kahits

This is probably the toughest issue to deal with in all of Scouting. We have 2 girls who want to join our crew, after being asked to leave, their own crew because of something that happened with one of the girls and an adult (from the associated troop), on a campout. The 2nd girl left in support of her, and now they both want to join our crew. Both are 18 years old, while our crew has 4, 14 year old girls, and the 6 boys ranging from 14 to 18 in age. Our CC is the mother of one of the younger girls, and is not real excited about these girls even coming to the meeting on Wednesday. I

Thanks, Mascout... we already have a female advisor going on the trek who is much younger and in better physical condition. This mother is an extra, who would only be some company on the trail (as she likes to think of it...) for the girls. And I agree, Scoutldr, these registered adults with no official position are of no help to any unit, particularly the brother troop who has many parents registered only to have them go on troop campouts for the fun of hanging out with the other adults. It makes the program more like the return to CS family camping, which is not the purpose of Boy

FYI... she is registered with the crew, but is in an unassigned position on the committee. She is similarly registered with the brother troop of the same number. I get the feeling it is more for her to be able to attend campouts, but not to do much else. We have a crew CC, but have not created any other positions since the crew was created this spring. I don't consider crew committee to be an active wing of the unit, since there are so many advisor and consultant roles that would best serve in that capacity. I don't want to burn a bridge with her, but she makes it hard not to, with her un

Thank you all very much. I think I neglected to punch the reply notification button on this post. The crew did have a shakedown trek over the weekend that covered about 15 miles from Saturday to this morning. Both of the parents of this boy came along, with the father (who is divorced from the mother) stepping up, last week, to fill out an application as an associate advisor for the crew, when we found out our primary, male associate advisor was not going to be able to get off work for the weekend. It was interesting that he never made this leap for the 5 years his son was in the troop of

Our crew had decided to do a trek at Double H HAB at the end of the summer. They are planning to use the next 3 months to prepare for the 50 mile trek. They will have the required male and female advisors, to go with the 6-8 crew members (2-3 females and the rest males). One of the mothers who has elected to sign on as crew committee is wanting to go, but is not a very strong backpacker (Over 40 but not overweight). Her 14 year old son has struggled thru her mothering since he joined the brother troop, for the past 3-4 years, and does not want her to be on this trek. In talking with the b

C21Advisor, Greetings! I have a great relationship with my DE and feel he will come to the same conclusions you just shared. I appreciate the clarification on the crew patch, which most certainly is what it is. I don't know if we have time for making our own, but that one certainly compliments the green, which really needs to be worked with. At this point, I want to show these options to the crew and let them decide, which is just my interest to add one more layer of detail before the uniforms are done. I will review those sections and will talk with my DE. I don't think it will

Thanks, Kaji.. I believe you are referring to the VLSC trained patch, which is for the youth training, I was looking for something for the advisor(s) and crew committee, who also need training, and I believe should be acknowledged for their effort. The scout shop said there was only the tan BSA patch for that, which is why, I assume this website (http://www.sageventure.com/store/patches.html) is offering an after market version.

These are the patches I was referring to: http://www.sageventure.com/store/patches.html Particularly, the adult trained patch, which would look alot better then using the BSA tan trained patch, and the round, green Venturing patch that would replace the square, white patch on the right sleeve. The Corp of Discovery is an interesting idea, although it would compete with the OA pocket flap, but for the girls, it would be a nice additional honoring, depending on how it would be used, they could wear, with the male crew members. When they say a crew can create their own uniform, where

Having started a crew a few months back, i'm looking into some of the accessory patches that don't seem to be available, officially. I have found a site that sells a white with green border, Venture adult leader, trained patch. The scout shop is telling me to use the tan, BSA patch, which I think is not such a great idea. Since the crew can adopt, in theory, any uniform they choose, can't they adopt these modifications to what is officially available? They also make a round, green background patch that replaces the white square Venturing patch that goes under the Flag on the right sleeve.

I can't thank you all enough for the words of wisdom. I might not have a Boy Scout mind set, but I'm looking forward to seeing what these kids can do. If I have learned anything from my daughter, she wants to make decisions for herself, and has made that very clear, in the many months since she became a teen. She has gotten her point across, and I know there is much to learn when it comes to HS aged young adults. I agreed to do what I can to start this crew up, but there are alot of adult advisors that will need to be aquired to make it viable in the long turn. Perhaps it will be helpful

Thanks, vmpost. That is a great example of the differences between where an adult leader/advisor is coming from and where these older scouts / venturers are coming from. I know that is a big area that will take time for me to understand, let alone learn how to work with as the support. Listening to one of the ASM in my son's troop talk about where the older, HS aged boys are coming from in the troop told me alot about how different it is. That level of awareness will take time to aquire (he and his son has been there for 4+ years), and in the meantime I'm trying to convince him to remain w

Awesome advice, guys.... I will still play a primary role in both units, and I agree, they are not at all alike. In all the years of working to keep the pack viable and moving, I never had an opportunity to delegate to other leaders. However, my basic nature is one of chosing my peers well, when I have a choice, and delegating as often as is possible. We did take our Webelos to visit a completely adult lead troop and it made the parents as well as the boys ill to see how it was being run. That was the experience that helped them to chose the troop they are now a part of. Also, in those ye

Thank you John and Eamonn, what you are saying is why I posted this question. I needed to hear these cautionary comments. I appreciate the comments very much, and no offense taken. I have to admit that the past 4 1/2 years with my son in CS have been tremendously challenging, and extremely difficult, to keep his pack going, just so my son could stay in the program. In that time I have met many parents, running other packs and troops and at the district level, who have dedicated much of their time to doing the same for their sons, and have learned much from their tireless sacrifice and comm

Having just crossedover with my son into a very old troop (1937), I found out they did not have but one official troop neckerchief (they were home made, who knows how long ago) left, and because of that had stopped issueing them for many of the newer scouts. I was given the green light from our DE to go back and use the square, more original style, but getting them made might have to wait until some of the outgoing leaders are gone. I'm no little guy myself, and the idea of making a few larger version, to have a machine embroidered patch put on it, is motivation enough for me. The ones they

I know you will think I'm nuts to be doing this, but here goes.. I just finished 5 years with my son in CS, having been a den leader since he was a Tiger, and having lost our Pack leadership at the end of that first year, I essentially took over as the unofficial CM, since we never found one who was capable of doing more then hand out awards at the PM. I went to National Camp school to be Daycamp PD, in his Bear year, and finished being the offical CM for both of his Webelos years as well as Webelos DL. He just crossed over into a very old (1937), but small troop, in January, that has a

Thanks, very much, Anarch... I picked up the handbooks as SWScouter had suggested, and will bring them to our little meeting tonight (more like a brainstorming session). I talked with another of the ASM's, who's son joined the troop this past fall, and who will be around, after the other adult leaders have gone, and he will be there as well. I'm not trying to do anything behind anyone's back, but am hoping to find a way to get these Webelos leaders (from my pack) to bring their boys over sooner then January of 07. This meeting is more about getting them in the loop, but there is obviously

SWScouter, That is a very good place to start. I will do just that. My son't NSP could use that PL handbook as well.

I have posted a few questions on this situation, as per the DE request I consider, for my son's Webelos den to crossover into. The troop is very old (1937), and has had declining membership, mostly because of a lack of recruitment efforts from the current leadership. The current SM's son turns 18 in a few months, yet I asked him if he could stay on until the end of the year. I'm beginning to understand why there is a revolving attendance of scouts with half of the 14 scouts (including the 3 new scouts) showing up at each meeting. There is one ASM who has a tremendous amount of scouting exp

Sorry, Kudu (on the typo). I got tied up trying to use the formatter on this board, and went back and forth, with no luck... so had to delete your comments, and leave my responses. It is just so much easier if you can post the comment you are responding to. I guess I don't have the setting quite right. Goodnight..

I have to agree with you, Kadu. Why change a design when the original (cotton) still works? Having not looked at fabric for this purpose, this will make it easy, if a good color or pattern is found in cotton. 65 works for me....just the idea of a single number 3 patch, with that integrated into the top would be outstanding in it's understatement. As for the use of a POR to help process any historic images that might be found, I love it. That work is key to any digital presentation, and to help one or more of the older scouts to make it their own, for the future of the troop.. it

Thanks, SWN.. after Christmas I plan to do a thorough fabric/material search on this, to keep the momentum going and Kudu, I will take your extensive resources to heart. I know I have much to learn, and will take any advice that is offered. Captainiron14, that is a very good idea. The 50 year bar would be a great, immediate addition to the troop, and in 2012, which will be about the time my son will be leaving the troop, they can switch to the 75 year bar. I still can't fully explain how the history of this currently struggling troop has effected me, but it has my complete attent

Thanks, SWN... this is going to be an interesting process, including how we bring along the current, soon to be gone, troop committee and SM. The SM agrees this is the time to make a change, if there ever was one, and all the things I want to do to help the troop recruit more scouts, with some emphasis made on the 67 year history of the troop, falls along those lines. Is ponge pronounced pong-aa? Finding the proper fabric in a proper color will be the challenge, but there is so much that is new and functional in this area of making the neckerchief a tool on the uniform, once again. I am 6

Kudu, I agree on the need for the neckerchief to be easy to wear around the neck, especially if they are going to wear it over the collar. I guess anything that comes close to cotton, but is more durable would be a good option. Thanks for all of those sources.... I will read all of them. I see this as a good time for the troop to reconnect with their past, and yet still move into the future. Since all of the Troop leadership/committee are looking for a clear sign it is being being taken care of, they will have no problems... I hope. Now I need to get my buddy to digitize a desig

Wow, thanks, Kudo.... I have always had my son tuck his collar in, so he could wear his neckerchief the way I thought it was supposed to be worn, just trying to remember how I saw it worn, some 35 years ago. He is used to wearing it that way, and once they get a full, square neckerchief, that collar is definitely going to get in the way. Whether I can convince the boys who have been in the troop for many years before I just showed up will be the challenge. Perhaps that might be part of my ticket for Wood Badge. I believe it is no accident I have been given this opportunity to resurrect th

Thanks, scoutldr.... the thing that brought me to this troop (and the work that it is going to take to bring it back to where it belongs) was the history. Having grown up on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation (my father was a scoutmaster, but I was in Cubs, I remember seeing some of the old things(pioneering structures were my favorites) that seem to have gone by the wayside, and I think that is why my DE asked me to consider taking my son's den there. I'm looking into high tech fabrics that can be used for these neckerchiefs, and I'll go from there. I plan to take Wood Badge this fall, f