Leaderboard

Our troop is just starting to think about this. The girls have looked at some prototypes, and need to decide style and colors. It is really easy to take a square yard of fabric and put seam binding around it. (e.g. Wrights extra-wide double-fold bias tape ) Actually easier than simply hemming it. Makes a sharp looking necker. And you get any color combo you they want. Or cut the square yard into two triangles before binding the edges to make triangular neckers -- less functional but easier to roll tightly. Leather lacing 3mm wide can be made into a turks head woggle. Some of our gi

Every once in a while we may see a Troop or 2 who will build a gateway, but around here it is not the norm. I have seen some pretty cool ones, but they are usually built by the Scoutmasters while the Scouts are in MB sessions. It's not as cool when you realize that they were built by the SM and the Scouts may not have had much input into them. It is much better when the Scouts take it upon themselves to do it.

Transportation and trees have recently been topics of discussion here and affected the Scouting family. Before your next trip or outing, take a few minutes and review these with your peers and youth leadership. Hazard Trees: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/safety-moments/hazard-trees/ Transportation Safety Shorts: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/safety-moments/transportation-safety-shorts/ RichardB

We have 3 girls signed up with our new Troop, with one more who says she wants to join but who hasn't turned in her application. All 3 girls we have signed up have parent leaders involved. The 4th probably won't have a parent leader but at least she is an actively involved parent in general judging from mom's willingness to show up at Pack stuff for yer younger daughter. We also have two more families (mine included) with leaders in the Troop who have Webelos rank girls who will be joining in the next 6-18 months. So right now we have twice as many adult leaders with applications turned

Charles McGee turned 22 on the day the U.S. entered World War II. At the time, he was an engineering major at the University of Illinois. Eleven months later, McGee left Champaign-Urbana for Alabama to train with a group of Army Air Corps cadets who would become some of the first black fighter pilots in the country, now known as the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. He went on to fly 136 combat missions in WWII with the all-black 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the “Red Tails.” Later, he commanded fighter-bomber, support and training squadrons and was the first black commander of a state

@2275, welcome to the forums! Around here, camp staff are encouraged to take the week off to camp with their troop. This is especially true for scouts staffing the cub resident camp, which can be particularly intense. I can understand how an SM would like someone like your son to be with the troop for that week. Such scouts attending camp often benefit the troop more than they benefit themselves. Their absence leaves a big hole. (And I disagree with @perdidochas that only SPL/ASPL or any other youth in a current PoR are the only scouts essential to troop life.) So, tell your son to t

Yes, but that is common in most all troops. It's not a flaw specific to electing the ASPL. You would surprised to learn that most (vast majority) of troops do not have a plan for developing leaders into higher positions like SPL. In fact, some adults call that adding to the requirements. Even the Handbooks don't really talk about it. But, the better performing troops have a suggested leadership development tree. It's only suggested, the scouts can try their own plan. Our minimum development tree is PL, Troop QM, ASPL and SPL. But I had one scout who during his third year showed me his pl

@Treflienne, if your scouts are really into knots and lashings, have them visit the scout-craft area of camp and ask if they can get the materials and assistance to build a simple gateway. IMHO, It's nothing you have to consider in advance. Charlei

At our camp, the Medical Staff hold ALL medications for ALL Scouts. Prescriptions MUST be in their original containers. OTC medications MUST be in their original sealed packaging. All medications MUST match what is on the BSA Health Record. If the Scout uses an asthma inhaler or any number of self-injectible meds (EpiPen, Insulin, etc.), they can carry one, and a second must be turned in to the Medical Staff. Adults may hold their own medications, but they must be stored safely (locked in footlocker, for instance). For other trips, an adult is designated to hold and dispense all medications.

Yes, of course. But it is easier to discuss the qualities of different traits in an exclusive manner. Barry

Bizarre. Sounds more like a GSUSA Troop. Without some "recruiting", who is going to be there next year? What's the use? Only the kids we have now? If Scouting is worthwhile, if the IDEA is worth promoting and insisting on for our future citizens (don't forget, your kids will pick out your assisted living facility), then you (YOU) need to get the Troop known. Sign out front of the meeting place, news article/ social FB thing about the service project, another one about the overnight on the old ship, another article about the Philmont Trip planned (and later accomplished). Demo

I agree with the adult as a PL (works very well) only when the adult uses the youth handbooks in front of scouts and along with the scouts, (ie. Patrol Leaders Handbook, Senior Patrol Leader Handbook, and Scout Handbook). Adults with out guidance have a number of different ideas of how a patrol should function, but the youth handbooks direct the adults and scouts toward basically one picture of a functioning patrol. Also, a new unit needs the kindling of fun for growing into the fire of "Game with a purpose". Inexperienced adults more often than not focus to much on purpose. 5 scouts doe

One other quick note: The organizers of this event were great. Super helpful, generous, and ran the event very well. One thing that stood out to me, and this is purely based on my observation and not on anything I know to be factual, but I'll say it anyway. They gave awards for car designs, one category being "Most Patriotic". I remembered earlier in the day seeing a car that was just amazingly painted, stars-and-stripes done perfectly in what I can safely assume was not painted by a scout. And that car was not the winner. The winning car was a different car sporting a very well-done pain

It's like I have an evil Texan twin! I get their point. If you build it, they might not come. I also have your view ... if you don't, they definitely wont! A lot really depends on those four girls. If they can build enthusiasm ... if they can meet with sisters of scouts ... if they can remind them of how it feels when their brothers marched of to camp with Dad ... how it felt when the one GS/USA troop that did monthly outdoor activities said it was full ... if they can pester their parents to form a committee. Sure, a lot of units start with just five. But a lot end because

Hahah. yep, it's one of those. The majority of participants were from the local host council and surrounding areas within driving distance, but I'd call it a national event at least, though not a "world" event. On the race results screens I frequently saw competitors listed from greater distances than the NY area, including Ohio, California, Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, etc.

It is similar to an archway (entryway) which welcomes people into your campsite. It was listed in our camp's leaders guide as something to have & was brought up at the leaders meeting run by camp too. Pinterest it. Some are really fantastic!

@MattR you've confused two figures. Lao Tzu is the founder of Taoism. He's famous for having written Tae Te Ching. I'd argue a Scout has much to gain about leadership and life by studying Lao Tzu. Sun Tzu was the general who wrote The Art of War. The Art of War has a few "updated" versions where the translations to English are simplified, and famous examples throughout history are inserted to illustrate the principle outlined by Sun Tzu. The copy I have of The Art of War actually cites Robert Baden Powell two or three times. There are actually some great nuggets about leadership througho

I never see more than about 1 in 3 or 4 families really get involved and it's getting worse. So expecting all 5 families to help out is a bit impractical. Using the boys troop might not be ideal but if it' a way to get more girls involved then I think it's worth it. Five girls might look like enough but I think it needs to be much more. Two patrols at a minimum. Three would be better. So, twenty scouts. As for web 3, I think teamwork is a more important skill to learn up front. As others have said, start with an adult as PL, show them the process you want them to follow for planning and p

I've got to imagine that this is pretty important to the families of those 5 girls - no? My .02. You need those leaders who want to see a troop for girls happen - regardless of size. Once you have them, the rest will fall into place. At some point in every troops history there was just 5 scouts. If every troop said it's not worth it for 5 scouts, we'd have very few troops today. Some adults in our larger "troop community" started up a troop for girls this spring. By last count I think they were up to about 15 girls already. The girls will show up if there is a good program and a so

I believe the two fastest bonding scout activities are laser tag and treks. They each force the team members to deal with each other weaknesses and strengths quickly to have fun and success. Laser tag is out, so that just leaves treks. Barry

Yup, Good luck to you. Too bad there are some adults out there who think BSA stands for Baby Sitters of America.

I just got back from a trek run by the summer camp we were at. It wasn't so much cooking our food (more like rehydrating) but it was a challenge that we all shared. In that respect it was similar to patrol cooking. Selling this idea of shared challenge seems to be harder now than years past. The response from the scouts was great, though. This was one of the best trips I've been on as the mix of scouts was about as ideal as one could hope for. Everyone was positive even though there was some suffering. (We even got a few frost points!) The teamwork was incredible and so the leadership req

I give the Scouts a copy of their MB schedule, that they had picked out & signed up for. We also post the MB schedule, Camp Daily Schedule & a camp map on our Troop bulletin board. I do recommend that they look at their schedule to make sure they know where their MBs are, and if they don't know, that they should ask (SPL) so show them before the classes begin. Other than their MB schedule, we don't directly give them any kind of packet or map.

Okay, Troop. Dump your gear in your tents and come back here to the table in five minutes.... Great. Is everyone here? Okay. On the count of three, everyone point to the campsite bulletin board.1,2,3.... uh huh. good. Now, put your hands down, on three, point to YOUR Patrol Leader... 1, 2, 3... Uh huh, you sure about that, Stan? Uh huh.... Alright, now on three, point to the SPL... 1, 2, 3. POINT awright then. Yep, that's Jake... Jake? I'll see you later. I have a Scoutmaster meeting at the Camp Office. Get the camp ready. Bye....

Black out anything that says there is a specific timeline. "First Class First Year" (a.k.a. FCFY) is a lie and harmful to the health of the troop. Also, telling a scout he should earn just one rank a year will probably bore him. The best guidance is "Hustle up, but take your time." A good troop will naturally provide opportunities to practice each 1st class skill every year. But a healthy troop will have some scouts who master those skills in under six month and others (like my boys, both Eagles) who take 3 to 4 years to make 1st Class. Star, Life, and Eagle are much more challenging

If your school is conducting blanket searches of personal belongings, it's violating the law. A student's rights under the 4th amendment are only bent a little, not waived completely. If the school has made it clear that lockers are NOT personal, they have every right to open and search the lockers whenever they wish. But this right doesn't extend to searching through the contents of any containers (like a purse or backpack) within the locker. So you can go through and find the bag, books, coat and shoes in the locker, but you don't have the right to extend your search to opening and going

David CO Sorry, I would have no problem with the boys presenting themselves for inspection. I have a problem with the fact that this was done behind their backs.

The boys should trust their scoutmaster. They should consider him to be trustworthy. They should feel comfortable with him, and should not even hesitate in allowing him to inspect their gear.

Ad Altare Dei is a bit more involved than Parvuli Dei - it is a lot of work and a time commitment. Parvuli Dei would be a cub level emblem, worked on with parents/guardians, and is in no way a prerequisite for Ad Altare Dei which is a more structured program worked on with a counselor. While the NCCS gives the recommendation of 13-14 years old and completed sixth grade for AAD, each child is unique and that is not necessarily a hard and fast rule. If your son is very involved in his faith, such as participating in your parish youth group, active as an altar server, attending a Catholic scho

Here's a little piece I wrote over the summer to help get parents thinking about summer camp. https://mikecooney.net/top-10-reasons-scout-camp/

I returned from summer camp this last Saturday. I'm still in recovery mode, but it is all going well. I thought I'd share a few things. 1. There was a scout who earlier this year that had us adults concerned that he might not want to continue. He was not very interested in things and we all were concerned that he might end up dropping this year if that didn't change. Well the week before camp season started, he was talked into joining the staff. He earned BSA Lifeguard certification during the training week. When I saw him in the 2nd week of camp he was a completely different person. He

Buggie, thanks for the great report. I have just returned from camp as well. Looks like we went to different camps but interesting that several of your observations hit home.... Three of our scouts are chomping at the bit to be on staff. One was accepted, the other is working on the application. Another is going to apply next summer. Sad to say, a scout we've know for years has started down the wrong path. His home life has always been awful. Scouting was the one positive aspect in his life for several years. Good heart, not an overachiever, but definitely tried hard to contri

Sounds to me like a new Scoutmaster who hasn't earned his experience yet. Most Scoutmasters want to see the boys in their troops mature over the years and grow to take on increasing responsibility. That's exactly what camp staff provides. It's an increased level of responsibility and might well be the first time the scout has been away from home "on his own"....without even the comfort of his friends and scoutmaster to back him up. Most kids will get that when they move on to college, but for the scout working at summer camp, he gets the opportunity to experience it a little earlier.

It's been years since we got rid of the dumpster. I have no idea if that same bear is still around, or not. We do have a color-phase bear that circles around from time to time. I came face-to-face with him; within about 20 feet. (That's the second time I've been so close to one.) Because it was twilight, and at that point I didn't know black bear didn't have to be black, I actually thought this cinnamon colored yearling was our distant neighbor's Rhodesian Ridgeback at first. NOT!! The other time, the bear was right in the woods outside the garage. Again, under 30 feet. Feet, not yard

Not only should it be allowed, it should be required. It is called an inspection. It used to be a routine matter for Boy Scouts to present themselves, and their gear, for inspection, before leaving for camp. It should be a unit policy, and all scouts and parents should be aware of it. At my school, all lockers are subject to search by an administrator, at any time. There is no expectation of privacy. Before any field trip (scouts, sports, band), all bags and luggage are opened and inspected before leaving the campus. There is no expectation of privacy. As a parent, you should