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ParkMan

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Everything posted by ParkMan

  1. Hi @Calion, This is a great list! I really like all the details at each step. Like others, I think that there will be a lot of fluidity in the ordering of the steps. Yes - there is a basic order to this, but depending on the strengths of the group and your particular situation, you may choose to do things in a difference sequence. One way I think about this is in the terms of basic goals a unit's team needs to accomplish. If I think of the goals I'd use then map your steps into it, I get: Make your plans 1. Decide what kind of unit you want to start
  2. I'm not a wizard on council finances - but I can only imagine that councils are being forced to pay more for upkeep and perhaps leases than years ago. It would seem to me that with the age of most of our councils, the council camps would all have been long paid for. Money would just go to pay for staff, upkeep, and future improvements. Yet, I know that even in my pretty big council summer camp fees don't pay for that. Maybe when we were kids the level of expectation for a camp was much less and the councils had to sink less money into the,. Not sure.
  3. I do feel the plight of these small councils as I know it's getting harder and harder to keep paying for these camps. But, they've got to find a way here that doesn't involve burning out their members.
  4. These councils are not doing themselves any favours. They think that they are protecting their facilities by forcing people to use them. But, in turn, all they are doing is eroding the perceived value that units derive from council support. Councils need to get units to their camp on the merits of their camps - not by making it the only option. I agree - at this point in the history of Scouting councils need to learn to partner with the units - not try to control the units. Build bridges to the units, don't put up more obstacles.
  5. Gotta admit - this frustrates me to no end. What a ridiculous abuse of the rules to control the list of approved sites so that only council approved sites are permitted. We routinely camped at state parks and they worked great. If councils are going to abuse the system like this, I really wish someone at national would in turn relax the rules.
  6. Here's the quote from the Insignia Guide So, given that the Welebos diamond was wearable on a tan uniform at the time, it's still wearable if you can get one.
  7. Thanks @RichardB I think many are on edge these days. As I'm sure you know, there is a lot of concern about erosion of program. I'm reaidng between the lines here and am guessing we overreacted to the term "overnighter". If "overnighter" refers to the of sleeping overnight and doesn't mean that it's single overnight - great. Personally - I don't think we need more definition, I'd just remove the term overnighter. Camping implies sleeping overnight in the woods. "overnighter" suggests one night. I'd offer the terms that make the most sense to volunteers are: .den camp
  8. This is a big deal because it directly contributes to weaker Cub Scout programming. I served in a pack where 80% of our camping trips were two nights. Occasionally we'd have a one nighter for some reason or another, but it was rare. The reason to have a two night camping trip is that it allows for a single, full day at camp. A Cub Scout wakes up at the camp, get's ready at the camp, has breakfast at the camp, does a day of activities, and so on. When you turn that into a single overnighter, then it decreases the time available for the Scout to grow more comfortable in the outdoors.
  9. I have two daughters and a son. I am very protective of all of them. I think this is where YPT in the BSA can serve another beneficial purpose. In the GSUSA, the rules about male involvement have all but removed fathers from the equation. My two daughters are Girl Scouts and I have never been welcomed in their Scouting experience. It so saddens me that even my wonderful, progressive wife who is a Girl Scout leader has so totally embraced the concept that Girl Scouting is about women guiding girls through Scouting. Yet, my son's Cub Scout Pack & Scouts BSA Troop for boy
  10. Gotta admit - I'm usually the one sticking up for National too. Yeah - pretty sad when I'm asking that question. I missed that policy change on Webelos and camporees - ugh. Again - I respect what the professionals are being asked to do. But, really - one night Cub Scout campouts? But really - ponder the thought...
  11. I expect you're right. However, that's the wrong way for the BSA to react. I can understand if the BSA is responding to requests of underwriters. Buy, then the BSA needs to apply the rules equally. If the underwriters decide that the BSA needs 10 deep leadership in a troop for girls, then by golly make it 10 deep leadership for everyone. I respect our professionals - but think they need to be thinking about the messages they are sending. BTW - there is no discussion about 10 deep leadership. Just using a ridiculous idea to make the point
  12. Ok - sorry, I posted too quickly as I was so sure this was the sort of bad rumor that floats around and is simply not true. My son's pack always had two night pack campouts. We attended cuborees that were two nights as well. Two night campouts in Cub Scouts are so common around here to the point where one night cub scout camping is the exception. I cannot fathom what this section in the G2SS is even attempting to say. That Lions through Bears should only camp one night at a time? Is the BSA crazy?
  13. Thank them very much for their input and then camp two nights. There's no such rule. There's no such difference defined anywhere. "family" and "pack" are simply common terms. The only rules that apply are the Cub Scout camping rules where there are no such rules on duration.
  14. This is where I'm at too. Parents in a pack or troop need to be able to trust the adult leaders to take their kids camping. Gender is secondary here. However, if the BSA really believes they need this rule, then I'd rather it simply say:
  15. I wonder when the lawyers will realize that as the BSA is non-profit, member funded organization, the people that will be the most impacted by this are the countless 6-18 year old Scouts who participate in the program. Penalizing today's kids isn't the answer either.
  16. Why not just tell them that the boys will start as a group and it will be up to them if they want it to stay that way. Explain that the boys choose their own patrols - so if they want to remain as a group, just choose to stay together as a patrol. Explain that advancement is at their own pace and you'd be happy if the boys all helped each other and advanced at a similar pace. Of course, we all know that once in the troop, friendships will change and interest levels will vary. But, as parents of a den that's been together for years, they don't see that yet. They are more worried th
  17. That's wonderful news!!! Congratulations
  18. Fully agree with @qwazse & @scoutldr. One of the biggest things that drives kids away from Scouting is bad Scouting. Time to find someone else to serve as leader here.
  19. As CC I approached it as "CC as boss". In my implementation, the CC effectively served as president of the troop. Treasurer as VP finance, Scoutmaster as VP program, etc. I approached the committee as part executive staff and part board of directors. All in all, I think this worked pretty well. What I noticed in this process is that it helped to regularly revisit our goals - just what were we trying to accomplish as an adult team. Membership, program, finance, etc. While it sounds a little corporate - it was actually pretty helpful as it provided the Scoutmaster the ability to talk a
  20. The good thing is that this is usually when organizations start to get nimble. When faced with do or die moments, they start to recognize what they really need to do. I see it starting to happen where I am. The current attempts at being nimble are still bogged down with the institutional baggage - but they are at least starting to try harder.
  21. We've had a role like this in our adult team at the troop level. In our version, the role is not just about being a welcoming committee when a visitor stops by. In fact, one of the things our NMC did was to talk with the Scouts about being a welcoming committee when visitors do attend. For example - we see that parents of newly joined Scouts often have lots of questions. Yes, we have a new parent packet. Yes, we have a new parent orientation. But, there are also lots of stream of consciousness questions. i.e., the Scout comes home from the Troop meeting, mentions summer camp, and th
  22. A little sarcasm here I see... I've seen enough new Scouts join packs & troops to know that getting them engaged is a good thing. I've seen enough new parents with questions to know that having a defined person to answer them is a useful idea. I've been around adult recruiting long enough to know that engaging with parents is the first step in getting them to volunteer. Yes - you could do all of these things with a position called Committee Member and the New Member Coordinator title isn't necessary at all. I know it's sport to poke fun at national. But so what if they decide
  23. This is the rub - right? Look at topic after topic on this forum about how Scouting would be better if only we ran it like we used to. Look at how many people think that the BSA will be destroyed if they take just one more step away from our current values. That's one of the two great struggles in our movement. progressive change in the program vs. traditional values
  24. Think of them as a specialist - we have them all over in my professional world. The district person would be the wizard at getting new families integrated into pack or troop life. They would know the tricks and tips. They would then have a network where they co-ordinate with the unit level NMC for the purpose of making their unit counterparts even more successful. I'd expect them to be a member of the district membership team. So, while others on the team are focused on recruiting, AOL to Scout transition, etc. This person would be the one focused on making the NMC successful. The c
  25. The NMC position for units is trying to address thr issues of retention and adult involvement. By having someone focus of new families, it is likly those families will stay engaged. A similar district or council position would probably be more about coordinating, encouraging, and training their unit counterparts. I.e. let's increase the success of the program by having a volunteer who focuses on the success of the program at a local level.
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