John-in-KC

Please allow me to clarify: If you are providing materials or facilities which cost you to obtain, it's OK (to me)to pro rate costs among your students. Is that a bit more clear?

Welcome to the Forums... SSD/SA is actually an e-course on line at BSA's MyScouting online learning center. The only cost I see are SSD and SA cards. If your DE or Council program director isn't willing to spring for those from inventory; I'd ask the Troop concerned (not the individuals) to pony up the dollars. Otherwise, you can eat the $. If you're going to do swimming and safety afloat stuff with your students, and that requires fees from you, reimbursement pro rata is, to me, inbounds. Of course, that's not a requirement of the SSD/SA training modules. Have fun training them!

Welcome to the Forums. Committee Chair is the lead member of the "support side" of a Scouting unit. He/she ensures the Program Officer (DLs&Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Advisor) have the resources and coordination to present the program to the youth. GMithch is right; all leaders are appointed with the explicit blessing of the Chartered Org Rep. GoldWinger is equally right; sadly, in many chartered partners the COR is a rubber stamp at best. One of the CC's biggest jobs is to help recruit staff for the Committee, and to help the SM find ASMs. Since you mentioned TC Challenge, both BS Fast Start and TC Challenge are available online. Not as good as the Committee doing it as a group, but better than being utterly untrained. Access these online modules through the MyScouting portal: http://www.scouting.org/Applications/MyScoutingFull.aspx If you have concerns about a fellow leader, address them in private first. If you cannot get satisfaction, then you may think about surfacing them to your COR. Understand, though, that once you do that you may well burn relationship bridges, both for yourself and for your child in the program. Sad, but it happens.

My District has 3 counties, 85 Packs, 55 Troops, 15 Teams (fair sized LDS presence) and about 15 Crews. Our DD is the lead professional. A senior DE and a DE report to him. We're also a 300 series (pretty durn big) Council.

Not from me, not in a public forum. Ask a C-Team member, your OATR, or your Chapter Adviser. It's not a secret, but we don't divulge it publicly, lest we lose the mystery for the youth coming up.

I'd rather see a person's work in the field. That will tell me volumes that a chest of awards won't.

Lisa, Congratulations!!!!! (to you AND him)! What Gern said. You may want to include adding REI.com and campmor.com to his blocked domains list Your wallet will thank me too!

One of the things I wish is that myscouting reported our (adult) information from ScoutNet... such as trainings, FOS donations, OA events,... all of which are tracked. I also wish there was a way a la the Advancement Report or internet advancement units could report various BSA Scouter events for input. As far as someone long ago not wanting to take training... what a crock! I guess he has not heard of Tom Peters and "Train and re-train constantly." Since going to college 30 years ago I've been over the academic fundamentals of leadership time and time again, not to mention MBO, MBE, MBWA, ISO9000, ISO9002, Quality this and Quality that... with the exception of some of the Tayloristic aspects of ISO9000 and the current quality rage, I've learned something from all of them... including WB. Sigh.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

OK, folks... Based on what you've seen at your Scout Camps, what's the Merit Badge which has the biggest misfit to being at a Scout Camp? For me, it's LAW. If there was EVER an in-town MB, it's LAW. Our Scout Camp Director wants to do LAW MB at Scout Camp. He'd be better off with First Aid, imo.

We are entirely inured to violence. There are a couple of videos making the rounds of youtube. In my professional life, they have some teaching points, but I think they're really up for civilians to have yuks: - In one, a US helicopter is overflying some Iraqis doing Exlosive Ordnance Reconaissance on a 6" (152/155mm)artillery shell the wrong way. Your fertile minds can determine what happened. - In another, an insurgent is video-ing another insurgent as he mortars some other poor sonofa#####. Instead of "HANG IT," the insurgents use "Allahu Akhbar!" Well, about the fourth round, Allah was Akhbar. Some folks think counterbattery came in. I think the mortar had an inbore detonation. Like GW and I suspect Gunny, I've looked at range safety training materials for a generation of my life. As an artilleryman, I've seen the consequences of inbore detonations. I once had to un-ass a howitzer at warp speed when the round stuck in the tube. Have we, as a society, become too used to the violence of humanity?(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

OK, tough question time: Why does your Council want to "pencil-whip" a training award for a person in as high-visibility a slot as Council Commissioner? It was my responsibility to maintain and fill out my record for the Cub Scouter's training award back in 99 and 00. I didn't; I don't get the knot. Likewise, your new Council Commish apparently didn't keep his own records. To my way of thinking, that's his personal responsibility; he shouldn't get the knot/key. We've had a new curriculum completely overtake what was in place when this new Council Commish took his training. Here's the vital question to my way of thinking: How will the perception of "pencil-whipping" look to other Scouters, especially unit serving Scouters? To me, the right thing to do is just press on. My two cents.

Trev, Agreed. Every young man we approach is different, and if we as Scouters have only one approach, we're done for. When I put on the BSA uniform, I agree to set aside active evangelizing of the youth in my charge. I'm not going to define a narrow band of "this is all that right can ever look like." It's a two-way street, though. The Scout, especially at Eagle, needs to have thought about who he is, how he got to where he is, and who he wants to be. I have to keep reminding myself that we're talking about a very small percentage of Scouts who will ever give us challenges, especially if they've made it to their EBOR.

OGE, This is not an April Fool's Joke: http://www.nypost.com/seven/03312008/tv/kathy_lee_gifford_to_return_to_morning_t_104395.htm It may seem like an April Fool's joke, but it's not.

The defiant attitude alone would have me starting to question if I can vote for the young man for Eagle. I'd be asking all manner of questions in executive session of the District Guest. Before we got there, I'd probably have tried the tack Ed suggested...

What emb said...

You will never get the Gilwell song out of your head.

You got had. Ouch. The bad news is it's hard to make this a win/win. The desirable solution is for you to have an ADL and a Den chief, and for a second den to peel off with its own DL, ADL, and den chief. That means recruiting 3 additional program adults and two Boy Scouts. One option, which is more time intensive for you, is to create two dens in fact... one meets Day X of the week, the other meets Day Y. That way you're at least managing 8 Cubs at a time. It's time to tell the parents, with some degree of tough love, that 2+ dens in one are going to cease pretty pronto. Your Ace of trumps is "NO DEN LEADER", because you'll quit. You have to be willing/ready to use this trump card though. You get to determine what your other trumps are short of the Ace. BTW, Scouting is a volunteer organization, so even if you weren't CC, you can tell CM: We split this den, or I will split it for you... by accepting only Johnny, Billy, Jack, Davey, Seth, Mike, and Robby to my meetings. You can also lay the trump card on him. I wish we could have convinced you not to merge dens 8 months ago... to me, the angst you and others are now having was avoidable.

The best present I can think of is the gift of time to give service to youth, through Scouting! Pass along congratulations please! John I used to be an Owl C-40-05

I'm willing to pay a premium price for quality. That implies Supply Corporation knows how to produce quality. I'm willing to pay a premium price for US made quality. Supply Corporation, are you getting the point!?!?!?!?!?

DR. PANGLOSS Let us review Lesson eleven! STUDENTS: Paragraph two Axion seven PANGLOSS: Once one dismisses The rest of all possible worlds One finds that this is The best of all possible worlds! STUDENTS: Once one dismisses The rest of all possible worlds One finds that this is The best of all possible worlds! PANGLOSS: Pray classify Pigeons and camels MAXIMILLIAN: Pigeons can fly! PAQUETTE: Camels are mammals! PANGLOSS: There is a reason For everything under the sun! CANDIDE: There is a reason For everything under the sun! MAXIMILLIAN: Objection! What about snakes? PANGLOSS: Snakes! 'Twas snake that tempted mother Eve Because of snake we now believe That though depraved We can be saved >From hellfire and damnation (Because of snake's temptation!) If snake had not seduced our lot And primed us for salvation Jehova could not pardon all The sins that we call cardinal Involving bed and bottle! ALL Now onto Aristotle! PANGLOSS Mankind is one All men are brothers! STUDENTS: As you'd have done Do unto others! PANGLOSS It's understood in This best of all possible worlds-- MAXIMILLIAN All's for the good in This best of all possible worlds! CANDIDE: Objection! What about war? PANGLOSS: War! Though war may seem a bloody curse It is a blessing in reverse When canon roar Both rich and poor By danger are united! (Till every wrong is righted!) Philosophers make evident The point that I have cited 'Tis war makes equal -- as it were -- The noble and the commoner Thus war improves relations! ALL: Now onto conjugations! PANGLOSS: Amo, amas, Amat, amamus! STUDENTS: Amo, amas, Amat, amamus! PANGLOSS: Proving that this is The best of all possible worlds With love and kisses [blows a kiss] The best of all possible worlds! STUDENTS: Proving that this is The best of all possible worlds With love and kisses [blows a kiss] The best of all possible worlds! PANGLOSS Quod erat demunstrandum! QED! Amo, amas, Amat amamus! MAXIMILLIAN: (overlapping) Quod erat demunstrandum! QED! Amo, amas! Quod erat demunstrandum! PAQUETTE: (overlapping) Quod erat demunstrandum! QED! Amo, amas! CANDIDE: (overlapping) Quod erat demunstrandum! QED! CUNEGONDE: (overlapping) Quod erat demunstrandum! ALL: Quod erat demunstrandum In this best of all Possible, possible, possible worlds! Quod erat demunstrandum! Q! E! D!!!!!!!!!!!

PS, Questions I have asked: "How do you worship?" "How do you pray?" "What's important about your faith?" My fairly stock comment is "stay with your faith. People who are in a faith together have an additional bond in their lives, and that bond can be a help in times of trial." That make sense?

My comment, as a conservative Christian, When I put on my Scout uniform, and listen to an Eagle Candidate discuss faith, I want to hear his context on the matter. That means I want to read closely his spiritual reference, and if I'm unfamiliar with his faith, I want him to help explain it to me. My job as a Scouter is to reinforce his and his family's faith traditions. Yes, I think it's as simple as that.

PS, "I'm just a stickler for the rules" Don't tell me you're turning into Bob White?

You don't say where you are in your Troops camp food chain. If you're camp SM you can make some of these happen; if you're just a Scouter accompanying all you have is the power of suggestion: - Mealtimes: Sit by patrols. Our scout camp uses 8 man tables, I suspect many do. - Service Patrol: Rotate daily. Make the youth responsible for cleaning the kybo/lolly. - Program Patrol: Rotate daily. Make youth responsible for flag ceremonies. Allow the youth some latitude in the daily ceremonies, then make it a contest for best ceremony. Winner gets... ice cream cones at Dairy Queen on the backhaul home! - Have the youth sleep by patrol. Set up a best patrol area contest. Leaders do KP for that patrol on last full day of camp. Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head, and are premised that you are locked into going to a particular Scout Camp this year. The best way to get patrol method, though, is to find a Scout Camp which reinforces the method as part of the way it does business.

You don't say where you are in your Troops camp food chain. If you're camp SM you can make some of these happen; if you're just a Scouter accompanying all you have is the power of suggestion: - Mealtimes: Sit by patrols. Our scout camp uses 8 man tables, I suspect many do. - Service Patrol: Rotate daily. Make the youth responsible for cleaning the kybo/lolly. - Program Patrol: Rotate daily. Make youth responsible for flag ceremonies. Allow the youth some latitude in the daily ceremonies, then make it a contest for best ceremony. Winner gets... ice cream cones at Dairy Queen on the backhaul home! - Have the youth sleep by patrol. Set up a best patrol area contest. Leaders do KP for that patrol on last full day of camp. Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head, and are premised that you are locked into going to a particular Scout Camp this year. The best way to get patrol method, though, is to find a Scout Camp which reinforces the method as part of the way it does business.