Fuzzy Bear

Ed, I hope you realize I was recounting my past but I want you to know what I believe today. (this is from the Bible and Scouts can relate to it) God spoke to Nathan in the night, saying "Go tell my servant David that the Lord is asking the question, What are you doing building me a house to live in? I have not lived in house since I brought my children out of Egypt, even unto this day, I have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle with you all...I went with you wherever you went and I have cut off all of your enemies... God's house (Churches and Sundays) keeps God in out of

Here are most of the required amounts of time up through 2006 for overnight camping. Tenderfoot Scout- 1 over night camp Second Class Scout- participate in five separate activities, two of which included camping overnight First Class Scout- participate in ten separate activities, three of which included camping overnight. Star Scout- 0 Life Scout 0 Eagle Scout- Camping MB- Camp out a total of at least 20 days and 20 nights, one week at Summer camp may be used as part of the total. Eagle Palms- 0 Out of the 121 Merit Badges, these are the ones that require some amoun

My Mother was wonderful. She had an agenda that we all obeyed. Keep the room, the house and our bodies clean on a regular basis. Actually she had several standards that we were supposed to know and follow. She was never strict unless we veered too much in any one direction and then she might get us with a fly swatter. We would run from her and as we got older, we just laughed. I am sure that it frustrated her a little but we still obeyed. Church was for Sunday and God didn't get in the way on the other days unless it was Christmas dinner and then I usually got tapped to speak to him. I

Get trained.

Regarding the Outdoor program, I would like to make a point but first: from the BSA website Merit Badge Program Background and Purposes As chartered by the Congress of the United States, the Boy Scouts of America is a movement dedicated to supplementing and enlarging the education of youth. The merit badge program, which provides opportunities for youth to explore more than 120 fields of skill and knowledge, plays a key role in the fulfillment of this educational commitment. A vital part of the BSA's advancement plan, the merit badge program is one of Scouting's basic charac

At the end of a long day on the river, I hear Jeremy saying that he wore his Scout shorts all day without sunscreen. When I look around he is standing up on a rock with what he called red Scout Socks on. I am lounging in camp when one of the Scouts runs up and tells me that Mike got hit in the head with a rock. We are in the middle of the second day of a Fifty miler and and two of the younger Scouts have decided that they, "can no longer carry their packs".

I took the Belief-O-Matic about two years ago. We started with the U.U.'s about the same time on Sunday mornings. I now take my boys to the Buddhist meditations on Tuesday evenings. They can almost last the hour. I also daily meditate with the Tao. The B-O-M changed my life. FB

Mike Long is responsible for this next one. I feel that the importance is immeasuable but then maybe we should. Mike Long Numbers are a good way of judging the health of anything. The higher the numbers the higher the likelihood that things are going well. This is a common and accurate method of judging effectiveness. It is not possible to camp too much but it is possible to lose focus on the aims and methods of Scouting if all you do is concentrate on camping and not on being Boy Scouts who camp. This year: 25 nights available for all troop members (4 nights lost to

Fluff is not a word I would use either after reading Barry's description. The rub is that the Aims were already in place along with the Methods, The Oath, The Law, the Slogan and the Motto. The problem in the past with units that I worked and Scouted with had to do with people forgetting or not knowing the Aims. Actually, they forgot the Methods and right on down the line. They didn't connect the dots. I can see where a Mission statement and a vision keeps people pointed in the right direction. It is all too easy to forget that many either don't know or underestimate the importance of wh

The 2007 Centennial QU Award Commitment This is a commitment, which is a plan of action. There are 6 numbered requirements. The last one and the one that is not numbered, meaning that it is probably not required is the: In support of, which may be a way of showing what happened, not necessarily what was planned to happen. It says, Participating in the FOS and "product sale". It doesn't stipulate anything other than participation AND since it is not numbered, probably will not disqualify a unit from obtaining the Centennial QU Award if it did not participate.

from the BSA website concerning Boy Scouts and Patrols within a BS Troop: The Patrol Leaders' Council: As a patrol leader, you are a member of the patrol leaders' council, and you serve as the voice of your patrol members. You should present the ideas and concerns of your patrol and in turn share the decisions of the patrol leaders' council with your patrol members. The patrol leaders' council is made up of the senior patrol leader, who presides over the meetings; the assistant senior patrol leader, all patrol leaders, and the troop guide. The patrol leaders' council plans the y

It only said that a unit had to particpate. If you don't sell one bag of highly expensive PC, you participated. The tough one is to count the number of UC visits.FB

The good thing about trying to make something relevant for youth today is that everyone soon discovers what was already important. The Scout Oath The Scout Law The Scout Motto The Scout Slogan The Aims if Scouting The Skills of Leadership The Methods of Scouting These have both vision and mission. I am unsure what has come along that can compete or replace things that work so well. The two stars on the Scout Badge represent Truth and Knowledge. These two stars are separate but never equal. Sometimes the light that shines from the One crosses into the path o

Dan, I am unsure how ScoutPerson would defend or define his statements but you have some good insights. I am asking you to reply and expand on your statements using your own experience and knowledge and let us know more about how you define a Quality Unit. I am very interested. Thanks, FB

I was still teaching when we put together our first Mission statement. I then found another career. I suppose that was my mission, I just didn't have the vision to see it coming. Later, the Agency I work for now went through a period with "Teams". The highlight was to develop a long rambling Mission statement. We used most of one large wall to get it all down. The Republicans went into office and we were given a new czar. He fired most of the Team and we went back to being individuals. I think our Mission now is to get work done instead of sitting around making stuff up. FB(Th

I was reading the BSA website and ran across something about the importance of the Uniform that I should have thought of before. I didn't think about copying it either, so I am using my faulty memory here. Yes, it sets the Example. It shows that we can follow directions. It shows that we can be that goal that others want to follow. Yes, it brings everyone under one umbrella. It brings people together that normally might not associate with each other. It allows for separate people to profess that they are a group with a direction that leads to the High Road in life.

I finally got to see Bonnie and Clyde on TV after going to see it at the Drive-in three times. It was really violent!

Responding to BW's list of Quality Unit Items, ScoutPerson: I would just say that some are more important than others while all are important these are the ones that I feel are fatal. The number one reason is 1 and 2 on my list. The others are just listed in the order I cut and pasted them. 1. Leaders NOT TRAINED 2. Adults hollering at boys 3. Leaders do not follow the policies of the Guide to safe scouting, Advancement or Uniforming 4. Scoutmaster runs the committee 5. Troop meetings are merit badge classes 6. They don't get outside once a month 7. greater than 10

A Council cannot change or add to a National standard. Statistics are drawn from the overall units being awarded. If the standard is changed, so goes the statistics for that Council. I doubt the people over that program would be thrilled to know that someone changed it so a Council would build their own budget. Service Project- 1 annually, preferred to the Sponsoring organization and then report it on the good turn web site. Did your Council change the Service Project? 2006 NQU Award Training- The SM trained- Fast Start and BLT for SM. Two-Deep Leadership- one

When we are on the other side of the hill away from the incident, we need to be careful about judging someone's judgments. It is important that we trust the Leader's to do the right thing even if it doesn't appear that way. We should also be willing to let a leader be wrong simply because even parents get it wrong sometimes. I suggest that you follow it through. Go with your son to the hearing. Give your son support but don't speak for him. It sounds like your son not only knows the profane but also has an idea about what is fair and right. He wouldn't have had the "vacant stare

Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Quality Although, I should now have it, in a matter of minutes it will wear off. My lack of selected spelling ability along with my inability to pick up on details, such as letters within a word or sentence seems to work against me ever getting it all correct. I also don't check my work sometimes, making it even worse. Enough said about my disability, let's take a closer look at the Quality of Units and what makes them tick. I have been looking at some other features that are kind of exciti

I modified this from an old BW reply. Commissioner Service help: To help evaluate unit health, there is a detailed monthly report available to District Commissioners that gives all the info to see if a unit is in trouble. It has adult and youth membership numbers, Boys life registration, training info, quality unit info, add Roundtable attendance and advancement info so you get a good picture of the unit. What it doesn't tell you is who the culprit or culprits are when there is a problem. That would require the appropriate Mentor to discover. The unit leaders and Charter Organi

Rick Cronk stated that the role of the Unit Commissioner is: We handle the annual charter renewal and help the unit earn the Quality Unit Award. We help the unit replace its leadership. We work to assure active unit committees. We work to strengthen the relationship between the unit and its chartered organization. We do many other things common to all units. The chronology of dropped units is simple and well known to all commissioners: Poor unit leadership leads to uninspired program. Uninspired program leads to Scouts "voting with their feet" and walking out of t

The BSA says that a Qaulity unit has: 2006 NQU Award Training- The SM trained- Fast Start and BLT for SM. Two-Deep Leadership- one or more ASMs that are registered, trained and active. One supervises YP training. Patrol Method- JLT and monthly PLCs Planned program, published and presented Outdoor Activities- 6 highlight activities and attend one LT BSA camp. Service Project- 1 annually, preferred to the Sponsoring organization and then report it on the good turn web site. On-Time Charter Renewal. Membership with an equal or greater number than last year. Advanceme

Wayne Bishop, Council Commissioner for the San Francisco Bay Area Council, said, There are several good measures of unit success, rank advancement, percent of Scouts in summer Camp, training status of leaders, uniforms but most important is Quality Unit attainment and high youth retention rate. Also: Do the leaders find it rewarding? Is there a membership growth plan? Will the unit reregister on time? Are they going camping regularly?