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koolaidman

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Posts posted by koolaidman

  1. Howdy!  It's been a long time since I've been active on this forum.  I was active when forming my son's scout troop about 7 or 8 years ago.

    We decided on a new troop because most of the other troops in our district were large, troop-method, very adult-led troops.

    It's been a challenge for sure:

    Some of the adults that thought they wanted a youth led troop and insistence on "no less, no more" would bolt after their scout ran into his first challenge.

    We evidently received a reputation in the district for prioritizing our own unit over district activities.

    Through it all, we've been very proud of the scouts that stuck with it.  We've had about 7 make Eagle and the troup has never really been larger than 2 patrols.

    I've learned alot by visiting this forum and many times topics posted here gave me time to think about issues before they confronted me in our troop.

     

    I ramped down my involvement with the troop about 2 years ago as I was getting burned out with parents, the number of activities I was attending, and missing time with my two daughters.  My son achieved Eagle rank last year and joined the Marines.

    I took my daughters camping last fall.  One hated it and pouted the whole time, my youngest had a ball and wanted to go again.  She's in 5th grade.  So I said "Ya know how you could go camping A LOT?"

     

    (cue Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle Again)

     

    My daughter had her first Scouts BSA meeting on Monday and we're camping tonight.  I'm volunteering as an ASM.  I have no intentions on starting a new troop and the number of girl troops in our area are still limited.  I'm going in with an open mind and for now will not be volunteering my opinions on Scouting, Politics or whatever.  If I'm asked my opinion I will be truthful.  

    I'm looking forward to my daughter's scouting career.  I'm praying I can live with the "norm" of our district and hoping we can increase focus on the patrol method to rise up to the level of focus on advancement.

     

    It's good to see some familiar folks still here.  It looks like the forum is running a little slow today and I have some work to do before I kick off for the afternoon.

    It's good to be back.  I'll need some help I'm sure!

     

    YIS,

    koolaidman

    • Upvote 3
  2. resqman, Stosh, cyclops, SSScout all are correct.

     

    If you were counting on that money to help with participation and you are facing financial difficulty, you may want to have a discreet conversation with the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair.  Oftentimes troops have a fund set up for this sort of thing.

  3. So we've heard a lot of pros and cons in this thread.  Why not just try out the OA.  If your son doesn't like it, he doesn't have to go or pay dues.

    No big whoop.

     

    Please have a look at this.  Skip to pages 35 and 36 of the pdf.

     

    I'd say while the elections are not supposed to be a popularity contest, if a scout act as described in pages 35 and 36, they are bound to be (should be) popular in the troop.

     

    Give it a shot.  Judge based on what you experience and not what other people say.  Read the book, not just the cover.

     

    Good luck!

    • Upvote 1
  4. @@Exibar  It's really going to be dependent upon the requirement.  Many of the adjustments you hear about for scouts with disabilities is in regards to physical disabilities and not mental disabilities.

     

    For example:  A blind scout needs to identify constellations for Astronomy MB.  How does he do it?  How does he normally "see".  If the counselor made cards/posters with braille-like bumps for the stars and positions them above the scout where the constellations would be in the sky, the scout most certainly identify them with his fingers.  This wouldn't be considered adjusting the requirements or bending them.  It's how the scout normally does things and so it should be with the merit badge.

     

    If a scout has gone the full route for alternate requirements (and the onus here is on the parent to get this done, with SM support):

    Doing every single requirement he can do.

    Getting note from the doctor stating the scout's disability, what can be done, what can't be done, etc.

    Getting the IEP (Individual education plan, or whatever the school has)

    Going through the council advancement committee (or its designated committee to go to)

    Then receiving official alternate rank requirements, and or exemption to the under 18 registration requirement, or extended time.

    Merit badges are included in this process.  Alternate requirements for merit badges are not given, but alternate merit badges are.  The alternate merit badges may still be difficult, but are achievable by the scout.

     

    I've had to do the research because our troop has a scout with a mental capacity of a _4_ year old.  (yes, he still should be in cub scouts, but that's not the issue)

     

    So, as every kid on the autism scale is different and every disability is different, it's going to come down to specific examples.  Please give us some and we can better opine.

     

    PS: found the link for Alternate Merit Badges:  http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/eaglealt.aspx

  5. Base,

     

    I've been missing your input in the past many months.  I wish you well where ever you may go.

    There are many troop out there trying to keep adventures boy-sized, including mine.  Maybe we'll all meet up in the same place.

     

    Good luck!

     

    Koolaidman

  6. Thanks for the head's up guys.  While we are on the topic, does anyone ever have any success with the little hacksaw-like scraper harbor freight includes?

    It doesn't seem to work well for me.

     

    I use my knife blade perpendicular to the magnesium and it seems to work better.  The little grippy like ridges on the top of my knife (like where you may place your thumb for leverage) works better than the blade does for making sparks with the ferro.

  7. No. The new scouts (Class of 2016) will do Scout only during December using the old requirements. They will do TF-FC with the new requirements once the book is out in January. We will tell them not to get a book until January after the new books are out. For Scout we will just give them a duplicated page 17 which has the Scout requirements on it. Since they are Webelos and mostly AOL awardees, this information will be the same as in their CS Handbook.

     

    The way I read the transition document, if they boys pass the 2015 joining requirements and get one sign off on TF, then they are working on TF-FC and can continue with the old reqs through 2016.

    I kinda feel like that is gaming the system and only kicking the can further down the road, but it is an option to consider.

     

    (of course this thread blows up while I have my head buried in work this week!)

  8. My measure of fight or flight would be whether or not there are enough scouts to work as a patrol.

     

    A patrol of two scouts doesn't get to learn the benefits and challenges of spreading out responsibilities.  I think all they would learn from it is they will have to do everything, because there is no one else to rely on.

     

    I'd wait and see how many scouts the new recruiting attempts bring in.  If you get enough to make a patrol of 6-8, keep on going.  If there aren't enough new scouts, sit down with them and have a talk with the scouts.

    I'd be honest with them and tell them what they could expect from this troop, and what they may expect by moving to troop xyz and what they'd be missing (not specific outings, but scouting relationships and social learning).  Support their decision either way.

  9. Cards, dessert contest, skits, astronomy, night hike, backgammon, chess, etc. Never electronics.

    Excellent suggestions Bad Wolf!

     

    May I add:

    "man hunt" (hide and go seek), Willow the wisp, finding your way without a compass, roses and thorns, planning for the next day, night time orienteering, other wide area games.

     

    One of my fondest memories from my youth in scouting was the night time orienteering course we did.  Each patrol was  a group of Baden Powell's troops escaping the Zulu warriors (the venture patrol) and had to get back to base by following coordinates.  Each waypoint was a base where the Zulu's couldn't tag us.  We had to be sneaky and it was great fun.

    • Upvote 1
  10.  

    So that's why I was asking for 1st hand experiences on how other folks have done the sit down with the book thing at meetings....

    Our den used the chart.  Den Leader would then update Scouttrack.  Don't bring your book?  No update. No award.  You can't justify the award with out signoff support.  At Webelos, Scouttrack administrators, would only allow Den Leaders to update records.  Parents could update Tiger-Bear.

     

    We were in a pack of 100+ and had to use the electronic tracking. It would be pretty messy to order advancement bling and present at a pack meeting without it.

  11. ah, no..... where is that written?

    "old" Webelos handbook.  Parents guide page 10:

     

    "When a Tiger Cub, Wolf Cub Scout, or Bear Cub Scout

    completes requirements, a parent or guardian signs his book.

    When a Webelos Scout completes requirements, he takes his

    book to the Webelos den leader or an adult designated as the

    activity badge counselor (often this is the parent or guardian

    of a Webelos Scout). For projects that are done at home or

    with the family and are not easily transportable, the parent or

    guardian still may be asked to approve the Webelos Scout’s

    completion of an activity badge requirement."

  12. I am still digesting how we will track the guys on trail to FC with the 2016 changes. I haven't seen if there is a "grandfather" period or not (anyone?). The new scouts are easy. It's a bit more difficult with the guys still not FC. Do they get to finish their current rank on the old requirements? Do guys need to buy a new handbook? How will units track whether scouts are completing the new requirements if they cannot track the new ones in their old book?

    Transition guidance is here:  http://www.scouting.org/filestore/program_update/pdf/Transitioning_New_Requirements_2016.pdf

     

    Scouts working on joining requirements/scout badge as of 12/31/15 start using new requirements on TF-FC on 1/1/16.

    Scouts working on TF-FC requirements may use new requirements, but can use old requirements.

    Scouts who have completed FC may use new requirements, but can use old, but must convert to new after completing current rank.

    All scouts must use new requirements 1/1/17.

     

    (emphasis on may and all is mine, not BSA.  Please rely on the linked document and not this hurried author of the post).

     

    I think all scouts will need the new handbook, cuz if you ain't learnin', you could be teachin')

    • Upvote 1
  13. blw2,

     

    The Den Leader is signing off not the parents, right?  Only the Den Leader is to sign off on Webelos advancement.

     

    How about an advancement chart/poster?  Update it as things are signed off.  Have it posted at every meeting, so scouts and parents alike have a reminder of what needs to be done, along with you and the Den Leader.

     

    Something like:  http://www.scoutstuff.org/webelos-advancement-chart.html#.VcS6r7XJDIV

  14. For the parents: 

    I believe we owe them a duty as to why their scout will be asking for a new handbook, and why their son may end up with additional requirements 1/1/17, if they don't reach first class.  So while the parents don't work on advancement, some like to encourage their boys to advance. Part of that is knowing what the requirements are.

     

    As far as letting the boys do it:

    I guess I didn't clearly state that is the overall goal when I said, "Ask PLC/First Class+ scouts how they plan to learn the skills to teach the scouts the new requirements."  I'm not afraid of our scouts failing to learn and failing to teach.  Heck, that's scouting.  In my mind, I'm at the point just after that step.  I'm concerned about scouts innocently spreading mis-information.  One scout teaches 8 scouts something incorrectly.

     

    A specific example I'm talking about:  The Emergency Preparedness items 6d and 6e:

     

    6d.  Explain what to do in case of accidents that require emergency response in the home and backcountry.  Explain what constitutes and emergency and what information you will need to provide to a responder

     

    6e.  Tell how you should respond if you come upon the scene of a vehicular accident.

     

    Most our guys prefer Lifesaving MB to E-Prep, so an E-Prep MB guy isn't in the cards.

     

    Say the teaching scout teaches to clear the victim from the car immediately instead of checking for vehicle fire, or broken neck, back etc.

     

    How do you step in and stop inaccurate teaching, without embarrassing the teaching boy, and making sure they both get it correct?

    I'm looking for style and tactics in working this particular issue please.

     

    This would be a new skill for 90% of our guys, would you let the inaccurate teaching stand, and go through the long process of correcting it by not signing off and having patrol leaders address it, or would you step in during the teaching, wait until after the teaching?

  15. Nothing.  New requirements only kick in AFTER 2016 and after they complete their current rank.  At that time, we'd let them know about the new requirements.  And it would be the scouts, not the parents we work with.

     

    Merit badge requirements are between the scout and his counselor.  

     

    For rank ... one troop that I saw, created a new small sheet to be stapled into the scout's handbook having the new rank requirements.  

     

    ...

     

    BUT ... to be honest ... I bet a few scouts have slipped by on the old requirements still in their scout handbook.  Should they have done the new requirements?  Absolutely.  Is there harm done?  Probably not.

    Our new Webelos will be coming in mid-December.  In the past there have been some that can't make it to a troop meeting until January due to family vacations and whatnot.  So the new requirements are going to hit us in January most likely.

     

    Unless,  all new Webelos are able to make it to a December meeting, their parents are timely with the YP piece, and we make a troop effort to get one TF requirement signed off before December 31.  (seems unsavory and anti boy-led to do that imho)

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