pargolf44067

@@resqman, that sounds awesome!

This story is definitely not as awe inspiring as the photo that @ posted in the post above this, but I have to share a story that happened at camp yesterday.  

I have an older scout (has been in the troop for over four years) that hadn't been able to pass the swim test in his first four times at Summer Camp.  I had offered several times to work with him at our community pool to try and get him over that hump, but it hasn't worked out well.  So yesterday as I was preparing to head down to camp after work, I was speaking with one of my leaders and he mentioned that Alex needed to speak with me when I got to camp, I was apprehensive, but he assured me it was good news.  Sure enough, on his fifth attempt (sixth actually because he did it twice this year) he finally passed the swim test and was able to finally have his SM conference and BOR for First Class as a 15 year old.  He was really excited and re-energized now that he feels he is over a huge roadblock that was preventing him from really advancing.  I did his SM conference last night and the leaders at camp were going to do the BOR with him today.  During the SMC, he told me how he was really going to aim for Eagle now and that he would be more active in the troop.  He had become discouraged because of this roadblock and now is no longer discouraged.

One of the better days as a SM!

Our troop leaves for summer camp at a camp about a half hour away tomorrow. We are going much earlier this year due to some issues with our original dates. Very disappointed that for the first time since before I took over originally in 2005, the troop has no high adventure planned for the older scouts.  Couldn't get enough boys interested.  Hopefully next year, we will start another long streak!

Whoa hoss!

 

I think you need to consider who you're asking to do the training.  The QUALITY of the training most everywhere is woefully inadequate.  So you're thinking about giving the same boobs a bigger role?

 

Come up with some mechanism to enforce the content transfer of the current training and you'll have come a long way.

 

Instead of lecturing from a Powerpoint about getting lost or running out of water, drop your ITOLs class in the woods with minimal water 2 miles from somewhere.  No phones or GPS.  Give them a topo map and a compass, so that they can learn the IMPORTANCE of knowing where you are, or how to find where you are, and having enough water. 

I think this would be great hands on training.  However, if @@Stosh and @@jr56 think that the cost and amount of training initially proposed would drive the majority of the volunteers away, imagine how much further it would diminish if they were expected to survive in the woods like that! 

Makes sense. I would say half of our troops SMs were not registered members in their pack. But, they didn't come forward for a troop job either. They were recruited (heels dragging) to be ASMs and eventually found the passion to be very good Scoutmasters.

 

And, I can think of three pack leaders (Eagles/SPL/OA during youth) who planned to be SM's when they joined the BSA in Tigers, but declined the SM gig a few years later because they had burned out. However, it wasn't do to a lack of warning by me. I actually insisted two of these guys not get involved at the pack level, and they still did. You just can fight passion and enthusiasm. They would have been great Scoutmasters. 

 

Barry

We had a dad who didn't get involved at the pack level.  His son and my son were in the same den.  He was an Eagle Scout (as were his brothers) but he let his wife be involved.  She was a DL and very involved at the pack.  The dad would come on pack campouts, and would help when needed, but otherwise let his wife do all the volunteering.  As soon as his son crossed into the troop, there he was volunteering to be an ASM, getting trained, going on campouts, including a high adventure.  He worked well with the boys.  He was also big into the sports side with both his son and daughter.  His son took more to sports and ultimately didn't end up getting his Eagle.  But this is a perfect example of him not wanting to get involved until Boy Scouts, because that is what he loved about scouting.  All the crafts and other non-outdoorsy stuff about Cub Scouts he wanted nothing to do with, but his wife was involved so there was family involvement at the pack.  Oh, his wife also helped my wife with organizing our annual family camp, so she stayed involved with the troop as well.

We had another dad that was the CM for the pack.  He was a true showman and loved the role.  When his son crossed into the troop, he said he would volunteer in some role, but wanted about a year to decompress.  At the beginning of the next calendar year he came to me and said he was ready to help and asked what I needed.  He really was not into the camping/outdoors part of scouts (although he did camp occasionally), but he was a great organizer, so he became our Outdoor Committee person and did a great job.

My point on both these stories is that we shouldn't expect the volunteers from the pack to step right in and volunteer for the troop because of the burnout that they get at the pack level.  As much as troop leadership can be very transitional due to the aging out of adults, the pack leadership is even more so because most adults really don't want to be involved at the pack level once their son is out, while there will be some crazy people (like me) that are willing to stay beyond the tenure of their sons in the troop.

Sounds like a great day!  That's really what being scouts is about!

 

Our SPL many, many years ago (15+ now) started a tradition. He'd sign the back of the patch and passed it along to the next SPL, who in turn would do the same. Many years on on we've gone through four patches...all of which are framed (back-side facing out to see the signature) along with a new SPL patch. It is a shadow box so there is room for growth. This way the boys can see who was SPL and when. A cool tradition started by a scout now a real rocket scientist who has come back a few times to show HIS kids his old patch.

We have a rather large slice of tree trunk with a chain on the top.  It is large and heavy and each SPL signs it and passes it along to the next SPL as a sign of the heavy responsibility each SPL has to the troop and their scouts.  There are SPL signatures going back to the 1970s on this.  It is a pretty cool tradition.

As part of our elections the other night, our boys that were running for SPL were talking about meeting on a separate day from a meeting so that we could have all of our meetings in a month and not have to rush through a planning meeting during the half hour or 45 minutes before a meeting.  This was as part of their speeches.  They asked if it would be alright and I told them if they were willing to find a day that worked for most of the PLC, I would make time to be there to observe and guide if necessary.

Method they teach at NYLT.

 

 

Depends on your unit. I have seen small units do it annually or semi-annually, larger units do it quarterly. 

Thanks @ for clarifying the method.  I should have explained it in my OP.  We have held ours either annually or semi-annually depending on the size of the troop at the time.

Lets hope they resolve issues fairly when holding their fellow scouts accountable.

Right now, the boys haven't been held accountable at all for their responsibilities.  I don't think that they are looking to start firing people.  Before we held the elections, we let the boys know what the duties for all the positions were and that we (both the SPL/ASPLs with my assistance) were definitely going to be holding them accountable.

We had troop elections last night for the first time since I have come back as SM.  The current SPL was not running again, so I let him handle the elections last night, and he did a pretty good job. Those running for SPL had to give a brief speech explaining why they wanted to be SPL and what things they would do as SPL and answer any questions that the boys had.  Just to be clear, I did not talk to any of the boys beforehand about where I thought the program could be improved or how we might do it as a group.

As each of the boys came up, they all noted that the boy leaders needed to have better planning meetings without the whole troop present. They talked about how they wanted to go to different campgrounds instead of going to the same ones over and over again.  They talked about how they were going to make sure all the people in positions of responsibility were going to be held accountable unlike they currently are.  One boy even noted that he had been in the troop to see what it was like before (when he was a young scout) and saw what it had become and that he could use his NYLT training to help with that. He even used the "Start, Stop, Continue" method in his speech.  They talked about how they were going to use patrols like we used to.  All of these are things that I have noticed and felt like we needed to do.  

The point is the boys themselves noticed the issues with the troop and want to resolve them.  I am really looking forward to working with this group of boy leaders.  I think that we are headed on the right track for the troop, and it isn't me telling or suggesting how we move forward, it is the boys.

Should be a fun year!

Sumping is where the every single bit of food is consumed with the objective of leaving the cooking and eating utensils basically clean, basically. Then at the next meal time after a pot of water is brought to a boil, the cooking and eating utensils are dunked for sterilizing. Once sterilizing is done, cooking can be started using the boiled water. For the purpose of this discussion, sterilizing occurs first in the tasks of preparing and eating the meal instead of last and doesn't require additional water for clean up. It has drawbacks, like eating all the food even when it taste very bad (burned). 

 

Barry

We did that when we were out at Philmont two years ago.  Definite lack of water when we were out there.

I did say "for the most part"  !

I have recently seen two pack fold simply because of parent apathy. The CMs announced their departure (more than a year out), put together a transition plan, documented the role and calendar, completed all open issues, etc. During the last 6-9 months out they had several meetings encouraging parents to step up. Five months out they had a "come to Jesus" meeting where they told the parents if no one steps up the pack will fold. The had that same meeting three more times. Two months out they told parents they needed a replacement within two weeks or the pack would fold. No one stepped up.

 

District and even council got involved, albeit late. They were invited when the CMs announced they were stepping down but I guess the DE had more important things to do. The packs folded. Now the DE has to build two new packs AND 4 other new ones to meet his membership target.

We had four packs fold at recharter last year for the same reason.  Two of them had been around for over 60 years.  Very sad.

Obviously, different troops do it in different ways.  We have had boys/families who decided not to do an ECOH.  The only thing our troop provides is the typical Eagle awards pack (neckerchief, slide, award and patch and mom/dad and 1 mentor pin.  The families do everything else, so in a sense what @@Stosh and @@blw2 are saying is kind of what happens in our troop.  There is some coordination with the family on the troop calendar, but if the date they want to do is not a huge issue, the family picks that date and makes all the arrangements themselves, including arranging the place where they want to have it.

The Eagle invites the troop and whoever else outside the troop he wants to and then whoever is able to come from the troop is able to come.  If an Eagle and/or their family wants to have something big, make all the plans and pay for everything and let the Eagle script his own ceremony and ask whoever he wants to speak then I think it is great.  I get the graduation comparison, but, in my opinion, if it is special to the family then they should do whatever they want.

I think, however, for the most part we all agree that the CC from @@andysmom's original post is out of line.

You know, this is a good point. I don't remember if I intentionally did it for this reason, but I recruited and trained my replacement CM so I could be my younger son's Webelos leader. Good advice Slowderby.

 

Barry

Not to speak for @@blw2, but I think that is what he has been trying to do is get someone that he can train over the next 9 months, but no one has stepped up.

@@blw2,

Sorry man.  That stinks that you had very few parents show up.  I honestly don't think most of them will care if you recharter or not.  Actually, one of the Webelos leaders will probably step up so their group can get through AoL, but that isn't the solution the pack needs.  Good luck with the situation.  Hard to see the hard work you put in go down like that.

@@Stosh,

I usually agree with you, but in this case the family is the one making the arrangements and it is the committee members that are complaining about when it is.  I think Barry is right that it is the CC that is trying to put his will on the family as to when they should have it.  It doesn't sound like they are asking the troop to do anything for it, just trying to line up a weekend that is available at the church.  If the Eagle Scout wants to have it when his mom is in town and that doesn't work for the CC, who cares.  We have had a few occasions where there are a couple of things going on the same day as an ECOH, and whoever can make it makes it.

Hopefully, the situation for the OP works out better than the one here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/schaumburg-hoffman-estates/news/ct-autism-boy-scouts-lawsuit-met-20150601-story.html

Better yet have the SPL do the MC of the ECOH.  Seriously I would think the best person to present his Eagle rank to him would be his PL who has presented him with his Scout, TF, 2C, FC, Star, and Life.  Why should some adult step in and take over for the final presentation?

 

I've attended every ECOH and ALWAYS just sat in the audience.  SPL MC's the program and PL's make the presentation to their members.  If a PL is receiving honors, the SPL presents them to him.

Actually, as SM I have never MC'd the ECOH program.  The Eagle Scout and his family come up with the program and usually I am asked to present the Eagle award, neckerchief and parent pins (give to the scout to give to the parents).  Usually it is one of the Eagle's buddies doing the MC'ing and some of his other friends or adults that are important to him that do the other parts of the program that he came up with.

When we've reconciled our enrollments we've found all sorts of mistakes, wrong birthdays, missing scouts, scouts from other units, etc. What's the point? The point is that units need to do this stuff for themselves. Give them an online template and if anyone wants a membership certificate or card, print the thing. Otherwise, save the time and expense.

Yes, we had to argue with council that one of our boys did NOT earn Eagle 18 years before his birthday.  It was his dad, but it was like pulling teeth to get it fixed.

The sanitizing step will keep you from having to do that extra step at home.

We sanitize and I STILL run my personal plates through the dishwasher at home.

Our ECOHs are all arranged by the families.  Most have them at our CO in the sanctuary, but a lot have them elsewhere.  The parents do try and coordinate with the troop around certain things like campout weekends, although if they are on Sunday, they are usually late enough that the scouts are back.  Everyone in the troop is invited and if certain families and/or leaders are not around, then they can't come.  I agree with @@Stosh that this is for the boys.  Yes, we all have lives outside of scouting and there are good reasons for missing ECOHs, but this is for the boy and his family and if the CC can't make it then that is too bad.  In my time as SM I have only missed two ECOHs, both times I was on vacation, but those dates worked for the families and they understood.

Our District still does blue cards, but when my son went out of state provisional to different summer camps some were computerized.. He had to return with the computerized print outs and explain them.. I am sure I have seen one or two post about their blue cards now being computerized, as having hit it my radar was up for that to make note of it.

Our summer camp started doing computerized blue cards last year.  Prior to camp, we input what MBs the boys are doing at Summer Camp.  That way Summer Camp knows how many will be in each class.  During the week the counselors input what requirements are completed as they are completed.  At the end of the week, all the blue cards are printed out and given to the SM for advancement purposes.  Kind of takes the boys off the hook for keeping track of their blue cards, but it is great as SM, I don't have to fill out all the blue cards prior to Summer Camp and give them to the boys when they go.  Still up to our Advancement Chair to enter the MB as earned in the advancement records, so it is not completely computerized from camp to council.

<<Yep. My Troop is searching for a new SM. There's a lot of fear of those jobs. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself">>  

 

 

 

That's where the importance of personnel planning becomes critical. You need to be recruiting Assistant Scoutmasters who will become familiar with the program and willing and able to step up at a suitable time.

 

Trying to recruit a Scoutmaster altogether new to the program would understandably be a daunting challenge,  I would suppose.

That's what I did when I was SM and was able to get my replacement when I left.  However, when he needed to step down, none of the ASMs in the troop were willing to step up, which is why I stepped back in.  Need to work on this going forward!

Yup that was late July. We had a few folks who did not follow directions (lay off booze caffeine prior to the trip, get full stress test done, etc.) and they got taken off the trail too. We take the high adventure seriously, so we ask adults to get fully checked out. 80 miles in back country is not a place to find out someone is not up to snuff. Our training ahead of time culled out some guys from the more intense trek and re-routed them to the lesser trek.

I did all that as well, we did almost a full year of training, but being a flatlander, you can't really test how the altitude is going to affect you.  Thankfully, I was able to get back out there and finish my trek after a couple of days.  Blood pressure spiked a couple of times climbing up some of the trails, like Black Mtn.  Unfortunately the forest fire that was just off the property caused us to have a re-route, so we didn't do Mt. Phillips like we were supposed to, but proud to say I did make it to the top of the Tooth of Time!  From a physical standpoint, I don't think my son was ever as proud as when I joined him at the top!