kari_cardi

Thanks for the input and the reassurance that I am on the right track!

Yes, I do. I think that the attention to safety and details also attracts some parents, and gives additional peace of mind. I've heard that training resistance is especially a problem in Roman Catholic units where the volunteers have to do diocesan training along with BSA training.

We've used ScoutTrack, we've used ScoutManage. Looking at something new for this year. Anyone try Scout Spirit? I like using a program to manage advancements and awards. I do most of the pack recordkeeping and am AC it helps me be more organized. I also like it as a scout parent, as I can see very easily and clearly what my scout needs to accomplish for awards. My den leaders also find that it is a source of ideas for new activities. We don't use a program for the troop and it's a constant question of who has earned what, whether it has been awarded,etc. I like online programs that every

I came into this thread intending to suggest dry shampoo (homemade or commercial) and hats. Good to find that my sensitivity to most synthetic scents is protecting me from bears.

Our troop has a set of by-laws that need revision. I've volunteered to help with this task. Is it common for a troop to have by-laws? I don't really understand what by-laws are, even after doing some googling around. In my experience, this document would be better characterized as 'guidelines' or 'procedures'. The troop by-laws are full of very specific topics such as what a full uniform entails and when the troop committee meets. What say you, experienced Scouters? I appreciate your wisdom.

That's interesting. All the girl scout troops I know have at least one family camp out each year. Must be unofficial. Wonder how the liability for that works out.

I'm active as a Cub Scout leader and as a Boy Scout leader. I don't think Cub Scouts is too long even with the Boy Scout perspective added to my world view. I think the program is too repetitive and leans too heavily on the den leaders. I do think there are leaders who work better with older boys who might see the Cub Scout years as endless. I think it might also help if volunteers could work with a preferred rank rather than following their son through the ranks.

I don't think Cub Scouts is too long, I think the Tiger age is fine. I think the program is too repetitive from rank to rank and often requires more volunteers to easily implement than are available. It could be much more streamlined, focused on core ideas and have more clarity. I think the standard and the goal should be to meet twice a month with quarterly pack meetings instead of monthly. In my experience, it is the pace of a standard Cub year that burns out leaders. In Cub Scouts, the leaders have to entertain the boys every week in some fashion. Totally different than Boy Scouts where the

I wish we had a troop historian! Oh to be a larger troop! Alas, we struggle on. We've retained advancement records and general troop history and shredded years of applications and medical forms.All the ribbons are now on the troop flag pole and lots of miscellaneous patches and things are donated. I asked the church treasurer about our financial records, thinking that really it is a CO issue, and he also suggested the standard 7 years. We are a little light on records a few years back, but the current treasurer is doing a great job. Thanks for the advice!

We've been going through stored boxes for the pack and the troop. Any references or thoughts on how long we need to hold onto records? We have advancement records going back at 15 years, stacks of old applications, re-charter documents, etc. If there is a resource from BSA on this, I've missed it and would appreciate the information.

jblake, I appreciate the different point of view you bring to the table, but what you are suggesting isn't feasible in my experience. Most parents I know, myself included, would not feel comfortable dropping a child off at the home of a volunteer they didn't know. I would not trust the person or the location. Using the child care services at camp is much more comfortable. The location has been cleared by camp staff, the volunteers have had YP training and often background checks, and the kids are accessible and visible during camp. If I knew a group of parents who were interested in volunteeri

jblake, I don't understand your position. The volunteers are not expecting or requiring the camps to provide day care. The camps are providing day care for siblings to allow more parents to volunteer, to increase the already limited pool of potential volunteers. My email Inbox has been full of pleas for day and twilight camp volunteers in the last month or so. Staffing day/twilight camp is a problem. When my husband started volunteering with the pack and for camps, etc., with our oldest son, our younger sons were home with me. When more volunteers were needed, I stepped up but my youngest

My understanding of Tot Lot, at least in my council, is that it is covered under insurance as part of the camp. I asked this question of both the Camp Director and my DE. My Tot Lot had the female children and young sons of the Camp Director, Program Director, Camp Nurse, Crafts Director, and 5-6 den leaders each day. I don't think all of those leaders would be able to volunteer if they had to pay for 'regular' day care so they could volunteer for Cub Day Camp. I know I would not. Scouts who really want to get away can do Resident Camp, which costs about 30% more for half the time and has paid

So what is the clearest, most ethical and legal way for a scout to pay for his expenses? I've not been a fan of ISAs for several reasons, and now I see that group fundraising is not without pitfalls. Not all parents can afford to pay all the expenses out of pocket, and not all scouts can earn enough money to do so themselves. I am especially thinking of the 11.5yo scouts who just crossed over...too young to mow lawns or deliver papers around here, and few other jobs available.

Boxes are also good for stacking into tall towers or making little hideouts. When I did Tot Lot we also painted rocks, made nature bracelets, painted sticks to look like snakes, made rain paintings (paint on stiff paper, put in rain and see what happens), strung pony beads on ribbons and cords for bracelets, colored a LOT on paper with crayons and on the sidewalks with chalk. Things I had planned but didn't finish were God's eye wrappings with sticks and yarn or branch weavings. I also structured the day so we alternated quiet activities with active time, began every day with a gathering activ

We do two separate ceremonies. Arrow of Light is a Cub Scout ceremony and is attended by the entire pack. We hold it a few weeks in advance of the scouts leaving to join the troop. I like this because it allows the scouts who earn the highest award in Cub Scouting to actually wear the highest award in Cub Scouting while part of the Cub Scout program. Separating the ceremonies also allows AOL to be awarded as it is earned, as good scouting methods intend. And finally, it allows the scouts to shine as role models for the pack. Crossover/Bridging is a Boy Scout ceremony and only the scouts joinin

I think some of the problems you've run into are unique to the Bear year, 92hatchattack. Bear scouts do a lot of work and the program doesn't have a lot of built-in opportunities to be recognized at pack meetings until rank is earned. We don't use the Progress Towards Rank totem either. It doesn't seem to interest the scouts and it is kind of a pain to keep the beads on and to take the big plastic thing on and off for laundering. We've worked on the Bear program to include some belt loops and participation patches. In our pack, we award rank patches and every other award as they are earne

We've started providing water rather than soda or drink pouches, that was an easy switch. We hand out graham crackers or granola bars instead of cookies and spend a little more for presliced apples or clementines at pack meetings. Camping meals include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of foil dinners, tacos or just veggies and dip. If we have pizza, we have salads too. We serve hot dogs as campfire snacks rather than a meal. We always have fresh fruit available while camping. We may serve chips, but we don't buy a lot and we don't have them around all the time. We've decided as l

It's a start. I hope National comes through with this and more. I've wondered about BSA employees and how they might be affected.

I like zip-offs in general, but I think that the Cub Scout version could be better designed. The shirts, too, there is a large sizing gap between small and medium in the draft. My sons are in the habit of putting the bottoms of their switchbacks in their pockets when they zip them off. That makes it easy to match them up again for laundering.

Why register an adult under a different function? It would make far more sense for the registrar kick the application back for correction. I've had apps returned for much more minor issues. It's a lost opportunity to educate the unit and get the registration right.

My unit is in our second year of ScoutManage. I'm no a fan. The way it is organized isn't intuitive, it is missing features that would make it MUCH easier to use, and the support keeps changing. Right now it seems the best way to get questions answered is the FB page. Pretty lame for a paid service. The best features are the graphics and that parents can log in with Facebook. They don't seem to know what to do once they log in, though. manderle, I haven't had a problem with two of the things you mentioned. I can set dates for advancements and set positions for adult leaders and scouts. Pe

Our council doesn't take back partial cases or any product with 'chocolate,' and they charge 10% for restocking. They do have a take-back day scheduled after most popcorn forms have been collected. The council popcorn FB page is full of popcorn chairs looking to trade product so they don't have to take a hit on profits. We are slowly pulling out of popcorn sales. Like Twocubdad said, the units take all the risk and the council and national take a good chunk of the profit. If the support from council extended beyond sales techniques, included good training on product tracking and using the

We used precut, point-down arrowhead shapes to make our own totem, and decorated them with leather stamps including names. Put enough holes (4 on one side for Tigers, 2 on the other for Wolf/Bear) you can use the same totem for 3 years. I like waxed hemp cord to string the beads. Even switching out the black plastic lace on the official badge for waxed hemp cord works better.

'fraternization the formation of peer-based, social relationships between adult and youth members is not permitted' When I read this, it seems to cover relationships that begin when one member is an adult and one member is a youth. The couple in question began their relationship as equals, as youth. The relationship is established. It is clearly not a relationship of an adult preying on a youth,of an older male taking advantage of a younger female, it doesn't have the power differential that raises alarm bells. My personal litmus test - I would not be concerned for my daughter unless I