eagle-pete

Maybe if they say it over and over, some of these folks who are inventin' their own local version of the BSA will get it. I think EagleInKY hit on something crucial. Trainings are not just for olde tyme scouters to stand up on soap boxes and repeat platitudes. We all know the BSA has been around longer than any[most] of us, with the exception of Eamonn. There is some kind of strange phenomenon that occurs when a new leader gets into Scouting. They seem to want to re-invent the wheel and start creating their own version of Scouting - a proven organization for close to 100 years.

Well, for one thing, Cub Scouts are based on The Jungle Book story, which has no lion. So I am not sure how you would work that into the legend. The Jungle Book characters are: Mowgli - Main character, the young jungle boy. Hathi - An Indian Elephant Bagheera - A Black Leopard Baloo- A Sloth Bear Kaa - Indian Python Shere Khan - A Bengal Tiger Akela - A Grey Wolf Eagle Pete

It's Official Well, I've opened up my big volunteer mouth and offered to put together a Pinewood Committee for our cubs this year... So what did the Cubmaster do..? You guessed it, she put me in charge of the entire thing! So now I am heading the committee (which will be), arranging the workshop, track, writing rules, making invitations, doing food, and anything else that comes along. She (the Cubmaster) seemed quite releaved and willing to turn it over to me. So now I will be pooring through all those resources that OneHour posted. Should be fun. I plan to put on an ex

SpongeBob I understand your frustrations. I would not only suggest to the committee that they have written rules, I would insist on it. Written rules make it clear and understandable to everyone how everything will be run and how to build acceptable cars. Also, I am not sure how your committee is able to rule on any disputes without written rules to refer to. In fact, how would you know what is illegal for your pack Pinewood Derby since your rules are "unwritten"? You could put an Estes rocket on the back of your car. Who's to say it would be illegal? To me, that is just as muchan unfair a

Lisa just hit on something I have been thinking about, but was hesitant to post... But since you brought it up.... Would it be too off the wall to set up a computer with Internet and a projector in a group training environment and run through a module with the group? You could have discussions on key elements of the training. Just a thought. Eagle Pete

OldGreyEagle With all due respect, there are already some restrictions in place, just as there are age restrictions for being an adult leader. The question is, would requiring minimum age and tenure be of benefit to the participant. After all, this is a one-time deal. Whenever someone takes Wood Badge, either as a brand new leader, a young adult, or as a seasoned leader, they will not have the opertunity again. It may be to their best interest to go into this Advanced training with at least a little prep. Eagle Pete

John.. Wood Badge is two words. And enough of the flip-flopping. We get enough of that from Washington D.C. (Kidding - but not about the two words.. it really is) Eagle Pete

Good point Bill, Often this is a simple matter of opening the boy's eyes to a bigger picture. Boys of that age do not have the perspective of us adults. Just a little bit of encouragement and talk often does the trick. I also agree that talking to another leader can make a difference. Good call, and congratz on helping another boy be a Boy Scout! Eagle Pete

Gonzo Scoutnut is correct. You should have a committee formed. This committee should create the pinewood derby rules for your pack. They also become the ruling committee incase of disputes. There are many, many, many resources both in BSA and on the internet for Pinewood Derby. One of my favorite places on the net is: http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/pwd-rules.html That site is a virtual cub leader handbook, and although it is not Official BSA, the site does keep their info up to date and they follow BSA policies. Eagle Pete

Eamonn One of the concerns I have when a younger adult leader (be that in chronological age or by tenure) heads off to Wood Badge is that they are going to be presented material which is intended for adult leaders who have developed beyond the initial leadership stages. I remember when I was beginning as an adult leader I had a vague idea of how the BSA program was put together. I had no idea how to properly motivate and deal with the dynamics of parents/leaders/youth, except for the small amount of experience in professional and church responsibilities I brought with me, much of which

tchevren posted - "I'm not sure why he doesn't want to continue. He enjoys camping and doing things with the other boys." Boys at this age may be apprehensive of moving into a new environment. Many boys who move into the Boy Scout troop are following their brother(s) or older friends and so they feel more comfortable with the transition. He may feel alone or scared that the older boys may not accept him. On the other hand, he may have no rational reason for not wanting to go into the troop. Whatever the reason behind his apprehension, there should be a plan in place which helps

Just an after thought... For those planning hot dogs in future events... don't make the mistake I did. For reasons I cannot explain, hot dog buns are not counted the same in packages as the hot dogs are... I found this out the hard way. We planned an event and when I purchased the hot dog buns I didn't notice that hot dogs came in packs of 10 and the buns are in packs of 8. We came up 15 short on the hot dog buns. Everyone was understanding but many went without buns. I was rather embarrassed about the whole thing. Anyway, I am sure that MomToEli would never make this m

robvio Welcome I cannot add much to what has already been said here, except to tell you that as a boy, I was not able to participate much more than you. I am sure that my parents' relationship problems were very important at the time, but their problems became bigger than they could handle and somehow they forgot about a boy. Scouting became less of a priority for them, and consequently, less of an influence for me. I made it through Webelos. I never had a chance at getting my Eagle. Sad story, eh? Nah! As an adult I never forgot the small amount of scouting that I did get

YVONNE Hey.. welcome to the forum I agree with the advise so far. The basic problem with RT attendance is essentially that scouters need to know that there is something worth coming for. Everyone is busy and to compete with this your RT program must be top notch. A few things that can help (some have been stated already... sorry) 1. You need to have someone on staff who is outgoing, energetic, and can communicate well. This adds energy and enthusiasm to your program. It doesn't have to be goofy or ridiculous, but Cub Scout Roundtable generally should be up-beat and full

SR540Beaver I see what you mean. They'd have to pry my beads out of my cold dead hands. Eagle Pete

The following post by John-In-KC is in response to concerns regarding the policy of having those who have not taken Wood Badge for the 21st Century to take the course before being able to staff it. This begs the question - Is it so bad to take Wood Badge over again? Whatever happened to Tom Peter's management concept "Train and retrain constantly?" Advantages to re-taking WB: - New friends. - Different perspectives - Chance to revisit leadership skills We all have to make choices; sometimes they are tough choices. Allocating time amongst family, work, and Scouting is o

jr56 I don't get it. As a participant, I took the new (Wood Badge for the 21st Century) course and never had any sense of elitism from our staff. I am now on staff for a course coming up this September and we are so far from the elitists it isn't even worth bringing up. Elitism is one of the things Wood Badge for the 21st Century wants to get rid of. Either your council is still presenting Wood Badge with an elitist air, or maybe I just don't get your comments. Eagle Pete

Welcome awesome1 and well said. I, too, served as Cubmaster and remember those years as some of my most cherished memories of Scouting. Eagle Pete

In response to Lisabob's story of the pinewood derby race gone awry... A Scout is: Trustworthy, Gone are the days when your word was your honor, and a handshake meant a deal. We now have contracts, lawyers, legal instuments, courts, lawsuits, etc. Loyal, Selfishness - that's what this is all about. That's what causes mariages and families to be torn apart. What does it say to our boys to disregard the loyalty and brotherhood we claim to be apart of. Helpful, Just as a reminder, not all of us are expert pinewood derby car builders. Not all of us have precision tool

JKevin My advise... stay focused on completing your ticket. Don't allow anticipation of staffing or how that will all take place to affect your experience working your ticket. Just my opinion, but I don't think it's a good idea for CD's to select participants who have not yet earned their ticket to be on staff. In fact, they should probably give them some time after the beading ceremony as well; say, a year or so... At least allow the newly beaded Wood Badger to enjoy their new beads. I have known Wood Badgers who were invited on staff right after receiving their beads... in

Merry Christmas Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! Eagle Pete

Training Training Training I am surprised no one has mentioned this (beyond ScoutNut's small mention) If you are new at this stuff and only have experience as an assistant Tiger Den Leader, you will need to do first what ScoutNut already mentioned, Fast Start and Leader Specific training for Cubmasters (usually presented in Leader Basic Trainings). Additionally, I highly recommend taking a Wood Badge course in the near future. As a Cubmaster, you will have to deal with many people; including parents, other pack leaders, your Charter Rep, and the boys. Wood Badge gives you invaluab

Case in Point I was a Cubmaster when I wrote my ticket. One of my goals for my ticket was (and I am paraphrasing - I don't recall the exact wording) to improve parent/scout relations by involving the parents more in the program, educating the parents on how the Cub Program works, and giving them more ownership of the program. One of the steps I took to reach this goal was I had a personal meeting with each of the parents of the Cubs. I invited the parents, the den leader, and their son(s) to attend the meeting. In the meeting we went through the cub program, focusing especially on the

Try http://www.woodbadge.org/images/Back%20to%20Gilwell.jpg

I agree. Any exceptions to the tenure rule would need approval from the district. As far as the religious award, some denominations may have different requirements (I have not researched every one), and so this may not apply to earning the religious award. Mine, for example, has no requirements for tenure as a Scout Leader. The tenure for my religious award only applies to the length of time I have served in a capacity in my church with the youth, and therefore, I could earn both the Cub Scouter award and my religious award at the same time. Tenure applied toward a Scout Leader award