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DadScouts

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Everything posted by DadScouts

  1. For summer camp the camps give the Troop all partials. I use to put them with the completed cards and patches to be handed out at summer camp. I stopped doing that 2 years ago and toss all partials in a big envelope. Not a single Scout has asked me about them in those 24 months. (I do record the partials in Troopmaster though - actually not sure why after reading this thread. May discontinue if a couple helicopter parent "leaders" in our Troop don't squawk. As a MBC I would review with the Scout all requirements "completed" at a summer camp anyway before awarding the MB, that is if a Sco
  2. Actually had an EBOR have to consider whether or not the project requirement was done or not. A Scout was warned several times, in writing, about pending age out date and Eagle. (Got Life with less than a week to spare before.) Delayed Eagle work (projects & MBs) until the last minute. With the new (3-4 year old system) his proposal/concept was approved and he gave a Scout promise to create a project Final Plan and have it reviewed by someone, but never did. Project was parent driven. His project was the first one ever in the history of our Troop where the beneficiary gave a "cease &
  3. We don't. However, we do like it when Scouts have "Swing & a miss" projects since often as much is learned from the non-completed first attempt. Our district/council has at least a couple Troop committee members on EBOHs and I make sure they know about prior attempted projected before the EBOR.
  4. 1. With your experience, join the Pack committee for a year. Maybe they need you, maybe they don't, but having you available is an asset to them. 2. Join the District committee. OK passing on the program chair. Volunteer for the recruiting/membership committee and tell all those older Troop centric wonderful volunteers that the best way to help Scouting is to do a better job recruiting Cubs. 3. Watch, listen, and learn on the Troop side. Troops are different than Packs obviously but the big difference is Troops are different than Troops, in addition to being different than Packs. Learn
  5. My son joined a Troop just about 20 minutes away. Knew of a couple of Scouts there but friends with none. Met a couple new kids and became friends with them and basically liked having a couple friends from a different high school. Worked out great. (I preferred this Troop over closer local ones for many of the same reasons you stated.)
  6. Given your son's aspirations, he should have conservation service hours out the ears. Training is training, leadership is leadership, and service hours are service hours. How about him getting trained (check), taking the leadership role, using the leadership role (check) by proactively going out and identifying a conservation project, get the SM to approve the project, get 2 leaders and a bunch of Scouts to show up so all the Scouts get service hours credit (check). During the work session all takes a break and he instructs them on some LNT principals so all the Scouts have a better appre
  7. Troop 1 and leave M behind. M has a problem with the ASM? That's a problem for no one, other than M. Don't let M make the problem worse.
  8. We are clear with our Scouts that their managing adults is definitely leadership. Now, in practice, sometimes it is hard for the Scout to give directions to an adult and not the other way around. Our more seasoned adults are aware of the issues and know to ask the Scout before doing work or giving directions. Both the adults and Eagles need to be educated and reminded how it is supposed to work. Most of the time it does. Another problem is the Guide To Safe Scouting. We actually are informing Eagle Scouts it is preferred that people bring handsaws to projects and not use exclusively c
  9. I imagine no different than all boy units with female SM/ASMs. Regardless, BSA is asexual in my opinion. Our unit has never had husband/wife leader team before but it has been discussed. The Troop would insist on separate tents for even a married couple.
  10. We average 4-6 Eagles a year, 70 Scout Troop. Out of last 40 only 2 Eagled at 15; both remained hyper-active in Scouting doing Sr Patrol and then moving on to positions at Council (employee, NYLT staff, etc.) Only really had one "Eagle and run" and he checked the boxes in the Troop and went on to resume pad outside of BSA to get into an academy. Frustrated many but he turned around once at the academy big time and "gave back" then. Good JASM assignments, beating them on their "legacy", annual high adventure outings in the Troop, and pushing NYLT staff help keep them engage well. We also a
  11. Scouts and parents are welcome to attend but rarely do, except the SPL and a couple parents. The SPL attends maybe half the TC meetings. Often its really the SPL's parent is a TC member and the SPL attends just see what they are like. A new SPL typically goes to a couple of meetings and then realizes he could care less about the monthly finance and checking account reviews/approvals and adult training issues discussed and stops coming. Then every six months the new SPL comes for a month or two then disappears. No big deal.
  12. Older son never a Cub and younger son only a Cub for one year then quit for Boy Scouts so I only had 1 opportunity at viewing this Pine Wood Derby mess. My son took the wood and penciled in the design he wanted. I had a small band saw and thought the perfect opportunity to teach my son how to use it safely and I'd be right there to make sure he had 10 fingers afterwards. Well, he wasn't that experienced with it and really missed one of his lines on the cut. I thought he'd be upset. He looked at it and said, "Hey dad, look, I made a pickup truck!" Love kids sometimes. He sanded the heck
  13. Mess all around. We require verification and PRE-approval of service hours, but that is all done ahead of time and if not recorded publicly for all to see in Troopmaster a Scout doesn't get the BOR. Easier to clean up a mess before it happens. No words on the knot tying, although our BORs wouldn't be shy about asking a Star to Life Scout how many knots he's taught other younger Scouts while mentoring them. While the BOR/Troop is clearly in the wrong here the Scout could learn to handle himself better. BOR members are in positions of authority here and respect to those with that power i
  14. Best advice I got early on as a head coach. Young boys will go overboard to please and accept challenges. Tell them what you want them to do, always ask something just a tad above their perceived ability and they will try like heck to accomplish the task and succeed, for you as much as for them. SMART goals are never a bad idea.
  15. Not sure if I would be worried since it all depends upon the circumstances. Different strokes for different folks. We have many different types of Scouters and Scouts. Age and goals and personalities all over the planet. For our BORs we as Scouters have different unofficial goals for each rank. Tenderfoot has one goal for us: "Is the Scout having FUN!?". That's it. Principal is we believe in our program and it will benefit youth but there is no benefit at all if they are not having fun and then drop out. Second Class goals are: "Is the Scout learning anything?" and "Is the Scout having
  16. I would disagree. The BOR requirement is worded the same as a SMC, folding a flag, or tying a knot. It is the Scout's responsibility to get each requirement in his book signed off as completed. A BOR is no different. Scouts start to learn at least minimal personal accountability by making them responsible for the ask, via a simple email. Requiring a form, in triplicate, with multi-party approvals would be too much and adding to the requirement. (BTW, email requests from parents on behalf of their son are not accepted. Again, Tenderfoots excepted.
  17. After SMC Scout emails Advancement Chair no less than one week prior to BOR requested date. BORs concurrent w/meetings. A parent is often grabbed as a 4th member observer, particularly parents of younger Scouts, to sit on Star & Life BORs to give them an orientation on how the unit develops members in leadership as they age. Scouts working on Tenderfoot are not held to the email requirement and the TGs work with them proactively and request the BORs for them.
  18. Yes, Scouts have "no idea" what to do all the time. Simple "writer's block" that needs to be overcome. Our Life-To-Eagle person is good about killing immediately the maintenance work that doesn't qualify. Scout is now bummed out his project is dead. Perfect time to introduce new ideas. Just ask the Scout what groups he participants in. Sports, church, music, nature, etc. Still nothing? Then ask about family members in need or who have struggled - are grandparents in a nursing home where some activity areas could be built. What charities has the Scout or his family members volunteered
  19. UW dropped our council I think a decade ago. Apparently not the BSA membership policy but the fact UW's funding was down and they knew our council wasn't hurting for $s as much as other non-profits in our area. It also wasn't big $s to begin with so the cut wasn't severe. Council $s are actually up here; partially since some corp matching $s have been reestablished with the change in the membership policy.
  20. We see this but unfortunately not a big impact since organizations approach the troop or leaders and not Scouts directly. We call them "Off the shelf" projects since they are all ready to go and the Scout doesn't have to do any planning, just executes. A local elected official contacted me with help and I politely explained the Scout needs to come up with his own project so a thanks but no thanks reply. She understood. Rarely do these ready made projects happen fortunately since they tend to be poorly done since the Scout isn't self-motivated to do a good job.
  21. "Tempting though. I like the idea of having the troop roster at the push of a button and then a push a button to dial the phone from the roster. Nice feature." The best part is the data stays local on the phone so a leader can access medical records even out on the trail out of Internet service. Yes, the "one touch" dialing for anyone, or texting, is very very nice. The whole "Did you credit me for those service hours yet?" is now always answered with a "I can't remember, did you look it up on your smart phone?" reply. The TM Mobile is a free application, unlike their Dot.Net add on.
  22. Have used Troopmaster for years; the TM Mobile application all the Scouts, Scouters, and Parents love. I just got the beta version of the new Troopmaster Web that is coming out next month. Outstanding upgrade over the Troopmaster desktop version and current web version. Just into it for a week now but 50 units apparently have it w/o issue. I understand ready to release; just creating more instructional videos for YouTube before they launch it. I personally have used Internet Advancement, Internet Rechartering, Do A Good Turn Daily, and other BSA websites for years. They are SO outmode
  23. I don't see any real delays here. 1-2 weeks for a Life SMC I suspect is the norm, except small Troops that might handle on demand. 2 weeks for your son but SM saw the delay and had an ASM step in for him to avoid further delays. All good. ASM likely isn't that well versed and asked a knot question for Life. Certainly odd. However, the ASM offered to ASSIST your son AND sign off on it this weekend. The delay may not be kosher but a handful of days is a handful of days. If he couldn't explain the knot that he demonstrated for the EDGE method requirement that could be the reason. The
  24. "Pedantic". I had to look up that one and as a result learned something today, thank you. (Not sure if I earned a nap but if I was at camp I would be hitting the hammock contently.)
  25. Our system works well, at least for us: 1. SM signs off on Star/Life/Eagle since half requirements (service hrs, MBs, leadership) are Troopmaster tracked or they s/b SM anyway like Scout Spirit. 2. PL (if 1st Class) can sign off for his patrol only T-2-1. TGs and Sr Patrol can sign for anyone, except Sr Patrol can't sign off during Troop mtgs since they s/b running the Troop and working with Scout leadership. 3. Only SM can sign off on the 1st Class "invite a friend" requirement since that one was troublesome in the past. 4. Scouts can no longer "sign off" on requirements; we now call it
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