EagleInKY

kittle - Maybe it's late and I'm having a brain-spasm, but what does completing a pullup have to do with making First Class?

Welcome to the forum. You have a fun and challenging year ahead. The transition in Boy Scouting is a place where we lose many boys. It takes parents who are willing to encourage their boys, but keep enough distance to let them stumble, fall and pick themselves back up. Note - if you haven't yet, read the "A Nation of Wimps" article before going on your first campout with a troop.

There's the weather report: "Today, there will be weather".

I already ranted last week about our Summer Camp canceling activities because they didn't want the kids out in the rain. Yes, really, the OA - our National Camping Honor Society - canceled their callout because it was raining TWO HOURS BEFORE THE CALLOUT. By the time of the ceremony, the storm had passed. I also see it in the parents of our younger boys coming in. It seems to get worse each year. This year we had a boy taken home from Summer Camp because he was "dehydrated". Frankly, the boy was fine, but he was homesick. Dad was leaving camp and the boy couldn't bear for him to g

It's up to your PLC to decide, as stated, they can pick any type of official neckwear, or choose none at all. This might be a good lesson in leadership and compromise for your scouts. For example, your PLC could decide that any "legal" scout neckwear is okay for troop meetings, but only "official" troop neckwear is okay for formal occasions, such as a Court of Honor. Good luck.... and I, too, am ready to throw in the towel with the whole "Class A, Class B" terminology.

Camp Roy C Manchester on Kentucky Lake in Western Kentucky does patrol cooking. I haven't been there, but I've been told they have an excellent sailing program for your older scouts.

Related to the idea of the "softening of scouting", and to some of the topics regarding the book "The Dangerous Book For Boys". I noticed last week at camp a real fear to doing anything with the boys in moderately bad weather, but that the adults didn't seem to care. The big camp-wide game is held on Tuesday nights. It involves teams running from one section of camp to the other and performing tests of different scout skills. It's one of the highlights of the week for the boys. It's supposed to start at 7:30. The rule was that if it was raining at 7:30, it would be canceled, because

I agree with your synopsis. Other than the MB "classes", it's driven by national policy. I also agree that it is reasonable to expect outdated activities to be eliminated (signaling). What I wish would happen would be a replacement with something similarly challenging. For example, signaling could be replaced with a requirement to participate in a lost scout exercise as both a "victim" and a "rescuer". I'm going to spin off a topic related to our experience at camp this year. Several activities were canceled due to weather. In the "old days", we would have sucked it up and trod t

Okay, rumor police beware. How does this play with the rumor about moving away from the current uniform shirt??? Some friends of mine swear that we're going to switch to something else, either a casual polo shirt or the lightweight button-up activity shirt that is on the front of this year's catalog.

I don't measure hits, but I do try to re-enforce the use of the web site. The primary method I use is to not placate their need for information by printing out things for them. If you want the calendar, it's on the website. If you need a medical form, the link's on the website. If you want to see your son's advancement status.... you get the picture. it's become a joke in our troop, when someone asks where it is, everyone says in unison "it's on the website". Even with that, some don't get it and don't use it. Even though everyone has access.

Our PLC meets casually several times a month (before/after meetings, on a campout, etc.). I think they're even starting to do more online collaboration of ideas (e-mails, etc.). Our formal meeting is held once a month. It's scheduled for 30 minutes prior to our regular meeting time. It usually goes a little longer, so it bumps into the regular meeting time. However, on that month we don't do a regular troop meeting, but more informal patrol-based meetings. The patrol leaders, fresh with information from the PLC, take time to review what is going on and make plans for the coming mo

I'm pretty much in concurrence with Acco. I also believe that "Boy Led" is not as much a state of "being" as it is an ongoing objective. We go through periods of time where adults have to step in and lead certain aspects of the plan. It may be because we're asked to or it may be because we need to. But the goal should always be to get away from adult-run elements (except those such as BOR that are mandated) and move on to letting the boys run it.

We wear the complete uniform at any event where it is appropriate. We also wear true class bs, (meaning scout shorts, socks and a scout t-shirt). It's amazing how many think class b means "wear anything you want". How'd we get hear? Well, as stated, it starts from the top. I (SM) and the ASMs do a pretty good modeling the behavior. I've noticed that as the ASMs slip, so do the boys. It also required a fair amount of heavy-handed adult-leadership in the early days when our troop was formed (4-5 years ago). Now, however, it's very much driven by the PLC. Here are two examples from s

Welcome. Sounds like we're about the same age. Cub in 72, Eagle in 81. Glad to have some more "experienced" folks with us here.

I've only canceled one outing, and that was this spring. It was a backpacking trip, and I didn't feel that I had the adult coverage needed for the trip. Several backed out in the weeks leading up to it and it forced my hand. Two months later, we were almost in the same boat again. This was a bike trek. Very few boys were going and adult coverage was minimal. We ended up changing it to a day trip instead of a campout, and were able to pull it off. I was glad that we were able to do it. I agree in principle to the idea that "Nothing good comes from canceling an outing." However

I had the same thing happen back in February. I went in and through myself on the mercy of our tour permit czar. She expedited it for me and I had it in a few days.

Don't dumb down the program, it's an insult to scouts and scouters both in your troop and across the country. Don't dumb down the requirements, it's an insult to those who truly need alternative requirements to succeed in life. I'd first talk to the boy. Find out what gets his juices going. Get him excited about camping. Then I'd talk to dad, as a friend. Tell him how Junior wants to camp and how he's blowing it for him. He needs to either get his schedule straight so he can put family first, or get his wife in line. You probably can't be so blunt, and I apologize if it sounded sex

We categorize money into two buckets - dues and fees. Dues are "due", and are due no matter whether they attend or not. Ours are monthly, but you can pay in any size chunk you want. Fees are activity based, and you only pay if you attend. Activities are supposed to be "net zero" activities, meaning the fees cover the entire cost of the activity. Books should be open, but I'm with the group saying it shouldn't mean it's open season for every disgruntled parent to challenge every dime. A simple cash flow report with balances in various buckets should suffice. Our balances report typic

You've received some good advice. And I agree with my buddy Barry that this is not unusual for a troop experiencing growth pains. My main advice would be to encourage the SPL. I think it's GREAT that the SPL took the initiative to make a decision. Use the opportunity to complement him and the PLC for their resolve to come up with a solution. Also, use it as a coaching opportunity to share with them the importance of the patrol method and how this decision should not have been made without input from the patrol members themselves. And, how it's a good idea to discuss these things with

Bunch of us, class of '81

I have spoken to lads about lack of commitment in SM Conferences, and this would certainly be an example. I think the money problem is more an issue to take up with the parents.

I hear you Eamonn. I've been frustrated by it lately as well. We started this troop four years ago, and got off to a great start. The first three years brought us an enormous amount of adult support, as well as some great kids. Last year was a challenge, as one of the parents sought to sabotage the process. In the wake of this, we only got a handful of crossovers, from various backgrounds, and most with fairly dysfunctional families. No leaders came from the bunch, and only a few semi-active adults. We've been challenged as of late getting adult coverage for activities. Typically,

We don't fret about pre-payment for regular activities. We follow the "a Scout is Trustworthy" approach. If a scout signs up for an activity, he's responsible for paying his share, unless he backs out by the Monday prior to the activity. A list of everyone who signed up goes to the treasurer, who goes ahead and debits their scout account. Scouts are responsible for turning in payment at their patrol meeting. If they get behind, the treasurer gives a statement to the scout. Most of our scouts keep a small balance in their unit account to cover things like this. When reservations are

'round here they are only allowed to bring a sleeping bag and pad. No tents. If the weather turns really harsh, they've been known to put them under some form of shelter (rifle range, archery range, picnic shelters, etc.). Mild weather is just considered part of the challenge. Our guys usually take a poncho or groundcloth, rope and possibly something they can form into a pole to make a shelter.

Ditto Brent.