kari_cardi

I agree with ScoutNut, best is if you can find a way to work with your Advancement chair. Can you have a friendly conversation with her about how the system works in your pack? Each pack does it a little differently. I think your point about summer break is a good one, since it is important to give awards in a timely manner and it's easier to keep records straight. Our scout shop does not ask for an advancement form for belt loops but I've learned on this forum that some do, so that is one reason why she might ask for the requirements to be completed first. Our scout shop also will accept returns on belt loops, with or without a receipt, no questions asked. We've taken advantage of this to award belt loops at the end of a pack meeting where the scouts earned the recognition. We buy enough for everyone in the pack, but return the extras left from scouts who did not attend/earn the belt loop. The scouts LOVE doing activities like this!

Fred8033 reminds me of a good point often overlooked as packs schedule events 'the way it's always done.' Every spring, each pack has a similar schedule to include the following: Blue and Gold Advancements Arrow of Light Crossover to Boy Scouts Crossover or Graduation to the next rank These events do not have to happen at the same time. Blue and Gold does not have to include advancements, AOL or crossover to Boy Scouts. Crossover does not have to be done with AOL, and I prefer that it doesn't so that scouts can wear the highest award in Cub Scouts for at least a few weeks before becoming Boy Scouts. These events can be scheduled as it makes sense for your pack in your community. Every pack has different needs, different traditions, and their own spin. The program accommodates this. It is certainly okay to do Blue and Gold in February when the rest of the scouting community celebrates it. We moved it one year because it was canceled twice in a row due to weather and ended up having it in May. Then, considering historically it often has to be moved due to weather, we just moved it to April. It works for our pack where we live. We have a separate ceremony for AOL that is scheduled cooperatively between the Web den leader and the scoutmasters of the troops the boys have chosen. We let the troops schedule the crossover at their convenience, it's a Boy Scout ceremony. This is what works for us. Making sure that the scouts get their advancements as they earn them is, IMO, the most important consideration. And it sounds like you have that nailed, fauxc.

We've held our Blue and Gold banquet anytime between February and May, for various reasons. We've had full-on banquets and we've had pizza. Cub Scouts is a flexible program, make it work for your unit. Ideally, though, advancements are given as soon as reasonable after they are earned. Rank badges are not meant to be stockpiled or rushed so they can be awarded in a grand gesture for the birthday party of an organization.

What a mess. I agree, take it to the the charter organization and the scout executive. I think it is a YPT issue. The Cubmaster is screaming at the scouts and recruited an assistant den leader who has previous and current violence issues. And given the PR ramifications of rampant sexual harassment which are acts of violence toward his pack leaders? Both organizations will want to know. The reason to limit the reporting to the IH and the SE is simple. The cubmaster and the assistant den leader are protected from defamation of character even if what is being said is true. To protect themselves, the reporter needs to limit who they talk to about this. I found this true when I had to report a YPT issue to my COR and SE last year and Beavah has also referred to the need to NOT talk to everyone in other similar threads. My DE had no idea what happened until a recent need to include him in the loop, and that is how it should be. PepperSammy, it's hard to do the right thing in situations like this, I know. You know you need to report the cubmaster, though, or you wouldn't have brought the problem here. The cubmaster is counting on fear, intimidation and the need to be 'nice' to continue harassing women as he pleases. Please stop him. Know that you have scouters here who are behind you. A call to the council to report YPT problems will get you to the right person, and you can share the rest of the story then. And soon you, your son and your fellow scouters can enjoy scouting as you should.

ScoutNet uses June 1st as the date to promote cubs to the next rank. I'd start your den on new rank requirements as of that date. Using a date that is independent of the school calendar seems to make particular sense for packs that draw from multiple schools. It works well in our pack.

Pack camping weekend, bike rodeo, pizza and park day, climbing gym, and fishing. Also a service project at the local park. Plus resident camp and day camp with the council and district. Attendance is usually the leaders and their scouts plus one or two other families. We are a small pack and that means about half the pack at any given activity.

The troop and pack that I work with had some issues like you've mentioned, plus a few of their own. I found that an underlying issue was sufficient organization and volunteers to run the program. Medical forms that were handed out in a timely manner and return requested with reminders for busy parents were completed with appropriate signatures. If checking for up-to-date medical forms was left to the last minute before a camp out, signatures were more likely to be forged. The solution was easy, have someone (not the scoutmaster!) be responsible for handing out new medical forms and checking that they are completed and signed on a regular basis. For other issues, like gambling (aka raffles)at pack meetings, I simply kept repeating to everyone in the leadership meeting and outside the meeting that if we CAN do activities that meet the rules, then we SHOULD do activities that follow the rules. And offered up some fun ideas that we could do instead. And we had a couple of issues that the Scoutmaster took a firm stance on, like alcohol on camp outs. We lost a few leaders over that one. And it makes me wonder how strict their new troop is on the issue that was so gosh darn important to them.

This topic sparked an interesting conversation between myself and some fellow scouters. First of all, our local scout shop is a national shop. An advancement report is required for all rank badges and merit badges. They do not require the form for Webelos activity badges, but will accept a form with activity badges listed if it is printed out from a program like ScoutManage. They will even fill out a form for replacement or extra badges, and write 'Replacement' on the form. Because the advancement form does not require any documentation (like blue cards) to support the award of merit badges, one of my friends has suggested that the signature of a merit badge counselor is not essential for completing and earning merit badges. Or that a leader can sign off in the stead of a MBC. He suggested this as a solution for when scouts earn most of a MB at camp, for example, and need to finish a requirement at home but a MBC isn't readily available. (Why one isn't available is a whole other issue, and one that we are working on.) No one has done this (A Scout is Honest, Trustworthy, etc.) but what *is* the check to assure that a troop is awarding merit badges appropriately? Does it happen as part of the review for Eagle? Or is he right and it is an honor system through and through?

Since Webelos can wear either khaki or blue uniforms, I'd share that info along with a uniform guide, depending on your pack culture. I'd also indicate which activity badges you will be working on in den meetings so that scouts don't duplicate them at home. It's okay to go through the requirements for an activity badge twice, of course, but my scouts find it more interesting to do different ones and depending on the scout, the repetition could equal behavior problems in meetings. It's also a good time to review birthdays in anticipation of crossing over to Boy Scouts. Do you have any scouts that you think will want to crossover but are unlikely to earn AOL? Will they be old enough to transition with the other den members? I think it is important to set clear expectations with parents around this.

I looked at that program last year. I didn't understand why it uses the position of 'Pack Commissioner' instead of 'Committee Chair.' There were some other idiosyncrasies like that when I dove deeper into the program during a free trial.

We've used ScoutTrack and ScoutManage. I prefer ScoutManage, my leaders liked ScoutTrack better. I am not so impressed with ScoutManage, we are not looking for a new program to try.

To answer your other questions! I'd use 100% cotton. Poly/cotton blends won't work as well with your fabric paint and are not as absorbent. You could go with a cotton/poly blend that is mostly cotton though. The heathered gray color of your class B shirt is unique to t-shirts and sweatshirts and is a result of the cotton/poly blend. I've never found it as any other kind of fabric. Few fabric lines stay around for 5-6 years, so buy now if keeping the same neckers for 5 years is really what you want. Fabric is subjected to color trends, even black and white will change. JoAnn's is a good source for mostly low quality, over-priced fabric made in China. A quick Google search shows that you have several local independent fabric stores in Rochester. One of them may prove to be quite helpful to you.

Deaf Scouter, what is your budget? This fabric is high quality, high thread count, consistent color across dye lots and available through many retail outlets, online and brick and mortar. If not on the shelf you can probably special order it. I think it would probably work well for you. http://www.fabricdepot.com/index.php?page=ProductPage&pageid=2420 This is a good price at $5.60/yard. JoAnn Fabric has a solid gray broadcloth that would probably work. It isn't as nice and the manufacturing standards aren't as consistent. It's cheaper though, only $4.25/yard or $85/20 yard bolt. http://www.joann.com/100-cotton-broadcloth-solids-20yd-bolts/prd14825/ You will need a yard per necker for a 36x42 inch rectangle, so the cost per yard is your cost per necker. If you have the services of an experienced seamstress who has a serger, cutting the neckers with a rotary cutter and hemming with a rolled edge is pretty fast. Cutting them with scissors and pressing the edge under, then sewing a hem with a regular sewing machine is so slow and tedious I wouldn't even do it, myself. Either way, it is a big job to ask of a volunteer. I have been ordering fabric online for years. Fabricdepot.com and fabric.com are two good retailers. Both will send ssmples, a good idea to avoid surprises.

Eagle92, I was going to suggest staples. Turn the stapler over so the bendy-down bits are on the top of the patch, and they are barely noticeable. Works for hems and all sorts of clothing problems. Washable too. I can sew, and sew well, it is one of my lifelong passions. But sometimes, a staple is just the ticket to a quick and dirty yet serviceable job. Staples will rust and leave marks, though, so it is at best a temporary solution. It is also pretty easy to quickly sew on a patch by alternating short and long hand stitches. Do a short stitch on top, catching the embroidered edge (not through the plastic, no need) then a long stitch underneath. Aim for that long stitch to go about a quarter the way around the badge. Repeat three times and done. Pulls right out when it is time to replace the rank badge with the next one.

I'd love to see a roundtable on how to organize pack records, review different advancement tracking programs, set up a pack website. It would be a great chance to go over social media use guidelines, too.

If you would like to apply a simple one-color design, a technique called freezer paper stenciling can give excellent results that are similar to screenprinting. The design is cut out freezer paper, adhered to the fabric with a hot iron, paint applied and after it dries, the paper peels off again. One stencil can be used several times. Freezer paper is sold in stores near the plastic wrap, aluminum foil and waxed paper. It is coated on one side with plastic, which keeps it from getting soggy when used to wrap foods for the freezer but also will stick to fabric when pressed with a hot iron. This technique is easier than traditional stencils because the freezer paper is easy to cut and since the stencil is securely adhered to the fabric, there is no shifting or bleeding under the edges. A Google search will certainly turn up tutorials for this technique. For more intricate designs, you can have a rubber stamp made and stamp (office supply stores) your design onto the neckerchief with a ink suitable for fabric. Generally you will need to heat-set the design with a hot iron after the ink dries for durability. If you have a logo with different colors, you can purchase transfer paper and print the logo (as many as will fit) onto the transfer paper with an inkjet printer, then cut the logos apart and iron them onto the neckerchief. I would suggest transfer paper for opague transfers for neckerchiefs that are any color other than white. Here's a link to a brand I've used: http://www.dharmatrading.com/products/ijop.html from an excellent vendor. Fun project, now I'm thinking about doing something like this for our scouts. Best of luck!

My almost elderly husband and myself have moved to a tent-camping system of those interlocking closed-foam squares to cover the floor of the tent plus my 2 inch thick Slumberjack self-inflating mattress. The foam squares help tremendously to cushion the ground for old knees while crawling in and out and getting dressed. Even a few to go under the self-inflater help a lot with sleep comfort. It's either all that or the hammock, which I haven't tried yet. Tempting though, I plan to when the next opportunity arises.

Thanks, ghermanno. Just the link I needed. I did search for one on my own, but I didn't find what I needed so I thought it likely that I didn't know the proper search terms. Beavah, no big contentious issues. We have a troop in transition, most of the committee is new and we have more jobs than people right now, so we have volunteers working more than one position. Questions come up, like the ones I asked, and everyone says what they think is the 'rule' but no one really knows why. I'm a researcher and information-gatherer by nature and so I like to go looking. There is common practice, which is what this forum is good for learning, and there are the written guidelines, which generally come in the form of BSA handbooks. I will also talk to a few experienced local Scouters I know when I have the chance, for a different perspective. If it is relevant and important, I'll talk to other committee members and we will consider changing our current practice. In this case, I'm just trying to work stuff out for myself. Thank you for your thoughtful reply, it was very helpful.

I have two questions about troop committee positions. First, can an ASM who serves in a dual role as a committee member vote on issues brought to the committee? I know that ASMs are not included as an official vote, but I've not found clarification if one person has two roles. At the very least it would seem prudent to exclude his/her vote if it is a conflict of interest. Second, who is responsible for recruiting merit badge counselors? And a third, I guess. Is there a digital copy of the troop committee handbook online somewhere for viewing or download? Thank you!

blw2, I'll bite and answer your question as to why the BSA uniforms for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are unfashionable. Cargo pants are fine. Skinny jeans and pants are more fashionable, but cargo pants are still very popular. As long as the pants function well in the outdoors, the pants are not a problem. But I think we can agree that the uniform pants are not the heart and soul of the uniform. The pivotal piece in the uniform, both from the viewpoint of style and in meeting the aims of the uniform method. The shirt is not fashionable. The shirt is similar in cut to casual button front shirts made with woven fabrics, true. But most shirts of similar cut sold to young males are in print fabrics or color-blocked. Think camp shirts and bowling shirts, for example, with retro styling and Hawaiian prints. Long sleeve counterparts are flannel shirts, again a woven print. Not solid blue or solid tan. Then epaulets, pocket flaps and sleeve cuffs are added, all not current fashion for shirts. Suitable for outerwear, possibly. Plus patches and, the crowning touch, the neckerchief. Men or boys do not otherwise EVER wear little triangle scarves. Not even police officers, fire fighters and the military wear little triangle scarves, though their uniforms as a whole include all the other features mentioned. And THEN? Tucked in shirts are way, way out of current fashion. The only shirts worn tucked in are dress shirts for more formal occasions, and uniform shirts. Which leads me back to a position I've taken previously, that scout uniforms are more similar to dress clothes than casual outdoor clothing for boys, and this abets the perception held by scouts and parents that the uniform is for 'good' and class Bs are preferred for most scouting activities. The socks, hats and belts are generally fine from a fashion point-of-view. An impromptu and informal poll of the scouts in my household indicates that only the 8 yo likes wearing his uniform shirt. The other two would much rather wear t-shirts with their uniform pants.

We've used ScoutTrack and ScoutManage. Both have good points and bad. ScoutTrack seems to be easier for leaders to learn and use. ScoutManage has a more attractive appearance and more versatility. Both are clunky for emails. I don't like that ScoutManage requires registration with a separate website to communicate with the support staff.

Julia, I could 'put on my big girl pants and suck it up' but I don't think wearing ill-fitting uniform pants that keep me from participating in scouting activities is really setting the best EXAMPLE to the scouts nor showing respect to the uniform.

Our district uses the method packsaddle described. It was easy and efficient to collect new groceries and the scouts had a lot of positive feedback from the shoppers.

Our council still requires hard copies of YPT with each app. If a new leader gives me an app without YPT, I ask them to take the course, save the certificate as a PDF, then email the PDF to me. If they look panic-stricken at the thought, I tell them they can also print it and give me a copy. Receiving an electronic copy means I am much less likely to misplace the certificate, and if I do I can print new copy. I also use a briefcase to hold everything scouting that I can cram into it, so I can generally locate new apps if it is misplaced. I think the current system could be much improved by assigning a member ID to each new user in system if they don't have one. This ID can be entered on the membership application. It is easy to look up YPT and other training with an ID, it can be nigh impossible without it. I assume this is why my council prefers the hard copy. I think more use and emphasis on the member ID would also be helpful, as IME most leaders don't think it is important.

We do have snacks and drinks at our pack committee meetings. No alcohol though, as there are often children present and our CO doesn't allow alcohol on the premises. Unless the meeting is in a private home, all of the places we've used to hold meetings - church, library, local coffee house - don't allow alcohol. When we've done yearly planning meetings with alcohol, we don't seem to acomplish as much...YMMV. Our pack and troop leadership are social groups as well. Spend that much time with people and you'd better like them!