qwazse

Boys that choose to join with a younger troop are probably prepared to do a lot of teaching. If they wanted to "just chill", they could have joined a venturing crew or a troop with older boys. Involve the older boys in some evaluation. On your next campout, after they've completed bed-check, ask them to hang by the fire. Ask them questions like these: Is this troop ready to backpack? Where to? How many miles per day? What do we need so we can do a canoe trip? What's the coolest skill you'd like to introduce to these boys? Then you and your ASM walk the 100 yards to your t

My suggestion, You should 'store' only the minimum gear (the safety and maintenance stuff and tie-downs, etc.) in the trailer. Your troop QM is responsible for loading for the next trip and unloading for the previous one. This means that two meetings a month (ideally pre- and post- trip), the boys are devoting some time to transferring gear under the watchful eye of the QM. Depending on the activities your troop does, you may want to rig racks or storage hooks for personal gear. (E.g. bike racks, backpack racks, rod/reel holders ... it all depends on what's popular with your bo

I prefer "tagged" as opposed to "shot at", but anyway ... BUCKET BRIGADES. Using coffee cans (or gallon jugs, whatever), which patrol can fill a 50 gal drum the fastest? (The leakier the cans, the more the fun.)

People should keep in mind that parliamentary procedure is simply a way to make sure every opinion gets its fair share of time, and motions don't go ignored. If you are so cozy that you spend two hours at the end of which nobody knows what their assignments are, it's time to work on being formal. When parliamentary procedure is used to bash others, it's purpose is defeated. Then, maybe you need to spend a couple of hours being informal.

A squirt gun (i.e., the generic brightly colored bulbous variety -- although, now that the gun show guys have guns with pink stocks to cater to the ladies, whose to say that line isn't getting blurred as well?) is a simulated crowd control device, not a fire-arm. Marshmallows simulate rubber bullets. The intent is to startle/restrain not harm/maim. There is no prohibition in G2SS against simulated anti-riot gear.

Giant hamster wheel! A scout in his final year at summer camp modified plans for a ladder to make it. It was about 6 feet in circumference, and flexible with no axel. So, it operated more like a tank tread than a stationary wheel. He didn't have fresh wood, so it only lasted a few "rotations", but it was fun watching him work it out.

I asked for a pair of greys for Father's day. My family got a puppy instead. Any decent pair of grey pants or shorts will do for the venturing uniform. (Although it is nice to coordinate with your crew.) Last year's offering from the scout shop was far below decent.

Nice to know if you miss the fireworks, you can always log in ... Follow your SM's lead. Ignore the smoke blowing. Calling for "dismissal" of volunteers rarely solves anything. Was there ever a motion by the committee that this ASM had the authority approve camperships? If not, contact the mother and let her know the ASM was misinformed and her son is still eligible for a campership. The committee makes the decision. You may want to gently inform the ASM that you found her behavior toward another parent to be abrasive, and as an empathetic parent you would like things to happ

Didn't know about the point change. Son #2 took all of open program last week to meet reqs. (He didn't complete his Swimming partial from last year b/c of it!) I think he used the 20/35 red compounds. Can't remember what my reqs were back in the day, but I remember practicing for a year at 20 yards with a wood 25# recurve and wood arrows (no arrow rest either). I don't think I took that bow to camp, but adapting to the 35# fiberglass recurves was a piece of cake after all the practice with that clunker. (In it's favor, the wood did have a smoother draw.)

Most trainers that I know are not overwhelmed with students. It's not sponging if they're paying. Even if it is, I "sponge" off of the GS to re-up my CPR because they seem to have their act together to schedule trainings at my convenience. But, to get around all of this, I would suggest you invite the leaders interested in training to register with the BSA units, especially if the crew is co-ed. It's an extra $15 for them, but that makes them available as a resource to the crew and venturers available as a resource to them. (Hint, crews often need: 1. female chaperons for overnights

E92 - Well the global politcs may amplify it, but culturally we tend to be brought up with a different leadership style. (E.g., "first to speak, last to listen." "My way or the highway." "Git 'er done.") Regardless of its validity, that stereotype leads folks to look to leaders from other nations to be the point-men when putting together multinational teams. I was in one of those situations many years ago, and it took me months to realise that having a Yankee as "the guy" didn't bring out the best in the team, but as a sidekick I could help move things along, and when the leader was in

One would be surprised at how much time "off trail" is involved in taking youth camping. So, I wouldn't doubt that in some way FS was doing just that. Since I was party in derailing C!C!'s post, I'll come back to topic. There are parents who try to "game the system" -- partly out of lack of faith that their boy can make this trail on his own, partly out of a conditioning to domineer, partly because of a culture clash with a new troop and its traditions. There are also parents who "bump into" controls that a committee has in place to help boys advance decently and in order. There are s

ED I'm interested in learning those differences. I think the differences are perception only. I've seen great results from jr ROTC and 4H. But BS and GS are far more general programs. It would be easier to believe some progressive admissions office would hold a lower view of seemingly narrowly focused activities, even if there is no data out there to support such an assertion. Calico - I had no doubt that the original assertions were based on zero facts. Thanks for confirming that.

I think you settled the procedural matter just fine. Folks who blow stuff out of proportion only make themselves look bad. You've explained yourself, if they try to report the issue you could say, "Fine, report me to HQ!" I like the view from the yard-arm. But, you also have a "people problem". Your CC was hurtful. Well, the only suggestion is to tell the CC (preferably over a cup of coffee) that you were hurt by how they handled this. You should have been contacted in person to help sort out what happened, and that you wish you didn't have to be on the defensive before all those pe

You have two options (well three, but you won't like the third one) ... 1. Tell the CC she needs to change her leadership style. If she doesn't you will apply to the COR to join the committee, and eventually ask to replace her. 2. Tell the COR she isn't working out, and suggest a different CC -- one that will grant ASMs voice on the committee. 3. Suck it up. Listen to her requests. Do what she says. In an SM's report to the committe tell how you've implemented her suggestions and evaluated of the results. Request a committee vote to approve/reject of the SM minutes. (That w

I couldn't find the quote in the article. Nevertheless, it does not include scouting, and there's no reason to assume it should. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are much different than those other organisations. Other threads have already discussed that scouting on a resume, admissions, and scholarship applications is most often an asset -- rarely a liability. Even progressive institutions are looking for members with the stick-to-it-ivness required to be granted BSA or GSA awards. I was at a major university's engineering department graduation a couple of years back and in the pro

Venturing females learning to throw axes with deadly accuracy ... it's enough to make any guy think twice. (Just sayin', dads ...) Back to topic ... I forgot to toss clippers or small penknife in my tackle box this week. It was a hassle trying to use the sheath knife for cutting monofilament line. The tool was too big for a small job. But, I'm glad it wasn't banned.

I think the intent here is that a scout may have gained an interest in a topic and started on some of the requirements (either out of ignorance or enthusiasm) before meeting the counselor. Then the boy should bring the stuff he started on, especially if it's good work that the counselor would have approved anyway. Also, the original counselor may still be on the district's list even if he/she is no longer active with the troop. (Sometimes those rolls take years to delete.) I'd check with HQ and, if they'd still take a sign-off on any MB's started by him/her, let the original counselor

23 registered. Attendance has been around 15. 19 are at summer camp.

We meet weekly every evening that the local school is in session. We shoot for camping 1 weekend/month. Plus summer camp. This is essential. I had a boy leave summer camp after three days because the bugs got to him (psychologically, not physically). He specifically asked, "Can I still come on winter campouts? I like when it's so cold that I don't have to worry about bugs." If all goes as planned, this would mean 18-24 camping nights. In reality some months all the boys are occupied with other activities and we've had to cancel. So, the tally is closer to 12-18 nights. The ol

MS I just left the boys at camp where an SPL was managing three patrols of six. His situtation is similar to yours ... different school, somewhat different interests, more a manager than a drill instructor. All that to say, you're an SPL with a PL patch. You've already identified the need for other active "sub-PL's" if you are to be successful. And you've realized that coordinating with other units (in this case, those other large patrols) is important. But, the numbers/patch game is irrelevant. If these boys see each other as a patrol, then they will be even if adults split them.

ScoutNut may be a little paranoid, but I've found his observations of the Byzantine workings of this organization are not too far off. One word of caution, never confuse a sympathetic ear for an alliance ... He looks completely foolish to anyone in our Troop that I share the details with ... I have heard phrases like this before, from someone who thought they'd be in this organization forever, about someone who he thought would be doomed to wreck a unit. The former is no longer an official leader, while the latter is fostering a booming troop. Just sayin' the path you describe

It probably means he will be subject to some cleaver marketing schemes.

In all of the text lashing this useful question went unanswered ... How frequently does a Troop set a higher standard than the BSA? Well, I'm no statistician (at least not on my day off), but I figure it's fairly frequent. For example, the first time our Troop/Crew went to Seabase, we required the adults to have completed Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (or whatever they called it 5 years ago) and Venturing Leader Specific Training. That's way above BSA's reqs. I tried to require VLST for the upcoming trip, but our council botched the schedule. (The next course is

about your Troop, but trips like this cannot be turned over to the boys. There's where Venturing is supposed to be different ... Every aspect of my crew's trip, every twist and turn, every rule, has gone through the youth (whom are the same age range as your contingent). If they thought a policy was stupid, we dropped it. All checks and cash go through my youth treasurer. I send her any invoices that come to me, and she handles my reciepts. She requests a check from my adult treasurer and sends it where needed. Boat assignments (including which adults chaperon with whom) are the