SSScout

What's in a name? That which I call a Scout after a week on the AT would smell as sweet .... https://www.dropbox.com/s/as6n5li5n46cp8i/How I Spent my Summer Vacation.docx?dl=0

When Scoutson (who is now a strapping young man of 24) joined my old Troop, I was very pleased. I I had not had any contact with it for many years. I became an ASM. First time I sat in on a PLCouncil, I listened while the newly named SPL and PLs sat and listened... they were waiting for the SM to TELL them what to do/say. As a sub teacher in the PSchools, I recognized this as the way our kids were required to act. Do not speak out, do not make waves, wait for the teacher to tell them to pick up the pencil, etc. The SM (an astro physicist by trade !) tried to get them to consider their plans for the coming year. Ideas for hike sites? Visit where? Finally, the nascent SPL spoke up and said (quote) "you mean I can make that decision ?" The SM master said (quote) "DUH !!" and the discussion took off from there....

I was an (ordinary) Scout, and thought the new Sea Scout Ship (759, Ashton MD) was a very cool idea. But I stayed a Land Scout thru my career. SS759 started out with a raft created from 55 gallon drums fastened together for a trip down the tidal Potomac and around and up the bay to Annapolis MD. Thank you , Henry.

Good on ya , mate. And congratulations on being able to FIT into your old uniform ! ! 😀

I trust the replacement cost of the globes is shared by the responsible Patrol ? Care and feeding of equipment is a learned experience. I have also seen bar'd guards for Coleman lanterns. Might be worth the investment. Scouts can learn that they can depend on the First National Bank of Momanddad, or they can learn to replace things they lose or break...

P 38 anyone?

Kind, Friendly, Courteous, Cheerful , ,,,,,

to the Sea Scouts out there... Henry Nygard and his good wife (whose name escapes me at present) were good friends of our family, I went to school with both his kids, Ken and Fred.....

This is called "double dipping" here abouts. It is not unheard of, and as has been said, to my knowledge, not verboten by the BSA. Examples from family history: Scoutson's Eagle project involved renovation of a barn at the County Fair grounds. Eagle project credit, Scout service hours credit, 4H service hours credit (yes, 4H kids earn "ranks" and badges, too), and public school Student Service Learning hours (required to graduate ! ) . I signed off on several of each type of form, being a ASM in the Troop and wife signed off on some as a 4H Rabbit Club advisor (!). The 30 or 40 kids and adults who participated were well appreciated and thanked by the County Fair folks and the Rabbit Club folks and us. Double dipping ? In some cases, triple and quadruple dipping !

There is a difference between the trail leader who almost trips over a rock, turns to the fellows behind him and says "watch out for that rock" and the trail follower who steps over the rock and says nothing to the fellow behind him....

Oh, the times they are a-changing (or changed...) Waaaay back when I was about 7 or 8 years of age, my grand dad died, and mom and pop and I made the trip up to Boston to make the arrangements. After they settled us in the motel, they talked to me and decided after the "viewing", I did not have to tag along with them as they made all the other arrangements, so they wrote down everything, made sure I knew where they would be, made sure I knew where the motel was, gave me a key(!) and set me in a taxi with money for the fare both ways, and sent me off to a museum. That's how much they trusted me, and not to mention, the taxi driver, who was tipped generously to come back to pick me up and take me back to the motel. At that age, what did I know? I trusted my folks, both consciously and I guess, unconsciously. When I got back to the motel, I turned on the tv, sat down and watched (I do remember this) Sonya Hennie in an old movie. My folks came back in time to go to dinner, and then they went out again for attorney stuff , they said. I watched a lot of old movies back then (my wife might say I haven't changed much !). How would people react to that nowadays? Child endangerment? Abandonment? I do not think I was challenged once as I walked thru the museum, a single 8 year old skinny kid. The taxi driver did his job, my folks came back, we came to Boston to say goodbye to my Gdad, and then after a week or so of vacation (for me at least), we went home . I think I was even excused from school for the time.

I see three choices... 1) You can accept the requirements as "passed" and note for the parent and the Scout that "A Scout is Trustworthy" . I have often found that if the Scout says he passed the requirement, then he has passed the requirement. If not, ask him would he like to pass it NOW ? 2) Suggest, if in your judgement (as Webelos DL, yes?) the Scout has not quite fulfilled the requirements as listed (age, skill, attendance, etc.), do not sign off. While addressing THE SCOUT (!) not the parent, (because it is the Scout who must pass the requirements, yes?) ask about the discrepencies, smile and ask "when would you like to pass these requirements? Maybe today or... ? " 3) Note for the Scout (with the parent present) the age and other requirements for Boy Scout joining (listed in the book !) . Review these without ire or judgement. Note that Scouting is available for all youth and here are the local Scout Troops, Johnny Scout can join any he wishes. Wish them well. Do not do any of these things without BOTH the Scout and the parent(s) present. And, if possible, a second, silent, unattached, adult witness.... Drama is not necessary nor warranted. Stay on an even keel, do not allow yourself to be drawn into a shouting match or a blame game or a "my son is..." type of thing. Make it a point to include the Scout in all discussions. Do not ask the parent what THEY want, but pointedly ask the Scout what HE wants. This may well be one of the first times the Scout has actually been asked what HE wants... See you on the trail.

Well, yes and no. Good wife came to Scouting by way of her Eagle Scout husband and eager son. She had a bad experience with a past spouse who had a bad experience with his dad in and out of Scouts, so when son asked (!) to be a Cub Scout, she had to depend on me to help her see the benefits. So I did.... After Den Leadering, She became the Cub Scout Day Camp Director, ending up training /apprenticing the next two CSDC Directors. Me? I became her First Assistant Everything Else (that was my official title, patch and all). CubScoutson went on to Boy Scouts and I became an ASM. When I attended WB, my ticket designs were mostly about Cub Scouts and Day Camp. My WB Counselors said no, no, your tickets MUST apply to your registered position. But, But, But.... no, gotta change something. AHA ! You should be a Commissioner ! ? a what? So I became a Commissioner, and Presto ! I can apply my experience to almost any part of Scouting, so I did, and I did....

Favors can be done, and with a smile. If you truly feel you have been "played", then how do you think the Scout feels? Scouting may end up being the example, the ideal this youngster needs. I have traded favors with the parents of Scoutson's friends and with no bad feelings. I did them a favor, I can expect one the next time I need some help. I might approach these folks in that vein. "Drop Johann off at the Grandmom's? Kept him at our house until you can come? Glad to help. " Oh, by the way, I have this pile of debris I need to take to the dump. Could I borrow your pickup and your back?" If Johann Scout has parents that really don't know how to parent, or somehow resent his "drag" on their life, well perhaps you can be the better example for him. After all, we are Scouting for the kids, not really for the parents....

I would think that one adult Scouter could be present in such a public setting. Lots of other adult presences, yes? Not in the back of the store, out of sight ?

Not a Sea Scout myself, but I would support such a thing, it would be a nice match to the Venture Scout and Faith and Chaplaincy forums.... oh, wait...

Oh, the ramifications of this thread. One must pick and choose, that is a rule in life. When the Scout learns what is important (Band? Sports? Eagle? Debate club? Video games? Facebook? Instagram? Faith? 4H? ) he will find out that Scouting is a guide, and as such will affect all the rest of his/her decisions and activities. I can remember back in my pre Schmart phone school days. (I would not be having this conversation via keyboard !). Scouts, Band, Drama arts (4 or 5 plays/musicals), School government, church dinners, Key Club, part time job, ) . I learned to juggle and with my parents help, did well. I tried to help my sons and daughters do the same. It s admittedly different these days. 1000 cable channels and nothing worth watching (even the grown Eagle Scout son often says so). Lots of distractions, fer sher. Here's where the SM can be a help, to remind the Scout (and parent ?) what might be more important. "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce", to quote the carny barker. See you on the trail.

Worst? How about Best ! True story.... Cub Scout Day Camp: 200 plus Cubs. Last day, water festival day. 85degrees, sunny. No Scout Program to speak of (unless you count the slip'n slide rescue rope pull). I am serving as "First Assistant Everything Else" after being Archery Range SO (wife was the CSDC Director ). Even if there is an official activities rotation (bugle every hour), Cubs are running around, getting wet, sliding on the slides, climbing on the hay bales, throwing wet sponges at targets, etc. Woman comes up to me (I am an identified "person in authority") and waves her arms around, quote, " I have never seen such a disorganized bunch of kids in my life ! What are they doing ? What should they be doing? What happened to the great skills and rank earning they did yesterday? I don't know WHAT to think. My son is not doing anything scoutlike today. Why is this allowed ? " I smiled at her and asked, "where is your Cub?" She pointed at the haybale pile "over there !" "Is he having fun? Is he complaining about the activities?" "I guess he's having fun, is that okay for a Scout Camp ??? " I said it was all part of the plan. She starred at me and walked away, shaking her head.

Yeah, I know you know it all, but do I? Maybe YOU can teach ME something. Then again, maybe the Scout Way is what needs to be discussed. I had a good friend growing up. His folks emigrated from Germany just after the war, and had a hard time with ANYTHING with a uniform. He refused to join Scouts , but became an excellent outdoorsman in his own right. I would have trusted him with my life. He earned a double BS from Washington University, moved to Juneau Alaska, opened an outdoor store, led expeditions into the Tongass range. He died saving the lives of a group that met with unexpectedly horrendous bad weather on Mt. Denali. Do we need training? It helps to be humble enough to realize one can gain from ANY new, different experience.

The only "legal" way around this is to lobby the CORs in all the member Scout Unit COs. The CORs are, by definition, the voting trustees of the Council, no matter how it was /is constituted. If you cannot persuade the PTB of the present Council (are there any not so obvious conflicts of interest?) that what they are proposing is not "Scouty", , then someone (you? ) needs to research the actual ownership of the camp in question. Trust? Deeds? Conditions of transfer? There have been other examples of Scout camps being (or trying to be sold) sold in less than transparent ways. See the thread.., Good bye Owasippe.

"The Work Is Done By Whoever Shows Up". Scoutson renovated (partially) the Rabbit Barn at the County Fair . Scouts, school friends, Meeting Friends, 4H friends, two long days... The Rabbit Barn superintendent was a siding contractor, the County Fair and Rabbit 4H Club, the Rabbit Breeders Club all provided materials and support. Facia, trim, paint.... This led to other renovations over the following years. Another nascent Eagle in another Troop replaced/rebuilt the lighting and ventilation system. Another replaced repaired the interior siding and paint. The initial example led to other work. .

I never heard of a "tool wheel". It sounds like a way to make a "library" of your tools. When I teach IOLS Wood Tools, (assuming good weather) in my rather large Axe Yard, I place a tarp on the ground and lay the various axes, hatchets, saws on that for folks to pick up and try. I limit the number of folks in the ax yard, I teach the idea that ONE person (Scout) has charge of the Axe Yard and no one enters with out his/her knowledge and permission. Even a campout on the AT may need a defined Axe Yard (area) for the one (1) hatchet the Patrol/Troop may have brought along.... An axe length's ground, all around...

The purpose of all education is to prevent having to discover things separately, originally, for one's self. Theoretically, WB is intended to educate Scouty folks in Scouting things. The problem is that , despite the detailed curriculum, it is taught and experienced anew by every staff and every class. My WB cannot be your WB. I can pass on many, much of my Scout lore and experience (that bucket of axes and carved tent pegs fer instance). I can tell stories from my experience and youth. WB is like that. I am told that someone who took WB in the 1950's (with GB Bill ?) would not recognize the WB of the 21st century, which is the course I took and then staffed. So be it. I have met folks that take WB many times , just because they like it (!!). I have met folks that have said, such as noted here, that WB was a "life changing experience" "not worth the time and effort" , "something every Scout Leader needs", " a waste of my time and my church's money", "recommended for everyone..." You have heard them all, I am sure. WB is no longer meant as "Advanced Outdoor Living" or " First Class Rank Plus". It is meant to recharge the Scouter's soul. To give some thought to the reasons to folks that may never had considered the WHY of Scouting. Management theory? yep. Scouting fun (critters !) yep. Cooperation? Patrol Method (did BP ever really call it that originally?) ? Yep. Scout Led? By heavy implication, I hope so. Do I recommend WB to everyone? No, I don't. Some folks admittedly will be excellent Scouters without it. Problem is, it's hard to tell who those folks are at the outset. And often, the ones that THINK they don't need it are the ones that give some Scouts reason to quit Scouts. Sic semper mundi. Me ?I like to think that any excuse to go camping is better than none. See you on the trail....

Eagledad, you are certainly correct. I don't think I ever implied to let the onlookers off the hook. Courage? yes. Reason for the courage? There is the nub. Recitation of a poem is not the same as internalizing it, making it your own. The ability to call out a bully, to point and make it stick is an ability often sorely lacking . Have you ever had a situation occur at work where a supervisor tried to blame the issue on a "lack of policy" rather than a lack of ability to make a decision? Taking responsibility for a decision rather than merely quoting "policy"? It's kind of the same thing here. Not every decision can be based on established "policy" . Sometimes one has to fall back on " "what would Mr. Smith do?" (Mr. Smith being the Scoutmaster here). Lacking that, to compare the decision /action to the Scout Promise and/or Scout Law is a VERY good place to start. In the present situation, the other Scouts somehow had not learned to empathize, to see such behavior not as funny but sad. Not to see the SPL "perp" as funny, but as an unfortunate case. I hope the bullied Scout has gained some friends after this event and the SPL has rightfully lost esteem in the sight of the rest of the Troop. He must re-earn their esteem by the better behavior he shows in future.

A Scout is Brave. How much effort, bravery, would it take for a young, inexperienced Scout to speak up, act against an older, experienced Scout? I do not so much fault the rest of the PLC at this party . Yes, they need to be encouraged to Speak Truth To Power (the SPL is "power" here.). They need to absorb, own, the idea of an "ideal". Protect those younger, perhaps weaker (in whatever way) ? Call to task the older SPL that is acting like an idiot, rather than an ideal? Unfortunately, one must ask where did this SPL learn such behavior? I would posit it was not an inherent , intuitive behavior, acting to make the other Scout feel so . . . embarrassed? Humiliated? To what purpose? How is this a fun thing to do? At whose expense ? This is why "Frat Bro Hazing" has been outlawed on so many college campuses, and rightly so. Ultimately, it not only humiliates the object of the hazing, it must embarrass the person doing it. Sad.... Why even consider the Scout Promise and Law, if not to internalize them, act upon them, use them as a guide and standard to judge against? What is the personal argument against such? One must ask, why did the SPL ignore these standards that he "promises" to follow at each Troop Meeting? What is his answer to that question? Again, the SPL in question LEARNED this behavior, he did not come up with it inherently. Older brother? Other sport team mate? MTV movie? How did humiliation come to be "fun" for this (so called) Scout? See you on the trail....