Eagledad

Hi All >>Mom's who want to be active with their sons scouting and who speak up when they feel something is wrong are labeled "pushy" because they are intruding on a male dominated area.

Hi All He wants to leave after only two months? This sounds like a very young scout, 13 or younger. That would make sense because he hasn't developed the confidence to be a leader yet, at least at the SPL level. What he learns now will stay with him forever, so my thoughts are to get what positive learning from the situation that you can. With what you have given us, I would sit down and explain that a leader is usually the rudder of the ship. It is a very small part of the overall workings of the whole ship. However it is very important to making sure the ship stays on course

Hi All I have to say the trend of this thread is very refreshing. Usually the topic of sheath knives takes off in the direction of "no way, not in my troop". The only problem with sheath knives is they are caught up in a politically correct world where the BSA is as concerned about outward appearances as they are number of Eagles. It's about marketing. That being said, I believe the best marketing for Boy Scouting is a successful story of using a learned skill to express character. True, one isn't usually associated with the other anymore, but at one time it was understood that with

Great Day All Good answers from everyone. You have a couple of situations that make this a little more interesting. One is your troop is new to letting the scouts choose. Yet, it must start somewhere and this is as good a place as any. The other is the adults don't have experience in this situation either, so they are at the same place as the scouts. So along with the PLC, think about your goals first, then build the plan. I agree with the others to let the scouts choose, but the PLC will need some help because there is no experience to base their plan. The way our troop learn to de

>>That said, let me just say that I'll allow what some call "controlled failure" up to the point where that failure looks repetitive or has a negative impact on the delivery or enjoyment of the program for another Scout or Scouts.

Wonderful Day all You are asking a question about the boys, but really what you want is how do the adults change their coaching and mentoring so the scouts grow with more confidence and independence in scout run. 90% of the scouts that come to JLTC have never used an agenda for most of their meetings. I don't know if this is part of your problem, but we teach in JLTC that the key to every good meeting starts with making an agenda. By the time our scouts leave the course, they have each personally filled out over two dozen agendas. They tell us later that they don't know how they ran

Goodmorning DR All the advice given is very good. To me it sounds like you are trying to handle this on your own. If that is the case, get the whole committee on board and get them to handle it. They need to allow her time to vent her frustration. But if all is as you say, the committee must then explain the facts and ask her to stop. I find these folks like this usually only continue when they feel they have and audience. I've learned that when a person like this feels they are the by themselves, they either step back or get out. You don't have to ask them to leave. Just give them expect

You could explain that you want the scouts to use the SPL Handbook and PL Handbook which explains how the SPL is elected the same as the PL in your troop. The advantage of these books is both the scouts and adults work together from the same book. Barry

>>I think and hope this makes sense, Barry.

>>If a boy comes to me and says "I want to be a leader and help the Troop" I will do everything I can to make it happen. Leadership is a method of Scouting just like the uniform or camping or advancement.

I really like the sound of your troop Shell. I wish Oklahoma was closer. BArry

>>One's I have seen that scouters like are from authors of books we use.

Hi all We have two basic rules for the scouts and one for the adults at summer camp. The scouts (and adults really) must have a buddy at all times and everyone must let their leader know where they are at. The adult rule is you cant walk to classes or activities with the scouts on the first day. You can show up a few minutes later and you can walk with the scouts as buddies after the first day. I believe that the first summer camp is a boy's first real experience with independence. Scout camps are pretty safe and its hard to get lost, so we use it as a safe place to let 11 year old

Good Day All >>Why? We have an older youth/transitional adult position, and if you look at the unit JLT training package, the JASM is sorta out in left field. Ideally, he's had unit JLT and Brownsea, and maybe even NJLTC at PTC...

HI All Do a search on night camporees. We've done a couple of these and even planned and ran a couple enviting other troops. Very different and a lot of fun. Barry

Hi All I have thought about this idea for a couple years. I like the idea of fundraising and bringing more awareness of scouting to the community. Was it hard to set up? Barry

>>For me, the patrol method seemed to be heavily emphasized in WB. Everything we did was as a patrol and we did create a pretty tight bond from the start.

Hello All Interesting. If you were to ask my friends about me, touchy feely and new age would not come up in the conversation. Maybe traditional, annal and opininated, but touch feely. I understand those are just words but it seemed fitting to stand up at this point. FOG, your not the first person to complain about the new WB Patrol Method, in fact lots of folks agree with you. What is it you really want from the course? If it is a time to just be in a patrol and act like a boy scout for a few days, then create a course that does just that. Our council has one of the finest out door

>>johnsned, read Eagle Dad's original comments.

Hi all >> Where the heck are leaders supposed to learn how the patrol method works?>I still find it ironic that in my troop that the two graduates of MS Woodbadge 2001 are the ones that act like Den Leaders for Webelos III.

Hi All Just got back from my first week as a staffer on WB. Hey Beav, we have something in common. Anyway, I like the new course. I think it is much more appropriate for adult leader training than the old course. Many of the staffers still like the old course better, but they admit that the lesson content is better in the new course. I think they miss the way the old course applied the Patrol Method. I always had trouble recomending the old WB course as a training course because I didn't feel it perpared adults for a boy run program, but this one does a good job of preparing a

>>I want to really emphasise to the new parents - BOY LEAD. We want to welcome the adults/ parents & encourage them to participate - but>they jabber all the time, can't stay on track on a task (like planning the meals) and they are just so squirreley! (I guess I've gotten used to the older boys - what a difference a few years make! LOL!) part of this we plan to handle by 'divide and conquer'

>>I a builder and buy 6 mil poly in 400sf rolls. It's cheap, light, tough and easy to fold or roll.

I don't know of any BSA offical doc. that restricts a hiking distance. However, a local camp or wilderness area or Park might. I once heard of a troop trying to do a 50 mile hike (without pack) in one day and a lot of people were looking for something offical to prevent it. They couldn't find anything. Barry

I believe, and I could be wrong, but any hike 500 miles or longer requires a National Tour Permit. Barry