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  1. Today
  2. InquisitiveScouter
    Actually @SSScout, it is not communicated well, but BSA requires all drivers check their vehicles prior to departure: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-696(21)-SAFE-Transportation-Checklist-FPO3-5172021.pdf "Motor vehicles used to transport Scouts must complete Pre-Trip Transportation Inspection before travel for each driver and vehicle. This includes correcting all deficiencies." btw, @RichardB, "Motor vehicles" don't complete checklists... people do. Would recommend re-wording this statement on the form.
  3. SSScout
    Convoys,,,,, Every driver MUST have the good directions. I marched in the Purdue Band 1966-1970. When we went to away games, it was a military operation. Ten or more busses, two or three trucks, a couple of private cars.... The student corps (I was a "supply sargent" , helped load and arrange stuff) listed, ordered, spoke to the drivers, and answered to the faculty staff. No cells, some radios, paper maps, memoes, lists of people and gear. Even a Troop of a half dozen cars/vans/ trailers, 35 people, needs knowledge, organization, cooperation, understandings. Convoys are
  4. InquisitiveScouter
    @RichardB, thanks! IMO, we are in a good place with the driver policies we have now. No need to revisit "convoy" or "caravan." Are you still seeing a trend of convoying being a causal/contributing factor in vehicle incidents? I do have some recommendations on improving the Transportation checklist. How do we plug into the apparatus to suggest those changes? For example, "Windshield Wipers" are not on the checklist, and darn well should be 😜 Several other things should be considered for inclusion, particularly for trailers... happy to provide input. Also, do you hav
  5. RichardB
    Transportation guidelines change over the years. Language around travel has also changed, as has driver education. Today's terms and laws focus on distance between cars, following to closely, tailgating, adding more following distance during inclement weather. It did not make sense to keep using antique terms. However, I'll entertain language if you all have it. There is also no longer language around carbon tetrachloride....has not been available in years.
  6. qwazse
    @captkeating, welcome to the forums.
  7. InquisitiveScouter started following Scouting America
  8. InquisitiveScouter
    Haven't heard this one... but am getting intel on potential council mergers. Of course, that scuttlebutt has been flying around for years... As for the name change, looks like someone wants to "leave a legacy"... smh
  9. henryjacob
    henryjacob joined the community
  10. yknot
    Is this the big announcement? Is everyone at the launch getting numbered jars of scout jam?
  11. jscouter1
    It looks like they have obtained trade marks for naming, products and indication of membership.
  12. jscouter1 started following Scouting America
  13. jscouter1
    Rumors of a rebrand to Scouting America... anyone have anymore information? Allegedly being revealed Tuesday Morning at NAM.
  14. Yesterday
  15. AwakeEnergyScouter started following Excited to be a part of the Forum and this website! and Can this become more prevalent, with a bit of effort, on local levels? https://www.mariettatimes.com/news/local-news/2024/03/smith-scouts-become-leaders/
  16. AwakeEnergyScouter
    Our pack just participated in our local part of a worldwide conservation status check in urban areas called the City Nature Challenge. Because the overlap of scouts and scouters with conservationists isn't an accident, the person organizing our city's effort on behalf of the city was a scouter for many years and still runs a survival camp for troops. So we got to talking about more scouts than just our pack participating, and looped a commissioner in, who in turn connected the city organizer with council. So far, so good, let's do a good turn and be Earth Protectors. We connected with cou
  17. Last week
  18. AwakeEnergyScouter
    Welcome, @captkeating! I can relate to your excitement about reconnecting to scouting as an adult leader! I'm sure you will have a great time together, while Building a Better World while you're at it! I saw a joke BSA leader badge on Etsy the other day that said "CAT HERDER" and that seems to be the job as a cub scout leader! Good for you for stepping up! I'm thinking about incorporating collaboration games into next year's pack meetings to give the cats some focused experiences with what happens when you collaborate vs don't 😂
  19. captkeating started following Excited to be a part of the Forum and this website!
  20. captkeating
    Dear Scouters, I just wanted to introduce myself and say what a great resource this website is and how excited I am to be a part of it! I am overwhelmed (in a good way) by the amazing resources available about and for Scouting. I was a Scout as a youth decades ago. I achieved the rank of Life Scout, and I was also Senior Patrol Leader. Last year, I volunteered to be my son's den leader, which was my first experience as an adult leader. I have many fond memories as a Scout, and Scouting is one of the main reasons I love the outdoors as an adult. We go camping as a family every year w
  21. gpurlee
    captkeating - welcome to the forum
  22. captkeating started following New to the Forum?
  23. captkeating started following New here, but not to scouting. Trying to help my kid's troop, but about to give up.
  24. captkeating
    I certainly hear and appreciate your frustration, and I can tell that your frustration is from a commitment to have a thriving, growing, valuable program that works and helps the Scouts get the leadership and life skills that will truly make a difference for them. I think that part of what inherently frustrating (potentially) about a program like this is that we are a volunteer army, and everyone, Scouts and adult leaders alike, are at varying levels of experience and leadership. I know that when I said yes to being my son's den leader last year when he joined as a Lion, it had been deca
  25. captkeating
    captkeating changed their profile photo
  26. InquisitiveScouter
    And, for the history buffs, see page 49 in the attachment, right side, #10. 2007 Printing, BSAGuideToSafeScouting.pdf
  27. Eagledad
    Take out point 5, everything else applies when drivers are on their own. Before cell phones, we moved a whole troop of 120 six-hundred-miles and ended up at the destination with in 15-20 minutes. So it works well. Before cell phones, we used radios that had a range of 50 miles. Our trailer broke an axle in Colorado and all other cars knew within minutes. A plan was set to which car would help and which ones would continue to next stop at a safe place for a bunch of scouts. Much better than stopping a whole caravan of cars along side a busy two lane highway. Barry
  28. Historycop started following selecting a uniform hat for a new troop
  29. Historycop
    Here’s a great winter Scout hat
  30. Historycop
    Historycop joined the community
  31. mrjohns2
    Where I have seen it “fail” is when you get on local roads with traffic lights. It can easily split up and cause people to either brake hard or “blow” a light. Not good stuff.
  32. RememberSchiff
    May 2, 2024: "ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a former Boy Scout volunteer to 22 years in prison for hiding cameras in bathrooms at a St. Francois County, Missouri scout camp. Judge Sippel also ordered David Lee Nelson to pay $55,000 in special assessments that will go to a fund for victims and prevention programs and $6,810 to pay for counseling for the victims in this case. After he gets out of prison, Nelson will be on supervised release for life, with special conditions that include a prohibition against any contact with minors without permi
  33. HICO_Eagle
    I don't remember the prohibition against convoying on the old tour permit but we usually only had 3 vehicles when going anywhere and we made sure everyone understood the route we were taking before setting out. The difference often being that the drive leader HAD to lead from the front rather than middle as on a hike. I suppose others would have called that convoying, we called it being aware and keeping the group together.
  34. skeptic
    As I noted earlier, the old tour permit specifically noted no convoying or caravaning. It was on the permit someplace and had to be noted and signed. But, basically, as noted here everyone should know where they are going in case they get lost. Meet up places for head count is a good idea. Most importantly have some sort of connection other than vision to the others.
  35. SiouxRanger
    convoy so that if a vehicle has a failure, we can still get the youth/adult to the train on time. And the wounded vehicle can sort out repairs later. 4. Things happen. Run out of gas. Bathroom stops. 5. Lead MUST know the number of vehicles following, and MUST have a good sense, well perfect, of what the last vehicle looks like headlight wise. 6. A written list of cell phone numbers distributed to all drivers, and if not, MUST exchange cell phone numbers to lead and tail drivers. 7. Tail driver NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, passes the second to last driver. The tail driver is
  36. SiouxRanger
    Very interesting thread. After 25 years of adult participation-never heard mention of the "no convoy" rule. As a lawyer, I've read a great deal of BSA documents on policy, 2 deep leadership, guide to safe scouting (no boomerangs, rats), stoves, liquid fuels. use of words with more than 7 syllables but less than 10 syllables, best practices to avoid plummeting space junk (NASA branded but ownership denied), bull roarers (OK-I think), coracles (nope), etc. A scouting professional once "corrected me" telling me that "scouting is not complicated." Compared to a soccer program
  37. curious_scouter
    Another suggestion is ask the SM if it's okay if you plan and host ILST. They might just be overwhelmed, maybe they are even unaware it needs to be done annually and is a pre-req for scouts wanting to do NYLT. Or that it's their job to do it. I know my first year as a SM was super overwhelming and I had been an adult scouter and ASM for many years before taking on the job. The first year I was SM we didn't have OA elections - I didn't know I was supposed to request them and no one told me lol. Oops! Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance! Make the
  38. DannyG started following Involved parent vs. leader parent - does it matter to the boy?
  39. DannyG
    From what I can recall as a youth: I had a parent who was also a registered leader. At the troop level, it felt like the program was harder because I had one less adult to sign requirements. Parents were forbidden to approve their own child's requirements or sit in BOR. Neither my brother nor I made it close to Eagle. My father stayed in the program long after my brother and I left it for other activities. Now as an adult, I can speak from both experiences. I started as an adult of a Cub, where I could guide and encourage my young scout from the sidelines. Later on I became a den leader.
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  • Posts

    • InquisitiveScouter
      Is traveling in convoys allowed?

      By InquisitiveScouter · Posted

      Actually @SSScout, it is not communicated well, but BSA requires all drivers check their vehicles prior to departure: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-696(21)-SAFE-Transportation-Checklist-FPO3-5172021.pdf "Motor vehicles used to transport Scouts must complete Pre-Trip Transportation Inspection before travel for each driver and vehicle. This includes correcting all deficiencies." btw, @RichardB, "Motor vehicles" don't complete checklists... people do.  Would recommend re-wording this statement on the form.
    • SSScout
      Is traveling in convoys allowed?

      By SSScout · Posted

      Convoys,,,,,    Every driver MUST have the good directions.   I marched in the Purdue Band  1966-1970.  When we went to away games, it was a military operation. Ten or more busses, two or three trucks, a couple of private cars....  The student corps (I was a "supply sargent" , helped load and arrange stuff) listed, ordered,  spoke to the drivers,  and answered to the faculty staff.  No cells, some radios,  paper maps, memoes, lists of people and gear.   Even a Troop of a half dozen cars/vans/ trailers,  35 people,   needs knowledge, organization, cooperation, understandings.  Convoys are useful, but not in today's traffic.  Funeral processions get SOME respect, but not much without police escort. DO NOT expect Google speed estimates to match reality.   Be patient. Smile and wave.  A Scout is Courteous, Helpful,  Friendly and Cheerful, even in I-95 traffic on a friday afternoon......   Cell numbers, PAPER DIRECTIONS and or maps,  stop and regroup spots along the way. Lunch stops with sufficient parking   spaces.  Traveling  in Scout Casual, Scout hats and matching tshirts gets lot's of smiles and even discounts or FREE LUNCH sometimes.   AND encourage folks to check out their vehicle BEFORE the event. Tires pumped up, oil level okay, mufflers attached (!),  windshields washed (Scout service !) ,  seatbelts operational....  See you on the trail !
    • InquisitiveScouter
      Is traveling in convoys allowed?

      By InquisitiveScouter · Posted

      @RichardB, thanks!  IMO, we are in a good place with the driver policies we have now.  No need to revisit "convoy" or "caravan."  Are you still seeing a trend of convoying being a causal/contributing factor in vehicle incidents? I do have some recommendations on improving the Transportation checklist.  How do we plug into the apparatus to suggest those changes? For example, "Windshield Wipers" are not on the checklist, and darn well should be 😜 Several other things should be considered for inclusion, particularly for trailers... happy to provide input. Also, do you have insight into BSA incident rates while towing a trailer? https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-696(21)-SAFE-Transportation-Checklist-FPO3-5172021.pdf
    • RichardB
      Is traveling in convoys allowed?

      By RichardB · Posted

      Transportation guidelines change over the years.  Language around travel has also changed, as has driver education.   Today's terms and laws focus on distance between cars, following to closely, tailgating, adding more following distance during inclement weather.    It did not make sense to keep using antique terms.   However, I'll entertain language if you all have it.   There is also no longer language around carbon tetrachloride....has not been available in years.  
    • qwazse
      Excited to be a part of the Forum and this website!

      By qwazse · Posted

      @captkeating, welcome to the forums.

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