KoreaScouter

Training and feedback are continuous; I'm assuming the SPL wants the job and wants to get better. Use every opportunity as a teaching moment. On advancement, have the SPL put the PLs' feet to the fire. Use patrol record books so that every PL should have his Scouts' advancement status at his fingertips. Designate an ASM to track advancement on the BSA wall chart (laminated at Kinko's so you can erase and use over), and display that thing prominently at every meeting. Low camping turnout? What changed from last year to this year? What are you doing at your campouts? Are they tied to the Troop program feature of the month; are advancement opportunities built in to the campout plan? If not, may account for some of your issue #2. Attrition? Consider forming a Venture patrol within the Troop, and let the older Scouts plan "older Scout" adventures that are more age-appropriate. Start out simple, with a hike, water-park trip, handgun shooting at a range, or some other activity the younger lads can't do. Most understand their responsibility to younger Scouts, but they also don't want to be "full-time babysitters" either. Keep it relevant to them and they'll stay. Eagles quitting? I'm a firm believer we do that to ourselves. Eavesdrop on almost any SM conference, regardless of rank, and you'll likely hear that earning their Eagle should be every Scout's goal. They internalize it, and when they earn Eagle, they've reached their goal, so they go do something else. I try to portray Eagle as a goal, but only an intermediate goal. I promote palms, adult leadership, OA, camp staffs, etc. Delegating is great, and liberating. But, in order to do it, you need other adult vols who are as committed as you are. Nothing's worse than handing something over to someone who doesn't have the inclination or opportunity to get it done. Odds are, you've got at least one ASM who wants this to succeed as much as you do. Use those guys, and try not to burn them up at the same time. Do you have a unit commissioner? Have you picked other SMs brains at Roundtables or district events? Good luck. KS

Look at the succession of signature blocks on the adult application for unit leaders. Council is last, CO is next to last, CC is before CO. We all work for the CO. It's the CO's youth program, I just deliver it for them as the SM. It's the CO's youth program, the committee just enables it. I don't work for the CC, I work for the IH through his COR. Does it matter in my case? Not really, since the CC has my "virtual resignation letter" in his drawer every day. They don't have to make my life miserable so I'll leave. The day they don't want me there is the day I resign. I certainly hope it never comes to that, but the last thing I want to do is desperately cling to a volunteer job where I'm not wanted, making people around me miserable. In this case, regardless of the circumstances (whether personality, character, malfeasance, embezzlement, BO, whatever), if that many people don't want you there, then go someplace else. One of the biggest problems many people have is confusing what they do with what they are. Our egos are so intertwined with our position patch that admitting we made a mistake or we're imperfect (then taking action to change and improve) is not an option because it'll destroy us. If that's the case, we're taking this way too seriously. I'll tell you one thing, I take my hat off to the boys who have been displeased for two years, but are still hanging in there and taking risks to speak up. If they want to leave, move here and they can join my unit -- I'd welcome them with open arms! KS

I have two examples. We just formed a Venture patrol within the Troop, and in addition to the minimum Venture requirements, the patrol members fully intend to apply additional requirements to individual events, outings, and adventures. For example, they're in the very preliminary stages of planning a winter break adventure on the Big Island, which will include high-altitude snow hiking up to one of the observatories. They've discussed requiring the Emergency Prep and Wildnerness Survival MBs as a pre-requisite to going. Second example; in my last unit, we did an annual "medium adventure" trip to a semi-tropical island 60 miles off the coast. A week away from family, US medical facilities, etc. We set a minimum 2nd Class rank requirement for attendees, in addition to the Class 3 physical, etc. Especially when you get into this realm, it's imperative that you look closely at every potential attendee's level of maturity, problem solving, people skills, mental toughness, and so on. It's easy to maintain the veneer when you're rested, comfortable, hydrated, and nourished. Start diminishing those, and that's where the "sqared away" factor comes into play. KS

SPLT15; Your predicament is what we in the armed forces call a "self-inflicted wound". If I understand your unit, the youth leaders do the bulk of the hands-on skill instruction, and sign off the requirements, and then conduct the BOR. In other words, the same bunch of people are conducting the "Scout learns, Scout is tested, Scout is reviewed" cycle. There are good reasons why BORs are intended to be conducted by committee members; this is one. You say he's a nuisance -- that can mean just about anything, but it's safe to say it's not complimentary and certainly not Scoutlike on at least one of the 12 points of the Scout Law...yet, someone signed him off on Scout Spirit. That's not memorization, you either show it through your actions or you don't. The Scoutmaster conference should have been an opportunity, perhaps the last opportunity, to apply a sanity check. What happened? My advice is in two parts, and you're free to take it or leave it. First, suck this one up, and be a little more careful in the future regarding signing off advancement requirements. Fortunately, you get another chance to do it right with him, since he now gets to work on First Class advancement, which includes "show Scout Spirit". Don't screw it up again. Second, follow the BSA program as it was designed. Have the committee conduct Tenderfoot through Life BORs like they're supposed to, and you won't have to wring your hands over this. Moreover, you'll have more time and energy to devote to being an SPL -- that's a big enough job without taking on committee responsibilities too. You may be comfortable overall with your current practice, and in my experience, most people, even when they ask for advice, are only willing to follow it if it affirms what they already believe or do. I have no idea whether or not that's the case with you, since I don't know you. But, what I do know is that to whatever extent you get creative with and deviate from the program design, it's a virtual certainty you'll create situations, like this one, that call for still more creativity and deviation. If you're going to do the former, you'd better be prepared to do the latter, too. Good luck; this, too can provide "personal growth" and "leadership development" for you, albeit in an unintended way. KS

I don't agree that AOL requirements are not synonymous with Boy Scout joining requirements. In fact, there's virtually 100% overlap, and the AOL requirements seem deliberately designed to seamlessly transition a boy from the Cub to the Boy Scout program. Age: AOL waives the age requirement Application/health history: AOL and joining requirement Find a Troop: AOL and joining requirement Repeat the Pledge: Webelos badge requirement in Citizen activity pin and joining requirement Sign/Salute/Handclasp: AOL and joining requirement Oath/Law: AOL and joining requirement Describe Scout badge: AOL and joining requirement SM conference: AOL and joining requirement square knot: joining and AOL requirement The pamphlet exercises are not an AOL requirement, but they are a requirement for the Bobcat badge, which all Cubs must earn before they can earn anything else. When we cross over Webelos Scouts, part of the ceremony is presenting them with their Boy Scout handbooks. In my post-ceremony meeting with the parents, while the SPL is with the new Scouts, I ask them to review the pamphlet again with their sons, even though I know they already have, or they wouldn't be there. This does bring up what may be an interesting point, though. Regarding joining requirements, it's impossible to require a Scout to have joined a Troop before he can begin working on the requirements, because one of the requirements is to find a Troop -- you have to find a Troop before you can join. Therefore, I make no distinction as to when the joining requirements were completed for an AOL Webelos Scout. I get Troop visits in autumn, and crossovers in March. I get some applications months in advance of crossover, and some on crossover day. This year, we crossed over AOL Webelos Scouts on a Wednesday, they went on our advancement report, and were presented with their Scout Badges as an NSP at our COH three days later on Saturday. KS

Make sure all the cardboard is covered with foil if it's on the inside (or on the bottom if any heat is hitting the cardboard there, too. I actually roll the foil up under the bottom and an inch or so up the outside, then it all gets covered with the tape. I also carefully extend the tape along the bottom edge(lip?) of the box too. It'll get warm (quite warm, in fact), but hasn't combusted on me. If the charcoal's radiating straight at the exposed cardboard bottom, try a charcoal pan with some sides that will push that heat up instead of sideways. I'm no expert at this, but I don't think the foil radiates anything since these coals are all ash-covered by the time I'm baking in the oven; in that regard, I think BW's correct. I think the role of the foil (no pun intended) is to serve as a heat insulator between the interior and the cardboard. Seems crazy that a think layer of aluminum could do that, but I've seen that it does. KS

OK, NJ, the irony slipped past you...disregard all after "hello". KS

I've never run into a problem with the cardboard "breaking down" or failing from heat buildup. If the foil inside is intact with no breaks, and you've selected a good quality box to begin with, I don't think it would be an issue. By "ugly" I don't mean burned up. Cardboard is porous and absorbent by nature. Anything that comes in contact with it is likely to be absorbed: dirt, bird poop, sweat, spilled coffee, what have you. Duct tape, on the other hand, is non-porous and water repellent. The aforementioned dirt, bird poop, sweat, spilled coffee, and especially the what-have-you, will wipe off no muss/no fuss. I wouldn't use foil on the outside -- even the HD stuff will tear through handling. Regarding the door, I found I lost a lot of heat through the door, too. Without a door, I raise the box without tipping it, check whatever delicacy I'm preparing, then lower the box carefully. Near zero heat loss. I've introduced it into my units by using one myself, then sharing the end result with Scouts. Next campout, they want to try it themselves. KS

There's a blank patrol patch so you can design your own. Whether or not it needs to be embroidered would, I think, be something I'd discuss with your unit commissioner provided your unit leader's okay with it. Your commish is the only person outside your unit who would ever inspect your uniforms. Every unit I've been with has had at least one patrol with a non-standard patch, and they've always used the blank patch and had them locally embroidered. It's not that expensive, and holds up to repeated washings much better than anything drawn or painted. KS

So, while I'm keying in a reply on the thread dealing with the donated backpack, which has driven off the declaration-of-religious-principle vs. athiesm cliff, I look off to the right side of my monitor, and in the "ads by Google" box, is a link to YouthScouts, which doesn't incorporate a religious principle and allows homsexual members. The ad link doesn't pop up on every page, but seems to whenever the active thread includes athiesm/homosexuality. So, while we're circling the wagons and defending our right to associate, we're providing free advertising for "the competition"... KS

While we may not agree with his motives, the backpack owner is perfectly within his rights to decline donating it to us, if he disagrees with our principles as an organization. Now, I'm a company man all the way and think the guy's dead wrong on the issue, but I also think it's a little disingenuous to criticize an individual for exercising his freedom of association, while demanding we be allowed to exercise ours without restriction. I think Bob and Laurie offer the best solutions -- a strident "pushback" isn't going to change his mind. Some of you know the Bible much better than I do; doesn't Luke discuss "the salt of the earth" and "turning the other cheek"? KS

Perhaps one of the things causing confusion over Scout Accounts, and whose idea they are, is the fact that the ability to apportion proceeds from fund-raisers to individual Scouts based on their effort/contribution is embedded in all the Pack/Troop management software programs I'm aware of. And, in Scouter, and Boy's Life, and on my Council Scout Store shelves, these programs are promoted and sold to units, right next to the official Troop Record Book. Hence, many volunteers consider Scout Accounts to be "official", like the mess kit, because they bought the program at the Scout Store. In a utopian world where everybody's trained and has 360-degree SA, we'd all be able to split this hair, effortlessly. This ain't utopia. I've had "indifferent" or "aloof" relationships with COs in the past, but never a hostile one. I take my hat off to anyone who can deal with that and keep it transparent to the lads at the same time... KS

No unit money earning application can possibly be for a "full-time enterprise", as you put it, even if it didn't compete with anyone. Just look at the first paragraph of the form: "...turn in the application at least two weeks in advance of the proposed date of your money-earning project...". "Date" and "project" indicate anything but a full-time enterprise -- it's a one-time event. If the non-competitive requirement is really about running a full-time business, it's a meaningless requirement...but I don't think that's why it's there. When I was really overseas, we ran into competition issues with fund raising fairly frequently. As far as retail goes, the military exchange system was the only game in town, and if we were interested in doing any type of product sales, we had to tread very lightly to avoid creating ill will that would bite us (no pun intended) when popcorn sales time came around. I think the best win-win fund raiser I've seen is the Scout Show tickets we're selling here right now. Each $5 ticket comes with $400 in coupons for local restaurants and attractions. The coupons sell the tickets for us, and the sponsors get more business...as non-competitive as you can get. KS

Packsaddle; What you're saying may be 100% correct, but I would bookend that with a big "so what?". First, nobody knows when this will happen. But more importantly, it's very easy to look at the problem just in the context of the internal combustion engines and the petroleum we use today. Who knows what innovation is around the corner, or already developed and just waiting for the right conditions to be implemented? Look back 150 years, and the lampmakers were predicting darkness because the shrinking whale population was drying up the supply of lamp oil. KS

Here's a couple other wrinkles, one in general, and one close to home. General: There's a lot of oil out there that we haven't tapped yet. We know where it is and how to get it. But, its extraction and transport is only economically feasible at progressively higher (and consistently higher) barrel prices. Ditto for alternative methods/sources, such as fuel cells, hybrids, and so on. So, the argument that decreasing supply will drive up prices, and that's that, is somewhat myopic. At the higher prices, more expensive sources will kick in, the supply will increase, and although prices may not come down appreciably, the alternative sources will become increasingly feasible at the higher prices, too. Not exactly a cinderella story, but not the end of the world, either. Close to home: We in Hawaii pay, and have always paid, at or near the highest pump prices in the country. Average cost per gallon over 2 bucks and has been for some time. Costco's $1.85, and people are lining up for that. Why so expensive here? Common answer is cost of transportation (same reason given why everything except pineapple and sunshine are more expensive here). That's at least partially baloney, because in the highly automated, small-crew, supertanker era, transportation costs are miniscule. Moreover, most of our crude comes from Indonesia, a much shorter ride than from SWA to the east coast. When I was 17, I owned a '62 Impala with a 409 V8. It only ran on Sunoco 260. $.32 a gallon, a princely sum in those days. When the first Arab embargo was on, and it hit $.50 a gallon, I panicked and sold the car for $300. It would be worth $24,000 now if I still had it...stupid! KS

Scoutmaster Ron; You have to provide something of value; it can be a product or a service...such as a car wash. Look at the back of the unit money earning application, and all the nuances are laid bare for you to see. One of the restrictions I think is quaint is that you aren't supposed to conduct a fund-raiser that "competes" with local merchants or businessmen. Frankly, most of the things we do compete with local merchants or businessmen in some way. KS

I, too, am a box oven devotee. If you're just baking, a box oven is a very light alternative or supplement to a dutch oven. I've made several, and have a couple of suggestions. - For the foil, use only Reynolds wide heavy duty. It holds up best to the rough treatment the box will get. - Cover the entire outside with duct tape, except your vent hole in the top. Otherwise, the cardboard exterior gets very unhealthy looking, very quickly. Plus, the tape provides some waterproofing. - On the first one I built, I used cut-up coat hangers to make a shelf, with a little cut out door in the side, like the internet plans. That door gave me fits. On my latest one, I suspend the baking pan on empty soda cans; no shelf, no door. - Make sure the baking pan has enough clearance within the box to allow sufficient air to flow up and out the vent hole. If the clearance isn't there, your coals will smother or baking times will be excessively long. - In the small pan I put the coals in, I cover them with a piece of accordion-fold HD foil. Acts as a diffuser to keep all the heat from slamming up into the bottom of the baking pan and burning whatever's in there. Good luck... KS

John: If I were still there, I'd be in the HTACC at Osan -- but, been to Tango...charming place for a cave. If you did time there, you're probably familiar with that plastic sheeting I was talking about -- great stuff, rolls good, practically indestructable, and can't find it anywhere on Oahu... KS

There's another angle to this, too. Most of our families, and some of our volunteers, haven't the foggiest idea how BSA's organized above the unit level, and there's some who don't understand it at the unit level for that matter. I have parents who think the SM and CC are interchangeable, the the Council is just the Scout Shop, don't know what a District is, and if they happen to stumble into a roundtable or District meeting at Council, they note that every other person is some sort of commissioner -- looks like a gathering of South American field marshals. Our people aren't stupid; most of them work for or have worked for vertically-organized outfits and would understand how we're set up. So what, you might ask? This "ignorance", if I can use the term, rears up at FOS time, at unit/District/Council fund raiser time, and so on (why is XX% of the $$ going to a..."district"? What's that?). We just had our annual FOS pitch from the DC on Saturday. He very lucidly explained FOS, and although I was focused on other things, it appeared that many if not most of our families turned in pledge cards right there. KS

In my last District, I was asked to recruit and train a number of brand-new MB counselors for a MB roundup. Some had Scouting experience, many didn't, etc., etc. I set up an evening training session for them that started with YP training, then a Powerpoint show that took them through the process (with big emphasis on sticking to the requirements), hands-on with the blue cards, gave (loaned) them a copy of their MB pamphlet, then Q/A. Well received, and the event was smooth too, including the paperwork. If you PM me, I can e-mail you the slides on Adobe... KS

"I've used something like this since I was a Tenderfoot. I'm approaching 48 now." So, John-in-KC, you coming up on that Second Class Board of Review any time soon? (Just kidding, man, feeble attempt at humor!!! We're both 47, so I felt this "bond"...) KS

Our Troop web site is primarily meant for communication and providing resources for unit members and their families. We do get some external hits, but not many. It's fairly small in terms of byte size. It's on my ISP's free web space, meant for me to have a family site, and I'm the webmaster. I wasn't aware of the BSA guidelines on the national site, but will definitely check them out. For colors, I used a template that was available from my ISP in their "Web Sites for Morons" section -- it's a patriotic theme. My recommendation is that whatever color scheme you use, make sure the information is still easy to read, and prints legibly. The last thing you want is a page that looks like one of those "throw your eyes out of focus and stare until the words show up" puzzles from a few years back -- I've seen sites like that and they make my head hurt. We have a page for contact info, a calendar page, a member's page with forms, references, etc., recent events with photos, and a SM page. I don't have signed releases for the photos, but they're small in size, all group photos, and we don't use any names. I may have to change that, I don't know. I have Adobe Acrobat (not the reader), so I scan all our Troop Meeting Plans into Adobe and stick 'em on the site for the Green Bars and others to download. Same with other paperwork -- saves me a lot of trouble copying/hauling. Adobe files are much smaller than Word .docs, too, so they save bytes. Our committee wants to put our TroopMaster on the Web, too, so we're in the process of migrating our site to a server that's giving us more space. I don't know if that's something you want to consider -- we haven't done it yet, so I don't know how well it works. Good luck KS

Our committee uses the services of unregistered parents as rotating activity drivers, as the annual "popcorn kernel", to arrange the pot lucks for our COHs, etc. That said, the people who are doing things that fall under job descriptions in the Troop Committee Guidebook are registered. We also have some "committee members at large", which is a bit of a head-scratcher for me, but no matter. Personally, I think allowing parents to help with an event, an activity, or some recurring task without registration, uniform, training, intimidation, etc., is a good thing and a great way to recruit eventual long-term leaders. They find out you don't need to be a reincarnation of B-P to do this, it can be fun, and that it isn't another full-time job (well, for most of us anyway). That's how I got sucked in originally; asked to help with a PWD, I said "sure". I would have been less enthusiastic if I had been handed paperwork, told go buy a uniform, and signed up for training in order to help. KS

Bob; Man, I completely missed the fact that Whomever is a committee member. Forget everything I said before; what I meant to say was "...take this job and love it..."! KS

The best stuff I ever saw was this really thick black plastic sheeting we used in Korea to cover vehicles to keep chemicals off of them (those blasted north Koreans and their scud missiles). It came in rolls about 200 feet long, and unfolded to about 16 feet wide. The readiness guys would give us the scraps/remnants that were too short to cover a truck, but big enough to protect a tent floor. Cutting through that stuff was like slicing through a plastic coffee can lid (I exaggerate slightly). I've not seen anything that thick at Lowe's or Home Depot, but they may have some thick painter's plastic or something. I've tried using the woven tarps, but you have to cut them to fit your tent, and that's when they start fraying. I've never bought a tent that came with a free ground cloth...why not? They include stakes; given a choice, I'll take the cloth. Moreover, getting the tent with a ground cloth into the bag they give you with it is like pulling a horse through a knothole. Considering that, try to go as thin as you can; that cloth has to go somewhere when you break camp... KS