qwazse

Freudian slip or autocorrect?

There's really only one question, well maybe two: Does your son like it? Is he flourishing there?

This is a negative viewpoint. For rhetorical purposes, the writer implies that we are moving to a required venturing uniform and that the new awards are actually "ranks". I don't believe that either of those are true. However, I haven't seen the new VLST training materials to know exactly how this will be fed to new leaders.

OPPS?

Tarp ridge-lines don't bear as much weight as hammocks, so I don't think webbing protects bark any better than rope when the load is that small. Also, I prefer 3/8" or 1/2" braided line line (75# strength) that will flatten a little under pressure.

The trick with pocket knifes for carving is a light touch and little chips. This is something that takes a while to practice. Use soft wood, like balsa. Most boys aren't going to become apprentice wood carvers, so keep the bar low.

You were a victim of double-speak. When Bill Evans visited our council in '07, he said that every venturer should take advantage of the "awards opportunity" in venturing The understanding was that not every venturer would get Silver, but there was an expectation that more than .001 of the membership would work on an award. The notion that dozens of youth would gather together, plan adventures, serve the community, etc ... not one of them wanting to bother with being recognized for it ... that is completely foreign to the great minds in the BSA. So if the new awards don't have any more curb appeal than the old ones, expect this cycle to repeat. In the minds of executives, underutilized=failure.

Some boys can work with a picture. Most need to actually see the knot (in 3d) then they need to try it themselves, then see you tie it, then have you hold their hands while they try again ...

Welcome. And thanks for your service! Hopefully the link below will answer your questions and provide some thoughtful discussion.

Well that does stink. But what you can do at the end of the year is give the troop the contact info of your former cubs. Once they've all finished 5th grade, their troop boys might want to just give them a call and extend an invite.

Never ask for a rule! It does not say "where scouts and scouters can view the interaction" for a very good reason. It allows a counselor and scouts to meet, say, in a community coffee shop or at the counselor's place of business (if there are plenty of folk in view). Tell your scout that he's right and you were being overly cautious. However, it is definitely more fun to do anything with a buddy, so encourage the boys to team up go with their friends (scout or not) to visit counselors.

Sentinel, Venturers have boundary issues! But I think this one fits under "patrol method." The problem predates Venturing. Back when we were "Leadership Corps" we asked ourselves if we should be members of respective patrols or set ourselves apart. I don't think there's one pat answer. If your PL's are resenting the venturers going off and leaving them in the lurch, then maybe it's time to give them their own patrol. On the other hand, if they are coming back from crew outings with new skills and a better vision of scouting, maybe you'd rather have each patrol "salted" with a couple venturers. Bloop, I think if the boys have strong opinions about how they should be organized, stand by them. But, don't let them get away without consequences. If they are under-performing, figure out a way to get them to evaluate and reflect on how to improve. Encourage them to consider if how they're organized is contributing to the problem. If the boys don't seem to care, maybe you could draft a roster, then ask the PLC to review and revise it. Give it six months. Have them evaluate if everything is okay, then support them if they think change is needed.

"Beginning in 2016 in Boy Scouts, Duty to God will be incorporated in the requirement to show Scout Spirit. During the unit leader conference, the Scout will be asked what Duty to God means to him and how he demonstrates that duty." For some folks this does not represent change. For others, it is asking them to step into the subject in a way they may not be comfortable doing.

Well, Barry, the Venturing division has called that "stealth advancement" it's a great approach if scouters are satisfied with 1 in every thousand boys moving beyond First Class. What's very interesting: nobody is nagging any of my venturers to earn venturing awards (old or new). So, how I choose to advise the occasional youth who chooses to go for an award comes under zero criticism. Fact is, I try to stay as mum as possible about Eagle to our youth. We have enough older scouts proposing projects and having special courts of honor that the cycle seems pretty much self-sustaining. That should be enough, but Son #2 can't avoid heat from all angles: Grandma sits beside him and says, "Now I don't want you to worry or anything, but Papa and I aren't getting any younger, and we sure would like to be spry enough to make it to your Court of Honor." A soccer dad (whose boys are in another troop) confronts him every week about why he hasn't started Personal Fitness MB. Grandpa tells me there aren't many families that can boast 3 Eagles in a household. Mrs. Q is demanding daily progress reports. There have been tears. Unnecessary shouting matches. Lame excuses. Frankly, if he'd miss the 17.5 mark to earn Life, I'd be just fine. I want to call off the hounds. But folks, I have to sleep at night! So I'm trying to walk a line saying to him privately "If you don't want this, just say so. I'll back you. But if you do, hustle up." At the moment he's hustling up. It's just a little sad that some of that is out of fear of disappointment vs. out of joy for the opportunities.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the content of scoutmaster conferences being dictated by National. I don't mind guidelines. And, although I'm perfectly fine talking to folks about religious convictions and hearing what other folks have to say, I can imagine a lot of the leaders I know not being entirely comfortable with it. You all have heard my opinion about service hours having no business in rank advancement. Religion is kind of the same thing. These become "uncounted" requirements. Yes they are in every handbook, but outside of scouting the 21 merit badges is what gets recognition. Well, really what we have is 22 ("Project Planning" being an additional required badge); and now maybe 23 (the addition of "Religious Expression"). I would just rather our new Eagles know that more is now required of them than was required of us.

Not fair! You skipped "forming", "storming", and "norming"!

Ideally a UC should come on a regular schedule and NOT when they need something from a unit leader. After routinely sitting in on a couple of meetings and being clear that he/she wants nothing but to get to know yours and a couple of other units, both UC and leader(s) will figure out when it is and isn't good to bring up anything. For some leaders that will be during the meeting; for others, with a note or E-mail afterwords; for others, coffee may need to be served.

The insignia guide shows "chair" patch (#18059), but http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/About/ThePack/pcomm.aspx shows the old "chairman". Seeing that she is more homo-sapiens than furniture, I think the most appropriate designation is the latter. But, who am I to prescribe language?

Hate to break it to you, but that expectation was always there. Awards were never intended to be for the elite 1 in 1000 venturers. My take: I'm telling my youth that I expect them to be growing. As they do, I would be honored if they talked to me about how that's happening for them. From there it's just a matter of paperwork. So far they ain't biting.

I could envision the hypothetical Lone Scout raising funds for his council -- No strings attached. I could then see that scout benefiting from those funds by applying for a camper-ship that would be awarded without consideration of how much the boy raised. There are boys who just care about helping fellow scouts who they've never met.