eatmorefrogs

Is there a significant interest in spinning off from here to a more modern forum? I'll register a domain and host it.

Since unregistered "users" may browse the forum, anyone who has recently clicked a link to the forum is typically included in that count. Usually the TTL (time to live) on that is about an hour. So anyone who has clicked on a link to this forum in the last hour (just a guess) is included in that count.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Benghazi-Boy-Scouts-Fill-Vacuum-of-Libyan-Social-Services--117668589.html

Glad to see the scouts stepping forward and helping people!

Speaking of class B uniforms, that's what this thread is designing. The primary purpose of the class A uniform is not utility, it's to look good. Complaints about the epaulets and the material seem to be completely mislead since they neglect the purpose of the uniform.

A class A uniform is for when you want to look classy - it's a look-sharp, fanfare-driven, we're-ready-to-carry-the-flag-in-a-parade uniform. Sure, the epaulets aren't practical, but practical isn't the goal of the uniform. The uniform, like military class A uniforms, is to look good and, in our case, establish a brand. Epaulets look good - they're in style right now (and have been for a few hundred years) on class A uniforms in all organizations. And they don't cost much compared to the depth they add to the look of the uniform.

Camp ready? Camp ready means class B. Sure, wear it to and from camp - look sharp. Wear it at flag ceremonies at summer camp - look sharp. Wear it in the backwoods? Give me a break.

Give the the tools to help themselves. Depending on what tools you give them, you can make that your invisible hand.

1) Give them an empty calendar with slots (camping weekends, meetings) to fill. If you want to guide them towards certain weekends, fill in the school schedules for them beforehand. Filling in the dates they need to work around isn't overstepping your boundaries, but helps a greener leadership by getting rid of some of the fog of war.

2) You'll need to be within the guidelines presented in "Guide to Safe Scouting." You can pick up this booklet at your local council office. It's a big list of no-no activities.

3) The main part of planning an event is the who, what, when, where, why, how. Give them a blank form for each event. Make them fill out the form, listing the who, what...etc.

4) If they're having trouble filling up meeting plans, they can always fill in meeting activities with even prep activities. For example, if it's a survival campout, a good meeting plan beforehand would be on survival skills. Let them come up with this idea by asking "How will you plan for this survival campout?" when it comes time to fill in the meeting plans. ;-)

5) A list of activity ideas is a great way to nudge them in the direction they should be going. It can be the difference between a calendar full of poker tournaments and a calendar full of camping.

Your guidance is an important part of their leadership development, but definitely keep an arm's length from the decision making. During my time in scouts, I was an SPL on and off for 4 years. I ran my meetings with a top down approach to planning. We started at the multi-year planning (This year summer camp at ___ scout reservation, next year high adventure at ____ scout reservation.) We then moved to monthly planning, 1 activity per month. We had our annual staples (Retreat in August, Spelunking in November, Rock Climbing in February, etc.) and we sprinkled in activities relevant to preparing for that year's high adventure or things that just sounded fun. We then went down to the weekly planning, which was things like planning meetings themselves as well as smaller things like when scouting for food bags were getting picked up, etc.

Hope that helps, let us know if you need any more advice!

@dg98adams - Did you go to Jambo '01?

I forgot to mention the importance of NOT doing things that will scare off less physically gifted scouts. Challenge them each against their own abilities, not against the abilities of the ideal physically fit scout.

Stress constant improvement!

During a meeting, have an older scout teach a class on nutrition. He can cover the importance of the food pyramid and the scouts can develop a practice menu for a camp out that is nutritionally sound. I cannot understate the importance of this. The cooking habits I learned in scouting have served me my entire adult life. If they learn bad habits now, it will likely follow them.

Plan activities that keep the scouts moving.

* Our meetings always had a 20-30 minute game time. We tried to make these physical games during the summer. In addition to teaching things like teamwork, it also gives them a few minutes a day of running around.

* Backpacking is the best diet and exercise plan ever invented. Do some backpacking. Encourage scouts to take practice hikes on their own to prepare.

* Canoeing, Walk-A-Thons (the American Cancer Society has plenty of local ones nationwide), biking (we biked across Ohio and back when I was a youth), rock climbing, and even orienteering can all be great physical activities.

If you can do two things, the problem will take care of itself. Teach them the right way to eat. Spark an interest or passion in activity they'll do for a lifetime, such as backpacking, hiking, cycling, etc.

In regards to the some people getting to specific about uniforms:

That's what a uniform is. It teaches unity and there is something spectacular about a the experience of feeling how you're part of something greater than yourself. Don't take my word for it, go to a jamboree and see 40,000 scouts dressed the same. It's about looking sharp. It teaches discipline, respect, and it is physical reinforcement that the whole of the organization is more important than the stylistic uniform interpretation of an individual.

In regards to making your own:

The BSA sells official patrol patch blanks ($1.99). Check with a local embroider for pricing. On things like that, the most expensive part is usually the set up. We always managed to find a mom with the necessary equipment in the my troops growing up. Expect to spend a few dollars in thread and you should be good to go.

I don't know of any resource that indexes it that way, but check out the "Scouting is a Family Affair" section of NESA magazine for multiple members of families that have all earned Eagle.

What council is it? Any council that is that petty over money is clearly in need of financial help.

Frankly, though, it's most likely a clerical error. The person you dealt with was probably uninformed.

Thank you, and congratulations on being on the forums for 3 years!

Hi,

Even though I've been registered for about 4-5 years, this is only my second post. I might being active again in the online community, I've had almost no luck finding a local troop in my area.

So far this thread has done a good job covering Philmont, but....

I found out last minute (two weeks until I depart) that I'm filling in for someone going to Northern Tier. From those of you that have been, how should I spend two weeks preparing? As a little background, I used to be "that-overactive-kid-with-all-the-merit-badges" in scouts, but I've been on a 2 year hiatius from scouts since I started college. This is my first _major_ trip as an adult.

I'm still solid on camping skills and know that my physical condition can handle it.

I guess I should focus my question more towards "What will I experience at NT that I wouldn't have experienced in elsewhere, and how can I be prepared for the nuances of NT?"