Leaderboard

As an ASM and/or Advancement Chair I always advised camp is to be fun and outside. The only Eagle Reqd I suggested they sign up for was swimming because IMO summer camp is the easiest (logistically not reduced standards) place to earn it. And it is in the water. The rest should be fun fun fun. I would advise max out the waterfront (camp is usually warm so water is good): kayaking, sailing, boating, canoeing, etc (depending on what the camp has to offer. Or be at the range: rifle shooting, shotgun shooting, archery since approved Scout camps are usually the only places to do that. Or if

If he is really into make lists and deadlines, then stop him from focusing on the RANK. Have him list the knowledge, skills and training he will need to reach each recognition point. Other words, I will camp and make my own tent on my first night under the stars by xxx, 2019. I will volunteer to make the menu and cook the food on the second outing by xxx, 2109. I will earn my whittling chip and fire making skills at next camporee which is on xxx, 2019. I will attend my troops leadership course on xxx, 2020. My first merit badge will be in xxx and will be done by xxx, 2020. He will (

This is all quite right. But, we once had a series of PLCs create positions that one SPL dissolved. He said they are boring positions that scouts dread. OK, so goes the circle of life. I think what is also important is that the troop doesn't get in the way creativity and ideas. Maybe the SPL was reducing the PLC to a size manageable for him. Or maybe he just likes to be efficient. We had one high functioning scout who in 6 months time was a Venturing Crew leader, SPL, planned a trek to Montana all by himself, and aced the ACT. All in six months. The kid was incredible. He also got a full

In our area local advertising, even before our plans were as definite as yours, found more girls (and their parents) to add to the group forming a troop. Don't feel like you have to have everything lined up before you start broadly recruiting. You don't need to promise what you don't yet have, but you can certainly announce your hopes and intentions.

I was invited to attend the Boy Troop Committee Meeting tonight to discuss my intentions to form a Troop for girls. ( We will share a CO as well as the Troop Number). Everyone was very supportive and the entire committee promised to help out with whatever we might come across. They were also able to tell me about a few girls they knew who will probably be interested in joining. They also encouraged me to go ahead and go public with the announcement of the Troop formation. I was hesitant to open up to the community until we had everything lined up and ready to go as to not appear half-asse

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/big-in-peacekeeping-boy-scouts/590614/

My bottom line: we have no business telling a scout what MBs to take when. My advice to scouts: You need eight electives for advancement to Eagle, and 5 more for each Palm you'd like to earn. So rack those electives up as early and as often as your scout spirit emboldens you. If you happen to be interested in an Eagle-required badge, go for it. But never let a required badge get in the way of earning an elective of interest to you. Then, When you reach 1st Class, start picking the required ones that you feel ready to knock out for your next rank. If you haven't done so already,

Well said ... here is what I heard ... Older scouts ... have already learned how scouting works, right or wrong. Dual path ... If you want to change how the troop works, create a dual path for new and older scouts. New scout learn the better practices. Older scouts are not pushed out, frustrated and can benefit from the adventures and participation. Adventure ... Younger scouts learn by example. Create situations where they can observe and let them observe and mimic. IMHO, leadership sessions rarely teach good leadership. I remember some high performance team trai

I have yet to see good results from a 1st year scout program and they seem to teach the same things we do in our weekly program. We highly encourage scouts to take Swimming and FA their first year and the other 2 or 3 is based on interest. This allows them to complete requirements in 2nd and 1st class. Advancment is one of the methods and it should be encouraged but not dictated.

Have fun and go do stuff. Oh, you have never fired a rifle, hey take that.

I was just looking at the requirements for Cooking. Did they recently add the below line? I don't remember it when my son took the merit badge. I'm pretty sure they definitely doubled up, using these merit badge requirements for advancement. Given this statement, I retract my suggestion of Cooking as a good first year merit badge, unless the Scout has some interest in cooking in general. The meals prepared for Cooking merit badge requirements 4, 5, and 6 will count only toward fulfilling those requirements and will not count toward rank advancement or other merit badges. Meals prepare

If it’s a first year scout, I highly suggest the first year scout program at your summer camp.

Why do parents believe scouts only have one summer camp to get their stinking badges. We don't need no stinking.......... If camp is fun, they will come. Swimming so the scout can attend water activities. Fun stuff for the rest of the week. Barry

I HATE THAT SUMMER CAMP IS TURNING INTO A MB MILL! (Emphasis, ok maybe a little shouting in anger at this occurring ; ) All jokes aside, summer camp needs to be fun. All electives is fine. Heck taking a MB twice, if it isn't in demand, is fine. The new Scout has plenty of time to work on required MBs. But if you are adamant on Eagle required MBs, First Aid and Swimming are the ones I recommend.

Many camps have some sort of First Class or First Year program. Those focus on exposing the scout to the entire camp while working on Scout through FC requirements. Outside of that, the most important aspect of a first year scout is for him to have fun and want to return. MBs are not required for advancement until Star and he will have plenty of time to work on Eagle required MBs by that time. Otherwise I agree completely with @wdfa89

When I sit at the Troop reviews, I always suggest they type just because as prep for later life when typed will be required and it just comes across as more prepared and professional. But, nope, not required. I just had a kid whose family didn't have a working computer so...(I did offer him one of the old ones lying about my house) and the Eagle Workbook PDF is one of the worst fillable documents I have ever worked with (when I was helping my own son do his) so I wouldn't blame any one who said "forget this, I am going to hand write"

Well said. Part of the problem with older scouts is that they are past the learning phase of scouting. Oh, they can learn a few tricks here and there, but basically what they are is what they became before age 14. I tell troop leaders that if they want to change the program, they need to build two programs. One for the older scouts to just hang on until they age out (if they stay that long), and the other is the new program with the young scouts. AND, training is really the wrong way to look at leadership development. The experts tell me that youth before puberty learn 90 percent of

One of my issues with scouts is that there really is no clearly defined leadership mentoring pathway. Our mantra is that it is a scout led troop, but unless scouts have had some kind of exposure to leadership training or experience with it, it can be unnecessarily difficult for some of them who do not have those natural skills yet. We seem to expect them to learn by doing, and we accept the idea that a natural state of affairs for many troops is organized chaos when they flounder. There's something to be said for trial by fire, but I also think there is a whole curriculum missing for the young

This brings me back to something I wonder a lot. Does the average troop program provide enough for older youth? In this case, you can extend that to include high-functioning youth. I'd think it could, but it takes some creative thinking and a willingness to trust the youth. Find a role, invent a role, make something new up. We had a SPL years ago who decided to redraw the troop org chart. He invented all kinds of crazy new jobs and got scouts to do them. At one point, I think he over half the troop in some sort of invented job. If a Scout showed up and said, I'd like to help, he'd

The major differences in how BSA and GSUSA operate and do things is one of the reasons that some currently and/or formerly associated with GSUSA have now enrolled with BSA. If they were entirely happy with all the ways that GSUSA operates they would see no reason to join BSA. That being said, there are a couple of things from my GSUSA background that I would like to bring into the BSA troop I am affiliated with: 1) enthusiastic singing around the campfire 2) scouts developing real competence in campfire cooking Neither are, I think, opposed to BSA ways, simply out of fa

Given the amount of griping from him last year about having to hand write... Sounds like I have to find a scout who knows more about mail merge than I do, lol.

HEAR YOU SCOUTS, AND YOU PARENTS TOO, OF THE ... TALE OF TWO EAGLES! Once there were two Eagles. The First Eagle was the son of a "Double Eagle," or an Eagle Scout and Explorer Silver recipient. "Double Eagle" dad pushed and pushed and pushed his son to earn Eagle at the ripe old age of 13. Since the Silver Award was no longer around for Exploring, dad did no pushing for that. Since the First Eagle met his dad's expectations, and thought his journey was over, he quit Scouting at 13, only to rejoin many years later when his own son became a Tiger Cub. Now the First Eagl

Agreed with @ShootingSports, the thing to do is focus on requirements, at least through 1st class. So look at the different first aid skills and set timelines on those, same with camping skills, cooking skills, etc. The important element is learning the skills, not getting the piece of fabric, so look at the different actual skills.

Rank advancement is up to the Scout. His pace. His advancement. Some I have seen complete First Class really fast, then they wrap up Eagle a day prior to their 18th birthday. Others have been more journeyman and have a different journey. Your Scout needs to first and foremost have FUN and enjoy the Scouting journey. Anything else is just a bonus

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

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

I had my ECOH earlier today (right as I got home from staffing a camp, I was and still am tired), and it was a great experience! I thought I didn’t want one at first, but now I realized it would’ve been a mistake if I didn’t. We had a dinner buffet and a cake. I was at camp, so I wasn’t involved in much of the rehearsals or anything but it went pretty good. I was shocked with the town officials coming and everything.