ozemu

mmm fair enough Those concerns will not be the case though. If someone wants to sign up for consectutive terms that is ideal. The point is the parents promise to find a replacement for when the leader wants to retire - that way a leader can pass the baton rather than feel guilty or hang around until they are exhausted and fed up. As long as the leader makes the program available to a minimum standard it doesn''t matter if the Scouts do not / can not attend. The contract is an agreement. The one being reviewed here currently was written as a template, read and ammendments re

I have been designing a contract between the parent body and the individual leader. It contains some promises such as: to run a certain minimum number of camps etc to be replaced by another adult by a set date to be reimbursed for various expenses including a token allowance for updating camping or uniform gear annually to achieve fully trained standard by half way through the term of ''''employment'''' (looks to be 2-3 years) and other stuff My aim is that both parents and leaders will know what they are getting involved with. Too many of us here are employed u

Sorry - Opera did something weird with the wand and I have deleted this post.(This message has been edited by ozemu)

Infoscouter that is gooood. Might have something there. Lisabob I''m afraid I don''t have a Communications MB handbook. There isn''t an elec copy of around? Maybe I''ll Amazon one - price starts at $10 though. If I was to get a copy does the handbook contain insructions and advice that would be understood by a 12 year old? pargolf44067 having the program at the top is probably the catch point for most parents. Good advice. I wasted a bit of time on an Outlook email newsletter last night. Too complicated for most of our parents to steer. I think a basic word doc will be

eagle90 your email is simple and useful. Not pretty but workmanlike. I would be happy to recieve such a newsletter because I can simply scan it and get information. Which is kind of the opposite to the way I was heading. You know looks good, photo''s laid out to be attractive. Got me thinking there. Thanks

Eisely there is only one standard mail charge here. Everything else is express. We are looking at a paper copy as many of the parents don''t have email or even a computer. I was astounded when I found out. The pdf writer is a good suggestion, thanks CNY Scouter. Thanks also for the website links. That was my number one priority for communications but given what I just wrote that has slipped down a tad now. And youth content is a must - only realised that when having a shower this morning. Why do the best ideas happen in the shower?

In my new (Scouting) job I see a need for a newsletter. A search of the last 12 months doesn''t show the topic as much discussed. I wish to have a cost effective single A4 page mailed to each Scouts home. We intend to do this monthly excluding the holiday period (Dec-Jan down here). What works for you? double column, tri fold with address on one side, news and programs, camp paperwork, photo''s???????? Anything about newsletters goes here people. Websites etc are another issue and worthy of another thread if you want to examine those topics. This one is about paper mailed t

Red Feather I reckon that sounds good - doing a re-run. But to be truthful I am waist deep in recruitment of leader issues and an upcoming trip to Vanuatu in May 08. But if I can get a new SL then I'll put it to them. Doing an MB exchange won't be hard - just haven't got motivated leaders about the place at present. We'll hook up after Christmas eh? Not interested in meeting up with us in the Pacific in May are you?

Red Feather I reckon that sounds good - doing a re-run. But to be truthful I am waist deep in recruitment of leader issues and an upcoming trip to Vanuatu in May 08. But if I can get a new SL then I'll put it to them. Doing an MB exchange won't be hard - just haven't got motivated leaders about the place at present. We'll hook up after Christmas eh? Not interested in meeting up with us in the Pacific in May are you?

Yes - I remember. We had some of those blue cards turn up here when we did an exchange (well it was pretty one way really) with Red Feather of this forum. Our Scouts did the fishing and Indian lore MB and eventually got both badge and cards sent over. The last wearer of said badges aged out only two months ago. I think he said some heads got scratched when he wore uniform at the Jamboree in Jan this year. It was great for our Scouts. They got really keen. Big thanks to Red Feather and the crew in BSA who helped out. Only wish we could have helped in the other direction.

Fair enough too. Here every Scout (Cub, Scout, Venturer,Rover) has a passbook with all of the possible badges listed and each test is signed off individually. A complete record in one place. Just the thing for washing machine tragedy. Our state HQ would have no idea who has earned what - everything relies on one book in the less than reliable hands of exuberant youths. It is different in other states. Up north you had to put in a form to get badges for each Scout by their registered number. That was a few years ago.

Oh John - that was good!

Thanks for the addition Moxieman. I've been reading posts here for years and still don't know what we are all talking about. Story of my life really. You only give out badges 3-4 times per year! Mean bludgers. I pin them on their shirts the day they earn them. We keep a stock of all available badges (multiples of the popular ones) and I keep safety pins in the box with them. For kids from dysfunctional families I use three or four safety pins per badge because it might take weeks for me to teach them to sew or for someone at home to take notice. But making them wait thr

Try the word 'thongs' then HiLo. Seriously there are some things that I am still a bit shaky on: Court of Honour - seems to be where Scouts are interviewed and recommended for 'advancement' to the next award level. I don't think the Scouts are involved. It is an adult check that everything has been completed and involves some questiuons that seem to trip the adults up. Some see themselves as the approving authority and the questions are vital - others see it differently Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) - Troop Council Council - Region COR - For the few sponsored Groups

There - that worked alright.

Oh that auto detection thing is irritating. they censored the bere label. I'll space it out to trick the computer... X X X X

mmmmm I grew up 30 minutes drive from Steve Irwin and my cousins live there just up the road from Australia Zoo. I wear khaki shorts like Steve and a big hat like Paul, I drive a 4WD (SUV), I've killed and eaten things with my knife (US K bar), my wife is at least as beautiful as Linda Koslowski, I had a pet roo (called Digger) when I was a teenager, I use vegimite on toast and as axle grease...well that last bit is stretching the truth a tad. We're more like the Crocodile Hunter and Mick Dundee than we might at first think. Actually I get mistaken for Russell Quoit quite

Several of my Scout Leaders and all of the ones I was with for years were my fathers - figuratively speaking.

G'day cobber!! at last someone else here who I might be able to understand without scratching my head. No - seriously the terminology in BSA is a bit different. Not to worry the people here are pretty helpful and understanding when I post way off the mark. I'm a GL in NE NSW. Was SL here for 6 yrs prior and ASL at various places for another 10 yrs before that. Good to meet you. I'm not around this site much at present. Work, family, study - you know how it goes. If you want me probably best to personal message me see ya

I did the carbon casserole once as a Scout. Yes - carbon through and through. But it made excellent fire lighting material. We kept that carbon casserole for billy (pot) boiling races.

A few years ago the Troop was absolutely singing. A very full and active program with very committed Scouts who gave anything a go. I got busier. The Scouts were less adventurous. Now I am about to retire as SM, the Troop is smaller than it ever has been and the Scouts are not motivated. My own kids have been in there as the decline has arrived. Not what I planned. And although there may be some truth to the correlation of my busy family and work life and the decline of enthusiasm I don't buy the line. It happens to be that there is an ebb and flow. We've all seen

People swear for different reasons. it's 'cool' it' socially unacceptable (in many places) and therefore really attractive to rebellious teens - you know, the ones who gainsay pretty much everything and have nothing positive to say they have hit their thumb with a hammer - maybe their home life is full of swearing. There is not much we can do there except show and enforce that we behave to suit the environment. ie Pls don't swear at Scout events. to add emphasis (not the best way but vocabulary is limited for many teens - evidence my son 'ug, ummph and nuarghh')

sex and 14 year olds. This topic comes up regularly here. Pardon if my response is a tad blunt. We have been coed for years. I believe some kids might jump in each others tents and what follows is natural. But I have over 15 years as an ASM or SM. Never seen it. Not in my Troop or ANY other. Not even at Jamboree's (Four so far). NEVER. Why? - Scouts are generally sensible. It takes two to tango and so two need to be dills. Tent walls are thin. Adults have eyes and ears. The other Scouts are not all dills. They can pursue sex elsewhere more easily. It is more the t

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Hi Eamonn, it's been a while - how are you? I have 84 girls on expedition tonight. Two leaders are having trouble with their students. The kids are being rude and oppositional. One of the groups got into camp way after dark and over a mile short of where they should be. I had suggested that the leader doesn't take the girls rudeness to heart. And that if they persisted in disrupting her various briefings that she lets them take over. And refuse to help until they have well and truly stuffed things up. Maybe that's what she did this afternoon? Whether she handed over the