imasoonerfan

I didn't get that it was a dues type system at all. It functioned like MS Money to me.

Also you can take your statements and just print them to a PDF and then email them. A little more work but not unreasonalbe.

I 'functioned' as the treasurer beore becoming the CC and I loved TL. I never had any issues with Scout Accounts.

"As another suggested, maybe he should move to a Comm position so he doesn't have to go on camping trips anymore."

Since when does the committee not camp or the ASMs are required to do so? the last time I checked if you are reqistered and have taken YP 'a camping we will go'!

"One of our webelos leaders does not want to take IOLS because he says he has to then take it again if he helps as a ASM in another year."

Are they both the same training? Or is one IOLS and the other is OWLS? If they are both the same he should not need to repeat it.

I also agree that the first three years of Cub training could be one class and the Webelos is a seperate class. There are some changes coming with the 2010 program and training is one. Our new books are on order (my wife is the District Training Chairman) but I have not seen them yet.(This message has been edited by imasoonerfan)

Our council does IOLS and WELOTS (OWLS) as a combined course with a few breakout sessions. EXAMPLE: When wood tools is taught the IOLS p'pants do an axe yard and the WELOTS p'pants learn the whittling chip. They arrive at the same time on Friday and depart at the same time on Sunday. It is run to immulate a Webelos Den visiting a Boy Scout Troop on a weekend campout.

The only issue I have with it is that you have to take WELOTS to be trained to take your Webelos den camping (Council requirement) and then you have to come back on a seperate weekend to to take IOLS to be a trained ASM or SM.

But overall both are good courses.(This message has been edited by imasoonerfan)

Are you asking if he can count rank requirement towards merit badges? That is just a can of worms. If so see this:

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=221510

Or go to the top-right of the page and search double dipping and read to your heart's content.

I just looked through the BALOO syllabus and WELOTS syllabus and both are pretty vague on cooking other than to keep it simple. There are no restrictions on Dutch ovens listed. I think the biggest concern is the weight. No one really wants a 9-10 yr old swinging a 300 degree lid around that he cannot support. I think that under good supervision it is fine. Ours have done it in the past and will again at the next campout.

Sorry they all look alike when you need new glasses!

We have the Scouts give them to their 'parent' as a gift for supporting them. Typically the Mom's wear them on a ribbon. Some moms wear a ribbon similar to this:

http://www.mothers-pride.com/

I think moosetracker is dead on. Our main issue is new parents. They don't see the program as something that important and have an apathetic attitude and the trickles down to their Scouts.

I have tried and tried again for the last two years to get parents of new Scouts involved and have come up with squat. I am not new at this either. I have sent emails, made phone calls and corenered people at events and still they will not budge. I am not sure what more we can do short of holding their TV remotes ransom.

I have taksed the parents with finding out from their kids what it is THEY want to do and then asking their kids to go to the SPL and myself (I am the CC)and passing it on so we can pass it on. The planning will be pushed back into their laps and then they are the responsible party. If it fails they have no one to blame but themselves.

If you could possibly find a challenge coin like the Boy Scout rank coins that would seem appropriate. I looked on Google but could not find any.

Oh I like your reply above as well!

The issue seems to be around anything outside of troop meetings and campouts. But the campout turnout has been lower than normal lately.

It mainly centers around service projects. They get scheduled and planned and only 2 Scouts volunteer and the thing gets cancelled. That is very frustrating.

Also the amount of adults willing to help has dropped off. It feels like we have 7-8 core people doing everything lately. I have personally asked people to help and no one seems willing to volunteer.

I have a question about an issue that I am sure most units have experienced at one point or another.

Recently we have been battling apathy with both Scouts and parents. Over the last two years we have had three adults volunteer to help with the Troop and we have had 30+ Scouts cross to the Troop. We are also experiencing very low turnout on our service projects. Recently we had a Scout complete his Eagle project and only 4-5 Scouts showed to help over a two day period. 4-5 out of 64! In my mind that is pathetic. Sorry but I just call it like I see it. It seems like they just dont care. I realize that people have lives outside of Scouting. All three of my kids are in Scouting, sports, school programs and I can keep going but we make time for the extra things.

How have you battled this issue? Is there a way? Am I overreacting?

My daughter's Troop only gets 50 a box. :-/

Have a cake decorating contest with categories the Cubs compete in.

100yrs of Scouting

Most Patriotic

Grossest looking

Most realistic

etc....

We do ours just like Scoutfish. The car with the most points wins. In the event of a tie we have a one race drag race. The kids love it!!!

One of the things you have to look at here is the AOL requirements.

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

So if a boy has not entered the 5th grade he must be 10.5 before he can earn the AOL and can cross. If his has been in the 5th grade for 6 months then age goes out the window. Fo most kids you are looking at the Novemer or December timeframe of their 5th grade year.

They have already planned out the next year so that is not an issue.

They have tried inviting kids and it just never seems to workout. Not sure about your areas but Venturing in Oklahoma is not that big. Very few Crews and very small.

We are to the point of make or break. We have a very successful Troop with 50+ active boys but the Crew is just dying a painful death.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Our schools will not cooperate with us at all due to the fear the ACLU has instilled. We get zero help from them.

We are CO-ED.

their focus is outdoors similar to the Troop. They camp, go caving, backpack (been to Philmomt) as well as some indoors stuff.

No inventory recently.

They have had zero success recruiting.

We have a small Crew consisting of 4-8 youth depending upon the event. Most of our Crew has reached their Sr. year in High School and will soon be off to college. When they are gone this Crew will fizzle and die. The youth in it have not had any luck recruiting.

I am considering a mass mailing to all of the 9th graders that will be starting high school next week as a recruiting push. Our schools here will not allow us in to try to recruit. We do this with our Cub Scout Pack and it works.

Has anyone ever tried a mass mailing to 9th graders for something like this?

If so can you post what is in your letter so i can get an idea of what to put in mine?

When we have our COH we have several little brother's who wear their Cub uniforms. Also many CS parents wear their uniforms as well. After all Cub Scouts is part of BSA. Besides it makes them feels like they are part for the Troop and usually they behave and pay attention.

I ran across this today and thought I would share it.

http://blog.nj.com/njv_kathleen_obrien/2009/05/subaru_ad_brownie_cub_scout_cu.html

Some questions about deciding on a summer camp.

1. Do you always attend your council camp for summer camp?

Our Troop has not been to our Council camp in 10 years. Until recently the place was run down and the program was horrible. Currently we are in the middle of a $10,000,000 capital campaign for camps and they have several new buildings and a new program director. Things are looking up.

2. Do you feel obligated to support your council camp by attending summer camp there instead of going out of council?

Yes and no. I would like to see the boys give it a try. They refuse to do it based on old opinions in the Troop. Only two boys who transferred from other Troops have been there and they were new Scouts when they went. Not a real first hand opinion in the group.

3. Do your Scouts decide on which camp to go to or is it a given that you will attend your council camp?

The boys decide. For that reason we are going 700 miles from home in a week at nearly double the cost. The parents did not like that and attendance is down. I advised them if they want to stay closer to home they need to prep their Scout at home before he comes to vote.

4. Do the adults in your troop have a say in the decision? If so why?

To a very minor degree. Since we live in Oklahoma there is no way we are going to camp in Maine. They can choose Maine but I would bet that there would be no adults willing to sign up for that drive. We try to help them make an educated decision but the decision is still theirs.

You can find the discussion here:

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=239970