ozemu

He's 11. I see that at about 1 year into scouts there is a drop in interest because Scouts is different to Webelos (?). It is less immediate fun and more long range challenge/fun. Some Troops handle this by having age appropriatte activities but most do not. They have either young or old Scouts. Yours has old Scouts. His interest level in such a case is normal. As he gets older I suspect he will get more interested in Scouts providing you can create / find a Troop that can meet his immediate needs...or give it another break and re-introduce Scouts some time next year.

Hi sctmom, your son is quiet while the Troop seems to be big so maybe he would prefer smaller groups. Maybe work on changing the Patrol rather than the whole Troop. Maybe even smaller and get your son to choose two buddies for working on a cardboard box oven, or an alter fire built in a creek or height/accuracy test by blowing the lid off a coffee tin etc by boiling a little water inside. Any of that way out stuff you described. This might firm up the good friends as james_clegg suggests. If he won't get out of the car could you bring his scout buddies to him? ie an aftern

You lot are lucky. Our committee is for the Group (all sections 6-26 years old although most have only two sections Cubs and Scouts. A few have multiple Troops Packs etc) Therefore our committee does no paperwork for the Troop. It never occured to me to separate training from admin. We'll probably go scomman's way there. How often do people change the ASM - Patrol combinations? Annually - biannually?

I have been looking through your Sm's Handbook (thanks for the swaps Bob and Mike) and I can't find a reference to duties for ASM's. To keep the adults interested it was suggested that we keep them doing useful jobs - making them feel needed and part of something good. How do people do this? My ASM gets / volunteers for jobs ad hoc. Do Troops use permanent/annual/project-only duties (QM, games master, overnight camp leader etc)? What kind and how does it turn out? Pls forgive if this info is in another text that you have.

He had fascinating backwoods skills and was always coming up with interesting projects.

G'day Loki, Great topic. Given info gained on this forum I intended to do the same as you. rlculver has an interesting version with the adult patrol going on parade etc. I hope this doesn't kidnap your thread but here are some questions for all: Do any adult patrols meet apart from the Troop to have some adventures of your own? Do any compete in Patrol competitions? Should they? Who leads the patrol? Is it automatically the SM? I intend to include senior Scouts not allocated to Patrols and some who assist (like JASM) but are actually in the next secion (Ven

Peyote...... Nope. No idea. Could it be a misspelling? Maybe refers to that dog arrangement that gets outwitted by the roadrunner. Still makes no sense. Recap of previous for Y'ski: Good one Bob. mk9750 might be confusing yarrow with yaworski. yaworsjki hasn't continued to attack Bob. I hope he will email Bob member to member rather than involve us all. Bob's wife makes good chilli - which I would like to try. (This message has been edited by ozemu)

Some say hardwood drill and softwood base piece. Others say the opposite. I use the one piece of stick. The thick end is the base and the thin end is the drill. Softwoods generally. Brace the wrist that holds the top hand piece against your shin to stop the wobbles. Saw across rather than back and forth. For tinder underneath I use old birds nests preferably. Look around after big winds. We also use dried Roo poo for tinder but you are on your own with American alternatives. Lots of sweat may be needed. Beware though - I've seen drops land on the newly formed ember.

I teach the Scouts about hand angles (spread hand = about 15 dgrees, two hands spread = 30, 360 degrees in circle therefore 3 x double hands right of North = East) and do navigation without compass or map. Actually the next step is to make thier own map using a plain table survey. Light all fires with flint and steel or by friction. (I'm working up to this one) When hiking use a flint or lighter. Both work after getting wet. Round cake racks in the bottom of the Dutch Oven allow heat rto circulate. Same with pan and 3-4 small rocks between oven base and pan. I have draw

The marketing thing is a must. Double Eagle has good clues. Maybe you could focus on training your existing Scouts as PL's and get them to find members so that they can have a Patrol to lead. Idea was from a 1920's british booklet.

Ooops! The flippant emu rules his reply out of order on a tecnicality. Pls note the contradictory nature of the boxing analogy and the reference to 'Queensbury rules'. (Red faced he backs away stage left and awaits sarcasm - which is deserved)

....and as he was not quoting rules his reply was full of character and opinion. Still direct and to the point we notice. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe mk9750 is confused between yarrow and yaworski but check the style mate - you were on the money with the intent of yarrow's post. We all sit awaiting yaworski's response. No - in discussing Bob I didn't automatically compare his profile with yaworski's. Still wouldn't. This is not a boxing ring - it is a freindly mele with Bob holding a banner aloft from a whopping great white horse. Is yaworski leaving the field of battle

Doug - what is a pine needle drive? If it is common USA knowledge pls reply privately so as not to waste space.

Rick has a good view. I am put off from replying to a thread that has gone personal. So the attitude limits the field I suppose and that isn't especially fruitfull. Also I'm not really interested in 17 emails which announce a giant arguement between two people on Scouter.com. How about after a single response the arguements go on via "Send Private Message' and stop wasting our time.

Hello Laurel, it's good to see you. We hope you like it here. C-section! Twice I made the trip home from hospital an extra 20km so that I could avoid those potholes. My Scouts were great at looking after my two when they were little. So 40 sons means 40 babysitters on camp - you should be camping every weekend so that you can have a break!

Bob White strikes me as the sort of busy, dedicated, freindly-with-a-beer-in-hand, no nonsense type of officer whom I met often while in the Army. If you stick your head through his door and ask a question you'll get it quick, firmly and without much thought for style etc. Those blokes were just too busy. With his prolific postings and I'm sure that he searches documents as well as his brain for answers I do not expect pussy footing. My hide is not as thick as his but I can tolerate the style without feeling anything personal. I'd like to chat around a campfire with him - I don'

On my first Troop camp (start plus five weeks) I had some of my scouts from my previous Troop to set an example and just pitch in. They helped train my new scouts and led in 'scout spirit'. I would recommend that you use existing scouts at your first few meetings for the same reason.

What I do for a small living is a bit like scouting but without a promise / oath, law, not much scout led initiative and no ideal of service to the community. So it seems a bit hollow. Aussie is a girl! and will be in Elizabeth City in late Oct and Nov. I set up the trip over the christmas period solely by research on the net. The Giurl Scouts are pretty experienced t this stuff and I got some host response through Scouter.com and also through a tedious web search and GS bulletin boards. The Coast Guard spouses provided several hosts when an existing host advertised there. Going

Insane I am just coming out of the start up phase with my new Troop. It has been 18 months of grinding away at behaving reasonably, responsible leadership and lots of skills training. We also did a very big trip (overseas) to give real focus. The word is out and in the last four months my Troop has had 75% growth. But - I still can't get through to parents what we are doing and what is needed. I am short of trained leaders. My error was to concentrate on the program, the Scouts and getting more Scouts when I really needed to get the adult assistance set up correctly. The pare

Doug, I'm on the spot now aren't I? I have not read Boundaries with kids. My wife works with 'behavioural' kids at schools and would agree with Sager and Sctmom in many cases - she complains about this too but unless we are going to homeschool etc there is little to be done regards schooling. After all the teacher is to teach a class - individulas with problems that detract from the education of the class will be relegated to the scrap heap if they demand too much time. The good of the majority and all that. I think that you are correct in that past experience has a significant

Doug I agree with the thrust. That is why I am a trained and registered teacher but refuse to teach in classrooms (until hit by poverty) and pursue the education of young people as an outdoor ed instructor. I also think that the highest form of outdoor ed is Scouting (read Patrol method, promise and law, award scheme, mixing ages in play). Schools have walls and timetables - essential for mass education but not really the best for each individual. The teachers are great but the system will never do what a good SM can. It seems Doug that you would appreciatte the books I studied in

what guzugi supposes is pretty much our experience. Except that girls often like getting dirty. The REALLY like getting dirty - breaking out of the social stereotype etc. I will readily admit that girls and boys are different (thank goodness) and that they do need to be catered for just as we need to cater for those either side of 13 years. All it takes is a few more games in you repetoir and a wider view of the programme.

Hi guzugi, I'm not too sure about that. I think it comes down to a personal philosophy of what we are doing in Scouting. For me I see the unpleasent things that you mention as being opportunities to learn serious and deep lessons. How to occupy yourself without flicking a switch, being irritating to others or being destructive is a valuable lesson. I understand though if people do not see this as their role or why they are in Scouting - the work is difficult and requires much emotion and energy. I'm quite convinced though that waiting for Scouts to figure it out for themselves is

18 months age I started a new Troop. Lots of parents on the first camp. They were not trained and basiclaly sat around all weekend and got in the way a bit. I didn't have any time to talk to them much - I was tha only trained leader (Australian rules allow this). However right now two of these parents are considering training as ASM (here that = three weekends +) I also enjoy having any number of parents around. They are useful, great examples of adulthood etc. The difference is that now they understand the programme better and can help even without Scout training (lots of bush

Sctmom your mum and dad sound fascinating. Would love to meet them. The communication thing is a problem. It is unintentional I'm sure but can be very real. I can see women being left out of planning conversations just because the men haven't thought about it and are making assumptions. A straight forward asking to be included so that you can help and learn might be best. This particular male likes direct discussions - I just won't pick up on inuendo. Excellant discussion guys - I am seeking a woman to be ASM and am taking notes!