SSScout

Oh, there are lots of opportunities here ! I hope the room (auditorium?) is large enough to allow the full beauty of a well played bugle.... When folks are settling in to their seats, play "First Call" to gain their attention (SPL puts up the Sign). As Bugleson may note, if he plays the Call to the Colors up to the Coda, that is the "Short Version", and would be appropriate for an indoor ceremony. I would suggest as the Color Guard is ordered "Advance" , play CttC as the Color Guard advances up the aisle. If it is a long aisle , play the whole piece. If you do the PoA, then that would come after the Posting of the colors. When the Scoutmaster (or SPL??) comes forward to make his opening remarks, "Ruffles and Flourishes". When the Ranks are to be awarded, play "Attention" (dah DIT dah DAH !) . At the end of the evening, everyone is eager for the punch and cookies (or ribs and coleslaw?). If the ceremony closes with the flags in place, say your benediction or closing remarks, and wish folks well. If the flags will be "retrieved" , so with "Please retrieve the colors", play "Retreat" as they march down the aisle. At the end of the piece, dismiss the CG and crowd to the refreshments. Yum. (No, I would not add "Mess Call" here...) Taps? I do not see Taps as appropriate in an indoor ceremony, unless there is another ceremonial reason. But that's just me. Outdoor ceremony? Wait until folks are about finished with the meal, Let Bugleson get back in the woods a ways and play long and low from there. Let it echo. Congratulations to all your Scouts !

Oil change? What's that? I visited a garage once, the mechanic. had a bench covered with engine parts, a Pontiac Sunbird was parked nearby with it's hood leaning against the wall. I asked about this "display". He said the young woman had brought the car in because it was "making noise" . She had bought it new , three years before, put 24,000 or so miles on it and had NEVER changed the oil......

On my Camino de Santiago trek three years ago, we sojourned in an alberge (hostel) which, like most, did not segregate the genders (!) . My buddy Rick bedded down in a lower bunk, I had to take a different "stack" upper. As always, the room was full. Rick sometimes (not always) gave forth with rafter rattling snoring when on his back. He was aware of this. Sometime in the night, I awoke to his music. I over heard some Deutscher volk (there was a bicycle club in with us) outloud mention bodily harm to the "volcano one". I jumped down, went over and woke up RIck, who awoke with a start, but willingly turned on his side and went back to sleep. No more snores. "Danke, freunde." I hope the other Scouter was apprised of his problem...

As in many things, "it depends". I have known kids whose first question when asked about work-for-pay is "who, me?" Youngest Scoutson made the acquaintance of a local farmer thru our family, and the farmer hired him on the spot (age twelve) for "gofer" duty. When he couldn't work during the schoolyear, farmer said "when you turn 16, you've got a full time job if you want it." Scoutson helped at CSDC, Camporees as staff, at Meeting, following dad around, and when he turned 16, we helped him get his drivers license, his Class B license (provisional), and the farmer was good to his word. Ever since, Scoutson has been driving trucks, tractors, combines, harvesters, and learning all about commercial farming. He has convinced the farmer ("custom farming". He leases six times as much land as he owns outright.) to diversify and try a section of certified "organic" crops. Daughter , on her own, asked about and got a job in the local public library as a "Page" at age fourteen. She both loved it (independence, paycheck of her own, time to read see new books) and hated it (telling me what to do all the time, same old same old, dusty and moving all the time). It was a learning experience. When she graduated HS, she decided against college, got married, with her husband started a cleaning service. cleaning restaurants, crime scenes, and large houses. She went on to be a manager at a auto parts store. She 's happy. Other two sons had no jobs to speak of until they graduated HS , went to various places. One joined the army immediately, later went to college and was in the right place at the right time, is now doing very well as a Media Specialist for the county government. The other has been in and out of work for awhile. C'est la vie. Kids just need to keep making contacts, try new things, look to the stuff you like, not just what is "normal" for you. Hiking? Camping? Check in as a volunteer with your local Parks. Find out what might be done for pay. Ya never can tell.

When I was a sub teacher, the assistant principal called me in and asked if I would like to be a "special tutor". I asked, what was that, he said it was a position he just created to help with some "problem" students. I would have one or two students (7, 8 graders) each period for a particular subject. I said sure, I'll try it. I had fun and some success over the span of a semester. Some just needed help understanding the math, or write a grammatically correct essay, some needed some one on one to allow them to vent alittle about family dynamics. One girl had definite behavior problems. Call her "Annie". Annie was sorely distracted. Even with me sitting with her at a table, she could not bring herself to attack a lesson. It was a challenge session. "You can't make me" was the unconscious comment. SO we talked . About life and family. I spoke with the Asst. P. and he and I developed a plan. He called in the parents and ALL of Annie's teachers (and me) to a conference. In it, he detailed how Annie's behavior problems were seen in all of her classes, including the "new" special tutor (me), thus indicating it was not just a "personality conflict" with one or two teachers. After gaining agreement with parents (both mom and dad were there, Annie was back in class) that Annie's school progress was most important (an only child), the Asst.. P. gave the DAD (!) a homework assignment: He was to spend 20 minutes with Annie doing homework EVERY NIGHT, without fail. No excuses. Not naps, not "have to take a shower", not "I'm tired from work". Every night, 20 minutes. It didn't matter if he understood the assignment or not, he was to be with her and help, if he could , for 20 minutes. He agreed, in front of his wife and seven teachers and the Asst. P. Six weeks later, Annie is a steady "B" student. I had no more trouble with her, she had written good essays in English (my tutoring class). Is there a lesson to be here learned? Our young people have many more distractions (buy this! Listen to this!) then you or I ever had. Thru our examples and love and attention, they must learn how to "PAY ATTENTION" to that which is truly important. Limit Social Media time ? Certainly. Insist on picking up the books? Absolutely (book? Que Book?). But do not neglect the "MORE important stuff" Be ready and able to give good reasons for your desire and instruction, not just "because I say so!". Every Midschooler in my experience has heard that and it slides off their back like oil off a roustabout in Texas. Why is that website inappropriate? Can they really ignore the stupid stuff on Snapchat? Fiction or real life? They are looking to us parents and Scouters (!!) for that role model.... What's that C&W song about "I been watching you , dad...." ?

Once again we prove the adage that ""The work is done by whoever shows up"" You can elect, you can appoint, but the boys will see who does what. And they will ultimately decide what they will do. Either by jumping in or by dragging feet. If the ADULTS decide, the boys will never have to. If the BOYS decide, they will find out how it feels to succeed at something they decided on. No matter who decides, if no one shows up, nothing gets done.

Faster than Light speed is too slow.... Prepare for ... LUDICROUS SPEED

Everything noted above is correct to my knowledge , but please note that Council or the COrg or BSA cannot act unless someone makes the problem, legal issues known.

What was that Cub Scout motto again? Oh, yeah... "Do Your Best". Remind naranza65 son about this. Like Scouting, Midschool is a time for the kid to start living his own life, and allow his parents to start "letting go". Some things I had to learn when our kids got there (one Scout, three non-Scouts) . Coach, remind, allow failure on occasion. Congratulate and reward success, no matter how seemingly small, but don't "punish" non-success. And note: There is a difference between failure and non-success.... The first is sad, the second is what learning is about. You will never succeed if you never try, and you will never learn (and succeed) if you never ask/listen/practice/memorize/make that skill your own. It is said that if one is to become a wise old man, one must be a dumb teenager first. Scoutson didn't learn to read or do algebra by my reminding and hounding and beating him round the jowls. He learned by my sitting down with him and pointing my finger and listening to him and asking him and spending time with him AND by getting him a friend to do the same when I ran out of "smarts". Once when Scoutson and I were sitting doing History homework, he said , "dad, back in your day, you had it easier than I do in school now.. You had a lot less history to remember !" Consider the wisdom in THAT ! Another thing, which midschoolers have a hard time accepting, is not everyone is good at everything. I think it was Harry Truman who counseled that one should find out what your child likes and is good at and then encourage them to do that. See you on the trail...

Anyone old enough to remember canoeing in a aluminum Grumman boat under a gigawatt powerline and feeling the buzz in the boat that your ears were hearing ? Michael Faraday..... And we should remember the tragedy at the 2005 Jamboree. The question there was why set up a tall pole under a power line? Expectations....

"To be or not to be , an Eagle, that is the question. Whether tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of hiking, camping, cooking out doors, mosquitos, blisters, broken GPS units or to join a boy led Troop and by ignoring the adults have fun. To Scout, perchance be a Patrol Leader, ah, there's the rub.... for in that chance to plan and learn cooperation and citizenship must give us pause. For to bear the whips and scorn of those who would value the souvenir more than the journey, pity that man. Soft you now, the fair Ophelia doth now join my Troop...." ((Tongue hereby removed from cheek))

" ... soon i'll be a Jed eye...." Thanks be to Yankovick for making all clear >>

Yes, let's hear it for Three Jedi Knight.... """Celibate, Celibate, dance to the music......"

As a parent/sub teacher/Scout Leader/MBCounselor/First Day Teacher/Work Leader I have always known that if someone is given a standard to meet, they will either try to meet that standard or go to someone whose standard is lower, less stringent. Why does anyone complain that they did not "get" the award? Is it the "bling" or the skill and pride of ownership of that skill? Do we really want to fly to our vacation on a plane that is maintained by a mechanic that does "gudnuf" work? "Oh, just sign the card." How many Astronomy Belt loop Cubs have at least been brought outside on a clear night and urged to look up? We (we, the Scouters)need to set that standard and just watch the Scouts meet it. Every Scout whose Bugling Merit badge card that I sign has played the calls. They may not be Maynard Ferguson, but they have at least played the calls.

Well. Scouting will soon be all-inclusive, open to any adventure seeking youth, male or female, regardless of gender, faith, or skin tone. It s about time. But wait.... What to call our organization? To what will we belong? Any new name should recognize the all encompassing quality now inherent. Horrors, does that mean we must give up all the historic monograms? Re-sew our shirts? New buttons? BS of A? What to insert in the "B" slot??? Merely erase the "B" ? Oh, say not so..... Brave, Bountiful, Bi-Gender, Beautiful, Beleaguered, Bygolly, Benign, Binary, Bairn, Bambino, ,,, Scouts America... What ever happened to Vespucciland?

And look at all the James Bond flicks. Can anyone actually put them in (supposedly) chronological order? When the Bond actor gets too old, you hire a younger actor. Connery, Craig, Brosnan, who cares? Ian Fleming has no say in it any more, if he ever did... And I can't see ever having a Saturday Morning "Young Bond " series, can you? "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE !"

Cubber: KiS MiF... Lots to see and do. Pull up a virtual log and help your virtual self to some virtual crackers and cheese....

Fred: Sounds like "Patrol/Scout" method to me... SM and his ASMs sit back and tell tall tales....

Very perceptive. One's title can certainly affect one's behavior or other's acceptance. Before I retired from County Service, my title changed several times. It was recognized that my new "position" had to be defined not just by the Job Description, but by the title. Our labor union also recognized this. So I and my fellows , with our reorganization, became "Transit Coordinators" not "Street Supervisors" or "Transit Managers" or some other type of supervisory person. As it was explained to me, if we were "Supervisors" we could not be in the union. We therefore were like "strawbosses" or "crew leaders". We could tell folks what to do, but not necessarily why. We could direct, but not discipline (either reward or punishment). We could report good and bad behavior but not do very much about it. Very much a division of responsibility, I thought, and it had some advantages.... So the idea of a "Scout Leader" might imply a youngish fellow, or an older fellow (but young at heart?) . I have come to say that one must get older, but need not "grow up". That said, I would also like to point out the need to NOT call our young charges anything remotely affiliated with the rest of the world. We should ALWAYS address them as "Scout", or "Camper" or " Patrol Leader" , and avoid like the plague calling them "guys", "kids", . They can be guys at school, or someplace else. Reinforce the idea of being a SCOUT by addressing them as SCOUTS. See you on the trail....

Shall we also draw parallels to the end of the Roman Empire (corrupt leaders, pagans at the borders, perceived enemies vs real enemies, coliseums/entertainment rather than bread for the masses, dissatisfaction with real life vs fiction, religion vs politics ... ) Creation of "ideal world" (Star Wars, The Island, Childhood's End,,,) vs "less than ideal" (1984, Brave New World, Enders Game, The Giver)

The unfortunate discussion(!?) about holiday greetings .... I need all the help I can get and therefore welcome any and all wishes for my health , luck , smooth trails, blessings and forebearance from any and all sources, be they Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, humanitarian, pastafarian , Sikh, Bahai, Zoroastrian , Hindu, theist, polytheist, Buddhist, Taoist, pagan or agnostican. Happy Jesus' birthday to any and all who read this, be ye Scouty or no. Pass the pie, please...

Back home again.... Rrrround Table... Invented by the BS of A folks so local Scouters would have a place to meet and get to know each other and learn from each other (at least, that is my interpretation). Again, It is what you make it... If your DE or DC or DChair takes it over to make the RT a "Listen To Me" event, that's not totally his/her fault. It just means no one else cared to step up and use the opportunity to benefit all the rest of the Scouters. "The Usual Suspects" will show up, the trick is to get more folks to see the benefit of attending. This is done by not just following the BSA RT guidelines, but that is a good place to start. Cub Round Table attenders are mostly (natch) Scout beginners. The successful CSRT here abouts is run like a Pack Meeting. Ideas, crafts, skits, get the folks up and involved. Pass out beads for attendance, awards for participation. BSRT needs a different approach. These folks aren't usually total newbies, but would like a more adult "help me" approach. Frame it around a Troop meeting, but ASK the Scouters what they might like to see/hear/do... Give them topics/themes that will make it GOOD to come... Talk about Philmont, High adventure organizing by getting someone from Council . Fundraising : Let the Scouters tell each other how they do it. I invited a podiatrist to come and talk about foot care, blister prevention, boot choice. Turn the chairs around to face each other rather than all face "front", and have a real discussion. Breakout sessions? If you have that big a group and really have multiple topics, sure, but why water down the discussion? Face time is important. Give everyone a 3x5 card and ask them to write down a question or two they would like answered . Put them to the DE nd other Old Timers... CSRT and SRT and (if you have one) should all cooperate their efforts. At least one RT should be a "Program Launch", try to invite lots of activities and places and events to come to a "Midway" type of event. Our three local Districts cooperated to host over 50 "vendors" and it went very well. Museums, parks, BSA High Adventure, COPE Courses, the OA, council and government things. WATTA ROUNDTABLE !! And promotion: By email newsletter (somebody can be identified to be a techy editor) , Facebook.... to every adult Scouter in your District (DE should be able to provide the emails) and beyond (we include the Chief Scouter and Council Staff, and any other Scout friendly person you meet), promote at Camporees and CSDC. Oh, it can be done, but when you raise your hand and say "why can't this be better" don't be surprised when they elect you as a committee of one to help MAKE it better! Have fun!

"The Work Is Done By Whoever Shows Up".... District Committees: Time to plan and take on responsibility for and report on the progress of and success of all the various District events: Camporees, Merit Badge Daze, Training sessions, Friends (and enemies?) of Scouting, Scouting for Food, etc. Attendees should be CORs, and ANYONE ELSE who is Scouty dedicated. District Committee is the various Vice Chairs: Camping, training, etc.... Face to Face is important. Shake that hand. Make that acquaintance. Speak and hear, not merely email list... Wouldn't you rather have THIS conversation in person? Cuppa in hand? Pass the pie.... Round Tables.... TBC....

Wow, must be an important topic... fourteen pages.....

Like Bob the Tomato said, "It's for the kids".