qwazse

Camping in Wilderness = Cool Organ at Full Stops = Cool Scouts Logging Video of Jambo = Cool Jazz in Worship = Cool Carping about how other people do stuff = Uncool

Went to and presented at an APA meeting once. Mostly serious stuff goes on about dealing with primary mental health issues and the best way to deliver the best care. But there are thousands of presentations. The book of abstracts alone is overwhelming. So, yeah. If you're looking for something to prove your point, it'll be in there. In fact much of my talk was replying to comments about what could and could not be gotten from the data presented. Fortunately, my topic was not headline material, because in those 30 minutes there was plenty of room for misquoting. Love the Kinsey reports, but I'm sticking to one wife -- even if by nature I'm a polygamist. My religion, pocketbook, and Mrs. #1 all indicate that it'll be nothing but trouble otherwise.

4 years, no advancement. I'm fine with some other advisor getting a ULAM because he/she has a crew of 8 that focus on one area so he/she can track requirements without going insane. I'll focus on identifying six key outings so each of my 24 kids get outdoors at least once this year, getting them to recruit the next generation of venturers, getting some of them to council VOA, and seeing each of them have fun and grow a little. If, after all that, you can't tell that I'm an advisor to the most dynamic crew in my council because I got no gold star, maybe you can tell by the smile on my face!

Ditto to all the ideas regarding crew members dating. Main point: discipline is up to the officers of the crew. We advisors strongly encourage them to write bylaws to cover that in advance, but it usually takes someone's emotional drama ruining an outing make it happen. Definitely touch base with your crew to know its rules and history. Wingnut's comment only comes officially into play for adults. Like sbemis and emb brought up, if either of you are near 21, the "No fraternization rule" will come into play. It's a BSA National policy, and it's there because we don't want Advisors, or Committee Members, or Scoutmasters dating youth. Take the average age adult and the average age youth and that behavior sounds predatory, but it's not unusual in couple of venturers who've been with the program for years for one of them to want to lead a crew, troop, or pack as soon as they turn 21. So, the couple in this situation would have to decide if they want the older one to postpone becoming a BSA adult leader until the younger one is of age, or if they want the younger one to leave the BSA until he/she can be an adult leader. (Here's hoping they don't both leave the organization!)

Nike - I had a female committee member give our 14 y/o crew girls the backpacking instruction. She focused on personal hygene in a way that got them over the "gotta have the hot shower" mentality. I wish I had written down what she said, because her talk was excellent and completely different than how we would do it for boys. (You know, for boys: "You WILL bring soap. You WILL bring toothpaste. And you WILL bathe once and brush twice on this trip.") SSScout - Thanks for the link. The search box on that page brought up a description of one backpacking course for leaders. I'll see if this GS council has something of the sort.

Just talked to a mom who came from GS camp. She already put three boys through the BSA program, so when it came time to divide funds from cookie sales for camp fees, she did it based on individual sales (which is not GS policy, I'm told). All the girls in her troop showed up for camp and had a great time. Another troop that went by protocol and divided their sale funds equally among the girls who signed up for camp, had half the girls cancel with NO notice given to the leaders. I could make a reference to an -ism here, but I know that'll spin another unnecessary thread. So, I think the pay-your-own way approach may or may not impacts the kids. But, it does impact parents who may act a little more responsibly because, themselves or their son having worked hard for those funds, they will make sure the kid goes if money was put down, or find a refund or sell their ticket if they can't.

Public education is about 1. producing a literate workforce, 2. producing consumers who can read advertisements, 3. self-promotion. If your business/government beureau has benefitted from 1 and 2, no point in complaining about 3. The majority of your laborers or clients that you have employed would not be literate if they had to pay for their own education or count on some charity paying it for them. The wheels of capitalism would grind to a halt. So yeah, a successful public education will teach a little entitlement (laborers can read their paychecks and levearge for a better deal, consumers can smell the snake oil and demand more for their money/votes). It will also promote itself so everyone feels they gotta chip in a chunk of change to keep the engines running. But, I'm not so sure private or home schooling wouldn't do the same.

SN - Our troop's gear is available to any responsible GS unit in the community. (Lord knows, we've been blessed with plenty, and they return the gear in as good a condition as when the boys borrow it.) But, backpacking does not demand much from troop stores. (E.g., we ain't haulin a two-burner stove, a lantern, and a 20' cooking fly anywhere by foot!) Our crew is starting to accumulate a small collection of packs, and may eventually have some ultralight stoves, ultralight tents, etc.... But, older teens tend to be proud, and borrowing personal gear is not in their ilk. And their money is starting to go to other things (homecoming/prom gowns, etc ...). WCS - My daughter (and a bunch of other young women in the Venturing program) had similar experiences. I'm proud to say that she still "mixes it up" and spends far less time at the mall than her GS peers. It's a shame, b/c I think GS becomes unnatractive to a certain segment of youth because the program doesn't challenge them. Tent-averse moms are a serious issue. I've talked to moms who raised kids in the '50's and they are ashamed at how their "granddaughters" are being deprived of wildnerness experiences. I've had dad's who've given me the line, "If there ain't a shower, count me out." But at the end of they day if their kid was interested, they'd rough it. But, seriously, are there GS mom's who get their Jr. high girls into a little backpacking? Because I am really interested in having some of our crew promote it to GS troops, but I am also not interested in reinventing the wheel!

What I've seen missing, and it puts the GS coming into our Crew at a disadvantage: is experience backpacking. The disadvantage is somewhat physical, but also financial. From age 11-13, Boy Scouts have been aquiring the backpacking gear and practice that they need by the time the serious wilderness hikes start to become available to them. A 14 year old girl who has to go from nada to a full pack of equipment is facing sticker shock for a hobby she is not entirely sure if she's cut out for. The alternative is to borrow big-brother's hand-me-down, and those of us who've used loaner packs know that can add just enough pain to the equation to want to end it after mile 2! Do any of your GS programs incorporate backpacking education targeting that Middle School range?

NC It's not a group that bans homosexuals outright (at least not until they apply for unit leadership). And our youth are trying to sort out these issues (as much as they are trying to sort out religion, the opposite sex, proper engine mounts, etc...). So, being able to filter the BS from the central issue in light of massive cultural shift is pretty time consuming.

The answer: yes. The real question: does it matter? For example, some colleagues are busy learning how to coax adult stem cells into regeneration. If, after years of hard work, it manages to grow back a missing leg, it doesn't matter if you are born that way or lost it in battle. We all would probably want you to get a missing leg. However, the lot of us (who can read this blog) are born without wings. Not sure the majority of us would countenance trying to grow a pair -- regardless if on some level we could argue there's a natural tendancy in some humans to want to fly. We can argue 'till we're blue in the face about if that tendancy is innate or acquired. Likewise resolving how much sexual preference is inherited or acquired does not help us deal with wether we should confer rights and privelages on any particular preference.

I split Seabase fees with my son. He did chores (including renovation projects) to earn his half, but when it came time to pay fees, the portion that he earned got left in his savings account. The fact that he could earn $ if he wanted to was good enough for me. Bottom line for our family: a kid's primary job is to do very well at school. (Getting a 'B' or less = you flunked.) If they pull that off and some basic chores and the police aren't knocking at our door, they'll get a pass on having to earn every $ they spend on activities. I do let them know exactly how much I am paying for stuff, and if the money can't be spared, it won't happen. Result: he is not a deadbeat. He is on the dean's list in college, and works the summers for his spending money and part of his tuition. I have seen other "part-time job since age 12" kids completely incapable of building up any savings because they had a mindset that everything they earn is theirs to spend in the moment. That said, I'd rather have a kid find a part time job than do fundraisers for every activity he's in.

... my son would not have as many friends from different schools and in different grades. and if it weren't for venturing ... my daughter would not have sat around a campfire discussing the manufacture of explosives ("you just don't get that in girl scouts"). ... my daughters' friends would never shout "Mr. __, we love you!!!" to me in the middle of a carnival. Still not entirely sure if those last two count in the + or - column. Just putting them out there.

"... ruined because his patrol was totally dysfunctional." I had an 17 y.o. boy complain about his "dysfunctional" family once. I replied "Have you ever gone a day in your life without food in the fridge? Then your family functioned."* Granted, you should screen patrols and shake them down as much as possible before the event. But, forming a patrol with other kids in your council is part of the experience. And the Jambo experience with a troop of young boys will be much different than one with old pro's. But, unless they completely missed the arena shows, I would not call it "ruined". Keep the minimum age for Jambo as is. If you want a 14+ year-old experience, promote a High Adventure Base or Venturing Area gatherings. Although I've known some 16 y.o. slackers that could bring a troop/crew to a grinding halt, the difference in maturity does make things run more smoothly. But, the only problem with such events: younger scouts miss out. *P.S. - I reserve "dysfunctional" for truly life threatening/demeaning situations.

SN, This is really good news. BS, tell your new bugler that you pulled some strings for him.

As MT mentions, some non-participants may be doing you a favor by staying out of your way. Others, you have to pour the sugar on when they even lift the slightest finger. ("Thank you for [x], it meant a lot!") They may catch on. The one's who do go all out: make them your best cup of coffee. Or, if they aren't reward-taking type, have the boys on the PLC sign a thank-you note at the end of the year.

Also, consider that -- all other things being equal -- moving a unit is more arduous than moving a couple of boys. (Ever try to bike slowly to accomodate a novice rider? Even after a couple hours every muscle in your body will be screaming at you!)

We do a mixture: The PLC tells us which camps they want to go to the following year. (Yes, it's come to a year in advance, even for council camps.) Based on lulls in the local school's schedule, we pick dates that *may* work. This is easy when the PLC is all from the same school and are in the same activities; otherwise, just get out the darts. SM goes to HQ on the morning of first day available (usually a school day) and pushes the paperwork for our preferred dates. Council makes it very difficult for this process to be boy led. As mentioned above, state parks / wilderness areas are much more user friendly, so we sick the boys on those.

Reservations (esp. at council camps) are tough. Develop some local options as backup. Back to topic ... the troop is visible in the community. Boys are recognised for accomplishments outside of scouting. (They may be the ushers in your church, on student council, etc ...) You may even find them camping in some local hollow!

I doubt these were pre-selected. It's one thing for a skit, but when prizes are involved there are serious legal issues with saying you're having a contest then "rigging" the outcome. In fact, depending on the state rules for participation and expected odds have to be posted somewhere. (Thus all the fine print on candy wrappers with "Wonka" type games.)

If your boys are on the move a lot, I've used popsicle sticks with a 1/8" hole in one end. The boys write their name in indelible ink. My "buddy board" is an unused chain fishing stringer. (Given my luck fishing, my regular stringer is always empty.) Buddies slide their tags into the same link in the stringer. P.S. - If you want to use those tags for more than one trip, you'll have to reinforce the hole with duct tape. Obviously, durability of materials or even the level of improvisation depends on your objective. But, the boys -- if they've been to camp more than once -- seem to appreciate the opportunity to improvise.

This must be a rule of conflicts: "The moment you think you have the upper hand ... prepare for resounding defeat." Sorry you experienced this in a Scouting venue, but it happens elsewhere.

Our SMC's (once paperwork is out of the way) are essentially prep. for BOR. For some Life scouts it's been years since their last BOR, so yes it can be nerve racking. Our "coaching" amounts to basic communication skills (think before answering a question, don't reply with more than was asked, etc ...) and reminders that the committee members are there to get to know the boy to whom they are awarding this badge.

There are some boys who I wish would have earned Personal Management when they were 13. Namely the ones who are now 15 and tell me they want to go to Seabase, but money's an issue. (Actually, the guitar/game/girlfriend on which they spent all of last summer's earnings is the issue.)

Interesting that no one mentioned the First Class requirement to invite a friend to his troop. It has done nothing to boost our rate of recruitment, and it has uselessly added time the already difficult task of tracking advancement. Maybe we need to require the boy to invite ten other boys. Or, maybe we should just strike that one from the books.