Do any of you know? I came up empty searching the textbook, the Scouting website, and general googling.

I've loved sharing these adventures with my sons and the other scouts.  I've loved being a quiet helper in the background.  

On a hopeful note, I see a good change coming.  My scouting years were always overshadowed by controversy.  BSA v Dale.  Groups misrepresenting BSA to affect political and societal change.  Then, the abuse lawsuits and bankruptcies.  Though issues still exist, I feel like a big cloud is shifting away from BSA.  Perhaps, BSA can get back to teaching youth values thru outdoor adventures and group membership.  Perhaps, the next 20+ years can be about getting scouts outside running, hiking and exploring.  

I wish everyone the best.  I may post now and then.  I may read now and then.  Mostly though ... Back to Gilwell, happy land.  I'll work my ticket if I can. 

I contacted the council in my new home and met with the membership growth director, and he didn't say so directly but I could tell he suspected it was a little weird that I wanted to volunteer with scouts when I don't have my own child in the program. He said "we don't usually have people reaching out to us, so this was a unique situation" (When I was in Scouts we had several very talented and respected adult leaders without kids). He also said that all the units basically have plenty of ASMs already and nobody needs one.

I reached out to individual units over email but no response. Also, some of these emails bounced and some of these units have websites which are non-operational or have very out-of-date material on them.

So right now I am registered as a district-level merit badge counselor but I don't really know anyone and don't have anyone asking me to teach a merit badge. I might be in a council where additional leaders are not needed or wanted. Should I just find something else to focus on?

http://www.scouting.org/HealthandSafety/GSS.aspx

My husband was a scout as a boy but thats been many years ago, so we are new to BSA. Our triplets joined cubs as AOL’s and just crossed over. We are in the process of becoming adult leaders to help where needed.

we’ve got an event coming up in a few weeks where we’ve been asked to help plan the menu, grocery shop etc for our kids (about 15 scouts and 4-5 adults). 10 of the kids are AOL crossovers so they are new to camp cooking and our experience as a family has been one where I do a lot of the camp cooking when we camp, so I’m looking for ideas to come up with for the patrol to cook mostly independently with the Troop Guide.

Ideally ideas that are fairly quick and easy cleanup as the kids have daytime events to make it back and forth from on the campout so we don’t want them missing scheduled events because their cooking and cleanup takes out of the scheduled activities.

I’ve got a lot of recipes we do on our personal campouts that require the browning of meat, and it probably sounds like a dumb question, but what is the best way to allow the 10-11 year old crossovers do this safely as well as disposal of the grease too afterwards? I just want to make sure we do it right, especially since this is our first event as leaders, we don’t want to steer them wrong.

Thanks!

Heather

The reason I ask is that the current "senior" Scouters in the troop seem hostile towards having parents involved in the troop regardless of their experience or training. At the same time, I hear complaints about adults not wanting to step up as volunteers (which isn't true.) Most of us have scouting experience and/or training so we are aware of scouting methods and the concept of being youth-lead.

Silly Question:  As a parent, he has a member ID?  Does that make him a "registered member"?  And if not...what's the difference between the member #'s that parents have, and the member #'s that leaders have?

And how would this parent begin the process?  From the beginning with a brand new application with the reg fee, etc, etc?

Thanks All  !!

Let me be clear that I have no problem with cell phones not being allowed if it is announced ahead of time.  I do have a problem with a leader that takes my son's phone when he didn't have it out and she made him (and the rest) dig it out of their bags.  These are all high school age boys at a high adventure camp and they had them for pictures as we were told there was no cell phone reception.  And now there are few pictures and the parents were in the dark about what was going on for nearly a week.  I would just like to know where this is the handbook for my own sanity.  Thanks!

Fireman was a coveted role back in the day, but national now tells us not to start unnecessary campfires. The standard duty roster still features fireman, waterman which now appear to unnecessary. Our boys certainly don't bother with it. That leaves cook, clean-up and a lot of twiddling thumbs.