Eagledad

>>What level of first aid training do the scouts have, what are they carrying as a first aid kit, what are the "bail outs" along the trail, how would you get help if you needed it?

You can go as far as you want really. Or troop sometimes looks for a place where the Older Scouts take off in one direction and the rest of the troop go the other direction and rendezvous somewhere in the middle to camp. We brake camp in one location and move to another. Start small like letting your scouts out a mile or so away from your camp site on monthly campouts and have them meet you there. Next time do the same thing only have them carry their packs. Next let them out three miles away or just get creative. Look for opportunties for the scouts to hike without adults. Like summer c

>>As a point of interest, how do your Scouts follow the MB sign-up guidelines (get a list of counselors, contact counselor, set up meetings, etc.) at summer camp?

>>When in doubt, ask the Scout. You will be amazed at how often the solution will be simpler and fairer than anything you could think up on your own.

A few years back our district committee was having trouble finding someone to plan and lead our annual District Merit Badge Fair. Because of that, we (the district committee) considered canceling it. When word of that got out, I got a rush of calls from Scoutmasters complaining that if we canceled the fair, their scouts would not be able to advance. In short, the troops in our District had developed their unit advancement program down to the MB fair and summer camp. I got the brunt of the calls from SMs because it was my suggestion to the committee to cancel the Fair. I wasnt a fan of th

>>I've been in the program over 35 years and just found out I've never had a background check. Had to fill out a new app for recharter and I doubt it's made its way through the hoops yet.

>>Teaching them Greenbar, JLT, and TLT/NYLT gives them all the options for their consideration. As it has been pointed out, there's a lot of myth floating around and even more adult interference in the processes. (after all where does one think is the #1 source for these bogus myths?)

My wife volunteered me to be our new Cub Master in the month of June and my very first scouting activity since I was a youth was attending a Webelos summer camp with my oldest son. During the second day, all the adults were called together and told in no uncertain terms that if the YP Guidelines where not obeyed, the camp would be shut down. YP training wasn't required back then and I had only been in scouts a couple weeks, so I was clueless. The folks running the camp seemed competent, but not all that professional. Ironically a few years later, I would be training them to be Troop Leaders. W

>>The assumption is that it doesn't really matter how good a Patrol Leader is. >In fact the politically correct position these days is that it is "wrong" for a Scoutmaster to judge which Scouts are the best leaders and to guide the Patrols in the direction of their own best leaders, as both Baden-Powell Troops AND the BSA did before 1972.

>>It'll attract a few, but for the most part, from what I have seen in my council and what seems to be common threads on the forum, it just doesn't seem to be doing the job. 2-3% of the boys Eagle.

>>I was not directing the term racist toward anyone on this forum so I am sorry if you took offense. I feel that BSA faces a choice of either not reaching out to Latino communities for fear of "unscoutlike incidents" or to face the issue head-on and take a stand that the BSA will view such behavior as unacceptable from scouts or scouters.

>>We can be a purist organization that still operates as Baden Powell did in 1909 and have a very small membership or we can adapt to the times and promote a program that interests boys in 2009 and spread the values, traditions and lessons of scouting.

>>I just hope no one thinks the solution lies in red berets.

>>"I personally think that the Tiger program added in the early 80s is the single biggest contributor to the loss of boys in the cub program today. Why?"

This will be interesting to say the least. I do agree that changes have to be made to keep up with the times. But how far and to what level? I personally think that the Tiger program added in the early 80s is the single biggest contributor to the loss of boys in the cub program today. That indirectly affects the numbers at the troop level. But you dont see the BSA getting away from it. In fact, they must be happy with the performance because they have been enhancing the Tiger program. It would be interesting to learn how National thinks about these things. Barry

>>Why do you need to let people know who you are? The Scouts know who they are isn'that enough? And they will hopefully learn from this that it is important to help others for the sake of helping others and not for the recognition they get from it.

>> It really irks me, when fellow Scouters tell others, that they are "benefiting the entire BSA".... I did not like the donations being handed to us at all; but I have finally given in,

I remember asking the District to change its Scouting for Food policy of delivering food bags to each house door with a message to leave the bag on the porch for a scout to pick up the following Saturday. The scout never got to meet or speak to the persons donating the food during this whole process. I agree with firekat, we can't complain about a struggling program when the community doesn't know we exist. Barry

>>But I do think opprotunities should be provided for them,

>>And that's part of the problem. We have a clear cut transition, bridging, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. But NOTHING for Boy Scouts bridge to Venturing. Or from Boy Scouts/Venturing to adult leadership.

>> believe Eagledad has hit it somewhat on the head. You do have a lot of leaders who do not allow the scouts to develope into leaders. I do disagree with the women statement as I've seen men do the same things.

>> I personally think the mistake we made is shiftin' the Boy Scoutin' program down into little kid land, not shiftin' it up. Though that may now be irreversible.

>>My thought is to set a plan for these boys before any advancement can be signed off, say 3 months (under the auspices of "scout spirit"). I am, however, at a loss of how to quantify improvement in this area.

>>Like as not, if yeh start talking about "bullying" the natural kid reaction will be to roll their eyes and assume that this is just "some adult thing." Real bullying to boys means physical stuff.

Ask your DE (District Executive) or District Commissioner for help finding a pack that will loan you their track. Set a date so you dont use the track on the same day as the other pack. I advice a Friday night and make it a family night. Have hot dogs, chips, and sodas for sale for one price so the families can eat dinner there, it adds more fun for everyone and your pack can make a few bucks. If the other pack is using the track on a Saturday morning after, they would love for you to leave it set up. Give out the cars all together so each scout has the same kit and require taht the