Scoutingmama

GKlose,

Having just returned from Korea, I can tell you my kids were just as busy there as in the States. The only difference is I didn't have to transport them any where. They could walk!

On our base/post we had access to ( through the Youth Center) baseketball ( two seasons) volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, flag football, dance classes, gymnastics, Taekwondo, Hapkito, Kumdo, piano and other instrument lessons, art lessons. All that and we haven't even touched what was going on at school!

Granted we were on a rather large post- so I think smaller posts would have less available, but all in all a "normal" American life while stationed over seas.

You can also submit a slide to the Commander's Acess Channel ( Channel 2 at Yongsan). When I submitted a slide, I just sent it to the email posted on Commander's Access listing me as a contact, the length of time I wanted it displayed and why we desired to advertise. It was a very simple process.

There are links to all the AFN Korea local stations (Yongsan, Osan etc.) from here: http://afnkorea.net/. Look in the left hand column about half way down. The Yognsan site has a "Contact Me" hot link.

Good luck. All of the people I worked with when I was advetising my event - including the "Stars and Stripes" and the Yongsan paper, were quite willing to help me get my information out.

Welcome Ghermanno!

We have been back in the States for a year, but our son got his start in Scouting with pack 89 and Troop 80 both in Seoul.

Lots of great info to be found here on Scouter!

Thanks for the advice so far. Here are some answers to your questions.

John in Kc- I have asked our DE to provide training out of cycle and have been promised this can occur. I am hopeful it will happen as the district has no training scheduled until the middle of October. Thanks for the Pinewood Derby tip! I would have never thought of that!

LisaBob- With the exception of one parent, none of the volunteers interested have any experience with Scouting what-so-ever!

ScoutNut- We possbly have an ADL from another Pack willing to transfer- otherwise no other previous scouting experience. We will definitely be selling popcorn. Our council does popcorn in October for delivery in November.

SctDad- Thanks for the reminder about specific jobs- those are important postitions I would have forgotten and the link is going to be helpful to!

Karen- Thanks for the advice- I will keep this in mind as I am out and about this summer.

I hope to have the basic committee formed before the end of the week so we can get the ball rolling!

(This message has been edited by Scoutingmama)

Funny should say that about time... I just had a prospective Webelos volunteer email and ask me how much time was involved. Having never been active in a Cub Pack, I had no idea how much time it takes weekly to tell him.

I know the old adage, " hour per week" which really means once you become a scout volunteer you have one hour of free time left! But how much time do you think is a fair estimate?

We are beginning the process of starting a Pack with the intent of having the first full Den meetings in late August.

I want to make sure we are prepared ( best we can be) for having a great first year, providing for the needs of teh leaders and boys so that we don't have burn out. We have leadership training planned for July and sign ups scheduled for early August.

In terms of needs, for each den we plan on purchasing the following:

Tigers, Bears, Wolves Den:

Cub Scout Leader Book

Cub Scout Leader How To Book

Cub Scout Academic and Sports Program Guide

Webelos Leaders:

Webelos Leader Book

Cub Scout Leader How To Book

Cub Scout Academic and Sports Program Guide

For the CM:

Cub Scout and Webelos Leader Books

Den & Pack Ceremonies

Cub Scout Academic and Sports Program Guide

We are also looking at the possibility of using the "Den in a Box" curriculum for the first year until we get some experience under our belt.

It dawned on me this am that we will probably also need some craft supplies ( i.e. scissors, crayons, glue, paper).

So my question is, what other expenses am I forgetting? What else do we need to start a successful Pack in the fall?

TIA,

Dawn

This thread is interesting to me as we just meet with the DE this week about staring a Pack. She handed us the brochure about Fast Track immediately as "the answer" for a brand new Pack. I am hestitant to commit us to something I know very little about. Thanks for sharing you opinions.

Thank you Kudu,

I ordered both for DH for Father's Day.

Bob, I am going to check out that Faber and Mazlish book.

Thanks for taking the time to make the suggestions gentlemen!

I called Council today and got a different answer then I got last week. Last week I was told that we could request tents, but they would be the old canvas type. Today the DE ( brand spankin' new to the job and our second new DE since we chartered in November) told me they would provide tents ( had to go ask- which I am okay with) but when I asked if we would have pallets or cement or dirt floor, he stumbled and said he thought we would be given " new modern type tents".

*Sigh* so tomorrow my plan will be to call the senior DE and see if I can get the real scoop.

It shouldn't be this hard....

Gunny, we don't have tents. We were chartered in Nov.- missed fall popcorn. We did get to sell spring popcorn, but the committee decided that patrol boxes and patrol cooking utensils and items needed for summer camp were more important at this stage than tents for two reasons -

1. We didn't need them for summer camp!

2. We typically have enough personally owned tents to cover a weekend of camping ( typically 8-10 boys camping).

We do have some extra popcorn we need to move. Now we just need to move it a lot quicker!!

The council will lend us tents. They are the old canvas style- so that is the fall back plan.

I really was just curious if this is common in Council summer camps.

Our troop is still new - 6 months old. We have 13 boys registered for summer camp and just found out quite by accident that the camp does not provide tents. Our SM went to the same camp as a boy and does not recollect bringing troop tents - admittedly he is older now.

Ironically , the council does not list tents as a necessary item a troop needs to bring to camp ( believe me I have read the list a dozen times to make sure we have the supplies we need for the troop). Tents are provided for Brownsew NYLT, but not summer camp.

So how commom is this? Is this a way our Council is trying to save money?

Dawn

I was just on Kudu's great site and he recommends/had links to so many titles it is hard to chose. I know some of you have been scouting a long time. What books have influenced you the most?

What are your favorite titles to read in regards to scouting, being a SM, boy leadership, the whole scouting experience?

Dawn

OGE - Did it say/show any changes for the Cub uniform?

Scoutnut- I specifically asked at our Scout Hut yesterday about Cub uniforms. After they confirmed the "rumor" about a new BS uniform, they told me there was no information sent to them about any changes to the current Cub uniform.

Hope that helps!

Dawn

Thank you all so much for your posts. Our RR youth is completing all the requirements required of a just-joined Scout, just going a little faster because he understands more and is able to get requirements signed off quicker. I didn't ask my question because we wanted to short circuit the system; I just couldn't find anything definitive on the BSA site (we did ask the father to put us in touch with the person who said RR stuff could transfer; evidently the father misunderstood what the person had said). We have no intention of "pencil whipping" any requirement for any Scout; our Scoutmaster wouldn't allow it for one thing and we want to set a high bar for our Scouts to meet so when they do earn their Eagle rank they will be very proud of their accomplishment. The one thing we appreciate about the Boy Scouts of America is that they set high standards and challenge the youth to meet them.

Again, thank you for your comments.

Ya know here's the deal.. If I ask the father who is associated with RR he will/has said that "I know of someone with RR who was able to transfer some of his RR requirement into Boyscouts." I know there are troops that may take such a response and transfer in said requirements.

I just want to know if there is any precdent for such a thing. It really is a simple question. Yes or no.

Gold Winger, thank you for being straight forward. That is what I thought and also what the SM response has been so far.

Our District is not the best source of information I have found- I learn more here on Scouter.com.....

Wanted to add- I also searched Scouter.com and most of the threads about Royal Rangers were from 1993-94.

We have a young boy who just joined our troop who is very active in Royal Rangers. He is close to getting their highest award. He would like to also get to Eagle in Scouting. His father has heard ( from whom I do not know) that it is possible to "transfer" some of his RR work into scouting. We have looked on the BSA web site and also spoken to district and can not find any information about such a policy. Has anyone ever heard of this? Is it possible?

Other than a web search that revealed that RR is a "boy scout like" program, we know nothing about it.

TIA,

Dawn

CA_Scouter:

Are thse the tents you are talking about?

http://www.rei.com/product/728308

I see them for 169.00. Is it a special members only type sale for 109$?

We are a new troop

John, That budget part (planning on the troops part)is part of the reason I asked the question. The reality is a new troop doesn't have money... we were blessed with spring popcorn sales ( first time our district has ever done spring sales) so now we have some operating cash ( helpful, eh )

In addition to this Eagle who just met his BOR, we have two down the pike ( one who only lacks his project) that will complete within the next year. So, we need to start planning for that now!

The other reason I asked, is because we really do want to start traditions. It's nice to see what others are doing, if for no other reason than a board from which to jump off and start our own.

Great helpful answers!

There are thousands and thousands of troops in the BSA each with their own ways of celebrating Eagle Scouts. There is no right or wrong thing to do as a gift. It is the choice of the unit.

Bob, I know there is no right or wrong way, but since we are a new troop and the only Eagle we currently have Eagled over 30 years ago, we just wanted to get a feel for what the thousands of other troops are out there are doing. We want to start traditions and we want them to be tradirions we can keep when our troop is lucky enought to be 50 years old.

Thanks for the ideas so far!

Dawn

We are a new troop that just had our first Life Scout pass his BOR. Do troops normally give a gift to their Eagles? If your troop does, what kind of gift do you give?

TIA,

Dawn

Our Scout Hut is honoring the sale -while supplies last.

Lisabob,

Can you direct me to these:

A quick recommendation - before you get too wrapped up in writing a bunch of policies, look very closely at those policies and guidelines already in existence from the BSA - for both the cub and the boy scout units. Many times, well-meaning individuals go about writing unit by-laws and policies that prove to be a) redundant and/or b) in opposition to the way the BSA program is actually organized. These can take on a life of their own and become a major source of headaches down the line.

I can never find anything on the BSA National site!

Talked with the DE this am and will pick up chartering paper work this afternoon. Now to see if we can get the Committee members and adults to step up. We already have about 10 boys chompin' at the bit! I will ask about Cub Leader training then- nothing on the Council web site with dates.

Bevah, again advice well taken. Most of those that have volunteered to help with the Pack so far- do not have a BS yet. Only two of us on the current committee will potentially have boys in both the Pack and the troop.

So far the back channel communication has not been an issue because most of our committee has not had previous scouting experience, so what has been happening is that the system is currently running kinda backward in that when a decision has to be made, the committee members want to know what SM desires as he had the original vision for the troop. I know that is not the committee/SM relationship in a "perfect world", but that is how it has been working. This communication issue is why I am desperate to get all of these policies on paper. As the committee stands now I don't think there will be an issue, but as it continues to grow- it might become one.

Two years is sound advice and I feel we can have most of the foundaton/policy issues worked out by then.

Thanks again.