infoscouter

Amy - you will find an agenda for a Troop Committee Meeting in the Troop Committee Guidebook. Have you taken the Troop Committee Challenge training? It will also help you in your new position. Best wishes!

My youngest just turned 18. While we have flirted with placing him in a special needs unit, we haven't done so yet. So, I haven't had a kid in the program for 7 years. But I'm still here. I'm a Pack Trainer and the Cub Roundtable commissioner, and on the shooting sports committee, and . . .well, you get the idea.

My parents *raised* me to do this. Our family ethos was to give back to the community. My dad still volunteers at least one day a week. In fact, at 79 he started a non-profit organization.

I started out in Girl Scouting, and then had three boys! I have found my niche and I intend to stay firmly anchored in it.

If you still have a passion for what Scouting can do for young people, please consider staying around and helping us move into the next century.

I don't know of a rule that would prohibit a gun safety lecture. I know the NRA has a good safety course for children, called Eddie Eagle. We have used some aspects of it at day camp http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

But boys have a much better time, and will absorb the safety message when it's included with hands on training. Find a Webelos-ree, or council camping program where your Scouts can attend and earn the BB-gun sports belt loop. BSA shooting sports include strong saftey elements, where your Scouts will learn to shoot in addition to the safety aspects.

We camp at a BSA camp in our district. No animals (except service animals) are allowed. The local county parks, where some packs camp do allow pets, but only on a leash. Since camp is so close to home, if pets need care, someone can run home for 1/2 an hour and feed/excercise and return without too much problem.

I would have a hard time with allowing pets. They are a distraction. I am trying to remember what the BALOO syllabus says about the subject. I'll have to look and see if there's anything mentioned.

For some more Scout specific PR assistance, visit:

http://www.northernstarbsa.org/ActivitiesCivicService/CivicService/PublicizingYourUnit.aspx

http://www.seattlebsa.org/sbsa_volunteers/VolunteersandScouts/PositivePR.htm

Both of these have unit publicity manual, examples of press releases, media advisories and other tools to publicize your unit.

Less immediately useful, but interesting to read:

http://www.marketing.scouting.org/

Yesterday morning I attended the funeral of a long time Scouter in our council and district. She lived and breathed Scouting for the last 49 years (she registered as a Den Mother in 1958).

She was buried in her uniform with her Wood Badge regalia and Silver Beaver. Her casket was carried by 8 Eagle Scouts.

There were approximately 60 Scouts and Scouters among the 100 plus people attending the funeral. The vast majority were in uniform. The memorial booklet listed her Scouting service and had the BSA logo on the front, as did the "order of service" booklet.

The service was a standard memorial service, and the songs were not Scout related. Three people/groups spoke in addition to the minister. One was a family member (her granddaughter); one was the Scoutmaster of a troop for which she served as Unit Commissioner; one were her co-workers (yes at 74, she was still working).

The minister had been a Scout and used a Scouting story of his experience as a patrol leader as part of the sermon.

The memorial displays of pictures included one devoted to Scouting, one to other volunteer service, and two to her family and friends.

As the cemetary all of the Scouter in uniform lined up next to the hearse and saluted as the Eagle Scouts carried her casket to the gravesite.

It was very nice, a good blend of her life in Scouting, her family life, and her work life.

She was a grand woman, who will be sorely missed in our district.

Well, it depends on who you ask. These are the things from home (Northern Minnesota) that I crave occasionally.

Walleye and wild rice.

Venison sausage. Pasties (a Cornish miners pie) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_pasty

and POTICA!

http://www.potica.com/

http://www.potica.com/page3.html

Actually, what the Mom/Den Leader is proposing is doable - it's not a cumulative nine months time frame. Yes, he has to be in the den for three months to earn the Webelos badge, but the clock doesn't start over again at that point for the "6 months since completing 4th grade or grade or becoming 10 years old." The time frames for these requirements can be concurrent for a boy of the right age.

The boy needs to earn all the right activity badges, and make the troop visits and outdoor activities, but it can be done.

Your council trading post is (I believe) mistaken. I purchased one from our National Scout Shop within the last few months. Item # 33819D - "Pack Record Book with Finance" is still listed in the "Library of Literature" (the BSA list of official publications). However, the pamphlet is not currently listed as available on the ScoutStuff.org web site.

I purchased mine as an example for my training courses. I actually don't know a pack that *uses* the Pack Record Book. Most of the packs I know use a combination of spreadsheets and commercial software or web based tracking systems to acheive the same purposes.

Check with the National Supply Service and see if you can order a copy. Here is their contact info:

Contact us by email:

customerservice@scoutstuff.org

By Phone:

1-800-323-0736

By Mail:

Boy Scouts of America

Supply Group

P.O.Box 7143

Charlotte, NC 28241

There is a "fit Scouter" patch - it's called the Physical Fitness Award:

http://www.scouting.org/pubs/19-327/index.html

The idea is for the Scout/Scouter to set a "floor" in seven areas of fitness, and then to improve over a period of time.

Try having the den meet at another place, which would be able to accomodate another day of the week. A local school, the den leader's home, a park/rec building, another church where a pack family is a member. I know some packs have a practice of all the dens meeting at the same place & time, but this is not a requirement.

Some flexibility in the meeting place may make it more convenient for another adult to participate.

Traditionally a den/patrol flag has the den/patrol # or name/ the unit # and a symbol that represents each member of the den/patrol.

See: http://www.pack554.com/Portals/0/images/Den1TigerFlag.jpg

BSA is getting quite specific about the requirements for using their logos and trademarks. Suppliers now have to have a license agreement in place w/ the BSA in order to use the graphics. See www.bsalicensing.org

Check and see if your supplier is licensed - otherwise you can get the forms from the site above.

An aside to CalicoPenn - there is no longer such a position as a Den Leader Coach. It's sort of been replaced by the Pack Trainer.

Here's our pack handbook:

http://www.pack512.org/handbook/index.htm

Just not something that's widely available. Your best bet is the postal mail, or perhaps a phone call.

I would suggest teaching the Whittling Chip in a den setting. A smaller group makes it easier to supervise the Scouts safely. Sometimes a Day camp will have a session, which is a good introduction/reinforcement.

At one time, men (and some women - like my mom) carried a pocketknife as a matter of course. It was an essential personal tool. That's no longer the case, and many of us don't use a pocketknife as part of our daily lives. This, I think, has contributed to the caution many parents have about letting their sons use a pocketknife.

It also means that many of us are not confident in teaching knife safety and knife skills. In response, some leaders have created knife safety courses that you can find on the Internet. Here are some links:

http://www.crossroadsbsa.org/pathfinder/ptc/whittlinchip.htm

http://www.macscouter.com/CubScouts/PowWow04/classes/knives.doc

You'll find a whole set of resources for an event we put on four years ago here:

http://www.ssnscbsa.org/Documents/VentureV.zip

This is the format of the event:

Venture Voyage was created for Crews to compare and test various fun outdoor skills. The playing field is leveled thru several mechanisms. Previous Scouting experience is helpful but not required. Each station provides a short explanation and demo so that the Crews may function effectively and will function safely.

Crews will compete for a team score. 10 Prizes will be awarded. A 5 15 minute briefing and demonstration will be provided for each event. We will also provide New Leader Essentials and Adult Leader Training that Saturday September 20. Signup below.

VENTURE VOYAGE SATURDAY EVENTS

Fire building rope burn

Start a fire with flint and steel and burn thru a rope 18 inches off the ground. Score is by time to rope breaks.

Pistol slow fire (50 foot range

5 practice shots .22 caliber

10 shots at paper target at 50 feet

Rifle - 3 position (50 foot range)

5 rounds prone for practice

5 rounds prone for score

10 rounds sitting for score

10 rounds standing for score

Shotgun

5 rounds practice straight away singles

5 rounds for score straight away singles

Black powder rifle

1 shots practice each crew member

1 shots for score each crew member (on crew target)

Action archery

2 arrows at each target (hit or miss or bull)

Field archery

4 targets at different distances, 2 arrows each (normal score)

Geocaching Land Navigation

Find the cache with a GIS unit. Scoring is by time to cache.

Hawk toss

3 tosses for practice

5 tosses for score (hit or miss or bull)

Bread Cook Off

What can you make in camp? Score awarded by judging team.

Campfire Awards 8:00 PM

Ten awards for the highest scoring Crews.

You'll find many of our shooting sport resources here:

http://www.ssnscbsa.org/SSEvents.html

There are currently 9 women's uniform shirts listed on eBay, some yellow, some tan. Search for Scout blouse.

Also, on ebay, once you've created an identity for yourself, you can store your searches and have the site e-mail you every day with new listings. I've had my Scout blouse search stored for more than two years. I have rarely had a day go by without new listings being mailed to me.

I've gone so far as to draw up a chart of accounts for my pack - but people tell me I tend toward being obsessive. We don't really use it, but it does serve as a general outline of where our funds come from, and how they are allocated.

The BSA has a new budget form for packs:

http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/resources/packbudget/index.html

You can download the spreadsheet from this cite and plug in your own numbers.

I'd start off by introducing your self as a mom of "your son's name" who's a x grader at "your school's name".

They say you'd like to invite them to a "back to school" party for first graders. Tell them it's being sponsored by your pack and that one of your goals is give them more information about Scouting, but that they and the boys will have lots of fun as well.

Tell them what night you'll be holding your recruiting event. Make sure the event includes games they can play with their sons, and then some time when the boys go off on their own, and you meet with parents to talk about Scouts. Tell them where and when you're holding the event. Can you do it outdoors?

Offer to send them a brochure and more information in the mail. Get their address, so you can mail a follow up flyer (and maybe even a reminder postcard, if your budget stretches that far).

jr56 - What happens if a Scoutloses the neckerchief? Do they have to buy and new one and return it to the pack?

Do you have the Eagle court of Honor book?

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=BOOKS_LIT&C3=BOYSCOUTS&C4=&LV=3&item=30540

I have heard that this is a really useful resource.

Emergency Preparedness:

http://www.scouting.org/pubs/emergency/award.html

Your troop/crew can earn the Ready and Prepared award - a assume adults can wear the patch

http://www.scouting.org/awards/10-278/index.html

Physcial fitness

http://www.scouting.org/pubs/19-327/index.html

International Activity emblem (assuming your council has adoped requirements)

http://www.scouting.org/international/highlights/22-324.html

Good Turn for America & the rockers

www.goodturnforamerica.org

Leave No Trace

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/21-117/02where.html

I found a copy of the list online:

http://www.boyscouting.com/documents/NatlParentCubScouting.pdf