Re: Introduction
Mike Walton ("Settummanque)
Wed, 22 Nov 1995 00:54:05 -0600
Ed Helms wrote:
>Also, I am involved with an Explorer Post, at THE
>University of South Carolina. Post 1801 is different than most Posts because
>we concentrate on helping the local council as a Scouting resource.
AH-HA!!! The OTHER College Scouter Explorer Post is revealed!!
The University of South Carolina is one of 17 colleges and universities that
have a
variation of the "college scouter" or "scouting service" Explorer Post first
started by Explorer Post 379 (Scouting Service), Bluegrass Council (yeah,
that was *my* Post).
The initial "experiment" was to see the possibility of creating a new outlet
for those Scouts that want to continue their Scouting service, but were more
interested in providing services for the local Council and their units
rather than to explore a particular vocation. In essence, their "vocation"
or "hobby" *was* Scouting. The
experiment worked, and the BSA started encouraging local Councils to imitate
the
Bluegrass Council's (and the Post at the University of Idaho) structure and
program.
The BSA authorized those Posts to create (with consent of their local
Council's Executive) a special "College Scouter CSP" reflecting the college
or university they belonged to, along with the name or number of their Post
and the name of their local Council (along with one of the official BSA
indicia). Our Posts' CSP were made before the Insignia and Uniform
Committee made the recommendation, so it does not have the Council name.
The next run of the CSPs were supposed to have them, but there lacked
interest in doing it, so it wasn't never done (is there anyone left from the
Post @ EKU still here? Did it ever get done?)
Then, the BSA decided NOT to register youth members as "College Scouter
Reserve" members any more, and that kind of knocked the wind out of the
sails of many of those Posts. Most of them failed because instead of
getting folk interested in supporting units or the local Council, they
started to get those interested in doing other things (camping and
rappelling mostly) which turned the focus of the Post around.
>Our
>biggest project is Merit Badge University, last held on October 28th. We
>offered 20 classes and had over 450 Scouts participating, the next MBU is
>scheduled for March 30 next year. The Post is made up of college students,
>both Men and Women. We have the whole range from, Eagle Scouts and Vigil Honor
>members to people that have never been involved with Scouting until now. Well
>I guess about does it, I'm glad that there is a resource like Scouting-L, to
>be able to get ideas and information from.
In the "heyday" of the Post, between 1980 and 82, there were 112 registered
members of the Post, and 58 regular attendees at the Post's bimonthly
meetings. Membership ranged from several Lodge Chiefs and Vigil Honor
members, to three Philmont staff members, to about 20 or so summer camp
staff members, and 18 Eagle Scouts. There were also nine First Class Girl
Scouts and fourteen girls that served on Girl Scout summer camp staffs. It
was a really big deal at the University, and they participated with other
service organizations in campus activities such as the United Way's Penny
Day (in which they lined up pennies all over the campus, which went to the
United Way), car washes, bake sales, and three highly successful theme
dances three weeks before the campaign winded up.
I want to say that I had a great hand in the Post's success, but I
didn't...it was a six-foot-two woman that returned to college after a five
year absence, that made the Post *really happen*. Paula Ward had never been
a Scout nor Scouter before, and returned to college from Texas to "start
over again". She made a large impact on the program there by creating a
really nice "Induction Ceremony" which is neither hazing (at a time where
hazing first started receiving national--and campus--attention) nor
so sickening sweet that those participating would not appreciate it. She
also encouraged the membership to serve as leaders and assistants in the
Richmond, Kentucky community, therefore increasing the number of trained
leaders. She was also the first College Scouter at the University to
receive a Training Award. Finally, she was the person that designed the
alfully (ugly now, compared to what we have been using!)innovative College
Scouter CSP. And when the BSA's Exploring Division team came to visit the
campus, she wasn't shy (never has been) when she told them that the only
reason why this won't work is because they don't want it to.
I was just happy to be hanging on then, as one of the Post's Professional
Advisors (the Post has two sets of Advisors: a Professional Advisor,
appointed by the Council Scout Executive or his designee; and a Volunteer
Advisor, appointed by the Chartered Organizational Represenative...in this
case, the Vice President of Student Life (also the Council President back in
those days!). Paula took the Post fast and strong down the road of success,
and as always, I was in the right place at the right time and doing the
right things.
It goes to show that given the appropriate level of guidance, and a
willingness to "hold on tight" as things went, that good things can happen
in this "game" we call Scouting!!!
I knew that there was one other kindred soul on here...Welcome, Ed!
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
Internet Operations Center Coordinator, CLR Technologies Inc. __)_
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