dedkad

And one of the culprit's character is turning out to be even more deplorable. He's apparently strong enough to hike around and topple a large rock, but is still suing someone for his "disability" caused in an auto accident. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/10/man-who-toppled-ancient-rock-suing-for-disability/

 

This man needs to be kicked out of the BSA.

There's no doubt these guys are idiots and they are lying through their teeth to rationalize what they did. At the same time the death threats and the media attention is solely because they are associated with the Boy Scouts. I've been to this park and it's just a giant play ground. The kids absolutely love playing there and it shows. There are paths worn everywhere. People carve their names into the sandstone. There is not much of nature left to enjoy. The idea that these yokels destroyed some pristine natural area is a farce.

So you don't define a rock formation that has been there for 170 million years nature? I don't recall reading "everybody's doing it, so we can too" in the Scout handbook.

Do you vote on all boys or only the ones that want to be denner? I know one of my boys doesn't want to be denner. (He doesn't even want to be there.)

Then don't have one. It's not a necessary position.

We have a scout that repeated webelos 1. He was young for age when he started school and then skipped a grade. Leadership figured out that he would not have been 10 and able to cross over so he did he did the Webelos 1 items 2x.

I can't believe they made him do the same requirements twice. If he earned his Webelos badge, he's done with those requirements. He could have done some of the many other activity badges during his repeat year instead.

I hate a score for growing a unit. We have two Troops in the area with more than 75 boys (one is the one I am associated with). They have both capped membership, and they both reach out to other units to refer boys. So because they don't want to grow any larger, they are bad?

To achieve gold in that requirement, apparently it is. Odd that the "AND" requirement to increase the size only occurs when you have a troop larger than 35. The troop you refer to could just take the bronze or silver on that one.

From the official “2014 Scouting's Journey to Excellence†Score Card

 

Short-term camping: The troop conducts short-term or weekend campouts throughout the year.

 

Bronze

Conduct four short-term overnight campouts.

 

Silver

Conduct seven short-term overnight campouts.

 

Gold

Conduct nine short-term overnight campouts.

 

Long-term camping: The troop participates in a long-term camp.

 

Bronze

The troop participates in a long-term camp.

 

Silver

60% of Scouts attend a long-term camp.

 

Gold

70% of Scouts attend a long-term camp.

I agree with qwazse's assessment of using the JTE score cards for data, but it does give you an idea of what BSA thinks is a manageable number of boys to have in a troop. Obviously, you can have an awesome program with less than 15 boys, but somewhere between 15 and 35 sounds like a good target.

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]From the official “2014 Scouting's Journey to Excellence†Score Card[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

Building Boy Scouting: Have an increase in membership or be larger than the average size troop.

 

Bronze:

Have a membership growth plan that includes a recruitment night and either a net gain of one member over last year or at least 15 members.

 

Silver:

Have a membership growth plan that includes a recruitment night and either increase youth members by 5% or have at least 25 members.

 

Gold:

Have a membership growth plan that includes a recruitment night and either increase youth members by 10% or have at least 35 members with an increase over last year.

 

And from the 2013 BSA Fact Sheet: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/210-807.pdf, the average size is 24 Youth.

[TABLE=width: 545]

[TR]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD]Units[/TD]

[TD]Total Youth[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[/TD]

[TD=align: right]37,856[/TD]

[TD=align: right]430,557[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]United Methodist Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]10,868[/TD]

[TD=align: right]363,876[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Catholic Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]8,397[/TD]

[TD=align: right]273,648[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Presbyterian Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,597[/TD]

[TD=align: right]125,523[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Lutheran Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,827[/TD]

[TD=align: right]116,417[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Baptist Churches[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,981[/TD]

[TD=align: right]108,353[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Episcopal Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,179[/TD]

[TD=align: right]41,407[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]United Church of Christ, Congregational Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,191[/TD]

[TD=align: right]38,225[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,165[/TD]

[TD=align: right]33,941[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Community Churches[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,054[/TD]

[TD=align: right]32,311[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Church of Christ[/TD]

[TD=align: right]546[/TD]

[TD=align: right]15,430[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Evangelical/independent churches [/TD]

[TD=align: right]294[/TD]

[TD=align: right]7,899[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Church of God [/TD]

[TD=align: right]237[/TD]

[TD=align: right]5,241[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Church of the Nazarene [/TD]

[TD=align: right]156[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,181[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Reformed Church in America [/TD]

[TD=align: right]127[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,077[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Jewish synagogues and centers[/TD]

[TD=align: right]156[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,738[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Church of the Brethren [/TD]

[TD=align: right]101[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,759[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]African Methodist Episcopal[/TD]

[TD=align: right]149[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,416[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]The Salvation Army[/TD]

[TD=align: right]130[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,233[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Islam, Muslim, Masjid[/TD]

[TD=align: right]78[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,222[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Assemblies of God[/TD]

[TD=align: right]91[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,193[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Christian Methodist Episcopal Church[/TD]

[TD=align: right]95[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,970[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Community of Christ[/TD]

[TD=align: right]61[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,899[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Pentecostal Churches[/TD]

[TD=align: right]107[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,830[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Other churches[/TD]

[TD=align: right]879[/TD]

[TD=align: right]23,910[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Groups of citizens[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,115[/TD]

[TD=align: right]100,751[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]American Legion and Auxiliary[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,553[/TD]

[TD=align: right]68,154[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Business/industry[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,807[/TD]

[TD=align: right]66,454[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Lions International[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,271[/TD]

[TD=align: right]64,563[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Rotary International[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,333[/TD]

[TD=align: right]42,922[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]VFW, Auxiliary, Cootie[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,084[/TD]

[TD=align: right]31,199[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Fire departments[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,176[/TD]

[TD=align: right]30,819[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Kiwanis International[/TD]

[TD=align: right]889[/TD]

[TD=align: right]28,547[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Elks lodges (BPOE)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]778[/TD]

[TD=align: right]21,967[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Community centers[/TD]

[TD=align: right]925[/TD]

[TD=align: right]21,258[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs[/TD]

[TD=align: right]569[/TD]

[TD=align: right]19,177[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Nonprofit agencies[/TD]

[TD=align: right]603[/TD]

[TD=align: right]16,662[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Playgrounds, recreation centers[/TD]

[TD=align: right]444[/TD]

[TD=align: right]11,610[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Athletic booster clubs[/TD]

[TD=align: right]389[/TD]

[TD=align: right]11,416[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Chambers of commerce, business associations[/TD]

[TD=align: right]358[/TD]

[TD=align: right]10,553[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Homeowner’s associations[/TD]

[TD=align: right]268[/TD]

[TD=align: right]9,519[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Optimist International[/TD]

[TD=align: right]246[/TD]

[TD=align: right]8,804[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]YWCA, YMCA[/TD]

[TD=align: right]312[/TD]

[TD=align: right]8,738[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Masonsâ€â€Eastern Star[/TD]

[TD=align: right]296[/TD]

[TD=align: right]8,664[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Other community organizations[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,656[/TD]

[TD=align: right]45,891[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Parent-teacher groups other than PTAs[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,443[/TD]

[TD=align: right]144,219[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Private schools[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,802[/TD]

[TD=align: right]103,254[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Parent-Teacher Associations/Parent-Teacher Organizations[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,561[/TD]

[TD=align: right]65,567[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD] [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]TOTAL[/TD]

[TD=align: right]106,200[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,586,964[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD] [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Average Troop Size based on 2013 BSA Fact Sheet[/TD]

[TD] [/TD]

[TD=align: right]24.4[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

Interesting to see all the different organizations that charter a pack or troop.

Do you vote on all boys or only the ones that want to be denner? I know one of my boys doesn't want to be denner. (He doesn't even want to be there.)

Only the boys who want to be denner should be voted on. I'm thinking about maybe adding some minimum criteria this year for my Web II's. Because they have to learn the Scout Oath and Scout Law, I'm thinking that only the boys who have learned those by the election meeting can be eligible to be denner. Gives them some incentive, since all my boys want to be denner.

Something that is missing from the discussion is the scout's desires. I had many scouts, who given the choice, would just soon skip it. The scout who had the COH at his house was absolutley adamante that he didn't want a big deal in front of the troop. The presentation at the house was a compromise for his parents. I do like the Aircraft Carrier idea. I wonder if we have one in Oklahoma. Barry

jblake47, it's called brain-storming, and it's very effective at getting the ideas flowing. Maybe he doesn't know exactly what he wants, but by asking us to throw out ideas, it gets his own thoughts going.

Besides the creepy faceless kids on those stamps, you read the link for the bicycle helmet article? Our scouts have nixed bike rides because of the draconian helmet rule. Wonder what the stats are for the cycling MB before and after the rule?

I guess if you come from a state like packsaddle's that doesn't require helmets, getting the boys to wear one can become a battle. Wearing a helmet on a bike is just second nature for the kids here in California. The boys don't even question it, but if they do all you have to tell them is that it is the law and scouts obey laws.

Besides the creepy faceless kids on those stamps, you read the link for the bicycle helmet article? Our scouts have nixed bike rides because of the draconian helmet rule. Wonder what the stats are for the cycling MB before and after the rule?

Yeah, what draconian helmet rule? You mean the rule that requires a boy to wear one?

 

From BSA Bike Safety Guidelines

3. Helmets and Clothing

All cyclists must wear a properly sized and fitted helmet approved by either the Snell Memorial Foundation, CPSC, or ASTM standard. Layer your clothing for warmth on cool days so you can avoid chilling or overheating. Cover up for sun protection on clear days.

 

Broken arms and scraped knees are one thing, but a head concussion and possible death is an entirely different matter. It becomes even more important to wear a helmet when you are pushing the limits and doing some serious biking. Do your boys wear sunscreen when they go outside? Do they wear seatbelts in the car? Do they wear life jackets when they boat? Or did they nix those activities too? Anyone serious enough to pursue the cycling MB should have no problem wearing a helmet.

This is Awesome. I have not been, but working on going. Hopefully this year. The people who have gone love it. Yes, you can take your whole family. You sleep as a family. While YPT is in affect, your with your family. I do not know about being the only male in the spouse group. I bet he would not be alone. The people that I know who have gone totally loved it.

 

As for your position going forward after Crossover. Training is awesome, especially in Cubscouts. Have you contacted your District Training Chair? I suspect you can get on the Training Team there. Also, there is a Webeos to Scout Coordinator in many District's. Will you still be involved on the Cubscout Roundtable?

 

If there is EDGE in your Council, take that training. You need it to be a Trainer. Plus, it gets you networking with other like minded people.

Thanks for all the info. Lots of questions I'll need to find answers to. This is all happening so fast. I'd heard about Philmont as a high adventure camp, but didn't know about the training center until yesterday when I went to a Cub Scout Leader training. I have not had the best experience trying to get den chiefs for our pack or trying to get the local troops to provide some sort of Webelos Outdoor Activity to help them qualify for AOL. That is why I think there is a need for somebody to take the lead on this. I will contact the District to get more info.

Thinking about going to the Training Center this summer and taking the family. I'm currently a Web II den leader, but my son will be going into Boy Scouts in February. I'd like to position myself as a Pack-Troop liaison to try to build a better relationship with the feeder packs, and also possibly as some kind of trainer. There looks like there's a good session June 8-14 for those types of positions. I'm sure many of you have been to the Philmont Training Center. What was your experience? I will have my 9 year old daughter and 11 year old son with me, along with my husband. Is the training worthwhile? Will my kids have fun? Can we all sleep in the same tent or will we need to split up? Will my husband be the only male in the spouses group?

You should see some of the rock head stuff that goes on over there.

 

Kudu is over there getting bet up as well.

 

What worries me the most is that website is a link from facebook and I fear that group is more representative of what is going on in scouting than is forum......

 

I am going to say that Scouter.com represents the .00001%'ers.

 

Bryan on scouting represents the light and fluffy Facebook, millennial feel good everybody gets a trophy generation.

Remember, it's all about the boys. Can't turn back the clock. Gotta accept that today's generation of kids is different than 50 years ago. We can do our best to instill good old-fashioned values, but how we go about achieving that goal has got to change with the times.

My den meets right after school at the school, and everyone with a son knows how famished they are after school, so the parents alternate bringing snack on den meeting days. I recently got fed up with the constant trips back to the snack table while I was trying to run a meeting, so now I am distributing a set portion of snack and drink to each boy as soon as they arrive and they get no seconds. Keeps the meetings focused on what needs to be done. Our pack meetings are in the evening from 6:00 p.m. to about 7:15 p.m. That is right in the middle of dinner time, but we do not provide any food or snack at the pack meetings. We leave it up to the parents to decide if they want to feed their children dinner ahead of time or wait until after. We have a few kids who come to the meeting with a burrito in hand and eat it during the meeting. It has not been a distraction thus far, so we are OK with that. It's usually the kids who are running from one activity to the next who do that. So in answer to your question, yes, kids can go for an hour or an hour and a half without food, provided they are given the opportunity to have a snack at home prior to the meeting.

My Webelos den visited a Boy Scout troop meeting the other evening. This troop has a good mix of younger and older boys in it. One of the older boys (16 or 17 maybe?) consistently talked back to the 17-year old SPL. The SPL did a great job of keeping his cool while trying to coerce the boy to behave more appropriately and follow directions without the constant attitude. I don't know what the history is between these two boys, but there appeared to be some animosity. I think the one boy should have been sat down and given a serious talking to about his disrespectful behavior. Should the SM have stepped in and had a talk with the boy who was being rude, or was it OK to just let it go because the boys need to learn how to get along on their own and it didn't result in a fight?

If those boys are out-hiking you, get them to carry some of your stuff for you!

Yeah, like that's going to do any good. They say they have to have a FULL uniform and you know how much traction that got.

 

Stosh

My favorite is when they wear their athletic shorts and then add their Cub Scout belt to dangle around their waist. Gotta show off those belt loops no matter what, I guess.

Yeah, like that's going to do any good. They say they have to have a FULL uniform and you know how much traction that got.

 

Stosh

My son's shirt is going to look really stupid tucked into his athletic shorts.

So, officially, cubscouts is limited by the age and or grade of the student? If a student skips a grade, or is held back, he also skips or is held back in scouts?

 

 

Unless you are an LDS pack. Then your rank is determined by age, I believe.

BSA announces that shirts are to be tucked in.

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/10/09/tuck-everlasting-scout-uniform-shirts-should-always-be-tucked-in-bsa-says/#more-21030

do not give them worksheets. they'll go home and do webelos pins as if they are homework assignments which takes ALL the fun out of scouting.

I agree that Cub Scouts should not be like homework, which is why I detest some of the requirements they need to fulfill. However, as the program currently stands, the Webelos are encouraged to explore the handbook on their own because not too many dens can offer the boy a chance to earn every badge. This is one way the boy can take on that responsibility of learning on his own, like they would when getting started with a Boy Scout merit badge. Given the alternative of taking the parent's word for it or denying them their activity badge, I think the worksheet is a decent option.

I did denners last year for my Webelos I. Rotated a new denner every 3 months. I let the boys vote on who would be denner and who would be assistant denner. Never let the same boy do it twice in a row, so more boys would have an opportunity to be elected. Had them all get up and give a speech on why they should be denner to give them some public-speaking practice. I was surprised what a good job they did in their impromptu speeches. Unfortunately, the denners selected were never the boys I would have chosen, the ones who really would have been most helpful to me. I didn't really work them into the program as much as I could have, but I did try to give them a few responsibilities at each meeting. Not sure if I will have a denner for my Webelos II. If I do, I will probably have one boy serve the entire time.

I agree with jblake47. Lions were in the program when I was a cub back in the 50s but in our pack, somehow I think I bypassed that and went directly to the troop. I have no good recollection of how that happened. Or else Lion was so forgettable that I, well, forgot it. Entirely possible, lol.

 

Change the oath if it works for the boys. Seems to me that at that age, I had no trouble memorizing TV commercials on the first viewing. The boys are probably up to it if they want to be.

I can still recite the McDonald's Big Mac jingle - Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. It's all about priorities.

I love it when I get a parent who says their boy earned a certain belt loop, and when I look at the requirements for that belt loop, it says they have to present something to the pack or den, which they never did. I wonder if the parents even bother to read the requirements. For our pack, they can only earn belt loops for things they have done since becoming a cub scout, so anything prior to him joining would not count.