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  2. I would lead with: 1) Is the PLC running the Troop well? 2) Are new scouts <2 years integrating well into the activities and patrols. 3) Are AOL scouts attending any meetings and outings and has that gone well? I think the other items are fine, but some should also come from committee members themselves (advancement chair, etc.).
  3. IMHO. Delegate. KISS (Keep It Simple Scoutmaster) , oh and go paperless or lesspaperworkess, The Troop Committee usually has a Secretary, Activities Chair, Equipment Chair,... and the troop has a Scribe and Quartermaster. Back in the day (there he goes again), much of the same was accomplished by simply updating a troop advancement chart and calendar which was hanging on meeting room wall. My $0.02,
  4. Looks like Blackberry (RIM) stock price. I expect BSA numbers will be similar. I still believe in scouting but a lot has to change for it to grow again and I don't think those changes will happen.
  5. "Tiffany Thompson, who is the Troop Leader for Troop 10121, said that while the girls were thinking of ways to spend the profit from their cookie sales, one of them expressed interest in purchasing a well like what was done in the book “The Sparkle Box”. Thompson said the troop was actually able to make it happen thanks to a connection the West Logan Church had with a pastor in Uganda who does that kind of work. ... Thompson said the well cost around $1,800 and will be dug as part of the efforts of Pastor Paddy Musoke. Thompson said the well will come with a plaque noting that it was
  6. I would go lean on the advancement statistics. You can give that at each CoH. IMHO, the most important thing a committee needs to know regarding advancement is how much is being spent on patches and awards. how many BoRs were completed and thanking MC's who devoted time to this. how many BoRs might be needed in the coming month. how many MBCs are fielded by the troop, and which MBs need a counselor in your district. Try to listen intently to your PLC for ideas they float that may need committee assistance. These could be properties to camp on, special equipment
  7. Yesterday
  8. Some other KPI (Key Performance Indicators) you may want to consider Number of Scouts lost on outings last quarter and actively found Number of Scouts lost on outings last quarter that you did not look for but who seemed to have turned up anyway Scouts left at gas / food stops last quarter while driving to or from outings Number of rain jackets forgotten at last outing with rain (can also be expressed as a percentage) Number of class A shirts misplace that seem to have magically been found Number of items "stolen" on an outing last quarter that were "found"
  9. BSA President & CEO Roger Krone Shares Remarks at the Know2Protect Launch Press Conference at Homeland Security
  10. I think we will focus on these 2 items. Physically separate camping, adults cook their own meal, adults have a duty roster like the scouts.
  11. Those are all great ideas. I'd add: Form an adult patrol. Act like a patrol. Make a yell. A flag. Camp apart. Have your own kitchen, just like theirs. Do your menu, just like they do. Have your own grubmaster. Plan your own patrol activities when it's patrol time. Set the example.
  12. @mrjohns2, we validated you, now what do we propose for a solution? One of my strategies: offer to cook an adult-only meal. This assumes you know how to cook one very fine meal very well. But, usually when adults know that they’re getting a meal where they won’t have listen to kids complain, they’ll pitch in. Other ideas: Camp physically distant from the youth. Attend Camporees and require that the SM visit all of the other troops. Get your SM to training. Attend a summer camp that does patrol cooking. It takes quite a while to unlearn bad habits. So encourag
  13. We have revitalized our committee this year. I would like to provide a meaningful Scoutmaster report for them at committee meetings. Soliciting any ideas. I want to use this as an opportunity to inform, motivate and seek help where needed. Here is what I have so far Key dates for next quarter for program (campouts, COH, etc) Roster overview (registered vs. active, rank breakdown) Summary of report from IA on ranks, badges, awards earned this year Summary of campouts since last meeting Overview of summer activities Key news (we have an Eagle getting a spe
  14. "We are so afraid of the kinds of dangers that are actually so rare that we are not allowing our children to prepare themselves for the bumps in the road of life. Then, later on they fall apart," Boston College Professor Peter Gray told WBZ-TV. "They are far better off if they have the kinds of experiences in which they learn how to judge danger themselves, how to solve their own problems, develop a certain degree of courage, learn how to deal with the small amounts of fear and anger that naturally arise in play....We've taken away a lot of recess, we've shortened the lunch hour so kids a
  15. Last week
  16. She thinks that way because she didn’t have a scouting experience as a youth. Patrol method is only limited by adults fears. I used to teach a course teaching adults how to push their fears boundaries out. The adults need to ask themselves what it would take to let the patrols to cook on their own. I’m not a fan of no cooking, but some healthy easy to fix meals might help the adults grow in the program. Discussion? Barry
  17. "Alex Reid, from Whitwick, in Leicestershire, achieved the King's Scout Award for outstanding personal achievement. He will be visiting Windsor Castle on Sunday for a celebratory event where he will take part in a St George's Day parade with other winners. Mr Reid, who leads Whitwick Scouts, said: "It has not hit me yet." ... To achieve the award, for scouts aged between 16 and 25 years old have to complete a range of challenges including service to their community, an expedition in wild country, and a five-day residential project." More at source: http
  18. they are/were available on scoutshop.org. I did break down and buy one to see it in person and have plans to work it up into a new uniform using old interesting patches off ebay.
  19. Adults are the worst enemy to patrol method. We apply our sensibilities and biases to a process that the youth see no issue with. Last campout we had 5 patrols. 1 patrol was two scouts. 1 patrol was four scouts. They had a great time, they cooked and enjoyed their meals and were happy to have only their own dishes to contend with. I subscribe completely the B-P's POV: "The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting can be carried on. It is the only method." There is another tenant of B-P I fully subscribe to: "My ideal camp is where everyone is cheery and busy, whe
  20. Girl Scout saves boy's life by using CPR training she learned months before harrowing event. I like Mom's comment at end. Scout salute.
  21. From my reading, I believe that Agnes, BP's sister, was asked, or perhaps assigned, the role of developing a girl group after BP met with a large group of girls at the first International gathering in London. According to the report, the girls told him to his face that girls could and should be scouts, and they made their own group. Eventually, Lady BP of course took over the program more or less as Agnes never really enjoyed it particularly. I continue to find that tale amusing, as most of us may have met a few focused and determined young women.
  22. It appears the GSUSA allows political involvement for their capstone award projects whereas the BSA does not. I doubt my Council Eagle Board would approve this for an Eagle Scout project. Will that change in the BSA? IMHO, I hope not as we have enough dividing us. That said, I agree with her that school/local book censorship is rather pointless when internet access is available. My $0.02,
  23. My fact finding so far. https://www.scoutingsettlementtrust.com/s/news-and-key-links Judicial approval of an claim audit program: There was a concern by the court (and insurance companies) that claims should be further checked. https://scoutingsettlementtrust.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#Dp0000016pkB/a/Dp0000004PYq/4RRA.rXy0AZTtQ0XQ745fNYIhQh9OOJoocJ2xWiWcRM Trustee Houser's 2023 Year End Letter: https://scoutingsettlementtrust.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#Dp0000016pkB/a/Uu0000002jIn/CHwUMTG.Pzq6u6p9u4wByHCRpyrCdawARt3DfIRyM5s an extract follows: "Because we strive
  24. What can we say, other than good for her. https://richmond.com/opinion/column/hanover-hypocrisy-book-censorship-girl-scout/article_ca2c06be-fde7-11ee-8aea-939bb71a3f14.html
  25. Not charging $230 a year might go a long way to improving their demographics...
  26. Like Skeptic, all this attention to gender in BSA scouting made me curious about what gender-segregated scouting in Sweden used to be like. Even the words for gender segregated scouting sound antiquated and sepia-toned. It's hard to imagine. But apparently someone wrote a thesis on it recently, and so Scouterna has an information page on it. Since there's a language barrier for all other WOSM NSOs other than Scouts UK, I thought I'd post a translation. "Scout magazine MARCH 8, 2022 When the girls took up scouting That others than boys would be allowed to be part of the Scouts wa
  27. Scoutlike discussion? Locking for now. @Eagle1993 @gpurlee @T2Eagle @MattR
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  • Posts

    • I would lead with: 1) Is the PLC running the Troop well? 2) Are new scouts <2 years integrating well into the activities and patrols. 3) Are AOL scouts attending any meetings and outings and has that gone well? I think the other items are fine, but some should also come from committee members themselves (advancement chair, etc.).  
    • IMHO. Delegate. KISS (Keep It Simple Scoutmaster) , oh and go paperless or lesspaperworkess,  The Troop Committee usually has a Secretary, Activities Chair, Equipment Chair,... and the troop has a Scribe and Quartermaster. Back in the day (there he goes again),  much of the same was accomplished by simply updating a troop advancement chart and calendar which was hanging on meeting room wall. My $0.02,
    • Looks like Blackberry (RIM) stock price.   I expect BSA numbers will be similar.  I still believe in scouting but a lot has to change for it to grow again and I don't think those changes will happen.
    • "Tiffany Thompson, who is the Troop Leader for Troop 10121, said that while the girls were thinking of ways to spend the profit from their cookie sales, one of them expressed interest in purchasing a well like what was done in the book “The Sparkle Box”. Thompson said the troop was actually able to make it happen thanks to a connection the West Logan Church had with a pastor in Uganda who does that kind of work. ... Thompson said the well cost around $1,800 and will be dug as part of the efforts of Pastor Paddy Musoke. Thompson said the well will come with a plaque noting that it was paid for by Girl Scout Troop 10121 from Logan, West Virginia. " Good story, more at source. https://www.loganbanner.com/news/local-girl-scout-troop-purchases-drinking-well-in-africa/article_9f7e8cfa-b205-57e7-a009-c6e058f8b9f3.html Scout salute.
    • I would go lean on the advancement statistics. You can give that at each CoH. IMHO, the most important thing a committee needs to know regarding advancement is how much is being spent on patches and awards. how many BoRs were completed and thanking MC's who devoted time to this. how many BoRs might be needed in the coming month. how many MBCs are fielded by the troop, and which MBs need a counselor in your district. Try to listen intently to your PLC for ideas they float that may need committee assistance. These could be properties to camp on, special equipment, or a presentation or visit to a workplace or charity. MC's might have "in" on any of these. But if the wish list doesn't reach them, they might never know to offer. So, although gear budgets are very important, the more esoteric wishes are what will hold your committee's attention.
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