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Maybe this was what Swift was referring to when he talked about "Big Enders" and Little Enders"? I don't think we have a set way. Although more often than not, our colorguards return to their positions by directly crossing the field rather than around the troop formation. (Which more often than not is a postage stamp of patrols filed in ... Not a horseshoe.)

The curmudgeons will say: 1. How dare you market all that fun and excitment with no hint of a uniform! (Of course if there was a hint, you'd get the "properly or not at all" speech. 2. Boy Scouts? What's up with all them women? I say: here's hoping they turn up in spades.

@@ALongWalk Thanks for your service to our scouters! And good luck! Our most recent district chair was stellar. (Roger, if you're reading this, love ha man!) Step 1, be friendly ... Even to chaps who may not deserve it. Step 2, ask what topics folks would like to cover at round tables. Step 3, ask who can teach in this topics (prefer volunteers to pro's when possible). Step 4, contain business at round tables so the teaching time does not get shorted. Handy tip: Find the quietest guy/gal in the room. After the meeting, make sure you thank them for coming before transacting any other business.

Been going through my humble collection. The Wood Badge tan (with the tartan patch) one seems to be the only material of substance and girth. Our PLCs opted to uniform sans necker long before Son#1 joined the troop and shortly after troops were allowed to do so.

The reputation marker is new to us all. I think it means that chores are getting neglected, but if you dropped in, we'd have something on the grill for the adults and a hike plan for the youth.

As in multiple neckers linked with one friendship knot? My friend who raised her boys in eastern Europe tells me she thinks it's her favorite look on the scouts.

I'm not sure how that is a problem. The goal is to find what's noble among the tribes in your area and use that as a way of finding nobility among the people around you. I can see a leader from one tribe providing insight on how Arrowmen from his area comported themselves, and using that experience to inform on how the Arrowmen he now knows should grow and learn.

CORRECTION: give him or her a copy of the application.

No surprise there. Scouters only have 4 other nights in the week available (assuming they aren't pulling out for camp on Fridays), chances are those evenings are at a premium. RT is at one place and one time in ever-expanding districts (adding to commute time). Paperwork burden has increased so half the time is spent training us in pencil-whipping. That leaves precious little time for what could be great break-out sessions. Even then our poor O/A advisor had to devote a bit if his Q&A time to address my question about crew camping nights vs. troop camping nights (the former don't count ... based on the principle that O/A is for Boy Scouts ... based on rules needed to maintain segregation ... no I didn't bring it up, but it's the 800 pound gorilla in the room), which I'm sure wasted everyone else's time even though for me it was really important because I have to deal with older venturers who are occasional ASMs. One "class" a month, hundreds of students, little chance for fellowship. I'm surprised a quarter of the folks felt positive about RT.

@@mattman578, hat should have been +1. Thumb slipped.

Let's not forget the downstream benefits of going the whole nine yards ... and this includes incorporating siblings if at all possible. Yes, the commands will have local variation, etc ... But, it's still worth getting those little hands and feet to commit some protocol to muscle memory. When my first crew made it to Seabase, I suddenly realized that the guys were sharp with flag protocol, the girls on the other hand, felt woefully out of place on the lawn looking side-to-side trying to figure out how to salute. They took it all in stride, but I felt like I had sold them short. This spring a younger-sister-of-three-boy-scouts venturer with basic military training was a little uncomfortable on color guard for Son #2's ECoH. She did very well, and it was an honor to have her. But the boys had to help her snap into the role 1/2 hour before "showtime." Venturers attend precious few meetings and there are so many things needed to get them up to speed -- camp hygiene, flab protocol, paperwork, etc... It would be nice if this weren't one of them. By putting the youngn's through their paces now, you're doing some advisor (or school teacher or band director, etc ...) in the future a solid.

Don't make it about being "above board". It's about him proving that he's prepared to get a head-start with troop life just like his buddies. He can sit in on whatever the troop will let him to sit in on. But we all want him to feel like he deserves to be there. It's like the Good Book says, "Study to show thyself approved." Stepping through AoL is one way for a kid to start thinking "I own this." Coming of age or completing a grade is another way. Being welcomed unconditionally might convey that same feeling. Depends on the troop. What you don't want is the kid to feel like he's getting another "everyone's a winner" trophy.

Two many options make for a mess. It sounds like you should just tell the boy to work the new program. And, you should use the "stealth advancement" approach ... Surely some of the stuff he did for his Webelos badge fulfills AoL requirements? I'd see what you could check off from all the stuff he did. Fill out a chart of what he's done and show it to him. Then give him the option of completing the other half, and bridging in January or not worrying about it, and crossing over when he turns 11 or graduates 5th grade.

I think the GTA's stipulations are fairly new. Eventually, the district advancement chairs may come around, and it will trickle into roundtable training sessions. But ... There is a certain dignity in this town. If you're going to write about someone -- favorable or otherwise, they deserve to read it. If you don't have the stones to write/say something unfavorable to someone's face, then either: It's untrue or unimportant, or You have no room to talk. If you suspect someone may have something unfavorable to say, then you don't ask for them to put it in a letter ... ever. That sentiment runs deep. I've seen it expressed in sport, union negotiations, religion, and local politics. And, there are no secrets in scouting. Or, so I'm told.

Good point. At a meeting before the ceremony, did you read the book with the boys and then ask them how they want to participate?If not, did you read that chapter after the event and ask "So guys, do you think we did it? Or would we like to do more?" Thus you will have trained your boys to use the ideal method of learning a scout skill, one that begins with "Reference".

This discussion isn't as fun as it could be. How 'bout if the boys got to ride in some helicopters that were doing a flyover during the opening of a football game? Participate or spectate?

The scout requests letters. No particular form is specified. Letters go to the SM or to the scout who collects them and turns them in to the SM. As a personal policy, I only write open recommendations -- be it for jobs, scholarships, or bling. So the scout may read and review it if he wishes. If somebody wants a closed recommendation, they can call me personally over a land line, and record my response.

Less than 2% of registered scouts ever attend Jambo. I don't know what % of scouts in a given year go to an HA base. I suspect the number is small, but larger than Jambo. Maybe we should sum over 4 years to make the rates comparable? Not every HA wonk should go to Jambo. Not every Jambo wonk should go to an HA base. Not every Arrowman should go to NOAC. Some scouts and scouters with means should try to go to one of those things and represent their home troop/crew well. I've been generally pleased with the cheerfulness "bump" in the boys who did. But, I have also seen seasoned scouters talk other scouters out of it. You all owe them a huge thanks. For me, all I I know is that at Jambo I saw a minimum impact camping display and from that point forward, my backpack got lighter and my footprint smaller. Now, other boys in my troop and girls in my crew -- very few who attended Jambo or an H/A base -- imitate me with pride. Was that worth Mamma slaving over a hot stove for us to sell hard candy for me to afford such exploits? Let the land that was untrampled be the judge.

What @@jpstodwftexas said (except the part about Summit, which can handle thousands of campers but a limited number of lodgers). Plus ... I think part of the idea is to get boys acquainted with college campuses. It'd be nice if your average welding school could house that many! And, it's sort of why O/A has positioned itself to disallow female youth who are card-carrying members of the BSA ... because the adults at the top wanted it so.

Don't forget the good old Kolndike derby! Fit in after-dinner challenges as well as afternoon challenges! Regarding the wood ... we usually have one or two older kids for whom life is just better if they split a chord a day. So, we have an appropriately skilled and equipped adult take the chainsaw safety course and be prepared to help the ranger cut some dead-fall into rounds for splitting. Even in a busy year, rangers find us stuff to be cleared by mid-winter not far from our site/cabin. All the boys spend an hour or less rolling the rounds to the axe yard, and the splitters happily spend another couple hours with the axe and adze. By nightfall there's enough for a fire-break and even a few lounge chairs.

My older boys have always liked planning something big on their own. That could mean challenging backpacking trips. Starting a venturing crew (with some ASM foolish enough to be their advisor). Helping rangers at camps on free weekends. Thanks for all our service to the boys. All thee best with this new challenge.

Sometimes when it's above your pay grade, it turns out you're the one for the job!

I guess the question boils down to is this troop good for your boys? If so, and if these SMs are doing things by the book, let your boys enjoy the troop and just drop and go until someone asks for more help. If the other troop is better, drop the boys there on the way to pack meetings. Offer to help as needed on weekends and evenings that aren't pack nights. Either way, have fun with your youngest. Serve cheerfully at the district level. As an ASM and Crew Advisor, I've found it hard to do much more than that. This troop may have given you some unique opportunities by freeing up your time.

A sixteen year old has the right to know his mom talked to you about stuff. Let him know you're in his corner. You're not repeating anything to other folks, or discuss with him, unless he wants to. Tell him you'd appreciate from time to time if he told you if things are better, the same, worse. No other details required. If you're a praying man, he already knows your praying for him. No need to relay that. Just do what you do. The boy might be distancing himself because he's afraid he'll hurt others -- even if it's just by being a little verbally negative. Respect that. IF he sees that there are boys in the troop who can deal with that, he'll spend more time with them. If not he'll stay at a distance.

Or the wholesale appropriating of football jerseys by people who were never assigned a number. (Says the kid whose old-school folks only went to games in suit-and-tie or active-duty uniform. And would have us run laps and pound sand if we darkened the door with a jersey we didn't make the cut to wear.)