Eagledad

Boy, there are some great replies out there. Michelle always knows how to take me back. I dont think you can know exactly what you will bring and what you will take from the experience. We are each different and gifted in our own way. The bible says we grow from our challenges and I cant think of a more fun or rewarding way to grow than from the challenges of being a Cub Master. While I was a boy scout for a long time, it really didnt prepare me for being a role model for a 120 boys. I look back on my adult scouting experience and I can honestly say that it help me grow up a lot. S

>>"One hour a week" they can maybe deal with (drop off), but then we ask for one weekend a month, summer camp, popcorn sales, COH (bring a dish!), be a leader (which means double the time or more).

My gosh, I remember so well what you are feeling. And just imagine, your program only gets better. >>I hear all the time "Johnny Scout NEEDS a POR for such and such rank" and here are these boys in front of me working hard at PORs that are not needed for rank advancement, but will surely count in their growth as Scouts.

>>Honestly Brian. I do believe that Scouting is appealing to most all the youth. But, it seems to be less appealing to their parents.

>>I'm all for boy led units, but one must remember this isn't a free-for-all organization. Certain scouting traditions are not optional.

>>Seems to me the process worked just the way it should. The BOYS discussed it and worked it out. Could it have been more efficient? Sure.

>> Barry, I like the idea of the weekly meetings, however, I think the meeting needs to have some structure more than a week in advance.

All ideas here are good. One of the issues you may be dealing with is lack of routine for the scouts at home. If you can somehow get them to dedicate an hour every week at a certain time, that may help your problem. Personally I think a month is way too long for young men with limited leadership experience to try and stay on top of task that are weeks away. They need weekly goals with weekly communication for accountibility. Our Troop solve this by replacing monthly PLC meetings with weekly 30 minute meetings. I am not suggesting that kind of change, but instead understanding how

>>It seems to me that the whole premise of this thread is that the BSA doesn't understand why it is experiencing a decline in memberhip or is doing anything about it.

Hi All I was sent a private mail that showed me I was incorrect that the Girl Scout Promise was changed recently from On my Honor I Promise to do my Best" to "On my honor I will try:". I don't remember where I learned it was a recent change, but I'm stand humbled. I made a mistake and don't want to pass that mistake to others. Hey everyone, have a wonderful weekend. It's warm and sunny here in Oklahoma and my lovely wife has got me excited to put up Christmas lights and rake leaves and ...... I love this scouting stuff. Barry

>>BTW: I believe the Tiger Cubs went to the blue uniform in 2001. As I understand it, Tiger Cubs were something of an experiment at the time and treated as somewhat apart from the pack. Once accepted, they were fully integrated into the pack.

The Girls Scouts have been changing their program for over 25 years trying to stop the bleeding. Values are one of those things that took a hit. Just read the changes in their promise. It now starts out: On my honor I will "try:". I will try? That is no minor change. And, while you are comparing changing programs, go take a look at the Canadian Scouts program. It made huge changes in the 90's, some of which you have been suggesting. Now they are struggling and on the verge of folding. Oh, and go look at the Campfire Kids. They made huge changes to their program as well including som

>>My Cubmaster refuses to go over 1 hour. Is this normal? I seem to remember them being longer (and a lot more fun) when I was a kid.

EagleInKy and GE gave good responses. To me there are three parts to the question. The first is the intent of running for the position with wrong reasons. The scout is not being trustworthy, loyal or helpful; in fact he is being just plain deceitful. This is not a leadership skills issue, its all about character and nothing drives me harder than a boy in real need of new habits of character. The second part is the leadership skills. I make no bones that leadership is an opportunity to grow and learn skills that will help the scout for the rest of his life. I have no trouble with a

Hi There is nothing that really says that the SM conference requirement is intended to be the last stop before the BOR and I think your situation is the reason why. If it was written that way and a mistake was made, then there would be additional administrative hoops to jump through to get everything straight again. As it is now, nothing is required except to wait for the scout to complete the time in service requirement. Barry

>>the Scoutmaster does not get veto power over nominations or the boy's choice for SPL

Hi All My Webelos den meeting agenda started with the Webelos running an opening ceremony (about five minutes, then 15 minutes talking about assorted subjects, two skits for the next pack meeting being one. WE then spent about 40 minutes working on two activity badges followed by a 20 minute game that usually involved running. We finished the meeting with a closing ceremony, which included awards presentation of completed activity badges. The way I was able to do this agenda was by going to two 90 minute meetings a month. I had sixteen Webelos, so I divided them up into two groups.

As I got better at this scouting stuff, I became offended with the idea of adult authority. I think it gets in the way of pure scouting. After every new election of youth officers, I told the PLC that if I could not support or give logical reason for anything we did in the troop, they could throw it out. I did that so that I didn't make scouts do anything just because I was the adult and had the authority. It is one thing to ask boys to do something because you know that it can better their future. It is something different to tell scouts to do it because that is what you want and you ha

Yes, I commented on another thread that the scouts in our area would relate to that video. Barry

>>For me it is the direction scouting needs to go. Brian

>>I've had luck just saying that "The Go-See-It for this month will be ________ to fulfill a Tiger rank requirement. I need someone to help out by contacting ____________ to set it up."

>>For some parents, just registering with the BSA is traumatic enough. You have to be flexible or you could lose them and their boys for good. Give these parents "little" jobs, but no more.

>>So I too cheer those that become great citizens without choosing to complete requirements for Eagle.

While reading the responses in this thread, I enjoyed thinking back in my days of watching M80s and Cherry Bombs blow up milk carton and gallon coffee cans to smithereens. To be fair, we were only trying to send the coffee can to the moon. Who knows, maybe the desire to build a can strong enough to withstand the thrust generated for a Cherry Bomb (1/4th stick dynamite) is what drove me to be an Aeronautical Engineer. Every December dad drove our family to Grandmas in Laurel Mississippi for Christmas. At that time, fireworks was a common way of celebrating Christmas and my cousin always took th

I have a friend who over the past 40 years as been a Council Commissioner, District Commissioner and Unit Commissioner. He started each of his UC's with a successful unit and a not so successful unit so that the UC could learn from the differences between the two programs. He did not give them units in different sections for the reasons already being mentioned here. However, my own district will give you what you are willing to take because they dont know how to recruit and dont have near enough UCs. If a new inexperienced UC wanted several units in different sections, they would get the