Eagle1973

I dunno, $900 for a "non-shooter"... Any of the profit going back to BSA?

In our Troop, the Scoutmasters function as a patrol. Therefore, the winning Patrol gets their next meal prepared by and cleaned up by the Rocking Chair Patrol. The intent being for a Scout Patrol to see how another patrol can function at meal time, where the "fights" are over who WILL do KP...

I would have replied: "In our Troop, we provide the best opportunity for a Scout to earn Eagle. If his, repeat his, goal is to earn Eagle before entering HS, then we'll do our part to help him."

I don't have a problem with young Eagles, for I would have missed this goal by about 6 months, I'd have to research my records to find out why it took me so long... ;-)

Eamonn, a slight twist for you: Leadership is getting what needs to be done by someone that doesn't necessarily want to do it, Management is just getting what needs to be done, done...

With that said, there are many ways to accomplish the task, one is to work along side the individual, and that method, hopefully demonstrates that you have the skills, but not always required. Rolling up your sleeves and learning together can be an effective method as well.

Wow, what a nice firearm. Too bad today's GtSS wouldn't let a Scout use it.

Nice booklet.

In 4H, youth can start shooting at age 9. I don't know what the big deal is????

I've always found that the even the most difficult child (Scout) becomes very attentive and interested when learning to shoot.

Sorry to hijack the thread, wish I had the booklet to send you. I'll bet that it's copy righted and you have to pay for it, but I there I go again, hijacking the thread.

Signed ASM, NRA Rifle & Shotgun Instructor/RSO and 4H Certified Rifle & Shotgun Instructor

Find out her definition of range trained? Could it be that you hold a 10 minute session with each volunteer?

While having every adult on the range certified as an instructor is a noble goal, it's just not always feasible. Having a coach along side each shooter often is and very safety minded. A Scout will not be able to accidently turn around with a BB-gun in his hand, the coach will be in a position to stop the swing.

The youngest shooters I have instructed have been 9 years old. A very effective method I've used is to have another youth serve as coach. You'd be surprised how effective that can be. They take safety seriously, if they don't, they are off the range. It keeps double the Scouts occupied as well, thereby decreasing the potential for horse play. Try this method if your first doesn't work.

Tag, hey, you're from Southern Maryland, get your troop away from the humidity and mosquitos, go to Powhatan, not Bayport. I've never been to the other.

Thanks for the lead.

The event will be sponsored by a private facility with plenty of certified NRA RSOs and Instructors.

The pre-req for pistol has me bothered. Sounds like I'll have to organize a Saturday just for the pistol qual.

We're in the beginning stages of planning a Venture Crew Shooting Sports Weekend.

Has anyone recently put one on? I'd like to see your plan, brochure, etc.

I'd like to do rifle/shotgun/handgun and archery. Handgun seems the most difficult. According to the GtSS, all participants must complete a NRA pistol marksmanship course. The closest NRA course to that title is a 10 hour course.

Any way, if you've already laid the ground work in your council, I'm looking for things to "borrow".

YIV

Yeah, what Lisa said!

I believe that Cub Scouts ought to be able to use BB guns at the Pack level, not just at summer camp.

Start teaching firearm safety and respect as early as possible, remove the mystery early.

The 4H has the shooting sports availible to youth at age 9.

All said as a certified NRA/4H Rifle & Shotgun instructor having just returned from our troop's shooting weekend where no Scout came home with more holes then what he arrived with...

All qualified for the 2007 USA Shooting patch and some started on the Rifle MB and Shotgun MB.

Don't be afraid to approach the National Guard. It's a great recuiting tool for them to entertain the Scouts, plant the seed early that there are many ways to continue there service.

I like going directly to the top. Find out who the base commander is and call his/her office. They can direct you from there, probably with the "front office" endorsement too.

What aviation assets are available to you? Private? Commercial? Military? Flying clubs?

Being near a Master Jet Base, we gained access to the Navy's F-18 Simulators, had USN Pilots as our instructors.

No liability paperwork, since we only simulated leaving the ground. But this was really cool, the imagery out the windscreen was real stuff over the base, "flew" over my house and everything...

1973, Troop 48, Medford Lakes NJ...

ASM now.

Way back in 1973, my ceremony was a combo of serious and fun. My brother, ASM at the time, lead the roast. No matter how carefully I chose a place to pitch my tent, if it rained, I had a stream running thru my tent... Others were invited to add tidbits.

Letters from the President, Senators, FBI Director, etc etc were also read.

It's a big deal, but I agree w/ your son, no poems!!!

What I always enjoy doing, even when I was a "senior" Scout, was to help the "greenie" by coming up with/making the components of whatever they are tasked to come up with. (left handed smoke shifter, tent stretcher, etc.)

Then, tell the greenie to go back to the Scout/Scouter that assigned the task and say, "here it is, now show me how to put it together/use it/etc."

I also ask the greenie to come back to me and tell me the reaction of the "tasker"...

Scoutnut: The mentorship program in our council allows for designated trainers, in my case our SM, to sign off on the required skills at our regular campouts, vice going to a special training weekend.

Not sure how our SM was designated as a "certified trainer".

Unfotunately, I can't find the qualification check off sheet while at work, nor can I find it on our council website. But it basically was all the skills the Scouts must learn/do outside, Tenderfoot to First Class.

Seattle: I agree, the "old salt" was certified by council to make sure things were done our way vice his way.

Also agree the SM's should function as a patrol, we do. In fact, we came up with a cool way to demonstrate our patrol method to the Scout patrols. We have a cooking contest, we pick a meal, we pick the main course. All Patrols cook the same thing, at the same time, but adding their own twists.

The winner gets to eat the same meal (not menu) with the SM Patrol at the next campout. We cook, we clean (their messkits too). The cool thing is that the Scouts can see a Patrol function without the bickering, etc. It's paid great dividends.

(This message has been edited by Eagle1973)

Our council, don't know if it's BSA wide, allows for Outdoor Skills to be completed via a mentorship program.

I had no intention of scheduling an "additional" weekend for Outdoor Skills, but they made it easy...

Is it BSA wide?

One thing to add to SN's post. DO NOT, in preparation for a good night sleep, roll out your sleeping bag or layout your PJs prior to actually needing them In doing so, they will stay dry and not soak up any humidity in the air that can also lead to a chilly night.

I have a summer tent and a winter tent. The summer tent is huge, I can stand up to change, it's basically keeps the dew and mosquitos at bay. My winter tent is a more of a puptent, like SN said, less area to warm with body heat, more of a pain to change clothes in, but WARMER!!!

YIS

The problem with 12ga's and young Scouts is not the kick but the size of both shotgun and Scout. 12ga's are mostly full size guns, vice youth models, which usually equates to longer barrel and more weight forward. A small Scout can't hold the gun properly for any length of time before his shooting stance changes in such a way that he'll miss the target or stick the barrel in the mud...

The way you get around the problem of having different gauges of shotguns on the range is to never have two types of ammo in your pocket.

Targets bought at a range are usually around .30 per target. But paper plates work great for the very first target. For a new shooter, it's best to take one of the "variables" out of the equation, the "moving" bulls eye. Have them hit the 9 inch plate, then see if they can hit the last hole they shot. If they're close, then they are consistant with sighting and trigger pull, then introduce the bullseye.

Ken, if that range is convienent then go for it, it's NOT a good deal. Shop around. By way of example, a range in Virginia Beach (would love to give them a plug...) offers the Scouts: Free range time, Free targets, Ammo at their cost or bring your own ammo. We buy it there figuring that they have to get some money from us.

$20 for 500 rounds of .22 is twice the cost.

I hold an NRA cert and a cert from the State of VA, so that's not an issue for our troop.

Rifles: I don't think this was mentioned, but the .22's must be bolt action only, capable of being loaded one shot at a time. Single shot, mag fed are OK (as long as they can be loaded one round at a time, tube fed is NOT OK.

The name of the game in the shooting sports is to get the student to pulling the trigger quickly as possible once at the range. Therefore, at the meeting prior to our outing, I hold a detailed safety/course of fire brief. Once we are at the range, another review of safety, then bang away... You don't want idle Scouts on the rifle range.

We also plan other functions for those not actually on the firing line, so that there are no idle Scouts standing behing those on the line.

The shooting sports is one of my passions, if you want my safety brief, or our permission slip or even what the range required as samples, let me know.

IMO, if you take the curiosity factor out of guns, you'll have less incidents of kids finding and playing with guns... So bring them to the range, teach them the correct handling of firearms.(This message has been edited by Eagle1973)

A potentially easy way to get an NRA certification. All you need is an active 4H Shooting Sports organization in your area. Go to the 4H certification course, then with those credentials in hand, apply for your NRA certification. It currently costs 10 bucks plus NRA teaching supplies to convert the 4H cert to NRA cert.

Or in my area, I've been successful in using just my 4H certs. If you read the Guide to Safe Scouting, I believe it says "or a certified in your state" or words to that effect. 4H is run by the state.

In our council, archery certs are achieved by meeting w/ our camp ranger and getting "checked out" in archery.

Not the answer you are looking for and not to steal a new crew/post from the BSA, but look into 4-H too.

On the surface, I'd say this would fit into the realm of Explorers. Crews usually do high adventure stuff, Explorers to occupational stuff (Police, Fire/Rescue, etc...)

It's a good thing a Scout is trustworthy, because the new requirement as posted by Evmori doesn't say a thing about the prospective Scout coming to a meeting or actually filling out a membership form, we've got to trust that the Second Class Scout actually did the requirement.