Jay K

Pets Merit Badge (PMB)

My son, in pusuit of PMB, got a friend interested in having a green cheeked Conure (A species of parakeet) like the one my son has. My son talked about it with him, showed him highlights in the book about it, and e-mailed links to the boy that were places where birds like that can be gotten. The parent said "no!" The Counselor said that my son had done all he could and that the requirement was fulfilled, because my son could not control what the other family did. My son has PMB. This is similar to the discussion about "attainabilty" of Wood Badge ticket goals. Those need to be written so that dependence on somebody else doing something is avoided.

Pretty wild disregard of Safety Afloat.

My standard reply: Apparantly, I've given offense. I apologize. Please forgive me.

My speech to the crowd would be: "Let's finish the cleanup and packing from our campout, and then when that's done, go to our gaming event."

If the work isn't done in time, "Oops, I had no idea that would take so long." SM conference with the QM that skipped out would be good.

Porque no? Wood Bade en Espanol? Excellente!

Johnponz, have a great time at Wood Badge. I was at a Wood Badge Breakfast, and I bid on a Commissioner Bolo tie

at the Silent Auction, but I didn't win.

Yes, Praise HIS holy name.

If the troop has 50 Scouts, the Quartermaster needs a staff of assistant QMs.

Ideally, that would be the Assistant Patrol Leaders. Keeping track of equipment that was checked out to the patrol will train the APL as he interacts with the Scouts of the patrol regarding the proper care and use of the equipment.

This will work on the Trustworthy part of the Scout Law because the APLS will be accountable; when they turn equipment in, it will have been properly prepared and packed before being turned over to the QM. Then the QM will be trained in leadership as he manages the APLs and gives feedback if equipment is returned in poor order, but the point is to prevent this from happening. Ah, the joy of a huge, ponderous troop is that there are lots of boys to put into action.

If the troop has 50 Scouts, the Quartermaster needs a staff of assistant QMs.

Ideally, that would be the Assistant Patrol Leaders. Keeping track of equipment that was checked out to the patrol will train the APL as he interacts with the Scouts of the patrol regarding the proper care and use of the equipment.

This will work on the Trustworthy part of the Scout Law because the APLS will be accountable; when they turn equipment in, it will have been properly prepared and packed before being turned over to the QM. Then the QM will be trained in leadership as he manages the APLs and gives feedback if equipment is returned in poor order, but the point is to prevent this from happening. Ah, the joy of a huge, ponderous troop is that there are lots of boys to put into action.

They did discontinue the Scoutmaster's Award of Merit. It was replaced by the Unit Leader award of Merit.

Well said, Scoutbox

Son 1. Didn't want to do any advancement and didn't get Arrow of light. The Pack people were confused and discouraged him from crossing the bridge. That was when I decided to get involved as a youth leader, much to my wife's ongoing chagrin. (I had been Pack Committee.) That son made Life before he pooped out.

Son 2. Figured out that he could nail Arrow of light, cross over, and come to Summer camp with us in the Troop. We had a June Pack meeting that was a bike rodeo, and after the rodeo, we went inside and did an 18 minute Arrow of light/crossover ceremony. I had told him to wear a t-shirt under his blue shirt. Halfway across the bridge, we had him take the blue shirt off, and helped him don his brand new Boy Scout shirt, which was all set up. He had not had a clue, and then everybody in the pack cheered and they all lined up and shook his hand. That boy has a 1,000 watt smile, and during that ceremony, it was up to 5,000 watts.(That son is an Eagle project away from Eagle.) The next week, we went to Scout Camp.

Son 3. Figured out the 6 months after Webelos Arrow of light thing and crossed over via paperwork in December. He nailed Citizenshp in the Nation MB right off the bat. We went back to the pack for the Arrow of Light/Crossover ceremony at the Blue and Gold in February. That was cool because the Knights of Columbus (The Charter Organization,) came in their custumes and did the crossed swords tunnel thing. That was cool. He's now a twelve-year old Star Scout with most of the requirements for Life done. He has an Eagle project that he want do do. He wants to out-do his big brothers.

Family Medicine.

EMTs are their own ball of wax...

My Doctor is an ASM and a First Aid MB counselor.

It is hard to do Lifesaving MB with only one Scout. It's nice to have at least two to take turns being the victim and the rescuer. I have found that the ideal group size is eight, two "patrols" of four. I suppose that makes it become a "class," My bad.

Only 1 question:

"What are a Scoutmaster's most important jobs?"

(1. Be a friend to the Scouts.)

(2.Train the youth leaders.)

Jay

Scoutmaster

TPS form!

Just do it, Make your DE happy. The price is right.

A happy DE is a good thng. A qualty District is a good thing.

Do your part.

Jay

Trained Unit Commissioner, and they spent a good chunk of the 6 hour Commissioner Basic training on JTE.

YES

We'll Be Loyal Scouts. WEBELOS.

The Activity Pins mimic and presage the Merit Badge Program. Camping begins to resemble Boy Scout Camping.

The Uniform begins to resemble the Boy Scout Uniform

There is no reason that it can't be lots of fun.

To my mind there is no purpose to WEBELOS if they aren't going to become Boy Scouts. BP himself that the purpose of Cubs is to prepare boys to be Boy Scouts.

Jay

Former Webelos Den Leader.

Ripley Rendezvous, Minnesota (Camp Ripley) 2007.

Native americans and enthusiasts of other cultures are doing a demonstraton of costumes and competition dancing. They are encouraging middle aged white guys (me) to step into the circle and learn some dance steps. They tell us that in high level competitions that there are wild free form non traditional dancers, and very traditional dancers, and dancers in between, in definite divisions. Not all competitors are Native American.

They caution us about doing religous dances,(don't!) but encourage us to dance our hearts out and wear anything we want as celebratory expression. After that, I'll never have a problem with celebratory expression by anyone in any authenticity level of costume. What see in our area is that the ceremony teams grow in authenticity in time, and have an intellectual curiosity about the historical sources of true NA traditions. I've seen OA literature and saw stuff about researching the traditions and types of garb for the tribes that were in your geographical area, and try to create ceremony clothing like that. It works for me.

WWW

Jay, Brotherhood

1. They run experimental Merit Badge classes before they release the Merit Badge for all. In fact, I have been asked to help with the development of another new Merit Badge.

2. I work with the Uncle of the 2 millionth Eagle, Anthony Thomas, and I will ask!

Yes! bribery! It works "Real Good." We call it "incentive."

Huzzah, Bacchus! Further, Merit Badges are Such & Such 101. They are a taste of a subject. A Scout who takes Dentistry MB isn't then a Dentist. When I train Scouts in Lifesaving MB, they aren't now Lifeguards. (Close, though.)

The big Merit Badge fairs ARE fun.

Opinion: BSA is not too risk adverse. BSA is risk mitigation oriented. You can do whatever you want. The Guide to Safe Scouting tells you what is approved, i.e. what the "insurance" will and won't cover, and how to comply with the "insurance" requirements.

What they do in another country isn't relevant. If you go to another country, it becomes relevant.

Jay-BSA National Camping School veteran. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Scan the treatise? If I can find it...I read it long ago.

Chaplain Aide? To what Chaplain? The Chaplain and the Scoutmaster might be able to take the Scout out for a Sprite.tm

and do the "Sandwich."

"You are a good SPL, are showing leadership development, etc."

"We have some suggestions about areas in which you can grow."

"Facebook, respecting adults, Directive versus Supportive leadership..."

"You are a great Scout, we hope that you advance to the next rank, and we think that you'd be great as ... in your next role. "

The SM should, perhaps, be coaching him on leadership on a day to day (meeting to meeting) basis as normal procedure.

The ten mile hikes are the conditioning for the 20 miler. 20 pounds is too much.

The 150 yards for Swimming MB are only 50 yards more than is required for 1st class requirement 9b.

IF the Scout doesn't ride bikes and doesn't swim, I think that the Scout needs to be nudged a little bit. Baden-Powell said "EVERY Scout a swimmer..."

I'm not counseling against Hiking MB, just the avoidance mentality.

I got all three (Hiking, Swimming, and Cycling,) when I was a Scout, in the middle of the last century in the previous Millenium... I can still cover 10 miles, on level terrain, in under 3 hours.

My Scouts, who all have Swimming MB, are saying that they want to do Cycling MB. Most of them have Lifesaving, and we're talking about Emergency preparedness.