KoreaScouter

We don't use any youth names on the site; our only pictures are thumbnail size and they're whole-group pics...no way you could identify a particular youth in them. We don't give any youth e-mail addresses, or collect any information from anyone on it, either.

KS

Once a year, after a Troop COH. We do it as BSA recommends, with the letter that goes out ahead of time. We follow the outline in the literature...

KS

It seems that one of the things we're trying to do as a parallel initiative is get some of these renegade units that are run like Greek city-states to get in step with the mainstream. The hope being that if certification is a recruiting retention tool, that the renegades will reluctantly fall in.

Well, if that's one of the intents here, there's a really quick easy way to do that (compared with using a certification process to do it), and it comes around once a year. It would go something like this:

June: UC reports and other "measurables" indicate a renegade unit.

June: Letter goes out to Chartered Org with copy to Committee Chair, similar to academic probation.

October: UC reports and measurables reviewed again; which direction is the unit headed?

October: Recharter packages go out to units, with one of three letters with them.

1. Congratulations on a great year; please return your paperwork by Nov 15th.

2. Your unit has "issues" but is moving in the right direction; you'll be rechartered in probationary status, and get a lot more scrutiny next year.

3. Your unit has "issues" and they're not getting demonstrably better; your recharter package will be held pending appointment of new (SM, CC, CM, etc., circle all that apply).

Bottom line; BSA grants the charters on an annual basis...sounds like Irving bats last.

KS

What Eisely said, except I think it's the UC report card with add'l leaders thrown in. BTW, I don't have a problem with it...nothing to hide!

KS

I work in a building still pockmarked from shells that hit it on 12-7-41, and can look to my left and see the USS Arizona Memorial every day on my way home. So, we get daily reminders here. But, there are reminders everywhere you are, too. You don't have to travel far from anywhere to get to a war memorial, a VA hospital, or a veterans' cemetery. Remembering these anniversaries is important, but not just for their own sake. We need to do it with an eye toward our future, too.

KS

Camporees aren't a thing of the past. What's a thing of the past is camporees the way they were 20 years ago (okay, a restatement of the obvious).

Others mentioned the challenges; competing activities, late planning, erosion of interest in Scout skills, etc. Let me hit these one at a time, and add my own.

1. Competing activities. Hogwash in my opinion. There have always been competing activities. The lads will do what they think will be the most fun, the most rewarding, or what their parents choose for them (usually most fun or most rewarding). Besides, who cares? If two units show up, you've got a camporee.

2. Late planning. A real factor. But, while it doesn't necessarily affect this camporee attendance, it can affect the next one. Units have long memories, and if this years' was broke, they may just do something else next year.

3. Erosion of interest in Scout skills. I don't agree with this one either. The Scouts will compete, and want to show their stuff.

4. Access. Camporees require more real estate than a Troop camp. We're losing access to places, or they're charging money when they didn't before.

5. Leadership. Who's going to do the detail work necessary for a top-notch event? It's very nearly a full-time job for someone, but we usually double-tap somebody who's already got a job. Something's going to get diluted, and it's usually the camporee.

In my last council, we did 3 district camporees a year. Here, we've done one 'till now, but we're planning a spring camporee in addition to the fall camporee we just concluded. Who's planning it? You guessed it, yours truly...

KS

KS

My daughter joined GS at Brownies, so we didn't go through the Daisy program. But, I saw a lot of their meetings and activities.

Why does GSUSA allow 5-year-old Daisies? Because they can. Perhaps I'm stereotyping here, but I've got one of each at home, and girls are different. My daughter is much more squared away overall at 11 than my son was at 11, and that goes for every other year, too. I imagine (and fervently hope) that the difference will narrow the older they get, but it is what it is.

I'm not saying I disagree with Fotoscout's assertion that the adult partner concept is intended to recruit future leaders, but I will say if that's the intent, it may have the opposite effect if we're doing it at the Tiger age. Way too much revolving-door turnover at Tiger/Wolf age and unless the DL's recycled, he's lost too. I'd try to suck them in at Bear/Webelos age, if we're really trying to grow future long-term leaders. If the family's in their third year, they've shown some commitment and have at least some experience with the program, even if it's been on the receiving end.

KS

...about Mike and his family:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Dec/03/ln/ln10p.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Dec/02/ln/ln04p.html

Please add one more to your prayers. Sigh...

KS

Hey boys and girls;

We lost a Scouter in Afghanistan the other day. Mike McMahon was an Army helo pilot with the 25th ID. Left a wife and three sons. Didn't know him personally, but then again, we all did...

I lost my dad on Christmas day when I was a kid; I can tell you from personal experience, the holidays will never be the same again for his family.

Here's a couple of links if you'd like to know more

Aardvark;

I'm in the same boat you're in, and haven't gotten a second shirt yet. I don't wear silver tabs at my RTs either, 'cuz my only shirt has troop numerals and a sewn-on SM patch.

I need to get a new shirt pretty soon anyway, and like KDMill's idea; velcro for the troop numerals, too...

KS

Look in the Troop Committee Guidebook, Advancement chapter (7?) in the COH section. It says they should be conducted at least four times per year.

KS

The "Scouting vs. Activity X" dilemma is a constant, but I assert that it need not be the SM's dilemma. It is a Scout/family dilemma.

I don't force Scouts to choose between Scouts or sports; as we've seen, there are enough sports coaches doing that now, creating more than enough artificial stress. What I do is make sure the lads understand that life is a series of choices, choices involve consequences and tradeoffs, and those consequences and tradeoffs are theirs to deal with, not mine to deal with. I make it clear that success in anything requires (in order) showing up, on time, with a plan, that you're prepared to execute. Or, put another way, you get out of this what you put into it. Extended pattern absences have a negative impact on active participation, which can and often does bleed over and affect POR performance, Scout Spirit, and in turn, advancement.

I don't begrudge a Scout if he takes a sports season off from Scouting, has to throttle back so he can get tutoring to bring his grades up, or has decided that some other extracurricular is more important than Scouting right now. That's his choice and his decision. What I can't and won't do is let the participation/advancement clocks continue to run for him the same as they do for the lad who is showing up and getting it done with the Troop. Last time I checked, there's no "correspondence course" option to complete advancement requirements -- the only option for alternatives is for disabled Scouts, and that's not what we're talking about here.

If one of the Green Bars can't/won't stay sufficiently active because he's decided some other activity is more important, I won't fill the vacuum myself. I'll suggest he step down from his position and either elevate an assistant, conduct a new election, or appoint someone else as appropriate. One of the things I ask prospective POR candidates is to forecast their next 6 months and if they see conflicts, to consider less-demanding jobs.

One of my best Scouts and former SPLs was a high school baseball player, and a very good one...I mean college-scholarship good. He was straight up with me each spring as baseball practice was starting, that he'd be scarce until the end of the season. He came to meetings and outings when he could, helped with special projects, and most importantly, understood the tradeoff and was perfectly OK with it. After baseball was over, he was back with us 100%. I'd much rather have it that way than somebody trying to juggle multiple commitments, and mailing it in to everybody...

KS

I think the symbolism is more important than the source, as long as they're identical in size, shape, color, etc.

I've had Scouts ask me what the beads were, and I really enjoy telling them the story of the Siege of Mafeking, the first WB course, and Baden-Powell's decision to use beads from the warriors' armor as mementos. They enjoy the story, and it a tangible link between B-P's time and the present. I don't think a Scout would notice or care if the beads were from the BSA National Supply Center, or handmade with TLC by a WB course staff...

KS

Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't. Very situational. The "do" outweighs the "don't", which is why I stick with it.

Some days you're the windshield; some days you're the bug...

KS

I have to say Cubmaster. Cub-age boys are universally enthusiastic, squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of life, think the uniform is cool, don't think they know it all, love selling popcorn and are little/cute enough to do it well, and will sing without duress. The program is cut & dried, so once my DLs were trained and on the same page, they ran on autopilot. I was expected to be a carefree goof at pack meetings, which was a perfect fit with my natural persona. In one of my packs, I had an absolutely saintly Assistant Cubmaster who, with her equally saintly husband, were the best tag-team scrounges I've ever known, and I've known lots of military supply guys. Parental politics nearly non-existent. Ahhh, those were the salad days...

KS

Mich632:

What was that, "Turkey in a trash can"? You have my attention, sir. Please explain further -- this "Old Goat" would like to try it...

KS

As a SM, I try to "steer" Life Scouts with Eagle as a goal toward PORs that befit that goal and will give them a breadth of leadership experience. That said, I don't try to impose some hard rule about what patch they'll wear when they meet their BOR -- impossible. I have one lad who just met his Eagle BOR; a Patrol Leader...right now. He has held other positions as a Life Scout. Another getting his application together; Troop OA Rep...right now. He has also held other positions as a Life Scout. And a third; Den Chief, right now. Has also held other positions, including SPL.

Remember, minimum's 6 months. Most are Life Scouts a lot longer -- they'll have had two or more PORs. And, they can't rig elections, either.

One of the great things about Scouting is that the trail to Eagle can take many paths...

KS

I recommend having a talk with the Green Bars, probably at a PLC meeting. What you're going through is a transition from one role to another. That's no different from what the Scouts go through when they transition from "one of the boys" to "in charge of the boys". If anyone can, they'll understand and should be willing to help clarify your role with the rest of the Troop.

KS

We don't set limits on how much they can spend. It's their money and their menu, and if we want them to get creative with menus, the shackles have to come off. They figure it out for themselves, and for a typical weekender, the patrols get $10 from everybody, and that seems to be pretty close. If there's a discrepancy, they work it out internally.

As long as they're using the pyramid in overall meal planning, I don't care if their protein is a hamburger or pheasant under glass. In my opinion, the process is more important than the product here. They can learn from bad examples, too. On our last campout, our Leadership Corps (JASM, SPL, ASPL, Guide) camped together, and thought it would be clever to bring a pallet of carryout cheeseburgers so they wouldn't have to actually cook or wash dishes. I could have put the kibosh to that, but didn't, on purpose. After the first day, with the now-cold and hardening cheeseburgers weighing heavy on their plates, they would have traded them to one of the patrols for just about anything, especially as the aroma of their meals wafted over. Lesson learned, I think...knuckleheads.

My predecessor actually collected all the campout food money himself, then doled it out to the grubmasters. I don't like handling money, so I pushed that down to the patrol level.

KS

KS

Many if not most people push it from time to time; I'm no exception when I'm alone in my truck, I'm on my way to work at 0415, and there's no traffic on the highway. But, change that environment to a Saturday morning, lotsa traffic, truck bed full 'o stuff, and cab filled with other people's kids, and it's Driving Miss Daisy! It's not situational ethics, it's common sense. I don't smoke, but if I did, I wouldn't do it where my kids could smell it, let alone inhale any of it. I don't buy a 6-pack at the mini-mart in my uniform. And, I'm not going to put people in my vehicle at extra risk by speeding to or from a Scout outing.

I've written more speeding tickets than Carter has liver pills, and Hunt's right -- in most places, there are tolerance levels that permit a slight excess before you'll get stopped. Exceptions include, of course, school zones, construction areas, high-mishap areas, and those motorists who combine excessive speed with some other factor such as a mechanical violation, careless lane changes, vehicle loading, etc. Also, I don't agree with the notion that "everybody does it, he just got caught". I believe in the law of averages here. There are plenty of people with no accidents or moving violations. Guess what? They're probably good, safe drivers. Multiple tickets and/or accidents? Probably not a good, safe driver. This isn't complicated.

Multiple speeding tickets are a red flag that a committee ignores at their peril. Moreover, once a parent hands over a lad and a permission slip, the tour leader's judgment trumps two families' personal friendships or a chance of "hurt feelings". Also, bear in mind that if it was to or from an outing, multiple unit drivers went through the same area and didn't get tickets. What's that tell you? Granted, you may have a serial killer in your unit that you don't know about, but that's no reason to give everybody else a pass. You have to deal with the reality that's staring you in the face.

KS

Hey, you've seen us at campouts! Anyway, good grooming is important, right?

KS

BORs are a committee function; if they've abdicated their responsibility, your SM has filled a vacuum. Your committee needs to go to the store and buy a backbone.

As a SM, my only involvement with BORs is to make sure my Scouts are ready for them. I would never presume to appoint BOR members, especially ones who have no business there. Plus, if I tried to do that, I hope and believe that my CC and Advancement chair would tell me to get back in my lane.

Regarding the summer camp, if the lads are unhappy with the routine, they have three basic choices. Live with it, try to change it, or transfer to another unit. Nobody's a prisoner.

KS

Some forum members seem to wonder how a SM can be subjective regarding the "unit leader approval" for a potential OA election candidate. After all, if the lad showed sufficient Scout Spirit and participation for advancement, why isn't it good enough for OA election?

Well, for me, it's simple, and then again, it isn't (please excuse the Kerry-esque language -- it should make sense in a minute).

First, the simple part. I don't rubber-stamp anything. I have to believe those old coots in Irving know what they're doing. If the requirements for advancement were by themselves sufficient for OA election, there wouldn't be a unit-leader-approval requirement. The fact that there is tells me something, and I take it seriously. OA is an honor society; if the bar isn't set higher than it is for First Class advancement, then we're just passing out candy.

Now, the not-so-simple part. It's a subjective call, as are many that I make. I don't have a canned checklist, or a lock-step formula. I use my judgment and training, squint, hold my mouth a certain way, chat with my ASMs, get the other Arrowmen's input, look through my own OA Handbook before a Troop election, take a breath, and make the call.

I once lined through a Scout's name on the candidate list because I found out he tried to bribe the first-year Scouts to vote for him, assuming he'd be up for election based on rank and camping nights. He either forgot or didn't know that I bat last.

Our units don't need figureheads who only read a rule book and look good in a uniform (although I do, if I do say so myself) -- trained monkeys could do that...careful, I know what you're thinking!

KS

On the "suitability continuum", I'd put it near the low end. My rationale is twofold.

First, the project seems to be something the Scout could do almost by himself. I'm impressed with projects in which a Scout delegates tasks, brings in outside help, and leads others, all out of necessity, not convenience.

Second, I think the Eagle project in general is a great opportunity to expand a Scout's horizons, expose him to people and environments he may not be otherwise, and raise a community's consciousness about the positive effects of Scouting -- in other words, give BSA some badly-needed positive PR outside our inbred little circle. Planning and completing Eagle projects in areas and environments where Scouts are already over-represented fills the square, I guess, but doesn't really gain any ground for us.

Many Scouts in our District used to do their Eagle projects in a Navy recreation area that was almost, but not quite completely, used by Scouting units (BSA and GSUSA) for campouts and other events. It wasn't Council property, so it was technically permissible. In my estimation, most of the projects were marginal, and the benefactors were either Scout units or outdoors types who already knew what Scouts do for the community. For the last year or so, no projects have been completed in there, and that's a good thing IMO. A wider cross section of the community is seeing what we're up to, and we're helping groups that previously thought all we did was walk little old ladies across the street.

KS

The "heroes" of any movement are normally its founders, because they overcome the most inertia, up front (hence the term "movement"?). All the organization, defining, and "norming" was done 100 years ago; we're now sustaining (or trying to, anyway).

Whether we call someone a hero, a spokesperson, a magnet, a "super-recruiter", whatever, I think an important first question is who's the target audience? If it's youth, to attract members who may not join otherwise, someone the youth identify with would be best -- someone in sports or entertainment, probably. If it's to attract and retain benefactors, someone in business or industry. I guess my point is, there's no single person who can be all things to all people. Nor should there be. With all the Eagle Scouts we've produced over the years, who disproportionately rise to positions of influence, there should be a huge pool of prominent men, in all walks of life, who've taken the Eagle Charge, and SHOULD BE lining up to champion Scouting. Where are these guys? We can get them to fess up if they're already Scouters. But if not, you'd probably never know. There's our heroes.

KS