scoutldr

Let me guess...Won Ton Ton is a Shar Pei?

It's been snowing all day (rare for this area), so I just finished watching my new DVD, "Follow Me, Boys". ::sniff, sniff:: Anyone got a Kleenex?

I will also add my thanks for this forum. It reflects a lot of hard work and devotion of time, not only by the forum owner, but to those who post in an effort to make the Scouting program stronger and more effective for the youth whom we all serve. Countless more users are reading and searching, also taking their time for a better understanding of the Scouting Movement. I only ask that the "Rules" be enforced fairly across the board, regardless of how "knowledgeable" the offender is. Rudeness and name-calling is never becoming of a Scouter or Scout and has no place here. Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Great web site! It might be easier if you group all "event patches" in one category. Keeping these up to date will be a constant challenge as new patches are earned. You could just say "patches earned for participation in events are considered 'Temporary Patches' and are worn centered on the right pocket. Only one patch may be worn on the uniform at a time, but the choice of patch worn is up to the wearer. Those patches not worn on the uniform may be worn on a patch vest or blanket." I would also add a link to the BSA Uniform Inspection sheets, which show proper placement of uniform insignia. These can be found in .pdf format at http://www.scouting.org/forms/

We don't have an argument. It's included in their annual recharter fee and is not optional. Our troop has been chartered for 12 years and has been 100% BL every year. Never had anyone object. I read once that there are several versions of BL, based on age. The Tiger Cub will get a different version than the Venturer will.

Just some random thoughts: - Perhaps training should have an expiration date (like 5 years), a la CPR training. If you don't have a current card, you're not "TRAINED". Would apply to WB, SM specific, etc. This would ensure that the "old timers" stay current. Probably would not be a problem for Cubbers, since most don't stay in the program that long. BSA comes out with new training, new program changes, new uniforms on a periodic basis, and we all need to be updated with the new info. The downside is that BSA will have to bite the bullet and keep the training materials current, which they don't do very well now. - If the Boy Scouting program is supposed to be "boy-led", why are we focusing all those training hours on adults? Shouldn't it be reversed? How many councils and districts still do JLTC in an organized, well-prepared manner with the same attention, fervor and enthusiasm that they put into a Wood Badge course? What is the "mountain-top" training experience for the average youth (who does not happen to be Lodge Chief)? Heck, if we're good enough at it, we could even look into getting academic credit for it. - When I do training, one of the first things I tell them is "this is not your Father's BSA"...disarm the Eagles right off the bat (I am one), and let them know that we are all starting from the same point...learning the 2004 version of the BSA program. - The BSA program will theoretically work well if everyone does their jobs as they are trained. If there is a weak link, the program will be weak. One of the biggest "broken links" in the program is the Commissioner Corps. Units are allowed to run amuck because there aren't enough Unit Commissioners and most of the ones we have don't do anything except strut around with a coffee cup. Hence, when one does show up, they are looked at as "the spy from Council." If problems are found with the way the unit leaders are operating, do they send a report to the CO? After all, it's "their program" and they are the ones who signed the charter, not the unit leaders. THey need to know that "their" unit leader selection process needs improvement. - BSA charters the program to COs who agree to follow the BSA program. Who's out there training the COs and CORs so that they have a fighting chance of knowing what a "good" program is supposed to look like? How many CORs attend District Meetings and vote on District matters affecting "their" units, which is one of their primary responsibilities. Are we too quick to condemn "those stupid CORs who won't attend District meetings", or are we pointing the finger at those who are too anxious to get new units on the books without letting the COs know what is expected of them? How many CORs get a phone call saying "we missed you last night, is everything OK?", which is what we expect the youth leaders to do when a Scout doesn't show up?

The "VX" merit badge was Hiking. The V and X were roman numerals signifying 5 and 10 miles. There is a black shoe in the middle with an "XX" on it, signifying 20 miles. The rectangular patch with the harp is "Musician", which was used by some troops who had bands or drum and bugle corps...I've seen it worn on the right sleeve, left sleeve and there is a 1930s uniform shirt on eBay right now with one sewn on the right pocket. It is relatively rare. You are correct on the SM and SA badges. The ones with mylar borders signified "Trained" leaders. I don't know of a web site of historical insignia. Best bet is to get an Insignia Guide or other literature of that era.

I'm all for guidelines. But let's apply them equally across the board to all.

The BW Admiration Society thread.

I recently resigned as training chair after two years. My observations: -Most Scouters do not do Fast Start and have no idea it is available on line -Cub training is hard to present, and hard to keep people trained. The "specific" courses have huge overlaps of information and there is little "specific" that would justify 5 different sessions. -SM specific is excellent, but should be required for all Boy Scouters. The Troop Committee needs to know this stuff, too. -The most important people in the organization are the CORs and they get NO training. -Trainer Development Conference is a waste of a day. MOst come away very disappointed. -Pack Trainers are nonexistent. They should be doing the majority of Cub training. -The main deterrent from taking WB is the cost. Do we really need custom made T-shirts, hats, mugs and jackets for each course? It's training...not an exclusive country club. WHy did I resign? I was teaching solo every course that was sponsored by the district...when I did get "help" from people recruited by the DE, they were the "old timers" who liked to ramble about how they did it 25 years ago and didn't have a clue what was in the syllabus. Then the Executive Board decided that training should be "mandatory" and to meet the demand, any warm body in the Council Service Center was told to "go do training". Some of these new "trainers" (new DEs and even clerical staff) wouldn't know a cub scout if one bit him on the knee, but hey, just go read the syllabus to them and play the videos. How hard can it be? At least we get "TRAINED" strips on everyone and make Quality Council. Another observation...training is probably the ONLY opportunity we have to present and market the program, motivate leaders, and inspire them on to other positions. If it is done poorly, by inexperienced trainers, or with material that is irrelevant, redundant or condescending (ditto about the bridge thing), we fail and they won't be back. Fool me once... Put me in the camp that thinks a major training overhaul is needed, and soon! If for no other reason than to fix things to correspond to program changes over the past 5 years. It got embarrassing to be told by a new Tiger DL.."we don't do it that way any more"...

Recommend we change the name of this forum from "Open Discussion" to "Complimentary Discussion". It appears anything else will get censored or closed.

If there are "unit commissioners who don't do their jobs", then the District Commissioner is not doing his job. If the DC is not doing his job and there are "no District activities" then the District Chairman and District Committee are not doing their jobs. THe solution is to get your CORs to do their jobs, attend Dist Comm meetings and vote for change. THey are the only ones who can get the Council Executive Board off the dime. Your only recourse is to deliver the promise as best you can at the unit level. Not having an FOS presentation is not a decision that the unit leader can make...that's for the CO to decide, and they need to demand an accounting of the funds...if there is no unit support in the form of active UCs, district activities, no camp, etc, then where is the money going??? A council is not in the business of merely providing steady paychecks for the pros.

Another square knot...

Just like with the District awards, any member in good standing can nominate someone for the Vigil Honor. However, few do. Nominating someone requires that you know the person's "resume" and can adequately describe their contributions in writing. Many worthy people are never submitted to the selection committee, either because it's "too hard" or people simply don't know enough about a person's background to make a confidential nomination. The person nominated should not know you are nominating him/her until they are notified of selection.

You're "spot on", Unc, as Eammonn would say. The problem is that, for the majority of parents, their first contact with the Scouting program is school night, or whatever your local equivalent is. In my experience, parents are "bringing JOhnny to sign him up for scouts" and are expecting to just plug him in to an existing structure complete with experienced, trained leaders and a robust program. They don't expect, and are off=put to hear that, if there is to be a program, they have to learn it and deliver it. Big Surprise!!! The typical strategy in this area is to group the kids by grade level, and then someone from Council says, OK, I'll be back in 10 minutes, so decide who the Den Leader and Assistant will be. Oh, by the way, we also need a new Cubmaster, Blue and GOld chairman and Popcorn Kernel. All he gets is blank stares. Some of them are never heard from again. Some don't have a clue what a DL is or what the commitment is. Some know, and therefore remain silent. Only those few who are brave enough to raise their hand go on to New Leader Essentials where they actually learn what they should have been told before they made the uninformed decision. Perhaps if we actually herded all the new parents into a room and gave them Fast Start.>he said, thinking outside the box

My chiropractor has been anxiously awaiting the day his son could join cubs. I have been "grooming" him for two years. During my last visit, he was not too happy...."ya know, this job (tiger DL) is considerably more involved than the 'one hour a week' I was promised at School night. Why do they tell people that?" We need to STOP IT!! The "one hour a week" thing is a pretty sleazy way to get a signature on an application. I wonder what the statistics are on Scouters who quit after one year because they were lied to? It's OK to have a joke among ourselves, but when recruiting people, we need to be honest. One hour a week for a den meeting. Plus a pack meeting. Plus training. Plus roundtable. Plus pack committee meetings. Plus camping and other outings. Yes, it can all be fun, but it's a serious time commitment if done correctly.

See eBay item 3947448174 now being auctioned.

Not to hijack the thread...I think the best solution is Velcro, but you also have to switch unit numbers, not just the position patch. However....sounds to me like some DE is desperate to make Quality District by chartering new "units" on paper before the end of the year. Let's just put names in the slots then worry about recruiting real leaders next year. How common is this and is it ethical? You need a minimum number of scouts and leaders to charter a unit...seems to me that borrowing leaders from other units just so the computer will accept the paperwork is not really in the spirit of Scouting. Or maybe I'm inferring too much here.

A small, struggling UMC church. I rate them a 1 as far as doing what a CO is supposed to do, however that's fine with us since we get zero interference. They gave us a key to the portable classroom in the back, and if we're lucky, they don't schedule other groups to use it on Monday nights. We're not always lucky. We see the COR only when we need a signature. At our monthly district meetings, only one COR attends out of a district of almost 100 units.

On this side of the pond, we pound sand, not salt. Salt goes on our Freedom Fries...(i mean, "Chips"). Come to think of it, we put it on chips, too. But not on our crisps, which are made with apples.

I'm not a CPA,but... I think the term "donation" carries with it the connotation of "tax deductible charitable donation". Giving money to an individual so he can earn Eagle does not qualify because the individual is not a bona fide charity, regardless of how he spends the money. An individual Scout may, however, acccept a "grant" which is not tax deductible, and may even be considered taxable income to the individual.

While the points may have been factual, I for one, do not miss the bickering. I can't count the times that certain posters needed to be reminded of how many points of the Scout Law they were violating in their fervor of defending "the program". What an oxymoron! A Scout is Friendly, Courteous and Kind. I was sorta disappointed when FOG was suspended, although I understand that it was done for the right reasons. He had a lot to offer the forum, but it was wrong to misrepresent his identity by posting under multiple Usernames. A Scout is Trustworthy. I was once PM'd by someone who thought my response was disrespectful, and in hindsight, it was. Since then, when I post, I try to be helpful, without being sarcastic or critical (as in, "if you would bother to go to training, you wouldn't have to ask this question"). I try to address the issue, not the person. My feeling is that, as in Scouting, no one person's departure is going to be a show-stopper. There are plenty of smart people here who can pick up the slack, and perhaps even do it better. So what say we get back to Scouting!

What a Scouter wears on his uniform is a personal decision, as long as it is authorized. I too wear what I have earned. Last year I was awarded the District Award of Merit. I feel that, if someone took the time and trouble to fill out the form and nominate me, then secretly had my wife and two sons show up at the District Dinner for the ceremony, I have an obligation to wear it with pride and gratitude. As for the other knots, as a trainer, I feel that wearing my service stars and training knots tends to lend credibility to the training. I am someone who has, "been there, done that" and am passing on the benefit of my experience, not merely reading a prepared script, as some have suggested should be done. I wear four service stars, yellow, green, red and blue, signifying that I progressed through all phases of the program (pre-Venturing era), although it would be allowable to combine all the years into one blue star. Bottom line...do what makes you proud and happy and don't worry about what others may choose to do.

SWMBO was recently going through old pictures searching for photos for my son's scrapbook. She found an old polaroid of a pudgy 8 year old in a brand new cub scout uniform with beany cap and Bobcat pin, standing in front of the family's aluminum Christmas tree with color-wheel spotlight. That was the same year I got my new Sears Spaceliner bike which is still hanging in the garage. Circa December 1963. My sons are now 26 and 22 and made Star and Life, respectively. 41 years later, still a Scout (and still pudgy!).

It is BSA policy not to reveal the full names of youth members on unit web sites. I would think that rationale would extend to the sides of trailers, unless you limit it to those over 18. I like the idea of an Eagle symbol...that's more classy.