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@@CalicoPenn, file it under "you just don't get U.S." Because, really, what scoutmaster wants to have a full course meal that includes rolled grape leaves, stuffed cabbage, and baklava? And cake in Western PA without a cookie table (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/dining/16cookies.html?_r=0)? You don't have to understand. Just accept. But, I figure this tradition started when some big sister was at her brother's ECoH in the 50's, they all went to the back of the hall for cookies and punch, and she thought in whatever ethnic dialect her family thought such thoughts, "My wedding would be so much more fun, if only ..."

The pilot started much earlier. This from meritbadge.com: "The program was developed by the Northern Star Council and is scheduled to test for a total of 5 years. 2008-2009 is the first year of the program and includes a total of 262 of Lion Cub Scouts currently enrolled in the program. During the year, Adult Partners will be asked to provide answers to detailed survey questions and provide feedback on each month’s theme, plans and activities. The first report on the pilot program will be released at the end of December 2008 based on the October/November adult partner surveys and evaluations. The primary curriculum/educational outcomes are for parents/Adult Partners to learn the basics of youth development and Scouting’s proven tools for raising happy, healthy children. The outcome for the kids is to discover the fun of Scouting at an earlier age."

Not sure what we do do since we merged (haven't had a ECoR yet). Previously, the troop just payed for the award kit. As to what should be done ... This is one of those things that should be allowed to vary from troop to troop. In these parts, we have massive HS graduation parties (I've been told that this not the case elsewhere.) So, our last-minute Eagles have been folding the ECoR in with that blow-out. But even with scouts who Eagled in a more timely fashion, families fronted the cost of refreshments, and it was a matter of personal pride as to the quality of food served. (Maybe it served as the taste-testing before the grad party?) I'm sure with other troops, especially those who like to have multiple Eagles awarded at the same time, all of the expenses are shared. It's a big country. The diversity should be accommodated. If one way is a hardship, you're probably running up against different cultures with different priorities. Act differently.

It is very true that college-bound venturers have little time because they have to work harder to raise money for college. This is especially true of private school students whose parents pay tuition and local school taxes. (When I've said this in the past, I've been accused of being anti-private education or pro-voucher. Please do not take it as such. I am strictly talking about budgets and whose among families with similar income and living expenses will be necessarily tighter by the time college enrollment rolls around.) My latest recruit is actually on a break from college, and now has a job and time, as well as savings, to put towards some things she missed in high school. The education dept crisis is forcing a lot of life decisions that we have not seen in a long time. If it weren't for engineering co-ops (which effectively interrupt schooling for intermittent gainful employment), my kids would have a hard time justifying their expenses. But, regarding this impact on scouting we need to keep in mind: Jamboree never attracted more than 3% of membership. I'm not sure about H/A bases, but I bet they never attracted more than 15% of membership. Part of the adventure is figuring out how much "backyard fun" you can have with meager earnings and a few pieces of cloth.

I'm not sure why everyone is still missing this, but the boy was simply too young to enjoy most of this troop's activities. He was at least a year younger than every boy mentioned in every anecdote about young scouts adapting to the troop. Every scout who I've met who crossed over this young eventually took a substantial break from the program. So, @@Phrogger is making that break early gently rather than later roughly. Sounds as good an idea as any. Also (and this is not faulting his folks, they didn't know better), he was being pushed at home to do advancement. In our troop we ASM's don't start nudging kids to move up the next rank until after they come back from summer camp. IMHO, no parent should ever push any scout (boy or girl) to advance at all. Make sure the scout has the gear he/she needs? Yes. Try an activity that he/she has learned? Yes. Help them fund-raise? Sure. Teach them to sew on their own patches? Definitely. Keep them organized and help them fill out their own med form? Good idea. Let the SM know if there's a problem? Yep. Pressure/nag/or sometimes even politely ask about advancement? Not a parent's job description. Now, once their 17 and Life and say they could use a little nudge, things change a little. But that's because by then a boy should have learned that parents are his partners, not his boss.

I'm sorry things are panning out this way. The camp director is not registers as your unit's Webelos den leader. Giving him/her a call is still a good idea. You don't need to sign anything that you believe to be untrue. In fact you mustn't (first point of the scout law). You certainly are under no obligation to award anything while you are den leader. Of course, digging your heels in might mean you're not DL for long. But if the boys aren't picking up these skills, you might rather move on. Your best strategy, however, is to get the boys up to speed. That's what everyone wants in the end. P.S. Happy anniversary!

Talk to your DE about 1 and 3.

I actually think it was the opposite. Soldiers in the royal army had to work their ticket back home from wherever in the empire they were deployed, So, the notion of "working to pay his own way" was part of the scouting mystique -- as opposed to an officer getting a wire transfer from his countess grandma for services to the crown. (Pardon my extreme revisionist history.) So, boys had that sense of rugged individualism from early on in scouting. When things like Jamborees and other big-ticket adventures for youth came on the horizon, a balance was struck between an elite boy garnering his own funds and relying on his family, the troop, etc... for the larger portion of expenses.

Correction: to the west of Miami! By the way @@sliptonic, what kind of adventure are you all taking? That might determine the day activity. (E.g., if you are sailing all week, a day kayaking or tarpon/permit fishing might be fun. If you are island-adventure kayaking, you might want to try a day of sailing, etc ...). Also, are your scouts rural or urban? (By urban, I mean mixed-language communities.) We hung out at Miami Beach before and after our first week there. Let's just say the language challenges were part of the adventure!

Yep. This starts at the CO. So the charter organization representative is the person to talk to. It doesn't have to be specific. It could be as simple as "What kind of financial accountability would you like us to have in the new year?" In the meantime, try really hard not to assume the worst. If the boys are getting their awards, and camp is getting paid for, it could be a matter of very sloppy paperwork. Folks (myself included) can get really testy when it's pointed out that they've left a lot of litter for someone else to collect. If it is bad, it's not your problem to solve. Tell the COR you're not touching the books until they are satisfied with the numbers in the checkbook and are ready to walk you to the bank.

The 'glades are impressive. I personally was impressed with the drive down Krome Avenue (runs north-south to the East of Miami). It's truly a breadbasket of the south. The driving is not fast. But the roadside stands are something to see. There's some good eating to be found in Homestead. Key West is neat (once you find a place to park) because you can rent bicycles and tool around nicely. I enjoyed biking it looking for geocaches. Warning: scuttlebutt from captains is that some scout-leaders are less than discrete about alcohol use on their "free" days at KW. Know your people, if this is an issue, choose your locations accordingly.

I'll confess that of things I fail to take seriously, this is one of them. Partly because: drug dependence (especially to this one) has caused rifts among family and friends to the point that laughter covers tears. I do hold out hope that regulated production may curb certain types of abuse. I've come across the plants in the wild (not part of any production) and was largely unimpressed. As far as impact on scouting ... every plot of tightly controlled land (e.g. GM corn fields, of which we have a few around here) is one more place boys can't hike, camp, or play capture the flag in. If that was the issue raised, I'd be more empathetic.

No clue about the camp or the program, but a suggestion on how to get more data: Call the camp director and ask for a referral from another troop or two. Maybe one who might attend the week that you're interested in and one who doesn't participate in the program or visited from out of council. The ideal would be if you could get your PLC and their PLC on speaker phone.

I did not intend to conflate tour plan with council approval. Tour plan is a tool to help preparation. It necessarily involves the unit key three. "Regardless, the tour and activity plan is an excellent tool that should be included in preparation for all activities, even those not requiring it. It guides a tour leader through itineraries, travel arrangements, two-deep leadership, supervision qualifications, and transportation." The question becomes: is this a pack campout if it is billed as such but only tigers show up?

Yeah, there are a lot of tech "believers". They see something work in one arena and push for it in another. What the poor souls don't realize is that in doing so, they make themselves everybody's secretary if they lack buy-in from everyone. That's fine. You're just a humble den leader now. Let him know that the data in his system is currently bogus, and you won't rely on it until it speaks truth. It's on him to figure out how to make sure that happens. For now, truth lies in hardcopy you give to your CC. What really matters is what the boys think. And they seem to know that they haven't even really tried to master some skills yet. That's a good place to be. It's not like anyone told them they were deserving of some award, and they can catch up by learning with their buddies. Finally, never worry about the boys being "embarassed" while visiting another troop. Most scouts were Webelos once, and they all probably remember forgetting a thing or two that was taught them. The thing that the resident campers will have gained, is they know a few older scouts, and if they are in a troop you visit, they'll recognize them right quick.

Is this an attempt at historical fiction? No, I find the notion of recruiting youth for international espionage far too unsettling.

Welcome, and thanks in advance for your service to the boys!

Although a very good idea, the position does not require a particular rank, http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/About/ThePack/csdcf.aspx:Qualifications: Is an older Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturer. Selected by the senior patrol leader and Scoutmaster, Varsity Scout Coach, or Venturing Advisor at the request of the Cubmaster. Approved by the Cubmaster and pack committee for recommendation to the den leader. Registered as a youth member of a troop, team, or crew.

I would get that council approval in writing. File a tour plan. It's a durn shame you have to be that paranoid, but these are new parents and you want to be sure you're doing everything possible to make sure your scouts are well taken care of.

First, thanks for your service to the boys and being willing to wear a new hat (even if your parents make it easy to do so). I'm with you. If there's no recall from any of the boys, then that's a good indication that the skills were not taught in the first place. As Cubmaster, you definitely have the right to call the camp director and let him/her know that your Webelos were not served by his or her program. Make it clear that you are looking for a camp that teaches boys skills and does you no favors in advancement tracking. You can train parents or den chiefs on box-checking. As den leader, you are in charge of advancement. The ACM should have ordered awards based on your request and no one else's. You should order awards based on what you or reliable parents signed off in the boys' books. Welcome to Boy Scouts. If there is no signature in a scout's book the scout doesn't get the award ... Even if your convention's nominee says you should order it. We're the boys told they'd be getting the award?

True confession, I never read the SMHB cover to cover. Only the PL and SPL HBs. I did read the Venturing Leadership Manual. Anything else, I hang on your very words. (And Scouter mag, after TAHAWK's vetting of each issue.)

Do they do overnights on the HQ lawn? Envisioning an alternative to the 1000ft high climb requirement 9b for Camping ...

Lose the members, lose alumni, ultimately lose the land.

@@Hedgehog, you're reading into the text! Both troops are his. (He has the membership cards to prove it, no doubt.) So time served in either counts. Truth is rank advancement was never designed to function under these contentious circumstances. It was never designed to be such a paperwork burden either. For example, there is something about the current Eagle Project Workbook, which if you look at the structure from novice perspective is a good teaching tool for project management. But, in the hands of micromanaging adults, it becomes an invitation for overreach. As a result boy learns more about bureaucratic delay than about how to mobilize a community to accomplish some good in the world. Zuzyson's SM has the best of all possible worlds. Everyone else has obsessed over the paperwork. All he has to do is observe his new scout and see if his character matches that of an Eagle ... not hard to do if you start with a positive attitude.

Sounds like a council by-law.