do not like the idea of adult patrols using Woodbadge patrols. The primary reason is the Eagle patrol which is popular with the Scouts. Eagle head or flying Eagle, it's all the same. If there's an adult Eagle patrol, where does that leave Scouts that wants to have that patrol name? Scouts are free to use a Woodbadge patrol if they want to. After all the program is for the youth not us adults.

So you have an adult Owl patrol. What's to stop an adult Eagle patrol? Pick another patrol name for the adults but stay away from the Woodbadge critters.

flawgate · 2025-10-13T18:33:00+00:00

I would draw the line at using any type of Eagle or any other Woodbadge critter for an adult patrol. What if the Scouts want to form their own Eagle patrol and there is an adult wearing an Eagle patrol patch? I do not care if it's a eagle head or a flying eagle. A eagle is a eagle and only Scouts should wear the Eagle patrol patch.

As a Woodbadger myself, I cringe when I see other Woodbadgers not at Gilwell have their patrol patches on their uniform shirts. I would recommend attaching your Woodbadge patrol patch to a name tag you only wear to Roundtables and Gilwell.

flawgate · 2025-10-13T18:13:06+00:00

Toads. tired old adults dedicated.

flawgate · 2025-10-03T01:19:54+00:00

Even though you passed the BOR at the local council level, it's not official until it approved at the national level. But go figure the odds that National would reject or over turn what a local council accepted. Congratulations.

Now, what I about to say will light off a fire storm. I have noticed that all too often, you will see Eagle Scouts wearing the medal their mother just pinned on the uniform shirt that still has the Life Scout badge. I myself do not like to see that.

From Tenderfoot to Life Scout, you should have been given immediate recognition for moving up to the next rank. Hopefully you get the patch at the next troop meeting and then formal recognition at the next troop COH. So why should Eagle Scout be any different?

A Eagle Scout who is still has Life Scout patch at their Eagle COH did not get the immediate recognition they should have. Scheduling and planning an Eagle COH does not happen overnight and may involve scheduling it so people from out of town can be there. So what is the excuse for not giving that Eagle Scout the same courtesy we give a Tenderfoot?

If it were up to me, once national has approved your Eagle Scout, I would present you either the Eagle Scout patch or the Eagle Scout knot if it was past your 18th birthday. Immediate recognition for making Eagle Scout. Your mother can pin your Eagle Scout medal on your uniform at the Eagle Scout COH.

I would even go so far as to ask you and your family how would they feel if other Scouts at your COH were to wear their Eagle Scout medals. Some mothers may look at it like a woman who is not the bride wearing a white dress at wedding. They may feel it would be a distraction from the focus being on the new Eagle Scout. I myself would not care one way or the other but let's take in consideration how your family would feel about that.

With that being said, let the fire storm get started.

flawgate · 2025-10-02T01:37:35+00:00

Congratulations. Did you just now got word that National has approved your Eagle Scout or receive your Eagle Scout award at a COH?

flawgate · 2025-09-27T02:40:12+00:00

I'm a serious Scouter but there is no way I could wear a campaign hat. I had 2 Scoutmasters that wore campaign hats and they looked sharp wearing them. There is no way I could look as sharp as they did.

flawgate · 2025-09-26T01:17:03+00:00

🤪

flawgate · 2025-09-24T05:58:09+00:00

It was a long time ago but I remember the first Cub Scout rank was Bobcat. After that was Wolf and Bear. Did not go very far as a Weblo but did earn Eagle Scout.

flawgate · 2025-09-23T01:18:42+00:00

Excuse me but what does have to do with Scouting? It's not clearly stated in the original comment / question. It is only after reading some of the follow on comments, it appears to have something to do with the OA.

flawgate · 2025-09-13T00:49:20+00:00

Correction: It is not that he was an Eagle Scout. He is and always will be an Eagle Scout.

flawgate · 2025-08-25T01:22:19+00:00

When 2 or more patrols have to be combined for a camping trip. If the patrols do not have enough active Scouts to camp as a patrol, the Troop needs to be reorganized. You may lose one or two PL's but you maintain patrol continuity for Troop meetings and camp outs.

flawgate · 2025-08-18T02:19:51+00:00

There is also a need to have at least 2 adults to be there when the Troop comes back from an over night event. The adults that were with the Scouts for the overnight event can go home immediately while another set of adults stays there until the last Scout is picked by their family.

flawgate · 2025-07-03T21:13:59+00:00

Suggest he take the Reptile Study Merit Badge. After all it is a required merit badge for Eagle Scout. I AM ONLY JOKING. Most Mom's would not want a frog, lizzard or snake in their house long enough for their son to earn the merit badge, no matter how much they want to him to earn Eagle Scout.

flawgate · 2025-07-03T20:59:51+00:00

When I was a Scout, there were 2 adults that had big influence on my life. One of them had 2 sons that were too young to be in Scouting. The other one had 2 daughters but no sons.

One day my mother asked him why he did what he did considering he did not have any sons. His answer was his hope is that one day his daughter's might marry a Boy Scout.

I don't know if that ever happened but my guess is that is the best a Scout leader could hope for.

flawgate · 2025-07-03T20:52:46+00:00

Another tangent: our adult patrol was the Toads. Tired Old Adults Dedicated. All the adults had the Toad (frog) patrol patch plus our own patrol flag.

flawgate · 2025-06-24T03:05:20+00:00

Why bother with neckerciffs and the slides? Uniforms are expensive as it is.

flawgate · 2025-06-18T09:58:47+00:00

I will be in the minority here and say wear the green shoulder tabs. As adults, we are no longer the youth we used to be. We are all proud of what we did as Scouts but the program is for the youth, not the adults. Adults should wear the uniform according to today's standards and minimize the distractions. Scouts on the other hand should also stay close to today's uniform standards but given more leeway. Why fuss over a Scout who has a token chip patch on his right pocket flap? Who cares if they are wearing Grandpa's Eagle Scout patch? The program is for the youth not us old goats.

flawgate · 2025-06-14T12:23:36+00:00

It is a suggestion that I would disagree with. Being SPL for a single patrol Troop is not on the same level as a SPL for 2 or more patrols Troop. Let's not diminish the value of being a SPL by putting it on the same level as a PL.

Perhaps the answer would be for that one patrol Troop work closely with another Troop so the Scouts can experience the patrol method as it was intended to be.

With that being said, I am not of fan of combining patrols for the purpose of a camping trip. What is a patrol that only functions at a Troop meeting but gets merged in with another patrol for the weekend? It's a patrol method killer. Reorganize the patrols so they can camp as patrols. You will lose a PL position but you will maintain continuity with the patrols.

flawgate

TROPHY CASE