Sentinel947

Don't count on it. Old enough to vote, drive, go to college, buy real estate and join the military, but not old enough to be the second adult supervision to a group of teenage boys at on a camping trip. And folks wonder why young adults being Scout leaders in the US is uncommon but it's common in Europe? These rules are why. I wonder what data the BSA used to decide a registered adult 18-20 no longer "counts."

I'll be there for one day. I live about 4 hours away, so I'll just be driving over for a day and then driving home. Really excited to see an International Jamboree!

I threw out that question to my staff in a shared group chat. Nobody knows. My best guess is that it might be a copy and paste error. I don't see it elsewhere on any of the other days other than the Interfaith worship service on day 2. It's possible they copied the chart over from day 2 to day three and accidentally left that note. I know that's a deeply unsatisfying cop out answer, but that's the best I have.

We do all of our development weekends together. We'll do joint meals and flag ceremonies, a few trainings like Trainers Edge as a whole group, then split up by course for most of the on course practice/training. More than last year I've noticed our SPLs doing some practice activities jointly. Realistic First Aid and Problem Solving round robin. I'm ASM for Program(backup course director.)

Scoutmaster(Course Director) Assistant Scoutmaster(back up Course Director), Quartermaster/logistics, and Admin/First Aid. We have 5 courses a summer, so our "extra" adults are involved in projects to support the courses, but not strictly involved in one course. We have a "lead Course Director" over all 5 courses. We also have a lead admin/registrar, and a lead for quartermaster/food. We have another adult that does all of our nylt uniform/swag purchasing. They focus on big picture and help keep our courses fairly uniform.

For whatever reason my post didn't take. My council typically has 48 participants/ 14/16 youth staff and 4 adult staff. Our youth and adult staff eat with the participants. I'm not sure what that reference is to on Day 3. My youth staff might know.

That is absolutely my version of hell. I'm a light sleeper, so the snoring would keep me up all night. We had a few adult leaders share tents at Philmont, but that's the only time I've seen that with my Troop. I could see that being a practice in units that are underprivileged and the adults also don't own their own tents. That'd be solid stewardship of funds. But I agree, I think most folks will sleep better in their own tent. Cots are fine, but I've come to really prefer the inflatable thermarest mattresses. I've also found a little benadryl before bed can be helpful. Stops any itchness or allergies.

My Troop has a typical ceremony that each Eagle is free to use or not. Most keep it fairly short. Maybe 10-20 minutes. I just attended one of my NYLT staff members Eagle Court of Honor. He had an open mic segment where his friends from his troop took turns roasting him and telling funny stories in which he was a part of. I'd never seen before and there would be no way 18 year old me would have let my friends had open reign to say whatever they wanted to about me to that audience. At the end of the day, it's up to you, your family and your troop to put it on. There's also nothing wrong with having your Eagle presented at a Troop Court of Honor, pining the parents pin on your parents, getting your Eagle medal pinned on you, and calling it a day.

Finally broke down and bought a second uniform shirt. I have 3 different uniform pants of various wear.

Agreed. Even in today's safety aware and litigation happy society, adults in earshot changes the dynamics between teenagers. I don't need to be able to see them at all times, but they need to be close enough that I can check in with them, and if they need help from adults that we're easily accessible. For backpacking/ hiking, I'm happy for them to be up ahead of me, slightly out of visual or audio range. if they run into issues, I'll catch them in 3-5 minutes. For camping, I'd like to camp outside of earshot of them, preferably out of visual range, but close enough that I don't have to walk too far to check in on them, and that they can find me if they are having problems. In reality, most campgrounds, front-country or back-country, my scouts have to camp within visual range of the adults due to space constraints. This does depend on the age dynamics of the Boys, I'd give more latitude to a group of older Scouts, or my NYLT Staff, than I would to a group of 1st or 2nd year scouts. Nothing I've outlined should run afoul of the GTSS, at least in my readings of it. Hopefully I'm not proven wrong on that. Society has changed, and parents expect and demand a higher level of supervision than previous generations, but I think sometimes we exaggerate what the rules require. That causes newer adults to ramp up their supervision of the Scouts when they should be opening things up.

Most fun job I've ever had. Also lowest paying, but I'm glad I staffed camp and still keep in touch with fellow staff members. Just enjoy it, make new friends. Get enough SLEEP. It is a job and the campers are paying for camp, not the Walking Dead: Staff edition. Bring your own snacks, camp food loses what appeal it has after a week or so. Know the material for the badges you teach. Make them as fun and active as you can. Try to get the scouts doing stuff. Have a great summer!

Hey all. My Troop has been debating changing from our current dining flys. We have the big ones with the alumininum frames to hold it together. It frustrates the patrol method by packing the troop into a confined space and dictates how camp is set up. What does your troop use?

I have a similar situation with Interfaith worship services. I have a strong sense of my own religious beliefs. If there is a group prayer or response that espouses something that isn't compatible with my religion, I'll sit quietly and pray prayers from my religion. I'd think a similar thing would work fine for the pledge. Unless you call attention to it, few are likely to notice.

Sounds dorky, but would a dust mask help filter out the particulates in campfire smoke that make him ill?

You can get more flies with honey than with vinegar. I believe Unit Commissioners operate best when they are a friendly face, a mentor, a guide. Not a police officer, an inspector or an enforcer. Unless there is some sort of health or safety issue going on, a soft power approach is going to fix far more units than a confrontational and aggressive approach. Maybe your district or council does things differently than mine. https://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Unit_Commissioner

Is his IP address banned?

That's gotta be a rare patch!

The challenge with positive feedback is it has to be sincere. I love my father, but he isn't a sentimental or emotional person. I'd bring home my report card as a kid, and he'd say "Pretty good." In his usual flat and unexcited tone. He was pretty much the same when I earned my Eagle, got accepted to college, graduated from college, got accepted into graduate school.. That's just who he is. I know he cares and he's proud of me. If he was to start giving effusive praise, it'd only be because my mother made him and it wouldn't be meaningful, because it wouldn't be totally sincere. I do think you're on to something @willray. Whether in the personal world or the workplace, people like to know they are doing the right thing. They like to be affirmed, and praised. @qwazse has a great example of it. It doesn't need to be something elaborate or over the top although over the top would work for some people. Story time alert: Last summer when I staffed NYLT, I was brand new to staffing that program. I didn't know any of the youth, so I really made an effort to get to know them on our training weekends. When we were on course, if I saw them doing something well, I'd make a note of it and when the activity or event was over I'd catch them and say something like "Hey ______, great job with XYZ activity/presentation" or "Hey ______ that went really well!." It really wasn't something I thought much about, because I do that with my own Scouts and co-workers at work. About midway through the week when the pressure was on and the sleep deprivation was on full blast, the SPL sought me out for advice because "You're the only one that ever tells me that I'm doing anything right." While I can say for a fact that's untrue, there's a perception on the part of a teenager to how they are praised and critiqued. That interaction has really stuck with me and has caused me to really evaluate how I praise Scouts, how I give them feedback, and what that ratio looks like. Just my two rambling cents.

My troop hasn't set a rule, but we have created a backpacking group of adults separate from the Troop. It seems like we want to/can go more often than our youth can. A few of us still take the lead on troop backpacking trips, but it helps us adults not crowd out the Scout backpacking trips.

I wouldn't say I'm disturbed, but a bit disappointed. National sometimes has challenges getting the verbiage crystal clear on the first roll out. When the changes to the tenting rules and YPT were made in 2019, that language was updated to: "Youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age." Which is clear, concise, and decisive. It leaves no room for interpretation. YPT is important and shouldn't have grey areas and interpretive "wiggle room" in it. I get it. National doesn't really have that much staff. Less than volunteers would think there are. Those folks are underpaid and overworked, and they aren't doing the work to become rich, but because they love and care about Scouting. I think it's important for both the pros and the volunteers to recognize in each other that we both love and care about this program, and that requires an extra dose of patience, some honest discussion and disagreement. Consider this, if the members of this forum, who are likely some of the most engaged and active Scouters in the country, are having these discussions and confusion regarding the rules, what does that mean for the typical unit?

It depends on the unit. My Troop is open to allowing recently crossed over leaders to become ASM's, but they're going to get alot of instruction and guidance from the SM or other experience ASM's. There are Crossover parents who have a hard time adapting to the Boy Scout program and the role of adults in Scouting. Some never do. @AltadenaCraig comments seems to indicate that Crossover parents often need an adjustment time, and if they want to contribute straight away, the Committee can be a great place for their energy and enthusiasm, but frankly, a lot of the Cub leaders I see cross over with their sons to my Troop could use a few months to a year to relax before stepping into an Adult Volunteer role. I'd argue being a Den Leader or Cubmaster is way harder and more demanding than being an ASM or a Scoutmaster. Both roles have different sets of challenges and demands. Most troops I see aren't going to turn away an enthusiastic, willing volunteer.

That isn't sexist. It's the truth. I roll my eyes when folks suggest "fixing the girl Scouts." A majority of the girls involved in Girl Scouts, and their professional leadership are happy with how things are. Therefore, there's nothing to "fix". If making the Girl Scout program more outdoors-centric would halt the GSUSA's membership declines, they'd have already done it. That doesn't mean there aren't any girls out there that want to hike and camp like Boy Scouts do, and that's why we now have Scouts BSA as an option for them.

I don't know if there is a "official way" to wear the neckerchief. I wear my neckerchief like the Scout on the left, but I for the life of me cannot get that embroidered Eagle neckerchief to roll that neatly without taking a hot iron to it.

One of the tenants of Catholicism is that each of us has an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday unless grave circumstances would prevent it. Going camping does not typically constitute grave circumstances, but Clergy can provide dispensation to miss mass. (Which is how practicing Catholics attend Philmont). Plenty of Catholics don't attend mass every Sunday, but it's a requirement of our faith and teaching of our Church. So it's less of the CO in that particular case trying to be "Imperial" and more of the CO and Troop Leadership making sure that the Catholic Scouts meet their duty to God. Maybe I'm biased, but I don't see why that's a bad thing. My own CO is a Lutheran Church. The leadership by and large hasn't been members of the CO. The church leadership views the benefit of hosting the Scout troop is that we'll provide them service, and hopefully through contact with their church, Scouts and their families will have a stronger appreciation for the Lutheran Faith and might consider joining. As a Catholic, there are parishes in my area that offer mass on Sunday afternoons, so being involved with the Lutheran Troop and still making Sunday mass was never a problem. I definitely have a better appreciation and respect for Lutherans and their church, even though I never converted. There's a difference between influence and proselytizing. Even in the case @qwazse cited, I don't think the Catholic Troop with a Jewish Scout stopping to attend Catholic mass is by itself an attempt to forcibly convert someone. Whether he sits quietly during the mass or sits outside on the front steps is fine. In my opinion that's not proselytizing. Proselytizing would involve me as an adult attempting to convince a Scout that my religion is correct and why they should believe what I believe. CO's have a lot of rights as far as religious practice in their units, but I don't think even @David CO is saying that the CO should be hunting to proselytize and convert Scouts from other denominations, but if a non Catholic Scout or family decides to be Catholic because of their relationship with the Church through @David CO Troop? I'd say that's fair game. The Troop should let all prospective members know about those religious practices. "Because we are Catholic, if we can't make it back home in time for mass, we'll stop along the way." "Because we are LDS, we only accept LDS members." "Because we are Muslim, we have designated times every day to pray."

Some councils don't support venturing. I'll grant you the OA, but again, the council has to support the OA for it to be an option.