EagleInKY

As long as the troop is not the sole beneficiary, then it should be acceptible. Now, if you tell me that 80% of its use is going to be the troop, and less than 20% by the public, then I might encourage the scout to look elsewhere.

Echo the comments of the others. I wouldn''t allow a scout to attempt a 20 mile hike if he hadn''t at least done a 10 or 12 miler with ease. 20 miles in a single day is a big challenge. We''ve been talking about doing one, and probably will fairly soon. But I would bet that it''s only at least scouts that are 13 or 14. I wouldn''t base it solely on age. I''d look at age, physical condition and mental condition of the scout. If you have a scout that whines his way through a 5 mile hike, he''ll drive you crazy through a 20 miler, assuming he can actually make it.

I agree with those that said you don''t remove him, you coach him. This is a lesson for both the scouts and the SPL. We have one patrol that floats back and forth between picking a "popular" PL and an "organized" PL. The "popular" PL is fun, laid back, doesn''t tell them to do anything. Consequently, the patrol is always a mess when he''s in charge. The "organized" PL is a little bossy, but has his stuff together. When he''s in charge they know what''s going on, they arrive on time, they have what they need on campouts, etc... They constantly flip back and forth. As for the "what i

We''ve built signal towers as a pioneering project. The boys built the structure, supervised by older scouts with some adults validating the work. We built two structures, about 12-15 foot high, and let the scouts climb up. We even had an old-fashioned signaling competition. The boys LOVED it. We had some reasonable rules - only 2 scouts on the structure at a time, no horseplay, etc. An adult was watching it at all time. I was never worried. Frankly, if we cancel every activity out of fear of lawsuits, we might as well pack it all up and go home. my $0.02

Any unit can set their own membership requirements. I know of "closed" troops, who basically only take boys coming from their pack, or perhaps boys have to be a member of their church. These are perfectly fine (albeit some one say shortsighted). Our troop has this policy - any boy can crossover from our pack and is welcome to join. A scout coming from anywhere else is asked to visit with us for two months before we joining the troop. He must attend at least one campout during that time. If we''re all okay with him, then he''s in. The decision is really made by the SM & ASMs, but

We also follow the "adults only" cell phone rule. But, in reality, it''s a don''t ask don''t tell. As long as I don''t see it or hear it, I don''t care. If I caught a scout using it during a campout (not in an emergency), I''d probably take it from him until the end of the event, just as I would an inappropriate knife or other item. I''ve had two bad experiences with scouts and cell phones at Summer Camp. The first was when some parent''s sent a boy who had a "high homesick risk" and allowed him to take his cell phone. They told him to not let me see it, and call them if he needed any

I agree with the comment that you can''t compare dues & fees between units unless you understand what it provides. For example, our annual dues are $40 and monthly dues are $5 (totaling $100 for the year). Each activity is charged out at cost - usually around $12 a weekend, but it can range from $5 to $100 depending upon the activity. We provide all patrol & troop equipment (tents, stoves, lanterns, propane, etc.). The activity fees cover costs of patrol food. We''ve been struggling to get scouts to participate in "troop fundraisers" (where all proceeds go to the troop). Mo

Whew, thanks Terry. I was beginning to go into serious fits of withdrawel. "Hello, my name is John, and I am a Scouter.com-aholic".

We do an annual survival campout. We''ve done various things in the past to challenge them in the various aspects of survival - shelter building, signaling, rescue, and cooking. For cooking, we''re looking for some new ideas this year. In the past we''ve done things like cooked in an orange peel, boiled water in a paper cup, etc. Does anyone have any good ideas out there? I know you do. Incidentally, how we usually do this is that we provide each patrol with a set of materials - and no instructions. They have to figure out how they can make a meal out of it. It''s pretty entertaini

He continues advancement where he left off. If he did 8 of 10 activities, then he has two more to do. If he completed 6 of 8 service hours, then he has 2 to do. If he completed 150 of 180 days of a POR, then he has 30 days left to do.... you get the picture. And, don''t fall into the MB partials must be completed within a year hype. That''s another "Scouting Urban Legend". If he started working on hiking MB and just has one hike left to do, then that''s where he is.

You really should have a budget that shows where money is coming in from and where it''s going out to. If you had this, the question would be easier to answer. I would certainly look to see how the money could be used to lower the cost of scouting for everyone involved. However, I wouldn''t just go out and pay every scout''s summer camp cost just to get the surplus down. How about saving for a rainy day? I''ve been told that any organization (not business) should have at least six months budget in your account at all times. It sounds like you have more than that. But think about t

It''s a tough time to get through, but it''s worth it. I was there a couple of years ago. To get through it, you really need to coach the SPL on what to say and do. Of course, as I found out with one of ours, the SPL has to be willing to listen and act on that coaching. When he doesn''t there''s little you can do. The number one thing you can do is totally back-up and support your SPL. That means that even when he makes some decisions that you wouldn''t make, you support him wholeheartedly. When he messes up, use it as a coaching moment. But always try to do so privately. When the

Duplicate post.(This message has been edited by EagleInKY)

We''re contemplating starting an "honors" patrol. I''ve got concerns, but I also can see some potential value. Our troop is still relatively young. We''re in our 5th year. Our oldest scout is a senior, 4 sophomores, 6 Freshmen. 28 scouts total. The largest population are 8-9 graders. The last two recruiting classes have been smaller (5 6th graders, 3 7th graders). Our PLs of our "regular" patrols are 8th & 9th graders. SPL & ASPLs are 9th & 10th graders. We have elections and job assignments every six months. Two of our oldest scouts have recently finis

I too was disappointed that my council did nothing for the 100th anniversary of scouting or the scouting sunrise. I spoke about it alot with my troop, not that we did anything formal. I just incorporated it into my scoutmaster's minute and some activities on the campout the weekend before.

I've seen these boys, anyone else who has been around scouting very long have as well. Gunny gave you some good advice. But the real harsh reality is that you have primarily one problem - scout #3. In my experience, when scout #3 leaves, the other two suddenly enjoy scouting much more. They seem like two that you can reason with. With #3 out of the picture, you can get them excited about advancement, leadership and high adventure. I'd have the SM conference with #3 and explain to him your feelings. If he's bringing down the troop, refusing to shop for his patrol if his friends

I'm not sure of the rule regarding adults. If it were a youth, the rules are very clear. As an adult leader, if you hear of any accusation, you must report it to the scout executive. As for this case, I think it would be wise to at least clue the SE in on the fact that there may have been something, even if it proves to be groundless.

Pack212Scouter - Welcome to the forum. Are you at SE Christian? My dad is involved with a AHG troop started over in j-town, I know they've gotten some resources from you all. It sounds like a great program and a good alternative for those that want something different than the GSUSA.

Ouch! Ron, I feel for you. I hope you can get them trained.

Welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing your perspective on things from your side of the pond. I can't speak German, but I sure can recognize it when I hear it.

I guess our troop is kind of a hybrid. We have a committee, they have a chairman, secretary, treasurer, advancement coordinator, a few other positions and a few at large members (troop of about 30). They handle Boards of Review as well as the troop finances & such. They don't typically meet as an individual group, but just coordinate things informally when they need to do so. The monthly meetings are committee/parent meetings and everyone, including SM/ASMs are invited. We review what is coming up, budget issues, advancement topics, etc. They also line up adult help for special

I concur with most of the other comments - and I do believe it's up to the troop to figure out what works best. The TG is not part of the NSP, but should spend a lot of time with them - and even eat with them on campouts. Our TG is considered to be part of our senior staff, and typically tents with the SPL & ASPLs. In some situations he has bunked with the NSP, but that's not the norm.

Barry, You took the words almost directly out of my mouth. We are involved in both scouts and church youth group. Our church youth group is very active and there are often schedule conflicts. I let my son choose which wins, and I would guess scouts win 3 out of 4 times. He loves scouts and he loves his youth group. What he loves about his youth group is the fun, fellowship, spiritual "lift" and the fact that he doesn't have to do much other than show up. What he loves about scouts is the fun, fellowship, emotional "lift" and the sense of accomplishment he gets from planning and carry

We do patches ASAP, and do formal recognition (w/cards) at COH. Patches for activities are usually held until the COH.

I know LodgeChief through our local lodge & Summer Camp. I believe it was Eagle74 (or one of those other "Eagle year names" that was at summer camp the same time as us a few years back, but we didn't realize it until later.