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mashmaster

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Posts posted by mashmaster

  1. After so many years, my son is now an Eagle Scout.  

    His project was really amazing IMHO, he built a downhill mountain bike course for the local community.  It started as this brush, trees, limestone, and cactus.  Now it is a blast for skilled mountain bikers.  He raised over $4000 in materials and the project was a ton of hours over 600 if I remember correctly.

     

    Here is a video of someone riding it when it was almost complete

     

    • Like 1
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  2. 11 hours ago, Eagledad said:

    I don’t agree it’s project management training, it’s team management training. The objective is to teach understanding of goals and vision, then build and manage the team of adults to work toward those goals.

    Personally I believe the tickets is the most important part of the course for two reasons: first tickets force the participant to focus exactly what their role is on the team. Second, the tickets are supposed to be practicing the expectations specific to their role on the team. Typically more than 50% of the course participants don’t know what they will be doing in the unit or team they are volunteering on, so if the course staff is guiding the participants correctly, they are helping to clarify to the participant their role as a volunteer. And the staff is guiding the tickets to be specific to the expectations of the participants role.

    woodbadge gets a bad name when the staff doesn’t understand the purpose of the course, or each other’s staffing roles in the course. So, they act out the course syllabus without defining why they are playing their roles. As a result, participants graduate without understanding how to define goals and vision, or how to build and mange the team to work towards those goals and vision. I can look at a participants ticket and see instantly if they know what they are doing. Each ticket item should relate to a specific skill for their one specific role. When a new Troop ASM creates a ticket to lead the planning of a camporee, I will have a discussion and likely prevent a terrible camporee. And what about the CM who couldn’t recruit leaders and was taking on Webelos Leader and Tiger Leader.  With guidance, her tickets worked toward recruiting and training so she could just be a CM and save her from a fast burnout. Possibly saved the unit from dieing.

    Maybe the problem is WB is complicated and requires more training for the trainers.

    Barry

    Fair enough about team management vs project management.  

    The tickets of some made me scratch my head, a lot.  

    Anyway, back to scouting.

  3. Wood Badge attitude leaves a very bad taste in my mouth about it.  The amount of hype that people talk about it makes me not recommend it to other scouters.  It is a class on project management not scouting(I have been a project manager and had all this type of training outside of scouting).  I did have fun in the class with my crew when we weren't staring at powerpoint slides.  IOLS, OWLS, Sea Badge, and Powderhorn are all better than Woodbadge  (The difference is that all those focus on scouting).  Maybe it is my council, but the people selected for the course staffing is all political and they bounce around talking about how they are special because they are staffing WB.  I was asked once but was too busy working with the youth in the units I am involved with.  And the tickets...... don't get me started on the tickets......

    Anyway, welcome to the forum!  Have the 5 minute max ceremony at a district roundtable or district board meeting since those are where you are involved.  You should not be used as propaganda for WB. 

  4. 4 hours ago, qwazse said:

    Chatting with a scout dad last night …

    ”I only made it to 1st class, or was it star?”

    ”Did you have fun?”

    ”Oh, yeah!”

    Yeah, one reason I am not a fan of advancement per se.  So many people focus on Eagle that it becomes the sole goal of scouting.  Many "Eagles" are paper thin on the rest of scouting.  Advancement is only one method of scouting but it is the most most easily tracked.

    For example my son who is a BOR away from Eagle took his time, he decided he wanted a big Eagle project that is massive (his choice so we supported him and it came out great), attended World Jambo, 3 of the 4 high adventure bases (Philmont twice), worked with his Troop/Ship/Crew to plan and particpate in three roll you own adventures, attended three other regional high adventure bases, attended NYLT, and held just about all the positions across the PLC or Quarterdeck.  But if you ask him about what scouting is about he will tell you that it is fun.  He is proud that he will make Eagle but will talk your ear off about World Jamboree or sailing if you let him.

    I made it all the way to Tenderfoot or Second Class myself, I don't remember.  I grew up poor and didn't have money to scout or the support from my parents so that didn't happen.  I love scouting and have more knots than I know what to do with.  People are surprised that I wasn't an Eagle, I tell them that doesn't matter to me, I am happy to work with and help the kids.  Of course I get the option to attend some of the adventures as well 🙂 I let scouts know that in our ship if they want to advance Scouts BSA ranks or Sea Scout ranks I will help them and push them a bit, but if they don't, I am fine with that as well.  I'd rather see them smile and attend than be only focused on advancement and grumpy.  There choice to what they want.  Rank doesn't define them.

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  5. I agree with Qwarzse on this.  There are people and comments here that I don't agree with and have issues with so if there is something I don't agree with I will downvote that comment.  I don't downvote everything someone say but even if someone where to do that to me, why should I care?  This isn't a video game to see how high of a score I can get.

    I would say from some comments I have seen over the years, I wonder why some people are still in scouting based on their comments but maybe I am completely misinterpreting their comments.  I do my best to be open minded as I think the majority of people on this forum do.  That is a huge problem on these days, too many think it is my way or the wrong way.  Life is shades of grey, not black and white.  IMHO

  6. 9 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

    Questions. 

    1. Is it a volunteer or a professional?

    2. Are they a voting member of the Council and District?

    Good questions, probably a professional.

    Remember that Churches are only one type of organization that can sponsor a unit.  VFW's, HOA's, non-profits, or even a business can sponsor a unit.  The council would be my last choice because there would be the most amount of paperwork IMHO.

    • Like 1
  7. 1 hour ago, David CO said:

    I don't think I would recommend that any CO adopt an existing unit.  Who knows what baggage comes with it?  If it is discovered that a scout in that unit was molested 40 years ago, it is possible that the new CO will have its name and reputation dragged through the mud as well.  

     

    Thankfully we already have two churches and a non profit that are interested in chartering us.  And I believe the new CO is protected.

  8. Let's also remember that many units are tied to another unit of the other gender.  By having separate weeks you would effectively preclude many units from being able to get to camp.  Being in Texas, it takes a lot of money to move scouts from our home location to another.

    Regarding the bathrooms, most camps I have gone to in the last five years have been converting to the single stall approach with a sink/toilet/shower all in one locking room.  It works for any gender or age.  Personally I am a big fan of these because they just work.  Scouts are more comfortable using them.  I do wish there was a timer on the light switch to move them along....

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  9. Frankly they would be shocked at the girls in my ship......   We are 50% female and they have a lot of fun.  We also happen to have been recognized as one of the top Ships in the nation for the last 7 years.  We wained because of Covid but continued forward.  Now that life is starting to look more normal (what is that anyway) we have a big influx in young women and young men that are excited to get out on the water.  

    Below is a picture from tonight where some of our girls decided to see if they can fit five of them on a single sunfish.  They succeeded and laughed and laughed about it.

    PXL_20210729_004306098.jpg

    • Like 1
  10. IMHO, units should continue a program in the Summer but they should adapt to different types of activities that make sense for the units.  

    For example, our ship during the summer adds Wet Wednesday sailing evenings.  An occasional pool party.  Things like that keep it fresh

  11. I hear this same thing about Sea Scouts and Venturing.   IMHO, if you are worried that another program is "stealing" your scouts then it is obvious the program in the troop needs to change.  These are all complimentary programs and can provide many great opportunities to youth that want to be activie in scouting.

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 2
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