jhankins

All you can really do is a UC is give out the right information, continue to offer to help, maintain good relations with the unit, and continue to keep your ADC or DC in the loop. Some units will continue to follow myths and fallacies or plain ol' make up their own rules along the way, but maintaining friendship with that unit really is key.

If you have merit badges weak in counselors for things like Nuclear Science, think outside the box, ask parents to talk to friends and family to see what's going on. Call a local/semi-local nuclear power facility and leave a message. I found a a gentleman willing to be a NS counselor at day camp as a range safety officer!

I tried a phone call first, then a visit to a committee meeting, then a visit to the unit. It worked with the pack, but not my crew or troop. Right off the bat with my troop I had to help remove a volunteer, and relationships got pretty strained fast.

Part of my introduction and continuous service was "what can I do to help?" Not every unit will take you up on it, but some will!

I would think that the review portion of the "Three R's" would help catch any fault in what a merit badge has taught. If the boy really didn't learn what he was supposed to from a merit badge, that should come out in what ever review is scheduled in his troop.

The council would see who counseled what when they see the blue cards come across the desk of the advancement clerk -- but it's not necessarily recorded. Our council returns the blue cards and advancement forms after 3 months.

I agree, Scouting heritage could be a large part of the reason to learn something from a relative, especially if it's a relative important to the boy and from a distance aways (meaning less time getting to know this person).

Why have boys take Jambo merit badges when they could earn the badge at home? A cool story to tell on how they got the badge, maybe?

It sounds like you're on the right track that Dad as a MB counselor is only a symptom of the problem, the Helicopter Parent.

Should parents counsel badges for their kids? I personally think a few electives are fine if there aren't counselors the troop sees fit besides that parent for that badge.

My son is a Lone Scout and he's yet to even encroach onto the list of badges I counsel, so we've not had this problem. He still has to call counselors off the approved lists for where we travel, or for some he's gone out of council to talk with a few of the pamphlet writers because they're close to where we're going. Adult Association doesn't disappear from the methodology of the program for Lone Scouts, there's just another avenue to use.

Ya, I've never heard of a Wood Badge Association...

Critter beads are everywhere in my council. They're aptly called "Class B beads" and people usually wear them with their t-shirts. I'm not sure how it started, but it's catching.

The JTE forms are filled out with the assistance of your Unit Commissioner, so their signature goes on the approval of the form. I know BasementDweller's UC shouldn't be involved based on past run-ins, but that's the usual process.

This would exclude about half our council's potential Wood Badge pool had it not been changed.

Thanks.

JTE isn't just about meeting the standards, it's about maintaining a standard. Sure your pack doubled in size, but what about the future years? Is it healthy to double the size of the pack every year? Probably not. JTE is also meant to help you focus on maintaining the overall health of your program year after year, and this first year is your baseline.

Contact your council's shooting sports director and talk to them about this. I've been in contact with mine since the changes were eluded to back in the spring of 2010 and he's been able to clarify some things for me.

Congrats to your son!

We have a dinner every November. I don't know the history behind why we hold it that month, though. The dinner has been going through an identity crisis trying to find the best audience, and we're getting closer to that. In year's past it's been a catered buffet style thing costing $30 per person, and other times it's been a potluck with a $5 fee.

I enjoyed the potluck. So many wonderful foods and lots of new dutch oven recipes to take home and share.

Most beadings have been placed at the unit level the past few years, but sometimes schedules line up for course directors and participants to have a beading ceremony there. Not too many, though.

In my council the gauge of success is how many previous course directors attend a wood badge reunion dinner. Last year we had 13 years worth of CDs, and it was awesome to get to sing with them, even getting to sing of the Wolf and Raven (which is rare around here).

It's one thing that council has allowed the boy to remain eligible to register for a unit, but it's another for units to actually want to receive the boy.

Disclosure as to why the boy was removed and his situation is paramount to the security of the other boys. Should that disclosure not happen and something serious happen another boy and you knew it could come up, I'd hate to be your BSA hired lawyer trying to defend you!

Based on behavioral issues and the fact there's some kind of psychological burden, he may be eligible to lone scout in order to receive the program if he can't find a unit willing to work with his behavior.

http://www.scouting.org/training/trainingupdates.aspx

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Really, not much there of benefit, except changes at the national office.

It depends on where your talents are needed, really. One YM President I know is District Chair, another is an assistant district commissioner, another still is a council committee member, and we even have a stake president as a finance chair in one district.

More importantly, though, is the representation the stake as to an LDS Relationship Committee in my council. Every stake president and YM president are invited every 3 months to sit down with the professional staff, the Council Key 3 and other key volunteers to discuss the state of the council. It's an awesome meeting and greet to see brethren getting their questions answered. Does your council do this?

Wow, high class! In my council it's usually a strand of beads or a keychain put together from a craft kit!

I use promotionalkeychains.biz for carabiners and get a pretty good price for them.

OwntheNight had some awesome ideas. I've used the talking feather (or stick) and it worked like a charm. The boys couldn't wait for their turn to hold it and command some respect.

I've heard of good results with the marble jar, too.

Remember to think of their attention spans -- they are boys. Get them moving and outdoors as much as possible. Combine a book learning activity with something that gets them out of their chairs and you'll find many of the behavioral problems disappear.

I read the syllabus for last year's Wood Badge five times. I've read this year's syllabus twice. No where does it say to instruct participants in keeping secrets.

My SPL for this year gave out metal Wood Badge beads to his patrol as a gift last year. I'll ask him where he got them when I see him tomorrow!

Eagle pretty much covered everything, but something to consider, too -- train your replacement before you get orders and go. It's important for the continuity of a military-related unit to have a legacy of leaders to pass on the good of the program to the new boys moving in. I work with a constant rotation unit (some out in 3-6 months, some out in 3 years, some out in 5 years) and it's difficult to keep things going. As soon as someone learns their job, they move on. Keeping those leaders trained and passing on knowledge is helpful!

Thank you for serving our country in more than one way!

These boys and their leaders are a true inspiration.

My son and I both have a disease classified as one of those "invisible" illnesses that is rare and just not talked about in the mainstream media. We both appreciate it when people ask questions and want to understand, and always are willing to share places to get information. I've even taken a fellow leader to a doctor's appointment so we could have questions answered together.

Open discussion and understanding form a lasting bond between the boys and the parents if everyone is on the same page.

I've traveled with some units who have visited ability service centers and sat in on some of their training, even having the boys come in for some training on how to work with disabilities and then working an art project with the members (A Wood Badge ticket item which was amazing!).

My son met with the Lodge Executive Committee last month and asked them to consider a stronger presence in cub scouts by starting an award program for cub scout campers who go above and beyond to show they love camping.

I'm sure there are many programs like it out there, but it's not been done in our lodge before. I look forward to hearing how the OA and Cubs work together!

Don't go out and buy hard-core gear for Wood Badge. It's okay to borrow things. It is not meant to be a financial burden to attend the course.