A Record Breaking District Dinner
Todd Tingblad (tingbltn@HUDSON.K12.WI.US)
Mon, 19 Apr 1999 14:03:55 -0500
Friday, April 16th was the LaCroix District Recognition Dinner. Attendance
was beyond what we even dreamed it would be. In 1996 we had 74, 1997 we
had 86, in 1998 we jumped to 151, and this year...206.
As this year's Dinner Coordinator, this simply was amazing for our
district. We on the LaCroix Activities Committee believe it is the result
of a new award we start last year. It's called: The LaCroix Outstanding
Unit Scouter Award (LOUSA).
The award is a unit level award given by the district. Each unit may
select one person as their Outstanding Unit Scouter. The unit leader must
be active in the unit for 2 years and approval is done by the Unit
Commissioner (this is a way to get the UC's into the unit and learn about
the people of the unit they serve). So this year there were 67 LOUSA's
given out. The LOUSA idea came from two locations or sources, the first
was from my annual training at Lord Baden-Powell University of Scouting
(LBPU) http://www.lbpu.org and a district web site in New Jersey. The New
Jersey district (I can't remember the district name, but it started with an
S) had this award, SOUSA. Here in LaCroix we changed the requirements to
make it so any unit scouter should get it. At LBPU, a number of districts
had "Silver Acorn" awards. A received this award like the LOUSA, but there
was one for Cub Scouts (blue ribbon), one for Boy Scouts (red ribbon) and
one for Exploring (green ribbon). The ribbon had a silver acorn like that
of OA ribbon arrow to hang from your shirt pocket button. A scouter should
only get the award once in each level. The award we give is a certificate
with the district patch and a district patch with an Outstanding Unit
Scouter segment added to it. http://www.indianhead.org/lacroix
So why did we start this award. Our dinners had become a big district "pat
on the back" for district scouters. The only non-district folks present
were the past year's Eagle Scouts. This had been a problem for years. I
too never went to the dinner until I became active at the district level.
The dinner went well. We had 7 additions to the dinner program in the last
2 hours before the start of the dinner. One include a Wood Badge
"Beading". I had arrange for Mike Walton to speak at our dinner, but as
you all know, Mike is in Central America. Hopefully, I can get him for
next year. The theme this year was "The Pieces of the Puzzle -- A Scouting
Mystery". It worked this way...over the last three roundtables, I would
give a clue to solve the mystery. These three clues, plus the additional
21 clues through the dinner & program, directing them to the
answer..."Leaders are the Key to Put All the Pieces of the Puzzle
Together". At break points in the program, I would get up on stage and ask
the members of the District Committee to read a clue I had given them
earlier. We had lots of fun with this. Clues were given out at random,
but they fit the people given them like I had planned it from the start.
So, why am I writing all of this to Scouts-L? I am looking for more ideas.
I would like any additional ideas that other districts do at thier
Recognition Dinners. With so many people coming to our dinners now, I
don't want it to become old and the numbers drop. I want the unit scouters
present and having a great time at the dinner.
Thanks...
YiS,
Todd N. Tingblad -- mailto:ttingbld@pressenter.com
Indianhead Council Webmaster -- http://www.indianhead.org
LaCroix District Unit Commissioner
LaCroix District Activities Committee
Troop 460 Committee Member, New Richmond, Wisconsin, USA
