shemgren

In my council, we train Webelos Den Leaders at a Saturday - Sunday session at our council camp twice a year, expanding to cover basic scoutcraft skills.

I often do the Cub Scout training on week night in a three hour block. First I cover NLE then do the Cub Scout Leader Specific Training, without the Webelos section, since NLE and CSLST are both required to be trained. I do mix Tigers and Den Leaders and also Committee and Cubmasters, usually due to small numbers and a small staff.

NLE covers some of the same material in the Leader's Specific, allowing the training to be streamlined to a 3 hour block. Things like fianaces, the program ideals and such as well covered in New Leader's Essentials, and don't need to be repeated in the specific section.

When I first started to do training, it was a 6 hour course.(This message has been edited by shemgren)

I feel that to develop a set active requirement besides what is set out in the offical literature, is unfair to the Scout in a troop.

In our world today, with youth having fuller schedules than adults, it is difficult for the Scouts to be 100% in their attendance in troop and patrol activities.

To be an active Scout, I would consider that the Scout is: a) present on a regular basis, b) consistant in contacting the troop leadership (PL, SPL and/or SM) when the Scout cannot make an activity of the troop and/or patrol; and that I have a realistic understanding on what is and is not a viable excuse for missing an activity. Things happen that are out of the control of the Scout and there is not always time or opportunity to make a call or the Scout simply not allowed to make a call.

In addition, for rank advancement, a Scout is required to meet active requirement for a certian time for the rank. Once he has met this requirement, there is no requirement for continuing to be active after that. This often comes up for Eagle candidates that for various reasons become inactive, then decide they want their Eagle just before their 18th birthday.

You can find the Life to Eagle Packet, without the cover pages, in MS Word format here: http://www.meritbadge.com/files/index.htm

Scott

You can purchase replacement medals from a Scout Shop. They will require some proof for Eagle since it is a rank. Medals from P.R.A.Y. are irreplaceable since they won't sell medals without an application for the award.

The square knots that represent a medal are provided for the convenience of the wearer. Generally, when a cloth badge is worn, the metal is not worn(Insignia Guide, page 5). The Insignia Guide must be taken as a whole, and several places it states that adults may wear medals for formal occassions(page 22,43).

In addition, Scouts may wear the Religious emblem, Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award, Quartermaster Award, Hornaday Award, Honor Medal, Heroism Award and Medal of Merit square knots.

District Award of Merit, Arrow of Light Award, Professional Training Award, Distingished Commissioner are examples of awards with no medal to accompany them.

It seems rather silly to have another uniform without the knots for the medals that you are wearing to meet the letter of the "guide", since is such grey areas, the spirit of the rule is more important than the letter on the rule. That spirit of the rule is to keep the uniform normally uncluttered in appearence.

If I worn all the medals I am authorized to wear, I would exceed the 5 medal rule, since I have earned 7, 4 pin on and 3 neck medals.

My experience is that the Scouts themselves are impressed by an adult with the medals vs. just the square knots. Therefore, I do wear selected ones of my medals for formal occassions. Normally I only wear my Eagle Scout award.

Only the COR has the authority to removal a member, youth or adult, from a unit. The council must be notified that this happened and the basic cause of the action (for youth protection purposes).

The SM cannot make this decision. In our troop's bylaws, the committee may decide to remove a member, but ONLY the COR can enforce this decision, per BSA's Rules and Regulations.

Scott

ADC, COR

The Insignia Guide, 2002-2004, page 22: "Eagle Palm, ...worn on the Eagle Award ribbon or the Eagle square knot. You may wear only the proper combination of Palms for the number of merit badges you have earn beyound Eagle. The Bronze Palm represents five merit badges; Gold, 10; and Silver, 15. For example, if you earn 10 merit badges and two Palms, you would wear only the Gold Palm. If you earn 20 merit badges and four Palms, you would wear a Silver and a Bronze Palm."

Wear you Palms with pride! I wear my Bronze Palm on my Eagle Award (medal) for formal occassions such as Courts of Honor, Eagle Courts of Honor, Blue and Gold Banquets, District and Council Banquets, etc.

Scott

Eagle, with Bronze Palm, 1980.

Patrol Leader Installations and oath can be found in the Troop Program Features, No. 33588, page 78, available from your local Scout Shop.

You might be able to adapt them from the Cub Scout version of the ceremony book, also available form your local Scout Shop.

An older resource that is out of print, Scout Ceremonies, had a full secton devoted to installation ceremonies.

In my district, when I was the Roundtable Commissioner, I have used several ways to get youth, mostly SPL's, to come to Roundtable. From a pizza night, summer camp promos, Life to Eagle seminars, I even tried a "junior roundtable" program, using the same themes, but at the SPL level.

Currently, we get youth to come 3 to 4 of our 9 roundtables we offer. The trick is to gear the topic to the interest of the youth. Has that changed in my 30+ years of Scouting? In some ways, yes, but in most, no way.

When I was a Scout, I caught "Follow Me Boys" on TV. At Monday's troop meeting, we showed the film to the troop, you could hear a pin drop. It still captures a scout heart, like it did me 25 years ago!

(This message has been edited by shemgren)

The olive tie is allowed to be worn with the uniform. So is the tan tie of the 1980's. This falls under the guideline of once it is uniform, it still is uniform, as long it is in serviceable condition. An older all green uniform can be worn as offical.

The patches allowed on the jacket are outlined an page 5 of the Insignia Guide, 2002-2004, No. 33066C.

OneHour:

The Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, No. 33088D, states on page 24 states: " A Scout may be tested on rank requirements by his patrol leader, Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, a troop committee member, or a member of his troop. The Scoutmaster maintains the list of those qualified to give tests and pass canidates. The Scout's merit badge counselor teaches and and tests on the requirements for merit badges."

This means the the Scoutmaster and the PLC should decide who can sign off on requirements. The requirements for Scout Spirit, time in troop, leadership, service hours, merit badges earned, Scoutmaster's Conference and BOR should be signed off by an adult leader. Since the requirements for Star, Life and Eagle are all the type above, Scouts should not sign off on these requirements.

The Scoutmaster Conferences should be conducted by the SM, unless he/she delegates it. I would not recommend this delegation under normal circumstances.

The blue card needs to be signed by the Scoutmaster on the front and should be signed on the back by the Advancement Chair when entered into the Troop's records and ensuring that the merit badge counselor has signed the card. I always use the requirement section on the back to track the Scout's progress on the merit badge on the Scouts I counsel.(This message has been edited by shemgren)

Currently, the back of my mini-van is full of FOS supplies,and I found an old slyabus stuck in beside the back seat the other day. I have a sleeping bag, 50' power cord, training kit, posters, two flashlights, American Flag, first aid kit, complete auto kit, heater unit, and occassionally can get some other people in the van besides me! LOL!

" The Eagle Scout service Project provides the opportunity for the Eagle Scout candidate to demonstrate the leadership skills he has learned in Scouting. He does the project outside the sphere of Scouting." Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, page 27.

In reguards to this specific project, if the Scout is doing the rodeo for the community and not specifically only for Scouts, then it qualifies as an Eagle Scout service project. Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts earn a majority of their advancement outside of the pack/troop setting.

I had a boy a number years ago who didn't want a ECOH. We never had one. I personally delivered the Eagle kit from our Council Service Center after sitting there for 6 months, but it was never presented in a ECOH. It was situtaton where the boy just didn't seem to excited about receiving the award, however, his parents seemed to want it.

Cub Scout Ceremonies for Den abd Packs, No. 33212B has a ceremony in chapter 12 for inducting a new Cubmaster.

From Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, No. 33088D, Page 31, "The 12 Steps From Life to Eagle", Step 5:

"When the completed application is recieved at the council service center, its contents will be verifed and the references contacted. The council advancement committee or its designee contacts the person listed as a reference on the Eagle Scout Rank Application either by letter, form or telephone checklist. The council determines the method or methods to be used. The candidate shoud have conatacted those indivduals listed as references before including their names on the application. The candidates should not be involved personally in transmitting any correspondence between the persons listed as references and the council service center."

In my council, the forms are provided the the Life to Eagle Packet, and even I earned my Eagle in 1980, it was the practice of having the candidate to find the reference, have them fill out the form and include the completed form in a sealed envelope with the finalized packet. Apparently, my council missed a step in the above listed regulation. I shall speak to my council concerning this matter.

YIS

Scott

My council includes in the packet 6 blank forms for the references to fill out and return to the Scout in a sealed envelope addressed to the Eagle Board of Review. The Scout never see these, but is instructed to find references that are complimentary to him.

As my troop's Eagle Project Advisor, I ensure these are in place before the packet is submitted to the Council Service Center.

Having served on my district's Eagle Board, I would have a problem with no written references at the board and at least, the five on the application. The Board would have a hard time voting without all requirements completed, including the references available to the board to see.

hops_scout:

The WEBELOS scouts are required to have their parent with by Youth Protection rules and your pack is following the rules.

After two years of service, you should put in for the Den Chief Service Award.

Den Chiefs are the best thing that can happen to a Cub Scout Den! They benefit by seeing what is there is after Cub Scouts and the Den Chief wins by the experience.

One the best jobs I had as a Scout. I served for two years for the Den Mother I had while a Wolf and Bear Scout.

Put that way, I aplaud your effort and will give it my support! I have helped 4 units in the last year.(This message has been edited by shemgren)

I have served the units in my area much more as a Mentor then the more normal "by the book" Commissioner and often I am sent by the District Commissioner to help units in trouble.

I continue in Scouting to help units in trouble and my DC and DE know that I am a seasoned Scouter that can help well in such cases. Unit that are failing, deep interpersonal problems, etc. are where I am specialize in. As an ADC, I have the freedoom to move around the distrct to help units.

I never had a great respect for the limitations of being a Unit Commissioner, since once the unit was helped, they felt they didn't need me much more and the "spy" feeling grew between me and the unit.

I discovered more by doing FOS presentations at different units in my area of the District and was able to see hot units and units in trouble around and then get them the help they needed, if they would accept it. This is unusally more easily done in a Pack than in a Troop.

Unit Commissioners work well in new units that need more generalize guidance, but many units only need a couple of meetings with a commissioner to help show them the way to solve their problem. Ocaassionaly, some units need more help, but the norm is the little contact.

The exception is those unit leaders who refuse any help and/or cannot be convinced that they need any help. In those cases, the commissioner has a hard time doing anything but annoying an already ruffled Scouter.

Bob, your idea is intriguing to me, but I feel such a change would difficult to impliment, since there are Commissioners who love the prestige that the title gives them. Some Scouters serve at the District level for the wrong reasons.

I have allways maintained and practiced that everything I do for Scouting is for the Scouts, whether training a new leader; helping a unit with a lack proper leadership; or showing Troop how the patrol method is the best way to run, I do it all for the Scouts.

(This message has been edited by shemgren)

Your Unit Commissioner has the role of supporting the relationship between a pack and a troop in his or her area.

The Commissioner should deeply aware of the Senior Webelos and the needs of the Troop the Scouts will cross into.

The Commissioner often serves as that connection point between the troop and pack, insuring that the as many boys as possible make the transistion, become active an interested members of the troop and that any funds transfer between the two units happens smoothly.

A seasoned Commissioner will be talking to the Troop and Pack well in advance of the crossover time to insure that the troop has planned activities to help the Webelos to earn their Arrow of Light and that the Pack has plans in place to replace any key position that will be lost when the Webelos and their parents crossover.

This part of what Unit Commissioners are commissioned to do; serve units as a coach, a counselor and a friend.

YIS

Scott(This message has been edited by shemgren)

The name of the program being used in the council service centers is Scout-Net. The paper records that are submitted are entered into this system and you can request a printout of any Scout to see what is on record.

The fundraising method that the BSA expects units to follow is that the unit gain their funds by vaule given activities, such as breakfasts, dinners, popcorn, candy sales, etc. not direct solicilation of funds. See the back of the Unit Money Earning Application, the Scoutmaster's Handbook, the Cub Scout Leader Handbook.

BSA units are not non profit groups as defined by the IRS because they are owned by a CO, which may or may not be a non profit organization and gifts given to units are not tax deductable gifts.

BSA councils are non profit organizations as defined by IRS code 501©3, therefore gifts to them are tax deductable gifts and the councils gain a good portion of their income by direct donations, such as the United Way, the Friends Of Scouting program, endowments, grants, etc.

One of the hallmarks of the moral code of the BSA is that the Scouts are taught that they need pay for things they do. We do this through the paying dues to the unit, direct payments of costs by the Scout or his parent(s) and the units providing fundraising opportunities for the Scouts to raise the funds needed to do the activities they plan to do or purchase the equipment needed.

On occassion, units do recieve direct donations, but according to BSA rules and regulations,they are not to solictate these donations directly, as laid out in Article XI, section I, clause 2, which reads in part, "Adult members and youth members shall not be permitted to serve as solicitors of money in support of personal or unit particiaption in local, national or international events."

The lastest version of PackMaster software will track the activity pins. Also, look in the "Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide", No. 34299, for tips on administrating the program.

YIS

Scott

Units I work with auction off bake goods to remain in compliance with BSA guidelines.

CO's are able to give money to the unit from any source they see fit. If they want to hold a raffle and give the proceeds to the unit, that is fine.

Councils don't want units to seek donations from local businesses for the reason stated of interferring with the community FOS campaign. Also asking for donations is not allowed by BSA policy.