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Uniform Shirts (all short sleeve old style): 1 for District Commissioner 1 for District Committee Member 1 for Scoutmaster (retired) Uniform Pants: 1 pair long, old style (almost ready for retirement) 1 pair shorts, old style 1 pair long, new zip off, cargo style, cotton/poly blend 1 pair long 100% wool, button fly, USA issue (I use them for Klondike - not official, but close enough) Belts: 1 official BSA webbed, old style 1 official leather with Wood Badge buckle 1 official leather with Allamuchy Scout Reservation buckle Plus: Lots of old style socks

A unit should be using their CO's Tax ID number when the unit needs to make a valid unit purchase of a taxible item. A CO should understand that a unit needs to use their number and should not have a problem with it or need to be informed of every purchase. Non-profits should not have to pay taxes and the charter agreement makes a unit part of that non-profit organization. Also, Council does not want units using their Tax ID number. So a unit really does not have any other option for tax-free purchasing or for opening a unit checking account. I have a unit in my district tha

In order to get people to support scouting, not only do they have to know about it, they have to care about it. Some people simply do not care about what we do. They may hide behind their ignorance or tune us out when we try to inform them. It frustrates me that there are people like that - whether they are CEOs, foundation board members or parents of scouts who won't give to FOS.

I think there was a point in time where the majority of the people didn't need to what scouting was about, they just knew it was a good thing. But, we are now in the "Google Age", where information about anything you can imagine is available at your fingertips. It's getting very hard to hide behind your ignorance. The people who have no idea what scouting is about, don't want to know, and certainly don't want to pay for it.

Very good information from Ohio-Scouter. The only thing I can add is to use graphite lubricant in the socket of the handpiece (the wooden block that the upper end of the spindle rotates in). This would be in lieu of inserting a glass knob, as suggested. Keep adding the graphite until you get a shiny dark gray coating built up. This greatly reduces the friction between the spindle and the handpiece, which avoids burning it out and makes it easier to bow.

I don't know if they are going away, but what's the purpose of the bellowed pockets? What use are they to those that wear it? I don't have a new centennial shirt, but in my old pockets I usually put my reading glasses, pen, merit badge cards and a very small notepad. I've yet to see a boy scout stuff one of these pockets full. I think they are meant to look stylish and are not meant to be filled. The only group I have heard complaints from are the female scouters and female scout shop employees. Their comment is that the new pockets are not very flattering on certain females.

I heard our Council Commissioner say that National will be shifting it's policy of one UC for every three units. That the new policy will require so many visits to each unit in a year and that I doesn't matter how many UC's it takes to do this. I think that National finally got sick and tired of pushing for UC recruitment when it just was not happening. The goal was too high and was not realistic. There is a policy that UC's should not also be unit leaders, but that one is not strictly followed in my Council. I have several UC's on my staff who are also either a SA, CC or even a CM,

There seems to be the same three year term limit in my Council. I don't know if it is an offical thing, or just an informal rule-of-thumb. Our Council Commissioner has told me that he only plans on serving a three year term. The previous CC did the same. My guess is that this prevents burnout and brings in new blood. So far, I have been impressed with my Council Key Three - they are focused and very professional. To get people like that to serve more than three years would be asking a lot.

The District Executive or Director is a paid professional. He or she reports to the Scout Executive and represents the intrests of the BSA. The District Chairman is a volunteer. He or she is a member of the Council Executive Board and I believe reports to that body. The DC runs the district committee. The District Commissioner is also a volunteer. He or she reports to the Council Commissioner and runs the district's commissiner staff. These people make up the district Key Three. They coordinate with each other as partners to run the district. They work with, but don't

I guess it must be a Council or District thing. For camporees and other events in our district, participates normally get a patch and that's it. I am going to start giving out honor troop ribbons at our next Klondike. We used to give out a prize to the one troop that got the most honor troop points. A leader suggested that more than one troop should be able to achieve honor troop, based on reaching a certain number of points. I agreed and will be giving out the ribbons to all the troops that earned it and a prize to the troop with the most points. I think giving out ribbons is

Anne - it sounds like you have a good handle on how to serve your units. It may be that what you have been doing in the past is exactly what you should be doing now, execpt you have a different title. By the book, an ADC temporarily assumes vacant UC positions and helps the DC fill those positions. In reality, there are always vacant UC positions; it's a role in scouting that is not well understood or supported. Try your best to find the right people to be a UC and in the meantime serve your units the best you can. You should focus your efforts on the one's you know that are in most n

I think what Eamonn is talking about is the possibility of the training and program functions moving from the District Committee to the Commissioner's Staff. The committee would then essentially be left with membership and finance. If the functions get moved, then I would think that the people doing that function would be moved also. This means committee members would become unit commissioners, helping the 3 to 1 ratio which is hard to attain. Would these people agree to this move? Could I then assign units for them to visit? I heard it said that there are only about 100 voluntee

Although a widely accepted means of keeping track of merit badge partials and completions, there is nothing preventing you from copying them or coming up with your own process. There are software programs, such as TroopMaster, that print out the completed cards for you. If you do come up with your own design, just be aware that the councelors outside your troop will need to be told how to fill them out.

I've had a few boys at star rank leave and come back. I'd say 1 in 10 odds.

Anne, With an ADC, it's mostly learn-as-you-go. You're biggest challenge will be finding UC's for the units in your assigned area. The problem with finding good UC's is the people most qualified probably already have a job in scouting - you can't "steal" from a unit's leadership corps. You can try asking a unit for names of adult leaders who used to be active in a unit and have stepped down from their position, for whatever reason. You might even find some people who were UC's at some point in time and are looking to get active again. Good people skills is a must for a UC. If you pi

It's not that white gas is not allowed by the BSA, it's just not permitted for use at some campsites. I think it might be for insurance reasons. So if you are looking at the G2SS as a reference, it's the "... only when and where permitted." part of the guidline that applies. And, it's that particular BSA camp, state or county park that is not permitting the use of white gas. Safety and insurance reasons aside, it's much easier to teach a new scout how to light a propane stove. But, I agree that there is an advantage to using white gas when backpacking or in cold weather. The r

My district keeps roundtable attendance using a spreadsheet program. The merit badge councelor's list is maintained by our Council. Most other date is kept on ScoutNet, so it makes no sence to maintain and update a separate district database.

From page 120 of the Scoutmaster Handbook: "The Scoutmater Conference ... is held each time the boy completes the requirements for a rank." This what I meam by a Scoutmaster Conference for advancement. From the same source: "The Scoutmaster Conference can be used as a counseling tool at any time and for a variety of other reasons." This is what I mean by a Scoutmaster Conference not for advancement. I you have one of these with a Scout, you are not meeting a requirement for advancmement. Nowhere does it says I have to sign off on any requirment if I have one of these SMCs. I am not

When a boy came to me and said he was ready for his SMC for advancement, the first thing I would say to him is, OK - go get your handbook and I will have a look at. I would then check to see that he had completed all the requirements. If I saw something missing, I would try to see why that was and who's signature was needed. After checking the handbook, we would go over Scout Spirit and I would sign off on that. Then, I would start the SMC for advancement. My advice is don't start a SMC for advancement with a boy unless you know for sure that all the requirements for that rank have b

I find that if a boy does not like something, he will think of every different excuse why. And, when a boy likes something, he will overlook every flaw, like the down side of youth leadership. Most boys who are a loners seems to fall in the first catagory.

What I would do is find out why the Scout does not like camping. I would "peel back the onion" to get to the core of what his problem is. For example, ask him why he does not sleeping in a sleeping bag. He may answer, that it is uncomfortable. Then, ask him why it is uncomfortable - and he may say, because the ground is too hard or cold. Then ask him why the ground is too hard or cold and he may say his sleeping pad is too thin or you may find he doesn't even have one. This is now something specific that the troop can address through skills instruction, instead of the nebulus, "I don

From what I hear, the BSA's association with NASCAR is expiring next year and they now are looking at Baseball, the NFL and the NBA. Brady's picture on the front cover of BL is just the beginning. I guess they are willing to overlook his behavior off the field. Humans are not perfect beings - not even "almost perfect". NASCAR is somewhat of a joke here in New Jersey. It's hard to get excited about a sport that looks like the traffic on the NJ Turnpike during rush hour -a little slower and without the advetising, of course.

Chippewa, based on your post, it sounds like the lack of uniforming is the least of your problems. You have to solve your discipline, retention and recruitment issues first. You are right in that the time has come to change how you are doing things in the troop. But, I would not start by sending scouts home if they do not have their uniform. You need to encourge the good behavior and be a positive role model. This kind of negative reenforcement will not work - Scouting is not run like a sports team. If I were you, I would start by reading some of the other threads in this forum

The minimum level of support from the CO is spelled out in the Annual Charter Agreement. Part of this agreement is to "Provide adequate facilities for the Scouting unit(s) to meet on a regular schedule with time and place reserved," and to, "Encourage the unit to participate in outdoor experiences..." In order to adhere to this agreement, a CO at a minimum should provide a place to meet and a way to store camping gear, either a storage room or a trailer. I actually know one troop in my district that meets outdoors all year under a picnic pavilion - no heat - no walls. I don't know whe

It all starts with the SPL - he has to know he is 100% in charge. You have to show him and the rest of the scouts this. You have to let him and his PLs make all the decisions no matter what. If you or some other adult steps in every time someting goes wrong, you are undermining his and the PLC's authority. Then, once he knows he and his PLs is in charge, then let him make mistakes and create some chaos - this is a good thing. Let no other adult do this. Have a "mini PLC" after each weeking meeting where the SPL asks the PLs how things went. The SM should attend and encourage these