jethro

Good ideas. I'll talk with the PLC and SM about occasionally (maybe quarterly, if that often) asking the boys to stop by my table with their books before or after a troop meeting so I can input information. It may also be a good opportunity to cajole if a boy is only missing one or two requirements for the next rank.

perdidochas, there's one great thing about my snoring. I'm asleep, so I don't hear it! Apparently I make a remarkable racket, though....

I could go on and on about what Scouting did for me both as a youth and as an adult. But more importantly, if it wasn't for Scouting, my oldest son wouldn't have finally grasped the ideas of goal-setting and self-motivation. Dad can teach and teach, but the boys really learn from those around them.

Sounds like some transparency was in order. "They had picked a name" but didn't say what it was? C'mon.

We recently realigned districts and had a two-step naming process. First, each unit submitted two names (ostensibly picked from names suggested by the Scouts - at least that's what our pack did). District staff and volunteers did narrow down the list of names based on common sense, but presented a LONG list of names for the entire district to vote on. Every registered youth or leader had one vote. The name with the most votes won and was announced immediately.

And yes, I do prefer Keystone to New Birth of Freedom, but joining two councils is surely not an easy process, and it's hard to tell one council to accept the other's name just because it sounds better. A new name, however unwieldy, can be a powerful symbol of a fresh new start.

Having just taken over as Advancement Chair for our troop, I've been poking around Troopmaster and looking at its reporting capabilities. One that looks intriguing is seeing where boys stand in their progress toward ranks, especially through First Class. It seems like a good way for the troop leaders (boys and adults) to see where they may want to focus the program in the coming months.

I'm not sure, though, how the Advancement Chair or any other adult gets access to that information. In our troop, all advancement for those ranks is handled by the Patrol Leader until it's time for the boy to get his Scoutmaster conference. The adults don't see the books in progress until that time. We could ask, but I'd rather not meddle in the PL's affairs. It's a boy-led program, after all.

Do any of you track rank advancement item by item? If so, what role do the adults play in the advancement process through First Class? More importantly, what are best practices for the PLC to make sure the boys are advancing on a regular basis?

Fantastic! My oldest son is going in late June next year - he can hardly wait!

PA scouting rocks! I grew up in Hawk Mountain Council, but now I've moved far to the south ... well, 2 miles south of the state line in Del-Mar-Va.

I'm a Cubmaster and have an unusual Webelos II den situation. For the last two years I've had one one-boy den, for both the Bear and Webelos I years. Each year he participated in lots of pack activities and some activities with another den, either a year younger or a year older. (BTW, each of our other grades has a full den.) For the last two years we've had plenty of new boys join, but none were his age.

Skip ahead to this fall. We have not one, but two new 5th graders in the pack! This is my quandary: each boy has a very different level of Cub Scout experience. The boy I mentioned already has been in the pack since he was a Tiger and has earned his Webelos badge. One of the new boys transferred from another pack and has already earned his Arrow of Light. And the other new boy is brand new to Cub Scouting.

Any thoughts on what I should do?

- Try to get boy #3 to his Arrow of Light before our spring crossover? That's a tall order, and I run the risk of boring boys 1 & 2 by covering things they've already done.

- Have boy #3 work with the big and active Webelos I den to get his Webelos badge instead? Then he'll be with kids who are younger than he, and won't have a bond with the other 5th graders when they cross over to Boy Scouts.

- Have den meetings that aren't particularly focused on advancement, but just on fun activities? Advancement would be more on the parent than the leader, which isn't the way Webelos should typically work.

- Recruit a new den leader and let her/him figure it out?

I'd appreciate any advice you've got. Thanks!

I've had a pair of L.L. Bean leather Gore-Tex day hikers for the last two years, and I highly recommend them. They're mid-weight (about 3 pounds for the pair) and provide good ankle support. So far, on many day hikes and a few short weekend backpacking trips, they've been absolutely waterproof.

That said, all of my Scout hiking in the 80s (Philmont, Susquehannock Trail, and many many shorter backpacking trips) was in a pair of $25 Kmart work boots that I waterproofed myself.(This message has been edited by jethro)

Neckerchief slides are a fantastic idea for a number of reasons:

- They can be done in a short period of time

- They can be somewhat complex

- Many different materials could be used

- The boys get to show pride in their handiwork by wearing it to meetings and other activities

- I haven't met a Cub Scout yet who hasn't lost a slide (or many slides!)

All hail the mighty Beavers! (slap slap slap slap slap)

...and I'm going to work my dam ticket if I can.

Jeff

NE-IV-211

elfdream said, "...one of our patrol members came down with a blood clot in his arm and had to miss two days but was allowed back by the SM under the condition that his patrol 'catch him up' on what he had missed."

Sorry to hijack your post, elfdream. During our course, one of the participants arrived an hour or two late for the second Friday due to an unavoidable situation at work. He was told that it was national policy that he could NOT receive credit for the course, having missed one presentation. The option to "catch him up" was not available. To his credit, he chose to participate for the rest of the weekend with his patrol, and they (and all of us) were happy to have him.

So, for those who might know better than I, is it truly official policy that missing one session means missing out on Wood Badge, or is there an opportunity for this fellow to make up one part of the course?

I just finished my second weekend in NE-IV-211. Our course was terrific - dedicated, enthusiastic staffers gave us friendly but firm guidance, and our patrol normed and performed with the best of them (of course we did - we're Beavers!). So it had all the hallmarks of a great, memorable Wood Badge course. I'll never forget it.

One thing, though, was truly unique. On day six, as we began singing Back to Gilwell during the closing ceremony, a bald eagle began circling the field. (Our camp is on the Chesapeake, so we're blessed with lots of eagle sightings.) He kept circling as the Beavers and Bobwhites took their turns, and after hearing the Eagles, slowly flew away. It was a magical moment.

- Jeff

rdcrisco, you may want to see if Cabela's in Hamburg offers any classes in outdoor skills.

- Jeff (grew up in Hawk Mountain Council and Kittatinny Lodge 5)

struax, don't worry. I don't think once a month is light for Tigers at all. When I was a Tiger leader, we did one meeting and one Go-See-It each month from October through February. They got their Tiger badges at the Blue and Gold that way. Then we had one meeting a month thereafter until they became Wolves.

1) I'm in my fourth year as a den leader, but will become CM in January.

2) Our dens follow their own schedules. As a Wolf and Bear leader, I held meetings roughly twice a month. I wanted to go to weekly meetings, but got a lot of "feedback" from the parents. When we started Webelos I this year, I told everyone we were having weekly meetings. I would never go back - we've had a LOT of fun, learned a lot, and had no complaints from parents. As CM, I'm going to strongly recommend to the DLs that they follow more regular schedules.

3) We have a major pack activity monthly:

Meetings September - January

February B&G

March snow tubing trip and Pinewood Derby

April Crossover (3-day camping trip)

Meetings May - July

August off

4) Our pack has historically had very poor attendance at Council day camp and resident camp (one or two participants from a 40-boy pack). I'd like to see that improve. In August participants from our Council packs camp in the outfield at a minor league baseball game.

In general, we don't participate a lot in District/Council activities, instead focusing on the pack program. The few Cubs who have participated in District Camporees and Council summer camp have been blown away by the experience, and I'm working on them to convince their friends to go the following year.

wingnut, I suppose your experience is why I asked the question in the first place. As most others have posted, I would imagine the outcome of reaching out to the CO is good in most cases. But I'm not sure the valid points that have been brought up in this thread apply in our case. To wit:

- The CO does provide a free meeting place for pack meetings; it's the only space they've got. Den meeting and storage space needs are not accommodated, but there really aren't spaces available. Possibly an advantage to reach out to the CO; probably not.

- We show our support by volunteering to do service projects. Very occasionally, our offers are accepted (and we happily and diligently fulfill them). No advantage, as we reach out to the CO already.

- Most of our Webelos cross over to a large, terrific troop with a different CO. Some go to others; none in recent memory crossed over to the troop at our CO. No advantage.

- We have never asked for or received financial support from the CO, which is wrestling with debt from a major building project. No advantage.

- We're already recruiting actively in school associated with the CO. No advantage.

Maybe the tiebreaker is Beavah's: it's just the right thing to do to build that relationship. Could be it works to our advantage, maybe it doesn't.

But...

I don't want to end up on the same road as wingnut. Has anyone else had experiences where the unit reached out to its CO and regretted that decision?

I'm a new Cubmaster, having served the last three years as a den leader in our pack. By way of background, the pack has about 40 boys and delivers, in my opinion, a fun and interesting program. We have active adult involvement as well. There may be some work to do, but all in all, we've got a great thing going.

In preparing to take the Cubmaster role, I've learned more about the roles of various pack leadership positions and how they're supposed to interact. It turns out that our relationship with our chartered organization is, well, nonexistent. I found out that our COR is a leader in our church's troop, which has had no interaction with the pack since I've been a leader. (I've never even seen evidence that the troop existed, and in fact our UC just told me that they're disbanding at the end of the year.) I've never met the COR and the IH doesn't participate in Scouting whatsoever. It seems that the sole role of the CO in our pack is signing the annual charter application and providing meeting space.

So my question is this: Does that matter? Even without CO involvement we're able to deliver a great program to the boys. If getting the CO more involved benefits the boys, I'm all for it. But I'm not interested in waking a sleeping dog.

I'm sure, as with many topics on this forum, that the official BSA answer and the practical answer may or may not match. All opinions are welcome. I just want to start off on the right foot.

Just as important, make sure the other leaders in the pack are also trained and have read the Cub Scout Leader Book. That way you're all singing from the same hymnal.

Great story, Steve!

I spent July 25, 1986 ("Christmas in July") at Ute Meadows Camp. It was 90 degrees that day, and the water froze in our bottles that night. Another crew member was a minister in training, and he held a Christmas service around the fire, complete with carols. (The guy trekked with a full-size guitar!) It was even a white Christmas: the next day, we saw snow in the distance on Wheeler Peak!

Philmont is full of great memories....

Dan, what a wonderful post! Congratulations!

I try to keep my eye on a similar future vision. After tonight's Webelos I den meeting, where seven typical active fourth-graders pushed several of my buttons, I hope that maybe, just maybe, there's the seed of an Eagle in one of those boys. (Or, at the very least, a boy whose life is changed for the better by Scouting.) And even though I'm moving on to Cubmaster in January, they'll still be "my den," as they have been since Tigers.

Nicely said, hotdesk.

Your post got me thinking about our fundraisers when I was a boy. We held spaghetti dinners and hoagie sales (subs for those who aren't from the Philly area ). The Scouts and parents made and served/delivered EVERYTHING ourselves. Pride of ownership was never more evident. We even wore the smell of garlic and onions on our uniforms as a badge of honor.

Furthermore, the hoagie sale featured a contest among the Cub Scouts to see who could sell the most. For placing in the top three all three years I was a Cub Scout, I won a fishing pole, an old-style canvas haversack, and an official BSA sleeping bag. I still have all three, and my Webelos son still uses the sleeping bag 30+ years later.

I'm not sure what lesson this trip down memory lane teaches us, except that I remember when fundraising was a source of excitement and pride.

John, I would definitely respect the family's decision. It's not our prerogative as leaders to say what's acceptable.

Good luck!

Our pack's only fundraiser is an annual pancake breakfast held on a Sunday morning each November. Each family is responsible for selling one $35 packet of tickets. Just like y'all have mentioned, some sell the tickets, some write a check. No surprise there.

However...

Each boy also provides service at the breakfast. They staff the bake sale table, carry and wash trays, collect trash, provide counter help, etc. Only an hour or two of service is required, but the boys are thrilled to play a meaningful role. Some want to keep helping when their parents tell them it's time to leave! I've seen examples of "cheerful service" that would teach even OA folks a thing or two.

There's no formal consequence for a boy who doesn't participate. Most do, though. Those who don't get to look forward to a host of questions from their buddies at the next den meeting.

I stand corrected re. Dexy's Midnight Runners. I did hear "It's a Long Way to the Top" by AC/DC on the radio today, though. No mistaking the bagpipes there.

I believe there are bagpipes in "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners.