ScouterWamp

I'm sorry to post again with another topic …. There is a possibility of another Resident Camp in our Council (slight). Currently there is one summer Resident Camp offered for our Cub Scouts in the Council and it is about a 10hr drive from us (longer for others). There is the possibility of starting another one closer to our location (this would encompass 2 of the 5 Districts in our Council), but this needs to be at little/ no cost to our Council due to recent budget cuts. Since this will benefit me, my sons, and my Cub Scouts, I'm VERY interested in this possibility. Day camp h

Hello. I'm having a slight issue with the role of Den Chief. I am currently CC for a Pack and was previously the CM and the SM for the local Troop. At the beginning of the year we requested Den Chiefs from the Troop to assist our DLs. No one stepped forward (the previous year, we had four). The Troop recently had elections for POL and selections for POR. One Star Scout was not selected for any position and his parents complained to the SM, who refused to change the SPL's selections for POR (and rightfully so). The parents then said they would just have their son serve as a DC, in that

You do have a few points to help you in this matter: 1) As has already been mentioned, who in the Troop (specifically SM) has signed approving the project (weak, but one option) 2) Scout Spirit: Where has he demonstrated his loyalty, integrity, etc especially to the Troop?? This is a requirement for every rank and one which only the SM should approve. This is the most nebulous of requirements, but one which should be taken most seriously. Remember, Eagle is not just a piece of cloth the Scout wears on his shirt (which I had a Life Scout tell me while "waiting" for a SM Conference .

Pack Meetings ARE all about showmanship ... whether it is with competition, skits, songs, or awards, it's how you interact with the Scouts. Keep the meetings lively, engaging, and interesting (these are for the Cubs, not the parents). We have a monthly theme and the Pack Meeting sticks with the theme ... songs, jokes, and activities. We will open with a flag ceremony and go into "role call" (always loud and boisterous) and straight into a song ... usually brining the parents and leaders in, as well. Sometimes we will have the Dens talk about what they did, sometimes we will focus on the th

The WRC does bring a new light to the situation. I'm not sure about ISA for Cub Scouts. More times than not, Cub Scouts cannot really earn the money themselves, as Fred mentioned, it is usually the parents. Fundraising should go to the entire Pack (offset the cost of activities for all involved???). Our Pack has a pay-as-you-go program, subsidized by the different fund-raisers. 2Cub is right .... parents should start cutting the cord with parents at this point ... before they become too much of helicopter parents which cause nightmares for SMs. However, Bottom Line, if the mo

A pocket knife is an invaluable tool, not only for Scouts, but for anyone. Everyone I work with knows I carry one, even in a suit. This being said, we start teaching knife safety and proper knife usage, first with popsicle sticks, then with plastic knives (all with soap), with our Tigers (we actually have the Boy Scouts teach this during our Cub Day Camps). Starting with the Tigers teaches habits and by the time they are Bears, most of the Whittlin' Chip is "old hat" and they can easily recite (and teach the new Cub Scouts) the rules of using this tool. However, our Scouts don't usuall

Personally, I like the ISA in a Troop. As for Scouter Accounts, this is the first I have heard of this theory. I would have to support accounts for any person who participates in Troop activities, especially for the SM/ ASMs (but we also have all of our SM/ ASMs wear a patrol patch and use the same exact equipment as the Scouts and camp and interact as a Patrol, to set the example). I do not believe a parent should use a Scout's account for participation in activities (the Scout earned the money, let the Scout reap the benefits ... allowing parents to use the account, even with Scout permiss

Thanks to all of you. I have always in the past (either as a SM or CM) enjoyed a good relationship with the CC, where we would stand together on issues (there were places where we didn't agree, but talked through them and developed a solution beneficial to the Scouts and the Troop/ Pack). The Pack CM and I currently enjoy the same cooperative relationship (I happen to serve as the CC for the Pack .. I know two different models, but both should be based on cooperation between the SM/ CM and the CC). In this case, this wasn't happening; as TwoCubDad put it so well, the Committee was running

I see one of the roles of the Scoutmaster as the conduit between the PLC and the Committee. The PLC plans (with guidance/ sanity check from the Scoutmaster), and the Committee resources the plan (again, the SM provides the plan to the Committee). For this reason, I see a need for the SM to attend both meetings. When both meetings occurred simultaneously, we had the issue of each group planning the same activity for the same organization, and the Committee usually took over, leaving the Scouts to learn, if they don't plan, the parents will take over and do it for them. Instead of if they don't

Mozartbrau and Stosh, thank you for the guidance and advice. I have to agree with both your points of view. Though the Scouts in question attended the campout, the leaders continue to deal with parental involvement and Committee insistence. After being told the "supporters" (parents) didn't appreciate a meal plan and the Committee Chair requesting a Scoutmaster Conference for his son prior to a Board of Review, I found it time to find another calling in this field (I will remain involved in the Cub Scout program in our community). The individual "appointed" as Scoutmaster (he found out af

We actually try to do ILST after each election. We explain to the Scouts that leadership experiences change based upon the leadership team; different SPL, different goal, different dynamic, different expectations, etc. Typically, as the SM, I will bring together the PLC and staff and do an overnight lock-in with them. The "culminating" piece of the ILST is to walk them through (in detail) what a PLC planning meeting should be. I do like the old JLT much better than the new ILST (based upon the resources they provide), but have been using the ILST cirriculum for the last two years. We wi

I have been following these threads for quite a while, and use many of the ideas to help guide my recommendations and directions as a Scoutmaster and Cubmaster (rather busy in my current community). I want to thank all of you for your input to these, though I have been a silent beneficiary of your wisdom. Sorry for the long note, but lately, I have been facing a rather difficult problem as a Scoutmaster; our Committee has been trying to run the priorities and plans of the Troop. We have a brand new Committee Chair who has accepted the role out of a sense of obligation (the previous move