Chisos

15 minutes ago, Buggie said:

Except of course, that the scout has to show leadership and you'd have a tough time selling that leadership of one counts. 

But the leadership does not have to be of scouts.  The candidate could lead a group of friends from the marching band, or the football team, or the church youth group.

51 minutes ago, swilliams said:

Yes.  Not only that, but I'm trying to enter a handful of merit badges for a scout so he can finish his Eagle application, and can't enter any of them.  I keep getting an error message, and the forum "help" has stopped replying to my request for help.  In addition, NOTHING shows up when I try to view his current badges.  Nothing under 'Started'.  Nothing under 'Pending Approval' and nothing under 'Approved'.  And that's after waiting 15 minutes for the page to load.

I will be showing up at council tomorrow with a handful of blue cards and they're going to have to enter them.

Edit: I get the list of merit badges, but when I click on any of them it says "Checking Advancement Status" underneath, nothing happens for a few minutes, then above the dialog box it says "Error".

That's exactly it (even the part about getting the  badges recorded so an Eagle app can get turned in!)

So, my cheat sheet from before seems to not be working anymore.

When attempting to enter a merit badge, I get to the "Item" field and instead of popping up a list of MB's to pick it just says "No Data".

Is anyone else seeing an error like this?

My son got a youth survey to do, though he hasn't done it yet.

I haven't received anything myself (targeted to adults).

In what context?  Our council (and many others) host 3-night (at least) Cub Resident Family Camps each summer.

12 minutes ago, PACAN said:

Unscientific poll....at what level of increase in the national fee do you believe members will decide to or need to quit?

$50 or $60.

You can call $50 a "dollar a week".  Kind of like an "hour a week."

$60 is $5 / month.  Round number that's easy to use.

Anything past that, parents are really going to need to see added value...drops in cost elsewhere, or more support/material/etc. provided.

Maybe $100 / year, but that includes 8 belt loops, one rank patch, a cap-slide-necker set, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Our general practice is to charge a "troop fee" for campouts ($10-20, based on campout, covers campsite fees, transportation, troop gear like propane, etc.).  Patrols get their own food, and deal with the cost themselves.

The "ideal" is that they plan a menu, grubmaster shops, then divides cost by attendance and the boys pay up.  In practice, it rotates...a given scout may be they "buyer" once or twice a year, and it more or less evens out, instead of settling up after each individual campout.

We let the PLC that is elected 6-months-in review the plan and make changes if needed.  Nearly every time *something* has come up that's going to require a change anyway.

30 minutes ago, perdidochas said:

As Treflienne says, it would be politically impossible to do so. Should have been a Tenderfoot or Second Class requirement years ago, though.  

Agreed.  I'd assume most Scouts their their first MB while Tenderfoot rank or so, so maybe add, for 2nd Class:   "Without assistance, sew a merit badge onto a merit badge sash."

This is my "Cheat Sheet" for IA2.0.  It seems to work.  This is for only reporting completions, not tracking partials or individual rank requirements or anything like that.  You have to be a "Key 3" to have access; if you are not, one of your Key 3 can give you Key 3 Delegate access then it should work.

1.  Go to scoutbook.scouting.org .

2.  Log on using my.scouting.org login/password (same one used for Youth Protection Training).

3.  Check the box next to a scout’s name.

4.  Click on “Record Advancement”.

5.  Put in the date, type and item.

6.  If you need to put in another item for that scout, click on “Save and Approve Another”.  If that’s the last one for that scout, click on “Approve and Finish.”

7.  Select the next scout, and repeat the process.

8.  When you are done, make sure no scouts are checked, and click on “Run Report” then “Advancement Report”

9.  Print the advancement report, and take it to the Scout Shop to buy awards.

CC here.  A few things off the top of my head.  I'll probably come up with more late

1.  Make sure you and the SM have the same vision for the troop.  If there's already a SM in place be sure to sort this out.

2.  You've got to, for the most part, defer program decisions to your SM.  You're there to make the program happen, not to deliver it.  This is easy if you and the SM have the same vision (see #1).  We have a "running joke" in the troop that I'm the boss until the troop meeting/campout starts, then "management hands it over to operations" and I take a back seat for the SM to run the show.

3.  Probably the most difficult part is making sure all the grownups are on the same page.  If you've got a SM and and ASM that thinks they're the SM it's a recipe for problems.  Your job is to nip that in the bud.

4.  Delegate, but do it selectively.  Make sure you've identified someone's strengths and weaknesses before assigning them a job.  A mismatch means something doesn't get done then you have to do it.

5.  Don't read too much into the "org chart" that has the SM reporting to the CC.  Yes, if the SM isn't working out it's your job to deal with it.  But in practice you need to consider the SM-CC pair as equals with different responsibilities, both necessary to properly deliver the program. 

I've been in the gig for about three years and about have it down ( I think).  I deal with the paperwork, organization, logistics, that kind of stuff, and leave the program deliver to the SM and ASMs.  Works great for me, I can get all the "grownup stuff" lined up then go on a campout and just chill while the SM deals with the program aspects.

1 hour ago, ShootingSports said:

Council A is asking Troop B from Council B to provide proof of at least $1M insurance policy  to use Camp A. (to clear up T2Eagle).  I find it odd, since all Councils carry insurance AND we are suppose to be working together.  Seems to be an unneeded requirement. But, sounds like it is more common then I thought

 

That is a bit odd (I think).  There are two types of BSA Insurance.  Councils can (and most, if not all, do) purchase an accident/injury/health policy that covers injuries/illnesses that come up on a Scouting event.  This is acquired at the Council level, though most have similar or identical polices (I think).  The other insurance is BSA's general liability policy (since you said $1M, that sounds like what they are asking about).  It is (I'm pretty sure) obtained by the National Council and covers all local councils.

Your council service center should be able to provide a proof of insurance for either.  Though it would seem odd of one council to ask another for the liability policy, since the same one covers all of them.

The insurance most of us are talking about providing when camping out of council is the first one (the accident/medial policy).  The general liability policy is more commonly requested when using non-Scout facilities for an event (say, a council-sponsored camporee is held on the grounds of a local community park, or something like that).

I've see this for summer camp--we typically go out of council, and the camps we go to request proof of our home council's accident/injury/health policy.  Most (I'd assume all, but I could be wrong) have those; they are secondary to a scout's personal health insurance, but do provide some coverage if personal health insurance falls short or if the scout/scouter is uninsured.

We just get a proof-of-insurance document from the council office before we leave and turn it in when we check in at camp.

2 minutes ago, malraux said:

I'll be the den leader for 1st year webelos this upcoming year. My goal is to have everyone ready (or at least have the possibility of it) by January of the 2nd year. I don't see any reason to stick around earning lamer versions of merit badges instead of going out and camping. 

We've had crossover in the Jan-Feb range the past few years.  It gives scouts a few months to get used to the troop and then increases the odds they go to summer camp.  If they go to summer camp the first year, they tend to stick around and stay with the program.

2 hours ago, dkurtenbach said:

• A big factor contributing to the near abandonment of the patrol as the basic operational unit in ScoutsBSA is modern society, in which families have a wide variety of youth activities to choose from and participate in, on top of family and school events.  This leads to schedule conflicts and widely variable attendance by patrol members at meetings, outings, and events.  The Patrol Method is based on shared responsibility, and patrol spirit is based on shared experiences.  They can only develop when most of the patrol members are in attendance at most activities.   

 

i think this is a very important point.  Perhaps we should more strongly encourage patrols to form around other things the scouts do...the "soccer patrol", the "band patrol", the "science club patrol", etc.

I'm guessing you're talking about the participant patch from a college's "Merit Badge Day"? 

No rule says an adult can't wear a patch like that as a temporary patch, sewn or hanging from the button on the right pocket.  My "rule of thumb" is you can wear a temp patch from any event you participated in.  So, if the adult helped organize the event,  or was a merit badge counselor at it, then sure.  If they didn't participate in the event, I'd suggest not wearing it.  But that's just my opinion, not an official "rule".

1 hour ago, SM101 said:

Would it work to CIT for a few days?  I found a camp out of Council to offer this scout if they choose to do it.

I'd say it a "you make the call" as SM.  The "objective" criteria is three nights or less.  Does it "count" if he goes for two nights of a five-night camp?

Food for thought for the group:  Do you camp to be eligible for OA, or are you eligible for OA because you camp?  Are the "rules" there to define only what "counts" or to exclude that which doesn't?  Does a 4-night campout count in any way for OA eligibility?

The scout had no other camping in the previous two years?

On one hand...10 nights of short-term camping over two years really should not be a difficult goal to meet if a scout is active in the program.

On the other hand...life happens...maybe there's other things going on that prevented the scout from getting the camping nights.  Other meaningful activities, family issues, who knows.  If he only needs two nights, is there another troop around that is camping soon he could go with?  Or a cub scout pack having a campout he could help with?

The point of this requirement is not just the number of nights; it's consistent participation in the program (i.e. more frequent camping).

2 hours ago, SM101 said:

Went to the normal Scout camp because it’s the SPL  to support their troop camping.  They camped over the fire one night and slept in canvas tents or under the stars.  They made sandwiches the night of Wilderness survival and built a shelter.    I counted this as 3 nights because it was a separate Scouting event and different dates than the long term camp.  No other event shall exceed 3 nights even if they camp more nights.

 

 

How long was this campout?

If 3 nights or less, it counts as short-term camping.  If not, he already has his long-term nights from NYLT--so if this is, say summer camp (6-7 nights) it would not count toward eligibility (as least, as I understand the rules).  What I'm getting at is, I'm pretty sure you can't take a subset of the nights from a long-term camp and use them toward the 10 nights of short-term camping.

4 hours ago, ArmyScout said:

Is that velcro available in the scout shop?

Here's where I've ordered it from:

https://www.thegoosescache.com/index.php/scoutshirthookandloop/

You may want to also look into the Swim and Water Rescue course...it goes over the practical application of Safe Swim Defense as well as in-water rescue practice.  Good course, geared toward adults who are supervising aquatic activities.

And you are correct, SSD says "response personnel," not "lifeguards".  So, that does not require a certified lifeguard, but someone with the knowledge/ability to rescue a swimmer who gets in trouble in the conditions of that particular swim.  So, it could be an older scout or young adult who has Lifesaving MB if that was appropriate for the conditions.

Ours finish AoL whenever they get it done, but we do crossover as a group.

Full suit of armor.  Chainmail and everything.

It found use in a campfire skit, so there's at least that.

You'll need to do IOLS before Wood Badge, because you need to first be "trained for your current position" before taking Wood Badge.  As ans ASM, IOLS is part of that.

Take Wood Badge when you want to do it, not because someone says you have to.

"My personal opinion" is that a good time for WB is after you've been active as a leader for 3-5 years.  And, you need to be comfortable camping--WB is not an outdoors skills course, but you're out in the woods for it.  Folks who are new to Scouts and/or camping who jump right into WB sometimes don't have as good a time with it.

We rotate colors year to year.  Sometimes more "earth-tone" other times more "loud".  Each has its place.  The "earth-tone" fits in well with LNT principles, but I like the loud bright "Hunter Orange" if we're in the woods during hunting  season.