Overtrained

I believe it is possible to have two packs or troops at the same Instition. The program is there to help them deliver their mission to youth. Not everyone can make a set meeting of say Tuesday nights, but to serve more youth they decide to start a unit that meets Thursday nights. As to adults being in multiple units, there are a few cases this could be good, ( i.e. a facilities person who coordinates all the meeting dates or a chaplain who coordinates religious emblems programs) but generally think it stifles the units.

Im curious. How many councils have some sort of supplemental training day, be it a Pow Wow, Show & Do, University of Scouting or something else. By council has a day for adults and a day for youth. Here is what Id like to know: 1. Who is the day geared for? Cub, Scout, Venturer, Varsity, Explorer, District and/or all. 2. How many classes are there for each area? 3. What time of year do you hold it? 4. What is your attendance like? 5. Do you have a course for youth? This is just a start. Feel free to add questions that will add to the topic. Overtrained

I recently was camping with my sister and brother and their families. We also had some mutual friends and their families. When it came to cooking, the boys (who are scouts) all new how to cook on the campfire. There are still some embers out there that keep this tradition burning.

Although I have many, there is one that stands out. I was at the National Explorer Congress in Washington DC. The night of the big elections, I wandered into the auditorium to watch people setting up. The National Officers were all on stage rehearsing when my Exploring Executive walked up behind me and said, "You'll be up there one day" I had no such aspirations but the seed was planted. Two years later I was on that stage. Coincidently, my advisor, while a was a national officer, was my PTC instuctor a few weeks ago. Hadn't seen him in twenty years.

Although not original and many have done it - I like the current bush. I had plugged my charged electric razor into a tree after returning from the shower. Some scouts asked what I was doing and I said the electricity from last nights storm was stored in the tree and I was using its power to shave. The best I have ever heard though was my fathers. He and the priest from church had taken the boys to camp (where no bears have ever roamed) and taught them to stand at attention and put their hat in their mouth if they ever saw a bear. Bears hate hats. As a campfire evolved into ghost s

Hi Spork, There is a training manual for Troop Guides that your district Training Chairman may have. They might even have a scheduled training. The training is for the troop guide as BW describes it. So it would help the guide for the first year scouts, but I don't know beyond that.

Our troop PLC schedules two months a year that will have no troop outing. This is done on purpose to allow the patrols to have their own. So far it has worked pretty well.

I have read this post only twice. I am not articulate enough to respond the way my heart tells me to. So, I shall not read the post again, but pray for the lost souls I've seen here. The only truth I know is that God is the only judge that matters and so I side with him to be judged on judgement day.

Eamonn, I don't know how the finances are handled today, but I know the program from before the subsidiary corporation was formed. It was an ethics based program in the school. Other than some counselors or teachers to guide the program, the leadership was the professional or para-professional. The United Way and other donors liked the program which allowed us funds, beyond the expenses, to run the program. So without it we would have seen a net loss of income. Maybe the "Man of Steele" can enlighten us. I know his council, at one time, had the highest percentage of youth s

I couldn't find the fact sheet on Presidents, but found one that the scouts might like - astronauts. http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=mc&c=fs

BW I have attempted to read this entire thread and admire and respect your input. I can not articulate it as well as you do, but consider your input as representing my view. Keep up the good work. Overtrained

I just returned from our council training committee meeting and a similiar topic came up about removing a volunteer. When the discussion was done, it was realized that no one ever trained him or went over a job description or expectations. Its a wonder he didn't quite. We give employees opportunities for improvement with clear goals. Do you do the same with yours volunteers? (rhetorical) Eamonn, I believe Dave is correct. Let the nominating committee do its job with respect to District Chairman and tell the SE and Council Commish it is their job for your district Commissioner. You

I know our last course was Monday through Saturday. Our next one is two Fridays through Sundays. I don't know which is better, accept to say the staying away from Sunday on the weeklong make most sense to me, both from a religious expect and to recoop before going back to work. Bob H

Hi Ken, Welcome to the forum. Although not a scoutmaster, I was an advisor feeling much the way you do. You'e already stated your strengths and weaknesses. Talk to the current Scoutmaster about your concerns and find out which Assistant Scoutmasters can assist in your weak areas. Remember, many hands make light work. Ask the person who asked you why they want you and what is the committees expectations. You should also have your expectations for the committee. Working together, you'll do fine. I hope this made sense. 2 insomniacs writing at 12:30am may not make for the best

While a freshman in college I worked part time in the ROTC department. I had applied for a three year scholarship and needed referances. At the time, I was also the National Aviation Exploring Chairman and my adult volunteer conterpart was a 3 star general. I had asked him for a letter of referance. Imagine my suprise when opening the office mail and there was a letter from the General. I brought it to my Colonel right away so I could see his face when he read it. I received the scholarship and spent 15 years in the service and I'm still involved in scouting because of the P

Thank you all for your input. These are great ideas and the committee appreciates it. Any other experiances, skits, songs that anyone has done would be great.

One of the duties of the District Executive is to work with the Chartered Organization to help them understand their relationship. The organization is to use scouting to further their mission of serving youth. It seems that this idea has been lost and they see the unit as just a group that meets there. I'd talk to your DE and ask for help. As to the equipment and such, it does belong to them. I think the DE has a form the Charter Organization can sign to release the unit number back to the council for use, but I don't know that that extends to the equipment. Again, ask your DE.

Same river, differant time. We always had a Annual Explorer Canoe Race. I was demonstrating some safety procedures on what not to do or else one would end up wet. In my haste to get the race going, I then disregarded what I told them (green DE that I was), stood up in the boat to shoot the starter pistol... and you guessed it - fell in. Glad to see I'm not the only one the Fox conquered.

These are great ideas. Keep them coming. Dave, haven't contacted the Bristol Faire, but most of them are coming up to the Shakopee Faire starting this saturday and we have our tickets and notepads ready. Run awaaaaaaay.....but don't bleed on me Ah, good old Monty

My district's camporee this year has a renaissance theme. Does anyone have ideas on skits and songs that have worked for them for the campfire?

There is one more challenge here beyound this particular scout, as I see it. If the Chair of the BOR felt the scout should not have been passed, than how did this get past the scoutmaster to even allow it to come to a board of review? Lets see if I can articulate this better. I sat on a board of review shortly after a new scoutmaster started. We turned the boy down. Although the BOR is not a rubber stamp, it rarely turns a scout down. We expressed our concerns to the SM through the MC in charge of BORs. We have never come close to turning one down again. The SM understands the comm

I'm a district training chairman and I have visited units. It usually has been with a commissioner to units that had a perceived training problem. I have been in districts where the advancement chair, camping chair, and membership chair have done the same for perceived problems in their area. I look at it this way - if the district commissioner tells the district committee that certain units are having some problems, the operating chairs should offer their assistance to the Unit commissioner to get them solved.

Laurie, Lots of good advice here. Couple of other suggestions for you: 1. If your close to another council or district, see when their training is. Nothing says you have to be trained in your district - just let them know when you completed it. 2. Offer to the trainers a training for your pack and you will guarantee "X" number of scouters. 3. Find some successful packs around you and see what they are doing. Hope this helps. Bob H

Hey Brian "Merlyn" Westley, The constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". You also state that law has extended that to the states. This case did not establish a religion nor did it prohibit the free exercise thereof. The courts have long legislated from the bench, and this is but another case.

Excuse Me! "But with Scouting declining in memberships, press not favorable to our cause. And leaders who are not leading but politicizing, what is the harm? If this fires the spirit, and gets them motivated, who cares?" If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. The ends cannot justify the means. If the members want to propose to national to change the sash - so be it. But until then, there is but the 3 sashes - Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil red arrow on white. Nothing else to be worn on the sash. "Who Cares?" I do.