Leaderboard

1. Pray, you will need it. Scouting is having a very challenging time, and some professionals are not willing to adapt. My current council is getting rid of my District Commissioner, because he is not "effective" serving units as we are not growing in membership and units. We are in the middle of bankruptcy, COs abandoning the program, and a pandemic. Need to focus on existing units that are in trouble, and not starting new units. 2. Listen to your unit leaders. Use those counseling skills learned in WB. 3. Multiply yourself by getting good UCs to help you. 4. DO NOT USE UNIT L

Hello, I've been a Den Leader, Webelos Leader, Asst. Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster, Wood Badge Staffer and a Unit Commissioner. On January 1st, I'll be a District Commissioner. I would appreciate any tips or advice (too late for me to run...). Thanks!

https://mandatedreporterca.com/training/volunteers I thought I had posted something, but cannot find it. We were notified in the last day or two by council of the new law, and I have already taken the online certification and received the official coverage from the state. Working out the connected fingerprinting is still in limbo. The law does not appear to allow for them picking up already printed individuals from other mandated areas, such as teachers. I had to be printed as a credentialed teacher, in order to work. So you would think that file could be appenede, but curren

This thread has gone from 18 yo scouts to following rules to bad beer humor to women scouters to substance abuse and a strange reference to Rabbinic Judaism. It's New Year's eve. If there were ever a year where it would help to end on a high note, this is it. Please help me out on this one.

A good contingent of UCs is important, and as stated earlier, try to avoid using direct contact leaders to fill those positions. Strong ADCs, particularly those involved in Roundtable are important. Be sure that you have people in place who are not afraid to disagree with you when needed, and above all else, do not let it overwhelm you and become the sole driving force in your Scouting life. We have lost more than one DC who did not know how to delegate and trust his people. That just leads to an ultimatum from the spouse.

The headline title is an understatement, I suspect Scoutmaster Nicholas Sincinito is the person of a lifetime for his scouts. https://www.liherald.com/stories/nicholas-sincinito-is-the-lynbrookeast-rockaway-heralds-2021-person-of-the-year,137386 Scout Salute and please say a prayer for him and his family,

I feel obliged to point out that mathematically if you cut a corner off a totin chip card, which is a rectangle, the resulting irregular pentagon now has five corners. As you keep cutting off corner after corner you eventually arrive at a circle which has either no corners or infinite corners.

I am a 16 year-old Life Scout, working on my Eagle, and I am currently the Senior Patrol Leader for my troop. About 10 or so years ago my troop was quite large, with about 5 or 6 active patrols at all times. I was a Cub Scout at this time. Then, a whole bunch of drama happened and most of the families left the troop, diminishing the size. About 5 years later, when I became old enough to be a Boy Scout, I joined the troop. I had done Cub Scouts but not Webelos, my parents pulled me and my brother out of scouting for a few years to focus on our youth group, and partly because my dad wa

The Fingerprinter's Union lobby is a powerful group. They are always looking for new revenue streams. Govco is paying off it's supporters 😁

My apologies if I confuse anyone. But there is a distinction between substance dependence (very prevalent in our country) and substance abuse. Or, at least, there had been. The two obviously blend into one another. So much so that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders now no longer makes that distinction, putting most of the symptoms under substance use disorder. (Data wonks may click here for more.) Based on recent surveys, it is very likely that at least one of the scouters and several parents in an average unit have an alcohol use disorder. Hopefully they will

I'm not a clinician, but I see there is a difference between abuse and dependence. https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-alcohol-abuse-and-dependence https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/alcohol-abuse-vs-alcohol-dependence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44358/ The BSA Adult Application screens for "abuse" not "dependence". Question 6b on the right side. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/524-501.pdf Sounds like you might advocate to change the verbiage from "abuse" to "dependence", but I think, un

While I am quite certain that Qwazse doesn't require any help in this "debate", I find I cannot let your final sentence pass without comment. It's one that gets used a lot and frankly, It's insulting. The implication being that unless someone is in favor of your solution to a problem, then they are supporting the problem. The idea that Qwazse, or any of us on this forum, is supporting or complacent with child abuse of any description goes way beyond the pale. Edit: FYI I have no need whatsoever to list any qualifications (survivor, recovering alcoholic, etc) in order to give voice

I'd second the importance of DO NOT USE UNIT LEADERS. I think this applies to current unit leaders from the same unit current unit leaders from a different unit former unit leaders from the same unit It all comes down to agendas; somehow inserting their own views / agenda with some sort of passive authority over the unit? Or, bring too much current/past history that damages being an outside friend to the unit? IMHO, the best UC is a retired SM/ASM (for a few years) that is well respected and is just looking for an excuse to stay connected to scouting and wear th

Welcome. Tagged already? @MikeS72

Please move to where ever it may be better. Just a note to say that California now has a new state law that means all volunteers working with youth have to take a state certified course and have it on file. They also will need to get fingerprinted as part of the process, and they will not take already on file prints. So, once they figure out the prints process, I will need to get it done again, even though on file as a teacher. Already took the online course and have my certificate. Frankly, it is not a hard course, though a bit long. I think YP is more detailed, personally. Am now a ma

The no alcohol thing threw a wrench into my plans at the last B&G. At home, we parboil our brats in beer before grilling them. I had several cans of Bud on the counter ready to go and then realized that we couldn't have alcohol at Scouting events. I have a mom that smokes and I had to remind her several times about smoking on the Cuboree. I can't wait for her daughter to turn 11. She's nice, but I really hate having to babysit 30-somethings.

@johnsch322, yeah, I recall a lot of anguish related to alcohol dependence/abuse in my family … but that’s balanced with a lot of memories that were positive. That included banter over brands. It’s not about bringing brands to camp, it’s about a shift in cultural norms. Most post-modern nomads are astounded by the indiscriminate preference of drink of the modern working man (and occasional female riveter). Regarding sexual abuse, my suspicion is that although predators may groom through sharing alcohol, alcohol dependent people (i.e., ones who think it’s an essential to survive camping wi

Because many units still adhere to the "old boy" standard. And, as is obvious on these various Scouting sites, there are still many mired in the past and some that are still misoginistic. Sad, but true. Half of the leaders at summer camp now are female though, and t that is still mostly boy units. I personally, even though some might think I would be in the past "attitude" hope National will climb out of the dark and realize that coed units for Scout age are practical and also will lend themselves to growth. Many small units could add a patrol of girls, while still maintaining proper le

I do not cut corners. If you violate the rules, there is stern correction and a warning. Second offense, you lose your knife and access to tools for the duration of the camping trip. Third offense is a loss of Totin Rights until you can demonstrate verbal knowledge of safety practices and rules, and demonstrate practical safe use handling and care again, of all tools (basically, repeating requirements for Totin Chip.) We've had multiple first offenses (mostly from younger Scouts who forget the rules or haven't handled the tools much), rare second offenses, and no third offenses in all