fred johnson

Don't pick a fight on this one. There is no strict rule. From what I've seen ... most Webelos end their cub scouting journey at the February blue and gold and start Boy Scouting in March. But it is not a hard and fast rule. It is what we are taught by BSA. Cub Scout leader guide on page 22-4 says ... "The graduation ceremony is often held in February at the pack’s blue and gold banquet. " http://www.scouting.org/filestore/hispanic/english/33221_web.Pdf The important part is to coordinate with the boy scout troops in the area. Many troops want a smooth transition or

scoutmom757 ... QUESTION ... When you look in your son's boy scout handbook at the rank requirements pages (back of book in new books), there is a place to initial and date each requirement. It is common practice to test a boy on requirements and use the book to track completed requirements. The general rule is that if the requirement is initialed in the book, it's done. If there is an issue, you address improving the process and you address getting the scout that knowledge, ... BUT ... you don't uncheck the requirement as being done. ... AND WE DON'T RETEST. Scoutmaster Conference

... removed comments based on trusting the explanation provided below. ... Starting a new pack ... yeah, that's how scouting works. But troop shopping is NOT how scout works. Scouting is about learning to work with people. In this case, BSA has parents competing to re-recruit scouts in the best interest of their own kids. Friendships are going to get broken. People are going to get offended. People are going to be damaged It's not the fault of the people getting offended. It's a structural defect in the BSA program.

Eagle94-A1 ... I am all for switching units if it is a bad match or you are looking for something else. But pitting groups against each other to survive is bad. It divides groups that could help each other and creates needless animosity.

This is what happens when you divide groups and have them compete against each other. Not everyone is going to play nice. Even when they play nice, a few words exaggerated or overly emphasized can cause misunderstandings and create grudges. BSA makes people choose between groups and often groups where they have friends in each group. Imagine being confirmed in your faith at 14 and then being told to go choose between Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical, etc. It's already ugly enough when people stay within their own faith. Now make churches compete for the same membe

Welcome to BSA where units are damaged and relations fractured by the Webelos transition. What the original poster describes is common. In this case, the division between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts isolates the leaders. So the very good initiative by the Boy Scout troop looks alien and bad to the Cub Scout parents. If it was one unit, the Cub Scout leaders would learn, be aware and able to grow to support the Boy Scout leader initiative. There is nothing your council can do. Talk to your district exec for advice, but that's about it. This is between the unit leaders.

Sounds like someone's individual twist on what they learned at Woodbadge. Woodbadge did not teach that. ================== I don't like it as it breaks a key rule. RULE: Adults need to be separated as much as possible. It's a youth program. Having adults line up next to the scouts significantly changes the dynamic of the program. Having adults act like a patrol MIXED IN WITH YOUTH PATROLS causes issues. IMHO, the biggest issue is that kids subtly lose leadership as youth are continually taught to respect and submit to elders. It will subvert youth discussing and resolving i

Original post ... It's been discussed at our district committee meetings when we lay out the calendar for the next year. No events on Christian or Jewish holidays. I believe the camps may also not be reserved. Not 100% sure on that. Just know that the district is NOT to schedule any events. Units can do what they want.

LeCastor ... You're right. Generalization infers small sample population. I should have said sterotype of 80% of the unit commissioners out there. There are some good commissioners and some districts that run a good unit commissioner program. But for everyone, there are four (or I'd assert twice that number) that just do it beyond poorly. No visits. Reporting essentially fake visits. ----------------------------------- What you described is what I'd like to see ... and what is really really needed. Assign a unit commissioner to a new cubmaster or new scoutmaster for a few mont

The original post is a generalization, but correct 80% of the time. Perhaps 20% of the time, the right unit and right unit commissioner are matched and a good relationship builds and the unit is better because of it. But ... Volunteers with the right skills and personality are rare and already grabbed to staff one of the many other scouting positions. As such, they don't have the time to work an assigned unit even if they are a UC. The result is that troops are either assigned a UC without the skills and personality needed or the unit is never visited by their UC. I'v

CalicoPenn has it right ... between a scout and his conscience. twocubdad ... I think it's important to know the rules as an adult leader. I've advised many boys on their Eagle projects. And the advice is always find something meaningful to you or your family. As for scope, it has to do with something significant, but manageable. I always fear reading threads like this that some of what people write really happens especially when it's phrases such as "won't approve" or .... Perhaps it was another thread and not this one. But I've seen it a lot over the years. I suspect most of

Eagle94-A1 ... I agree. I'm just trying to distinguish between "a good idea" and "the rules". I'd absolutely guide scouts to projects that are meaningful and significant to them. And, I'd challenge them to stretch themselves. BUT ... There is no such rule or direction that I can find from BSA saying the project has to stretch the scout or be personally relevant.

dcsimmons ... Where does BSA say the project has to challenge a scout's ability? twocubdad ... similarly ... Where does BSA say it has to be something meaningful or significant to the scout?

Where's the invalid survey choice? The scout chooses the project. BSA says there are no minimum hours. If the project requires planning and allows the scout to show leadership and does something good for a beneficiary, it's a good project.

H2O ... I wish you the best. Scouting has some of the best memories for me, my sons, my family and, I hope, the scouts in our units. I very much sympathize with your situation. I have no good advice other than address things early and be very clear laying things on the line. Bad behavior has no place in scouting and it drives good kids away all the time. Scouting has boundaries and if a scout doesn't want to operate in those boundaries they need to find somewhere else to spend their time.

BSA defines the corrective action in "When expectations are not met". and it is NOT after the fact. You want the scout accountable without holding the leaders accountable. When both sides fail, we favor the scout. I'm all for holding scouts accountable. But doing it after the fact is UNFAIR and depends on the scout and his family not known the BSA program ... or their not feeling comfortable speaking up about it.

jblake47 / Stosh ... You have two parts going on here. #1 leadership. #2 fulfilling requirements. #1 Teaching leadership as taking care of your guys is great. But ... #2 Evaluating POR performance after the fact is wrong. You are creating something different than BSA teaches us adult leaders. BSA says scouts need to do something with their position, ... BUT ... BSA also clearly says adult leaders need to communicate early and deal with it early. It is "UNFAIR" (BSA's word) to evaluate POR performance at the end of the POR tenure. Reflect and discuss, sure. Evaluate for requir

jblake47 / Stosh - Your last post is really good and should be the philosophy of every scoutmaster when coaching his scouts. I'm fine with it. But ... I'm still curious how you match up the BSA GTA quoted above and what you wrote at 7:44am ... "I tell them up front that I expect the boys to prove to me and the BOR that they have done what was necessary to fulfill the POR."

TAHAWK - Yeah, I do feel personally insulted by those terms ... and I feel BSA is insulted ... and I feel that good young men recognized by BSA are insulted by these terms. They have no place in discussions by good heart'ed scouters. Eagle mills, merit badge mills, paper eagle etc etc etc are cowardly personal attacks hidden by distance and they are mean spirited reflecting bitterness and resentment. If it gets my dander up, it's because I've seen way too many scouts directly DAMAGED by adult leaders that feel justified to violate published BSA policies and create their own program.

Fully agree. That's why I think it IS important to have winners and you don't need a trophy for everyone. We are at our best when we help scouts learn to be the bigger person and not to focus on resentment or being slighted. I get excited when I see scouts that lose congratulating others scouts and really mean it.

For once people seem to be in agreement. Wow. Let the scouts work this out. IMHO, avoid adding more requirements. BSA already has enough.