UCEagle72

I heard they were working on the $1,000 limit when some of our DEs approached them about using it ... I will see if I can get an update tomorrow.

Simple pricing list for the Scouts Canada uniform (which is made in Canada):

http://www.scouts.ca/pdf/rtk-pricing.pdf

(And I stand corrected, they do actually sell the pants -- but when I watched the launch video, they specifically said that you could "bring your own")

I been using Square for quite some time, and also have experience with them, and their prime competitor from Quicken.

I really like the Square device -- you just need to remember to "hold it" so it does not spin when you slide the card.

BTW - LA GS Council used this with their annual cookie sales, and sold 250% more cookies council-wide.

We didn't have internal frame packs, heck we had to make our own external frames out of steel conduit and then figure out how to strap the canvas packs to them.

Nah ... made the wooden one that was in the Fieldbook!

The Fieldbook was my favorite Scout book - wore out two by the time I was 18.

They actually made the announcement late last March ... with huge fan fare and a whole social media campaign.

By the way, if you did not notice ... those are not special "Scouts Canada" pants ... just plain old Khaki/Tan pants.

Back in the ancient days of the early 80s ...

My first troop started at 7 and at the end of two years (when I was transferred away) we had 27. That seemed to be a good size.

Then in the early 90s ...

My second troop was 20 when I started, and 40-50 when I passed the baton three years later. I really felt that 50 was "pushing it" ... at least for me as a SM.

I was much more comfortable with a 25-30 member troop -- but we never had a specific size limit in place.

Skipper --

You survived ... and it sounds like your unit is doing better ... chalk that lesson up to one in the "learned" column.

Just please tell me they did not come over here to do NYLT!

(1) "This is Scouting" is required for all unit leaders that did not complete "New Leader Essentials"

(2) Yes. "Fast Start" training is designed to be the training before you ever start to work in your new position.

(3) This depends on your Council Training Committee. Here, a Webelos leader could do WOLT or IOLS -- but like i said, that all depends on your Council.

Moose --

Yes, my District Chair and I try to find the "best fit."

Now, we will try "targeted" recruitment, when we are looking to fill specific positions, but in general, we both sit down and discuss what the prospect is interested in, and slot them in a sub-committee that best suits their needs - while other sub-committees may go wanting.

BP ==

I was a 14 year old Eagle ... and went on to do the trail at Philmont, staff at summer camp, earn my religious award, two silver palms, and be active in OA, go to Jambo, etc. Trust me, it is not "close to home."

I knew my Scoutcraft skills, and so did the Scouts in my Troop as SM by the time they made First Class. But, I, was not a self appointed scouting zealot who held back young men because I felt they were too young. If they had the chops and the skills, they were promoted.

And, I will repeat, no all young men are ready that young. But when you find one, don't stick artificial obstacles in front of them, just so YOU feel they are ready.

My District Chairman and I recruit new volunteers in a cooperative manner.

If we get a volunteer, then we determine where the "best fit" is for that person and their circumstance.

Working as a team, we have radically grown both the Commissioner staff, and the District Committee ... and Commissioners are Commissioners -- not there to help the Membership Chair.

BP - as always you missed the point.

The point is ... a good scout, in an active unit, who is dedicated to scouting can do it. Can all scouts, no. And, it is NOT a problem with the implementation of the program, if I could do it in 1969, then a dedicated scout could do it today, AND be a quality first class scout, regardless of age.

We need to stop saying "no it can't be done." Yes, it can. Just not every Scout can accomplish it. It is not a norm, but, it is not impossible.

(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

In 1969, as an 11 year-old, I crossed over to my Troop in February, and had completed 2nd Class before summer camp in July - in fact, did one of my 1.5 mile hike with full pack & gear for First Class the day we arrived for summer camp!

I had finished First Class by October or November (we did not meet as a Troop in the summer, just as Patrols).

And that was during an era when you had a prescribed time limit in each rank! (Of course, we started with no rank, and then earned Tenderfoot - which our Arrow of Light had done a great job of preparing us for.)

We camped as a Troop monthly, camped as Patrols about every 6 weeks, and usually had a Patrol hike every other week. And worked on Scoutcraft skills at every meeting of the Troop and Patrol.

If it could be done back then, there is no reason it can't be done now.

Wulf --

How many units are you and your solo ADC trying to take care of?

My guess here ... they are saying that the adults need to stop putting temporary patches on the "left" pocket (I see them here all the time). The right pocket is the correct location ... for ONE temporary patch.

E-Dad --

I agree, in more ways than one.

I have seen great UCs who make lousy DCs, and I have seen DCs who were never a UC do a great job!!

But, recruiting, is EVERY commissioner's job - not just the administrative commissioners. But a DC who is running a good commissioner program, with UCs that are not "overwhelmed" with too many units, has some of the best recruiters available -- and those UCs should want to have more commissioners in their corps. But numbers are not the answer -- numbers are quality commissioners is the key!

Well, we know we will have the 6/50% standard this year, and next (since they said there would be no changes the first two years).

What I expect to see as the change, is "visits" as described in requirement 2 of the "Performance" section of the new "Commissioner Award for Excellence in Unit Service":

2. The commissioner shall make at least six physical visits to each assigned unit per year. All visits must be logged with UVTS 2.0. Examples: unit meetings, unit activities, leader meetings, and summer camp visitations

Which means "Other" contacts will not count (even though they are listed in requirement 3).

And while the other 18 'don't count' -- they count for the unit ... and that is what truly matters!

How many units does each UC in your district have? If you are working the 3:1 "ideal" then I'm sure that between the UC working the problem unit, his ADC, and the DC -- the assigned units should still be getting the proper attention - and visits recorded in UVTS.

'77 --

So the commissioner who steps in for unit lifesaving and helps keep a pack afloat gets credit for only one unit, even though he visited 24 times.

Then they are not entering the data into UVTS correctly! EVERY contact with a unit should be recorded in UVTS, whether in person, on the phone, email, etc. You talk to a unit leader at Roundtable, you enter it in UVTS. You get a panicked phone call at 11pm, you enter it in UVTS (as an Other). You visit a unit at a camporee - it goes in UVTS (Unit Activity). You go to a CoH, it gets enter in UVTS. Committee Meetings, one-on-one meetings with unit leaders, unit meetings, they should ALL be entered in UVTS.

If you contacted a unit 24 times in a lifesaving mode, there should be no reason why these are not recorded. A commissioner can enter unit visitation data for any unit in his district (this was a change in version 2.0 released last summer, prior to that, you could only enter contacts for the units you were assigned to).

Fred --

In the 1933 BSA publication "Adventures of a District Commissioner" - the "unit-to-unit mentor" is exactly what is talked about ... and where the original "Neighborhood Commissioner" idea came from. (Of course, I also like the fact that in this book, the District Commissioner has 7 (yes, seven) Troops to be concerned about -- I wish!)(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

I does take time with some units.

But the UC who shows up every month to a troop meeting, and attends the occasional Committee Meeting, will start to build the relationships they need to have in order to be successful.

I'll do the "ooom-pa pa pa" part

SP --

As Dist Comm I received an email from a new family that had moved into our area - their sons had already been active scouts in another council in our state. They were looking for some suggestions on units in their area.

I had answer back with three possible sponsoring bodies, all of which had a full scouting family to serve them, and send him a complete list of all units, just so he had more information. Plus, I gave them contact info on the DE and DC. That took about 5 minutes from the time I received the email.

Last night I heard back from the father, he had never had an email returned to him so quickly - especially in his previous council.

I told him, "Welcome home."

Yea for mn_scout and his bunch -- the troop committee should never need to "bless" the activities the young men have selected.

They just need to support.

I was at the National launch of the Robotics MB here in Orlando for the World Robotics Championship.

If you think this is "not scouting" - then you need to know that by 11:00 a.m., we had already filled three pages listing Scouts who were part of the Robotics teams at the Championship, and a number of them were already Eagles.

We even had Scouts from Scouts Canada telling us to contact their leaders so they could have a Robotics MB.

Why lose Scouts, when we can add a program, and increase retention? This doesn't take away from what we have had for the last century.

18 year olds - can have a EBoR up to 90 days after their SMC - providing the SMC happened before their 18th birthday. (And I have seen extensions of up to 30 days on top of that 90 - but those are issued by the National Court of Honor.)

There is no regulation stipulating you must have an EBoR within x days of completing your project.

No problem in what they did. ASMs cannot sit on a BOR. With only two non-parental committee members present, they did the next best thing.