MattR

The scouter's camp fire. Pull up a stump and join us.

True, but everyone here is rather passionate about scouting. Everyone seems to vent in their own way. One group not mentioned are those that didn't reply. It could be they don't care, or maybe they're wise enough to not worry about what they can't control.

Well then, you better stick around because we have a ton of good advice. My feeling about scout rank, especially for AOL's, is that it should be fairly quick. It's more a way to teach the scout about the advancement process because they already know the material. it's also a great way for the new scout to get to know his scout leadership. I'd say that only scouts should sign off on scout rank. Either his PL or troop guide, depending on how new scouts are incorporated into the troop. Since you're going to be the new SM, please ask us a lot of questions about the patrol method and aim

@5thGenTexan, you're clearly not having fun. One important question you haven't addressed is whether your son is having fun. If he is then he should stay. And you'd have more fun if you stayed with him. If he's not having fun then by all means, take a break. The real fun starts in scouts. But let's assume he's having fun and so you have to stay. Now the question is how do you have more fun. What it all boils down to, from the little I've seen, is that you're letting a lot of stuff bother you. This is not a critique of you, we all do this. We all want it to run smooth, and fun, and gr

I would really like to see what was covered in those 3 hours. Typical discussions, problems encountered, push back, examples, all of it. It would be fun to re-create it. I just helped with IOLS, teaching knife and axe, and all I could think was this should be a week long.

That's great! I can imagine it worked better than a basket as sliding off the end of the blade would be better than waiting for the basket to stop. Good for the scouts.

I once heard a CSE mention "getting out in front of the message." Same thing as ypt applies to what their product is. Yet I see nothing. If there is an advertising program I wonder if national creates media and it's up to each council to pay for local play. Does anyone know? It would explain why there's nothing near me, my council can't afford it. If I'm right, this model is a mistake. My guess is most councils are broke and don't have the experience to use advertising effectively.

We can't find enough volunteers to help run it. It's hugely disorganized but I'm just trying to, as the old SM minute says, help a few star fish get back into the ocean.

We do it in Feb, when the food bank says they need it most. Our council wants us to do it in Nov, so it matches up with the council in Denver and we get more press. Go figure.

Yep. Not my idea. I'm so far from cubs I really don't remember any of it.

I was talking to some LDS scouters in my district about what they have for youth compared to scouts and they said, other than merit badges, it's very similar. It's outdoors and youth led. I haven't looked at it though. If the only difference is Eagle then, sorry to say it, but that's no reason to stick around.

I think powderhorn is mostly high adventure skills. Climbing, backpacking, cycling, canoeing. So maybe there's no point on how to organize a high adventure trip in what I wanted. But the rest of it would be useful.

Yep. That replaced FOS. I told you my council is broke.

I'd say training. Think of all the most fun scouting activities and most of them require specialized, certified trainers. Aquatics, shooting, climbing .... Our most important goal is getting scouts to take care of themselves. That's what makes scouting unique to all other youth activities. Shouldn't it involve learning the best ways to reach that goal? I don't want to start another WB argument so let's call it Scouter's Peak, where adults are taught how to develop youth. Not SM specific training, which is really an introduction to scouts. Not woodbadge, which is trying to teach adults how to l

We're now at $60 to national $200 to council $50 to unit (which we haven't changed in about 10 years) I'm hoping the council will be limited to the $60. That would be a big win for us.

I couldn't handle it anymore. I fixed the title. I don't doubt this at all. From national's view there are a million kids out there with no training whatsoever and hundreds of thousands of adults with no training either. They don't trust us. What could be changed so they could trust us? "Don't ask why, ask why not." I think that view would help improve the program. When I let a scout lead without adults around it wasn't just any scout, I had to trust them.

Just a guess, but maybe the Circle 10 council is a long way from the sea? Like in the panhandle?

Since you made everything else from scratch, try getting a spaetzle maker and making your own. Some 20 years ago someone from Germany brought us one. It's easy and tastes good. We're still using the same one.

Our scouts like the open mic part of reviewing events. That's where the funny stories come out. It's usually a case of you had to be there but the scouts have fun. Make it a celebration as much as praising scouts for a job well done. Yes.

When they used to regularly come to CU, where I was, and just kick the tar out of us. Them and Nebraska. Those days taught me the benefit of having the outdoors as a passion. Yep, pain can be a good lesson.

When JTE first came out I remember being told that they would tighten up the requirements every year to slowly improve all the troops. I'm not sure what happened to that idea. One of the problems with JTE is that it is entirely based on easily measured concepts. The number of meetings held, number of campouts, number of advancements, etc. This is straight out of SMART goals. It is entirely based on the methods of scouting with no room for the aims of scouting because character, the oath, and law can't be measured. I could see a problem with with measuring improved growth of scouts and sil

Since my kids are long gone, I'd do more in my wood shop. That's happening anyway. Yes, tools are expensive but they'd be mine. Now, if my kids were younger .... One idea I've thought of, the BSA has a great handbook, so why not just use that? Just do the program and don't join. It's not just $50 to national I'd save, we also have a $200 tax to council. Every camporee now has a 35% tax for council as well. Uniforms could also be simplified. The tradeoffs are: no official eagle scouts and no help with summer camps, camporees, MB counselors, or HA trips. While that puts more pressure on the

Our CO does a background check every year on every adult that goes to any event with scouts other than a meeting. This is just the way it's going. So, I really hope the number of background checks one gets doesn't add up and raise some flag somewhere. Then I'd be in a lot of trouble.

Nobody will, especially because nobody has heard about this. Of course, few people have heard of scout me in. Just to totally change this thread, how is advertising money spent in the BSA? I never see any ads from the BSA on anything. Does each council have to pay for ads or does national?

I like this. But some nitpicking: Get the scouts trained & Set the scouts loose: Maybe not if you're starting a pack? I'd add: get some expertise to look over your shoulder. In a perfect world this would be a commissioner. This is not a perfect world. It should be someone you respect. The training can't cover everything. Also, for troops, make sure the adults are all on the same page as to what scout led means. There are lots of different opinions. All the people you're recruiting for adult leadership have to be interested in this job and willing to learn.