TAHAWK

Iron Chef WIlderness Survival - every Scout can bring a standardized container of whatever - that's it for the weekend. Lost Boy(s) (We got actually "victims" from high school theater program to volunteer, assisted by our council's genius on first aid makeup.) Some items of "treasure" for surprises if they could solve puzzle to locate them. Conservation - backpacked in 500 fir and spruce seedlings and planted them. Came back in four years and were happy to see how they had grown. Also carried out lots of beverage containers.

I would argue that mixed-age patrols are allowed, if not suggested. As I noted, the examples of "Types of Patrols" given provides no place for Scouts who are beyond first year and not First Class. Must be somewhere for them. The examples, therefore, are only examples. I support mixed-age patrols in my unit and in training if they are, to the greatest extent possible, small groups of friends. In practice within my experience since the NSP idea came in, newly crossed-over Scouts tend to want to stay with the boys with whom they cross-over. After they have been in for awhile, some deci

Stosh, you are far from a newbie. I hope you were just missing the "irony" emoticon . If there were a question, a well-run program is not the method or the objective. Boys leading the program is the method and learning democracy and leadership the objective. People in love with a "well-tuned machine" will either get frustrated of take over - mostly the latter recently. Not sure what BSA is focused on preserving. The Patrol Method is, supposedly, the most important characteristic of the program - the "School of democracy" to prepare youth to be good citizens and leaders. Yet we have t

"Everything is optional" is the "cover" for adult-run, troop-method Scouting. Good words by B.S.A. are in current literature. What is lacking is any behavior to pressure -- or even strongly encourage -- adults to follow the.words. Adults who refuse to allow, and advocate against, any aspect of the Patrol Method are not just tolerated; they are rewarded. This is not the acknowledged policy and some at National are against this behavior, but it is what it is. If you have a one-patrol troop, there is no need for an SPL as you have no occasion for a PLC and no need for any program oth

Somehow when I wasn't looking, "Nice try!" became "Good Job!" I have had two participants (learners) in SM training argue that everyone should be allowed to join OA I have had one participant argue that everyone should get Eagle. I have had several participants argue that the position of Patrol Leader should rotate, at least every month but, better, every week. In each case, the argument was made that being "fair" required the result urged. This was a natural segway for the old observation that "Life is not fair." Since we are supposedly preparing youth for life . . .

Two things. 1. My former troop voted to do Summer Camp on its own every other year for two main reasons. One of them was that they felt the MBC's at Council Camps were, by and large,a poor second to the adults who were MBC's at our troop summer camp. (E.g. Army Ranger SERE instructor [That is, someone who regularly instructs 20-somethings in survival] vs. teenager for Wilderness Survival. [besides, few would guess his correct age given the shape he's in.] Simply no contest.) 2. Your argument is based on a false dichotomy: a) young, knowledgeable, competent , enthusiastic teenage

Eagledad, I am not sure who, among recent posters, thinks the SPL position is wrong somehow. Since 1930, one of the essential elements of the BSA Patrol Method as explained, clearly by Bill and not so well since, is a Senior Patrol Leader, elected by the Scouts, who acts as chairman of the PLC and leads the troop portion of the program. As I have had occasion to point out, Bill Hillcourt, as much as anyone author of the BSA Patrol Method, specifically and expressly wrote about the patrol as part of the troop program and the duty of loyalty to the troop. (Teams find it convenient to hav

Fiend, language is significant: "Jesus." Let me guess; we are both Christians, yes? As confusing and downright unhelpful as BSA's statements on the subject are, no God is required since Buddhists are acceptable. Buddhism is a religion. It's adherents are, therefore, religious -- religious atheists officially held by B.S.A. to satisfy all requirements of Scouting. That leaves a lot of room when applying, as you appropriately mention, the notions of helpfulness, friendliness, and kindness, not to mention fairness. I can say, and mean, may God guide you in your deliberations.

Scouting is "A game for boys under the leadership of boys with the wise guidance and counsel of a grown-up ...."

Kathy, questions are a great tool to open minds to new possibilities. We are there to be resources for new possibilities that they can pick from. Well, some minds. 0___0 So a question: If the Patrol Method were important, what might B.S.A. do to encourage use of the Patrol Method ?

Sorry that I was not clear. I was trying to say that, as the patrol is the important unit in Scouting, patrol activities should have priority,especially if previously scheduled., On its website, contradicting other current statements, BSA says troop activities always take precedence. This is probably not a policy decision but merely another example of the practice of inconsistency and/or poor communication.

I have managed to convince a three SMs who wanted to change from adult-led to Patrol Method to "start over." The Scouts formed themselves into new patrols. The patrols elected their PLs after a brief speech about the PL's job. The PLs attended a training weekend (Outside resources used included two SPLs from other troops who had staffed NYLT.). A training day was held for Committee members and other interested parents A training session of one hour was held for all Scouts about the Patrol Method. (The PL represents you at the PLC; you plan your patrol program with the

At the most basic level, a youth with tremendous excitement about a topic could very well be an excellent teacher. What he or she cannot be is a Merit Badge Counselor any more than he or she can be a Scoutmaster. If BSA has insufficient interest in enforcing the rules, it should change them or eliminate them. Announcing clear rules and them knowingly allowing them to be systematically ignored by paid Scouters produces disrespect for rules and cynicism about rules - contrary to the mission of Scouting

On appeal, the result you state would be reversed as contrary to BSA policy. See Buddhists, above. With very few exceptions, those calling themselves Buddhist do not believe in a creator deity - or any deity whatsoever. We are apparently to apply all parts of BSA's (often wildly) inconsistent statements to the extent that they pass the Scout. Scouters do not get to define either "God" or "religion" or "relevant" to suite their personal beliefs even as BSA gives inconsistent definitions so as to avoid conflict.

It is not clear what BSA expects. When logical consistency produces uncomfortable answers, it is often avoided. BSA, like Scouting, accepts Buddhists as Scouts who do their "Duty to God" and are "Relevant" although they have no belief in a deity. Therefore, BSA literally does not require belief in God or a god. BSA is not in a position to admit these realities. BSA has enough troubles as it is, so the issue is tiptoed around. EBOR instructions expressly prohibit asking the candidate if he believes in God. It sounds like that rules was not violated; that the candidate was asked a

My point, right or wrong, is that the article supports - by rationalization - adult leadership instead of the required boy leadership unless the boys produce a "well tuned" troop and there is the proper "maturity and cultural personality" (whatever the last is). I see no such requirements in official BSA literature over the last 84 years. Nothing new to celebrate. Widespread ignoring of the official words noted, BSA needs to make a clear statement of what it means to use the Patrol Method. Then BSA needs to move past words - quoted verbatim above - unless those 84 years of words a

The troop in which I was a Scout was mostly military dependents. By the World's standards, I guess we were well-off. By U.S. standards we were very working class or poor. At that time, a Scout was expected to earn most of the cost of Scouting by his own efforts. I cut grass, baby sat, and had a newspaper route. One Scout had a regular business washing cars by hand. Another made sure your house looked occupied (including taking care of your yard) when you went on vacation. Another shopped for the elderly. California, so no leaves to rake or snow to shovel. Many had part-time jobs at

According to B.S.A., this article aside, the aspects of the troop that are to be boy-led are planning the program and leading the program for the patrols and the collection of patrols.. “It is necessary to point out at the start that the Patrol System is not one method in which Scouting for boys can be carried out, but that it is the only method.†(Frequently misquoted by B.S.A. and incorrectly attributed to Baden-Powell) "A patrol is that small group of boys and friends under their own leadership who plan and carry out troop and patrol meetings and activities.ââ

One Mark Ray and Scouting have graced us with an article on "The Scout-Led Troop." Mr. Ray makes some good observations about the value of leadership training, but that is after he stumbles at the very threshold: When a troop tries boy leadership in Fall, 2012, This justified, in Mr. Ray's view, delaying youth leadership of the troop until Fall, 2013.. This illustrates Mr. Ray's understanding as follows: The article even has an illustration of two Scouters taking over from the Scouts for the critical task of erecting a tent.(with a ratio of 4 adults to 6 Scouts)..

I respectfully suggest item 7 : 7. Provide time to allow testing on requirements. Again, the 3 merit badges I helped with for a week at camp allowed about 5-7 minutes per candidate for the week, total. It was impossible for a candidate to actually pass a merit badge. When I suggested after dinner -- or other -- time slots at the Scouts convenience, I was told that possibility was against "camp policy." Everything had to be done in "scheduled time." 0___0 I would be willing to pay for meals. My former council's camp had a number of actual Merit Badge Counselors at camp

Scouts are already prohibited from being Merit Badge Counselors, at camp or otherwise. One must be 18 years of age to be a Merit Badge Counselor. The Councils simply break the rules (and "Trustworthy") and are allowed to do so by B.S.A. Classes are not so much the problem as the practice of failing to individually test, which the Councils allow in violation of the rules. Again, B,S.A. is aware of this preactive and allows it to go on. Prerequisite MB's sounds like a good idea - Camping before Wilderness Survival, for example. Sorry, Stosh, I don;t get this at all. If it

The link is to the second (1911) version of the requirements for First Class. There were only ten requirements in the original, 1910, version, not twelve, and they differed in substance.. Original Requirement 4, for example, was: The 1911 version was:

From Aunt Yangdu and her workers in Nepal:

Great post, SSScout. That would make Summer Camp about Scout camping.