TAHAWK

Yes, found that site via Google. But it seems to require that I download all my personal information from FaceBook in order to get in. I'm not inclined to do that for a site I know nothing about. Did it once for Walmart and got SPAM'd to death for a couple of years. Are you familiar with the site?

KCD99I, Probably right. This should be a separate thread. Let me make explicit what is implicit in the language quoted above, our 2011 courses are unchanged from 2010 -- except that we have female youth staffers. 2012? Don't know. I did a Google. It seems a good many Councils join Scouting.org and my council in thinking NYLT is still about patrols in a troop setting. Here is the course description from out nearest neighbor: "The National Youth Leadership Training is a seven day outdoor experience for current and future leaders in support of the Scoutmasters responsibil

I see this in the linked thread: "There's also some terminology updates - eg, we can't say "patrol" anymore, we have to say "team." Even the terms "troop," "SPL," "SM," etc are taboo, based on how this new program has been explained to me." Yet BSA and my council continue to use "troop," and "patrol," and my council continues to use "Patrol Leader," "Senior Patrol Leader," etc. We do not have a "Course Director." We have a Scoutmaster. And this is known at BSA. And I am curious about exactly what is is in the 2011 syllabus would be harmful in terms of development of a Scout as a l

As I am not on NYLT Staff this year, I do not have access to the 2011 syllabus at this time of morning. However, this is the BSA brief description and the longer description for our Council's Course. BSA: The NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what he must KNOW, and what he must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO. The skills come alive during the week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership. NYLT is a six-day course. Content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on imm

I just had to present "Uniforming" at a University of Scouting, so I had a chance to refresh and review. Nothing jacks you up more than presenting to who-knows-who about a topic. It's a long time since the "Activity" shirt, and that's all it was: an "Activity Shirt." The closest the BSHB comes to prescribing an official "activity uniform" is on p. 33, where it says: "When you're headed outdoors, you can pull on a T-short with Scout pants pr shorts, or wear other clothing that is right for the events of the day." Does not even say Scout T-shirt, which the "Class B" or "Activity Un

"If Venturing leadership training includes VLSC, Kodiak, and Kodiak-X, why is there a need to rewrite the NYLT syllabus so that they can attend that too? I don't see how removing the patrol method will benefit Boy Scouts. There must be a positive twist to this somewhere. What is it? BDPT0." The N.Y.L.T. course in our council, which I was privileged to staff, had two female Venturers as "participants." They were members of the El Campeseno Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets Patrol. Having reviewed the syllabus for 2009, I saw no diminution of the centrality of the Patrol Method to the Course in

True. Never been a "Class A." But that's just a name. More interestingly, there is no B.S.A. "Activity Uniform" (AKA "Class B"). There is just the uniform -- in so many manifestations that it is not uniform.

As a Scout, I recall that the Scoutmaster always gave "The Speech" before elections. He explained the duties of SPL and PL's (They appointed their assistants.), including the fact that the SPL would represent the Scouts to the uniformed Scouters and Troop Committee. (The SPL in that Troop presented the proposed program to the Committee and asked for their support.) He urged us to vote for Scouts who would take the jobs seriously, put in the extra hours required, and do their best. I have given that speech when my turn came to be a Scoutmaster. I think it helps. I can truthfully sa

If Mom says, "You can have one cookie," she does not mean you can take 2 or more. If BSA says the activity is approved for Boy Scout and Venturers, it is not approved for Webelos or Cubs. I have no idea what all the implications are for a unit -- or district or council -- putting on an unapproved activity, but responsible persons should think about all the implications and possible consequences of what they are doing. Violation of established safety standards is evidence of negligence in a civil action (AKA "lawsuit") in most states. I would be more than fifteen feet beh

"When the PL says a Scout can't play Capture the Flag until he washes the pots, it is not a punishment if the Scout is on the duty roster to clean the dishes. Now saying that the Scout can't play Capture the Flag until he washes the pots, because he was assigned pot cleaning due to mouthing off to the PL is punishment. Now, the bit about staying in the tent is punishment. Mandating that necessary tasks be done before a fun activity is not punishment." Even assuming the kid -- and the majority of the world -- agrees this "mandating" is not punishment, it certainly is "handling a discipline

No Beav, unless 42 years in makes me "new." ^___^ However, every day is new. I think if we cannot rely on BSA to produce rational and consistent policy, it's up to us to deconstruct what it publishes and try to come up with something that makes sense. It cannot be both A and not A. And discussing the Delphic utterings is one tool. We can't discuss it with BSA. It does not discuss things with volunteers. If you somehow manage to communicate with someone in Irving, all you get is the brushoff, even if you have the Red Cross, Mayo Clinic, U.S.C.D.C, Wilderness Medical Society, and

"'Not letting someone do something until they complete a task or assignment is a form of punishment.' No, it's not a form of punishment. Punishment is punitive action for a misdeed. Having prerequisites before an activity is not a punishment." The AV may mean to address punishment, but what it says is that Scout leaders never handle "discipline issues." "Discipline" is often used for punishment, but it is also self-control, orderliness, or submission to authority. The Patrol Leader Handbook states that "When you see that a patrol member is overstepping the boundaries of the code o

So how does this work, in practice, as a clear set of instructions for the real world: Confiscate the device and turn it in to your Scout Executive. As for the law, if you find that it presents distinctions that you find to be without a difference, you belong to a large club. Details do count. If the state cannot prove that you demanded ownership of the item (in our hypothetical) in return for not reporting a crime, they have not proved extortion. How do they "prove" that case? Especially how to they prove it if you never actually said there was a quid-pro-quo? They might argu

"Tahawk, I'm curious. Do you have an example of a youth leader being prosecuted for such a confiscation? I do like your two alternative ways of stating the possible solution to the problem. But with the first option, aren't you now guilty of blackmail? "Give me something of value, or I will release information about you to someone that you don't want to know about it." As to the first, no. The notable cases involve many confiscations by government -- usually schools. I never would have thought McDonalds would be sued over serving hot coffee. Conditiona are not what they were

School officials, unlike Scout, 4H, or C.Y.O. adults, ARE "in loco parentis" and have the protection that status provides. And you may be right. You may not be arrested. If you wrench the item away, you may just be sued for battery.

Don't be amazed. The idea that the law takes a dim view of taking people's property away from them against their will is not novel. We are not privileged to take the property of another simply because we are adult leaders of a youth program, be it Scouts, Little League, Catholic Youth organization, 4-H, or whatever. It's is theft in Ohio and I suspect all 50. Don;t we tell the kids, "Not yours; keep your hands off." ? Not even danger of death or serious bodily harm in such a situation to support a claim of exigent circumstances. What if the kid resists "confiscation"? Do you us

Elastic tops. All green. Pretty nice IMO.

I just took the online CPT so I could be trained for the fourth time on this subject. I have some issues. 1. The teaching portion states that Scouts "never handle discipline issues." Only adults are to handle discipline. I take it the author(s) had a very narrow definition of "discipline" that excludes something like, "No game until the dishes are washed." Nevertheless, the AV says what it says, and beyond the shear imposibility of it, it contradicts the Handbook for Patrol Leaders: "t is your responsibility to step aside with that Scout and discuss with him why his behavior is no

THE UNIFORM There is no "field uniform." There is just "the uniform" There is no B.S.A. "activity uniform." There is just "the uniform." (There is a vaguely described "dress uniform" of navy blazer and white shirt and, from the picture, some sort of slacks. Only the tie is specified.) The current official literature says wear what is appropriate outdoors. No mention of the uniform. Discussion of the suitability of the uniform and its parts in Summer's heat or Winter's cold is a strawman. If it's not appropriate for the conditions outdoors, you are not supposed to wea

Just as a matter of historic interest: "Scouts IN RANKS - In uniform or not: Face The Flag - All salute but (for uniformity) command may be given by Scoutmaster." [still working on that Patrol Method thing after thirty-six years.] Revised Handbook for Boys. 39th Printing (1946) at p. 57.

We were told my a national rep that the pockets would have points at the bottom to accommodate the patches specifically made for such a pocket shape.

The old ones were getting thin. ^____^

jrush, I think it is fair to say that you repeatedly set up the dichotomy of pocket knife vs. 7" fighting knife as if a unit, camp, or Council must opt for one or the other. Yet, there are other hundreds of other choices - long and short, thick and thin, heavy and light. The choices include folding knives much heavier than and with longer blades than my favorite fixed-blade sheath knife. How about a fixed-blade knife with a single 3" edge or the "filleting knife" specifically excepted form the discouragement of "large sheath knives" by the G2SS? I submit that you also set up the straw

"TAHAWK, I'm not disagreeing with most of what you're saying. The point is, what the BSA actually *says* and what they actually *do* in regards to sheath knives are two different things." Brother Scouter, B.S.A. has "done" at least these things about "sheath knives": 1)decide to sell them; 2) decide to stop selling them after fifty years; and 3) currently advocate that "large" sheath knives be avoided AND used. "Next, scouts are taught how to care for, sharpen and handle knives. It doesn't matter one whit if that knife is a 2" folder or a combat knife." Respectfully, have you ev

"TAHAWK, Scouts are already taught safe handling of fixed blade knives...they are the same principles behind safe handling of any knife. They also use fixed blade knives on a regular basis...they are part of every chuck box and most tackle boxes. I agree, "banning" all fixed blade belt knives becasue the BSA "highly discourages" "large sheath knives" is probably overkill, but on the other hand, are councils and troops really denying some essential element of scouting or fieldcraft to the boys by telling them they can't beebop around camp sporting a 7" KABAR on their belt?" jrush,