Eamonn

I think that it ought to be the volunteers. The office staff won't be there on the day. We tend to use the Service Center as the place to mail the registrations and paper work too and the girls in the office are good at compiling lists Mainly just who has applied and where they are from: Troop, Name, Address and phone number. They are now getting used to E-mail addresses. Still they have no idea of who is doing what or how many can do it. Even at some of the large council events like a Pow Wow, the final list is made up by the Pow Wow Chair and the committee. It might be an idea to form a small committee to take care of this. Eamonn

That is real nice. Eamonn

You don't have to be British or even English to belong to the Royal Navy or the RAF. In fact many of those that serve don't come from the UK.Some hold British citizenship as they are members of the Commonwealth. Unless of course they were born in Ireland before 1933. In which case they are Irish and do not belong to the Commonwealth. Still they would be kind of old. Eamonn

Is Wood Badge worth it? I am of course very biased. I could go on at very great length telling you all the good and great things that a Wood Badge course has in store. Still at the end of the day it would depend on what you want to do in Scouting? How open minded you are? You will find a few people that attend the course with a bad attitude and leave the course with a bad attitude. Attendance at Wood Badge for them was a waste. A waste of time and money. Some that attend are a little skeptical. In most cases these people are won over, have a great time, and are surprised at how much good stuff they take home not only to their units but also to their families and place of work. The BSA offers a progression of training. The quality of the Scouting experience for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts and Venturing Crews depends on the quality of those leading the units and those working in the districts and councils throughout the nation. This progression of training opportunities that gives them the skills they need to provide leadership for Scouting and leadership for America. Here's how it works. Orientation and Fast Start. New Leader Essentials. Leader Specific Training. Here we get down to the nuts and bolts of Specific positions in Scouting and how to fulfill particular leadership roles. Appropriate Outdoor Skill Training. Here we target the outdoor skills needed by the leader to enhance Scoutings various programs. Wood Badge. This is the ultimate Leadership training for adults, Wood Badge offers a six-day immersion in the theory, practice,and experience of appropriate skills for leading others within Scouting and in many environments beyond Scouting. Lifelong Learning. In addition to the structured training the BSA encourages leaders to take advantage of opportunities for continuous learning and supplemental training within the Scouting organization. Lifelong learning is further enhanced when adults accept the challenge of teaching skills to others. As you can see the front end of this progression of BSA training is skills-oriented In the middle the emphasis is on Leadership. After that, the focus is on advanced skills that require Leadership. The Wood Badge Course is a leadership course that is about leadership. Is it worth it? How good a leader do you want to be? Eamonn

I love American roadside signs. Back home in the UK there isn't as many and as the country is so much smaller the distances are very short. Even here in Pennsylvania the signs you see are for things that aren't that far from where you are at. Of course as you drive out west the signs are for things and places which seem almost unreachable. It is fun to pick one of these far away places and head for it. Such was Cherokee Joe's. The sign said Eat At Cherokee Joe's 325 miles. There was a Hollywood type picture of a native American. As the miles past the picture and the message remained the same only the miles decreased . As we drove I tried to think what sort of food might be offered at Cherokee Joe's? At long last in the distance we saw this giant effigy of Cherokee Joe and not long after we parked in the parking lot belonging to Joe. The restaurant was very clean. The tables Formica and uncovered. The glossy pictures on the walls were of stereotype native American Indians. The waitresses were friendly. I asked for coffee which arrived in a cup that weighed about the same as a 1953 Buick. Then she handed us the biggest plastic menu that I have ever seen. We smiled as we read spaghetti and meatballs. We laughed out loud when we seen Irish Stew!! We were astounded when we saw Egg Rolls. In some ways this is how I feel about the Venturing Program. I am not really involved in the program actively but do try and recruit people to get involved. In my heart of heart I know that one day this program which I'm having a problem with will become clear. Just like the menu at Cherokee Joe's I think that maybe all the Areas of Interest need to be slimmed down or cut back. It is hard for me at this time to answer the question "What Do they do?" I tend to hum and Ha a lot and end up painting this picture which is like a plate of Irish stew with a side of egg roll. Eamonn

With parents from the Land Of Poets. Who at times are very witty but never at a loss for words. Raised in the land Shakespeare, beaten to death with the works of old Geoffrey Chaucer. Lulled to sleep with works by Dickens. Yes I know long-winded. In fact after much thought I agree with Robert Lynd when he says "Every man of genius is considerably helped by being dead." Eamonn

Some really great stuff here. Thank you all. A few things come to mind. The Staff for the Course that our Council hosted was not the experienced group of Wood Badge Staffers that some of us "Old Guys," might remember as the typical Wood Badge Staff. The reasoning in fact my reasoning for this was that there was a need for a diverse staff. Consisting of both male and female Scouter's and people with experience in as many of the program areas as possible. As the old Cub scout Wood Badge course was only offered as a Regional Course finding Cub Scouter's with Wood Badge Staff experience is almost impossible. In fact in our Council there is very few who even completed the Cub Scout course. Also not bringing the good old boys was a deliberate act on my part. I did ask all the staff to try and not look back on the old course and put all their efforts into this 21st Century course. I am now going to break my own rule. In the old course at the end of each presentation there was time and material available for the participants to write two ways I can use the skill of ...... in my home troop. I miss that. We didn't do it as it isn't in the syllabus. Those who know me are aware that I am a real pain when it comes to sticking to the syllabus. That could be the topic of another thread. In 2002 I staffed a 21st Century Wood Badge course and much as I hate to admit it this session Living the Values was poorly done. Also on that Staff was the chap who was my mentor for the 2003 course. We are really the best of friends and live close to each other. We spend a lot of time trying to figure out what wasn't working. After endless cups of coffee and discussion one of the things that we noted was the pre-course assignment: The 20 Questions. This does start to lay the foundation for living the values. As I have said I am real big on following the syllabus. The Learning Objectives for the Day One Living the Values (Troop Presentation) found on page 60 of the Staff Guide are: As a result of this session,participants will *Understand what is meant by Values,Vision. and Mission. *Review the values,Vision and mission of Scouting. *Consider values,vision and mission in the context of leadership. *Learn about the Wood Badge ticket. *Begin writing their own Wood Badge Ticket based on their personal values,vision and mission. The time allowed was/is sixty minutes so there really is time to begin writing anything. There is a Patrol Meeting later which the Troop Guide attends. In the perfect world there would be lots of time to go over all of this. However there is a lot of things that need to be covered. Most of which has been brought up at the Patrol Leaders Meeting. The big one of course being the Patrol Project.While the Senior Staff did visit each patrol to see how things were coming along the tickets are a very personal thing one which the Troop Guide needs to work on with each patrol member one on one. We did ask everyone to slow down and pointed out that the ticket could not be completed until after the Diversity Presentation which wouldn't be until Day Four. Due to using the Council Scout Reservation there was a four week period between the two weekends. All the patrols held at least one patrol meeting and again the Troop Guide was there. Nearly all the Guides said that there were patrol members who wanted them to go over completed tickets. Of course they didn't sign off on any as there was still half a course to go!! Other then the tickets that I wrote as a staff member on the old course all of the tickets that I have written as a participant have had an air of the "Pressure Cooker," about them. Looking back this is now something that is humorous and one of them good old Scouting horror stories still I'm a little unsure if this is the best way to go. Dancinfox is right that the goals become the ticket. Or that is the way it ought to be. I wonder if the goals become just a list of things that need to be done and the goal becomes completing the list? Bob White makes a lot of sense. Yet I can't help feeling that we could do a better job. It could be that I'm looking a little too deep. The 21st Century Course puts the OKing of the tickets in the hands of the Troop Guide,which I think is a good idea. After all he or she has spent more time with the participant then any other Staff member. I did get a copies of each and every ticket and have to admit to feeling good when I read them, thinking about all the good stuff that would be done and how the youth in our programs would benefit. Eamonn

In the report that I send to the Region about the Wood Badge Course that our council hosted last year I said that I thought there was too much stuff in the Vision and Mission Presentation. If you remember this is the first "Real Presentation" After lunch on day one, once the Course Director has given the Course Overview. The material in it is absolutely wonderful and outstanding. While not wanting to spoil the course for those who have yet to attend. It has the Oak Trees, B-P footage even Maggie Thatcher gets in on the act. All as I say wonderful - But there is just too much. In this session we look at Values, Vision and Mission and this leads up to the goals and the Ticket. Sad to say most people who attend the course have heard about the ticket. Once they hear about this it seems that everything else gets forgotten. I did ask the staff to really stress the Vision and Mission. In fact we asked the participants to write what their Vision and Mission was on the top each goal. Sad to say the goals through some unknown transition became Ticket Items and the ticket items became bigger then the Vision and Mission. Now as I talk to course participants they tell me how their ticket is going. When I ask is it helping you reach your vision and mission? They look at me as if I have landed from outer space. Again the tickets seem to be the be all and end all of the course. It is of course true that when the goals were put down on paper they were the tools that would help reach the vision and mission. I think that maybe in that first presentation that we could stop and not mention goals until later in the day or even the next day. So I'm asking all those who have had any involvement with the new course what do they think? Thanks. Eamonn

Our Council will send two troops to the Jamboree. Each troop will have a Scoutmaster and three ASM's. Along with seventy-two Boy Scouts. The price tag for Scouts and Leaders attending the Jamboree from our council is $895.00. I do have the price of the Jamboree in my Jamboree file, but it's in the car and I'm too lazy to go to the garage. If my memory serves me right I think the cost is a little over $500.00. The expenses that the Council has are many. We use luxury coaches to bus the contingent to Fort AP Hill and home again. Not a cheap undertaking as the coach makes two trips when empty. We use a furniture moving van for all the troop and personal equipment. Which is loaded a week or so before the event. This too has to make a trip home and a trip back empty. There is the cost of the training weekend along with a fair amount of new equipment. We provide all those attendees with a Jamboree cap a couple of t-shirts,ten CSP's and a meal on the way there and one on the way back. These Scouts and Leaders are the reason why there is a Jamboree. Of course a Jamboree Staff is needed. I can't imagine what the cost would be if these volunteers didn't pay their own way. My Son who will be 17 at the time of the Jamboree decided that he wanted to be on staff. He will report three days early, has to pay for his own transportation and will not receive anything from the council. His application was OKed by the Scout Exec. But he is going to the Jamboree to work.He will of course have some free time but he is there to serve the needs of those that attend. Our council has a history of sending a lot of people to staff the Jamboree. Guys who unload the food trucks in the middle of the night or work in the kitchens feeding the other staff members. One of the Vice Presidents of the Council is in charge of Action Center D. He is working his tail off recruiting people to staff all the areas in that action center. If you visit the web page there is almost as much information about staffing the Jamboree as there is about attending the Jamboree. I know in our council that in every district there is at least one Leader pushing to recruit as many staff members as he can get. Finding the Troop Leaders wasn't a hard job. We didn't need to push that. Eamonn

All due respect to the old Lad - He is very longwinded. Eamonn

Don't worry - My District Commissioner tells me that I have been coming up empty for some time. Eamonn

Mission Accomplished. Eamonn

Definitely Not Going There. Eamonn

Yes Dave will be only a 3 hour drive away. Plans are in the making for a meeting half way. We really need to move Ohio into the Northeast Region - Then we could have lots of fun. Eamonn

Did you hear something? No it was just my imagination!! Eamonn

Hey NJCubScouter, Could it be that everyone in the world has been hit by the Phantom Squelcher and you and I are the only people in the free world that can see these postings. Your role will be to defend them mine is to see if we can slim them down a bit. While we we never be the Fab Four(There is only two of us!!) We could be.... I need help on that one. Super Hero Eamonn

Bob White and some of the other wise posters are 100% on the money. They are correct in pointing out the Insignia Guide and saying that wearing the uniform in the correct way is the only way to go. What you do with your patches, as long as it is not part of the uniform or worn as part of the uniform is your choice. Many of the great Campfire Leaders do have a Campfire blanket which they of course wear to campfires. I have a pal who has them all on a bathrobe. Of course the bathrobe is not part of his uniform any more then a non- uniform jacket is part of the uniform. When he is in uniform he doesn't wear the bathrobe. As to the OA patch? My thinking and I might be wrong is that if you wear the OA patch on a uniform you should be a paid up active member of the Lodge. That after all is the message that you are sending to those who see the patch. If you have a patch that you sew on a blanket it really isn't sending a message to anyone other then look at the nice patch that I have on my blanket. As has been mentioned there is the Red Vest which I have only seen worn by Cub Scouts. There is no such thing as the Uniform Police. As an ex-District Commissioner I was active in trying to get all the members of the district to wear the uniform correctly. To be very honest I was more worried about the program that was being delivered then I was about a patch in the wrong place. Correct and proper uniforming is a goal that we all need to set and work to wards. We are not going to reach the goal with heavy handed tactics or intimidation. A quiet word will go a long way. A good example will go even further. Enjoy the program have fun. Eamonn

Bob White and some of the other wise posters are 100% on the money. They are correct in pointing out the Insignia Guide and saying that wearing the uniform in the correct way is the only way to go. What you do with your patches, as long as it is not part of the uniform or worn as part of the uniform is your choice. Many of the great Campfire Leaders do have a Campfire blanket which they of course wear to campfires. I have a pal who has them all on a bathrobe. Of course the bathrobe is not part of his uniform any more then a non- uniform jacket is part of the uniform. When he is in uniform he doesn't wear the bathrobe. As to the OA patch? My thinking and I might be wrong is that if you wear the OA patch on a uniform you should be a paid up active member of the Lodge. That after all is the message that you are sending to those who see the patch. If you have a patch that you sew on a blanket it really isn't sending a message to anyone other then look at the nice patch that I have on my blanket. As has been mentioned there is the Red Vest which I have only seen worn by Cub Scouts. There is no such thing as the Uniform Police. As an ex-District Commissioner I was active in trying to get all the members of the district to wear the uniform correctly. To be very honest I was more worried about the program that was being delivered then I was about a patch in the wrong place. Correct and proper uniforming is a goal that we all need to set and work to wards. We are not going to reach the goal with heavy handed tactics or intimidation. A quiet word will go a long way. A good example will go even further. Enjoy the program have fun. Eamonn

Maybe not a Rabbit - More like a Snowshoe Hare !! Eamonn

This week all the pros. In our Council are away at Heritage Scout Reservation in Farmington PA. For the annual staff planning conference. Every year they invite a pro. from the National office to spend the day with them and do some training, then in the evening invite us to benefit from whatever knowledge the National Pro. wants to pass on to us. This year it was the second in command of the Venturing program. I can't remember his name but think his first name was/is Bob. Sad to say due to the snow at lunchtime they closed the summit and no one was sure where the Venturing guy really was. In fact they called me to see if Pittsburgh Airport was open. I was really looking forward to this meeting. While I have taken the time to read most of the material that is out there for Venturing, it is a sad fact that most of the pros. In our council have no idea how the program is really to be run. Instead it has become a great program to at the last minute get that 2% growth in, on paper if nothing else. I for one am pleased that 2003 was the last year for that tomfoolery. The last I heard all of our people were still snowed in and there was still no word from the Venturing guy. I do hope that he is someplace warm and cozy. Some wise person in these forums a little while back referred to Venturing as the Stepchild of the BSA. I had hoped that maybe after tonight that we in our council might have made a move to bring that child closer into the family. But unless they reschedule I don't see it happening. I hate snow. Eamonn

Our Area Pres. Is in charge of action center D. when both our troops were close to being full I asked him about applying for another troop, he said that national had been flooded with requests. If I remember correctly I think that he said there had been over 40 requests from the Northeast Region alone. I mentioned that last time they had opened sub-camp 20. He said that it was already full. That does not mean that there is no way that a Scout who wants to go can't. If he really wants to go I feel sure that he will be placed with a troop that has empty spots. Still I wish you the best of luck. Eamonn

Thanks Steve, Welcome to the forums. I really enjoyed the pics. Eamonn.

From what I have been able to find out Sea Scouts are viewed as being part of the Venturing Program. The Eagle Scout Award is primarily a recognition for boys in Boy Scout Troops. However a boy who has attained the rank of First Class in a Boy Scout Troop can continue to work on becoming an Eagle Scout until his 18 birthday by meeting the requirements as prescribed in the Boy Scout Handbook. Leadership requirements can be met in the Ship as Boatswain, Boatswain's Mate,Yeoman, or Purser.The personal conferences will take place with the Skipper and the bridge of review for each progress award must be reviewed by the Ship Committee. The Eagle Board Of Review is still the Eagle Board Of Review done at the District level. Please forgive me for posting this here I hit the wrong button) While Sea Scouts do earn Boy Scout Merit Badges they are not worn on the Sea Scout uniform in fact the only Boy Scout insignia to be worn on the Sea Scout uniform is the Eagle Scout Award. Eamonn

Please Let's Stop All The Name Calling And Negative Stuff. Eamonn

I had a reply just about done when the power went out. It is snowing to beat the band. Right now the idea of the heat and the humidity of Fort A.P. Hill sounds marvelous. Our Council is very small so we don't have as hard a job as you. We started at summer camp having a member a member of the committee make a presentation on parents night. Which at this time is not going to happen for you. The hard thing that we found is getting the message to the parents. To do this we held a rally. Letters were sent to every scout in the council inviting the Scouts and their parents to the meeting. We also explained that this was their opportunity to get signed up and secure their place by paying the deposit. We enlisted the help of some of the Lads who were at the last Jambo to tag along with members of the committee to Courts of Honor and places where both the Scouts and the parents would be in attendance. We have gone to great lengths to explain that while the price tag is not a small one that there will be ample opportunities to raise the money using the fund raising events that the committee will organize. In fact we have a frozen pizza delivery coming to my house this Friday. One Lad sold 45 pizza kits making $5.50 per kit. I am in contact with the Scouts that have signed up and asking them to invite their pals. We are now full and do have a waiting list. The Council next door is not doing so well so the hope is that we will be able to send a few of our Lads with them. Eamonn