ozemu

Everyone please note that invincible_guy is using English as his second or third language.

He might be finding your messages difficult to interpret.

Please keep paragraphs short, sentances simple and avoid spelling errors and jargon.

invincible_guy,

your last question is difficult to answer. Every country runs the program differently in detail but the same in general. In HK I do not know if there is a direct link between leadership and proficiency.

A Scout does not have to be a leader to earn badges in any country that I know of.

However a PL should develop their skills so they can teach others.

Is a good leader someone who earns lots of badges? No.

In your case being older and with many badges does not mean that you are a good leader. Leadership is a skill to be learned. It needs compassion, empathy, a desire to help, determination, enthusiasm etc. From what you write I think that you are trying hard to be a leader.

I think that an Instructor must be able to teach all of the skills in a badge. If I teach a Scout something they must come back next week and show that they still remember how to do it.

In Australia we used to have Challenge badges - they did not have any standards. A Scout had to work for at least ten hours doing their best. One Scout might collect 20 stamps - another might collect 2000 stamps. They got the same badge providing they both did their best work.

Is your SL asking for your best work? Are you already doing your best?

From what you write your Group and Troop organises the program. Does this mean that you (a PL) does not write any of the program? Do the adults write the program for you?

If you feel okay with the dad explain how cooking helps the Scouts plan and do a task to a good standard. Near enough is not really good enough with food.

Ask your SM to sit all new adults down for 30 min of this is how it works in this Troop and why. I do that every year. I cover what the parents can do to help and what they should not do that also helps. Very much I explain the why. Learning by doing.

It reads like the PL should have a duty roster up in the Patrol campsite somewhere. Is it your job to get the PL onto the task or is that the SMś job? Not familiar enough with SPL duties to know myself.

The solution really is to make sure that it will not happen in the future not to wait until it does.

Dad may just be doing his best and doesnt realise what is going on - it is his first time after all.

126 posts for junior to senior I think and you have gotten to junior already I see.

Well said and welcome boy_scout_chic.

My daughter loved "Bend it Like Beckham".

"Whalerider" I thought was terrific - yeah all kiwi's have a speech problem.

My daugther has watched "Mean Girls" a few times to. Very American and hits hard at girls being horrible at school - of course they all come through okay. Good talking points maybe.

Also try "Rabbit Proof Fence" for a real triumph against adversity and the system but it is very Australian and showing our stolen children side of Aboriginal oppression. It is a true story about girls escaping together from an 'orphanage' to return to their parents tribal area across deserts etc.

Here's wishing for a year of peace that is free from disasters of all kinds. It's been getting rough lately.

Only a few minutes to go for you guys. You're always running late when something important happens - our Jan 1 is in late afternoon already. A storm is brewing here, I've given up putting fence posts in, and the dear wife has just presented a wee drink of rum and coke. Welcome to the party everyone.

Try also scout.org to see what WOSM is doing and some letters from Scout Assoc in effected countries.

It's terrible.

They need help.

I served my ten for the Queen. Australia fought the Indo's in the 60's (not widely known). I served in Malaysia at the tail end of our military assistance to them suffering Indo incursion. We support the PNGDF and PNG classmates of mine from officer training have exchanged a shot or two over the border. I narrowly missed (but my mates and my unit did not) the peacekeeping (virtually peacemaking) in East Timor. We will be there for years. Indonesia sends most of the illegal immigrants we get. Our embassy in Indonesia was bombed this year and they killed about 200 Aus and heaps more locals with a nightclub bomb in Bali the year after 9/11.

Australia has roughly the poulation of NY.

We are sending 90 something Million dollars (Aus) as well as troops etc. Almost one mil was raised at last nights celebrations Aus wide. My family is giving. A school girl nearby raised $4000 by selling hotdogs. If I were a doctor I would be there now - the call went out yesterday.

They need our help.

It's not a game of footie - the score is not important

I have never been an active participant in a thread which closed.

Long before it gets to that point I have left the discussion anyway. I leave when I find the discussion pointless or rude.

I suppose you are fortunate that I am not a moderator.

Toughen up OGE and Hops

We use two plastic boxes with lids that are meat trays as their designed role in life. One for gear, the second for the overflow and food. Lanterns, cylinders, tents etc are carried separately.

Each box is moveable by two small Scouts.

They stack in the trailer, and in the store room.

They can be sat on if the lid is secure.

Everything is stored in them and that saved sorting time as we head out for camp.

We spend half the year going lightweight and that gear is yet to find a storage solution.

My earliest memory is an indistinct view of Scouts at their hall when my dad was SM. We were driving past and I really wanted to be there.

I remember my first parade at Cubs.

But the oddest is me reading a Cub handbook that stated the ages and realising that I had passed the minimum age for joining by a few months. Mum moved really fast and within a week I was at my first parade.

By that age I had also read fair chunks of Scouting for Boys too. I had read it cover to cover before joining the Troop at age 11.

At present we have no newsletter.

But when I had more time we had a quarterley magazine. A4 folded into A5 and presented as a small book of about 12 pages. Had news, the term program, congrats, and artciles about skills that was not available in the published Scouting literature. I wrote it fo rthe Scouts but the families also read it a lot. Lots of pictures I grabbed from www.

Presentation counted for a lot in getting the messages across. It was effective but needed me and I gave up as it prioritised lower than program stuff when work got busy.

We have a Scout editor now but the format changed, the content got boring and the editions were not regular. So now we do notes when ever needed. Not all are getting home because they are small and not attractive to the Scouts so they forget to hand it on.

I think washing machines read them a lot.

Not really a viable notices method because of the time lag.

Over here Scouters were not allowed to wear any youth badge other than bravery awards. This had been the case since BP stepped out of nappies. Consequently most youth members never saw the highest level of awrd being worn. Most would achieve the top level just weeks before progressing on.

A few years ago adults were allowed to wear the Queens Scout and Baden-Powell awards but no others. Now the Scouts can see that some people actually make it to those dizzy heights. It makes the possibility more possible (Great grammer Graham!)

Now the difference is that adults wear miniature badges in the same place that youths wear the full sized badge.

We also wear skill badges earned as a youth. Basically these are badges that recognise outside skills. First Aid certificates, Ham Radio operator, Surf Life Saver etc. These are the same for all Scouts regardless of age, section or job.

I have no idea what the last several posts are about. (Not a trekker).

However - I hope BW will come back for the reasons stated. He has been away before. Holidays and one time for less than pleasent family reasons I think.

And I am a bit niave too - didn't know FOG had multiple personalities. Wasn't paying much attention. I believe I have noticed the shadow of DSteele though.

I wish I could meet up with you people like Fred Goodwin intends.

I used to be the biggest agin th govment person in Scouts.

I always new a better way.

Now I have pulled my head in a bit and believe that Scout policy is generally spot on. By the book is actually unusual around here. But we have the biggest Troop and growing (again thanks for the help everyone) so it must be working.

But let me split hairs a bit.

The book is best. Scouting for Boys etc are classics and give an excellant feel. They are not policy. Current and establiehed publications work provided they have been tested. Anything over say five years since first edition I would consider tested and worth following diligently.

New publications (less than five years from first edition) may still have holes in them and common sense should always be applied to what the text contains. But do not go against current policy. Just make it work and tell the appropriate people where it needs a tweek or rewrite.

The book is also a bottom line. If you can enhance the program by adding to policy, rules etc without infringing them then go and do better. I certainly have. I follow all the rules (Im a little late sometimes with paperwork) but I add lots.

What I add is considered and discussed. It is presented as options and all my adults and PLs have power of veto. More brains than one etc.

What is a good idea worth adding?

You Americans have lots of good ideas. But so do others. Look around. I found this site and some pretty weird ideas viewed from over here but some work real well (thanks again). Maybe other Scouting assocs have ideas you can adapt. Certainly I find some more up to date practices in my industry (outdoor education) and I borrow from there. You have in the USA the Assoc of Experiential Ed, Outward Bound, National Outdoor Leadership School and Project Adventure. All are world leaders in being outdoors with kids. Borrow from there as much as you like.

But follow the rules. If it needs changing then tell someone.

Do you have a process over there that allows for this?

Good work young uns!

thanks again eisely for spreading good news.

Certified to me indicates that the unit has an authority to operate. No certificate would mean that the unit is not actually a part of BSA.

I know that is not what you mean but semantics can do that. Not knowing anything about quality unit I have to say that term indicates a unit that is doing the job to the highest of standards. So maybe Quality should be beefed up.

I know our QU badge is easy to get (not that ours has arrived from Mar this year! but that is another story)

I also suggest a mix of qualitative and quantative assessment. Numbers can mean little and words are cheap. Together they paint a more exact picture. For similar reasons I suggest self and external assessment together rather than one or the other. How about a user (parent/Scout) assessment?

I would rate it a 10 with the occassional sleep deprived 4-5.

The Scout beside me just said 9-10.

This is a quantative response though Eamonn.

The why is even harder to figure. I say because I feel that I am doing something that is as ancient as mankind - training young people to become good adults in their community. It is also lots of fun - often.

The Scout here says because we get to go camping a lot and we get to meet other people when we go camping.

hops I reckon a lot of scouts end up the same way. It just gets into you and then you cant help yourself.

For myself, it used to be that every time I was given a desk job and lost command of soldiers for a while I would find the nearest or saddest Troop around. Now the opposite view of what to do without Scouting is a bit scary.

I suppose I would have to be outdoors with any young people who wanted to be there too. Tried the Army cadets for a while but the management is like swimming in embalming fluid (to borrow a phrase form Hap Klopp).

I would probably take foster kids outdoors.

Scouting/Camping - a food dehydrator

Other - sugar coated ginger

Welcome e-scouter,

you wrote a well thought out post. May I quote parts in our newsletter?

Third point.

We have had several Scouts just turn up out of the blue. Some not even from our area and they drive right past other Troops. Even leave other Troops and move to us.

This seems to be the word of mouth that results from a reasonably good program. The Troop is now 2-3 times larger than the others around here and we have at least twice as many leaders as the others.

The program is not just fun; it is challenging and sometimes I worry that we are going too hard. But they keep coming back and suggesting bigger adventures. I think that is the hook.

The line we keep them on is one of pride, service, and guided interpersonal skill development.

We are building young men and women and that is respected by their peers and parents.

That is where I think the surprise turn ups come from. Adventure and care. They feel proud and safe - their mates like the sound of that.

Another aspect. I spent a lot of time doing flyers, talks, newspaper articles etc to build the Troop. It was a new Troop. I never got a single recruit. Not one. Tried for over a year.

But I did build the Cub pack up a bit. And eventually they end up in my Troop. SO the delayed actiuon works okay.

Why is it easier to advertise for and get Cub Scouts than it is to get Scouts?

Once I had as part of my paid employment the job of PR for our Army unit.

The area we covered was 800km long and covered two major newspaper cahins and a few tv stations. The radio was fairly serpate.

I tried to get a good story for each newspaper chainś area each month.

I would get photos, learned how to write and layout stories, would ask our formations PR officer for advice, and found out who were the reporters by name and when their deadlines were. I had a few real successes.

But in the end all we were doing was to get good PR in before the papers found something not so good to report on. Dampeneing down the fire. I dont think it helped with funds, recruits etc. Other units did that and had very little success.

So BW is right that if one exists a PR manager at District would be good and would have a good link with Council PR and higher. The reporters have one person to talk to and not dozens. Makes some sense.

However your local aims may be different to District or Council. There is always room for a local PR effort.