brooklynscout

Beavah raises several good points- the adding to requirements point and retesting point are too oft quoted by those who just want to get it signed off and done with. It is ultimately the spirit of the regulations that counts, not the letter. For example, some might say having a scout do a basic orienteering course for second class is adding to the requirement. After all, he just has to show how the compass works and orient a map, right? Well, in my mind it isn't adding to the requirement, but simply making sure the scout meets the intent of it- to know how to use a compass. Another situation w

My personal leaning is towards a combination of these two methods: teaching in the meetings by the troop guide, with activities to reinforce it, and then testing in the field. Take for example, the menu planning. The way I would conduct this is by first having the troop guide use the EDGE method to have the patrol plan a menu for their campout, and teaching them about basic cooking and cleanup procedures. This not only introduces them to the skill, but having 6-8 eleven year olds plan meals together is a great exercise in compromise and teamwork. On that campout, they'll all cook and clean tog

Hi MapleScouter, First, I apologize if I'm beating a dead horse here. First, a little background on myself: I'm an NYLT staffer and have been a PL and acting SPL. My advice for you: Split your patrol into 2 or even 3 patrols. I was the PL for a patrol of 11 two years ago. I will tell you this- anything more than 8 is basically a small troop. A group of 17 will only serve to give you headaches eventually. The age difference, while it is usually a good thing, is something you should be aware of. When I took NYLT, the staff accidentally put a 16 year old in the 13 year old patrol. The 16 year