WAKWIB

@Kudu Glad you returned to our campfire!! I was going to answer a question in this subforum about Patrol Method and I was planning on trying to remember a lot of what you said about it over the years. I hope you have the time to comment on it, because you describe how it should work in a very eloquent and accurate way.

@Samuel Go with what some other forum members have suggested. Get everything worked out to complete what you need for the ASM position. That is a very critical need for your unit and will be the foundation for anything else you will do as a Scouter. Once that is all in place, applying for the other positions will be an easy road. Thank you for your willingness to serve Scouting!

Thanks for joining us @tk71!!

Where there is a will, there is a way! My advice to the chapter you mention, is keep whatever they are up to off of social media. Also, while "in ceremony" the team should just be scouts doing a presentation. No need to wave the OA flag to have a good production. Kids will catch on that it's a thing that older scouts do and they will, on their own, connect the dots that it's Arrowmen involved.

@chief027 You are getting a lot of good advice on the what/what not to bring stuff. And you will learn more about that with experience specific to your camp and accomodations. In my opinion you are working in a super fun and super important position on the waterfront. Your full attention will be required at all times, and it may sometimes get a bit tedious. An added bonus is that you should end up with a fairly nice suntan. We called the guys that worked the pool and lakefront at my camp, "bronze gods."😂 Every Scout that attends your camp will be at your program area at some point or another. You have the best opportunity in the whole place to influence and inspire the younger Scouts who will be looking up to you. Devote yourself to that opportunity! One of the coolest things from my experience on the camp staff in my area was that I made many lifelong friends. Guys I met and served with on staff for 6 years are still my trusted buddies to this day (and that staff time was 40 years ago). Most of us returned to the same camp with our kids and served as unit leaders. Many of us still volunteer a bunch of time to help the camp during season and off-season in a variety of roles. Your time on camp staff will greatly equip you for future non-scouting jobs, and will also form a solid foundation for any future duties you may take on as a Scouter or volunteer in another organization. Have a great summer!!

Yo, moderator folks: @SSScout has been a trustworthy contributor to this forum for 13 years and has patiently asked for a sub-forum regarding "Faith and Chaplaincy" for most of those 13 years! Maybe it's time? Stuff regarding faith, duty to God, reverence, etc. is very much a key component of the Scouting experience. I think it might be a good idea to give it some attention outside of the Program or I&P sub-forums.

Really, you are in a good spot to make your district's Cub program top-notch. I know from your posts that you have the passion. You are doing well by devouring all the training you can get your hands on. Mainly, I would say, just be available and approachable. By the very nature of the program, Cub leaders will welcome all the help and expertise you can provide.

I probably will just go ahead and take it, even though technically I'm good till 2020. A bit off topic: Although I'm considered "trained" for my committee member position (per my dashboard on my scouting) they have added quite a bit of new optional training for that position targeted at the new Scouts BSA model. So, I'll probably invest some time in completing those modules. Where I'm at in terms of time and availability, online training is great. I'm totally cool with learning stuff at 2am.😆

I took it in August 2018. This news kinda raises an interest in taking the next version. I thought the current one was quite an improvement over previous iterations.

This whole affair could be made into a very frightening episode of "The Twilight Zone."

Great letter, but, as you said, it was probably more helpful to you than to the intended recipient. Thanks for sharing it. I think we can all see snapshots of some things we as adults in Scouting have experienced.

I agree with the whole "Be Prepared" thing. Scouts from around the country will be visiting D.C. as a side-trip while going to the Jamboree this summer. It's pretty much a tradition. In the past, there has not been quite as much "programmed and professional protesting" at the Washington sites. That has drastically changed in the last couple years. Those Scouts who visit there really need to be taught how to not engage, but ignore. IMHO, the streets of our Capitol, and other major cities, have become sort of a demented Piccadilly Circus.

It sounds like the new troop is going to be a great fit for you and your sons! I like the campsite cooking emphasis, which appears to be something your troop does well. That was a big thing I got out of Scouting as a kid, and my sons enjoyed that part a whole lot too.

Personally, I love that Scouting provides a quality learning experience in handling firearms. I learned everything I know about rifles and shotguns from Scouts, and my sons did as well. The programs we run at the camps in our Council are top-notch and have been for years.

It sounds like you are in a fairly isolated area (in terms of Scouting opportunities). You may have to take the hit and drive quite a way to get your Scouts into a better situation. Another option would be to find enough families to form another Pack in your area. Just a thought.

I got the impression that the interviewer wasn't really into Scouting, and finds it silly. SFE guy, who was very articulate and knowledgeable, seems to try to drive the idea that membership will increase when barriers are removed. It's a nice thought, but it will NEVER happen. You can remove every barrier imaginable, and the increase in membership will be negligible (IMHO). You can remove all barriers and give all new recruits a bonus of $100, and you will still fall short of the 4 million that we had at peak. Also, expect Scouts for Equality to launch, in the next year or two, another "turn in your Eagle patch" campaign to get National to relax any religious ideas. Like they did 5 years ago on behalf of homosexuals. It WILL happen and National will go through a number of gyrations to satisfy the protest.

God bless us, every one!

Maybe a bit off-topic, but I think the question has been answered adequately already. My observation over time has been that the Den Chief position is very valuable. Every Scout that I have known who has taken up that responsibility has found it rewarding and fun. It creates a very strong bond and bridge between the Pack and Troop. I have seen several times an entire Den complete Cubs/Webelos and cross over to the Troop and be very successful in the Troop because of the influence of a good Den Chief. I may be over-stating my case a bit, but I really feel that the Den Chief is as important to Pack as the the adults.

Since all this really isn't supposed to go "live" before Feb. 2019, your Council may be hesitant in giving concrete answers to anything. In theory, the chartering of girls troops is two months away. On Feb. 1st, I suspect your Council and all the rest will be fired up and ready to process applications. As best as I can tell, a linked troop is what it is. No special steps required. The boy troop and the girl troop share the same CO and committee and that is the extent of it.

Your SPL and/or the Scout who helps lead the games should poke around on these sites. For sure, there are some good ideas, and every game is adjustable. http://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/boy-scout-games.asp http://www.macscouter.com/games/Games4BS.asp https://www.programresources.org/alphabetized-index/ PS: Google is your friend. ☺️

Yes. That was indeed the case in the mid-70's. At least where I live. Us kids, and a fair amount of adults were fairly convinced that BSA was going coed at or before 1990. Most of us expected a merger of BSA and GSUSA. Whenever this topic came up around a campfire when my sons were Scouts (2000-2011), I always said, "Yep, it will happen any day now." Folks looked at me through the glow of the fire with that look that you give one who is a bit off his rocker. So, it's here now. Embrace the change and make it the best thing ever!!

To be honest, a good many program ideas in my corner of the world have been brainstormed by adult Scouters on their "own time" with the blessing of this particular liquid refreshment. Lawsuit be damned, I know that the folks I do Scouting with are going to give the girls the best Scouting program in our region. Both the boys and the girls will be proud to call themselves Scouts!

Thought I would contribute to this for the good of the order. First role model, is a guy name John P. He was an older Scout in the troop I joined at age 11. I knew him from school and church as well. He was a real spit-and-polish kind of guy. He encouraged me when I was down, which was often. He pushed me to be a leader, even when I was really too immature to be a leader. It was because of his influence that I eventually worked on our local camp staff. For the six summers I served on that same camp staff, I can really call to mind probably a dozen guys who served as role model. And I could point to several ladies as well. For the ladies, I can think of several women who worked in the Camp kitchen. I was on the kitchen staff for 4 of my six summers. These were local ladies from the Ozark communities near the camp. They were the salt of the earth. I learned a lot about a work ethic from them. They were like "moms" to me. They would lavish praise when I did well, and give me a good scolding when I didn't. I will cherish their memories as they have long since passed away. My longtime friend who was my "bestie" at camp and still is, was a super role model. Dan was the perfect Scout. That guy who was always the cream of the crop. But he was humble about it, and could easily be led into mischief....which is what I specialized in. He helped me to stay focused and we worked hard together, and we also had a lot of fun. What is so cool is that even after all these years, we can still read each other's mind. We are still very engaged in the local Scouting scene, and we always find a bit of time to go back down to camp together for a few days to participate where we are needed. Without Dan, my adult interest in Scouting probably would not have been nearly as enjoyable. I also learned a lot from the folks who I served with in my sons Troop. For 10 years I got to do Scouting with some great men and women while both my boys went up through the ranks. None of them really had the depth of experience in their youth that I had, but I never acted smug about that. I probably learned more about Scouting from them than they did from me, even though they respected my experience. They all did a great job in their various roles, and I am richer for being along on their Scouting journey.

@fotoscout You need to communicate your concerns to the Council President. If you personally know him or any member of the Council's Executive Committee, that would be helpful, but that may not be the case. Your Council's website should have a page showing who the members of the Exec. Committee are and you should be able to track one or two of them down to express your concerns. The SE is not a dictator for life. He can be removed by the Council Pres. and Exec. Committee at any time and for any variety of reasons. What you are sharing here, seems like a very good reason to remove this man from his position.

Yep, you read it right. The Mic-O-Say part will work out in due course. We won't be bending or changing any requirements for that. And, as far as being slighted by being parked into one session at one camp, yes, there is an emerging negative reaction to that, and the news of it just hit Friday (10/5) afternoon. I expect it to pick up steam. There are quite a few linked troops developing and it will be a big strain. It's not what the enthusiastic supporters of BSA4Girls in our area envisioned. One option for the linked troops may be to have the boy troops camping in one of the two adjacent camps during that same 5th session. I have not heard anything about that option, but I wouldn't be too surprised if that's what's offered. This is perhaps another reason why coed needed to be just that, instead of the hybrid we got from National.