SagerScout

BobWhite - I guess I should also have included my opinion that it IS perfectly appropriate for the paid professionals to focus on fundraising. It is their job, after all, and I'm glad they do it and I don't.

Gosh, I have a totally different perception of scouting professionals. In the bunch I hang out with they help us in myriad ways - providing training, many program resources including a lending library and craft and camp equipment to borrow, and fine camp facilities at very reasonable cost. Yes, they push the fundraising projects pretty hard, but those same fundraisers help our troop do all kind of fun stuff with little out-of-pocket costs. When I call for help they are always tremendously kind. They greatly assisted me through a traumatic experience where I had to report a very upsetting c

There are those that believe that God's name is Jehovah, Yahweh, Jesus, Allah. Many if not most of these are fine humans willing to serve humanity. Accepting them as my scouting companions in no way "taints" the organization. Most churches have fine youth groups and I would encourage anyone and everyone that wants their children to have group experiences exclusively with those who are like-minded in faith to participate with their church's youth group. My son participates in ours. If you want a different mix, Scouting (Boy or Girl) CAN offer that. Oops, though, I gather th

Yes, the scoutmaster is trained. But he has something of a tendency to reject information that doesn't fit his worldview, (as we all do, of course). So when they say in training that young Scouts can, for instance, put up their own tents, he interpreted that to mean "As long as I'm there to help them and tell them how to do it." My take on that was perhaps a little far the other way. "Where's your tent, kid? Why isn't it up yet?"

...and if the peanut gallery includes homeschoolers, I'm extra-interested in your take on this as we have 10 homeschooled boys and one PS kid. The youngest is 11 but most are 13-16.

OK, I'm registered as an ASM for our troop. My husband and I took the only two boys in the troop that wanted to go to summer camp. I completed my SM training, including the outdoor elements a couple of years ago, and on a separate subject I'm a fully trained Girl Scout leader and on the council training team for the GSUSA. I conducted JLT for the troop's Junior Leaders using the JLT training kit, except that the scoutmaster's sons did not come as two out of three of them were ill that day. So, as I came up to our scout meeting place (the SM's house),wearing my full uniform and ready f

Interpatrol games that reward teamwork at every meeting foster patrol spirit. IT made a big difference both in patrol spirit and the overall perception of fun at the meetings. I especially like the idea of awarding a feather or similar token to the winning patrol each week for them to put on their patrol flag. I saw that on a training video. We haven't implemented that in our troop but I can see some great looking flags shaping up over time.

What a wonderful story! Sounds like you have a troop full of great Scouts!

I also agree with the thrust. I homeschool my son, highschool age, mostly because he is an extreme example of a boy whose time is wasted behind a desk. The other big issue is that he requires more socialization practice than is available in schools. Yes, you read that right. I took him OUT of school to work on his social skills. He had been in a Spec Ed class whose purpose was ostensibly to TEACH him social skills and study skills, and all it accomplished was to train him to produce worksheets for candy treats. If my terrier could hold a pencil, I could train him the same way with doggie b

Our program is already an anti-drug program. Why? Because it involves a ton of positive reinforcement and recognition, caring adults who enjoy spending time with their own kids and other teens, and a lot of activities that are plenty of fun while stone-cold sober. Who needs drugs when you've got all that?

Sctmom, been there and done that. I agree that you can't just walk in and tell the PLC how to run their meetings. But I think the suggestion to bring a game to each meeting is VERY good. The other suggestion I have is to make sure that the PLC HAS a copy of Woods Wisdom (which is now called something else), and to have a quiet chat with the ASM over the new scout patrols about your son's feelings about meetings. If you can see that there's improvement on the way - and the problem is getting your son to hang around long enough to see it - I'm not above subtle bribery. Leaving home ear

I second what Eisely said. I'm not clear at all on what offense you could have possibly done to be kicked out of your troop (threaten to put ground glass in the SM's oatmeal?) but now would be a very good time to do some prioritizing and problem solving to get your son in a troop where he can meet his goals. The SM of the troop we are now in started their own troop, due to the fact that they could not find a troop that would accomodate their sons' desire for a traditional Scouting program WITHOUT high adventure. Their kids were not physically able (bad asthma) nor was the family financi

We do this also. IMO while it is possible that advancements have been delayed for this reason, my experience in reviewing books has led me to believe that it will be a rare ocurrence, since in the troops we've been involved in the boys usually have plenty of non-Eagle required badges by the time they gut it up to do some of those tough ones. My son is already on the Eagle page for non-required badges but still lacks one "required" one for Star. He seems to be typical. But you're right, it is worth looking into.

Nothing wrong with the Girl Scout program per se, but they don't seem to stress or care much about the older girl programs (Cadette-Senior). In fact, in my area they don't even bother to attempt to recruit at that level - they figure if a girl hasn't done brownies and Juniors they won't enter it then. There's a giant drop in membership between Juniors and Cadettes (the equivalent step would be Webelos to Scouts). IMO, the leadership skills that make a good Brownie leader are not the same ones for the Cad/Sr level, and since in my area the leaders usually move up with their daughters,

Would any homeschool Scouters offer ideas for recruitment please? My son is in a homeschool troop chartered by a fairly small homeschool support group. We've got almost all the scout-age kids in this support group and would like to have more. Unfortunately, the cub den sponsored by the same group didn't really get going, so we haven't a naturally feeder for the troop. School rallies aren't too easy to organize for homeschoolers! It isn't exactly that we don't welcome public school kids- we have one already - but we'd rather not get too tied into the school calendar as homeschoolers op

Sorry, ScoutParent, my observation was not intended to include ScoutPerson's troop as one in which the older boys hassled the younger. It was intended to make the comparison that parents were not authorized or encouraged to observe troop activities - like ScoutPerson's troop. I certainly hope his troop doesn't have the problems my son's former troop does. When my son came in and announced he NEVER EVER EVER wanted to go to Scouts again, we found out that the older boys hassled the younger ones, in several ways. "Harmless teasing" to some. Not to others. When we talked to the ad

Thank you, Bob White, for saying it so clearly. With two adults, if one is in the latrine or shower, visiting the next camp, or at a leader meeting, you now have - ONE adult. OK, perhaps, as long as all goes well. But as has been said before, Murphy is alive and well. I've done day-trip stuff with scouts with only 2 adults, and indeed went to camp with only 2 adults (and only 2 scouts, not too tough there!) But the very first thing we did on arrival was to get with the camp staff and commissioners, let them know how short our bench was, and make an emergency plan to allow the boys t

As I said before, separate is good. But MY life would most certainly be easier if my kids were in the same troop. As it is, I have twice the monthly meetings to attend, twice the troop meetings, and it seems like four times the preparation work for my duties as TL (girls) and ASM and MB counselor (boys). On the other hand, what would I do with all that extra time anyway? If my daughter stays as interested in roughing it, she may consider going into a venture crew in a couple of years. We'll see how it goes.

I vote for the 60-day suspension, with strict conditions for re-entry, one of them being the offending parent take at least the Scoutmaster quickstart training and apologise to the involved adults and boys for her bad behavior. This will probably eliminate the problem entirely as I can't picture it happening, but if it does, then there may be some hope for the kid. If I ever saw them again, I also would have a very high index of suspicion for child abuse in this family and would be alert to any evidence for same. If any is observed reporting is required.

Ed - Although my vote is that this is NOT necessarily needed training for scouters, I do respectfully disagree with your assessment that this is easily determined. I offer as proof my sister's ex-husband, who successfully concealed a whopping drug problem not only from us (a close knit family of 5 intelligent adults with a full complement of spouses) but also from her, until his abuse caused him to steal 10K from his employer, at which time the jig, as they say, was up. Later events revealed that his use pre-dated their marriage, and she did not have a clue despite having volunt

Your idea of helping out the homeless shelter sounds great to me, it serves the greater community. If your parents agree, you might spend some time volunteering down there, like in the kitchen or something. That way you can get to know the folks that run it. Then you'd be in a good spot to see what their priority list would be - it might be the shabby appearance you've noticed or there might be something else that they need even worse that's hidden. Plus, you might meet some really interesting people (both staff and clients! You'll be amazed at the variety of people that end up homeless).

I don't know what the real official policy is, except to say that I know the GSUSA has a very strong bent toward supporting the right of the parent to control the religious education of the child. Likewise, the education with regards to sensitive issues such as drug use, sex, and most other subjects that may involve controversy. I know that in the Promise, the girl may substitute the word or words of her choice (or her family's choice) for "God." I guess there is nothing to stop a secular humanist from promising to serve "humanity and my country." Now, I think there might be an acceptance p

If you teach the boys to wash their T-shirts and have sunshine, they really only need 2 at camp - one to wear and one on the line. It doesn't take that much to wash them, it can be a pleasant part of the morning camp routine or they can just wash them in the shower. Ours are light blue and a lightweight 50:50 blend, and they wash up fine with a little shampoo. However, if it rains a lot, a third shirt is nice to have as it can be hard to get them dried even if the clothesline is under cover. Yaworski is right about the big shirts when they are cotton. I feel more comfy in the ligh

Mamafox, I'm plus-sized too and those shorts are the most miserable items of clothing I own in my current side. Hot, sticky, and those flat cargo pockets are absurd. At camp in South Texas, I could only wash them on a day when the sun would be out all day because if it were overcast they wouldn't dry in 8 hours on the line and I'd be all soggy at dinner. The shirt was less of a problem, it washed up pretty well. I have a wonderful pair of lightweight khaki shorts I bought at Walmart with pockets all over them, including a pocket on the lower side of the legs which is the perfect size f

Good point, LauraT7, that some ADHD kids could see the physical activities as punishment rather than release. Your idea of keeping them moving schlepping equipment and so on is a good one and one I've used a lot. On the meds for sleep idea: I also am pretty uncomfortable with the "drugs to go, drugs to stop," mindset of some of the medical profession. However, I have found that my sons who also have some nasal allergies sometimes benefit in two ways from a low dose of a little generic form of Benadryl at night - it both opens up stuffy noses, and makes them a little drowsy so they drop