Eagle76

I played around some more, and here's the link - assuming pasting the link works.

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/1st-scout-schedule.asp

I found something like this on the web a couple months ago. It was on www.boyscouttrail.com. I bookmarked the site, but I just tried it and it seems to be having problems. I'll try to paste (and massage) the document I downloaded here. If it's a mess, I apologize. I plan to show this to my PLC as an example of planning activities for the advancement of new Scouts. I believe there was comment on the site their troop met twice per month as a troop, and met a third night in patrols, which is why the plan is as you see it.

Month Activities

March

Do J1,2,3 to join a troop.

1st Troop Meeting: Do J4, 5.

Patrol Meeting: Memorize Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan. Create a patrol name, yell, and flag. Practice square knot. Study Scout badge.

2nd Troop Meeting (Court of Honor): Watch First Class scouts advance.

April

1st Troop Meeting: Do J6, 7, 8 - as a patrol, discuss the importance of the oath, law, motto, slogan, and Outdoor Code. Have Scoutmaster explain their importance.

Patrol Meeting: Practice Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan. Each scout whips a 6' rope and fuses a 6' rope - keep these ropes for practice and demonstration. Practice tying square knot, two half-hitches, and taut-line hitch. Finish patrol flag and practice yell.

2nd Troop Meeting: Do T8 - bring your patrol flag and give your patrol yell in front of the whole troop. Discuss upcoming camping trip - packing list, uniform expectations, and duty roster. Create menu for trip.

Troop CampOut: Do T1, 2, 3 - dressed for campout, sleep in tent, prepare meal.

Individually: Schedule a Scoutmaster conference for Joining

May

1st Troop Meeting: Do T10a before meeting - each scout records first attempt

Patrol Meeting: Practice tying square knot, two half-hitches, and taut-line hitch. Practice identifying poisonous plants and their treatment. Practice first aid for T12 - do not practice the Heimlich maneuver. Discuss buddy system.

2nd Troop Meeting: Do T5, 7, 9 - safe hiking rules, oath, law, motto, slogan from memory, buddy system

Troop CampOut: Do T4a, 4b, 6 - whip & fuse rope, tie two half hitch and taut-line hitch, raise, lower, fold flag

June

1st Troop Meeting: Do T10a or T10b before meeting - each scout records final attempt or first attempt

Patrol Meeting: Practice first aid.

2nd Troop Meeting (Court of Honor): Receive Scout badge. Do T12 - have older scouts role-play injuries and then sign off if new scouts show correct first aid.

Troop CampOut : Do T11 - poisonous plants. Do S2c,d - Totin' Chip.

Individually: Schedule a Scoutmaster conference for Tenderfoot. Arrange Board of Review.

Service Project: Do S4 - 1 hour service

July

1st Troop Meeting: Do T10b before meeting - each scout records final attempt. Do S3 - flag ceremony.

Patrol Meeting: Practice with compass and map. Go on an orienteering hike and take photos or collect evidence of 10 animals and 10 plants.

2nd Troop Meeting: Do S3, S5, F6 - flag ceremony, identify 10 animals, 10 plants.

Summer Camp: Do S7a,b,c, F9b,c - swimming and water rescue, swimmer test. Do S1a,b - 5-mile compass hike. Do S2b,e,f,g - select site and pitch tent, fire safety, cook own meal

August

1st Troop Meeting: Do S3 - flag ceremony. Do F4a,c,d - plan menu, list cooking gear, explain safe food handling.

Patrol Meeting: Practice serious first aid. Do S6b - make a first aid kit.

2nd Troop Meeting:

Individually: Two scouts do F4b - food costs, amounts, and purchase for campout.

Troop CampOut: Do F4e - one scout per campout can accomplish this task unless you decide to buddy up - use This worksheet.

September

1st Troop Meeting: Do F4a,c,d - plan menu, list cooking gear, explain safe food handling.

Patrol Meeting: Practice serious first aid. Go on a hike, taking first aid kits along.

2nd Troop Meeting (Court of Honor): Receive Tenderfoot badge.

Individually: Two scouts do F4b - food costs, amounts, and purchase for campout.

Troop CampOut: Do F1 - direction without compass

October

1st Troop Meeting: Do S6a,c - have older scouts role-play injuries and then sign off if new scouts show correct first aid. Do F4a,c,d - plan menu, list cooking gear, explain safe food handling.

Patrol Meeting: Practice knots - square, timber hitch, clove hitch, bowline, lashings

2nd Troop Meeting: Do F2 - orienteering course race organized by Instructors.

Individually: Two scouts do F4b - food costs, amounts, and purchase for campout.

Troop CampOut: Do F7a,b,c - lashings, knots, camp gadget.

Special Event: Do S8 - create a skit or presentation as a patrol and present it to a Cub Scout pack, Sunday school class, or other group.

Individually: Schedule a Scoutmaster conference for Second Class. Arrange Board of Review. Do S2a - at least 5 troop/patrol activities,

November

1st Troop Meeting: Do F8a - bowline knot.

Patrol Meeting: Do F5 - citizen rights and obligations, have an expert present to patrol.

2nd Troop Meeting:

Troop CampOut:

December

1st Troop Meeting: Do 9a - safe trip afloat.

Patrol Meeting: Practice advanced first aid skills for F8.

2nd Troop Meeting (Court of Honor): Receive Second Class badge

Troop CampOut:

January

1st Troop Meeting: Do F8a,b - have older scouts role-play injuries and then sign off if new scouts show correct first aid. Or, stage an emergency situation for the new scouts to handle.

Patrol Meeting:

2nd Troop Meeting: Do F8c,d - injury transport, heart attack. Or, stage an emergency situation for the new scouts to handle.

Troop CampOut:

February

1st Troop Meeting: First Class Olympics - knot relays, first aid relays, compass use, fire building, animal/plant identification, ...

Patrol Meeting:

2nd Troop Meeting:

Troop CampOut:

Individually: Schedule a Scoutmaster conference for First Class. Arrange Board of Review. Do F3 - at least 10 troop/patrol activities

March

1st Troop Meeting:

Patrol Meeting:

2nd Troop Meeting (Court of Honor): Receive First Class badge.

Troop CampOut:

You are not alone in your struggle. The different twist in our troop is that many committee members have been to SM/ASM training, so they think they know what they're doing. They say over and over "It's a Boy Run Troop" in the Orwellian 1984-ish belief that saying it makes it so. They are blind to the degree to which they take over activities.

Example: Last Saturday's Scouting for Food drive, the ex-SM, now ASM was handing out the maps, he and the committee chairperson were telling the boys to buddy up and start out. The SPL hadn't arrived yet, so they took over.

Example: Saturday night was a very successful (that is, highly attended) bowling outing - totally planned, organized, and directed by the adults, the same ones who are most insistent that it IS a Boy Run Troop.

But as in AA, the first step to solving your problem is admitting you have one. I'm still trying to get across to some people that we have a problem. In the meantime, I'm trying to get the boy leadership to do a better job planning, but I'm having trouble getting them to accept responsibility and take ownership of the outings. They've been told this IS a Boy Run Troop, and they believe it, and so expect things to stay the same as they have been. The biggest ray of hope is the spirited, eager group of new Scouts. With some guidance, I have high hopes that in a few years they will be able to lead the troop as it should be.

Well, I wasn't going to get into the grammatical syntax arguement, but I changed my mind.

1. Camp a total of at least 20 days and nights. You may use a week of long-term camp toward this requirement. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched (long-term camp excluded).

To me, if you take the last sentence and form the the converse, it would be: For long-term camp you do not need to sleep under the sky or in a tent you have pitched.

BTW, note only one week of long-term camp counts.

Camp Royaneh of the San Francisco Bay Area Council mostly has 2-man platform tents. However, one campsite consists of six 8-man cabins, which is used by the largest troops. (A couple other campsites may also have the cabins.) The cabins are square, with walls that go halfway up. No door, just a gap in the wall.

In my opinon, scouts from troops assigned to these cabins should be able to count their long-term camp toward the Camping MB requirements.

I'll disagree with drakmund on one point, but bear in mind that I'm smack in the middle of the very same challenge myself. "Canoe trip" might be sufficient to write into a plan, as the options are probably limited, but rather than just scheduling "camping trip" I believe the boys should select the locations. Provide them with options and ideas, but let them pick. I say this because in the past our committee has done the bulk of the scheduling, with the result that the same locations are sheduled year after year. Turnout last year was 9 out of 38 Scouts? Doesn't matter, they're comfortable with the familar locations.

EagleinKY - You're preaching to the choir. But this is exactly the situation we (The SM and I) are facing: a troop committee which utters the phrase "It's a Boy-run Troop" like a mantra, while inserting themselves into all levels of the "program" side of the house.

Historically, in our troop the SPL and ASPL's have camped with their old patrol. They were all rather startled when I pointed out to them at the last PLC that they were not part a patrol during their term of service, but that their attention should be on the whole troop. The immediate question raised was what to do on campouts. I discussed it with the SM, and going forward the troop leadership will tent together, and they will split up and eat with a different patrol each campout. They'll still foot their share of the food bill, but will not be burdened with cooking or cleaning duties.

Kenk, our troop has been experiencing some of the same problems you observed, but our new leadership is attempting to change things.

The patrol method was weak to non-existent, with "virtual patrols" on campouts. So we re-organized patrols, making them a little larger, and going forward campout patrols may be as small as 2, but the intent is to maintain patrol integrity. Only single scouts will be joined to another patrol. Cooking/cleaning has not been done by adults, but what has happened is the boys have been taking the easy way out, planning menus which minimize the cooking and cleaning. We will be raising expectations in the future.

The car-camping-only contingent on our committee recently voted to purchase an 8-man tent for the troop. Their logic was that this would eliminate anyone being left out. I voted against it, as I would have preferred more 2-man tents, so that they could also be used on the backpacking trips I'm pushing for, but I was outvoted. When we do start backpacking, that big tent will just be left behind.

These are the requirements I had in mind.

3. Make a written plan for an overnight trek and explain how to get to your camping spot using a topographical map and compass.

Although one could probably argue that you don't actually have to go on the planned trek.

7. Prepare for an overnight campout with your patrol by doing the following:

a. Make a checklist of personal and patrol gear that will be needed.

b. Prepare a camp menu that is right for backpacking. Give recipes and make a food list for your patrol. Plan two breakfasts, three lunches, and two suppers. Discuss how to protect your food against bad weather, animals, and contamination.

c. Pack your own gear and your share of the patrol equipment and food for proper carrying. Show that your pack is right for quickly getting what is needed first, and that it has been assembled properly for comfort, weight, balance, size, and neatness.

This one really sounds to me like you DO need to go on a backpacking trip, especially c. Although I suppose a sea lawyer could argue that it's enough to make your checklist, plan your menu, and pack a pack, without actually carrying the gear anywhere or doing the outing.

9. Show experience in camping by doing the following:

b. On any of these camping experiences, you must do TWO of the following, only with proper preparation and under qualified supervision:

1. Hike up a mountain, gaining at least 2,000 vertical feet.

2. Backpack for at least four miles.

3. Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours.

4. Plan and carry out a float trip of at least four hours.

5. Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more.

This one I don't see a way around. 1 and 2 sound like the "easy" choices, but I'm pretty sure we've done no backpacking (2), no biking on campouts (3), no floating on campouts (4), and no rappelling on campouts (5). At most I would rate 1 a "maybe", but it's just as likely that a separate hike, not on a campout, was "counted."

A couple of our Scouts (Star rank) turned in completed MB blue cards from summer camp for Camping MB. My first thought was, "How sad that they should get a merit badge for Camping when they've never camped out of sight of their cars." (I am engaged in a campaign move us away from an all car camping program.) Then I looked at the requirements, and frankly, I don't see how the boys could have met them the way our program is. As an ASM, should I do or say something? If so, what?

Many thanks.

I had a committee member tell me that boys below the rank of 1st Class could not sleep alone in a tent on campouts. The second time she told me this, I asked her if it was written down somewhere. She said it was in our troop parents handbook. I could not find this "requirement" there, nor did I find anything like this in the Guide to Safe Scouting. Is anyone out there aware of a rule like this, or have similar policies within their troops?

Thanks.

Thanks again for all your thoughts. Here are the answers to some of the questions that have been asked.

First, our new SM has been trained, and he and I are of one mind as to the need to make some changes hey, thats one of the reasons he asked me to become an ASM. One of the first things were doing is reorganizing the patrols. Some had become small, and some were leaderless and/or totally dysfunctional. This was his idea, after I pointed out to him some of the problems I had observed. This was presented to the PLC, and they agreed. In fact, the main purpose of the PLC meeting I mentioned originally was to come up with a plan to create the new patrols. This effort will be undertaken at tonights meeting. Whatever the outcome, we realize the need to train and set expectations for the resulting leadership something I believe has been lacking in the past.

Most of our oldest Scouts have been to Brownsea Junior Leadership Training. Im just not sure how much of an opportunity theyve had to implement what theyve learned. Its my sense that it would have been difficult for them to overcome the burden of the way weve always done it. In the future I hope to find out what ideas they may have, and give them the support they need to try them.

I dont think its a case of the adult leadership being lazy, as was suggested. In fact, we have a bunch of hard-working people supporting the troop, as they supported the Cub pack previously. I believe this is part of the problem. Despite the lectures THEY gave ME in the beginning, I think theyre still running a Cub program. Theyve been trained themselves, and they repeat Ita Boy Run Troop like its a mantra, but that seems to be the only thing they took away from their training. I was stunned to observe how much of the annual planning they took upon themselves, while still deluding themselves that the boys were doing it. I think their lack of personal experience with a Boy Scouting program leaves them blind to the shortcomings we suffer. Car camping is all they know, and they think its enough, and are probably personally intimidated by the notion of going backpacking. I think they sensed my dissatisfaction with the program, and they encouraged me to attend training, I think in the belief that I would come to see things their way. Instead, it just crystallized for me where we were going wrong, the importance of trying to get back on track, and made me more determined to make the effort.

I think the idea of splitting large troop or packs to form new ones is attractive, but there is another potential obstacle. Our Cub pack historically recruited from 4 elementary schools, although most members came from 2 of those. On a couple occasions the District rep wanted us to stop recruiting at a couple of them, because they wanted to form a new unit there. In one case, they apparently even had a unit number reserved for that pack. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and this is when our committee members began discussing how it would be better to help us recruit, then split the pack if it got too big. The potential obstacle is that theres a numbers game going on. Apparently, the more units they have, the better the rep looks, and they dont want to wait. For their purposes, the more units, the better, no matter how small they are or how much theyre struggling.

Let me add my support to a couple of Proud Eagle's points by serving as a negative example.

My son's troop has NOT assigned an ASM to the New Scout Patrol in the past. Although a Troop Guide was appointed, they either were inadequately trained or inadequately advised. As a result, first-year Scouts experienced a very disappointing, non-productive year. I believe this was due to a too-strong belief in "letting the boys do it." A boy may learn to swim by being thrown into the swimming hole, but that doesn't make it the best way to learn. Some instruction and guidance by adults is needed. I agree most strongly that an NSP ASM is needed, as are WELL TRAINED Troop Guides.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Several (fairly new) boys dropped out last September, but as we were just joining up, I don't know their reasons. I don't think they went to other, more active, troops, but rather dropped out of Scouting. I don't think Scout retention is a problem (yet), but trip participation has definitely been low, as a couple of you guessed. However, apparently I will have to work a little to get others to see the connection. The troop has done the same things and gone to the same places, year after year, and done nothing at those same places. I was very disappointed with the annual planning process, as there was no opportunity to propose or discuss new activities, and the same outings were put on the calendar again. I think I will have to challenge the PLC month by month, outing by outing, to come up with fun and exciting plans, or even to change to a new destination if the scheduled one has become old hat. And EagleInKY definitely has a point, the SPL needs to be on board.

Trevorum also makes a good point, that this will be a never-ending process. I think the troop has taken the "adult hands-off" approach too far, and has allowed the boys to be lazy and take the easy way out. Now we adults need to swing the pendulum the other way a little, and raise the expectations, so that we have a strong Scouting program.

Hi all. I would appreciate the opinions of the knowledgeable and experienced members of this forum. I have learned much from you in my recent browsing.

Here's the situation: My son bridged into our troop one year ago. In December, a new SM took over. This spring I went through training, and became an ASM in June. During this past year, all campouts have been "car camping", and most campouts have no planned activities. Recently, at the first PLC meeting I attended, there was some discussion of the schedule for the coming year. When it was suggested that we add variety to our camping by backpacking in short distances, the response of the boys was very cool. A little later, one of the PL's said, "When we go on campouts, we don't want to DO stuff, like hiking. We just want to hang out with our friends." There are adults on the troop committee who will support this position, saying "If that's what the boys vote to do, then that's fine, because this is a Boy Run Troop."

My question is, is this The Way it Should Be? If not, what suggestions do you have for how I might bring about change?

Thanks in advance.