Leaderboard

We don't live in an area that has a strong cultural support of Scouts. There are individuals who will pay/buy anything of course; but as a rule we wouldn't have a chance of having a single Scout selling $1,000 worth of popcorn. We definitely have that opportunity with the candy and meat sticks we sell instead. I lived in a different Council when my older kids were in Scouts. In particular, we lived in an area that had a stronger support of Scouting than the general area the Council covered. We participated in popcorn sales but didn't earn enough to make a dent in our yearly fundraising g

It doesn't really break mine. Any time there's a man among youth (male of female), there are going to be parents that are rightfully defensive about it. Those of you who have rubbed shoulders with foreign Scout groups have seen that young adults in their 20's-30's make up a big chunk of Scout leaders. Here in the States, a combination of moving away from home for college, lack of paid time off at the beginning of careers, and "all adult men around kids must be potential pedophiles" keeps Scouting in the US from tapping into a knowledgeable and needed group of volunteers. I'm not sure what the

That's just heartbreaking to me. I understand where you're coming from entirely. But IMO, we need to practice two-deep leadership and other YPT rules like the law, because that will stop the few rotten apples from doing damage, and from there practice "A Scout is Trustworthy." Yes, I'd allow my daughter to attend events without female leaders present, as long as I had faith that YPT was consistently followed in the unit. I don't worry about unit leaders preying on my daughter partly because I know they are never ever alone with her.

Author Dr. Henry Hamrick’s relationship with Bud Schiele was established in the late 1950s and 60s at the Piedmont Boy Scout Camp on Lake Lanier near Tryon. Schiele was the chief scout executive for the Piedmont Council and directed the camp during those years. Hamrick made his first trip to Lake Lanier when he was 9 years old, and after spending a few summers there as a camper, he returned for several more as a counselor. It added up to eight consecutive years of his life that he would never forget, as he helped scouts earn merit badges by teaching skills such as swimming, lifesaving and

I'm aware that this is an ooooold post, but it's still useful. In that vein, I found the "Membership Committee Guide" (33080) online.

Want to start a new Pack or Troop? Everything you need to know about starting a new unit is outlined in the "New Unit Organization Process" (#34196A) and in the "New Unit Organization Kit" (13-563). You should be able to get copies of these materials from your Council Service Center. Given the importance National and local councils place on starting new units, it is odd that finding these materials online is so difficult. Here is one reference I found to the 12-step process for organizing new units: http://www.baltimorebsa.org/council/committees/images/NewUnitProcess.pdf

This is a big deal because it directly contributes to weaker Cub Scout programming. I served in a pack where 80% of our camping trips were two nights. Occasionally we'd have a one nighter for some reason or another, but it was rare. The reason to have a two night camping trip is that it allows for a single, full day at camp. A Cub Scout wakes up at the camp, get's ready at the camp, has breakfast at the camp, does a day of activities, and so on. When you turn that into a single overnighter, then it decreases the time available for the Scout to grow more comfortable in the outdoors.

Recognize, praise and thank your volunteers often. Try not to defuse any drama and get people working together as much as possible. And have fun.

This is tough. I left a cub leadership role last year because a newer leader was a perfectionist who did not appreciate that others are volunteering and who make mistakes. I retired and chose to let a younger group lead and now it is in their hands. Like you my youngest is going to Boy Scouts. If i had to do it again I would have had.l a private conversation with her about realistic expectations for a volunteer group with various personalities. I was worn out and decided to go. In our case, I had just given a lot of work for a camp weekend and then felt reamed out in front

Dodge balls, water balloons, and sticks, but only if sharp or if the scouts might point them at other scouts while saying pew pew.

Just spoke to the local pros in our council. Of 13,000 youth members in Scouts BSA, we now have 800 females. In over 75 new all-girl Troops. There is no comparable circumstance in my 50+ years of association with Scouting when we have experienced an opportunity like this -- which is available to every council and chartered organization willing to act. As these Troops swell in membership over the next couple of years and are joined by additional ones, our collective future will be a lot brighter. Our new membership directions are much better than our recent decades spent focused on excludi

So true. Our troop structure is slated to change at our next COH. The boys will divide themselves into patrols, hopefully by identifying interests (and friendships). This was definitely a parent topic at a Webelos night. Our SM explained the patrol method and how the boys will form their own patrols in the near future. And why it was so important that they be allowed to do this.

This is where I'm at too. Parents in a pack or troop need to be able to trust the adult leaders to take their kids camping. Gender is secondary here. However, if the BSA really believes they need this rule, then I'd rather it simply say:

If you can't trust trained adults, regardless of age, then it should not matter the gender of the scouts they are supervising. There are enough lawsuits currently that illustrate that point.

No, our rules are discriminatory to this family. Boys in scouting may be lead by two women or two men but girls in scouting require a registered female leader. Now, we are well within our right to discriminate in such a manner - nothing requires us to do otherwise, but with the need for 2-deep in most cases, it seems antiquated and unnecessary - and certainly a determent to BSAs desire to be welcoming to both genders..

I agree. Often there is "nowhere to run" in a small community. No matter where you go, there you are. Now, when it comes to bad habits, I am a little more relaxed than others. Thanks to the occupations of my dad and uncles, I was in every bar in the county by age 11. Plenty of quality second hand smoke for all. Add to that, gramps would send me down to the general store to by his favorite cigars. Neither I nor my brothers became smokers. My SM was very self-disciplined. That included never smoking. But I don't think it influenced the boys as much as everyone thinks it would. I eventually

We do make clear (usually in an aside meeting with the parents while the Webelos are doing activities with the boys) that we leave patrol assignments up to the boys. We try to keep cross-overs together for a couple months while a troop guide shows them in basics and we get them to attend a couple of campouts. During this time they may elect a PL and demonstrate that they are a cohesive patrol. But, just as often, a few of them tell us that they think they would like to be in an established patrol. Based on their wishes and the observation of the TG, the PLC decides how to configure things.

Parkman is certain right, I was responding more to your philosophical discussion of advancement vs Patrol Method and fun. You are responding the same as we did, and I will say that you might loose a few scouts when the parents don't see their expectations happening fast enough. We had a parent pull their son when I wouldn't "Place" their son in the PL position. We lost a few scouts to Eagle hungry parents. I say parents, because the scouts were happy with the program. Ironically, our troop was 2nd with the average number of Eagles in the district per year. That was to a well known Eagle

Our roundtable this month focused on Webelos to Scout transitions. One recommendation was to have an Assistant Scoutmaster visit Webelos 1 dens in the area for parent information meetings and making sure the den leader knows how Scouts, BSA runs and where to find information on the program. Will it work? idunno.

Why not just tell them that the boys will start as a group and it will be up to them if they want it to stay that way. Explain that the boys choose their own patrols - so if they want to remain as a group, just choose to stay together as a patrol. Explain that advancement is at their own pace and you'd be happy if the boys all helped each other and advanced at a similar pace. Of course, we all know that once in the troop, friendships will change and interest levels will vary. But, as parents of a den that's been together for years, they don't see that yet. They are more worried th

That was fairly typical even back in 1995. We stuck to our guns with our program and eventually the reputation was our marketing tool. But in the leaner days before the reputation, the Webelos watching our scouts in action was the sell. For some reason, most troops change their troop program to a Webelos recruiting visit program, while we just keep doing our troop program with the Webelos in tow. The Webelos liked what they saw and took the risk. We went from roughly 20 scouts to 100 scouts in about 7 years. And that was loosing at least that many from rocky starts. Boys like advent

The habit would be at least tolerable if the DL put some effort into the kids. Neglect is the worse sin here. I'd get in touch with the parent who stepped up. Ask him/her to take more training.

First Lady Melania Trump went rafting on Wyoming's Snake River with Boy Scouts. Story: https://apnews.com/60d51cc1785f462eaf590fb13134ce64

Like most who comment on this site, I have a good amount of exposure to the ups and downs of Scouting through the years. In my case it is 54 years since I became a Cub and I have served in just about every role as an adult leader since age 21. I have carefully read the fine thoughts shared by all on this particular string and must say that despite some of the current issues, the BSA is going to come out of this 5-year workout in reasonably good shape. We have faced many other seemingly-existential matters before and handled them pretty well. We are now just needing to address the YPT fail

In my opinion, popcorn encourages hucksterism in scouts. The product is of dubious quality and outrageously over priced and most scouts know it. They hear the feedback from people who say they can buy better product at a fraction of the price and yet National keeps exhorting them to peddle it. In any other youth organization my scouts have been involved with, the fundraisers offered something of value that didn't feel dishonorable to sell. Don't know why BSA can't find another fundraising partner.

Who else is going to coordinate for FoS to come solicit for money?

Anything above $50....

When marshmallows are outlawed, only outlaws will have marshmallows.

It's great that this is available, but it does nothing to help the vast majority of Scouts coming from middle class. These families are not considered "low-income", but certainly don't have a spare $1,000/year to throw at BSA; and the families that do, have higher things on their priority list.

With all due respect to National I call BS. The increased insurance cost isn't a surprise nor is the departure of LDS. This decision should have been made and announced months ago so units could plan and be honest with their parents. Instead they wait until after fall recruiting is done?

She is a Type "A" personality micro manager that has a lot of maturing to do. What you need is a CC that will filter her communications and direct her energy. She can't help herself, but you do have a great resource there with the right director. As chairman of committees, I recruited these people because they are very productive. Barry

Perhaps CE will become a volunteer's position?

Well, if the troop is being run properly, there shouldn't be just one person handling it. The Patrol Leader Council, under the leadership of the Senior Patrol Leader, should be running things, and they in turn are supported and assisted by the Scoutmaster and at least one but ideally two or three ASMs. It sounds to me like your Scouts still operate under the firm thumb of the adults involved, and have not been given any remotely like the autonomy with which Scouting is supposed to empower them. As is almost ALWAYS the case, the adults need to back off and let the boys run their own program.

Since we crossed our boys over by birthday, we had no need to award the AofL as a group; rather, each boy received it whenever he earned it, whether it was six months into the program or a week before he turned 11. Since we worked on most adventures as a group, it wasn't unheard of for a few boys to earn it at the same time, but just as often we'd have a few Arrows awarded throughout the years along with intermittent crossings-over. The school year never had any influence on our awards programming though, and if a boy earned the AofL early enough, he would usually proceed to earn a bunch of el

Here is the issue...... I am not sure they were ever intended to help folks quit smoking. It has become a seperate addiction to it's own. In a discussion with one of the chemist at work, he was wondering how long before they figure out how to put other things in liquid. Say THC, PCP or some other much more significant mind altering drug. I have some coworkers that have switched from cigarettes to the ecig.....They use it in our shared work space. I am sure that I am exposed,

Agree totally that kids shouldn't use them. It's an adult product made (intended) for those who wish to quit cigarettes. Use it away from Scouts only because it can be easily mistaken for the "real thing".

Frankscout, lets not tivilize one of the most destructive idelogies of violence in the history of mankind, Nazism to people who want to ban cigarettes. Because it's a controversial thing, I'd say no, but the issue has never come up in my unit.

We have a problem with youth using ecigarettes in our schools and many children are addicted. Our school system is struggling with the issue. Kinda hard when you see a 10 year old using one of these walking home. We treat it as a cigarette and no youth are permitted to use it on a scout outing. Harmless, Probably fall into the same category as caffeine in coffee.....We do not allow youth to drink coffee with out a note from mom or monster type energy drinks on outings or activities. Caffeine is fine for most folks in reasonable amounts....... It looks like it will be irrel

E-Cigs definitely nullify the "second hand smoke" argument because, well, there is none! Yet the Tobacco Nazis continue to rebel against a HARMLESS product because,well, it LOOKS like smoking! GOD FORBID someone should be allowed to have a little enjoyment! Some folks need to get control of their OWN lives before attempting to control the lives of others, IMO. We had a leader who used E-cigs DISCREETLY, and was still scoped out and hounded by a Cig Nazi in our troop. My response? "Why aren't you commending him on trying to quit, instead of criticizing him for it?" Self-righteousness.

Yes, as a discussion point under substance abuse, sub-topic addiction.

Just like any other tobacco product, shouldn't be used in front of the Scouts.

Bingo. This right here is why I will have nothing to do with female Scouts BSA troops. As a single man in his 20's, I can only be viewed by parents as a potential predator in the making, and I have no desire to deal with that.