shortridge

Ah, a topic near and dear to my heart! I practically grew up in local libraries, and read every Scouting-related book they had, more than once. Patrick McManus' "Kid Camping from Aaaaaaa to Zip" was (and is) a personal favorite. I also once snatched up a bunch of '60s and '70s-era MB pamphlets that were being discarded - cool stuff. My mother is a youth librarian (children/teens) and she reports that by far the most popular items are graphic novels, in both traditional and anime style. They fly off the shelves, and are regularly stolen. So if anyone knows of a Scouting-related topic that's presented in a graphic novel format, snap it up and donate it, because the kids will eat it up. (Maybe National should redo the Handbook in that style next time around...) Consider a Scout-run program on outdoor skills (suitable for indoors instruction) for youth - knots, lashings, semaphore, soap carving, etc. On a slightly related topic, summer reading programs for youth are incredibly popular in my area, with hundreds of kids signing up even at the smaller libraries. But with budgets being trimmed, librarians are often searching for low-cost programs that match the chosen theme. (It's usually some sort of a reading-related pun - Buggy About Reading (insects), Adventures On The Page (adventure), etc.) See if your Scouts can develop some thematic programs to offer and help out your local librarian. A lot of libraries have literature racks for display of brochures and pamphlets from community groups, social service agencies, etc. Develop a brochure promoting your unit and activities and ask for copies to be placed there. Refresh them regularly.

Good advice and snapshots from everyone else. Some additional observations: - As an adult leader/parent, you'll generally be expected to help out and supervise the young'uns, so you will stay busy. There may be a staffer assigned to your group as a "program specialist" to lead you around camp, fill waiting times, sing songs, play games, etc. That can give you some breathing space. - Get into the theme of the camp - pirates, knights, Wild West, space, etc. Brainstorm with your Cubs what they can do or bring that'll help them have fun with the theme - eyepatches, mini catapults, "ray guns," etc. That'll set your guys apart. - The best advice I can give you is study the camp rules and schedules closely. If your Bears want to do an evening archery program, for example, make sure you or another leader gets to the camp office in time to sign up first, otherwise the slot will be filled post-haste and the kids will be disappointed. If the camp has certain rules about what you can or cannot have in a campsite (glass bottles, for example), then follow those rules. - If there's a program your kids want to do and it's not part of the plan, just ask. At the camp I staffed for five years, we offered Whittling Chip instruction as an option. It wasn't one of our regularly scheduled offerings because a lot of dens had already done it on their own. If you want to take the Cubs on a nature or sightseeing hike, ask for advice on trails and scenic spots - or ask a staffer if they could lead you on an adventure into the unmapped environs.

If you're only taking one step away from the tent, it would be important to know which way the winds are blowing.

The threshold is not physical evidence. However, the wording of the requirement does leave a lot up to the discretion of the PL, TG or adult leaders - what does "identify" mean, for example? Another option would be tracks - photos or plaster casts.

I've tried to build up a lint stockpile over the last year, but my wife keeps discovering my caches and throwing them out.

Is there a special technique for holding the match in your mouth while avoiding contact with your tongue? And are we talking wooden or paper matches?

I really like a couple of your ideas. "I'd love to see all of our camps take a long hard look at making what they offer year round kid friendly, unit friendly places for groups to go." I'd love this, too. Wouldn't it be great to have the pack meeting outdoors a couple times a year, at a camp? Or den meetings at a camp? It wouldn't work for everyone, but those units in the immediate vicinity ought to be encouraged to do so. From there, it would probably snowball so more units would have their meetings outdoors as a matter of course... the way it used to be. :-) "I do think it's time that we put the commissioner staff to bed and admit that this just doesn't work anymore." This part is extremely intriguing. The idea of floating consultant troubleshooters with no direct authority doesn't seem to be a very effective way to solve problems. "In their place lets develop well trained trainers who will do a great job and inspire the adults to get out there and deliver programs that kids will enjoy and want to participate in." Amen to that.

Eamonn, I think you're thinking about one of the resident camp standards, M-64: "All high activities (6 feet or more above ground) must have a reliable protection system and back up system to protect participants." A thread on that topic is here... http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=207474&p=1(This message has been edited by shortridge)

I've not built one myself, but there are detailed instructions here... http://ropesandpoles.blogspot.com/2006/05/erecting-hourglass-tower.html and here... http://www.geocities.com/allan_frbs/pioneering.html Seems like it's easiest to lash the towers together on their sides on the ground, and then tilt and raise the whole contraption up using long ropes.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Were these youth leaders or adult leaders?

Not to go off-topic, but in my council, Cub camp attendance has been through the roof historically. I hear there was a bit of a dropoff last year, but it's still high. At one reservation, the council runs four weeks of Boy Scout camp and then three of Cub/Webelos camp; it used to be four of Cubs and three of Boy Scouts because of the high demand for Cub resident camp. As someone who's staffed a Cub resident camp, I can make the observation that staffers generally rely fairly heavily on parents and adult leaders to help with the program. You know the kids far better than we do - their temperaments, interests, individual attention spans, etc. - and you're crucial to the task of running a group through the program in the timespan allotted. That's especially so with programs in handicrafts, nature and scoutcraft/outdoors skills, where it's often very hands-on work and we need you to keep an eye on all the kids. I don't know what I'd do if I were running a Whittlin' Chip program for a group of 15+ Cubs (not uncommon in my experience) just by myself with two adults to help! All those knives and only three sets of eyes... So, yeah, the more adults, the better, from a strictly staff perspective.

Wow, you really do learn something new here every day. I majored in history and studied presidential politics, and the whole Cleveland thing never even crossed my mind. Thanks!

Also consider that band, theatre and high school athletics have a captive audience to draw from. Students are surrounded by the trappings of their activities every day they go to school. The awards fill the display cases in the lobby. The coaches and band/theatre teachers are often popular, many times the beneficiaries of a hometown cult of personality. It's an educationally-sanctioned in-crowd. The bigger picture, at least where I'm from, is that a ton of kids think that they have a future as professional athletes - a dream encouraged wholeheartedly by their parents and coaches. When they get to college or try out for the big leagues directly, they realize they experienced (were the victims of?) Big Fish/Small Pond Syndrome, and by then it's too late for a redo. For every major league ballplayer, there are hundreds of young men who spend years in the minors, selling TVs at Sears on the side to pay the rent while dreaming of something that's never going to happen. There are thousands more who might have made it to the bigs, but fell hard when a knee blew out or a rotator cuff got injured. Scouting, on the other hand, offers some pretty intangible benefits. To a starry-eyed ESPN-watcher, the challenge of earning Eagle or visiting Philmont has a real hard time stacking up against the possibility of a career with TV endorsements and dates with models. Or just an article in the local paper and a date with a cheerleader.

Sorry... I meant at what areas at camp do you work - aquatics, outdoors skills, shooting sports, etc.

IM_Kathy, I had the same reaction when I was elected into the Order. It was extremely intriguing, but I wanted to know exactly what I was getting myself into. I got my mitts on an old Bronc Burnett novel that features an older inductions ceremony, and annoyed the heck out of my Scoutmaster until he sat me down and told me basically what others have said here. I would like to amplify something that emb021 stated, about leadership. That wasn't one of the things that attracted me to the OA, but it was certainly what kept me involved. The youth REALLY run the OA program, and the adults, for the most part, keep their mouths shut. All officers are youth. Adults do not have a vote in any lodge or chapter decisions. They advise, share their wisdom, and that's it. Most lodge and chapter officers develop really close relationships with their advisers, and learn a lot. At the lodge level, you can also rub shoulders with some of the top brass at the council, which will give you some very interesting insight into the way things are (plus connections for the future!). You're also a youth until you're 21, so you can stay involved even beyond the traditional Scouting age. In my experience, the closest adults get is for the council's scout executive or designee (generally the "lodge staff adviser") to deliver vetos of decisions that go against safety rules or national/council policy. As far as the food, it's not a fast, and the guides and folks overseeing the inductions process should keep a close eye on candidates to make sure there aren't any medical issues. (Many lodges hold a banquet after it's all over so the candidates can stuff their faces, too.)(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Beaver - I also thought those words reflected the spirit of citizenship well. Trevorum - EDITED: Sorry, I misread your question. Yeah, Biden would have been Acting President, at least until noon.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Out of curiosity... It seems like more than a few of the troublesome situations being described here involve step-parents who are not the legal guardians of the Scout. Yet schools seem to not have any problem with accepting step-parent signatures, pick-ups, emergency contact info, etc. If schools don't, why does the BSA? I'm also wondering why step-parents wouldn't become the legal guardians of a child that they're helping to raise. Can someone in the know comment as to the difficulty in doing that? Are just there a ton of obstacles to overcome, and that's why the step-parents don't do it? Legal prohibitions against it?

"An avowed homosexual is someone who publically promotes their sexuality as a part of who they are." So how comes we never hear about a heterosexual person wearing a wedding ring or mentioning their better half in conversation being described as an "avowed heterosexual"?

Welcome! Is that the Venturing Gold Award or the Girl Scouts' Gold Award? (Someone needs to pick a different name, I tell ya... ;-) ) Out of curiosity, what's your crew's specialty, and what camp program areas do you staff?

Reviving an old thread... another alternative is for lodges and chapters to create some sort of totem to be worn with the uniform that signifies the position. My old lodge had a very ornate - but simple - beaded leather necklace that was passed down from lodge chief to lodge chief. No one else wore similar totems. There's also the option of a nametag, which most lodge officers in my term wore.

They were the ones that decided to be there. Therefore, they are choosing to be one of the guys. Nope - they're choosing to be one of the Scouts. That includes Venturers.

Check out Mohican State Park, near Mansfield. Has some beautiful territory there, and it's not too far away. Have fun, and good luck!

Eamonn, As I posted in the thread this was spun off of, my understanding of Wood Badge coming up in Scouting in the late '80s and '90s was that it was THE capstone program for adult leaders - everything you needed to know, and more besides. That may have been an incorrect impression, but the descriptions of WB by those who went through it certainly didn't disabuse me of that notion. I believe that WB instructors should know the core skills of the programs they're working with. For Cubs, that's a familiarity with the achievements for Tigers through Webelos - from putting on a simple skit to sharpening a pocketknife. For Boy Scouts, that's the T-2-FC requirements. Please note that I'm not saying that all WB participants should have mastery of all those skills - though in a perfect world, of course, they would. But if an instructor is asked about a particular requirement, he or she should be able to demonstrate it, simply and effectively. Teaching the theory of teaching without backing it up with specific examples is pretty much worthless. That's my two bits.

I agree that there is a wide variety of skills and gifts by folks who support Scouting. I wouldn't necessarily expect a district committee chairman to be able to teach the Totin' Chip. Nor would I expect an ASM to be able to deliver a flawless FOS presentation, or a Bear den leader to process advancement paperwork in the most efficient way. A lot of people work behind the scenes to promote and support Scouting, and their skills and interests in large part define their roles. However, in the thread that Eamonn drew his quote from, the discussion was centered on Wood Badge instructors not knowing basic outdoors skills. I'd have to say that I'd expect instructors in the BSA's premier adult training program to know, if not be able to teach, the majority of the First Class outdoors skills. And I'd feel perfectly reasonable in that expectation. I'm not asking for Les Stroud-type outdoor expertise, but just the basics. That's what we hope of all our Scouts.

Oh, good grief... pleeeease, stop the agony.... (This message has been edited by shortridge)