GKlose

Thanks, guys, for joining in the spirit of this post -- I'm not lobbying for a change, I'm playing a "what if" game -- And, yes, Bill, I am catching your point -- but let's say I'm going to start ignoring the spirit of your post as much as you're ignoring the spirit of mine... In my "secret fantasy world", the Citizenship badges would have been combined a long time ago. It (the one badge) would concentrate less on bookwork, would have 3 major components (maybe even 4), including Community, Nation and World requirements (overlap between the three MBs would be removed). It would also b

Bill, with all due respect, I think you're missing my point. I think there are two reasons why Scouts aren't earning the NOA -- 1) it's new, and 2) it's not Eagle. On this last part, I've had some rather embarrassing experience with a troop where it became only about earning Eagle (another thread, already well-hashed). But I'm saying, as a thought exercise, what if that were turned around? Not that I want an ultimate outdoorsman award, but what if Eagle were an ultimate outdoorsman award? What would it look like? (like I said in my text, I don't have a problem with the way things pre

Since every good thread deserves a digression... With some virtual prompting by this forum, there's a mental exercise I've gone through, but have never shared...seeing as how a bunch of us are dissatisfied with the "classroom" nature of E/R merit badges, what would the list look like if we had an "all Scoutcraft" Eagle? Just off the top of my head: First Aid Wilderness First Aid (a new merit badge in my fantasy world -- similar to the Swimming/Lifesaving "continuum") Swimming Lifesaving/EPrep/Search and Rescue? Camping Cooking Canoeing/Rowing/Kayaking/Sailing? Hiking

Hello all -- I've been looking at courses listed at PTC. Quite a few of them sound interesting to me, so I'm interested in hearing stories that some of you might have from your experiences. Anyone willing to share? A particularly good course? How the week went? Family experiences out there? Thanks, Guy

We had an advancement committee guy that said he loved it when Eagle candidates came to their EBoR with their old handbooks held together with rubber bands, or loose pages in a ziplock, etc. He said he knew they were real Scouts. :-) Guy

"I can't understand why we don't open scout summer camps to non-member boys sponsored by a troop or another scout. 4H and Y camps both allow and even recruit non-members to fill camp slots and hopefully join later." The last two summers, I've had a couple of experiences that have me wondering the same thing -- Daniel Webster Council, Griswold Scout Reservation -- they have 3 camps, two of which are Scout camps, and third is an Easter Seals camp. It is wholly-within the boundaries of Hidden Valley Scout camp. Easter Seals "campers" (co-ed, and it seemed like there was a 1:1 ratio of a

There's no silver bullet coming from our troop, but we used to have serious issues -- in general, our guys would only camp when they needed to (rank requirements and Camping merit badge), went to summer camp with the troop for a year or two, and then would attend "Eagle Week" (provisional; Eagle-required merit badges) for one or two summers. Wouldn't seen them much after that. But all that was turned around. There were a couple of edicts -- for example, we set an outing schedule well in advance. Same weekend every month, outings are never cancelled due to lack of participation. Outing "th

1973, PA, Moraine State Park. I do remember Danny Thomas appearing, and thinking that his speech was very odd. He talked a lot about discipline, from what I recall, and how tough he was with his kids. Musically, I don't recall, other than watching a Scout band at what must have been a subcamp show one morning. I was a new band kid myself, so I remember thinking how great it would be to be up on stage. Didn't pursue it for the '77 Jamboree. However, just a couple of years ago, I did some searching online, and found out that applications for the 2013 Jamboree band were due imminently.

So -- the lottery opens today :-). Just finished putting in about 12 choices. Interesting new addition -- summer sailing in St Thomas. Guy

We went to a Canadian camp (Tamaracouta Scout Reserve, in Quebec) this last summer. Through hints from others who have been there, we learned you can do a "mix and match" thing with their "catering" (dining hall) service. So we purchased 3 meals from them (arrival dinner, dinner the night before departure, and breakfast before departure). In addition to that, we had brought our first couple of days of food from home, and then shopped at a local market (about 20 minutes' drive). We could have scrimped more on the food we purchased, but without doing so, our food cost for the week turned ou

OGE: "I guess the real question is what is being done to prevent this from happening again?" OGE, I'm not entirely sure if you're directing this question to me, in this circumstance, but the parent thread of this one pretty much laid out the situation that our troop had been in, and the changes that the SM and I (now as CC) had been trying to make. Prior situation: advancement-oriented troop, almost an "Eagle Mill" in a way. Many, many Scout were expressed through early ranks and treated the troop as if becoming an Eagle Scout was the only point to belonging. Outings had been cut bac

A few weeks ago, I cajoled a committee member into finally taking Troop Committee Challenge. Afterward, she said "what's up with the 1980s graphics?". To me, Physical Wellness is worse. I don't get it. We don't need cartoonish online training. That stuff wouldn't even work with young teens. I find it condescending for adults, in a way. I also don't mean this to sound overly harsh, but someone, somewhere thinks that is sufficient training. To me, that's where the real problem is. Guy

Is anyone heading down from the northeast? If so, please contact me by PM. Thanks, Guy

Thanks, guys -- I think this was the last of the "old guard". We have three Scouts coming up for district Eagle Boards this month and next, and all three had been addressed at one time or another about their participation level. All three also made some tough priority calls, and made changes. Two have already aged out, and I don't really expect to see the third much before his 18th birthday this fall. He is attending a very rigorous parochial school. Had an interesting conversation on Saturday. It was a district "recharter day" and I met our COR/UC there (he fulfills both roles, and is a

Hello all -- I felt a should post a followup to this well-hashed topic from last fall. Results have been made public, although the District Advancement Chair or Committee, or the Scout in question, haven't contacted me. (oversimplified summary: Scout doesn't participate for about 3 years, wants signature for Eagle application, doesn't get it, and files appeal with the council) Back at a November roundtable, I saw the DAC, and he told me that the CAC had decided to allow the District Advancement Commitee to go forward with an Eagle Board of Review. That board happened in mid-December,

When we were working on a transition from adult-led, troop method (mostly an adult cooking for 6 to 8 Scouts) to actual patrol cooking (which didn't take right away), we came up with a couple of ideas -- one was to give each "cooking group" two chickens, and then they could do whatever they wanted with them. One group did chicken cesar salads, and the other made fried chicken. The SM roast two chickens on a spit. The other idea was a "mystery box" -- a box of various cans and other packages, to go along with whatever protein was available. Although we never got there, my next evolution was goi

And a Happy 2013 to everyone as well... I'll jump in here. Had a couple of adult leaders and two senior Scouts over yesterday to talk about planning for a Seabase 2014 trip. After they left, the SM stuck around and we talked about other future plans. We're in the third year of a four-year high adventure plan, so we're going to extend it out and put it on a rotating cycle of some sort -- and I've resolved myself to start working on my next great plan. When I was a Scout, two of my most favorite summers were summers where we did summer camp on our own. With some ideas generated in another t

Thanks, Qwazse -- I always appreciate your replies, which invariably give me something to think about :-). Guy

Hi guys -- I have an interesting development on this front. Our council announced a council contingent (up to 16 slots) for the very same week we were targeting. I did have a quick discussion with the council staff high adventure adviser about the contingency fee built in, and I'm happy with his response (the "padding" seems reasonable, given they take care of all the administrative aspects that I would otherwise have to take care of). Together, we decided that we could try the lottery and then if that doesn't work out, we can talk to him about the council slots. I suspect, however, that we ma

Yes -- we heard the same thing when our five districts were reorganized into three, about two years ago. It didn't matter about the size of the professional staff. As attrition happened, slots were not refilled, and even then, there was turnover with the SE and with some of the DEs. So I've seen two SEs and four DEs in the last three years. It really isn't a big deal when you accept the transient nature of those jobs. But, you know where it does hurt? FoS. My donations were based on a relationship with a DE, which has been missing for over two years. For me, a turning point was a month af

Fred, I have a "move" when a Scout with a workbook comes to me. I'll start off the conversation with a general question or two, and then I might ask a more-pointed question directly from a requirement. As soon as he dives for the workbook, I might ask him if I can take a look at it. I'll glance at it and then I'll turn it over next to me. Then I'll continue with the questions. :-) Sure, there will be some items where we'll have to look directly at it...for example, I'm a counselor for Cooking MB. He's supposed to do three sets of menus, etc. But when we get to first aid issues and food-bo

Fred, I have a "move" when a Scout with a workbook comes to me. I'll start off the conversation with a general question or two, and then I might ask a more-pointed question directly from a requirement. As soon as he dives for the workbook, I might ask him if I can take a look at it. I'll glance at it and then I'll turn it over next to me. Then I'll continue with the questions. :-) Sure, there will be some items where we'll have to look directly at it...for example, I'm a counselor for Cooking MB. He's supposed to do three sets of menus, etc. But when we get to first aid issues and food-bo

I dropped a teaser in another thread -- with regards to the situation outlined in this thread, the district advancement chair told me something unofficially about six weeks ago, based upon actions of the council advancement committee. I haven't felt comfortable relaying something unofficial, so I haven't followed up. I plan to, once I get official word. To my knowledge, the DAC was the "fact finder" talking to the Scout (or his dad, I'm not sure), our SM, our prior SM and to me. He relayed that information to the CAC, and I would guess it was discussed at a council advancement committee m

I started a thread a few months back ("skirting the bare minimum") that well-hashed some of the issues related to attendance expectations. For those that remember that thread, I should have an update soon -- I've heard some things unofficially, but have heard nothing official... Anyway, I suggest being upfront, direct and clear about attendance expectations for troop members. Problems arise when gray areas are presented for consideration. Guy

This happened to us, about 2 years ago. There were 5 old councils, merged into one, back in the early 90s. Each became a district, and each still had their old council camps. Three of the camps were eventually sold. There are diverging opinions on what happened two years ago, but there was a committee put together late in one year, plans were "socialized" starting in January, and by June the new plan was implemented. Five districts were combined into three. But here was the actual: two smaller districts were combined into one. Then my district was cut in half. There was an impassione