Scouter&mom

Trevorum,

Local scout shop will order from National, but the employees salaries are still adding to local economy. I know in National shops at local council office performance appraisals for managers are based on sales results, and salaries are based on size (total sales) of shop. Also most scout shops employ Scouts and Scouters. Isn't that helping at home?

You can order from your scout shop. They will handle custom order info for you through Scout stuff. Doesn't cost anymore, but helps the local shop stay in business.

Our council rents the entire camp facilities for a Jr ROTC program every summer. I understand the profits from that are what allows the council to break even on the other camp programs. They have recently put in some RV connections (volunteer labor) and rent the camp for a couple of other events each year. They are all usually something at least somewhat related to outdoor activities.. like a huge trail ride that brings in horses and riders from several states. I know sometimes it is difficult to schedule around, but it sure helps with camp costs.

Why don't you let the boys make a slide? There are a million ways to make them for almost nothing and the boys get some ownership in their uniform selection.

OK... I think everyone (almost) is over reacting. I think this is just a den leader who was scared by YPT and trying to do the right thing. If you have not dealt with multiple guardians and non-traditional families, it is scary!! You only know the horror stories.

That being said, we ask adults to come in and pick up children. That helps some. We have a group of brothers, sisters and neighbors that ride together to and from meetings and we let the 4 go with whichever parent (or grandparent) comes to get them, with just a brief greeting from a pack adult. For campouts, we have had boys go with uncles or grandparents, when another parent wasn't available. We just have the parent sign the permission form and put a note that they will be with whatever adult is going. We do ask that they consider a medical power of attorney, but haven't required one yet. No we don't want to be involved in custody battles. I think if I had a parent say, my child cannot go with his other parent, no matter what, I would ask the parent to stay, so the troop didn't have to get involved. I would think that would reduce the risk of abduction greatly.

What does your troop do to help with Eagle Court of Honor? Just be available, provide some financial assistance, do the whole thing, or only provide Scouts as requested?

What gifts does the troop provide? The expensive Eagle Presentation kit, the less expensive Eagle presentation kit, frames or shadow boxes, or just the certificate that comes from National?

Lisa,

Are you saying the new supplex shirt fits a female better? I need a new shirt, but have been holding out until my old one fell completely apart, since my old one had been altered to fit better. I had darts put vertically in shirt, so I didn't have so much extra fabric around waist to have to tuck in and get straight. Not so much darts that it was overly feminine, just enough to get rid of the bulkiness.

I guess I should go try one on.

Have you got any boys that have done NYLT? When my son went through the course, they had a "stove blow up, turning a fork into a projectile and skewering the cook" I think they had some other "mishaps" too. Anyhow, he told me that they got the "recipe" for blood and flesh during the class. I think it ws in his book. Check with a staffer for NYLT, they should have the "secret recipes"

My concern is if the parents told the leaders about the condition. If the parents didn't, then the leader needs to very discretely discuss the issue with the parents. Most leaders are not professionals trained to diagnose conditions like this. If and when the parents acknowledge there is a true diagnosis, the the leader should check with district/council for assistance and referral to the manual on working with scouts with disabilities. Another thought if the scout does have a diagnosis, they might have a therapist, who with the parents permission, might be able to provide guidance. Also my daughter, an Occupational therapist, recommends the Scouting for Youth with Disabilities Manual, (From any Scout Shop #34059) for any adult working with kids with disabilities.

Relapse,

Get used to giving the same information, over and over and over re: training and dates. Scout-net, where the training records and boy's advancement records are kept, is notorious for not being accurate. Just today, I was on the phone with office, trying to come up with an adult who was going on trip that had done hazardous weather. Every adult that was going did not show having had hazardous weather. Some had done it a year ago, and some more recently. As pack trainer and keeper of BS troop adult training records, I have sent in training information to council again and again. When I give it to council office they have claimed to put it in. Don't know if it is getting lost or just not getting put in. Today, I was told that my scouting is not talking to ScoutNet and that if a leader does on-line training, ScoutNet and therefore the council doesn't know.

I feel your pain... I don't think anyone likes ScoutNet.. volunteers and professionals all dislike.. To make things easier I keep a simple spreadsheet with leaders and dates they have various training. It makes it simpler, when I fill out tour permits. It also allows me to remind leaders when training is coming up that they might be interested in.

How many servings do you get out of a pineapple? Or how many pineapples do we need for 10 people --- 15 people?

Think I will be sure and get a couple for troop to try during summer camp. Our camp has a theme for each day and one is Tropical Tuesday. What a perfect addition to theme. I had already decided to pick up leis from dollar store for troop.

As a single mom and and an active Scouter in a small troop, I have always been very careful about camping with the boys. There have been weekends, when the trip would not have occurred if I didn't go. I have tried to do my camping when the troop went to district and council events, or at places like the council camp. When the troop camped at more rustic (no bathroom facilities), I tried to be sure we had other adults to go. As one of the few adults that drives a pickup truck, I have hauled gear to campout, and left after camp was set up, to go home for the night. For a camporee that was on a plantation, and the only toilet facilities were port-a-potties, I drove home each night and then back to camporee during day. Two things to remember in my attending, I have been active as a Scout leader (for both Boys and Girls) for over 15 years, and I am much older than the 20 something mom you are talking about.

As to the 10 year old girl, she does not belong, unless weekend is billed as family weekend. I don't think any underage child (boy or girl) should be along on Scout campout. I have a friend who's daughter (now 14) always preferred Boy Scout weekends, since she enjoys camping, hiking, etc, but her parents have been careful to keep her camping with the Scouts to appropriate times. This weekend, she will be at camp for Cub Scout family camp weekend, and enjoying keeping the little boys busy with the activities.

6 or 8 weeks of vacation! I am jealous. Our summer camp is only two weeks, plus a staff week, so I only get 3 weeks.

Oh yeah, I am one of those bad mothers that couldn't be reached, when my staff son cut himself. Actually the medical guy just tried to call me to let me know, since son didn't need stitches or ER visit, but my work number was wrong on medical form. He called my alternate number and my mom called me, laughing. I felt bad, but did use it as an example to my parents (especially the first year) that the medical guy watched over the boys and would call if he had any concerns, and to remind them to check their form one more time for correct phone numbers and contacts.

So is this course just for trainers that are part of Woodbadge or NYLT staff? Our council is promoting Edge as the class that anyone who conducts any training must have. I have not even taken Woodbadge and am not sure when (or if) I will. I am not sure on Woodbadge, since many of the principles are the same as what I covered multiple times in business grad school earning a management degree. I have been to the old TDC and really didn't learn anything there, since I have developed and conducted training courses in the 'real world'. For those that have seen the Edge course, is it really worth attending, especially in a small council, where volunteers tend to get stretched to the limit trying to keep the program running.

I went to a District committee training. It was only a couple of hours long, and had all sorts of district committee roles there. I didn't get a whole lot out of it, other than reviewing the list of committee roles a district should have filled. Since our district committee is non-functional-- we don't have a chairman-- and the same people come to any of the meetings--except some council level. I haven't see membership chair at district meeting ina year, the advancement chair only at UoS when he taught a Life to Eagle class, the training chair has just resigned because he couldn't get any cooperation from council on getting information or even response from most leaders on training needs and records. I only know district RT commissioner and district commissioner and the activities/program chair are the only other district people who show up regularly. The same people plan the same events each year. District committee training was useless to me, since there is no committee. I chose to concentrate my activities on the unit level, with the exception of the council level event that I chaired last year, and will chair again next year.

I have tried to post this three times now, so if it doesn't go this time, I guess it doesn't need to be said.

Last night on the way to my son's EBOR while he was in a pensive mood, I asked him if he felt like the things he learned leading up to his project had prepared him for the actual process of getting his project approved and applying for Eagle Scout. His answer was yes and no. He felt prepared for leading the Scouts (and even the adults that helped with his project), somewhat prepared for the estimating and construction (because he felt confident in the adults that he had asked for help there), but in NO WAY prepared to deal with the politics and adults not doing what they said they would do. Troop politics held up fund raising efforts and the District Advancement Chair held project book for over six weeks, at least three times promising "I am going to approve project, but I want to include some comments, so I will get it to Scout by Monday." Council had to finally call and get a verbal okay, then my son pick up his book from Advancement Chair after project was done, so that he could complete it. This was the kind of thing he felt like he wasn't prepared for and I can't imagine a younger boy being prepared either.

And yes, this was a very hard time to step back and let him run the show.

Another way to approach is to carry the trainng approach further. It was suggested you pass the word in a few minutes at roundtable, how about getting with Roundtable coordinator and volunteering to conduct training at roundtable for adults or a program specifically for boys.. to talk to them about the process. If at roundtble, you find you're "preaching to the choir", try other training agenda's. Contact district and council training chair and volunteer to teach. How about University of Scouting? I know many council's are trying to incorporate training for Scouts, as well as Scouters, in that day long event. As UoS coordinator, I was happy to have our district advancement chair willing to teach a "Life to Eagle" class with his expectations for Scouts. I am beginning to recruit for next year, and plan to ask him again...unless another district advancement chair specifically asks to do class.

gwd-scouter wrote "Stories are shared, a couple of pineapples are roasted on the fire, and fun is had by all."

I have never heard of roasting pineapple. How is this done? Am I the only one? Do most troops do this? Or do you have something else as your fall back goodie that everyone loves?

Our troop tends to fall back on brownies in the Dutch oven. Again and again and again.

I asked my son, who just last night completed his EBOR, this question as we were on the way to his Board. He told me that he felt like he was prepared for the leadership that the actual project required and somewhat prepared for the estimating, purchasing and constructing that his project required (including asking for help from people with more construction experience), but that he was in no way prepared for the politics and paperwork burden required to get his project through and completed. Troop politics effected his ability to fund raise for his project. Getting his book written so that it would get approved, took several re-writes and meetings with SM (who has seen other books get rejected because the project information was not detailed enough). The district advancement chairman kept his project book for over 6 weeks, at least three times saying "I am going to approve, but I want to add some recommendations, and I will get it to Scout by Monday." Finally had to get someone from council to check and see if son could go ahead and do project, since time to do project was at hand and 18th birthday was fast approaching. My son then had to pick up book from advancement chair's office to complete when project was done. Scouts expect the adults to behave like adults and do what they say, so they are not always prepared for adults to make this more difficult rather than help the Scout along the way. I cannot imagine our younger Life or Star Scouts dealing with the politics and onerous paperwork requirements, or even my son having dealt with it six months after he earned Life at 14.

Bass Pro has their own brand that is reasonably priced that are light weight and somewhat breathable. My daughter lived in her pants the six weeks in May/June she spent in the Alps. Most of her "uniform" pants she took were cotton, so they were the only waterproof pants she had for hiking and there was snow while she was there and snow always on the higher slopes. Pants roll to small bag (even my larger ones roll to smaller than my mini umbrella) and only cost about $20. Jacket doesn't roll quite as small and costs a litte more, but still are very reasonable

My first thought is how were those DL's recruited? A big point of dissension in our council is the CE expects when we do school night recruiting for us to recruit adults too. That we should tell the parents that we need at least two adults from each age level to sign up that night, so we can have a den for their son. These adults sign up and pay the partial years registration, just to appease him and their son so they can get out of there. We sign up a lot of boys and adults at school nights who never show up for a meeting, or only come for a couple and then decide Scouts isn't for them. The den leaders who signed up under that kind of pressure generally haven't been dependable for us, like the adults who sign up because they truly care about their son being in Scouts.

Our troop is sponsored by a United Methodist Church. The troop and the pack are actually sponsored by the Church, not the UMM. The Girl Scout troops are sponsored by the Church too, although a while back they were all sponsored by the UMM. I am not completely sure what brought on the change in sponsorship, but I think it may have been due to personalities within the church and the UMM. I have been involved with Scouting at this particular church for over 15 years now, and the Church has always been involved with the Scouts. Besides Scout Sunday, which is a completely Scout run service, the troops help with various projects at the Church, as the need arises. The Church doesn't get directly involved with the troops finances, but does accept and pass on donations for the troops. The Church members generously support the fundraisers that the troops do, including periodic dinners after Sunday services. When the Boy Scout trailer was broken into and some of our camping equipment stolen, donations from the church members allowed us to quickly replace the equipment. The Church has also donated use of different banquet facilities for district and council events. Most of our youth membership is from outside of the Church, but a number of our adults are either members of this Church or another UMC. Those of us who have been scouting there a long time consider it a special place, and are recognized by the membership, even if we aren't a member.

If boys have completed their AoL they are welcome to go ahead and move to the troop. We currently have 4 boys coming from one pack who will cross over next week. We also have several boys that are going to be moving into our troop from the CS pack sponsored by the same CO as our troop and who actually meet at the same time, just in another building of the church. Those boys who have just joined Scouts this year will not have their AoL, but will begin meeting with the troop mid-March (just will need their parents to go camping with them) until they complete fifth grade and can "officially" become Boy Scouts. That gives them time to bond with the boys in the troop and be comfortable with them before we go to summer camp in early June. This has worked for us for several years, and yes we still occassionally get a boy who wasn't ready for Boy Scouts and summer camp. Having the younger boys (and parents) join in activities earlier, also helps parents feel more comfortable with the boys going with our leadership.

Last week we had someone receive theirs at our district banquet. One of our ASM is getting his at the Blue and Gold for the pack he was with when he started the course. His ticket was split between pack and troop. My best friend is getting hers at campfire during Outdoor Leader training in the next month. So pick what fits for you.

"Just wait, it gets even more complex

When you hit Webelos age...

Mom's boyfriend can't share a tent with the scout."

This is not just for Webelo's.... Un married male and females may not share a tent. We have to deal with that issue regularly at cub campouts and occassionally at BS weekends.

From G2SS

Male and female leaders must have separate sleeping facilities. Married couples may share the same quarters if appropriate facilities are available.

When staying in tents, no youth will stay in the tent of an adult other than his or her parent or guardian.