ScouterPaul

le Voyageur

Congratulations!! I'm sure you will do a wonderful job. I wish I could be a participant. When I took Outdoor essentials there were six Scouts on staff. All of these boys were JLT staffers, several had been to Philmont for JLT training and one was on Philmont staff. These young men handled the ax yard and knots on their own and assisted in the other areas. My recomendation is to incorporate the youth in your area to help. As a new Boy Scout Leader (moved up from Cub Scouts) it was wonderful to see the "end result" of what Scouts is all about.

Also I personally would love to have more WFR training.

Paul

Zero Tolerance

yarrow

A couple of questions

1. How hold is your son?

2. How Big is your son?

3. What type of backpacking will he be doing?

4. Will he be sharing this tent?

The more I get into backbacking the more weight becomes an issue. If he will be using the tent more for base type camping then the Timberline would be a great tent.

Thanks for your advice. Let me clarify my intentions. We are not planning on hitting the parents to sign up for a position during roundup. Fortunately all of our primary positions are filled. We are lucky to have a Den Leader for each level and we will only be asking for "Helpers" during roundup.

It's our intention to have the Den Meetings the following week during which the Committee Chair and myself plan on holding a parents meeting.

We are hoping to show the parents that most of the jobs we need filled only require a couple of hours once or twice during the year. Parents are more likely to say yes to two hours December than to signing up for an "hour a week" position. Once they have signed up and completed their small job they will be more likely to take on more responsibilty.

Our Pack is in the final stages of planning for our Fall Roundup. I want to present to the parents a list of all possible volunteer positions when I ask for their involvement. I want this list to be as detailed as possible...from the committee chair to Pinewood Derby Pit Stop worker. No job is to small or to big. Please give me your suggestions. Examples of my list so far include: Den Leaders, Assistant Cubmaster, Advancement Chair, Blue & Gold Coordinator, Day Camp Coordinator, Popcorn Coordinator, Pinewood Derby Coordinator, Pinewood Derby Track Officials. This is only a partial list but I relish the suggestions of my fellow Scouters.

Thanks!!

Paul

Here are a few recipe changes:

"We don't need to have an annual planning conference because the boys don't have enough experience to know what they want to do. It's up to us (the leaders) to tell them"

"It's up to me (the SM) to appoint the boys to their leadership positions because the SPL (12 years old) is young"

"The Scoutmasters Handbook is only a guide it's up to me (SM) to determine what is best"

To me these are drastic changes in the recipe, not just adding a little spice. Doing things such as combining Patrols on outings if there are only a couple of boys from each patrol present makes sense. Nobody gets in a canoe if they haven't passed their swim test (unless they are riding with a BSA trained Lifeguard) this includes the adults as well as the Scouts.

We collect annual dues from each boy, at both the Pack and Troop level. We allocate 50% of all profits, regardless of the fundraiser, for the Scouts account. I don't think that allocating $15 on $1,000 in sales does much to reward a Scout.

Great post sctmom

My head hurts from hitting it against a wall. I've learned quite a bit from reading and participating in these forums (much thanks to Bob White). I look at the Boy Scout program as a recipe and myself as a novice cook. If I follow the recipe I will most likely end up with a good product. If I start to change the recipe I will most likely end up with an inferior product. I know that our SM is tired of hearing me quote from the various resources but I've told him that it's not his program he is only the delivery man.

Dan I would like to know if you found anything of value in the rules and regs or bylaws.

Last night after our meeting I had a long conversation with my 11 year old. He has been acting different during the last several Scout activities. I asked him last night over an ice cream cone what was bothering him and after a fair amount of conversation he said that I was spending more time helping the other boys than I was him. He is right I do spend more time before, during and after meetings with the other boys. I told him that I was an ASM for every boy and not just him. I also explained that most of the boys parents are not involved in Scouting and that they don't get the attention at home that he does and that I want every boy to reach Eagle not just him. I think he understood but I know it's tough. I will not willingly leave any boy behind.

Paul

Thanks! That is what I thought it meant I just need to be sure.

Paul

I need some help with the Second Class Requirement 2a and First Class requiremnt 3. Both of these deal with participation in Troop/Patrol activities. The Second Class requirement states "Since joining, have participated in five seperate troop/patrol activities...two of which included camping overnight". The First Class requirement states "three of which included camping overnight." Does this mean that only 2 or 3 activites can be overnight camping or that these numbers are a minimum?

It is my understanding that it is the responsibility of the SM to maintain a list of people within the Troop who can sign off on requirements. This list could include: SM, ASM, Comm Members, SPL, ASPL, PL and anyone else who the SM thinks is qualified. A Scout who is authorized can sign off on another Scouts requirement as long as he has acheived the rank being signed off on.

Paul

It is my personal opinion that the minimum number of adults is 3 with 4 being better. What if Murphy raises his ugly head and one of the Scouts gets sick and needs to stay at camp while the other Scouts are on a day hike? It takes 2 adults to stay with him. Having 4 would leave 2 adults to go on the hike.

OGE - I am also an ASM and I hold my son to higher standards than I do the other boys (not that I don't also hold them to high standards because I do) My son is well versed in his knots. Unfortunately our troop is having a small problem with the SM. He shows favortisim to his son.

Paul

NJ - You are 100% correct.

NO!!

Only exceptions are for long car trips. We just came back from a 3 day backpacking trip to the Smoky Moutain National Park (300 miles each way) and we allowed the boys to takes electronics for the drive and it worked well. I had 3 boys in my truck and I made them take a break every 45 minutes so that we could talk for 15 minutes.

Tyler you sound like a mature young man. Keep up the good work.

YIS

Paul

Everyone has given excellent advice so far. Our Troop Committee insituted the following new patrol policy. We require that the Scouts rotate tent mates so that over time every boy shares a tent with every other Scout in his patrol. This seems to work for us.

Laura

The answer is no. Cub Scouts, including Webelos, are limited to council/district eventws on flat water ponds or controlled lake areas free of powerboats and sailboats.

Paul

We have been back from summer camp for two weeks. We have a brand new Troop with only 11 year old Scouts. The last time I was at summer camp was in 1972 when I was a Scout. I would have to rate our experience as an 8. The Dan Boone Program (First Year Scouts) was handled in a Patrol Method. The program was 5 days 3 hours each day, either in the morning or afternoon. It seemed to work - everyone in camp could hear the boys yelling the Law, Oath, Motto and Slogan twice a day!!

Home Sickness - We didn't have any. All the boys have been together since Cub Scouts and as Webelos we camped at least 3 times a year.

Merit Badges- We learned a little about which badges to recommend and which would be to difficult for first year Scouts. We do have some partials.

Family Night - Our camp has family night on Friday night. We had someone from every family attend. We chose to eat in the Mess Hall and decided that next year we would go with a Troop picnic instead.

We thought we did good with getting the boys to take 3 showers during the week!!

We attempted to have a cracker barrel each night but the boys were to busy with the night time activities.

The most difficult part of the week for the boys was adjusting the the amount of freedom they were given. They kept asking can we do this or go here and we kept saying it's up to you!! Dinner or lunch or your merit badge session is at this time just make sure you have a buddy and are on time. I think this freedom did more to help them grow than anything else they did during the week.

I would give the week a 10 if it wasn't for the Troop we shared the campsite with. On Monday they left a fire going in their fire ring with nobody left in camp. We had a heated discussion with their leadership because we used to much water when we put out their fire. They asked us on Tuesday if they could leave hot coals in the fire ring in order to facilitate the starting of their evening fire!! Of course we said no.

Each and everyone of our Scouts want to go back next year!!

Ed

We are a new Troop with only 11 year old boys. We are trying to follow the FCFY program. We had 100% attendance at summer camp where all the boys attended the first Year Program (Dan Boone) which is an all week half day session. This program was wonderfull and all the boys made quite a bit of progress on their requirements. If anything holds them back from getting First Class during their first year it will be the swimming requirements. But we will work hard on this.

Not much to add here. We charge $10 per outing. 50% of all fund rasiing dollars goes into the Scouts account which he can use for any scouting related item including the outing fees, dues, and camping gear. The Troop will not let a boy stay at home because the family can not afford the cost of the outing.

The leaders also pay $10 and we cook seperately from the boys.

Isn't problem solving part of leadership? It is amazing what our young men will accomplish if we just get out of their way!!!

We realize that summer is busy for everyone. It is our hope that by offering two outings each boy would have the opportunity to make at least one.

We distrubuted a flyer during the last week of school inviting anyone interested in Scouts to call one of the leaders and to attend any of our outings. We have signed up 5 new Scouts since the end of the school year!!!

With all due respect Bob you are correct in that only the Chartering Organization can start a Troop. However, it is the parents of the Webelos who are crossing over who are in reality starting the new Troop (Yes I know - with the blessings of the Chartering Organiztion).

The Troop that I am ASM for was started in April of this year. The only thing that our Pack (which I am Cubmaster of) did was to purchase the new Troop Flag for the Troop. It was up to the leaders of the new Troop to obtain funding, which we did. Naturally all of the funds in the boys indivual accounts transferred to the new troop for the boys use - not the Troops.

cubmom - If your Pack does not have individual accounts for the boys then it would be difficult to take money from the Pack to start the Troop.

Just my two cents worth

I've just come back from a wonderful week of summer camp and am trying to catch up on the forums. I must have missed one!! I personally embrace having women as leaders in all the different levels of scouting. Sctmom having read most of your posts I would welcome you to our Troop at any time.

YIS

Paul

OGE

Congratulations!!! I know that your Wood Badge experience will be a Mountain Top Experience. Don't worry to much about your ticket. I thought I knew what I wanted for my ticket before I attended the first part of WB. My ticket is totally different that what I thought it would be. It is much much better. Use your Troop Guide, who will be one of your greatest resources.

Good Luck and have fun.

Paul

Owl Patrol SR-438