John-in-KC

ScoutNut makes a very good point, which translates to ALL Scouting units and their chartered partners: The CC and the ___ Master (insert program as needed) need to meet with the head of the organization, with its facilities chairman, and with its secretary regularly. They're not bypassing the COR, they are developing long term relationships with their folks who license Scouting for them. There is a huge side benefit as well: These folks are good people to know not only in a Scouting context, but in what they do in their communities.

We need to discuss this young Scout at two levels: First, there is the level of getting him to First Class. KenK's post, which is an extract from BSA Requirements, states the required path to obtaining an alternate requirement. Truth be told, in many Councils it provides access to special needs resources parents and leaders might not otherwise have. The second level is that of getting this Scout, should he make it that far, up the trail to Eagle. Here, there are more options. The athletics group of MBs includes Swimming, Hiking and Cycling. Lifesaving MB can also have a substitution: Emergency Prepardness MB. Let's hope this young man has a long, loving, learning, and enjoying Scouting time

Wisumahi, OK, I'm on point with you. It's way too much to expect perfect altruism (especially from me), thus plenty of adult recognition is a tool in the box for retaining Scouters Even so, putting much of this recognition onto the uniform, or coup thongs (and I have two, one from the Lodge and one from Mic-o-Say) may be unnecessary. Worth thinking on. YIS/ICS/F&W, John

Wisuhami, I'm appreciating your thoughts on this more and more. Having read Eamonn's comment (in another thread) about how his James E West knot opened doors at the National Jamboree, it may well be we are over-awarded as adults. We're supposed to be getting our value added from seeing these kids make it. I have a friend ... more a mentor than a friend. His uniform has his AOL, Eagle, religious award, and Scouter knot. BTW, he holds the Beaver among other things... There's supposed to be mystery in the Order, for the sake of the young men who have not yet joined us. Do decorations really add value to the mystery, for the sake of future Ordeal candidates? I challenge all to really think on that. YIS/ICS/F&W, John

Saw Gern Blansten's remark in Open Program, and decided to ask fellow Arrowmen, particularly Elangomats and Ordeal Masters (I know, I'm old skool) how they adapt the Ordeal to accommodate a diabetic. ICS

Beavah, While I agree with most of what you said, we (the various volunteers in units, Chartered Partners, and Districts) do have an obligation to stay current with the program and its requirements. True, there is more than one way to skin a cat, but using obsolete program material is a dis-service to the young men (and women, in Venturing's case) we work with.

Welll,... To get to Easter, first we have to get through Maundy Thursday and God's Friday. The white is so much whiter ... when you've seen the black first. Ephesians 2: 8-9

Lisa, Much good writing in your posts here. I will say this on cooking: Seems to me cooking is a pro forma requirement, and it needs strengthening at all levels, youth and adult I led Cub day camp cooking area for two years. One thing I did both years was show folks how easy it is to do a dutch oven dump cake. BTW, I do believe foil dinners can get fairly complex in their recipes and spicing ... witness what Cracker Barrel offers every autumn in a restaurant!!!

Mr emb021, If you wish to know more of the Tribe of Mic-o-Say, PM me offlist. I'll be glad to put you in touch with our Professional Staff member responsible for the Tribe. I will also answer some of the questions myself. One thing that these groups bring to the table that the Order does not: $,$$$,$$$.00. Our Council annually exceeds its FOS goals in both the community and family campaigns. Part of this is the scouting network that reaches across the Kansas City metro, called the Tribe. More than a few business relationships in this town happen because we wear hardway or honorary claws.

Your Committee Chair is the right person to have these conversations. If he isn't going to be at RT, he can delegate these NECESSARY conversations to you. You need to get the Key 3 of your District (DE, Dist Commish, Dist Chair) + the Distric Committee Membership Operating COmmittee chairman into that conversation. With the property secured, the next challenge is making sure the money is protected.

The problem is that introduction is just that... an introduction. A now old Army adage is "you will fight as you have trained." I've been involved in some form of fieldcraft for 40+ years now. TASK REPEITION is vital to task mastery in a lot of fieldcraft. Do we ever wonder in the Advancement forum why we see Scouts do the task once, then get it signed off??? Surprise: That's how we train the adult leaders. We do as we were trained to do... IMO, the outdoor skills training is a mile wide and an inch deep. Only the hard work of someone like Eamonn can overcome that.

Welcome, Laure, Will add a caution that some Council Scout Reservations do not permit parent with child (especially in the Boy Scout program), and they may not permit husband/wife adult leader couples to sleep in same tent. Check your own Council's LT camp adult leader guide. It usually has info on this. YIS.

Troop 1 Neckerchief? Check. handmade woggle? Check Owl Patrol Cap? Check (each patrol got its own cap). Leather name badge? Check. Class B T-shirts? Check. Cup? We got this cheap thermal cup wannabe, which the cup itself could be removed so we could draw our patrol emblem on it. It didn't last the trip home from the course before breaking. OTOH, I still have the thermal cup from my first backpacking trip in 1969. John A Good Old Owl Too C-40-05

There is also the current year edition of BSA Requirements ... #33215. True story: A young man came to me to do Citizenship in the Nation. I asked him if he wanted to sit down and go over the requirements before the started work. He told me he was already done. Had an appointment with him. There was only one small problem: His Troop had a ca 1980 version of the pamphlet. The requirements look nothing like the revision that took effect last year. We were able to cross-map some work. I had a long, and majorly upset conversation with his SM. I also called the District Advancement Chairman. Moral of the story: Keep the Troop Library current!!!!

Lest you forget, there is also the youth religious award knot. Qualifying religious awards earned as Cubs, Boys, or Venturers are LIFETIME AWARDS. Dare you not, after listening to Mateu in ceremony, forget that Twelfth Point of the Scout Law!!! In Friendship and Warmth, and In Cheeful Service... John

Fred, If you want to see the archetype of this facility, come up to Kansas City and see the Theodore Naish Scout Reservation. Our former SE, Jim Terry (now the Deputy, Chief Scout Executive), ran a capital campaign and built our bear camp operation over the last three years. We dedicated last June and had it in full operation all last year. Our capacity in Bear Camp may be a little smaller (about 250, 125 Cubs and 125 parents), but the rebuilt dining hall in Central Camp (for Webelos and Boy sessions) can cook for over 1000 at once and seats up to 800.

In addition to every good point made above, Wood Badge can be FUN!!! John A Good Old Owl Too... C-40-05

HAVE YOUR COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CALL THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER and CHAIRMAN TODAY!! DO NOT DELAY THIS CALL!! Your Chartered Partner owns your unit property and the unit Treasury. Depending on your states' laws, these have potential to be sold off to satisfy the Partners' debts. BSA wants to protect those assets for the good of the youth in the program, but they have to know something is wrong before they can take action. I will suggest contacting the local Posts of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars as well as the American Legion. Both have NATIONAL MISSIONS to pick up charters of units who lose their Partner. See if one or the other will support you. At the same time, your Committee Chairman needs to have a hard business talk with the COR. One of his key Scouting jobs is to protect the interests of the unit with the chartered partner. YIS John A COR of a VFW post

Is there a special reason you want Eagle Scouts for J-staff? My son spent the past three years J-staffing our district day camp; it gave him the references he needed to be hired at the Council Scout Reservation for summer staff. All the other comments here are very valid!!!

Vicki, One of my Scouting mentors is a Chieftain in that tribe; he's also on our Council Executive Board. I shot Mr NLDScout's rumor to him. He's shooting it to our SE. Note, I said rumor: There is no audit trail whatsoever other than a "he said so." Even so, it's worth checking out. I'm an Arrowman from my youth. I know the benefits the Order brings, particularly for the Scout who is a budding Thespian, or who is seeking greater responsibility than what a Troop can provide. For the young man with initiative and a desire to achieve, the Lodge and the Chapter provide great program. I'm a Tribesman from the past five years. I see the advantage of hands-on MENTORSHIP, which is something the Tribe brings to the table. On rare occasion, Rush has said something true: "Many young minds are full of mush." That is certainly true. Mentorship by experienced adults can help turn the musch into clear thought and coherent action.

1) Completing my Ordeal at Jubilee Scout Ranch, CA, in 1970. 2) Making this "cheeful service" stuff a lifetime thing with my Brotherhood in 1971. 3) Watching my son nail his District Advancement Committee approval for his Eagle Leadership Service Project!

Dad was BS Accounting, Class of '64, after retiring from the Army. We went to his graduation, where the Shah of Iran was the graduation speaker. As for me, I'm a Gaucho from Santa Barbara, class of '78. I watch Bruin athletics (except swimming, there we Gauchos blow them away)... We are Sons of Westwood, And we hail the Blue and Gold; True to thee our hearts will be, Our love will not grow old. Bruins roam the hills of Westwood, By the blue Pacific shore; And when they chance to see a man from USC, Evry Bruin starts to roar. U! (3 claps) C! (3 claps) L! (3 claps) A! (3 claps) U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight! (repeat as needed) http://www.uclahistoryproject.ucla.edu/Songs/SonsofWestwood.html (and you can listen to the best American Fight Song too!)

and packsaddle sends that song to all the Wood Badge Bears out there in radio-land... John (ducking and running)

Kristi, CONGRATULATIONS :) Remember: We birds soar high, them foxes and beavers and antelope and bear have to do it on the ground. John I used to be an Owl... C-40-05 Finished up a ticket item today!

First, there are a LOT of skillsets in each Troops leadership ... When you think of our hobbies and day jobs it's amazing how fast we cover a lot of interests. Next is getting folks to take the training: In our district, we use MB counselor as one of those "this is an easy Scouting job, it only takes an hour a week" kind of positions. THEN we reel 'em in! We do offer MB Counselor training every month of the program year as part of District Roundtable.