qwazse

Sounds like tremendous fun. But, is there anything that involved, say, meeting at your scout house and hiking to a campsite (even someone's back yard)? I hike through some local game lands? A town hike, maybe where each patrol hauls some rope and sets up some demonstration pioneering projects in a public square? Or, simply visiting the sheriff and maybe sing a song for the guys in lock-up? These "low adventure" projects serve two purposes. First they are stepping stones to "big name" activities. They work the "have fun anywhere" muscle. Second, because the event is less stressful, and travel time is reduced, there's more time available to really work those skills. I usually find we need to do two of these "structured unstructured weekends" for every one of our events with specific agendas. Sometimes this is disciplinary. For my crew, for example, I've made it clear that we aren't considering a trip out West until I see some more care with fire on our local hikes. "He who is faithful in little things ..." Finally, when sure a fair balance has been made in terms of free time and structure, I've found it a waste of time trying to please the masses. If there is one kid who is glad for the activity, that's all I need to tune out 10 "whiners". To the whiners, consider using this phrase: "Since when is your prepubescent angst any concern of mine?" (Practice it in front of a mirror, because you need to deliver it deadpan when the time comes.) I remember one time years ago when Son #1 was watching me map out a hike for a to-be-determined weekend. He said "You'd better be ready to hike alone." I replied something to the effect, "Do I look like a pretty boy in some popularity contest?" Fast forward: his pack is ready so that after work, today, he'll team up with a couple buddies for a night insertion into a trail-head in the Laurel Highlands (accumulation, I'm told, is 'bout 5 feet). After previous outings, some of his buddies have told me of his uncanny knack for cheerful disposition in pretty foul conditions. So, keep the faith. Be yourself -- maybe change what you need to. Find a little more of that inner "crazy survivalist" or "drill instructor" or whatever you need the boys to see. The end product might be more hopeful than you can foresee at the moment.

Yep, I'm feeling the same pull ... but let's see if we can inspire you to be that "special kind of crazy ..." Questions: Where do you camp? On the back acre of a local farmer or the nearest BSA/State Park campground? Who pays? The parents or the boys? When the boys pay they learn pretty quick that if they find a local site, that's more money in their pocket for games. What do you, Mr. SM, sleep in? Younger scouts think I'm crazy when I throw my bag and tarp on a picnic table, and don't bother with my tent unless I'm really sure I need it. Where do you lay your head? How far from the boys? Do you send them on hikes? Or do they put up with you tagging along? Do they see you trying to learn a new knot, or remastering one you forgot? As they grow older they gradually imitate, each in their own style. My bag is cheap, my hammock is cheap, my matress - not so cheap but the Mrs. says I need to take care of my back. P.S. - My "inspiration" should be taken with a grain of salt. Our troop has been declining in numbers. (Crossovers going to two new troops in the neighborhood.) But the boys who are in it aren't quitting.

It does vary quite widely. With our troop, we encourage the boys to mix it up. Some nights a lot of effort simply goes into cooking an awesome dessert. Other nights, we introduce the O/A and if there are younger scouts that takes time. Some nights a few boys with guitar/ukelele will take requests. Other nights it's silly songs like "Grey Squirrel", "Froggy" (my favorite), "Singing in the Rain" or "Buttercup". One night the boys hacked their various phones and electronic devices and sang along with well-timed "beeps" and "bops". In our crew, typically everyone sits around and does their own thing. One time a couple of girl scouts spent an hour providing background happily singing to each other all the songs they learned since first grade, while everyone chatted, listened to the waves hitting the beach, or counted the stars. One time, while backpacking in Dolly Sods, WV the boys contented themselves with the smallest of fires in an open hillside meadow just pondering the Milky Way from horizon to horizon. That's my profile picture. I'd like to think if you looked closely enough in the darkest region of the image (from NASA, taken on that date), you'd see one tiny pixel and me and the boys around it looking back at you! Well you know that singing is just not appropriate when you're getting your picture taken.

Appeal for an extension. It's adults' administrative shenanigans that are delaying the project. In fact, if I were the SM, I'd let the boy start the project. He wants to be an Eagle. He may not get the badge, but HE needs to know that HE completed the requirements. If the district disagrees, that remains their problem not his.

We try to make sure there is as little to do after 10 as possible. That helps. My kids always needed more sleep, so they got short shrift. Worse, unlike me, they have yet to master power naps. They've all learned that lack of sleep will not be countenanced as an excuse for bad behavior. Being in venturing just aggravates that. (Most young ladies who I know are owls.) Son #2, at least, has no qualms about introverting in the midst of a crowd, curling up, and sleeping by the fire on the ground be it ever so wet. So while with the troop, lights out is pretty hard-and-fast, with the crew, good-night-time is always a negotiation. You tell me when you will go to bed. I nap. Then while my chaperons are zipping their tents I hike out and hold the youth to their GNT. After everyone has settled, I then spend a few minutes debating whether to set up my tent or find a picnic table. It's impressive how few youth want to stay up when I'm out there talking to myself. Good morning time is set by the needs of the day. Breakfast waits for nobody. It is not saved for sleepers-in. The youth learn quickly that their suffering is no concern of mine, they are best served by working hard, playing hard, and sleeping well.

Or corporations and alumni who want to uphold justice for pairs where one member bears the brunt of physical burden of reproduction due to biology will stop supporting BSA, and start supporting youth groups who uphold those roles as sacrosanct. No matter what, we are the pawn in someone's culture war until we are no longer the largest youth movement in the nation.

Whatever you do, be encouraging to the boys who haven't earn their bobcat. Tell them they have until May (or whenever your deadline for the last meeting of the year is). That THEY can read their books. THEY can find the things that haven't been signed off. THEY can choose the requirements to work on. THEY can ask their parents to do more with the pack or maybe find a relative who can help. THEY do them with the help of parents big brothers/sisters, DLs. THEY can get it done. Put it on the boys. After all, we're in this because they are our last hope!

My chairs aren't all that comfortable, so if a boy's willing to trade, I win.

Thanks for the update. These things take time. Sports? Our troop is 80% soccer players. Good ones. Year-round. When we camp, it guts the team. Gives the 2nd string a chance to step up. No regrets.

A good OA chapter does wonders for a boy and, in turn, his troop. I know for some of you there's no comparison, but a good VOA (Venturing Officer's Association) should also be doing the same thing for a youth and his/her crew.

Good thing I'm a crew advisor. I can only pull off the naps!

Either he or a clever imposter just posted on the trail life thread.

good point, dc. Plus when you fit that bit in about how far you can jump on the moon using the same force (which has to deal with hang-time minus drag), you can point out that watching movements (among other methods) is how one can tell an authentic moonwalk from a staged one. The motion of the actors is different (longer aloft), and the dust that gets kicked up doesn't form clouds, it just flies up and drops (no drag)!

It's like the boys in my troop have evil twins!

Sometimes, families have guests. Yes, they do change the dynamic. Usually for the good (although there was that one incident, over tiramisu, when the Maurtanian and the Malian started a row over the price of tea in Timbuktu).

Mine would be ... M: water bottle rockets, T: geocaching, or (if folks won't volunteer GPS's) radio station orienteering, H: catapults, F: lofting water balloons (to determine the probability of soaking the camp director)! Good luck. Get help from teachers. Ask them what they would like to do with their students but the classroom stuff got in the way. Ask lots, and in the process a few helpers might get roped in.

JB, if the kid's backyard can be set up as a wetland to draw ducks, then you have a point. But that's more than just putting up a box, isn't it? Your family would have to commit to not mowing that section of property, you would have to clear it of refuse, maybe reclaim the tract for wetlands, and pen up the dogs. My brother-in-law and his wife did just that on his suburban property, and the ducks came, but it was an impressive piece of work. For it to be sustainable, they had to build a pen to keep the nests away from the coons and keep gators out of the pond.

When our adults are guests at scouts' tables, we stay at the adult campsite sipping our coffee (usually my espresso and one other lest robust brand) until a messenger is sent to let us know the meal is ready. We leave before the washing up starts. Although, if the dishwater is ready, I'll clean my own bowl, porcelain espresso cup, and gay floral patterned silverware and leave it to dry in a corner of the camp box approved by the PL.

Leave No Trace was designed by several US government agencies for any and all organizations to use in their programs. BSA is perhaps the largest consumer. One could say that BSA has been milking the fruit of practical Christianity for years and TL is only putting the original moniker on it. (That's technically not correct because methods of ordering one's life stem from monastic traditions that predate the Evangelical movement by a millenium - but in broad strokes, it fits.) Breaking accomplishment into small steps is nothing new. The European University model was developed in the 12 century. BSA has 7 ranks; TL six. They seem to be imposing age benchmarks, which BSA does not do. You say potayyto, I say potahhto ... More importantly, the TL organizers are very much aware of copyright law. Some of them may have helped BSA defend it's turf over the years. I really don't want a dime of my membership fee going towards infringement challenges against TL. I'd rather the boys who are caught up in this culture war to get into learning and growing and building program, so I'm glad the conversion chart is available to them.

With the troop, it varies. At summer camp, adults take rotation as guests at each patrol. On backpacking trips we often have our separate mess kits. And, boys will split the meal with whoever wants to share the same thing. Sometimes that's an adult. Other times, when I really want to show how it's done, I organize the old-fart's patrol into a culinary masterpiece. With the crew, we're all a team and when my most talented youth are cooking, you ain't keeping me from eating with them.

Yep. We run the gammut. From D/O, to grill, to kit, to cup, to nuthun but coals (I can still taste the steak/fish). The boys are responsible for choosing the kit(s) they will use for a particular activity.

There's no business like show business ...

In general, we're suckers. If we know there's an extra seat we'll fit 'em in. It's up to the patrols how to figure out meals, but we usually buy a little extra. Parents, BTW, should not have to pay attention. I agree that it is disruptive, and if it was the same family every time, we would have a serious discussion. Worst case scenario (this happens with our Crew a lot): if not enough folks sign up, the event gets canceled. It's really depressing when you get a bunch of calls two days later with close to the minimums you needed! I'm usually pretty blunt and say "If only you had been more responsible and called in saying you were thinking about signing up."

Yes, you can be multiple registered and wear a different hat in each unit. No extra cost (except the paperwork) to do so. Sounds like you have a good plan. Thanks for your service and enjoy the boys.

If the boy is enthused about a unit, and the unit is enthused about the boy, let him join it. The other alternative, that folks are ignoring here, is to simply quit scouting for a year. We recruit the occasional boy who was fed up with cub scouts. They do well. The occasional boy who didn't like cub scouts but was forced to participate, then forced to crossover ... he doesn't do so well. Now, regarding the young crossover who I knew, it's not like he was engaged in the troop continuously. Around age 14 he begged off scouting for about a year. He claimed that was because of maturity issues, but I don't think it was from issues that stemmed from him crossing over young. That is, had he crossed over a year older, he would have hit the same "rut" at high school age.