shortridge

Here goes... I'm not a Girl Scout yet, but as a former Boy Scout and father of a 4-year-old, I'm getting ready to sign up. I realize I'll probably be a polka-dot fish in a striped pond, but no matter. I like what I've learned so far about the GS program and how it's adaptable and flexible. From my own experience, I know that having a sponsoring organization - for a meeting place and other tangible support - takes a load off the leaders, and I was kind of surprised to learn that GSUSA doesn't emphasize that. For my daughter, I'm looking for a program that can help her grow and develop and have exciting adventures with her friends - she loves the outdoors, hiking, nature, swimming. In a simplistic nutshell, that's what I got out of Boy Scouts, and I'm looking forward to helping my daughter have the same experience. If anyone has advice or insight on what I can likely expect as a Girl Scout dad - or give me suggestions on books to read, Web sites to study, etc. - I'd appreciate it! Thanks...(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Yep, flush toilets (in the form of "comfort stations," including showers) were a big deal at my former camp a few years ago. The old showers were block structures with no roofs, and got incredibly nasty no matter how much cleaning was done. When they upgraded, the council decided to add flush toilets to complement the standard campsite latrines (which younger Scouts sometimes had an aversion to using, leading to ill effects).

Any reccomendations for good manufacturers/purveyors of baker's or pyramid-style canvas tents?

(Forgive the basic-ness and stupidity of my question - I've been out of the business for a while. I'm not snarking, just genuinely curious.) Do BSA regs (G2SS, etc.) permit patrols (or even troops) to go on independent treks these days? Or do they require adult leadership?

I'm curious - one of the main changes being touted seems to be the roll-up tabs to secure long sleeves in place. Do you find that many Scouts or Scouters are buying those long-sleeved shirts? I always thought they were pretty goofy looking, and it was easier to just wear a troop-colors sweatshirt underneath the short-sleeved uniform.

Dunno about the "tame reporter" bit. One would think if the article were spoon-fed, she'd have avoided the terms Class A and Class B. Her main beat appears to be business, with a focus on retail.

It's not an online source, but right now, I'm staring at a copy of "Dan Beard, Boy Scout," in the Childhood of Famous Americans series. They're really neat, active biographies written for young kids, but it may give some examples of the sort you're looking for. (I still have to read it, myself, or I'd write up a couple for you now.) It was written by Miriam E. Mason, published in 1953 by the Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. It's not listed in print on the Web site of the current publisher, Simon & Schuster, but is probably available in a local library with a good childrens' section.

Forgive me - this is a slight digression, but one close to my heart. Quote from skeptic: "[H]ardly anyone even notices scout service, as it does not deserve publication or airing in most news sources." You're to be commended for your work trying to get publicity. You don't say how large your newspaper is, though. I expect if it was a smaller weekly, community paper, they'd have printed your writeup verbatim - local papers thrive on information such as that. To pay the bills, I work as a reporter at a larger paper, and we often don't cover individual accomplishments except in short briefs or in special community sections. We're looking out more for the big-picture stories, the trends, the big anniversaries, the really outstanding accomplishments above and beyond the average ho-hum of daily life. It's got to have a specific, memorable hook to get attention. If you pitch a story about a new troop that has had 10 Eagles since its founding five years ago (trend)... a really unusual service project, such as the building of one of those new accessible park playgrounds (cheerful feature with good opportunities for photos)... a family where the grandfather, father and son were all Eagles (slice-of-life and history)... a Scout who struggled against a severe disability but persisted and succeeded (overcoming challenges)... a Venturing Crew where the girls run high-adventure treks and the boys do handicrafts and cooking (turning the tables on traditional stereotypes)... or something similar, you're much likely to have a better chance with one of those larger publications. As an example: A reporter at my paper last year did a very large front-page story on the Scoutreach program. It wasn't just a bland article on how the council is trying to get new Scouts, but instead focused on two troops - one majority white from the suburbs, one majority black from the city - and their summer camp experiences and challenges. She and a photographer spent a good deal of time with the boys, and it was a really powerful story. That said, I've been in my current gig for six months, and have been contacted exactly once by a unit, district or council requesting coverage of an event. I covered a local Klondike Derby one weekend, but that was on my own initiative. I suspect folks from the local OA lodge may be part of ArrowCorps, but I haven't seen a news release or even a blurb on the Council Web site about it. Didn't even get a request to cover the start of summer camp. Alas, we're not omniscient... if folks don't tell us, we don't know about it. So please keep those write-ups and releases coming!

Unfortunately, that sense of national civic committment to a cause Kahuna referenced is largely nonexistent today. I don't think we'll ever again see the large-scale efforts that existed during the world wars. The opportunity would seem ever-present, however, for units to get involved in emergency response on the community level. No matter what one thinks of the current President, the Citizen Corps and Ready efforts that he has pushed are excellent programs, and could be easily adapted to a troop program and community education and preparedness effort. As a young Scout, I was envious of those Explorers I read about in the Fieldbook who were part of search-and-rescue posts. There are volunteer SAR groups all over the U.S., practicing in all environments - urban, suburban, rural and wilderness. The training is tough, but well worth it. I have a troop and patrol activity guide from the '70s with instructions on how to run a community emergency preparedness drill. The idea was that the Scoutmaster would send runners out to various sites in a town - drugstores, post offices, banks, etc. - with a letter for the manager saying the Scouts were participating in a drill and asking him to sign and note the time he received it. Units would then have a good idea of how long it would take to reach certain areas. Even if a disaster never happens, emergency preparedness and disaster response/management are a great way to engage Scouts - especially older ones - in useful service to their community (not make-work stuff). And it would definitely raise the profile of Scouting in the area.

Kahuna - thanks! Just another reminder that Amazon and Google don't contain all the knowledge in the world.

Sounds like a solid project with a great focus on expanding outdoors access and opportunity.

scoutmaster 52, What's the full name of the author of "Be Prepared," and what's the publication date? I can't find mention of it online. Thanks!

The idea of having a vote by hands made me wince - that's absolutely incorrect. The summer camp OA rep should have known better. The Guide to Inductions (2007 edition) clearly states: "The votes are taken by written secret ballot." The lodge elections chairman might have some insight. I'd go up the ladder - start with him to get info about procedures, policies and training, then go to his supervising vice-chief, then the lodge chief if you haven't gotten satisfaction. That said, not all lodges pay close attention to the summer camp rep position. I did that gig for three years - and the first two I was self-appointed because the lodge didn't bother to name anyone. But I darn sure knew how to read the elections procedures.

Interesting idea. One of our council camps used to do an end-of-summer provisional camp called "Trail to Eagle," at which a lot of Eagle badges were taught. It was for older Scouts only, and part of the deal was that they helped with camp takedown. The staff was all-volunteer. After several years, it was folded into the regular summer camp program and given the name "Eagle Base." Scouts could still come provisionally, but classes were also open to those attending with their troops. You seem to be hitting at the idea of opening up camp facilities to a broader group of non-Scouts as well. That's one area where I think councils could do more marketing during the year - targeting corporate retreats, conferences, church camps, non-Scout campers, family camping, etc.

This sounds GREAT. Can you provide some more details? How did the PLC spring it on the troop that they'd be out overnight?

Lisa, Could you give some examples of the types of hands-on marketing that the X Games folks do? I'm only familiar with the video games, Mountain Dew, flashy logos, etc. What are some specific techniques that we can adapt from them? I agree with Mr. Boyce that local PR is a critical part of this whole shindig. There's one troop in my county that sends out regular writeups about their programs and treks - one troop of about 10. Reading the local papers for the other towns, you might not know that Scouting even exists. Community newspapers are desperate for stuff to fill their pages, and they're usually the papers that the target parent audience reads.

With camps fairly routinely adding non-traditional MBs to their lineups (such as Citizenships, Computers, Journalism, etc.) I'm curious what others have seen as far as "obscure" MBs at summer camp. My former camp is offering Auto Mechanics, Graphic Arts and Golf (off-site) for the first time this summer. They're also doing Archaeology, which would seem to be a natural fit. Opinions? Observations?

"Compass courses," while useful in helping teach how to use a compass, are useless in real-life situations. Far more useful is the orienteering taught by orienteering associations and in the Orienteering MB pamphlet. When I was teaching Orienteering MB at a summer camp, I modified stuff a bit because the U.S. Geological Survey map available for the area was too large to be useful. We used a camp trail map instead, but spent a lot of time looking at and talking about the USGS maps to get a feel for how they worked. FWIW, the USGS topos aren't really being updated these days. My understanding is they're currently working on something that combines the best features of aerial photography and traditional topos.

Eamonn - Am I reading that right - by 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the camp is deserted? No closing retreat ceremony, no presentations of troop awards, no squirtgun attacks on the camp director? At my home camp, there's one pay phone for the whole camp, very rarely used. It's out in the open in front of the trading post, so calls can be heard by anyone walking by - no privacy for a Scout complaining about the food or homesickness. (Don't know if that was intentionally placed there or not!) If there's an emergency on the outside, it comes in through the camp office (staffed 24/7); if something happens to a Scout, the reverse is true. As a parent, I would have to trust my Scout's adult leader to contact me asap if something were wrong. (If I didn't trust them on that, why would I let them go in the first place?) I'd also talk to my child about how to get in touch with me if needed, and include a prepaid phone card for the pay phone. Other than that, I'd wish them the best of luck and fun, and let them develop some independence. Then I would take a nap. (Hah!)

Congratulations on your election! It sounds like you know in what direction you want to go, which is great. It sounds like some of your problems stem from low membership. With 10-12 Scouts, you'd have awfully small patrols, making competitions maybe a little less meaningful. How do your patrols function currently? Piggybacking off Ohio_Scouter, another good trip planning resource is tourism/visitors' bureaus from the various states. A lot of them have outdoor- or ecotourism-oriented marketing materials. Do a Google search for state + tourism, fill out their online form, wait a couple weeks, and voila - you've got instant reference materials, with cool photos, maps, calendars, etc. Do the same thing for gear. Pick up a copy of Backpacker magazine - or similar publications for canoeing, fishing, etc., whatever your troop's passions are - and fill out a Reader Service Card, circling as many items as you can. Drop it in the mail, wait a few weeks and manufacturers will send catalogs, brochures, etc., right to your door. Also, there's no rule that says meetings have to be an hour and a half long, or held at the troop meeting place. The summer would be a great time to have a meeting outdoors, at a state park or campground. Try having a cookout - foil dinners, anyone? Do you have a dedicated meeting space for your troop? Are you able to change things around and personalize it? Then go gung-ho - bring in posters (exciting ones, not boring advancement charts!), photo displays of past outings and former Scouts (especially older Eagles!), put up knot-tying racks, etc. If you're like many troops and only get the space an hour and a half once a week, you can still adapt the space within reason. Make it *yours* during those meeting times, not the church's or Legion post's or Elks lodge's.

Also try social service organizations, Latino-oriented stores and shops, community centers, local Spanish teachers, English as a Second Language instructors - all are great potential resources. Is there a college nearby? Try recruiting some Spanish majors. Talk to the Spanish department chairman; many colleges have volunteer umbrella groups. You may even get some former Scouts who are waxing nostalgic and eager to sign up as leaders. Using children as translators could develop into a problem. It might work in a pinch, for communicating basic information, but what about a situation where you need to talk to a parent about their child's behavior? Can the child be a reliable communicator there? Or what if there's a complicated situation involving legal issues, medical forms or insurance? Relying on the child - especially a younger Scout or Cub - as the sole translator could rapidly get dicey.

My "home camp" (literally about 20 minutes away from my childhood home): Henson Scout Reservation/Camp Nanticoke, Sharptown, Md. (Cub Scout chariot race participant, Boy Scout camper, staff member) - Rodney Scout Reservation, North East, Md. (OA lodge weekends) - Camp Bashore, Jonestown, Pa. (OA regional conclave) - Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation, Schuylkill Haven, Pa. (National Camping School)

I'm willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt. I've worked at a camp that lost two NCS-trained directors (in two different summers), from resignation and termination. One fellow quit before staff week was even over. The guy had no Scouting experience and didn't really realize what he was getting into, unfortunately. Perhaps this camp simply had key people back out at the last minute. A lot can change between a November/December handshake committment and June, including full-time job changes. // rant I'm pretty surprised this doesn't happen more often. For many people over 21, the very folks with maturity and experience that you need as Camp, Program, Aquatics, Shooting Sports and COPE directors, it's a money-losing proposition to work at a camp. Besides teachers, college professors, retirees, people between jobs and high school/college students, who can afford to take off 10-11 weeks, especially while still paying rent/mortgage and utilities on their year-round domiciles? end rant // Echoing John-in-KC, if you post an ad, please put all the important info out there - exact salaries, fringe benefits, time off, incentives. If they're really good, an employer should be proud to stand by them and use them to attract people. What troubles me more in this original posting is the shortage of instructors and commissary staff. That indicates a lack of returning staff and CITs moving up, which could be a red flag that things haven't gone well in past years. But that's totally just my theorizing and conjecture. But with staff week set to start on Sunday, I hope Camp Lowden is now fully staffed and everything's worked out for them. Best of luck!

I loved the knee socks. Still do. You could wear shorts and stay relatively cool in the summer, but still have some partial protection against ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes. Yeah, they looked a bit weird, but any sort of uniform does. I have the exact opposite reaction to the world scout emblem. It's a leftover visceral reaction to how it was introduced during my youth - with no explanation, just "You must wear this patch." Being stubborn, I refused. I also thought it looked sloppy - there was no firm point of reference for its placement, and people were sewing it on all over above the pocket. I think it still looks kind of goofy.

I don't know if this is a national thing, but at the Chesapeake Bay Council, you can get an exemption from the outdoor training: Volunteers may request an exemption from Camp Training if they meet one of two criteria: camp trained in another Girl Scout council or they have received comparable training from another youth serving organization. (http://www.cbgsc.org/Training/Outdoor.asp) I don't know how they define "comparable training," but some BSA stuff would seem to apply. When I start going through the training - my daughter has a year to go until she can be a Daisy, though she's already learned the hand sign - I'm not going to request a waiver because I'dl ike to see what the Girl Scouts teach and how they teach it. I then hope to be able to put some of my training - ideally combining BSA and GSUSA - into shaping a really good, active program for my daughter and her friends.