SM bob

The OA has its own ceremonies that remain clouded in mystery. It's that mystery that makes it special. It sounds like your son is a first or second year scout. Maybe his fellow scouts did not think he is worthy or could complete the ordeal. Not everyone is elected and that hurts kids feelings. Scouting is about learning to deal with real world problems and challenges. Feeling rejected is something he will have to deal with in his life, better now than later. How does your troop deal with scouts that are not elected for leadership positions? If I was at camp I would not have pulled him out of the campfire ring. I would have asked the SM and ASM to go to the campsite and explain to the scout and OA member that a problem happened along and in a way that did not crush the scouts ego. As SM I would have walked the scout over to the commissary shack and ordered three ice cream's. Than have a nice talk about perseverance and how life throws challenges at you.

We use Facebook and Cubscouttracker.com Facebook is for the committee and parents to post. cubscouttracker.com is for rank advancement tracking, emails, and the den/pack Calender.

Unfortunately that is the slippery slope I talked about. Once a troop shifts over to adult-led' date=' it is a real bear to shift it back. I hope SM Bob, that's not your troop! Stosh[/quote'] It's not. We do not have ASM's assigned to patrols.

We set SPL and PL min rank as first class. So that they have the skills to teach and help their patrol/ troop. The ASPL is runner up for SPL. The PL's appoint their own APL. All other PORs are assigned by the SPL.

I have seen troops with a ASM patrol adviser. The ASM usually is running the patrol and SM is acting as the SPL. The SPL acts as a runner relaying information with very little authority. That is just the impression I get as an outsider looking in.

My troop hosts a campout with two packs. We invite the Webelos II to drive up with us on Friday night to the group campsite. The Webelos I come up Saturday at lunch time. The Webelos are split up and form patrols for the weekend. They tent with one or two Boy Scouts. The boy scouts are the patrol leaders for the weekend. Due to the number of Webelos the den leaders cook all the meals. We plan a hike in the morning for the Webelos II and then skill stations for everyone in the afternoon. The stations are taught by the scouts or adults. Our stations are knife safety, knife sharpening, cutting and fusing rope, three different knots, fire safety, campfire prep, magnifying glass fire starting, flint and steel, use of compass, pacing, topo map reading, star constellations shapes, scout oath and law, scout trivia. The patrols practice skits for the saturday night campfire. The adults stay in our area and let the Webelos interact with the boy scouts. We only allow registered leaders (cubs and boys scouts) to come on the campout. The joint campout is held in October. This allows the Webelos and den leaders to get a glimpse of Boy Scout camping (minus the cooking). It also give the adults time to interact and get to know each other.

I'm a big fan of troop tents and tarps. The scouts have to maintain and take care of the tents. If they damage the tents, the tent is assigned to the scouts who damaged it until it's fixed or replaced. Three of my scouts had to camp for two months in a tent without a door, because they broke the zipper and didn't fix it. When the weather turned cold they figured out how to fix the zipper.

Every troop, pack, or crew must have a institution head (IH). The IH owns the equipment, bank account, and union number. The IH is in effect the chartered organization. The IH has ultimate authority and power over a unit.

Helper, who is listed as the IH (institutional head) on the charter paperwork. The IH owns the pack and can remove any leader or scout from the pack at will. They hold all of the power. Talk to the IH. Have them write a letter to district removing the current COR & CC and then name new people. Include completed applications for the new positions.

Evilleramsfar - conflict with the CC is the worst. I went thought it, but did not have the backing of the CO. The CC and CO were old friends. You are in a much better position then I was in. When I started my troop I wrote the bylaws so that the CC and SM have equal but separate powers. CC runs the committee and parents. The ASM's and I run the program. I do not like the standard BSA troop org chart.

My lodge is issuing NOAC 2015 lodge pocket flap patches. I am new to the OA so I do not know the proper patch etiquette. Can you wear this patch on your uniform? Are the patches to be worn only if you go to NOAC? Or are they for collecting and trading?

I ran into a scout from my previous troop. A year ago he was 13 and 1st class. Had issues functioning as a PL. Was elected as SPL but could not setup, plan, or manage a PLC, troop meetings, or outing. Skipped most camping trips. Refused to hold PLC's He would mentally shut down when asked to make a decision. In short a13 yr old. The scout is a good kid. He changed troops when I left. He is now wearing life rank and excited because he is working on his eagle project. He said his dad has been working on the project with him. I feel conflicted. Part of me is happy for him. But the other half knows that his dad is doing the work and setting up the project for him (past experience). If rank is given out for time in grade and parents doing the work, what message does that give other scouts? Is this the BSA program today? Are POR's supposed to teach management and/or leadership? Or are they an excuses to wear a patch?

I would have a sit down with the CC and and the CO, preferably over lunch. Try to come to terms with him. Also get your CC on more campouts with you. The CC will get a better feel for the program that you run. The CC wrote the policy to get complaining parents off his and your backs. The policy will not fix the parents complaint problem. You and CC need to have a parent meeting and spell out the realities of the program. My troop bought troop tents for the scouts. The parents just don't know enough to purchase good economical sturdy tents. If a tent is damaged on a campout the scouts that slept in it are required to fix the tent. The damaged tent is assigned to them until it is fixed. If malicious damage was done the parents are required to reimburse the troop. Scouts sleep in tent as assigned by the patrol leader.

We ask that at least one of the scouts parents fill out an application and do YPT. They serve as scouter reserves. They are drivers and stay with the scouts during fundraisers. When the adult shows promise they are asked to help with a specific task. As they get more involved we move them to committee members and their job becomes more permanent. Drivers who do not get In the way during campouts can be ASM's only if they go through training.

Checking out Saturday morning and driving home works. The scouts have a last night to think about their experiences after the Friday night closing ceremony. The drivers are not tired from a full days activities.

Camp Geronimo in Arizona offers adult training classes Tuesday through Friday mornings during merit badge classes. The program directors taught the classes. They offer all of the online classes, plus a lifesaving and canoeing class. The best part of the classes were that not one projector was used. The classes were taught with a roundtable format.

If a scout knows a skill they are required to teach it to those who do not. Otherwise it takes away from my kindle time.

I went from tiger to wolf den leader. The difference in rank systems is huge. I like the national approach of similar rank systems each year. The difference supposedly will be in the program requirements. It should be easier to transition leaders and parents from rank to rank.

Don't get fixated on the 100% boy led idea. That fluctuates based on the scouts at any given time. Give them enough room to have a program. When they make mistakes let them fail. But be there to help them back up. It's like learning to ride a bike. A person has to fall a few times to get their balance. After each fall ask if they are ok and dust them off. Sooner or later they get the hang of it.

As for the complaining parents' date=' I just worry that they are ruining their son's chance in scouting and if the boy likes the program, it isn't fair to take it away because parent is upset.[/quote']

 

If the parents don't share the vision of the troop, they are a cancer. They will destroy any unit cohesion you are trying to make. You cannot save the scout if the parent is a problem. You cannot separate the parent from the scout. When one is problem they both most go. The issue might be in the difference in program expectations that you and the parent have. They might be happier with another troop. I have emailed problem parents a list of the other troops in the districts. They have found other troops more to their liking and the scout has continued the program. Your not kicking them out of scouting, just your troop.

I went through a similiar issue last year. We did not have any scouts who wanted to be SPL. The scouts where young and the position was beyond their abilities. So we stepped back and reevaluated the situation. The scouts were happy to be PL's so we let them be, but the PL's had to take turns running the meetings. They also had to have a PLC and plan events. The PLC would plan an activity/campout then give it to the adult leaders and ask us to make it happen. The scouts are taking more a lead in planning, but are not able to run the troop completely.

During campouts do the adult leaders overly help the scouts? Are the scouts allowed to have their own patrol areas? Do they cook for themselves? Pick camp and pack it up by themselves? There is a fine line between helping and helping too much. Try not to get too discuraged with the scouts remember that they are kids. Responsibility is hard to learn when their parents do everything for them.

As others have stated, your troop does not have a common vision. The committee and scout leaders must have a common vision and be reminded of it often. The vision must be spoken of during the court of honor's and parent meetings. You must also complete your training. I had a ASM who kept on me till I completed all of the SM training. I am very appreciative of his efforts, it opened my eyes. Also go to roundtable and talk to the other leaders in your district.

You mentioned that there are parents who do not help and complain. Do not try to save every scout and/or parent. They are dead weight that will drag you and the troop down. It is better to have a smaller functioning troop than a larger one that is struggling and without parent help. I will not tolerate parents that complain. I inform everyone that I am a volunteer and membership in the troop is optional. If a parent causes too much chaos they are asked to leave the troop. Scouting is supposed to be a fun experience for the scouts and the adults.

Every year my troop has a Webelos campout with our two feeder packs. We break up our patrols and everyone becomes a patrol leader and assistant for the weekend incharge of up to 6 Webelos I/II's. The Webelos get to experience Boy Scout camping and I use the time to prep the cub leaders on what the transition will be like, for them and the Webelos. My ASM's and CC are there to help. This event is planned by the boy scouts and adult leaders. The following month the troop plans a big trip or high adventure as the reward for hosting the Cubscout campout. The scouts know this will happen every year. If a troop does not have a good recruitment program it will die out. A troop is adult led and boy run. The boys do not have the option of blowing off important activities because they are not fun. Remind the scouts that dinner must be eaten prior to dessert.

The problem with this situation is that 1) the sm has stepped down, 2) the CC is his wife, 3) the COR is the pastor of the church and was at camp, 4) you were not witness to the event, 5) you have no authority in the troop. The situation has resolved itself. The sm had a bad day and he stepped down. I would let the issue rest. Stirring everyone up including district will not make your troop run any better. Support the new SM. Offer to be a driver for campouts. Make the new new SM shine and be helpful whenever he needs assistance. Make friends with the COR. The old SM will be less likely to come back. After a few months the CC might step down, since her husband is out of the troop. If that happens offer to be the new CC. Play the long game and the troop will be better off.

We tried different camps. We have decided on a permanent camp same week and campsite. The camp we decided on is economical for all scouts and has a great program. We offer a high adventure summer trip for scouts 14+. This way the younger scouts get a great experience and the older scouts can do either or both.

The problem is signing young scouts up for a merit badge that we all know they can not do. If we all refuse to allow first year scouts and maybe second year scouts from signing up for complex badges the classes will be better. A 1st yr scout in environmental science, wilderness survival, rock climbing, cooking, or any eagle badge other than swimming is ridiculous. We should all push the more crafty ones. When the scouts get older they can choose for themselves. If only older scouts are in the more technical badge classes the instructor can cover more material.