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InquisitiveScouter replied to RememberSchiff's topic in Open Discussion - Program
We do (about) three meetings per month, with a short PLC after each. These build up to the outing. Then, the outing... The regular meeting night after an outing is a full PLC (so one per month), where they go over all stuff necessary. The other Scouts/parents get that night off to further recuperate from the outing. We have one day trip/service project per month... mostly an outdoor activity. So 4 meetings and two outings per month... 1/3 of our activities are aimed primarily at outdoors. We have the most successful Troop in the council. Most meetings (mid-spring through - Yesterday
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BSA has a Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Climb On Safely, Cave Safely, Trek Safely, even Drive Safely.... where is the cert for Range Safety for BSA leaders??? Same concepts as the others for the training... you assume responsibility, here are the rules and limitations, and make sure you have an RSO and NRA Certified Instructor (2 subject matter experts)!! They could (should even) write in instructor : student ratio requirements... I think it is 1 : 5 for NRA, but Range and Target Activities, formerly know as Shooting Sports, is not my forte.
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See attached for the history of rank requirements. You can see the trend from simply... Cook for your patrol to getting meals approved against a budget following my plate. Just an example of how this becomes an issue... My nephew was denied his first class cooking completion because he went over his self estimated budget. The SM told him that staying within budget is part of the requirement.... Could you imagine better ways to kill motivation of a 12 year old then talking about food budgeting? I digress... Even through the 1990s, the rank requirements were almost exclusively outd
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Another way to look at this. 4 indoor troop meetings a month 4 indoor PLC meetings a month 1 campout a month 1/9 activities are outdoors.....
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It’s all gone a little bit American….
Eagle94-A1 replied to Cambridgeskip's topic in Open Discussion - Program
So jealous. -
I'm about to preside over a cub scout rank advancement ceremony that includes two scouts that joined last month and two months ago, respectively. They went after that advancement hard and finished, using the opportunities for outdoor activities and knife safety we offered to the max. Both scouts asked their parents to sign them up, not the other way around. Since they're cubs they would have advanced without the badge, but they really wanted to be scouts and do the program so that's what they're choosing to do. It will be a pleasure to give them their badges and new neckers.
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Hello from the U.K…. Been a wee while since I posted round here. Anyway I thought I’d swing by as I’m currently at scouts and it’s all gone a bit American! And I’m stood in a corner with not much to do with the PLs in danger of making me redundant. The scout program here while using the patrol system tends to use it as a way or organising a troop rather than the patrols being totally independent. At the moment however I have all 5 patrols doing their own thing having planned it all themselves. (Some looking a bit more organised than others but that’s teenagers for you) I’m in serious
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If worrying about there's alcohol and smoking, then our troop would cease to exist- we meet at an American Legion Post, where there is a bar open for members while we are meting in the room next door. Been that way for over 70 years. We're OK for meeting weekly under such conditions, but not to use a range once a year? I could absolutely see having a checklist and stipulations on what is required when using a sportsmens club versus a commercial range- namely, a fully certified instructor must be present. I've never experienced a sportsmens club that would be OK with a member drinking at t -
Offloading liability? As mentioned, the Hawaiian wrongful death was at a scout camp range. I have shot at more than a dozen "commercial ranges" in NH, ME, MA, PA, VA, NV. Their facilities, staff, clientele, firearms, and safety rules vary considerably. I do not know of any uniform safety or business certification for commercial ranges; it is the Wild West regarding calibers, actions, rent/bring. That said, "commercial ranges" usually have a Range Safety officer at the firing line. At local club ranges. often members are their own range safety officer. At those local clubs, Scout -
Certainly. It shouldn't be 90% indoors. Unless that is what your unit wants from the program. Our troop spends 90 minutes a week in a troop meeting. There is another 90 minute PLC meeting for leadership. That is up to 7.5 hours of meetings a month. The monthly weekend camping trip is 48+ hours. Maybe spend a couple hours working on a merit badge, citizenship or whatever... Still, over 80% of the troop time is outdoors. This is the current program. That's the way I envision it to be.
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This is where we are disconnecting on this issue. In my council there are no BSA approved clubs. This is why I see it differently than you; my council already does not have this, none of the ranges and clubs in my area can pass the BSA inspection. -
My take on this is based on what I see in my area; member-only clubs in my area have bars on premise and allow smoking. The commercial ranges do not allow either. Could that be a national trend that BSA is looking at?
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That depends on the adult leadership. Far too many SM are not qualified outdoorsmen, so they don't know what they should be mentoring the PLC towards. Far too many SM are lazy. I'll pick on my troops SM; we never set up a dining fly to such a degree that the unit commissioner asked me about it; my response was something along "SM doesn't know how to do it, and his ego is so big he can't be helped". This is sort of what is supposed to be happening if you take the time to read all of the literature from national. When you read all of the adult guides, the program features guides, the fie
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Yes, and just at a crossover recently, the new Dad invited us to their rod and gun club. They do have insurance. He joked, if we are limited to "commercial" facilities, they'd be happy to charge us $1 for use of the ranges.
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Shad Stevens’ longtime dream has been to secure a property where youth can disconnect from society and reconnect with their lives. “The dream is that we have a mountain that is able to bring youth groups from all different types," he said. "Our mission is to play with purpose, or have adventure with purpose. So our dream is that we use the mountain to help inspire young people.” “That's my purpose. It's what I was built for. It's why I'm here," he said. "I see the unique issues our youth face in our society. And I see so much of the solution of what they're dealing with is to spend t
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Lilliann ‘Lilly’ Markowitz has earned the Gold Award in Girl Scouts, Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts and Chief Petty Officer in Sea Cadets (US Navy program not Sea Scouts). She is believed to be the only "Chief Golden Eagle". More at source, impressive: https://themadisonrecord.com/2024/05/15/lilliann-markowitz-achieves-top-rank-in-girl-scouts-boy-scouts-and-sea-cadets/ Scout Salute, Well Done.
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Today's scouts don't have 10% of the skills I have from my scout youth days of 60 years ago. And, granted, who NEEDS to know how to make fire, purify water, navigate in rugged backcountry, read a compass (what is that?), read a road map, build a shelter, signal for help, teach your cat to speak French (well, maybe not that), sharpen a knife, tie knots (and bends, splices, whipping (gee-a number of ways to do that (Clifford Ashley) and lashings)), pitch a tent… BUT, all those out-dated and antiquated skills have made me extremely confident that I can take care of myself and reason my
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To be honest, I think the program is too easy to get wrong and consequently scouts are not joining or are leaving because they're not having fun when they're younger or not being challenged when they're older. It's just that simple. Add to that the economy and work environment (always on) and the parents aren't having fun either. The program is confusing, contradictory and looks like it's been evolving over a hundred years in high level committee meetings. @Jameson76's comment that the BSA needs to focus on what the program is really rings true to me. If it's teamwork/ patrol method and
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And that an extended full-size passenger van (Chevy Express, Ford E-Series) must be a 2005 or newer currently - although as both of those didn't have head restraints for the passengers, to my mind they don't make great transport vehicles anyway (Chevy and Ford didn't/don't care about passengers and whiplash...). The newer (well, maximum 10 years old now..) Transit, on the other hand, does have head restraints for every seat.
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Personally, it wasn’t about any anti-male culture. I just remembered benefiting from multiple adult men in my life, and in scouting. I wanted my sons and daughter to have similar exposures in a weekend/week setting.
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You are not thinking like many young teens who now have jobs, the earnings from which are expected to pay for activities. If their patrols can’t go shooting at their trained ASM/RSO’s club every month, they can spend their dimes joining the club as junior members from what they save on Scouting America registration fees. You might say only a small number of COs and families will let their scouts be so reactionary … just like families who react to the removal of dodge ball, or the removal of unisex program, … It becomes a decline by a thousand cuts. If a troop wants to maintain r -
Well, at least your council isn't cancelling events with little to no forewarning. 3 events have been canceled so far this year.
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Depends. Are the units getting value from the out of council fees? If paying an extra $25-$35 gives the Scouts a better experience, yes it is worth it. I can tell you I have been to some camps that until major improvements in staffing occur, we will not go there.
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Also factor in impact to unit planning. If your council is different than ours, God bless. I can look at our council calendar today for August-December, and there are no dates for camporee listed. I can see OA weekend dates and NYLT weekend dates. Our unit is not unlike many around us, that planning meeting with PLC will take place before the end of July. If we don't have event dates to consider, then those events are not going to be considered. We will give deflection to not plan our weekend for one of the months there is an OA weekend for those who wish to attend that, but we aren't going to
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I am grateful for the scouts I have reached. Whether they were only Cubs, if they joined the troop one year and left, or if they stayed long enough to earn Eagle. Everyone walks a different path. Everyone has lessons they need to learn. They all take something from the program, no matter how long they stay with it. The more you give to scouting, the more you get out of it. This is the right attitude. Realize that families are different, sports are different... There are lots more activities and stresses taking up kids' time than there was 20 years ago. We are not going to have as man
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By InquisitiveScouter · Posted
We do (about) three meetings per month, with a short PLC after each. These build up to the outing. Then, the outing... The regular meeting night after an outing is a full PLC (so one per month), where they go over all stuff necessary. The other Scouts/parents get that night off to further recuperate from the outing. We have one day trip/service project per month... mostly an outdoor activity. So 4 meetings and two outings per month... 1/3 of our activities are aimed primarily at outdoors. We have the most successful Troop in the council. Most meetings (mid-spring through middle of fall) are outdoors with a game or activity (pioneering/fire building/nature walk, etc) In summer, we throw a lot of impromptu stuff in as well... swim parties, bike rides, orienteering, fishing, hikes, boating, the odd service project, etc. Seven or eight Scouts show up and we go have fun. Never the same group twice. (Ice cream is mandatory ;P) -
By InquisitiveScouter · Posted
BSA has a Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Climb On Safely, Cave Safely, Trek Safely, even Drive Safely.... where is the cert for Range Safety for BSA leaders??? Same concepts as the others for the training... you assume responsibility, here are the rules and limitations, and make sure you have an RSO and NRA Certified Instructor (2 subject matter experts)!! They could (should even) write in instructor : student ratio requirements... I think it is 1 : 5 for NRA, but Range and Target Activities, formerly know as Shooting Sports, is not my forte. -
See attached for the history of rank requirements. You can see the trend from simply... Cook for your patrol to getting meals approved against a budget following my plate. Just an example of how this becomes an issue... My nephew was denied his first class cooking completion because he went over his self estimated budget. The SM told him that staying within budget is part of the requirement.... Could you imagine better ways to kill motivation of a 12 year old then talking about food budgeting? I digress... Even through the 1990s, the rank requirements were almost exclusively outdoor activities.... Then for some reason we decided to make much of this into lists and tracking. I'd go back to the 1965-1970 requirements which are straight forward, and focus on earning rank through outdoor activities. bsa_ranks.pdf -
Another way to look at this. 4 indoor troop meetings a month 4 indoor PLC meetings a month 1 campout a month 1/9 activities are outdoors.....
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