rpushies

This just in from Ida, the new course will be called "This is Scouting." Thank you Ida ~Rick From the October Cubcast (http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts/Cubcast/October2008.aspx), about 9 minutes in: /And by now all new leaders should be trained in Fast Start, Youth Protection and Position-Specific details. New Leader Essentials is also part of the new leader training package. And we understand the national council is developing a brand new version of New Leader Essentials thatwill be called "This is Scouting." The goal is to have that new moduleready online by the end of this

Hello my Scouting friends, It has been some time since Ive posted any comments. The discussion of Wood Badge beads now being available for National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is interesting. Having served on staff for both Wood Badge for the 21st. Century and having served as Course Director/Scoutmaster for NYLT, (The new syllabus eliminates the term course director and only offers the title of Scoutmaster.) I would like to share some information about the two courses. Both courses teach basically the same toolbox of leadership skills Vision, SMART Goals, Planning, etc. A few

Rumor is a new online only training titled "What is Scouting?" will replace New Leaders Essentials next year. Can anyone share additional information or an "official" source to confirm this rumor? Yours Truly in Scouting, Rick Pushies

Bob Mazzuca, Assistant Chief Scout Executive will become the new Chief Scout Executive, effective September 1, 2007. It is worth noting that that Bob started his career in the Yosemite Area Council hedquartered in Modesto, CA in 1971. He later served as the Scout Executive of the former 49'er Council based in Stockton from 1983-1987.

Light bulbs DO NOT emit light! They SUCK DARK! So the discussion should be sucking dark out of the conversation in order to allow room for the light to shine. Another brilliant application of the Dark Sucker Theory! How's that for a twist in the topic flow? Yours Truly in Scouting, Rick

Hi emb021, You wrote, "Also, as to CDs coming back on staff. My understanding is that with 21CWB, Powder Horn, and NYLT, once you have been a CD, that's it." Do you have a reference for this information? I was course director for our council's NYLT course this year and have been asked to serve again for the 2006 course. I just looked into my course syllabus and I do not see any reference to the course director serving for only one course. I know Wood Badge has different guidelines on course directors. I have no knowledge of how the Powder Horn program is handled. I expect it in not

Wow! That is cool! Now, how about... well let's make this interesting, Lithuanian! Rick

Eamonn, A very impressive listing of Spanish language resources on Scouting. Now, can you do the list in Spanish? Then I would really be impressed and very jealous! Rick

Hi Chris, Sure you can do the foil cooking on a campfire. Just realize it is a little more difficult to control the temperature in a campfire. Charcoal is used for a number of reasons, one being that you get a consistent amount of heat from each briquette of charcoal. On an open campfire, judging the amount of heat the campfire coals puts out is more difficult. If you do use a campfire, make sure you put your aluminum foil packs on coals and not areas where there are open flames. The open flame portion of the campfire is usually much hotter and your food will probably burn. The aluminum f

Hi Dave, Congratulatioons on a pack with 100+ Cub Scouts! Sounds like you must have a good program being provided tou your boys. It looks like FScouter has focused on a key issue here. Cubmasters don't determine their replacment. The application for the Cubmaster position requires your signature as committee chairperson and the signature of a representative of Saint Daniel the Prophet Church. So if those approvals have not been given the Cubmaster is not actually the Cubmaster. Food for thought. Yours Truly in Scouting, Rick

Hi Trevorum, You are right on target. My wife and I have been discussing this topic since the hurricanes have brought their devastation to the Gulf Coast. Being a resident of California, the earthquake issue always lingers in the back of your mind. But Mother Nature has a way of challenging us regardless of the state we live in, especially those that live in the state of confusion. My wife and I are probably more prepared than the average person, but in reviewing our emergency plans we found a few areas that could be improved. In doing some web surfing to acquire a few new items for

Hi John, I understand you wanting free web hosting. I am curious why you are looking for 50+megs of space? When I was webmaster for our council web site, the whole council web site with 7 districts, Order of the Arrow and lots of graphics only took up about 30 megs of storage. Large amounts of free bandwith is also a curiosity. Visitor traffic to a Scouting related web site is just not that high. BSA's national web site may get tens of thousands of hits a day but few councils get that amount of traffic, if any. With our council site we averaged 150 unique visitors a day and less than 300

Hi btps, An ongoing battle, communications. It seems to me that if the people in the troop (the Scouts, their parents and the adult leaders) are excited about the program, communications seems to be much easier. The method of communication seems less important than what the expectation a great program brings the communications process. If the Scouts are fired up about their Scouting program, they seek out information about upcoming events. Then parents start calling leaders wanting to know the details about upcoming event. Then the communication can take place, because the recipient of wh

Hi mdeckerz Interesting fund raiser. Based on the information you have provided with only adults selling the alcohol I don't see a problem. Has the unit submitted a Unit-Money Earning Application and received approval by the council? If not than that would be another issue to look into. If the adult leaders were drinking in the presence of Scouts that would concern me. But just selling the beverage seems like a good fund raiser in terms of the finances brought in. Yours Truly in Scouting, Rick Pushies

Hi Hunt, Seems that would be an issue for the board of review for the Eagle Palm to consider. As I expect you already know, one of the purposes of the board of review is to check to see what kind of experience the boy is having in his patrol and troop. If there has been no experience because he has disappeared from the program, that then becomes an issue for the board. I understand you frsutration and concern, sounds like another episode of Eagle-ing out mentality. Yours Truly in Scouting, Rick