fred8033

Wow. That's great. My wife and I chatted about summer camp for our youngest son. We just see no way it's going to happen this year. We're hoping next year will happen. I'm glad our local scouting professionals can get financial help as all revenue will disappear.

My apologies. Conversation threads tend to drift. I did not mean to infer anything wrong specifically with your question. I was addressing a more general discussion topic. Please accept my apologies. We as volunteered are always committed to doing right by our scouts and tend to be very invested. So when a scout asks such a question, we want to help. Your question actually reflects well on you as a leader. It's a general comment about BSA advancement that became the discussion point.

Qwazse ... I generally agree with your post. ... BUT ... it's more than questioning scout's motives. I regularly see the same thing stated in the original post. Worse, I often see leaders doing the same thing. BAJ said in the original post: "We have a few scouts who were looking for service opportunities to get service hours for rank before COVID hit. ..." I agree, but would keep something about service as we value service. Perhaps similar to requirements about scout spirit. A statement that scouts value service and asking the scout to explain how the scout fulfills that val

I'm very uncomfortable about this. We are leaders represent an organization. Our organization STRONGLY ADVISES no activities. That doesn't mean leaders suggest a parent/child go out own their own to do it. The leader should say we don't advise it. Stay at home. https://www.scouting.org/scoutingathome/ Until things change, the best service scouts can do is staying home and helping at home. Period. If a parent/child want to get groceries and deliver them to a neighbor-in-need, that's their choice. And we should applaud it. BUT, we should not organize or advocate for

For me and mine ... I'd replace "demand" with "desire". I want to go camping. I want my son to camp with his friends. Our troop has at least one scouting camp out queued up each month until December right now and more planning in the fall. March and April are canceled. May probably too. All summer probably too. Until my son has immunity through a vaccine or already having had the virus, I won't sign up my son for any camp. Period. My scouting fear is my last son is done camping as a scout. He has two years before he turns 18, and a vaccine is at least 18 months out. ScoutB

Find ways to engage the scout. It might not be with rank advancement. But there are others. STEM awards? MBs that can be done without physical outings. Scout having fellowship with his other scouts. "Virtual" patrol meetings. Maybe "virtual" patrol game nights? Online patrol D&D tournaments? For example ... in a national crisis like today ... I'd question whether a virtual tour would be acceptable ... if the scout can show his investment and growth from doing the badge. Scouting can help the scouts during this national crisis. We just have to think outside the box.

That's a great question. I'm going to give my "opinion". I can't say I've got the right answer. I only have my opinion. We can't ask scouts to camp (individually, together or separated by reasonable distances). We must put the health and well being of our scouts above rank requirements. Also, our council ... and I think BSA ... has suspended all meetings, activities, etc. Maybe, their own backyard with their parent, but I'm not sure that helps or if I could ask that as a leader. I applaud on-line meetings, on-line merit badges and on-line activities. Hopefully, it will keep

Let's just be friends.

My apologies. Apply GTA 10.2.2.1. There is a paragraph that says ... "Simple modifications very close to existing requirements need not be approved. A Scout in a wheelchair, for example, may meet the Second Class requirement for hiking by “wheeling” to a place of interest. Allowing more time and permitting special aids are also ways leaders can help Scouts with disabilities make progress. Modifications, however, must provide a very similar challenge and learning experience." MD is serious and permanent. MD affects muscles and we want to be considerate of it similar to considerate of a

I had to re-read GTA 10.2.2.3. Read it. Your scout needs to be first class before submitting the form for alternative Eagle requirements. But after the national crisis, you should be able to get this signed off. A common replacement idea is something that overlaps in some way. Physical for physical. Or topic area for topic area. Similar learning and effort opportunity. For example ... Swimming has been replaced in the past with archery (by some scouts) and by other merit badges (depending on scout and situation) Maybe hiking requirements could be replaced w

Also reach out and get to know your district advancement committee and your council advancement committee. There are many ready and willing to help. They will be accountable to BSA Guide To Advancement. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf The applicable sections are 10.2.2.2 How to Apply for Alternative Requirements 10.2.2.3 Alternative Merit Badges for Eagle Scout Rank

"1/4 of all Cub Scout Packs will never meet again" ... Yeah. A huge number of units were already on the edge. This will absolutely kill a good number. Membership will crash for years. "#1 killer of units? Not meeting or no activities." ... Yep. Absolutely. I'd focus more on no activities, than no meetings. But absolutely. Focusing on "growing membership" ... This is always BSA's big mistake. We focus way too much on how do we fix the membership issues. The issue is really how do we fix the program. If you have a bad product, people won't buy your product. So if you wan

Ok. I'm bored. I'll take the bait. Agree "The Nationwide Shutdown will continue until September. No camporees, summer camp, high adventure bases or unit face-to-face events." ... Yep. The country won't be back to normal for years. Only a vaccine or herd immunity will end it. And only a vaccine will let parents send their kids to large groups with other kids. "Operating with a skeletal professional staff of only critical field and camp maintenance personnel." ... Yep. Staff won't have time to prepare for summer camp. When camps do re-open, I could see it ve

So true! Our troop has done that many times in the past. A troop own summer camp week is better than any structured summer camp. But, very different. A council camp can offer a variety of experiences, intermix with other troops and is a more traditional summer camp. It's also a consistent structure, program and tradition. Scouts can like tradition. A troop's own summer camp week is different and whatever the troop wants. Our troop chooses a destination and a group camp site. Then, our troop did day trips / activities and several of the adults were available to do location-appropri

It's a failure because it's a core scouting experience. It's a good that the scout has a path forward, but we want scouts at summer camp and camping in a variety of places. It builds character and builds a positive experience.

I've averaged 1.5 units of rechartering for the last 16 years. About 24 recharters. The first several years were paper and very labor intensive. The first several were also relatively stressful because of learning the ins and outs. And they have all be time intensive casing a signatures and driving people in. The only way I've made it through these is I'm either very loyal or very stubborn. This process does burn out volunteers. This can damage scouting's relationship when handed to any adult not deeply vested in scouting and especially burns new parents. I doubt it hurts "troop

I can understand that view. My thoughts are there are many troops that may become viable with a critical mass of scouts when run together for a time. My gut says a troop of 5 to 10 girls is on the cusp of being viable or failing. A troop of 5 to 10 boys is on the cusp of being viable or failing. But if you run them parallel you create a unit of 10 to 20 scouts that can create more positive experiences and more opportunity. Hopefully, that recruits more scouts. If there are enough scouts to begin with, I agree. Single gender gives scouts a chance to shine. But I think the re

Don't mix YPT with the boy troop / girl troop debate. It's just not there. Scout camps have always had mixed gender under-18 staff without violating YPT. Activities, camporees and district events can have both genders. BSA G2SS never even infers single gender units is a YPT issue. If there is an issue, it's with ignoring the "INTENTION" that the troops should be separate. We as leaders should follow BSA's intentions less we are accused of going rogue. But even then, there is little to say two units can't meet in the same place at the same time and have similar calendars. IM

#1 Camping does not mean you have to have an uncomfortable bed. Over the years, I've developed a bed that I really like. Extremely comfortable. #2 Cut out ALL caffeine. As a late night person myself, this is often a key difference. No coffee after noon. No mountain dew. No diet coke / pepsi. No chocolate. #3 Nap. And more naps. And be proud of your napping. Easier in troops, than in packs. Most of my scouts probably don't know this, but I'm usually the last to fall asleep. I do this as mischievous happens at night and less in the morning.

You are right. In my troop, we have an unofficial habit of when one adult goes somewhere, usually another tags along. It's more polite and friendly than expected. But we don't have adults follow scouts. IMHO, scouts need to exercise independence and we as adults need to look for opportunities to let scouts feel independent.

You can't write easy to understand rules that apply to all situations. When I read two deep for all scouting activities and meetings, I interpret that as structure recurring scout meetings and big activities. If a patrol wants to bike down to a park on Saturday and shoot hoops, that does not require a scout leader. If the troop is on a weekend campout and a patrol wants to go on a five mile hike in the state park or in the scout camp, that does not require adults to go with those scouts. ... BUT ... if an adult did go with them, two should be planned. We absolutely need to require y

I fully agree. I'll add ... -- No following scouts to make sure they check into a merit badge session. -- No micromanaging each scout's advancement. Be there for them, but don't make them be there for you.

I'd ask if you have competing issues here. Do you have scouts that use scouting as a hiding place away from parents where they can display bad behavior? That does happen. Scouting is good for all kids, but not all kids are good for scouting.

I love that statement. I've heard too other adult leaders say scouts are not ready to lead or not old-enough to lead. ... The above statement reflects my view that scouts learn by doing. If our scouts are young, they can still lead. Inexperienced, they can still leader. We as adult leaders continually adjust and quietly coach and slightly help as necessary with the continuous eye toward how can we step back. ... I swear I bite my tongue every time I hear another leader say the scouts are too young, too inexperienced, too <insert your favorite excuse> . When I hear it, I usually th

I often wonder about that. Does each and every skill have to have a "I'd like to be tested on xyz"? I remember a scoutmaster who did an annual canoe trip. He'd get each and every scout up to speed on canoeing before or during that trip. At the end if they did not have the canoeing MB, he awarded it. In that case, the SM saw the scout demonstrating the skills. If a leader (youth or adult) sees the scout do the skill as part of an activity, does the scout really have to say "I'd like to be tested on xyz"? Or can the leader just immediately sign off the requirement. I believe the l