hotdesk

As a JASM working on my Eagle Project and having several other scouts working on there Eagle Projects I find it only proper to offer the my input. 1. What are Eagle Advisors? From what I can tell they help file the paper work for Eagles. In my council we have a District Eagle Board Chairmen who gets to approve projects and set up boards. Since he is a member of our troop he leads us through the Booklet and then we must fill it out, the actual application, and the Scholarship sheets. That is the only help we recieve with the paper work. 2. Blood Drives Now the Councils that allow Blood Drives I say go right ahead. However, our Council DOES NOT allow Blood Drives because the Eagle Board Chairmen says that they pose dangour. 3. The Eagles Before me and the Ones Working 1. Cleared trails at a Conservation park, laid down bricks on the trail, and built a bridge. Took him a couple of weekends and he was done. 2. Redid a Waterfall that his church had. Put in bushes, woodchips, rockes, etc. and made it look really nice. 3. (Me) I am working on a School District cemetery. I'm redoing it because it is endanger of being lost since the headstones are broke, the sign wasn't noticeable, and it doesn't look good with plants. There's my advice, take it as you will.

Okay, these Committee Members DON'T DO ANYTHING, NOTHING, NADA, EVER. One used to be our former Committee Chairmen when the Committee Meeting, in OUR TROOP, was composed of the Scoutmasters and Patrol Leader's Council. He NEVER EVEN attended a meeting or outing then. The ONLY REASON he was put on as our Committee Chairmen was because we used is parking lot for our fundraiser. For the last 5 years we haven't been doing the fundraiser and no one knows what he looks like because he isn't there. The other guy used to STORE our EQUIPMENT. Which he no longer does because it is not needed. The other person used to be a Scout in the troop who was not able to reach Eagle. He left the troop at 17 and came to one meeting during the next two years. Since then he too HASN'T BEEN AT ANYTHING EVER. So I don't think that the troop should pay for them, I just wanted to know what you guys thought. As far as dead leaders, he had one better. For about a year we had a Scoutmaster that never existed. The ASMS all pitched in and ran the troop. It wasn't until the COR found out that there wasn't such a person that he had to actually find a SM.

I have got an important question that I need answered quickly. A former Scoutmaster of our troop, one from the sixty's that no one really knows, past away and the troop was asked to help out and do the color guard. My question is should the scouts wear the Merit Badge to the Memorial Service? PS: Bob White I am raall intrested in what you have to say on the issue.

From a JASM: Wear the uniform. If scouts SEE ANYONE come to meetingS without wearing the uniform they will feel that they don't need to. In the past we had a Committee Member who went from being a ASM to being on the Committee and she continued to show up to all the meetings wearing the uniform and no one got confused. However, I will say this. In our troop it is rare for Committee Members to come to meetings. They usually put the 3 hours into the once a month meeting and take care of any responsiblities which come from that and stay away the other three meetings. So congrats to you for wanting to be involved with your troop.

Before I say anything else what is the SME committee?

Our troop has plenty of Euraki 4 men and 2 6 men Euraki tents. The only time we have a limit on how many scouts can sleep in one tent is during Summer Camp and that is because of the weather. The rest of the year it is what ever the scouts want. About bringing personal tents, we allow that. Our new Scoutmaster (been doing it since Feburary) allows the scouts to bring personal equipment just as long as they are willing to take the blame for any damage done to it and they will share it if needed. This has stopped some scouts from bringing some of the equipment they used to bring and has allowed some boys to start bringing certain this w/ them.

I have got a question. Should a troop pay (registration fee) for some members, who are not active, to be on the committee? It seems like, since I have joined and before, our troop has 'honary' Committee Members who they pay for but never show up. I can understand a few of them (like the ones storing our equipment), but there are others who don't do ANYTHING ANYMORE. The same thing goes from some of our Assistant Scoutmasters. We have a few ASMs that are payed for (by the troop) but don't show up and nobody has heard from in years. The troop, however, still pays for them unless they directly say "I don't want to be in the troop anymore." I will say, however, that these ASMs are former scouts. What do you guys think? Do other troops do this? Is it right that these guys get paid for while others, that are really active, have to pay?

I know that our Committee has all the positions filled except for Training Coordinator. All those people DO come to ALL Committee Meetings along with the COR. We do also have parents that are registred Committee Members. The only problem with them is that they do not come enough to know what is actually going on in the troop to make informed decisions, however it is a big help. The reason it is a help is because they are parents of scouts who are either new or in the 'middle' aged group. The people holding onto required postions all have sons that are Life Scouts or don't have any sons in the troop at all. Therefore they just need to really worry about the present and not about the future, like the parent Committee Members do.

This may not make sense to most of you that have to file Tour Permits every month, so try to follow. Our council has what it calls an 'Annual' Tour Permit. It requires that all vehicle information be on it, the SM and the CC or COR sign it, and that a new one be filed for 'High Adventure'(including all water activities). So basically a troop in our council can get away with just filling ONE tour permit each year and the Committee still hasn't neccesary approved the calendar.

It seems, from the replys that I have recieved, that you all need a little bit more information. 1. The troop did go, but this District/Troop leader tried to get his other adult leaders to cancel the event. 2. He had said that "the troop exist to assit the Council/District" and his mother, our COR, said that "District and Council activities come first. The guy said it to the Outdoor Coordinator and the COR said it to me when I was the SPL and was outlining the calendar from the Annual Troop Planning Conference. At this time we had planned on going caving in southern IL. She knew that MBOD were that weekend as was strong set not to let us go. The Committee usually votes the way she wants to because she has been there FOREVER and no one really wants to upset her. They want to keep her happy and this sometimes gets in the way of what the PLC wants to do and keeps the Committee Meetings lasting longer than they should. So, since the calendar was tabled at the committee meeting it was purposed at, it never came up since. Therefore the outing was never "approved" except for the fact that 4 of the 9 Committe Members acted as the adult leadership and that the Tresauer and CC let there sons attend. Plus this was the first time that the District/Troop adult leader has not been listend too and some adult leaders (mainly the Outdoor Coord. and my father, the SM) are kinda worried about what will happen at the TONIGHTS COMMITTEE MEETING. So, to repharse the questions 1. What should be said about District/Council events coming first and the fact that the District/Troop leader said that the troop is there to support the District. 2. The troop going without "approval" from the committee 3. The adult leaders who are worried about the outcome of tonight's Committee Meeting because of comments made by the District/Troop Leader and our COR, his mother.

I have a quick question. The District planned a Merit Badge Opp. Day, with non Eagle-Required Merit Badges. The troop knew about this and then planned a Biking trip since only six scouts signed up. One of our leaders, whose mom is the COR, and has no scouts in the troop, and has been SM, Troop Outdoor Coordinator, and is now the Advancment Chairman, and District Eagle Board Coordinator, disapproved of the trip. He also went as far as to say that the troop is there to support the Council/District and his mother had said before that District/Council Events come first. The Troop Committee members who decided to plan the trip, but not get Committee "Approval" decided to take the trip. Several Scouts and Committee Members (4) and an ASM went. The only problem that anyone can see is that he has never been turned down in his requests since the Committee Chair doesn't like to say no because he doesn't want to make the COR upset. So my questions are 1) Should we have gone 2) Do District/Council Activities come first

Hi, I'm a JASAM in my troop. I want to give you some advice, scout to scout. In any troop there will be an adult who is disruptive or just plain annoying to the scouts. Sometimes it's the scouts fault for not understanding and sometimes it is the parents fault for not understanding the idea of 'Boy Run'. Some parents find it very hard to understand, more so mothers, that 13-16 year olds run a troop when they got used to Cub Scouts. My advice is too let it go. Nothing can be blocked out from parents, not even an OA Ceremony. I would attempt to take her advice and, if proper, use it. The only way for anything to grow is by experiment. This adult leader might be trying to do what she thinks/believes is best. However, I would ask the SM/Committee Chair to see if they can talk this adult leader into taking the Committee Challenge Training. As for the adults responding to this post. We all know that parents love to know what is going on. We all also know that some actually enjoy going to Committee Meetings, not as members, but as parents. As scouters it is important to accomadte these parents, and, since they enjoy coming, assit that they sign up to do SOMETHING since SOMEONE is also complaining that a certain area doesn't have work efficently.

During the years that I have been with my troop we have had several 10 year olds join the troop. Plus this one time two fourth graders earned the AOL and joined the troop. The first one is still in our troop. He's an OA member,Life Scout, been ASPL for six months, held that PL position, and has been able to socialize with all the scouts in the troop. The second one was an only child. He's parents spoiled him and then his father went to become SM after his mother and her ASM friend decided that having a SM without a son in the troop was setting a bad image. When the decided to appoint another person, who hadn't been with the troop long but his son was, they left. He is know in another troop and about to get his Eagle Project finished.

I guess I'll have to start by saying that our troop didn't do things the Boy Scout way until 2-3 years ago. I also have to say that this book was created during that period. Before then the troop was ran as a "Boys Group". Therefore the information that is in the book isn't accurate and the biggest majority has to be altered if I do keep it. So, what I should ask, is what do you have in yours. What is included? Do you have a copy on the internet?

I have just been assigned my first task as a Jr. Assistant Scoutmaster. It was to redo our Troop Handbook. The Scoutmaster handed me the handbook and basically said to have a new done As Soon As Possible. I have the handbook, the Scoutmaster Jr. Leader Training Kit, and the Troop Committee Guidebook. The only problem is I don't know what I should put in or take out of the Handbook. What does your book include or disclude. Do you have a copy online? Please help me put together a good handbook to make my first task a success.

Person to ask would be your Council or District Advancment Board. The Council Advancment Board Coordinator, in Laura's coucnil, is ??Bob?? Dalton. You can see him at Roundtables.

I have talked to our District Eagle Board Coordinator, also the troop Committee Advancment Chairman, about SM Conferences and Board of Reviews. What he said has that the final stage for the troop to test your skills for the rank is Scoutmaster Conference. If you can do it then good, if not then they should hold you back until you can do what the rank ask of you. He also said that one too many times he has had to stop Eagle Boards because they started to test skills. The board had to be reschulded with different memembers. So what he basically said that any board of review, for any rank, has to trust that the SM, ASMS, and JASMs did there job, of testing you, and that you know the stuff. Check out the Troop Committee Guidebook.

When I made the decision on doing a third term as the Senior Patrol Leader I took a few questions into mind. 1. Do I have the time needed to do the position the same that I have done it in the past? 2. Do I have the energy to do hold the position again? 3. Who has more of the troop's respect, me or the person I was running against? 4. Do I want to concentrate on earning the rank of Eagle of running a troop? 5. Would it benefit the troop if I was to be the Senior Patrol Leader agian? When I answered these questions I realized that some answers were yes and some were no. I then decided, since I couldn't answer the majority of the questions yes, that Jr. Assistant Scoutmaster would be the position for me.

As you said, your son, Jon has ADD. This causes him to become unorganized. If this is the case Patrol Leader might not be the position for him. He might, in fact, do better in one of the positions that is appointed by the Senior Patrol Leader. He might find that he enjoys it and really has the skills needed to perform one of those positions. However, a Tenderfoot scout, that, by the sounds of it has only been in the troop for a few months, should not be a Patrol Leader either. If he has been there only a few months it isn't possible for him to have learned the skills needed to become a good Patrol Leader. He should have waited until the next election, when the skills could have sunk in, and ran. Then, again, you don't learn something unless you teach it or do it. So this might be something for him to try also. To clear things up with the Scoutmaster Handbook the Senior Patrol Leader appoints scouts to those positions WITH a Scoumaster's advice. Could it be possible that the Scoutmaster is meeting with the Senior Patrol Leader and/or the Asst. Senior Patrol Leader? If so, do you believe that the Scoutmaster will have the Senior Patrol Leader consider Jon's need for a troop position?