mtm25653

We don't have pack meetings (hold on). Last summer, when we were planning for our new pack, I came across an article called something like "Stop having pack meetings". The premise of the article was that meetings are boring, so have a celebration or something else, not a meeting. We have our Pack Powwow the last Monday of the month. Our dens meet on different schedules based on the den leaders'convenience, mostly at the church (CO). Our first powwow was outside, with a campfire in the gravel parking lot and a birthday cake to celebrate our new pack. We try to have something different/spec

Rechartered 30 boys, then had 12 move up from cubs, plus 2 friends join, so current is 44 - 4 patrols (2 mixed age, 1 new scout which may split into 2, 1 leadership - SPL, ASPL, Troop Guide and other older boys). Rechartered about 35 leaders, and had several parents of new boys sign up. Probably 10 ASMs are Eagles now in college - not very active, but come to meetings when they are home on break. About 10 leaders frequently attend campouts, but not the same 10. Going to 2 camps this summer, plus a crew at Philmont - plenty of adult leadership without anyone having to miss too much work. 1

I've had at least one son in the troop I mentioned for the past 15 years. Over that time, I estimate 15-20% of the scouts have earned Eagle (17 in the past 12 years). The troop has ranged in size between 20 and 40 boys - we just got 14 new boys (12 Webelos, plus 2 friends) which brings us to a new high of 44. This year's only senior earned his Eagle, last year 6 of 7 did. A lot of the boys get their Eagle senior year, and probably completed their POR a couple of years before. Right now the SPL is 17, the ASPL is 15, patrol leaders 13-15, troop guide 16 - all attend almost every meeting an

We don't have attendance requirements. If we did, what would we say to: * the state level wrestler, whose wrestling meets are on the troop meeting night for several months each year? * the marching band members, who have competitions almost every weekend in the fall, attendance at which is mandatory or their grade is dropped (hard to go to a campout when you have a football game Fri night and a competition from 8 am to 6 pm on Sat) * the other athletes with practice and games on the troop meeting night? (Do you really expect the football player who practiced for 3 hours after school

What schism? My son's troop got an entire Webelos den (I think 10 boys) last Saturday. They are all already signed up to go to summer camp. They are going camping with the troop in 2 weeks. They were very active in their Webelos den and pack, and are ready to be boy scouts. My pack crossed an entire Webelos den (9 boys) into another troop last Sat as well. (Pack started this year - Webelos had been active in pack above before this year.) They are going on a trip with the troop to Gettysburg (from NC) this weekend. Boys were active in the Webelos den and pack, and are ready to be boy

Our troop may be a little unusual for the rural South, but we have Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Moslem scouts (and a Buddhist leader). At the request of the PLC, some of the adults of different faiths are working on a program to present at several meetings about different faiths. I think my boys have been fortunate to be exposed to people with many different beliefs and traditions. Both our local troops (and both packs) have a large number of boys earning their religious award. I have had to speak to people at a couple camporees, when the ministers who came to speak at the Sunday serv

I am a CC for the second time. Our monthly meeting includes all leaders - committee members and den leaders. Here is our standard agenda: Opening (pledge and prayer) Cubmaster's report Registrar's report (we try to keep up-to-date to make rechartering easy) Advancement report/logistics Recap of prior special events (Feb mtg we reviewed good and bad points of Jan PWD) Planning for next Pack meeting (who does what) Update/discussion on next special events (Feb mtg we discussed details of B&G) Treasurer's report/Fundraising Training update (when classes are scheduled, who's

We have had some luck getting the boys to walk single file on the center yellow line. (You do need someone to direct them which line to use when there is a turn lane.) I agree that throwing candy is a bad idea - trying to get them to toss it underhand (instead of using their best pitching form) was not successful (and I don't like kids watching the parade darting into the street to pick up candy.)

Give the boy his rank when he earns it, always. Earning Wolf in Feb is not out of line (if this was Sept and he was already done, that would make me think the parent was pushing it.) Tiger/Wolf/Bear rank advancements are done primarily with the family, not with the den, so if anyone complains the other boys aren't done, point out that their families could have worked on the advancements just like this boy's family did. In Webelos, most requirements are worked on in the den, so it is less likely one boy would be done early (though some boys may finish later, because they missed meetings/a

I don't mind the new mother's pin - I have one of each, and I'm kind of hoping they change it again in the next year, so I can get a third kind.

I'm confused. Kudu, it seems to me that you are saying that Patrol Cooking is one of the fundamentals and a necessary requirement for the Patrol Method and Real Scouting: "real Scouting which is based on the Patrol Method. At a bare minimum this would include ... 2) Patrol Cooking: ALL meals cooked in the Scouts' permanent Patrols; ...." "If its not done in Patrols, its not Scouting: ... The bottom line is Patrol Cooking. " And, it seems, that Patrol Method started in 1923 and was replaced in 1972 by changes in the program which created Factory Scouting: "The BSA did

"The kind of 'scouts' being spoken of are those who have pretty much stopped any scouting activities, then come back 'at the last minute' to get their Eagle. " But why were they gone? Do you know? Were they on a sports team that had games and practices on meeting night? (I know several scouts in our troop like that.) Were they working to save money for college? (Ditto) Were they taking an incredibly hard school schedule (like the 5 AP courses my son and several of his agemates in the troop did last year-they all started college with enough credit to be sophomores) Were they applying

NeilLup said: "Not to be too confusing, but there is no requirement at all that a boy be 10.5 to earn the AOL " That is true, but as of May 15, 2004, a boy under 10 cannot join a boy scout troop, though he could stay on in the cub pack as a Webelos. Boy Scout Joining Requirements (Scout Badge) from usscouts.org "Meet age requirements: Be a boy who has completed the fifth grade and be at least 10 years old, or be 11 years old, or have earned the Arrow of Light Award and be at least 10 years old, and be under 18 years old. "

The summer camps our troop goes to have "high adventure" programs for older boys, to keep them interested and challenged. My son has done "Mountain Man" for 2 years (and has applied to be on staff this summer) - black powder rifle, tomahawk throwing, blacksmithing, cooking all their own meals in cast iron on an open fire. Other boys in the troop have gone on a 5-6 day canoeing trek, fish camp (all fishing, all-day). I'm pretty sure both of these involve cooking on their own. Other local camps offer a mixed week - mountain biking, canoeing, rock climbing, etc. (a different activity each day) -

Membership to REI (if they aren't already members) and a gift card, to use for the equipment as a boy scout leader. I got a nice hiking staff when I finished 2 years as committee chair.

The building where we meet (which was built with our input) has a large brick chimney, maybe eight feet wide, on the exterior of the building. The things that hold in climbing rocks are embedded in the wall and there is a mechanism for attaching ropes for belaying at the top (can't be more specific, I've never been up there.) A few times a year, a meeting will feature or include climbing the wall, and the rocks are attached for those meetings. Usually we have at least 1 climbing trip a year in the NC mountains. (Our leaders have extensive climbing experience and all the needed equipment.)

We did a pirate theme campout - the boys loved dressing up. We had strips and triangle of fabric for sashes and headbands, eyebrow pencils for mustaches, beards, stubble or scars (adults drew them), temporary tattoos and the gem rings from Oriental trading co.

My 15 yo son has taken Heinlein's list as his goal - we were talking about it just yesterday - he is well on his way, though I don't think he's actually changed a diaper, and he's never had the opportunity to comfort the dying. He can build a wall, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, and cook a tasty meal,

My oldest son's ECoH was held outdoors at his project, an outdoor worship space at our church. The hardest part was getting the older people (my mom was 75) up the path through the woods. The older relatives and guests sat on the benches, some people brought camp chairs and the other scouts stood in the back. It was at 4 pm in Oct, and the sun started to set in the west, directly behind the wooden cross. Afterwards, we had a reception inside the church.

It is helpful if there is one point of contact in the troop for the cub packs/Webelos dens. For the first couple years after my youngest (of 3) moved to Boy Scouts, I served as the Webelos liaison for my troop, since I knew the troop program, but I also knew the pack leaders since I had been one for the previous (8) years. This is a good job for a parent who has experience in the troop but also has ties to the pack.

We have an "intro to boy scouting" for parents, either at a cub campout in the fall, or when a Webelos den comes to visit the troop. I put together a chart of differences between the cub and boy scout programs (e.g., cubs camp 2-3 times a year, with families/boy scouts camp every month, adults camp separately from boys) as well as definitions of boy scout terms (e.g., patrol, board of review, merit badge, patrol leaders council). We have a new scout campout a few weeks after the Webelos cross over - the older boys teach how to set up a campsite, Fireman's Chip, Tottin' Chip, etc. It's ok

Your son's charter school is a good option for recruiting. In my sons' charter school, there are a large number of boy scouts, so no one is considered "odd" if they talk about scouts - one summer 20% of my older son's class (5 boys) went to Philmont together. The teachers know who the scouts are, and give them responsibilities that the boys love (e.g., checking the drinking fountains and changing out the water bottles). Ask if your scouts can do a flag ceremony at the school (for several years, my sons and other scouts raised and lowered the flag every day). As the school grows, your troop can

"Ireland didn't participate in the war." Yes, I know. The man said that - but I don't remember exactly the years he was a scout, and he mentioned food rationing during the war, so it was easier for me to say "during WWII" as opposed to the more correct "during years that much of the rest of the world was fighting WWII". The boys were fascinated by what he had to say - I would think anyone who was a scout in a different country or long ago would be of interest to the boys.

In my experience (12 years as a cub leader), at cub campouts, everyone (adults and scouts) wears their uniform at flag-raising and lowering, campfire and Sunday service. During the day for activities, people mostly take off their uniform shirts and wear t-shirts (if it's warm enough), though some leaders and boys will wear their uniforms all day. Fewer boys have their uniform on later in the day (for flag-lowering and campfire) usually because they ran out of time to change or they forgot. I don't see a problem with not wearing the uniform for running around, doing water bucket relays and

I'm sorry there are troops that don't teach/let the boys learn outdoor skills. I completely agree that you need some leaders skilled in camping and the outdoors. All the troops I know have that, I guess because I'm fortunate to live in a rural area of the south near a large military base. Every troop has leaders who grew up on farms and leaders who are ex (or current) military. I agree that mentoring is important, but in the troop you described, where the EAgle Scout with no outdoor experience, did the leaders want to learn more and want to be able to teach the boys to be confident in t