red feather

I agree with evmori, your troop is in a classic death spiral. Infighting and lack of recruitment will stop a troop fast.

The troop that I am with is just now pulling out of a spiral. Strong adult leadership and activily recruiting of several troops we are starting to fill in the lower age tiers.

Get help from the TC, COR and even consider contacting past leadership and see if they would like to help stop the spiral. That is one of the things we did and when some of the past adult leaders got involved the direction of the troop started to change and turn around.

Good luck!!!!

YIS

Jerry, I agree with the idea that the leaders of a troop go along with the wishes of the scouts. Within reason, of course. A vast majority of our overnights and high adventure trips are male only, not by choice but by the loack of female involvement in these trips.

For a troop to set a policy that prohibits female (moms) involvement in a trip is teaching seperation and discrimination. Recently our PLC wanted an overnight that would limit the participation to the older boys due to the physical and experience levels. To the leaders this looked like a mini high adventure outing and when it was suggested that this trip be seperate from the regular overnight it was tabled for further thinking and the overnight was planned for all scouts.

This is an example of reasoned leadership that keeps the ideas of scouting in action. If a mom wants to go on an overnight it is up to the other leaders to make sure that she understands what is expected and how the troop does overnights. (no hovering, staying out of the scouts camp area ,which the adults do except to stop a dangerous situation or at the request of the SPL or designate, and to treat her scout as the just one of the scouts). When this is done the trip goes well.

Often dads on overnights have to be told to leave the scouts be and let them make mistakes. Some dads hover as well as anyone.

YIS

Carry a buck knife daily,use it daily and carry a leatherman on overnights.

Used to carry it when I flew but they are now banned and would be taken away.

Five protesters... they are reallly sunk now, they have enough for a committee and we know how much a committe can get done.

YIS

Thoughts and prayers have been sent regularly that all remain safe and that this loonytune sniper gets stopped soon and hard.

YIS

I do enjoy a good campfire. EVery good campfire needs a BobWhite and a Yaworski with the rest of us sitting between them to throw our bits out for targets.

OGE, would like to heve your Dr. call mine with your treatment protocol. Think I would benefit from it.

Scouting is my escape from:

You load sixteen ton and what do you get?

Another day older and deeper in debt.

At least I think it is keeping me young.

YIS

The patrol boxes we use are just for cooking utensils. Each patrol has their own cooler and the troop keeps a large plastic box for dry goods: paper towels and other non perishable items. This plastic box is for use when the patrols forget or run out of such items.

We have a seperate qtr master box for the saws and other sharp items. This box is a converted military trunk. No plates or silverware, each scout is resposible for their own eating utensils. However, the adults keep some spares just in case and for guests.

Each box was make out of 1 sheet of plywood and has one shelf across the top and narrow shelves along the left side. The large bay will hold a duth oven, 2 iron skillets and a patrol cook set.

Larger boxes have been thought about but the weight limits which of the scouts can carry them and lift them up so the legs can be inserted. As adults we decided that the boys should have as much responsibilty as possible in setting up their own cook site.

Take a look a the patrol box picture in the

Campmor catalog. Looks prettty good.

YIS

Jerry, I based my comment about the boys not percieving the problem unless we as adults show them on a question I asked the scouts at our last troop meeting. I asked them if having a mom or moms on an avernight bothered them. The response from the boys was no it didn,t and one of the scouts asked me if it should.

May have to some damage control.

YIS

Bob White, thanks for the info. Scholarships... source of info and how to apply?

Oh what a diverse world scouting is.

Be glad that adults are interiseted enough to be involved is scouting and not using us as another kidsitting group.

When properly run an overnight the adults are seperate from the boys. Interaction should not be an issue. It is up to the adults to regulate each other in their relations with the other scouts. Females on overnights can be an issue yes, but as adults it should not be a big issue.

The scouts do not see the undercurrents that have been stated here and won't unless we, as adults, show them.

YIS

Not too many years ago, blacks were not welcome in scouting. (unless they had their own troop) Women, even fewer years ago were not welcome.

Beyond the rules and regulations, the pamphlets and handouts, the bottom line of scouting is what scouting can do to enhance the lives of boys who join.

To inform a boy that he is not welcome because of his color, accent, religous beliefs, single parent or dual parent situation, (or guardian) situation is not what we, as scout leaders, are about. At least to my thinking and understanding of what scouting is for..

Of course if a sexual predator wants to join scouting it is our obligation to prevent that. A good friend of mine is an avowed bachelor, Eagle scout, Silver Beaver recipient, SM for 20 years (off and on) been on Staff for camp, staff for one international jamboree and two nationals. Should he be banned from scouing because he does not fit the 'norm'?

I understand what the policy is and I will suport it. However, this policy is in transition.

I hope I would not deny a gay adult the chance to participate based only on preferences, but on attitude and their philosphy.

Asked my youngest son about this, he said he didn't care. (almost 18) "When he was young he just wanted to learn scouting stuff."

Yahoo!!! Ride the wave and go for it. Need help let us know. Congrats and condolences.

Thanks, for a reality check from a 'motivated' parent.

YIS

Criteria for how active a scout is. Strange concept. A scout is active as he is willing or able to be. School, sports, family all play a part in this. Some scouts come for the involvement, some for the social interaction ( had a scout at 17 was still first class, not interested in rank but in what he got from scouting). If a boy is interested enough to keep coming to meeting, etc.,as they are able, it is the duty as leaders to try to impart as much of the idea of scouting to the scout as we can. To limit the experience based on a ticket punch system is not real with what scouting hs to compete with.

Teach what we can and do as much as possible when we can and not pass up the opportunity when it presents itself.

YIS

OGE, brings to ming a 12 year old team that had a catcher that sttod just shy of 6 ft and also was their pitcher. When he threw and contact was made with a bat, the bat lost usually with dents. My son was the pitcher and when this kid made contact I was PLEASED it was a home run and not a line drive.

Personal responsibility is one of the tenets of scouting. As leaders we have to watch, vet, and confirm the quality of the leaders that are put in front of the scouts. Professional checking of backgrounds in good, but does not replace the responsibility we have to personally ensure the safety of the scouts left in our care.

YIS

One of the things I have learned is that the opportunies that scouting does not offer is scholarships. We as a troop have many boys who are gifted either physically or academically. To compete with those options is fruitless. As a boy scout he is being trained to choose between the options available in a given situation, as adult leaders we have to support that choice and

try to keep scouting in their lives. Sometimes we are successful, somtimes not.

Those who are remaining are the ones we have to support and teach and foster the scouting spirit. As I see it, we are the team that they can join. This will carry them through their lifes.

Believe me, I am one of them.

YIS

They earned 'em, they get 'em.

YIS

Just a thought, had an overnight that tents and gear took forever (it seemed) to get packed. How about no breakfast until gear is in packline and tents are rolled and stowed? Execptions would be the cooks of course and the last ones up in the patrol would pack the cooks tent.

YIS

Thanks forthe responses. Trying to build one this week.

Yaworski, sorry, try http://wings.interfree.it/

mine comes up in english. If you still have trouble let me know.

YIS

Very big help would to make sure that you have a counselor that can sign off on merit badges in camp.

Otherwise you have many incomplete badges that puts a strain on troops and scouts to complete them.

YIS

Never heard of stitch and glue canoes. However is you could give sources for the plans will be happy to look them over for you.

YIS

This forum was once described as a campfire. So come on folks, give up your stories. Please.

An adult seasoning a dutch oven, lifted a lid while the oven was still in the coals. having a good seal the combination of hot gasses and fire caused the lid to lift off into the dark sky with an audibe whoosh. Should of seen us leaving the campfire not knowing where the lid was coming down.

Lid ok. Chair not.

YIS

Our eagle projects are aproved by the SM, selected ASMs and the TC Chairman.

BOR are a member from district and leaders that have the most insight into the scout and his time in scouting. Leads to some very interesting BOR. Seems to help the scout realize how far he has come in his years of scouting.

YIS

LauraT7, Iam not a greatly trained leader, just one who believes in scouting and doing the best I can. With that said, a troop commitee does not run the troop!! They are there to support the boys and try to ensure that the resources are available to make what the activity is happens.

The troop that I am involved with has a annual meeting of the leaders to try to put a program together for the upcoming year. This includes the input of the boys and the PLC. We try to incorporate as much as possible into the program with the resources we have available.

Is your TC made up of active scout leaders and parents, or primarily parents who are not active troop leaders? There is a diffence.

To deny the boys their wishes for a program on a whim or whatever is wrong!!! We as adults are responsible for intitiating a program that enhances the scouting experience.

We recently had adults who were Troop Commitee Member trained that came to the TC meeting telling us that they were told the TC ran the troop. News to me. The boys run the troop, we as adults make sure it is as safe as possible and they don't burn the forest down.

Good luck and keep us posted.

YIS

Gotta be careful with an active troop committee. Got one that seems to want to run the troop not support it. Hard for new adults to leave the cub scout mentality of doing for the boys. Getting better but takes work for the old-timers to direct the flow.

The idea of the TC of canceling an overnight is not Scouting but over control by a TC. Not right at all.

YIS