Tokala

Only reason Tampa made the news was the RNC. I did see that the surfers managed to get some waves which is big news for the surfers around here.

Isaac was basically a non-event. Honestly, we have more powerful and dnagerous thunderstorms around rush hour nearly every day.

I'm in Pinellas just west of TT. I've seen afternoon thunderstorms worse than Isaac. Not much wind or rain here. TS Debbie back in June was far worse for rainfall and damage.

West Central Florida tends to only have 2-term Council Presidents. The remainder of the Executive Committee isn't that defined. I am currently serving my 3rd year as VP or Program. I would gladly hand it off this year if we could find and train a replacement. As soon as I took the job, I started looking for my replacement. I don't think people should have the same job for more than 3 years. Learn the job the first year, perform the job the 2nd year and train your replacement the 3rd year.

We have had folks serve as a VP for many, many years. Largely because no one else wanted or could perform the job.

I wish it was as easy to replace Scout Executives as it is board members.

Timuquan has done the one-on-one Brotherhood counseling for more than 10 years. A Brotherhood member sits with the candidate until they are satisfied that they understand the material. I have seen them sit for an hour and then send the candidtae off for some homework. Eventually everyone passes because each candidate has a personal coach. We also use the Brotherhood hike as the way to get them all to the ceremony on time.

Yes, there are conversion criteria in the quality lodge/JTE materials. Some Lodges focus on the statistic rather than how to develop a plan that consistently meets the standards.

BSA24, there is nothing that says you can't pick up the chemistry merit badge pamphlet and learn the material. Not sure why getting the patch seems more important than the knowledge.

I have always told Scouts to get an education because it's the one thing that no one can take away from you.

Eagle92, I sure would like that syllabus!

I recall the cooking part most too. I can remember my TLDC training as a youth and the aggravation of Scouts from different Troops from all over the Council trying to cook and clean as a team. Wood Badge was similar. The old QM meal planning session was always fun where the patrols submit menus and the QM yanks them around and makes the patrol leader make decisions while the rest of the Troop watched.

It isn't a requirement to have a Scoutcraft/Outdoor Skills director at summer camp that has been to camp school. I don't even think that they have a training curricukum for them.

The OA has used programs like OA Mentoring and Scoutreach to assist Troops. If a Pack requested the OA to help as you have illustrated, I would strongly encourage the youth OA members to support this activity. Service hours or not, it's a great way to help encourage boys to join the program.

I took Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge and it did include more Scoutcraft skills sessions. There were sessions involving lashings, map and compass, environment, and most of all cooking. We drew our meals from the QM and cooked what was provided. You never knew what you were getting, but they provided a menu and instructions for preparing the meals. It was a great patrol bonding time to all pitch in and prepare meals and have some staff as guests.

It was definitely more intensive training than WB21stC; however, I think adults 10-20 years ago did more camping and outdorsy stuff. The majority of adults in the BSA are joining without any previous camping experience. A training course where they may need to learn how to use a Dutch oven with no training or experience can be catastrophic.

I'd actually like to take the Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge syllabus and divide it into some weekend segments that teach the 11 Leadership Skills and use some of the Scoutcraft modules. That course had a lot of good material and it's sad that it's not being used somehow. Maybe when I step down as VP or Program and get my hands on a syllabus again, I'll look at how to set it up in my Council.

I get enjoyment from volunteering as a positive, adult, male role model. Now that I'm 'mature' I find the "leave a legacy" concept much more fulfilling and rewarding than even Eagle Scout.

I constantly remind the youth now that it's not my program; it's theirs! I had my turn as an SPL, Lodge Chief, summer camp staff, etc. It's my turn to encourage young men to get as much from the program as they can, just as the adult men mentored me.

I remember when they misprinted the Obligation on the dues cards and thusly changed the Obligation to match the cards.(This message has been edited by Tokala)

I'm guessing they were both beavers?

No, actually bears!

Must have been the Woodbadge for the 21st Century

No, Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge (back in the good ol' days)

I'm not as concerned with the bilingual and cluttered look of the form. I'm more concerned with communicating to the masses to once again discard your medical forms and go get a new one. I'm waiting for the BSA to have some partnership with doctors like we do now with the NRA and climbing folks. Will they go as far to tell us which group of physicians to use just like they have with shooting sports and climbing?

We had a man and a woman attend Wood Badge. After the course, they each got divorced and then married each other. It raised eyebrows.

I would expect the Scout to make the call.

As for the parent's email address, my 18yo Lodge Chief was required to use his parent's email address. His parents did not allow him to have an independent email address.

It does appear to be a woven. I've had mine for months and haven't sewn it on yet. I'm not sure that the woven can take the repeated washings over the next 11 months. I'm on OA staff.

This is not a recently launched search. It has been a continuous process. We thought that the Program Director would be a solid choice for next summer, but after evaluating their performance this summer, they need more experience/training. Once I can get the Council to agree on the verbage in an advertisement, I'll get it posted in logical places (we have 2-3 2yr and 4yr universities in the area).

I'm not sure why camp director's prior to 2009 had issues with the finances. Those years we had District Executives running the business and we didn't have access to their records and I wasn't VP of Program then. My suspicion is that they spent more freely reimbusing themselves for "additional" costs of being at camp for 4-6 weeks. Since volunteers took responsibility we have been in the black every year.

Some history, after our 2008 season and a professional as camp director who ran the program deep into the red, the Council was considering shutting down our summer camp operations. A group of volunteers took on the responsibility for recruiting units and helping identify staff. We hired a young man who had served on staff for many years. He has run camp the last 4 seasons. He tended to hire younger folks as the area directors in camp even with encouragement from me that he needed older people that had experience managing/supervising. For 2013 we will have a new camp director. My hope is to find someone that will use the time in the fall and spring to hire their directors and develop their program so that they can promote the camp. Then in the spring they train and develop the rest of the staff.

I have talked with our Scout Executive about advertising on the Council website and newsletter. I can only access teachers through word of mouth. I wrote a personal check to purchase an advertisement in the teacher's union newsletter last year and they refused and returned my check. The union is in lockstep with the school board when it comes to the BSA....they won't have anything to do with us.

"I'm not sure what are the colorful patches on some of the right sleeves below the US flag patches."

Those are old Southeast Region patches from back when we had 6 Regions.

As the Council VP for Program, it's my responsibility to recruit and hire a camp director for our Boy Scout summer camp. We have trended towards volunteers lately due to professionals running the budget into the red. I have interviewed some of our volunteers, but find them lacking in organizational and managerial skills. I attempted to post an advertisement in the local Teacher's Union newsletter but was rejected due to the BSA's membership policies.

So, where do you look to find that next camp director?

I knew a young man in the OA that claimed he was 21 for about 5 years past his 21st birthday. It's still a running joke around some of us old time Florida OA guys.

The Tampa Bay Times has posted some pictures of his uniforms and badges. The uniforms all have the silver loops and appear to have a unit commissioner patch. The old part is that they all seem to have old Southest Region patches on the right sleeves. He also manage to acquire and Eagle Scout award. I'm not sure which Council strip he has on the uniforms, but it's not West Central Florida (my Council)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1244684.ece(This message has been edited by Tokala)

Thanks for the chuckle Callooh. Somedays I swear that Florida is just a magnet for weirdos. Maybe it's the heat and humdity?

Great....he resides within my Council.

Florida is full of nutjobs. Almost as many as Congress!

There is little interest in the Native American hobby in my Lodge. It seems to wax and wane due to pure coincidence. We have seen our singing team be the National Champs at NOAC and we go for years with no interest. We strive for accurate and appropriate clothing for our ceremonies.

I'm not sure what my Council would do without the OA support. The thousands of hours and dollars committed to our camps. We also commit hundreds of hours to community service whether it's a beach cleanup or the cleanup of an elderly citizen's home. Our Scout Executive's first call when in a bind for help is always the OA because he knows that they will commit and serve.

I guess people get hung up on the visible actions and contributions of the OA like service and ceremonies, but forget it's about providing a potential for leadership growth that no Troop or Crew can provide. I have watched 17 year old "men" manage a Section Conference with a $40K budget. To me, that is what the OA is about.

I don't hear folks say that the young women don't deserve membership in the OA, but I do hear people say that they don't meet the requirements because the young girls in a Crew cannot earn First Class rank.

The OA falls under Boy Scout program and not Venturing program. Unless National does some reorganizing, I don't see it changing. I have looked at the Corps of Discovery movement for Venturing. Some local Crews are discussing it. One minor problem is that they use basically a lodge flap and National says that it's not approved for Venturing uniforms.