Leaderboard

I used the cub scout advancement poster-boards multiple times. It worked well ... or as well as the den-leader worked. For troops, advancement is personal. Individual. I would not encourage sharing detailed progress. Advancement is not competitive. ... Leave the detailed progress to the scout and his scout book. ... BUT ... our troop does have an advancement board. During Courts of Honor, scouts move their own name to the next rank as part of receiving their recognition. This is NOT our board, but we have something very sim

In Mark Stinnett style, I tendered my resignation on my last national committee before the New Year. At this point, I've decided to hang up my hat and volunteer solely in my nephew's troop and niece's pack. As someone who grew up in the program. I saw the BSA go through a few short-lived changes to improve their strategy. I remember Scouting/USA and the Improved Scouting Program they had in the 70s. To one degree or another, these strategies have gone from prominent unveiling to quiet retirement. However, I find it harder to believe in the longterm solubility of the BSA with its current intern

Any type of advancement poster, or chart is best used at the Patrol level. In my experience this is a perfect role for the APL to take on. Not as a cudgel, but for patrol planning purposes. For example: At a patrol meeting: PL: "So for next month's outing, what are you guys interested in?" Patrol mates chitter chatter for a minute. PL: "Sounds like a lot of you want to go back to campsite xyz. Ok. Let's do that." APL: "Looking at our advancement chart it appears Johny needs to do FC req 2, menu and cooking, and Timmy needs to do 2C req 2. Andy needs 2C req 3 and Danny

Thanks. You confirm several of my suspicions -- especially regarding the Venturing committee's obsession with finding the perfect advancement model ... when that is the last thing concerning most venturers. I hope quality time back in the trenches restores you. Every scout needs a crazy uncle working for their (and their buddies) smiles.

There is evidence in the fossil record indicating a much warmer climate in earlier eras that is not disputed in scientific circles. So a warming period could be a natural process or it could be due to anthropomorphic factors or it could be due to both. It is telling that all, including climatologists, say that they 'believe' in climate change (previously global warming until the CO2 levels continued to increase but the 'average temperature' did not). Who funds climate research? Governments. Do those governments fund research that could disprove AGW? No. Do journals accept contraria

It is not enough that they preside over steady failure? OK 1. I believe that good unit-level program, and nothing else, attracts youth customers for BSA and for Scouting. BSA seems to focus on everything else, including to the detriment of program. The first question before anything new is adopted or anything is discontinued should be, "How will this impact sales?" We need BSA leader who focus on program or we need Scouting to leave BSA. 2. BSA seems to believe that easily obtained "bling" is the key to membership growth, even as making bling easier to obtain tracks declinin

When last I checked, Canada, the UK, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, the Philippines, and India recruit adults directly, and I was reprimanded for doing it in the U.S. (Contacted Eagle Scouts.). It may be possible to cure incompetence, but low IQ is tougher.

I could live with it being an annual requirement. But it undermines recruiting when you throw surprises at your volunteers without explanation.