DuctTape

Perhaps I am incorrect, I thought the participation in the ceremony was as part of the team conducting it. Saluting and the PoA is as an attendant or spectator. Easy enough to do at a troop meeting instead of having the flags already set up on poles, have scouts present them by walking them to their position in a ceremonial procession. Perhaps this should be the standard operating procedure. Where else will they practice this prior to the troop being asked to perform this by another organization? 

On campouts, it is easy enough to rig a flagpole and do the raising/lowering as part of the standard program.

In general most rank requirements should be able to be accomplished via participation in the standard program. If the program does not have it, then that is an area of growth for the program. Also if it is part of the standard program, the "one and done" complaints are moot.

This would be really neat to look at. If you do get them, could you scan it to share?

The merit badge counselor is of great importance here. 

It has been a while, but I do believe the requirements do state to carry everything throughout the trek.

3 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Biggest problem in my neck of the woods is that no one wants to deal with council. Folks are burnt out or frustrated.

We had two bright-eyed new volunteers assume a district level position, and within 12 months resigned. They were overworked.

We have had pros overrule volunteers on events, i.e. multibooking a location, not ordering enough supplies, or  not even ordering supplies at all.

We have had volunteers try to do camp improvements for events, and told "NO." Then the site is not ready.

We had volunteers removed from their position when they question the pros, i.e  Why did council take $40K earmarked for the OA to do camp improvements for Conclave and put it in the general fund as a FOS donation.

And we had volunteers yelled and screamed at by pros.

And when folks do ask for help from council, they are told no.

I hear you. My suggestion can be a step, just one perhaps, towards filling that divide. 

We often lament the lack of District and/or Council personnel (including commissioners) involvement at the Unit level. 

We have an opportunity for changing this AND increasing both hands-on/in-person training.

Send the district/council personnel to unit meetings/events to conduct trainings on a regular basis. 

This will accomplish more than just those two opportunities, it will also:

-increase visibility from district/council.

-demonstrate to scouts that adults are also "advancing".

-separate the adults from scouts during the scouting event.

-allow district/council to observe the unit in action.

and more.

Strange to me too. Everything in the backpack for all trips all year.

InquisitiveScouter is absolutely right about training, and how the role of ASMs being up to you. 

 I hesitate to recommend assigning an ASM to each patrol b/c this can very quickly devolve into the ASM becoming the acting PL. This structure works, but it is difficult right off the bat.

Instead I would recommend focusing on the strengths and attributes each ASM brings to the table. Have each ASM be "in charge of" one of the SM main duties. You as SM can oversee and steer the ASM to fulfill your vision. 

This models the Patrol Method with each patrol member having a specific role. It also increases the adult association for scouts as they interact with multiple adults not just the one assigned to their patrol. A breakdown could be:

SM-Leadership & Mentoring of ASMs

ASM-Camping/activity expert: the go to person for PL/APLs to get ideas about locations, recommendations, etc...

ASM-Advancement/skills expert: the go to for the PL to plan patrol trainings & sign-offs

ASM-Food/cooking expert: go to for all food & cooking related help.

ASM-GearHead expert: go to for tools, equipment help.

ASM-Scout Spirit expert: go to for all other "fun" activity ideas (intra/inter-patrol  games, skits, songs, cheers, etc...)

For clarity, I am not knocking Inquisitive's structure. Their's works, and I would bet it took a while to get there. I only hesitate to recommend it to your situation especially b/c it seems like the ASMs are not wholly prepared yet.

When the methods are employed effectively, they result in the achievement of the Aims of scouting. These are the metrics by which we measure our success in implementing the methods. 

As far as changing "troop culture", unless it is the SM with agreeable ASM, it is near impossible. 

It is much easier to change Patrol Culture as the Patrol makes their decisions. This is best accomplished by having the Patrol choose events separate from the other patrols.

IMO the workbook is awful in so many ways. Filling it out almost becomes the project itself. Adding another layer to it makes it even worse.

1 hour ago, BetterWithCheddar said:

In my youth, most camporees had a theme and scouts could earn 1 MB by participating. You're telling me some districts try to cram multiple MBs into a single weekend campout?

There are some who do not even do these on a campout. They are done in indoor classrooms with 30 scouts and a mB "counselor" doing a 2-3 hour presentation including a few hands-on activities. These mB universities cheapen the mB and deny scouts real opportunities. It is both saddening and maddening.

My district merit badge "college" director called me to see if I would do Camping merit badge as I was a registered mB counselor, she wanted to know if I needed a full day for it, or whether a half-day session was enough. 😲 

I have said this before but it bears repeating, one of the most important parts of the mB process is the built Adult Association method. Far too often this is lost on the adults. Imagine if the adults in charge of coordinating the mBs at camp, or in a troop had this method at the forefront equal to the advancement method. 🤩 Now imagine the lost opportunities for scouts when this is not done. 😢

1 hour ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

One of the primary reasons the organization is failing, IMO.

Yep. National should be funding the Councils. The "franchise model" does not work except for National.

The only other consideration would be wind. If it was going to be windy, like 20mph wind, that would make 17degrees feel like 0. 

Also if the camping area is exposed, strong winds could make visibility poor with blowing snow.

So besides temperature, there may have been other weather conditions to consider. 

Btw, I am in NY so 17 degrees is a warm winter day. I recently returned from a trip where the temp was minus 12.

I remember earning the world crest patch by going to an international event in Canada too and IIRC there were a few other requirements?. Our troop participated in the event for years. It was great. Does that mean I earned the current rendition of the award? LOL

I think mine was $50, and it was food (pizza & soda) for the volunteers. I still visit the site of my project now and again. Since then, others (scouts?) have taken it upon themselves to continue and expand my project. Almost 50 years and the unmarked path in an area of the park the county did not even know was their property is now a marked trail with a parking area and kiosk. 

IIRC, at one time Star, Life and Eagle were awards and 1st Class was the highest rank. 

Nice they clarified.

However I would like to see the requirement have some  (10?) of the nights not be in shelters provided to the Scout. IMO part of the experience, perhaps a significant part, is the choosing of the tent spot, preparing the site, and setting up one's shelter. Same with using summer camp as nights when all the food is prepared for them in the dining hall. Camping is not just sleeping away from home. This is a mB after all. 

 Conflict is natural AND a growth opportunity. Help the scouts figure out solutions to the conflict. The SM is not the referee. Your background has prepared you better than most to help guide the scouts to resolution. I have found using the Socratic Method to be an invaluable tool to help scouts find solutions. Having a few "tricks to try" is also useful when they are stumped. But presentjng them as a question allows them the opportunity to decide.

Expect chaos and embrace it. You are in the storming phase for the troop under your guidance. You will be great.

We all turn the page to new chapters of life. Enjoy the time with your grandkids. I do hope you stop by on occassion.

Pick up a copy of the PL Handbook from the 1950s for ideas of Patrol Activities, games, etc... Also a 1940s Fieldbook, it is organized to be basically a manual of patrol activities. These will be a good resource for you if the SPL asks for ideas of "how to..."

1 hour ago, swilliams said:

I truly understand that they need to make the decisions.  (The very first thing I've done is to arrange a day of training for the scouts who will have leadership roles so that they understand what their responsibilities are and will have the information needed to be independent of the adults.)  But the incoming SPL has indicated that he needs help. 

This is helpful.  How do they figure it out, I guess is my question at this point.  I can, and will, let the SPL know the scouts need to self-select (for lack of a better term), but how does he begin?  The mechanics of it?  Ask them to form up during the next Troop meeting? Email them?  A lot do group-chat, but not all have phones.  Do they figure it out over the course of a few weeks as they naturally form groups?

Am I being too impatient in wanting to sort out the Patrols soon, so that we start off with these new expectations in place?  One of my biggest fears (outside of the sheer terror of being a SM in the first place) is that things stay the same because that's how the last SM did it.  For example, I'd to see the scouts cooking in patrols on our next campout, which is January 31st, instead of cooking as a Troop.

I do not think you are too impatient. The forming of patrols is the first step. I would say give the SPL the goal of having the patrols by the end of the first meeting. Anyone not there can join a patrol when they do show up.

Suggest some games the scouts could play which will help them get to know each other differently. Like 4-corners games*. Or other type of grouping style games. 

After the games, SPL hands over the "create your patrol" challenge. Have SPL provide the purpose and minimal boundaries 1. Patrols of 6-8. 2. Patrols will be the teams for games. 3. Patrols will be the group you camp, cook and hike with. Etc...

The SPL can use the corners as a way to "gather your patrol".

If the the SPL (or the scouts) are having difficulty, start with pairs. Choose a buddy to be with in a patrol. Then the buddys find another pair to join up with. Before they "commit" encourage them to talk about why they want to be together. Common interests? Common goals? Etc... (this goes back to the games played earlier).  After a 4-some is created, they can join up with another 4-some, or a pair which did not join another pair yet. No real rules, the idea is to break down the "create a group of 6-8" into a simpler first step.

The SPL and scouts will probably surprise you with how quickly they can self-group. 

*4-corners. Scouts gather in center of room. SPL says the category and points to the different corners with "answers". Then scouts run to the corner of their choice. Ex. SPL says "Category is breakfast" points to each corner and says "bacon, sausage, ham, no-meat" ... "and go".  SPL continues with another category...

The metriics in the performance evaluation of the DE are what the DE will focus on. Until and unless the items we discuss as important are the primary measure of a DEs performance, they will never get done.

Yeah, either way. Although blue cards are typically preferred with outside mB counselors as we then keep the mB portion for our records.

Regardless of which tracking method is used, some of the hidden growth outcomes for scouts in the process are:

1. Scout initiative. Choosing which badge, setting and achieving personal goals.

2. Communication skills. Scout contacting mB counselor and setting up times to meet.

3. Record keeping. Scout responsible for their handbook/blue cards.

I only mention these b/c too often well meaning adults take over much of the process which denies scouts' these growth and learning opportunities.