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WA_Outdoorsman

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Posts posted by WA_Outdoorsman

  1. My daughter troop is going through some rough times. The council is performing an audit of all of the books. Between the two leaders they run 4 troops and several interests groups. They have been leaders for years now and are very good. They have had problems with the neighborhood chair (also a parent in the troop). Today we got a message that the council wants to meet with all of the parents next week when they go over the books. The leaders have stated that they are tired of being harassed by the paid staff and that they will no longer continue and that the troop is dissolved.

     

    I thought that the GS troops were "owned" by the council and if so how can the leaders dissolve the troop? If this is the case isn't the council/neighborhood responsible for leadership?

     

    I want to make sure I understand how all of this works before the meeting next week, I like to go in prepared :)

     

    Alan

    Cubmaster

    Unit Commissioner

  2. My daughter is a proud member of GSUSA. She is going all the way from WA to MN this summer for the jamboree. They temporary troop that they set up is quickly dissolving (leaders dropping out, girls dropping out) she really wants to go. It looks like her and another girl will be attending as a Juliette.

    Speaking of Lady Baden-Powell, I have a copy of her book (1963 edition) that she autographed while at the World Jamboree in Idaho. I also have a picture of her with my wife's aunt that is signed. My wife's aunt was working for the Governor of Idaho at the time and was instrumental in securing all of the Jamborees in Idaho. She is still a very powerful woman in the state and can call up any of the elected officials, not bad for 93 years old.

     

    Alan

    Vancouver, WA

  3. I noticed when looking at the inspection form it gives you two options, visored or campaign. It does not even give you the option of not wearing a hat!!

    The Insignia Guide talks about the campaign hat and the expedition hat, no mention of a visored cap.

    As all three are official uniform pieces I would think they are acceptable. With all of that said I usually wear the black BSA ball cap, waterproof and breathable.

     

    Alan

     

  4. Here is the way our council is interpreting the QU.

    1) Direct contact leaders (SM/CM/DL) should be minimum 70%.

    2) Retention 80% goal 70% minimum.

    3) New adults: +10%. For Cub units this is easy as they are recruiting new boys, for Boy Scout units this is very difficult as existing leaders transferring from cubs are not "New" adults they are just transfers.

    4) For Cubs should be easy to hit the minimum of 60%, 80% would be more realistic. Boy Scouts may have to engage the older boys a bit to get them motivated.

    5) An activity is anything outside of a Den/Troop meeting. If you have an active Cub program this will be easy. For Boy Scouts it really encourages patrol level events, they can get together easier and do what interests them. With a weekend outing and at least one other activity per month all of the boys should find something that they can get to.

    6) Basic planning and review. At the minimum this could be done in an hour. For a larger program a PLC/Committee weekend would be in order.

    7) Commissioner visits will be improved / more frequent. As a side note we went over this award at our commissioners meeting we had several turn in their resignations.

    8) FOS/Product sale, all we ask is one boy with one sale or donation. Participation is all that is required.

     

    Alan

    Cubmaster

    Unit Commissioner

    District Membership Committee

  5. Here is what I use. It's does not use a ruler, but a piece of adding machine tape instead.

     

    The Paper Tape Timeline Demonstration: This talk provides a very visual reminder of how much time we have left to make an impact on our childrens lives. You need an 8-10 foot long piece of adding machine or calculator tape. Mark off the tape in ten-year increments with 0 at the left end and 100 at the right. Use large numbers parents for the audience.

     

    Roll the tape back up, so that the 100 is in the center. For the presentation you will need two helpers to hold the tape in front of you so you can point at various points on the tape.

     

    Start out saying:

    With the current advances in medical technology its very likely that your son will live about 100 years.

    (Have your helpers unroll the tape in front of you, so the whole time line is visible. Stand behind the tape if you can.)

    Here's a time line of his life.

    If you're 35 now, statistically, you'll likely live until you're 75 or so, when your son will be about 50.

    (Rip the tape off at the 1/2 way point and hand the end to your helper. Let the other half fall to the floor very important dramatic effect).

    This represents the years you and your son will have together in his lifetime.

    And he's probably about 6 or 7 now.

    (Rip off the tape slightly below 10 and let that piece fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper.)

    So here's the time you have left together.

    How old do you suppose your son will be when he goes away to college (or you decide its time for him to be out on his own)? 18 - 20?

    (Rip off the tape someplace in this vicinity. Let that chunk fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper.)

    This is the amount of time you have left with him at home.

    When he's about 13 middle school age his friends start to become a much bigger, maybe the major, influence in his life.

    (If you can - assuming you have teenager - make a comment about how you know this from experience.)

    (Rip off the tape someplace in this vicinity. Let that chunk fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper.)

    (Take the very short piece of tape from your helpers and hold in it front of you, and thank your helpers.)

    (Then, carefully with great emphasis)

     

     

    This is the time you have left to be the major shaping force in your son's life. You can show him how important he is to you by becoming involved in Scouting with him. Cub Scouts is a remarkable opportunity for you and your son to share a great variety of fun, exciting and positive experiences. Experiences that give you that opportunity to help him grow into an adult so that you can say: Thats my son - he's a good person.

     

    (Go on to talk about volunteer opportunities in your Pack and how parents can participate in them. Have leader applications handy to be passed out.

     

  6. I got a chance to see the new pants quite a while ago and have been looking forward to getting my own pair. Well today was to be the day, I went down and grabbed the size that should fit. Unfortunately they were very long. Apparently they do not make them for those of us on the short side.

    I carefully examined them and could not really determine an easy way to shorten them. When I was talking to the manager there he said that they had a pair professionally shortened for our SE, who is also vertically challenged. It cost $35 to have them altered.

    I guess that the next question is will BSA supply do these in their made to measure program. If not does anybody have any good suggestions on how to shorten the legs?

     

    Alan

  7. We encourage parents to participate in our "Outlaw" derby. The rules are simple size and weight are per regulation, the rest is up to the builder. This usually keeps medling hands out of the boys cars. Many of the parents, myself included, put a lot of hours into building the cars. The nice other thing about this is it gives the boys some ideas for next year.

     

    Alan

  8. I just set up the orienteering course at our day camp. I set up two courses, one to tech on and one to practice skills on. The teaching one is a small circle of stakes with letters on them that form codes. All of these can easily be seen.

    The skills course uses all of the lower meadow. The stakes are also letters, but they form words, all related to scouting or the safari theme of camp. These stakes are not easily visible. I did not use any pacing in the course, just a take a bearing and start walking. We started the boys at a specific stake and then they get a card that gives them the next bearing and a blank to write in the letter. When they get done we check the word (or code).

     

    Alan

    Cubmaster Pack 435

    Ft. Vancouver District

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