sst3rd

asm206, I respect your thought, but these responsibilities are covered elsewhere already. 1) This should already be happening within the Troop program using requirements needed for Star, Life, and Eagle ranks. Troops also should have traditional service projects already going (we do anyway). So, instead of asking that they "do more", Troops that have no traditional service projects need to "start". Again, that's a Troop's responsibility, and the last thing a troop needs is another official "advising" that they "do more". 2) Troops can mingle with non scout groups if an op

BSACHAPLAIN, Congratulations on a great opportunity. Incorporate as much tradition in this unique course as possible. The participants will be the better for it short term and long term. Woodbadge Staffers have long had a poor reputation in our Council for their big headedness, big ego, and big bad attitude. Since Woodbadge is the only place they can display these lousy attributes, they pretty much get ignored everywhere else. Remember, and I know you know this, it's for better quality adult leaders for the Scouts. FOR THE SCOUTS!!! That should be a Woodbadge Staffer's pri

Firecrafter, You said, "The Advancement Chair in our group has records that say MBs were completed at summer camp (computer print out), so it's not a question IF scouts completed the MB." Now you're saying, "Our AC does keep a record for each scout, but in this case the MB cards were lost before they could be recorded by the AC." From the very beginning, our Troop adult leadership always took summer camp paperwork to look over and review with the Scouts. And this paperwork stays with the adult leadership and is recorded and put in each Scouts file back home. I'm old

As a Scoutmaster, I don't usually care for computer programs, but if the Advancement Chairman has already recorded these merit badges, he is verifying and legitimizing what happened at summer camp. That information can be used to record on the Advancement Report. This Advancement Report is as good as any missing documentation if ever needed. So, this problem is a "non-issue." Our summer camp gives a package of completed and not quite completed merit badge documentation to the Troops, at the Friday night campfire. This stuff never should really get in the hands of the Scouts. Our Troop ke

scout-parent, You'll get a lot of advise on this one. Having only your point of view of the situation, limits the scope of my thoughts. From what you've stated, 1) How long has the SM been dissatisfied with these leader's leadership. He should have had a series of SM Conferences as soon as he saw any problems. 2) You mentioned training. Did these PL's get any? SM's are responsible for leadership training whether it happens on the Troop, District, or Council levels. 3) A Troop constitution is not necessary. Lot's of Troop's have By-Laws, they too are unnecessary. But I can't fau

dlw, Please go ahead and quit. A phone call to someone(whoever that might be) will work and be appropriate. That gets you off the hook. And sure, if you don't want, or can't make a phone call, just don't show up anymore. That gets the message across loud and clear!!!! sst3rd

scoutldr, No offense taken. This is strictly a shot in the dark. We've done this in the past to try to reconnect with Webolos who've never tried the Troop. We've had some success. No, our Scouts don't know these young men. We've asked. Mike F. and scoutldr, Peer to peer is the best way to go (and we continue to have success with that method, but we're trying to bring Scouting to those that have no peers in Scouting. You've got to break through somehow. And since they at least tried the Cub Scouts...... More thoughts are still welcome. Thanks, sst3rd

Our associated Pack, and several others in the immediate community, have Scouts that have become inactive in the last 6 months or so, and have turned 11 years of age. I'm gathering this info, and wish to send a "short" and "to the point" recruitment letter to see if we can get them back involved in Scouting on the Troop level (this is a PLC idea). My question is, do we address the letter to the potential Scout, or to the parent(s)? If it should go to the parent(s), then we can be a bit more detailed about the Scout Troop and its activities. If we should address the letter to the potentia

hunting wolf, Our Lodge Election Committee is not involved with Ordeal Elections. Ordeal elections are done on the Chapter level coordinated by the Chapter Advisor. Ordeal information is then sent to our Lodge Registrar who deals with all of the paperwork. Our Lodge (coordinating with all of our Chapters) sets no artificial election time period. We have Ordeals in September, March, and May/June, with a Fellowship in October. Elections are encouraged, promoted, and supported all year long, by our Chapter Election Committees throughout our Lodge. That's how our Lodge is exe

I don't know where you folks are getting your info, and don't ask me to produce documentation, but elections are done by the "Chapter" Election Committee, and can be and should be done at any time of the calendar year. Our Lodge has Ordeals in September, March, and May/June (depending on local school calendar). One election per Troop per calendar year, are allowed. I have never heard of a Lodge Election Committee. It all happens on the Chapter level. Call your Chapter Advisor, and/or call your Chapter Election Committee Advisor, or somehow get in touch with the youth OA Chapter Election

I was giving an example of an extreme situation that recently occurred. I didn't ask for advice or direction. There is much more to the situation than was listed. No, I will not be apoligizing to anyone. Our adult leaders all work very hard for our unit, and things are great. This Dad has been smothering his son since he brought him from Webolos. Dad interferes in the Patrol and Troop functions, and won't let his son be a Scout. We've all tried to get Dad away from his son. His PL has asked several times for the Dad to leave the Patrol meetings and campsites. And, his son has not complet

Bob, No, I don't think you're meaning to be unkind or discourteous. See, you thought I was going to try and defend myself. sst3rd

I had a "sail." He was a Webolos leader with his son's Pack, and in touring around to area Troops, brought himself and his son to our Troop about a year and a half a go(I'm the current SM). We talked as to what he was interested in supporting, and he wanted to be an ASM to work with the New Scout Patrol (with his son). This was fine by me, and he said that he had taken Scoutmaster training in his last year as a Webolos leader anticipating moving to a Troop. Things worked fine until last week at the meeting. His son is working towards his Star, and all of a sudden Dad is pushing his son t

I can only tell you what we've done with our ribbons. Our Troop is only 40 years old, but like you said, you can't have all of those old ribbons on the flag, so there for a while, we just stuffed them in a desk drawer. About ten years ago, I got them all out. Our Troop does have a small building to meet in, so I divided these ribbons by the year, grouped them, and hung them along the wall next to the ceiling in sequential order. Now, everyone can follow our activities through the years from the beginning. sst3rd

Bring all of this down to the unit level. You know, the real world. Adding to the program without taking anything away. So, where are these additional dedicated volunteers (and other resources) coming from? You still don't get it. But that's okay. Keep dreaming. Really done this time. sst3rd

So you guys want Scouting to be relevant and marketable by being all things to all people. This is such a joke. Gee, since I can't use philosophical blather," I almost don't have much to say, except, who says we have to "reach as many boys as possible." Please list BSA documentation. If you haven't figured out the obvious yet, the Scout age population is growing, but the diversity of that growth also is growing, and the cultures of this diversity has never been exposed to a youth led program like the BSA. It takes much more effort to break through culture barriers, to make Scouting a pl

Dan, "Marketable" and "relevant," aren't related. "Advances the ball." Huh? "Influential voice in modern society? For over 95 years. The closer a unit (Pack, Troop, and Crew) comes to running all of the available BSA programs, the more "Scouting is a real and attractive choice." Current BSA programs are excellent, but you've got to have the resources to run as many of them as possible. The bottom line is clear in this 21st century, there are many more "choices" out there then ever before. Scouting can't satisfy all of them. I don't ever expect it to. sst3r

Nutiket, I don't doubt your Scouting Spirit. I actually am one of those old Scouters. Here's my problem, and I could use your specific assistance. I'm the SM, and our Troop has an OA Election every August, with a Call-Out Ceremony at our August trip. Very traditional all around, and our Scouts look forward to it right after a great summer camp. Those Scouts now elligible, are all 12 years old. They've been in the Troop about a year and a half, and have two summer camps under their belts. I've never approved OA Election candidates this young before, and our Lodge is pressuring the Coun

Our District was recently split into two new Districts, we volunteers assume, because of our growth in units and members. Our OA Chapter Advisor has not been informed of any changes in our membership. However, our Council has announced the new location of the additional Roundtable and Chapter meeting, as they will start to meet at the scheduled Roundtable in August. Having worked with our Chapter closely, the current Chapter Advisor has been advised of nothing. We have heard that "somebody" has appointed a new Advisor for the new Chapter. We've heard nothing from the Lodge Advisor. The c

Can you smell a "set up"??????? You go Bob !!!!!!!!!!

9muckraker7, I know that somehow the BSA expects the youth leaders to plan all Troop events, but one major item I take care of every year, is scheduling our camping trips. Our Council calendars come out in June, and our Troop has its annual planning meeting in August (this used to be the BSA recommended month, still works for us). As Scoutmaster, I pull together our school calendars, church sponsor calendar, National, Council, District, and Order of the Arrow calendars. Add to all of this the regularly scheduled holidays, and there's usually very few weekends left to schedule camping tr

This can be corrected by the Scoutmaster approving OA candidates for the Troop election, at a higher level. Our Lodge has put pressure on Scoutmasters to raise this level, and if needed, to ask non-active OA members at all levels, to remove their lodge flap and pack away their sash. sst3rd

Wake up has always been 7:00 AM. Friday nights are usually tough to get the younger Scouts to go to sleep. They're wired from the school day. The older Scouts are usually the first to ask to go to sleep right after the camp is set up, and inspections have been made by the SPL. Saturday nights take care of itself. After the campfire and program, we play a fun physical game (Capture the Flag or other similar games). Everyone comes back to the campfire, warms up, and off to the tents. Once in a while we get Scouts that just can't settle down in their tents. I inform them that as long as I re

It's just so much fun to see the same old routine where someone is so upset with a BSA policy and how in the world could anybody be threaten by my being involved with a unit. Same old, same old. Once again, nothing you can say will be listened to, and no minds (all sides) are changed. This was a "one" pager last night, but a "five" pager tonight. Folks, this was a set up from the beginning. I responded clearly, but knew nothing I said would be accepted by mhager. That was an impossibility. Everyone once again "bit" on this one. So funny. sst3rd P. S. It was/is an interesting (ent

mhager, Yeah, it's a good idea. But it's more than just an idea. It's an ideal. As a youth member, we may not have our code (call it what you want) resolved, so in the hindsight of adulthood, we now feel the need to second guess. Yeah, it's a good idea. sst3rd