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Update on how things are happening IRL ... our progress reports to our funding agency now go through a system that prompts us for the details they need. Fine, I think it's nice that we address questions that may come up from folks who can't read our original grant. Plus, sometimes things change in the implementation and it's good to convey when an how that has happened. However, there is a new system for inputting these things that prompts our administrative assistant for one thing at a time. This means that even if we give her a full write-up like we always do, she has to submit additional information in small (say, a few checkboxes, or a few sentences, or some numbers), and there is no way of knowing what will be asked for the next chunk until she submits the current one. It would have been very nice if someone would have taken the time to say "you will be prompted on the following ...." and listed what would have to be prepared. Needless to say, we get random interruptions throughout the day as people stumble upon the latest question they can't answer but could have if we knew it was going to be asked of them. The challenge with all of this workbook stuff, is giving both the macro (e.g. outline) and micro (e.g. specific text or signature, that may be needed) views of the planning process at the same time.

Well, requiring plain-old-ascii would rid us of digital renderings! But, I'm not sure how any workbook or rules will prevent a troop advisor for going off the rails like this. This is where the commissioner corps and getting leaders to roundtable really matters. Certainly, for our grant work, the 12-page limit spares lots of blueprints, etc ... There are reviewers who would demand them (for our labs, etc ...). We simply say "they will comply to X standard" or, "we will employ Dr. A, who has supervised similar projects ...." I'm still seeing scouts being sent back over project minutae. But maybe it's not as bad as it was a couple decades ago. All I know is that it's worse than what it was 4 decades ago.

I gotta agree with @mrkstvns. My state taxes have a form-based option. And although it takes a little effort to learn because stuff has to be completed in a particular order, it is very reliable and the print-friendly version is easy to check. It even allows for write-in comments. The Eagle app would be even simpler, and could be deliverable via Scoutbook. The Eagle workbook could be similar ... web-based with an app that would allow the scout to work offline. But, always ask who would it be simpler for? It is very simple for a Scout to take a standard outline for a plan, copy and insert all the details, get signatures at the end, and make it looks decent. That means variability in font choice, margins, and spacing. But who does that bother? The folks who have to look at hundreds of Eagle applications? It's not like any of us have never gotten bids from contractors. For the scout how does filling out a form or downloading an app make it simpler than glorious copy-and-paste? Is the real problem that the workbook makes us look like we think bright scouts are too stupid to write for themselves? Example: for a ticket item, I made an auto-fill form for Venturers to use to write a personalized script https://sites.google.com/site/venturingcrew321/recruiting a scout could use as a basis for a school presentation. The crew(s) who I developed/demonstrated it with thought it was really neat. But, to my knowledge, nobody ever used it.

Depends on the number of trees ... and stacked hammocks that are sharing the same tarp.

Big pharma and little vials!

Considering the number of Yeti hunters out there ... If I'm going through the woods naked, I'm dyeing the hair on my Mediterranean back blaze orange!

Before dessert, ice cream and cake usually, I would pass around the text of the Declaration of Independence and have each person take a passage. My SM would make ice cream. Incredible stuff!

Sorry about the acronyms for a couple (current) varieties of Presbyterian. One the larger, the other an upstart. I'll not bore you with details. a) of course a conservative church would be steady on with non-believers. Sinners and publicans ... that's the recipe for growth. They might not be members, and they can't take communion, but they certainly are welcome. There's a reason they are called Easter worshippers and not solely Christians. b) well ... there are athiests and there are athiests. If one shows up for Bible study or providing music or sharing some other talent and trying thier level best to raise their kids in the church community, they are God's gift to the church as long as they are there. So, someone telling such a CO that a program that they would sponsor won't allow people under their care to participate, well that's a click against the program, not the company the church keeps.

I'm now feeling so sorry for the committee members who reviewed my 12-point courtier triple spaced document using whatever outline the project instructions required at the time. For our NIH grants, we are given an outline, and we write our 12 page proposal using those assigned headers. Project-specific sub-heads are three or for levels in. Some of our older grants are far easier to read than our newer ones. Because, background has increased, we propose to do more, but we have to pack it all between pages 1-12. Not only would @ItsBrian have gained three hours of his life back, he would have some swagger down the line when a colleague wonders how on earth their little department can write a grant application or contract.

This is such a strange discussion to have from a scouter perspective. My boys are intrusive in so many other ways, that their colors are the least of my worries. One dropped wrapper or abandoned bottle is far more heartbreaking than eight bright shirts. Regarding bright tents (or any tarp, really), mitigate their impact by choosing a campsite sufficiently off trail. When I'm with my scouts in an area that allows canines, I blame it on my dog. I want him to have a spot where he can enjoy their patrol's company and not be riled by passing hikers. Even in a meadow, a bright tent 100 yards off does not stand out among tall grass and wildflowers. Furthermore, when scouts randomly disperse their patrol sites, and their tents within those sites, it takes some effort to get an idea of how many scouts are really there. One laurel thicket, and you will wonder where the boys are. Those tents might ruin someone's drone flyover video, but among patrons of wilderness recreation areas, those oversized mosquitoes are a hotly debated issue themselves. Generally in WPa, outdoors-men hang red flags over their occupied campsites and deer stands. Some properties require them to. It spares hikers like my crew from stumbling in. Once scouts master topo-maps, they know where the good campsites are. That bit of color helps everyone divert from someone's claimed sweet spot so that all may enjoy a peaceful day in the woods.

Well, I'm threading a different guantlet. What's a plus for Episcopalians might be a minus for Anglicans. Same for PC/USA vs PCA. Lot's of big tents have ripped these days. Among houses who promote a restrictive sexual ethic, three concerns rise to the fore: Liability. Speculation is circulating that exercising the "local option" means that the CO could garner the ire of activists for inclusion if a volunteer is dismissed for conduct not befitting the ideals of the CO. Leadership/resource drain. As membership and attendance rapidly grows. They need their people for other things. There is less space in the building for another activity. Intransigence towards atheists. Some families attending don't believe in God. A program that excludes such youth is not looked upon favorably by the CO. Maybe after church membership re-shuffles a little more, BSA will be seen as a good partner. Maybe not.

This is an important skill. I am currently helping some HS youth arrange a baccalaureate service. It's a little rough because, although many are natural leaders, they've always relied on someone else to organize their religion for them. One youth leader explained that he was concerned they might not handle embarrassment well if they fail. I replied that the beauty of being a scouter is that your concerns over failure with knives and fires eclipse concerns over a little failure leading worship.

This is where an older scout being a member of multiple crews and/or being an officer in their council's VOA and/or being an active arrowman can be extremely helpful.This is also where more than one adult from a unit attending district roundtable can be helpful. One of your scouts might need an activity (for advancement or any other reason) that your troop rarely provides. The scout who needs that activity doesn't necessarily have to be that active, but when her troop's scouts and scouters are that well networked, good things happen. Encourage older scouts to try and engage their patrol in activities that they have mastered. The troop might not have backpacking on their schedule, but no big deal. Two enthusiastic members of one patrol could make a plan in a couple weeks. If it's a good plan, raid your depth chart for the two ideal adults to support it. <Insert rant about how, prior to last October, scouts A and B would have qualified as one of those ideal adults.> Troops only scheduling 7 camping events a year isn't a problem if patrols are taking up the slack in the "quiet" months.

No age limitations. Son #1 and his buddy went on a backpacking trip with me and his buddy's dad the autumn before they crossed over. In the troop, we simply assign the seasoned scouts a longer route than the younger scouts, and rendezvous in the evening.

I'd agree with everything @Ranman328 and @mrkstvns said if my scouts who broke bad weren't also so neatly uniform. My stance is more nuanced, like @Eagledad's. And, as @TAHAWK notes, BSA's absurd slavery to fashion has hurt, rather than helped, neat uniforms. That said, if one SM lean into uniforming and another is less demanding, I'm fine with both of them. It's a big country. One wonders, however, if GS/USA's coaching parents and girls in opposing their school dress code could also be used to encourage them in opposing their SM's stance on uniforming.

If I had a dollar for every GS who visited our crew complaining about our troop but not making any change .... Not trying to be cynical, I just hope you are able to help these girls develop a program that suits them. Real commitment is real commitment, no matter how you slice it.

The solution? 1) Workbook instruction in plain-text ascii document. 2) Permit scouts to submit their project plan and report in-line with that text, in narrative form as an ascii document, or on their own paper - typed or handwritten, if desired. Media should be irrelevant. If the average scouter can read it, and it's a good plan, it's a good project. Period.

We don't have class B. (We don't even have troop/patrol-specific activity shirts ) At camp around here (Western PA) scouts mostly wear neutral colors. I've found that wildlife don't care what color you're wearing until someone starts shooting at them. There is a tremendous amount of color around here ... flowers, fungi, fruit, sunlight reflected off of brooks and pools, male birds and mammals, rainbows ...

Great spot. A little crowded, but very pleasant. The only thing you need to explain to your boys is that GotG got it's name because one of the first USGS surveyors who saw it said, "This would be a great place for a beer garden!" Make sure your scouts are very careful with litter there. Lots of folks are watching and they are quick to judge. I'm not saying boys shouldn't be attentive everywhere, but this is a really important treasure to the folks in the community, so anything they do to respect that gets attention. A tour of Pikes Peak is a good way to get acclimated to the altitude. Getting tickets on the cog railroad is the best way to avoid the time-consuming drive to and from the top. When I went their with family, we had to wait bumper-to-bumper coming down because of road construction (which is pretty frequent, along with elk crossing, etc ...). Not a big deal if your schedule is open, but we were planning to met-up with friends arriving on a later flight.

No clue. But in the '80's I had a standard-issue poly-cotton red jacket with the same emblem on the left side. Meanwhile, I started seeing guys coming from Philmont with a similar jacket and the Philmont bull on the back.

Older scouts are hankering to fulfill the pinnacle scouting experience of hiking and camping independently with their mates. This internal imperative means: Some of them need to meet with their buddies absent adults. Some of them need you to throw them the keys to the car, the keys to Gramp's cabin, the map to a sweet fishing spot. Some of them need a trusted adult to review a plan for an excursion, and if it's a good one, excecute it on their own. Some of them need to sit with their elders on committee meetings. Once of age for war, some need to be counted as adults for the safety of our youth. Some need a trade that feeds their family. Some need to talk one-on-one with a trusted counselor. Anybody who provides these will attract and retain older youth. Don't provide them, and the majority of older youth wil find them without you.

I just realized that the Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club is hosting an event at Heritage Scout Reservation on Sunday. Details at http://wpoc.org/heritageflyer.htm I went to a similar event last fall. Acquired the best camp map I ever saw.

With youth, I only bring this up if they ask. Their handbook sufficiently guides them in most things about insignia. Most questions come up they become involved with different units and wind up doing things beyond the local level. My scouts are currently a little anxious about this because the SPL wants to do uniform inspection soon. I try to make it clear that it's up to the judges to be fair, so any non-regular patch placement might cost them a point. But, before ripping patches, they need to look at their opposing patrols and bet on their ability to sharpen up their uniform by other means (e.g., making sure their scouts all have regulation pants, belt, etc ... and their patrol patch). If your patrol hasn't raided the closet to get those mutliple-point items on every scout, that should be your priority.

I had mentioned in another thread that hats are for pins. It sounds like your scout could use a "brag vest". Incorporating We're all proud of our heritage. But, we all need to find ways to share it that don't distract from tasks at hand. @TAHAWK is correct that BSA has made a hash of Uniforming. So, we have to decide, for our scouts, what makes the method a rewarding experience for them, and what makes it worse. Maybe this is an opportunity for your scout to research how Swedish Norwegian scouts wear their uniform.

I'm still wearing the ASM patch that I was given in '82. A scout is thrifty! Some of us have judged BSA's design changes to a lot of effort to sell fashion with little to show for it in terms of membership. It seems that once Uniforming explicitly became a method of scouting, there was a new uniform design being rolled out every few years.