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CherokeeScouter

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Posts posted by CherokeeScouter

  1. Total ban here. This includes in the car and on the 12-hour bus ride to Summer Camp. That last part is interesting. Once we didn't allow them on the bus, the kids started talking to each other, playing cards, singing songs, etc. Like we were back in the 60s. 

     

    Adults can use them whenever and wherever. We work for a living. 

    • Upvote 1
  2. As usual, leave it to us to take something as simple as this and dissect it, boil it, and stomp all over it. Here's how it works. 

     

    1. Two adults in camp - Always.

    2. Golf - Never. Ditto for any thing  that takes you away for more than 2 hours. 

    3. Lunch out at the nearest rib shack - absolutely. Would probably do this a couple of times. 

    4. WalMart run. Absolutely. Best combine it with number 3. 

    5. All adults on site after supper. 

     

    First Winter Camp, the third and most experienced leader bailed on the first day and went trail riding on his bike in a nearby National Forest. We were furious. Just me and another newbie. Didn't even have the decency to tell us he was leaving. Just left. 

  3. Reach out to the parents.  Be gentle. Find out the real story is. That's a first step. Maybe a mid-rank SM conference (you can hold them at anytime according to GTA), find out what is going on with kid. 

     

    I would do this out of concern for the Scout, plus the Scouts he is interacting with. 

     

    Then, working  with parents, try and work out a game plan going forward of staying out of trouble, getting help, etc., but for Scouts only. Scout obviously has his own issues with school, courts, etc.. 

     

    If Scout honors his end of the bargain,  I see no reason he can't be an Eagle. 

     

    As Schiff says, Help Your Scout First. But I certainly wouldn't do without notifying parents. After all, he is minor. 

  4. Ours is a tad  more electronic. The reference letters are sent directly to the District Eagle person via email. (We have a template in Microsoft Word). The District Eagle person also collects the Eagle application as  well, which goes to Council. That Eagle District person also schedules the BOR. 

  5. Was wondering how your Council handles Eagle references. The application says to  list the names and addresses of people who would provide references on behalf of the Eagle candidate. It doesn't actually say to provide them. Is that just assumed? In fact, taking it further, it almost sounds like the Council would reach out for the the references. 

     

    Or does your council, like ours, just let it be known that the Eagle candidate needs to provide references and has the Eagle candidate ask for a reference and then has the person send the reference letter directly to the council. 

     

    Tx in advance for any help. 

  6. We have three approaches for social media.  We use the website for information about the troop, who were are, what we do, when we meet, along with links to some forms, etc. It's the perfect site for someone who is Googling our area to find out about our troop.  We have pix, but no boys' names are mentioned.

     

    All the specific stuff goes to a closed Facebook group or on TroopWebHost. Now we know there is an age limit in FB - I think it is 14 - so we make sure that everything is pushed out on WebHost.

     

    I would say it's mostly parents on FB who like looking at pix of their kids. But like I said, it's a closed group. We really use WebHost for the heavy lifting. 

     

    Seems to work pretty well. 

     

    I think I actually published our social media policy on here about a year ago.  I just cut and pasted into a post. But I might be thinking of something else. (I'm getting old). 

  7. I think he can if he has completed fifth grade. Read the wording carefully from Scouting.org and take note of the "or."

     

    Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.

  8. 106 Scouts

    1 SM

    4 ASM.

     

    6 Patrol Advisers, who are critical. We usually have two patrols from crossovers and these adults, who are usually trained in IOLS and always in YPT, ensure there are opportunities for advancement. For example, if a couple of patrols need the swim requirements for 1st and 2nd class, these advisers will set it up, ensure the lifeguards, Safe Swim, chaperone, etc. 

     

    5 Committee people, plus COR. They are CC, Activities Chair, Advancement Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.

     

    However, eight or so usually show up to Committee meetings. We open them up to parents. Meetings are an hour-long max. 

     

    For  BORs, however, we have to look beyond Committee folks because of the sheer number of Scouts, so we do a core training for adults on BORs in the fall. That usually gives me a good group of about 8 to choose from for BORs.

     

    We believe in spreading the joy when it comes to responsibilities. 

  9. Thread did go off topic a wee bit. As CC, I  occasionally pass stuff to on to SM, most of which he knows already. As far as bringing stuff up at Committee, I have a quick roundtable at the end where I ask for any suggestions, improvements or concerns. Some are more vocal than others. 

     

    We could always do better following the patrol method and being a Scout-run troop. And the parents and the SM and the committee folk know this and it's a work in progress. 

  10. We do poinsettias and it's unbelievable. Find a wholesale nursery in your area and work a deal with them. Tell the nursery you want to piggyback your troop's order on a truck delivery coming to your area. For example, we use a nursery that supplies a major grocery chain. They just throw our plants on the back and then deliver them to us. We then distribute to our customers. We raise about $4,000 or $5,000 a year and we really haven't pushed it. We start selling around Thanksgiving and usually deliver second week of December. 

    • Upvote 1
  11. I think one of the silliest things I see, all the time, is some Eagle's photo in the newspaper for his ECOH with an Eagle medal and a Life patch on his uniform.  It just doesn't work.  We patch right after EBOR, GTA or not.  Far too much delay for ECOH, or sometimes getting the certificate back from Council/National.

    Yeah, but I think he's gotta wait at  least until National OKs it.

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