Shell in WA- USA

Sounds to me like the Adults of the troop are falling down on thier jobs. Maybe the PL and SPL can sign the requirements off, but has anyone (adults) taught THEM how to do it properly? Have they held any training for the youth? JLT? You can't expect a boy to do a job right if he isn't shown how.

The BOR is not the place to "retest" or teach the skills. It should be done by the person signing off the requirement, adult or boy. And th eSM should be looking out for and preparing the boy to move on to the BOR.

Sounds like it's time for your troop to step back abit and do some training.

Okay, then if National checks the dates to the Council records for Eagle boards? How concerned should I be about making sure everything is in order?

I've just taken over as Advancement Chair for the troop and the past Adv Chair (of 4 years) didn't track anything. He threw everything in a box and whether I got all of that, I'm not sure. I'm having to reconstruct all the current boys records. So we don't have a problem in the furure.

What a wonderful honor to be asked on the woodbadge course. They obviously think highly of your skills and experience.

I just went through wood badge this year, and it had to be one of the best things I've ever done! I've already been using my "woodbadge skills" to help "save" out troop from some poor adult leadership, to get our troop healthy again for the boys. (Another story!)

I've been through school and college and have done many different training through scouting. But I have NEVER had a better experience than my 6 days at woodbadge! The staff was wonderful! And my patrol! My patrol was the best group I have EVER worked with. The 6 of us Foxes worked like a greased wheel! IT was funny, we all had our own pinions and views bout we all were accepting of each other and used the best of all of us. There was even a time were we were to choose one of six colors of something. And it was so funny we all shouted out the color we wanted and NONE of us conflicted! One of my members even said "Man, we can't even disagree about a color!"

I don't know what this reference is about Woodbadge destroying marriages? Seem like there are more deep rooted problems going on than a 6 day course! It's too bad that the other spouse can't understand scouting and be part of it with their spouse. Or at least support their interest in it. But that's another issue all together.

Shell in WA, USA

Okay, I do wear many hats, I'm also the Advancement Chair for my sons' troop. It hasn't been done correctly for a long time, so I"m spending alot of energy right now tracing down all the records for the current boys in the troop. But once I've done that, I'd like to be a role model or guide for the ledership roles at the troop level. I know I could work with the Troop Scribe and possibly with the troop historian or Quartermaster.

My question is for those of you who are Advancement Chairs, how do you work with your boys in these roles? What kind of shared duties do you have set up with the Troop Scribe, for instance? I don't want to take away his job but I need to do mine as well, how you do share it? Make sense?

Thansk in Advance for your help!

Shell in WA, USA

I've been looking for ideas on how to run a good Merit Badge midway at a Camporee setting. Perhaps you have some ideas? My thought is to provide a good place to introduce the boys to new ideas and to take Merit badges in subjects they may otherwise not have considered. I'm not to sure after that which way to go. Either set things up for them to actually earn partials of merit badges. OR to simply introduce them to the subject and have them do the actual merit badge later. Have handson projects in each of the chosen MBs?

If anyone here has actually put together a Merit Badge Midway, I'd be interested in knowing how you set yours up also.

Thanks in Advance,

Shell in WA, USA