IM_Kathy

den dues will totally depend on your pack.

The pack my son belonged to.... annual dues went totally to national. All fundraising went to the pack except for popcorn which went to paying part of summer camp fee (depending on how much was sold). And NOTHING went to the den. So yes his den had den dues. As his den leader I did $1 per meeting and showed the spreadsheet of income and out flow of den money.

On the other hand I know of a pack that takes in more money at sign-up and that covers national dues, % to pack, and % to den. But that is a large hit at once when you think that you then have to turn around and buy a uniform.

I liked the way our pack did it. Why buy and supply a pinewood car for every scout when 5 are going to have conflicts and decide to not even both building a car? Why supply each den with a % when the den leader knows how much they are going to need and can get that amount in payments from the parents? And each year will have different costs - for sure webelos was the most expensive for our den.

yeah guardian name and phone number he can't do either - even though she says they have been working on that for over a year. Thankfully I was hand given them and put them right into my phone and made sure they were on the health forms that are kept in trailer and taken to all activities.

I've been asking each week to see if he can just name some - not worrying about order and he can say a couple. He has one other Tenderfoot requirement to complete and will do that next weekend if he camps. So then the following meeting I will see how he does again and how he does with the meanings and if he's really trying I will sign it off and remind adults sitting on his board about his brain injury.

thank you all for taking your time to give me your opinion.

I have a boy that has joined our troop who has TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) He has been cleared physically to participate in scouting and attends school and receives assistance.

The only issue with scouting that we've found is that he can not memorize anything and repeat it word for word. So if you ask about how to treat something with first aid he can give a good enough answer and can demonstrate, but if you ask him to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance, Oath, or Law he cannot. If I say one of the laws he can tell me what it means to him though. However the requirement for Tenderfoot "Repeat from memory and explain in your own words the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan." Says REPEAT FROM MEMORY. Would you sign off on this or do I need to go ahead and file for disability. I should mention this boy has no interest in getting Eagle he just lives in a house with lots of girls and likes being around boys and going camping.

I've only had to deal with swimming requirement with a scout with issues from having had illness when younger that affected his strength and abilities. And special requirement was made.

the one thing with cook books that I would find useful is a cook book that went through different food allergies/tolerances and broke down with recipes for those...

gluten free, diabetic, lactose, nut, etc...

for most of those we tend to rely on the scout or the parent to give suggestions or we can get a cook at home book and adjust for camping but would be much easier to have it broken down for each.

There are a bunch of camping cook books and dutch oven as well and can find tons online. But I haven't seen many for special diets

When there's something I need from our UC I contact them, let them know what I need, and give them ways to get back to me including multiple mediums or ask what day works with them if I need to meet with them.

When the UC needs something from me they just show up at a meeting. Yeah well the PLC plan something for that day with me being a judge, or last week I was asked by 2 boys to do SMCs, or a couple of boys had called ahead to talk over a merit badge with me. The UC expects me to just drop everything and do what they need. I'm sorry, but I'm more of a first come, first served type of person so call ahead and I can tell you when I will be free that night or if I need to come early to meet with them I will. But don't just show up and expect my time.

we have individual awards that are different slides

1 knot challenge - tying all the knots and lashings in ranks in one setting

2 shooting badges - earn all 3 of the merit badges

3 fire challenge - start with no more than 2 matches and start another using flint

4 most campouts attended in the calendar year

5 bike, hike, swim - earn those 3 mbs

we have patrol awards that are ribbons made of duct tape and attach to their patrol flags much like ribbons on troop flag

1 most avg fish caught on a campout

2 best skit/song

3 best cooking - based on food, working together, cleaning, etc

4 most avg attending campouts for year

5 first aid challenge (we make up challenges that they do every once in a while like staging a car accident)

I think there's more but I can't think of them right now. Boys love it and are always trying to see if they can have all the patrol awards at same time.

We just had a boy end up doing a collection for his eagle, but when he started to plan his project that is not what he wanted. He wanted to do something for a specific organization and well that's what they needed. He wasn't allowed our pre-made maps of the town already broken down for our different collections. He had to do make them himself (and have to say we kept his maps because they were a lot better than old used for years ones). They gave him a list, but not a ready made flyer so he had to make the flyer. He had to lead in getting sacks ready with the flyers, give all volunteers instructions on what to say if asked when dropping off or picking up sacks. He had to make sure he had enough adults to help with driving and make sure that there were at least 2 youth in each vehicle. While there wasn't as much watching over he had his mom their to drive him to any of the areas that requested help from him and handed out his number to all the volunteers.

But again it was the organization he wanted to work for it was something important to him to help them. It just so happened that they didn't need anything built or weeded area cleaned up and planted.

Our next scout who is early stages of planning will be an interesting one because he wants to help an organization that helped him and his family while he was battling cancer when he was younger. But the place is about 100 miles away. He's a little worried about it being so far, but I simply told him if it turns out to be an onsite project we'd set up tents at a local campground and get it done

I really wish I was able to go to this months roundtable to see if he comes and what he has to say, but I have a conflict and with everything going on I doubt he'll be there.

1 got busy with school and activities the other fully functional but not trained. He's prepping for college now and while close enough he's not sure if he'll schedule will allow as much participation that he'd like but is planning on going with the troop to Philmont if they go over 2016 summer but since he'll be under 21 he will be going with a boy that turned 18 before they go as youth members tent buddies so 1 other adult wanting to go can go.

We have some water related training always available but the thing I don't like is that they are always going on at the same time that SM meeting is. So which to go to????

we have dropped SPL. We have just 2 patrols at present time and didn't really feel the need. The PL take turns swapping months as acting SPL - running the meetings and doing the check in on campouts. Working great for us. We did do a troop election for summer camp SPL as it does work best to have one there just one person assigning daily chores, attending SPL meetings, etc...

only way this would be tolerated by my scouts and by me would be if it's a one time deal due to illness. Otherwise all are expected to do chores assigned to them by PL/SPL. They are given a pullout time and that is the time we leave for summer camp the times for departing for flags/meals is posted and expected to be followed as well. When preparing to depart the boys who get done pitch in to help boys not done yet. It boys are do not follow through then they spend their part of their free time doing chores or cleaning up their tent.

and as others have said this is done within the first couple campouts. If it continues after the second then a sit down, and if it still continues then they don't come until they show within our other activities that they are improving and deserve a shot

for finishing family life I do it one on one with someone else near by in the room.

if I was asked to do this as a group - wow.... this is one badge I do like the workbook for because of tracking chores... so I'd hand out the workbook or have one and let others know where they can get it. And just go over the requirements and my expectations. Expectations like: for individual project you need to get parent/guardian permission and my permission to begin and I want pictures. For family project it is the same but I also expect to know who they are assigning what jobs and why. I want to know what the chores are prior to beginning.

As to the family meeting info the way I do it is once a boy is working on this badge I talk to both the scout and a parent - let them know what areas they need to discuss and that I don't need to know what was discussed as this is a family meeting so I just want the parent to sign off on that. When I do final sign off what I discuss with the boy about the meetings is how do they think the meeting could be improved and how do they think they can continue to build a good relationship with their family and if they don't feel comfortable talking to their parents I ask who they might have in their life that they could turn to.

This badge is such a personal badge that I don't really know how to do anything in a large group setting. Unless you really want to get creative and try doing some role-reversals of working through disagreements common between teens and parents.

good luck!!!

take a look at conservation center programs for webelos. We have 3 near here that I know of because I used them. Helped with forester, naturalist, and geology. 2 of these are at locations where camping is allowed so was able to focus my time and work on the camping, games, etc.... and just walked the boys up to the conservationist and learned with them and walked them back. While I knew enough to teach the activity pins I will admit the conservationists knew much more and I learned quite a bit as well.

The ones in our area are either free if camping or just a small fee. And if you ask if the boys can provide work on a service project sometimes you can get camping and program for free.

we have the option. Can do or opt out. We do and then it's up to the parents if they want to buy or not. Last year and what I think this year will be I'm not a fan of as they are just separate pictures as in 5x7 of troop and 5x7 of indiv. prior years we got like what most sport leagues do where you get an 8x10 with big picture of troop and smaller picture of indiv with the year and camp name on it - much nicer and worth the money

long time since I was in cubs but the thing I suggest with troops/packs/dens with the class A & B... always wear class B under class A. If class A is what is needed then ready to go, and if going to get messy take off class A and put somewhere safe and poof in class B ready to go. encourage to marker names on tag of shirt!

I know troops are different but the thing I've noticed for our troop is the normal every month stuff the boys have down by the time they take a position. As when we have a scout taking over a position for first time ever doing that job we have out-going scout take them aside and go over the stuff. For us it's the uh-oh what now moments... How should PL or SPL handle scout not wanting to do jobs or participate in patrol activity that's been planned. What should patrol do when they realize all their eggs got broken in transit. etc... basically the things that happen that aren't normal or haven't been planned for and the boys have to scramble and until trained will look to adults to solve until they realize the adults will just ask what do you think you should do or what are your options and what do you think is best.

With what you are bringing up though for webmaster and even a bit historian if posting pics online... if a troop is beginning to want to go online would be to have some sites, how they work, how to get one started, benefits and disadvantages of each, etc... some that I know some use: google groups, facebook, and the one from troopmaster.

we have had a scout with high functioning in the troop. He aged out as a life scout. As far as I recall I think his father did attend all campouts with him, but I know there were meetings he didn't. As I think back there was only 1 campout in all that time that I was glad his father was there - the rest I don't think we would've needed him at all.

He was a great scout and even served 6 months as SPL and did an excellent job. For him scouting really seemed to help.

Best thing I can ever say with any scout or even adult with any disability, illness, special needs, whatever... is be open. Let the leaders know. And talk about what helps or doesn't and if those change let them know. Also inform the boys too if there are major issues especially if they are things that are easily changed.

for example If it's hard to concentrate in loud noises and patrol meetings are all done at different tables but in same room and it gets loud but there's a side room that your son's patrol could use bring it up. Just because it's the way we've always done it, doesn't mean it needs to stay that way.

for me with PTSD there are simple things like letting everyone know never to come up from behind on me and don't stand directly behind me unless I tell them to (sometimes in crowds I need 1 person I know well to do that so will let another adult or my son know to do that for me) It's a simple thing. Also for me dining hall at summer camp it's a simple email to camp staff requested certain table section assigned to our troop.

I've never found a way to not get help for what I need... and I've never been able to not find a way to help one of my scouts. It's just needing to know what is needed.

Also since a scout and this can affect how learn - let them know how best they learn: reading, talking, showing, doing, mixture of something.

having had a child in both, been leader in girl scouts, and still a leader in boy scouts.... would I switch to GSUSA - nope!

I will credit both programs for benefiting my kids and helped them become the great young adults they are. But I don't think it was solely because of scouts - it just helped.

GSUSA has way too many flaws. They change levels without having to even earn anything. Yes cubs is the same way in that boys move up just don't receive that levels badge, but it's a lot different. There's no everyone that gets this rank has completed a,b,c in GSUSA.

Personally I don't care at all about sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and all that stuff. I'm looking for best program to teach a child outdoor skills, citizenship, and exploration into career paths. For what we had in our area that was BSA for my son and GSUSA for my daughter with me being a leader and exposing those girls to camping. Yes there were girl scout troops in our unit that never camped except for the individual girls that went to summer camp (they don't do summer camp as a troop)

I'm not a scout leader to teach a child what I think are family and spiritual beliefs - the only thing I teach in scouting is that being reverent is not only practicing your own beliefs but accepting others. And accepting others doesn't mean I have to agree, it just means I let them be.

Anyway... if both BSA and GSUSA would've been co-ed when my kids started they would've both ended up in BSA program.

boys pay their national fee and $20 per campout to cover all food and campsite. Boys also pay summer camp and any additional expense.

adults - troop funds cover registration and we use the lent bake sales to cover costs to get adults to summer camp.

fundraisers are getting a little harder to do with the size being smaller than it use to be and the schedules being so crazy with the boys. Popcorn and camp cards are the best for us. We throw in a couple extra when we can. Our fundraisers go 60% to boys and 40% to troop to cover any equipment and the adult registration.

hmmmmmm technically the MBC is correct and it's the way I prefer it as I like to sit down with scout(s) and go over requirements and let them know what that means to ME and for some give some suggestions. As many know things can be interrupted differently even though people are reading the exact same words. Now if I did have a scout come to me with sheets already filled out I would NOT dismiss right from the get-go I would talk with them and read over. If I did accept the work I would make sure the scout knew the way it should be done in the future.

What I would do would depend on a few factors...

Is this a church fundraisers the scouts were working or was this advertised as a scout fundraiser? and was this person banned from scouting?

If person has been banned from scouting and this was advertised as a scouting function then I would let the person know that this is a scouting function and he needs to leave. If this was a church fundraiser and the scouts were just working it then there's nothing I could do but keep my eye out.

for example: Every lent our scouts work 2 of the weeks of friday fish-fry run by a local church. We help with tables and such and supply desserts for free-will donations. There it's advertised as a church function so unless been there before you wouldn't know scouts were there. Either way it's a church function and should be allowed to stay. On the other hand we've had scouts do spaghetti dinners for eagle fundraisers where it's advertised as an eagle scout project fundraiser so then the person would know it was a scout function and should be asked to leave

I have had to do one campout where I slept in my car. My back was out and it was impossible to get down and back up without making the back worse. I was needed as I was the only one with some sort of training (I forget what it was now) I wasn't needed for anything other than my name on piece of paper as it turned out. And had I been needed to perform anything special (cpr, first aid, etc...) I would've managed but I would've paid for it the next day. Boys had a blast and that's what matters the most. Me? I got back to the chiropractor the next monday.

we haven't done iron chef as a troop but have had a scout compete at the one at our summer camp. We do have duct-tape ribbons on the patrol flags for different things - one is for cooking. Adults judge each campout and base winner judging on taste, working together, cleanliness of area after.