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sst3rd

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Everything posted by sst3rd

  1. It's been a while, but it happened again last night at our meeting. We've already implemented a commonsense plan, but please give me your thoughts. Our Scouts were playing basketball outside (not in uniform). The time came to start the formal meeting and change into uniforms. The Scouts tend to place their "play" clothes on a shelf in their Patrol areas until the end of the meeting. During the meeting, a wallet was taken from a pair of pants. Not much money, but the Scout's new driving permit was in there. The Scout didn't notice until he got home. He called me (SM) to please check the Scout b
  2. As I stated earlier in this discussion, the Scouting program is being brought down to the lowest common denominator. Hazing and abuse are "victim defined." If the Scout is in any way put in a possible position where he may possibly be abused or hazed by "HIS" understanding, this situation is not allowed to happen. The adult leaders are charged with seeing that these possibilities DON'T happen. Of course, this is an impossibility, but we adult leaders must try. Traditions must be removed and replaced by the safest possible environment that can be created. With a lot of work, the basic character
  3. Once again, having to defer to the lowest common denominator. If the Scout feels victimized in ANYWAY, this is abuse (mental, physical, hazing, or whatever you want to call it). This is against BSA Policy. At summer camp in the mess hall, if you accidently go "in" the OUT door, or come "out" the IN door (this is done to avoid accidents serving food from the kitchen), you had to properly navigate the doors three times, while the Scouts and Scouters in the mess hall counted for you, "ONE, TWO, THREE!!!!" It took about 10 seconds, and then you went and had a seat, no BIG deal. Unfortunatel
  4. The Pack or Troop Committee meets WITH the COR (Chartered Organization Representative). If the decision is made by said Committee AND the COR understands and agrees with this decision, the COR, ONLY, has the authority to release an adult leader volunteer.
  5. Our Troop uses an erasable calendar (we also start after summer camp, usually in August). By the time I put up school, church, District, Council, National, OA, and holiday dates, there's really very few to choose from. As the SM, I do set up this calendar. It gets the process started, and the PLC comes up with locations and associated themes for the camp outs. The PLC runs them past the Committee who will usually support the PLC's plan, but may offer input based on something we may all have forgotten. It's a team effort, and I try to keep it as simple as possible. This works for us.
  6. Le Voyageur, Will do. Those are new places to me. I'll look 'em up. Are you on Staff at Blue Ridge this summer? I'll touch base with you then. Thanks, sst3rd
  7. So Dan, You're getting ready to discuss this with the Scoutmaster????!!!! Are you ready to become the new Scoutmaster????!!! Seriously, allow the Scoutmaster the opportunity to review with you how the Troop's program planning is currently done. In our Troop, the monthly program theme provided by the BSA is offered, but usually is not used. I've collected years of these "Program Helps," and I've seen where they tend to be rotated every couple of years by the BSA. However, because I have so many of these themes collected, there's usually a general theme that we use about eve
  8. A problem I've run into with our Pack, are adult leaders who are not trained on how to use a Den Chief. I might send the Den Chief to District leadership training, but if the Pack adult leaders don't know what to do with him, they tend to dump everything on him. Obviously, the Den Chief doesn't last very long.
  9. This sounds like a topic covered before, but it's an important one. Having taken Basic many years ago, I remember being told to encourage the parent(s) NOT to use Scouting as a "grounding" tool (and that there were plenty of other tools to use). For all the reasons mentioned, this can be good or bad. However, as a Scoutmaster, I have a problem when the Scout is grounded, and he is a leader in the Troop. I do remind the parent(s) that when the Scout is grounded and can't attend Scouting functions, he is an ineffective leader. Based on that Scout's position and the duration of the grounding, the
  10. Le Voyegeur, You bring up great points in floating the James. Our Troop was camping down from Hopewell at Sherwood Forest (home of John Tyler), and I realized that our Scouts were not used to canoeing on a "moving" river. They weren't used to the tide coming and going, nor have they seen ships so close up. I gave them some pointers, as they were only going to fish near the shore. I always bring up the story of temporarily losing two older Scouts, several years ago, at this very spot. They were inexperienced canoeist on the river, and were quickly swept up river towards Hopewell. I had
  11. I hope I don't get too far off this thread, but here goes. Our Council has a fairly large camp. The facilities were adequate, but not much more so. Our Troop has done lots of service out at this camp (outside of the three OA work weekend Ordeals). The one building that had heat and electricity, was the administration building. Every January (after the holidays), our Troop had a Merit Badge Weekend. There are bunk beds in several rooms perfect for the Scouts and Scouters (separately of course). Our concentration was on the merit badge programs, and we didn't have to worry about cooking, tents,
  12. Our Roundtables are executed by our District Roundtable Staff. Most of these folks are unit leaders of some sort. Staff members come and go, but the quality of the Roundtable program has been high for some time. They follow the monthly themes as outlined in the Program Helps documentation, which is supposed to be supported by articles in the Scouting and Boy's Life magazines (of course a month in advance). We unit leaders attend a formal opening, then an announcement session. This is followed by a breakout session pertaining to the monthly theme. We are encouraged to bring Troop youth Staff, b
  13. I assume that the SM and CC are taking training as a refresher instead of this being their first training in 40 years. It's a good thing. For them to continue to run the Troop the way that it's always been run, is in direct conflict with the program. Again, Bob's words are right on. I'm probably one of those old stubborn Scoutmasters, but I've moved on with the program as it has changed. I haven't agreed with all of the changes, but I take care of my primary responsibilities of training the youth leadership to execute the program as presented by the BSA. It is a flexible program in that it has
  14. Unless they are part of a Troop or Patrol program, District event, or camp out program, new Scouts should not be counseled toward merit badges until they attain the rank of First Class. That's where their priorities need to be. I believe that Bob White will bring up the "First Class in the First Year" program (or whatever it's called). This is a proven goal. It still works for us.
  15. High adventure is the usual answer to older Scouts that are bored with their Troop's standard trips. If these older Scouts are 16 or 17 years of age, an interview with the Scoutmaster can get them a position as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. These duties are anything an adult Assistant Scoutmaster does, and that can include just about anything based on the needs of that specific Troop's program, and what this Scout would like to do. That's just one possibility for a Scout who doesn't want to leave the program but doesn't care to do high adventure. There's much more..... Anderson
  16. Le Voyageur, Will do. I hope to get back into leading the high adventure group of our Troop next year (no one else wants to do it). I tend to do that on alternating years. I want to know more about your canoeing program. I'm training my base camp replacement this year. Looking forward to the trip as always,, sst3rd
  17. Youngblood, I guess you had to get that "gay hater" thing in there somehow. It's a non-issue with our Troop. It's not part of the program. We don't train our youth leaders in it, and our Scouts have never been accused of it. We would have heard. As a Scout leader in a community with lots of youth, I would like to see a variety of national ads for Scouting. No one expects it to counter the mass media or a poor Scout program. Our Troop has a great program, but it's hard to get the message out. We do lots of community service so they know we're here. Our leaders are trained. We hav
  18. Le Voyageur, Our Troop has been attending Blue Ridge camps for years. We're from a nearby council whose camp is growing and growing, but has just never impressed me. Since the Blue Ridge camps have had such excellent programs for years, our Scouts expect to go. We've also been to Camp Shenandoah and Camp Daniel Boone. Good programs, but we wind up coming back to Camp Powhatan or Camp Ottari. We've participated in most of the offered programs, and they've all been outstanding.
  19. As I've stated before in another thread, I'm jealous at all of the conversations concerning drop out rates from graduating Webolos. Our Troop has an outstanding program. Has for years. Unfortunately, our associated Pack has had an inconsistent program (and I'm being nice) and lack of trained leadership, except for the lady running the show. All appropriate procedures are being worked, but the Troop won't receive any benifit for a couple of years if then. We do lots of recruitment around the community. A national kick-butt ongoing promotional campaign would support our efforts. As stated by oth
  20. To All, Fantastic conversations. I live on the east coast, but I'm a major Packers fan (I really don't know how that happened). Mr. White; as my comments about written policies not being forwarded to units concerning gay Scout leaders, I realize that it is policy. But the action happens at the unit level, and without documentation, it's just another "unwritten" policy. As far as "unit options," no, it will never happen on an official basis (much less receiving anything in writing), however, it has been in existence for at least the 35 years that I've been involved. You can say it's no
  21. All very interesting comments, but as in all other threads of the same nature, it's all repeats. No opinions have been changed. Again mentioned, is unit option. Unit option already exists, and has been utilized for many years. As a long time Scoutmaster, I, the CC, nor the COR, have of yet to receive in writing, any policy (new, amended, or otherwise) concerning gay leadership being rejected. I continue to review the adult application, and I still don't see any mention of rejecting gay leadership (or to be on the look out for it). A "policy" has never been discussed at the many levels of train
  22. I certainly respect those countries that have taken their Scouting programs co-ed. The United States, in my opinion, is unique in so many ways. It is so diversified across the board. As has been stated on many other threads, a lot of the volunteers that support the Troops, no longer have sons in Scouting. This is a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge that I think would leave Scouting if it went co-ed. I can't break it all down and give you specific reasons. I just think that the positive and traditional "character" of the program would change to a degree that the male Scouts would lo
  23. "Cool" for and 11 or 12 year old, is completely different then for a 13 or 14 year old, or a 15, 16, 17 year old. I think LongHaul's two definitions of "cool" cover's most of it. Being accepted by your peers is very important for this age range. Fun activities can be anything from a "fishing" theme camp out, to any number of high adventure activities. Scouting provides the opportunity for the Scouts to choose and plan these activities (with guidance from adult leaders who are trained in the parameters of BSA acceptability). These activities are usually not available to the Scout, without Scout
  24. I guess it was bound to happen. After twenty odd years, our Troop's six Patrol mess kits have lost their tops. That's right. The larger of the two frying pans in the kit, that caps off the top of the mess kit and makes it complete. Our Troop recently cleaned up our gear storeroom in hopes of finding these missing pans, but of no use. The only way I can describe these kits, is that they are 8 - Scout heavy aluminum standard kits we use for our Troop's base camping. Does anybody no of a supplier that might have these parts? Any help or ideas would be most appreciative. Even without these
  25. Categories and labels. It's never that simple. If any of this STUFF makes it to the Packs and Troops, programs will be folding in mass. I haven't had to defend this policy (I still haven't seen this in writing) of excluding gays. It never comes up. The Mormons taking over the BSA ? Money, power, dictatorship ?????!!!!! This hasn't affected the ground level programs of the Packs and Troops (at least in this area). And if it ever did, again, programs will fold. There is a lot of flexibility in the Scouting program, that allows different paths to the same goal. There has been unit choice in adul
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