SSScout

Home Troop had 28 Scouts last year, 22 right now. New SM less than 6 months, 3 official ASMs. Will soon have one more, the Last Eagle Scout , he will be 19 in 3 months and is gung ho to keep involved, local Junior College and all. He even asked me about Wood Badge last Com Meeting! It is, I see , a combination of who asks to be, and who acquiesces when asked. Lord knows, I have gently prodded a couple of good candidates, but they just keep on driving and attending camp trips in "civies".

Just a thought: Cub Scouts are "Parent Led"... Boy Scouts are "Boy Led"... Venture/Explorers are "Boy/Girl Run".... It is "Boy Scouts of America", not "Parent Scouts of America".

Usual thing with home Troop is cookies and punch/soda. Scouts plan and see to it, so it is the easy way out. Communication Merit Badge and all that. I have suggested that some of the Cooking MB candidates get together and organize a cook out . CO has a big enough parking lot, it could be done. Depends on the grandeur desired of the CoH , I guess.

""FWIW, I wouldn't split 12 scouts into 2 patrols unless you're getting at least 10 boys on every camp out."" Irrelevant. A Patrol is a Patrol. If some of the boys don't come, the rest ARE the Patrol. Six cooking in a Patrol, if it is THEIR Patrol, and not the ASM's Patrol, is good. Three cooking in a Patrol can easily demonstrate nutrition, cuisine and hygiene in the wilds . Only if you have a drop down to only one Scout, and there is no reason he can't cook for himself as the XYZ Patrol of one, should you meld them back into one Troop/Patrol. I heard someone comment at a recent IOLS " Remember it is Boy Scouts of America, not Parents of Scouts of America". Roger's Rangers were adults. ASM's Patrol won't be, but could be Scouts. The Ugly Sneaker Patrol might be Scouts, if they are "allowed". .

""Recommend Baltimore Inner Harbor: USS Constellation, USCGC Taney... Crabs for lunch.... and the B&O Museum , 10 blocks away on Pratt St. "" OH!! And I forgot to mention Fort McHenry!

The new syllabus was cut back from the old one because folks were complaining about the length of time. A lot of the old syllabus was included because nascent SMs need to know stuff. My favorite thing to include? Let the Scouts (encourage the Scouts!) plan and execute the Troop meeting, but ALWAYS the SM should do his SM minute at the end to wrap things up. I see many Troops that merely march the flags back down the hall, and that's it. Good bye. Close the meeting with something meaningful. A friendship circle. A SM minute. A short "God Speed"., Make the ending an Ending.

The only way to the Summit is by motorcoach. Check the arrangements, where you fly into, where the coach picks up, where it takes you, etc. We are far enough out that adjustments should be do-able. AMTRAK will take you to far away terminals, altho the closest official AMTRAK terminal is less than 30 miles away, but it is not accessible by Big Bus.... I knew one Michigan contingent that purposely planned the bus trip from the upper penn by coach so the boys slept on the bus, and the tours were done when they alighted. The coach company liked Scouts(!) and so arranged for the relief drivers to ride along and thus did not require the busses to stop for the DOT required rest periods. The driver rest periods were scheduled in while the Scouts were touring places for 8 or ten hours , daytime. The Jamboree itself is worth the money, I feel, but the big expense is always the getting there and the side tours , if done. But then, how often will a Scout get to some of the places otherwise? Recommend Baltimore Inner Harbor: USS Constellation, USCGC Taney... Crabs for lunch.... and the B&O Museum , 10 blocks away on Pratt St. Contingent Troops should ALWAYS work on specific fund raising early, do not depend on the Bank of M&D .....

Things I have seen done: * Local TV Weather person hosts Scouts working on Weather/ Meteorology MB. * Lots of local papers/TV stations will do a report on your Cub Scout Day Camp. * Item in local press about Philmont/Jamboree/Northern Tier/Troop expedition on the AT . Depends on the paucity of other local news, and your ability and perseverance to get the interest across. If it isn't interesting to you, it probably won't be interesting to them. . * service project to local homeless shelter/soup kitchen. * Replanting of trees, shrubs in damaged park area.

Howdy, Texas. Up here in Maryland, we are under 3 feet of snow.... When you said Grin and Bear it... I must not be up on the new Cub stuff, because I immediately thought of the old comic strip by George Lichty: "Grin and Bear it" (Google is your friend) http://animationresources.org/comics-george-lichty-grin-and-bear-it-orgy-2/ Life in the slow lane, print comics..... Have fun with your Cubs! Remember the Cub Mantra: KiS MiF!

It is all local. DO NOT depend on the Council or National for PR. If you have the ear of the Council's Media Director (I bet there is one named on the payroll), by all means prod him/her. But it is YOUR units that provide the fun and adventure, YOU need to get that word out.

Wallll, yer pays yer money and yer takes yer cherce. Who are we/they (is it really we?) trying to sell? The Boy? His parents? Adventure, self reliance, skill, getting dirty with your buds, rock climbing, canoeing, Philmont, ,,,, Resume item, Baby Sitters of America, "maybe they can knock some sense into him", good citizenship, responsibility, service to others (whozzat?), patriotism (define that!), religiousity, ,,,,, What kind of an ad would we want? Several types? I still think the local touch s more important. Do us local vols think Scouting is important to develop ... what kind of kid to be what kind of adult?

PSAs, commercials, billboards, school promotions, like politics and real estate, "it's all local" Don't depend on Irving to promote YOUR Scouting. Ya gotta DIY.... Some ideas: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qjcg41nlu35z48d/ScoutsPromotionstuff.docx?dl=0

Ditto all that has been said before. The money raised by the Scout for the Unit belongs to the Unit, and by association and law, to the CO. It is not the Scout's, never was. If the Unit wishes to award the Scout some Campership money to help pay for the Scout's activities, they can do that, but the Scout has no say over it. It ain't his. He has no right to it. The IRS has even ruled that such "Scout Account" money might be said to be a "commission" paid for the Scout's unit fundraising efforts, and therefore a taxable income to the Scout. Google is your friend: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/financeimpact/pdf/INDIVIDUAL_SCOUT_ACCOUNTS_AND_FUNDRAISING_BY_BSA_UNITS_20140226.pdf By the time I was a Tenderfoot, I had my own bank account and savings book. I liked the idea of seeing the amount grow as I worked for my dad and his friends. It is always encouraged that the Scout "earn his own way". See you on the trail! and thank you for your concern for your boy.

Good to see you back, Tahawk. That is the Troop of my youth. That is the big successful Troops that sponsor the Camporees in our area. You do not create Patrol Spirit by regrouping the Patrols every six months. The older boys in my Troop were the PLs, the APLs, the SPLs, the QMs, the Instructors and the OA folks. The younger boys aspired to be an Older Scout, I see that now, as I sure did. It took awhile for me to realize, for instance, that I had become my father, when I grew up and moved away and married. Same with the Troop. If the Adults don't allow (allow!!) te Scouts to "grow up" in the Troop, they will move out sooner rather than later. If the goal of the Troop is to "make first class in one year", then perhaps a NSP is the way to go. If the goal of the Troop is to "Be A Scout", then that must presuppose the program (activities, planned by the boys, encouraged by the SMs) allows the boy to EARN his ranks as he will, as he wants to. NOT as somebody else requires.

My name was (is) on the inside back of my sash in ink. So is Scoutson's.

So, you don't let the camp stand idle just because of "Scout Pride". Why not rent to Church groups? If you have a nice retreat type place, do it! Outdoor Education is the latest fad in public schools here abouts. Council works with county schools to utilize the space. I know a Girl Scout camp that does selective logging! Lots of possibilities, just don't let 'em make a golf course out of them.

#1: Your Committee need not be limited to ONLY Scout family. Ask your CO for help here. Grandparents of ex-Scouts, (parents! of ex-Scouts!), any good responsible adult can be tapped for Committee or ASM support. Ask your local Service Clubs: Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc. #2: Recruitment is important. Basically, if the boy doesn't know you are there, he can't join. Ask your CO about (if appropriate) a sign utside your meeting place. Contact the Guidance Counselor at the local Middle schools and make sure they know you are there. PTAs. If you are doing a service project (Eagle or other) make sure you have some publicity : contact local TV, Papers, put up a sign! Philmont/Summit trip? Get a notice in the paper! Your Scouts can earn the Recruiter strip for inviting their buds to join. 'Course now, all these ideas are for your COMMITTEE to pursue... Encourage your boys to wear the uni to school, all on the same day for support, and don't you be afraid to wear even a Scout hat or belt with your civies. Start the conversation. #3 Occupational hazard. Eagles get older. If the older Scouts like the idea of forming a Venture Patrol to go do "big boy " things, and be the Mentors to the younger Scouts, that can be a draw for them to hang around. (!!) Get some "Instructor " shoulder patches and promote the older Scouts to those PORs! Good Scouting to you!

""So a council with no camp, no hq/service center, and no scout shop"" Any pensions?

Q: "plus one" what?

Gumby master, I agree with your observation. I know (knew) of a retired contractor, who took on the role of DE, almost purely because he needed something to keep busy and he loved Scouting. Certainly didn't need the money. Two kids in/thru Scouting. Years later, he became a "District Director", and was well respected among us vols, but came on hard times with BSA (don't know the whole story) and was forced to resign. His kids are still in Scouts and progress.

Omnia BSA est in et membra habet multa nimis parties divisibus . emptor. BSA non carborundum .

Is Campmor still in business?

Go on line and print out the insert of the new requirements to use with the old handbook. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/programupdates.aspx in general, Cub Scouts is more particular. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/boyscouts/pdf/524-012_BS_Requirements_Insert.pdf Boy Scouts more specific for each rank. Hoo boy, some veeeery interesting new stuff. Not unreasonable (still no Morse code in FC), but interesting. Lawyers been at work? Venturing is there too.

Awards.... I am on the national committee for my faith, the Friends Committee on Scouting. Among other things, we plan, design and administer the religious awards for our faith. Two, three years ago, it was announced thru PRAY that our store of awards , by federal statute (!), had to be either tested for lead content (each one, individually!) or replaced in toto with new awards that could be certified by the manufacturer as being lead free. Why? Because they were deemed as "jewelry for children". Children might chew on them, or otherwise be in danger of somehow ingesting any lead (or other toxic substance) inherent in them. This did not apply to the adult awards, adults don't chew on their "jewelry", only to the youth awards. I hope, (any way to check this?) that the official Scout/Venture metallic awards are equally 'safe' for our youth to wear, even if judged "tacky" in construction.