AvidSM

Having been on staff and having a copy of the syllabus, I can tell you that there is a little bit of time management (as in a "7 Habits" type course) and a little bit of organizational skills, but not engough get credit at work. Wood Badge is more about leadership, dealing with people and scouting in general. Be prepared to be immersed in scouting as a particiapant. Have fun and get the most out of it that you can!

There are some trick knots that are fun to see and learn: throwing knots and quick knots for example.

I agree that there is no ONE reason why membership is declining. I can think of at least three, none of which have to do with changes in the scouting program. 1. Most boys have no time for scouting - They have school, sports, music, church activities, othter clubs and organizations. Some of my boys come late to meetings because they had to finish up their homework first. Others make half a meeting and run off to little leauge practice. One boy did not join because the parents decided that "with so much going on in middle school, we decided to drop scouting". --- These parents limit the number of things a boy can do and sometimes scouting falls below the line. Competitive activities come first in their minds; they must do well in school and sports. I believe a boy's world has become far too competitive. And, the boy in scouting have no time to do anything between meetings and this effects their ability to lead the troop and earn merit badges. 2. Scouting's image, among boys outside of scouting, is not good - My boys tell me that if they wore their uniform to school, they would get beaten up. They would not tell their friends that they are a scout. The other boys say if you are a scout you are gay! It is clear that the boys outside of scouting do not understand the program and ironic how much time and money is spent to keep the gays out of the program! 3. The great outdoors can't compete with video games - Most of my boys go cold turkey at weekend campouts. Take away their TV, video games, cell phones and computers and they don't know what to do with themselves. Boys have gotten far too passive in terms of their entertainment and education. Scouting requires that they be active in both.

Baden - volunteers are hard to get these days. And, good volunteers, who have prior experience like yourself, are even harder. I don't think they have anyone else in mind but you. So, I would nominate someone else you think can do the job to get these people off your back!

Some troop traditions are worth keeping and some are not. If a troop is boy-lead, I would think it would be normal to change some traditions depending on what the boys want to do. Using your annual fishing trip as an example - if over the years the group of boys who liked to fish have left the troop and the current youth leaders has voted to do something else, I don't think that's breaking with tradition. My troop tends to repeat a certain trip for a few years and then we drop it. The traditions worth keeping are the one's that define the troop. The boys tend to take pride in these and usually don't questions their origin or reason. Some get changed or modified over the years, due to the natural attrition within a unit. If a tradition can't survive a boy-led troop, it wasn't worth doing anyway.

I seems more than a coincidance that several posters have given about the same cost-per-family figure, around $120 per scout. Could it be that a typical Council is restricted to a $120 per scout budget? I think the biggest problem with FOS is that most families don't know anyone at Council and don't know how exactly how their donation is spent. Most folks are willing trust their troop leaders with their money because they know where it's going and that it directly benifits their son or sons. One solution to this would be for the troop leaders to vouch for council; to speak to the parents and tell them that what they give to FOS will benefit their son indirectly. This would work if the troop leaders knew and trusted the professionals to do their jobs and to give them support. This does not always happen. The souting professionals need to see that you can't ask for money from complete strangers. That they need to solicit the FOS donation via the troop leadership. That the professionals need to win over the troop leaders by getting off their high horses and giving them the support they need.

"Cubs" and "scouts" are unofficial shortened versions of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. We use them because we are lazy. Since most volunteers understand what "cubs and scouts" means, we keep using them. I don't think they imply that cub is not a member of the BSA or that a scout is not a boy. (I tend to use the shortened versions when amongst other scouters and the offical terms when I am not). As for Venturing, how may troops can claim they have a venture patrol? When I hear "venture" or "venturing" my automatic assumption is that you are talking about a Crew, not a Patrol in a Troop. Yes, it's important to call something by it's correct name. I know some crew leaders who will correct you every time if you call them a "venture crew". Again, it all depends on who you are talking to. Say "USA" to someone in the military and they'll assume your referring to the "United States Army". That country between Canada and Mexico is "The United States" to them (or CONUS if you want the actual term). The people who live there are "United States Citizens", not "Americans".

I agree with SemperParatus in that, by definition, Scout spirit has nothing to do with attendance. That there is nothing mentioned in it's definition that would lead someone to include attendance. Scouting is not in your everyday life! Poor attendance is certainly something that needs to be addressed, but not in the context of Scout spirit. People who connect the two are adding to the requirements - no matter what the reasoning or the justification is in their minds.

My troop does a similar "intro to boy scouting" like mtm25653 mentions for the new parents when they come to visit. We also have a new scout campout after they bridge over. To prepare these new parents, I do everything I can to let them know the benefits of scouting and how well my troop delivers the program. I am competing for this boy's time with school, sports, etc. If the boy is spreading himself thin, I need the parents to help keep the boy in scouting. To help him see it's benefits over some of the other activities he can choose from. Alos, these parents need to develop trust in the troop leadership. I try to get as much face time with them as I can. Having at least the SM attend the Pinewood Derby and Blue and Gold is a good way of meeting a getting to know the Webelos II parents.

I don't think any of my boys would say the reason they are in scouting is for the weekly meetings. Most of them say it's camping and the outdoors. They know that one of the main reasons for meetings is to prepare for our monthly outings. Most boys are just happy to spend time with each other for an hour and a half. We try to mix things up by bringing in MB Counselors and other adults to talk about their vocations/avocations. We sometimes work on advancement if we know a group of boys that need it. We mix in some activities related to our monthly theme if it makes sense. The scouts don't expect meetings to run like clockwork and are fully aware of who plans them and runs them - the SPL. If a meeting does falls flat, they don't hesitate to give him feedback. I would think if adults plan and ran the meetings, they would not get as much or any feedback from the boys and would not be able to gage sucess as well. We try to have a debrief at the end of each meeting to see what went right and where we can improve. We also go over the plan for next week's meeting. Some meetings are run very well and the boys are kept occupied. Others not so well. You have to roll with the punches and keep stressing the basics - it's all part of the learning experience.

Do not let the boys shirk their responsibility and remain undecided on this issue. This kind of decision should have been made by the PLC during their Annual Program Planning Conference, typically held over the summer. It's important for a Troop to set it's plans before the families start making theirs for the folowing summer. If your troop does not plan an annual program, then you need to consider holding a conference now, with the summer camp decision being one item on the agenda. If there are issues, like which adults can attend certain a week, you need to advise the PLC of this so they can make an informed decision. Follow the five steps outlined in Troop Program Features and be sure to inform everyone of the PLC's decision. I do not recommend that you, your ASM's or the committe make this decision. First of all, its not your decsion to make as the PLC is responsible for planning and carrying out the troop and patrol's annual program. Secondly, it might cause hard feelings among the adults who can't attend.

So if you planned for 300 people and 600 paid and showed up, you could end up with a profit of 40 to 50%. How is this a poor budget plan? How is it possible to predict attendance numbers? And, what do you do with the profit? So, next time should we plan on 600 people attending and lower the fee accordingly? What happends then if only 300 show up? Good luck running another event if that happends.

I agree in principle that District Camporees should not make a profit. But, having run several of these events myself, I would ask how do you do this without taking on too much risk? If I knew exactly how many people were to attend, and exactly how much money I would be spending, then I could easily divide the one into the other and set the attendance fee to result in no profit. But when I planning out the event, I don't have either of these numbers -- I can only guess at them. And to cover myself, I set the attendance estimate low and the cost estimates high. In addition, there is a 10% built-in contigency in the budget and council requires 10% be included for their admin costs. If the interest in the event is low and we have low attendance, I am covered. If the event promoted well and enough people show up, a small profit is made. If the event is really popular and a whole bunch of people show up, a big profit is made! In no way am I ripping people off or overcharging for my events. All participants get their patches, use of the camp, sanitation, and water, etc. They all get a good program for their money. No one is hurt by the fact that high attendance at an event has more than covered the fixed costs. So, I am not suprised that District Camporees are making so much money. Council is not going to turn away a profit. And I certainly don't want to have to deal with them if my event loses money. As long as things stay in the black, they leave me alone.

CAN a Troop be run by adults? -- Yes this is true. SHOULD a Troop be run by adults? -- No it should not. The adults who are running the troop may think they are doing the right thing, but they are not. They should be giving the boys every opportunity to make decisions for themselves - and to see the consequences of their decisions. This falls directly in line with the mission of scouting - to prepare these boys to make the right choices in life. This can only be accomplished when the boys run things. The wording of your internet passage is misleading. It makes it seem as though either choice is acceptable when one is not. When your Webelos visit a troop, make note of who is leading the boys. If it is the adults, then you should start asking questions. If the adult leaders don't trust the boys to do the leading and think it will lead to chaos, then why? Are the adult leaders trained and have they properly trained the youth leaders to do their jobs? An adult led troop is a sure sign of a lack of training all around.

I am a Scoutmaster and I am familiar with the situation your Troop is in. Last year's five Webelos from my feeder Pack that crossed over were all duds. One actually filled out an application, but then did not go to summer camp and did not return in September. The parent's said that there was too much going on in the boy's life, with the transition to middle school and all. I agree with msnowman in you should keep plugging away. Attrition is a fact of life in a troop and you have to keep feeding new boys into the program to make up for it. Hold a recruiting drive that runs from now to December. Give any scout that brings in a friend a free movie pass. If the friend joins scouting, the scout has a chance at a $50 gift certificate. Is this bribery? You bet! Start working on the Webelos in you feeder packs NOW! Send each Webelos a letter of introduction from you with an invitation to a weekend campout. Invite the Webelos to one of your troop meetings and give a presentation to the parents selling the boys scouting program. Attend the Pinewood derby and give out certificates to all participants. Attend their Blue and Gold dinner and talk to the parents about crossing over and the transitioning to the Troop. In the mean time, I believe as long as you have three boys you still have a troop in the eyes of the BSA. These boys deserve the best program you can give them. They are there because they love scouting as much as you do and don't care how small the troop is. Get all the SM training you can get and keep plugging away. The troop will grow.

Boys hate paperwork - I think that's the reason only 3 to 4% make Eagle. The Workbook has to be legible and it must convey the information needed to prove the scout has met the requirement. If it needs corrections, the scout's advisor needs to tell the boy what they are in a timely manner. If the advisor is indeed a nit picker, he needs to given a different job in the district. It does not have to be perfect, but is shouldn't look like it was written by a five year old. If a boy has poor writing skills, he needs to get help from a teacher or his parents. Perhaps his workbook was the first thing he has written where he has been really called to task to make it right. Scouting helps these boys move into adulthood and that includes writing like an adult - especially an Eagle Scout.

While still in the position of SM, I suggest you join the District Committee and get to know the people who run the district. See where help is needed and see if you would be comfortable working with these people. You may try helping out at an event to see what that is like. This way, you have tried out a new position before stepping out of your old one. If you do choose to move on, I suggest keeping your registration with your old unit as a committee member.

Our adults always eat with the patrols. That way, we get to know the boys better and provide feeback on the quality of the meals. The only exception is that some adults have special diets and have to prepare low fat/salt/whatever meals for themselves. Whenever I see adults cooking at an event under a carport using big chuck boxes, it makes me wonder what purpose they are serving in scouting.

Low attendance is a problem a campouts; when not enough boys in one patrol attend, that patrol cannot function. I've got some boys that I don't see all spring due to little league. Others are absent due to football, band or a school play. I see nothing wrong with these activities. As long as they don't over do them, they are wholesome and worthwile. These boys are making choices about what to do with their time. Part of that choice is the attendance policy of the activity. Miss a little league practice and your on the bench for the next game. Miss more that two play practices and you lose your role. Scouting is open ended and flexible. It allows each boy to get out of it what they put in. The fact that there is no bench or left field in scouting is a benefit and a detriment at the same time. What frustrates me, is that over their lifetime, these boys will get so much more out of their scouting experience than any other activity you can name. And yet, they still choose baseball and the rest. My troop can put together the best program ever, but I just can't compete with manditory attendance.

A troop rafting trip down the Delaware. A overnighter where we sleep under the stars. Nightly reflections with the PLC. Careful review of MB's beforehand making sure each boy is not over or under extended. We always try for honor troop/patrol awards. A Troop service project for the camp. We go to a great camp with good food, facilities and a top notch staff. Enough adults to keep an eye on the boys to make sure they are doing OK - keeping busy - no problems with MB's - no home sickness. All first year scouts are paired up with an older boy who reviews each days activities and signs off if in his book if needed.

Ditto emb021's post - have your beading at an event that is meaningful to you. I chose my roundtable because I wanted to share the beading with my friends and peers. Boy/Cub Scouts and parents have no idea what Wood Badge is and what it means to get the beads.

I find that peer-to-peer recruitment works best for a troop. MaScout's "invite a friend" activity is a good idea. I also like to give out prizes to scouts who bring in a friend to a troop meeting or who have a friend join scouting. We have a "recruitment drive" in the fall which lasts until early December. Recruitment seems to be getting more attention these days since they added the requirment to first class.

I would not want to be put into the position that MarkS's troop is in - all the meds in a tackle box because the camp staff won't store it. First of all, the tackle box full of meds becomes a goodie locker for anyone wishing to abuse some of these meds or steal them for profit. Secondly, I do not have a medical background or license, am I legally qualified to give out these dosages? What if I, as the leader, misread the label and give out the wrong med to the wrong scout? Or, if the parents gave me the wrong meds by mistake? Am I now legally responsible if this boy comes to some harm due to my own or his parents' mistake? When I read the part of the G2SS which says, "...can agree to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time...", I read it as, I know what meds the boy is on and I make sure that he is taking them. And, If I find out he is not taking them for whatever reason, I call his parents. I don't read it as, I hold onto his meds and give out the dosages. I think the only people who should be touching these meds are the boy, his parents, or some legally qualified medical person at camp.

Its hard to form and sustain a partnership between professionals and volunteers because they are motivated differently. Volunteers do what they like - if they dont care about something, they dont participate. If they dont think their efforts will pay out, they wont waste their time. A professional cares about shrinking membership because his job is at stake. Less youth means less FOS money coming in from parents. It could lead to eliminations of his position due to downsizing/mergers. I care about shrinking membership and the downward trend nationally, but the overall cause of the scouting movement is out of my control. I cannot change the program to make it more attractive to more youth, or get rid of any negative images it may have. I care more about the youth who are in the program now than the ones who arent joining for whatever reason. Since I am a volunteer, I can choose what to do with my limited time - and membership is one of those things which drops off the list. And, dont take this wrong, but whether my DE get paid or not is just another one of those things - especially when he is not supporting me and my program. Professionals, on the other hand, do the job they are paid to do. They may care about the same things as a volunteer does, but the things which affect their performance evaluation or promotion potential, they do first. Our DE made it very clear that he cares about getting quality district because it is part of his performance criteria. And, I dont blame him for pushing for it because thats his job. But to tell all your volunteers that they have to make FOS their top priority is not right. Commandopro - you stated that that most executives really want to help. I say thats good. But Ive yet to meet a DE with enough scouting program experience who really could. Ive been with my Council for eight years now and I were on our third DE. Seems like as soon as we get one trained, they quit or move on.

I have never walked in the shoes of a professional, so I find it very hard to judge them. I dont know what they are told at training. I dont know what motivates them to do their job. What other posts have stated about this may be true or not; we have two sharp opinions here that point either way. I can only say what my perception is of these professionals and their behavior. I have seen first hand professionals manipulate the selection of volunteers because their replacements were not good at, or refused to participate in FOS. I have attended many District Committee Meetings in which the only thing the DE talked about was FOS and membership numbers. I have seen many many good volunteers leave due to their frustration with Council and the lack of program support. Professionals are paid to do a job. Part of this money comes from the volunteers and the parents in their units. I know they get money from other sources and to do other work such as LFL, but in a sense they work part time for us. Its not so much a partnership, but rather a service contract. When the professionals fail to do their jobs - when they fail to support our program - then we see it fit to not pay them. Its as simple as that. So, instead of seeing what the real problem is, the professionals turn it around and make it our problem. They want us to raise money for them because they are not doing what they are paid to do. Its like going to a restaurant with bad service and waiter tells you to go get the food yourself and, by the way, dont forget my tip!