EagleBeaver

A couple other links that may be helpful.

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/wide/robin_hood.htm

http://www.vom.nys.org.uk/news/district/toprobinhood.htm

National Honor Patrol requirements are listed at: http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/Award/Award-272.asp

In our troop we are trying a patrol spirit prize every 3 months, given to the patrol that has accumulated the most points through attendance, participation, and patrol activities. Most of our points are given for participation and few for 'winning'. The winning patrol gets to choose the reward from a list such as pizza party, dinner cooked by SM on next campout, etc.

There is a scoring example at http://www.troop497.org/forms/score_sheet.pdf that might be helpful if you want to try something like that.

Paul

You might contact your local Order of the Arrow lodge and see if they have a team that can help with your cross-over if you want to go with the native American theme. OA provides our pack with a nicely done Arrow of Light ceremony each year.

Paul

At roundtable last week, a young cub scout was attending with his dad. The boy had his yugioh cards so it was a great chance for me to say howdy and ask about his favorite and how long he'd been collecting. We had a nice, short chat.

They are another opportunity to connect with a youth. I'll get familiar with the next fad that comes along too, whether I enjoy the game or not.

Youth Gambling is a growing problem. See Google at http://news.google.com/news?q=youth%20gambling%20problem for news stories. I've enjoyed playing cards my whole life and its a great way to pass time when a snowstorm shuts everyting down for a couple days. But when scouts start playing cards at our troop events, I have a short discussion about the addiction of gambling ready to go. We've been fortunate that the only card games so far have been the adults playing cribbage.

Paul

http://www.BoyScoutTrail.com

there's a database of activities, awards, games, skits, ...

"Can" and "Should" are probably the key words in your two questions. You 'can' use the service project to fulfill many different requirements, such as a hike, conservation project, and service project. But, I believe you 'should' do a separate activity for each requirement for each different award.

It's easy for me to explain to my Webelos den that we picked up trash on Jan. 12 to make our town more livable and to fulfill requirement A for award X and we cleaned the park on Jan. 13 to make it safer for younger kids and to fulfill requirement B for award Z.

It is more difficult to explain that we picked up trash and we're double counting that for requirement A and B. I have a concern that I'm teaching them to bend the rules or work the system rather than do cheerful service.

Paul

It has worked well to have scouts that have been awarded their First Class rank at the June or Sept. Court of Honor to become Den Chiefs. These are usually boys that are 3 years older than the Webelos I scouts and they've learned the basic scouting skills. It matches well with the start of the school year for Webelos dens just getting started.

Paul

See http://www.boyscouttrail.com/i/cobra_flag.jpg for our Webelos flag. The Den decided to be the Caterpillar Crushing Cobras patrol and created their own flag. It has been to a bunch of camps and hikes.

In our Pack, dens are encouraged to create a new flag each year as they grow.

Paul

One of the duties of our troop Scribe is to create and distribute a newsletter monthly. It is usually emailed. Then, another scout archives it to the troop website.

Paul

Our troop camps out in January in northern Minnesota. If its below zero while sleeping outside, scouts earn the 'Zero Hero' patch. No motivation needed from adults with these guys!

Paul

But, 2 repeat Philmonters are on the crew also.

Paul

Our troop is sending a crew to Philmont in 2005. Being in flatland Minnesota, the elevation will be the challenge. To prepare, the crew is scheduling hikes separate from the troop so yes they are working as a separate patrol.

The crew members will be earning the Hiking merit badge through their prep work for Philmont and the actual trek.

This crew will have 5 scouts that are just over the age requirements, so its a young crew. But, 2 re(This message has been edited by mn_scout)

Scouts in our troop start out with one corner torn off. 3 strikes and the scout needs to get a new card.

It's a tradition in our troop that the scouts perpetuate. Senior scouts also remove corners as they see fit.

I've not heard any grumblings about the practice and I have asked a few times. Scouts do tend to guard their last corner pretty well. :-)

Paul

The goal of the Webelos program is to transition cub scouts to boy scouts so starting to 'treat them like boy scouts' is the right direction. But, keep in mind they are not yet boy scouts and probably do not have the maturity to take on all the responsibilities expected of boy scouts. In Webelos, the den leader signs off the book rather than the parent - that's a big step, and an important one to move responsibility to the scout. Also, each activity badge is an option to be earned or not, much like merit badges - with a couple required ones for the Webelos rank badge similar to required merit badges for Eagle.

With Wolfs and Bears, a den leader needs to see the sign-offs in the book so that s/he can request the advancement recognition items (badges, beads, ...) from the Pack advancement chairman. If your den leaders are using the 'Progress Towards Ranks' beads, those scouts that do bring their books and fulfill the requirements will get something on their uniforms that the others do not have. That should be some positive motivation.

Another possible motivator is to use the 'Rank Advancement Chart' where each completed activity is tracked. If a den leader has this at each den meeting and asks to see books so activities can be marked off, that might help.

Whatever you decide to do, I'd definitely recommend NOT coming to the end of the year and then announcing that a scout does not get his rank. His status should be known by he and his parents all the way through the year so it is not a surprise at the end.

Paul

Would you consider a den level reward that everyone gets on that day that all scouts bring their book? Those scouts that do bring their books might help the others remember through their own special methods of encouragement. :-)

It looks like rewards do work since the Webelos are bringing their books.

Paul

Our district offers spring and fall camporees and is trying something new for planning them this eyar after two years of 'not too well attended' events.

Each troop has been asked to provide 1-2 scouts to serve on a group to plan the camporees for the year (along with district leaders). The scouts just had their first planning meeting for spring camporee at roundtable last week.

The two scouts from our troop each have research tasks to perform befor

Wouldn't it be fun to have an 85 year old great-grandfather of one of the scouts to share about the games, songs, crafts he did as a boy? Even better, if he was in scouts!

Or, visit a local senior citizens' center to see if a resident fits the description and is interested.

Paul

Does the troop you are with ever host other troops so they can experience an outing to a local destination?

For example, you are in Boulder, CO and your troop likes to hike 14,000 foot mountains. Have you ever had a troop from the flatlands of eastern CO join you for a weekend campout and hike?

Our troop goes to the MN Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness often, on our own, and I wonder if it would be a good experience to have another 'remote' troop join us some time. Maybe not a good example, since they could use Northern Tier, but there are many other places that I expect local troops take for granted and other troops would love to visit.

Paul

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Go as early as possible to minimize mosquitoes - May is best, in my view,but it looks like their earliest trip is June 5. A June trip will also give you a 10% discount according to their web site at http://www.ntier.org/

Since they're open through August, the end of the season will still be buzzing with bugs - and if you haven't experienced Minnesota mosquitoes, they will be very bad!

If this is the first time in the BWCAW for your adults and boy leaders, I'd recommend sticking to the BSA program. If you have plans to come back and have time this trip, check out a couple of the local outfitters.

Our troop goes on BWCAW trips on our own, renting canoes from local outfitters, but we have adults that have done it many times.

Paul

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That has been a discussion point in our troop since some positions have relatively little 'work' required and others have much more leadership involved on a daily basis.

Each scout needs to do the work asked of him in his position in order to receive advancement credit. Unfortunately, we have sometimes not asked much of him. That tends to be a dis-service to the scout since it gives him little or no opportunity to demonstrate leadership.

To help with that situation, we are now trying out agreements that list the specific goals of the scout for his term in office. Such as "create a check-out process for library materials" for librarian, "record details of every campout" for historian, "plan and lead 5 patrol meetings" for patrol leader, ... Two months into their term, the Scoutmaster will meet with each scout for a conference to see how well they are meeting their goals - before its too late to fix it.

All the troop leadership positions have good descriptions and job tasks defined in the Scoutmaster's junior leadership training kit but a general requirement such as "plan and lead patrol meetings" can be too vague for new leaders.

As part of the short Scoutmaster training session with each new troop leader, the scout is asked to come up with a list of specific goals he wants to accomplish in his term. Those self-expectations are incorporated into his agreement.

Paul

Our Webelos den has been having a great year using these tips:

1. graduate up to the tan uniforms - we did this as a den when everyone earned their Webelos rank badge.

2. become a patrol - let the scouts come up with a fun name, a yell, and a flag. Get the patrol patches on their tan uniforms.

3. start integrating boy-leadership - we have one scout as the patrol leader (denner) at each meeting. He leads an opening game, flag ceremony, introduces the presenter, and closes the meeting. It gives responsibility and gets them used to following other boys.

4. encourage the scouts to come to you with their handbook for sign-offs of activity badge requirements. This gets them used to using their Boy Scout handbook correctly.

5. work with the scouts to plan 3 or more patrol outings such as hikes, picnic, bike ride, ... These should be their ideas and discuss as a group what is needed (food, clothes, gear) for success. For example, we are going to watch the lunar eclipse this Wednesday as a patrol.

Paul

Just something else to think about for your Blue Gold in 2005. There is a selection of Cub Scout 75th Anniversary awards available for youth, leader, family, and pack that can be earned. All of them have a consistent requirement of participating in a 75th celebration which can be the Blue Gold banquet.

Paul

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/Award/award-705.asp

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I also have the assistant den leader sign-off for my son's advancement so my son doesn't get off easy.

And, if a parent has presented information for an activity badge, I let them sign the handbooks that are right there at the meeting.

See http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/faststart/art/06-801.pdf

Paul

The Webelos den leader signs off, not the parents.

When I have scouts do requirements at home or on their own, I just ask them to tell me what they did to fulfill the requirement when they bring their handbook for sign-off. If they can't remember, I ask them to talk with their parent and let me know when they remember.

I also have the assistant den leader sign-off for my son's advancement so my son doesn't get(This message has been edited by mn_scout)

Viking Council is having a PowWow and University of Scouting on Oct. 30. Info about it, including classes offered, is at: http://www.vikingbsa.org/trn_university.asp

The specific Cub Scout classes are listed on http://www.vikingbsa.org/trn_university4.asp - that might give you some ideas.

Paul