Hueymungus

Does your Charter Org know and understand that they own the Pack?

I am not sure about an EIN for a Scout unit, but you would have to switch signing authority for these changes. I was on the Pack account as Cubmaster for awhile until the CC & Treasurer took it over. I was just on so I could sign checks that the Treasurer made out to himself due to purchases needed that he needed rembursement for. He's a CFO and didn't want it to look bad.

I am not a CPA or a Tax person, but I would consult with your DE and work with the CO to understand this arrangment. Hopefully your CO is a Non-Profit, so you can take advantage of that status.

You don't know what you don't know until someone challenges you.

 

You don't know what all you possibly can learn from a class until you go.

 

There are many things that can be learned at an IOLS class besides what's on the syllabus:

• How much other scouters DON'T know, and you figure out how much you can rely on them.
  
• Three different ways to do things, when you've only learned one way.
  
• Different views: I thought all the scout troops in my area were heavy campers. My IOLS instructor eschewed campfires (LNT and they make your stuff stinky)
  
• Candid discussions with other people you have never met before can bring out new ideas and attitudes or validate ideas you've come up with independently.
  

More specifically, the young men should go to get more in practice of dealing with adults twice there age. They need to get used to that if they plan to volunteer through college.

 

The more cynical lesson: Sometimes people don't believe you have the qualifications of your field until you are certified (accountants, lawyers, doctors, engineers, automotive mechanics).

Yes certification is a pain, but do you really want to work with someone who doesn't want to put in the few hours to get it? What else will they not want to do?

I will echo what koolaidman says. These soon to be Eagle Scouts should understand that training is required to get where you want to go. They didn't get to be Eagles without it. If they do not want to take the IOLS training, then they should not be registered. Do you really want a untrained person on staff?

The other point is, ok, sure they should know how to camp a lot. Not every Troop backpacks or does a lot of hiking...correctly. A lot just car camp. Big difference. So, taking this might actually improve something that they should have learned or forgot. Also, if they are all OUTDOORSY, then maybe the one SM/ASM who is taking IOLS isn't and they can help them. EDGE.

I had not a clue as to what I was getting myself into when I took it. WE1-492-09 is my course. I was just a Tiger Den Leader and decided to become the Cubmaster. I was only a Cubscout for one year back in 1976. So, I had no insight to the Scout culture. It saved my Pack and helped me get pointed in the right direction. So, yes, I would take it again.

I would say that those who were called to lead the 11 Year Old program have no idea of what to do and have no training either. This isn't a Troop. Keep looking.

I would start with general basic Roundtables with wide open topics that could get all programs to the meeting spot. Then start breaking them out into programs. A timely topic right now would be Leave No Trace. You could then get into First Aid Training, Camping Basics, OA. Even Austism and Scouting. How to help Scouts who are on the Spectrum. You could even teach a class on how to conduct Eagle Boards so you can staff those EBORs. Hold Merit Badge Councilor Training....

There are several merit badges that fit this.

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-WITE.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-ROWG.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-KAYA.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/Aquatics/safety-afloat.aspx

Here is the flipside question. How many Troops from outside your Council actually come to your camps? If you have more coming to your Council, that's a good thing. If not and the local Council Troops are not, that's a bad thing.

If I were their Bishop (and I am not LDS) I would recind their Calling. I would also make them pay any fines directly even if they are not convicted and find them more work to do that would help them understand their wrong. I might even force them to take the Leave No Trace Trainer Class and teach LNT to everyone in the Ward/Stake.

Here is the flipside question. How many Troops from outside your Council actually come to your camps? If you have more coming to your Council, that's a good thing. If not and the local Council Troops are not, that's a bad thing.

Update: Had troop meeting last night, Son went into the room, I stayed in the hallway. was pretty clear the SM and CC were not going to budge, and if I stayed I would be seem to be giving my support to their position. Figured it was best if I just moved on. I had told my son he was old enough to make his own decision, and he seemed ok with that. CC came out and asked me if I could sit on a tenderfoot BOR. told him no ( that was a first for me ) since I was leaving I didn't think I should. two of the ASMs overheard this and asked me why. Figured I owed them an answer, we had hiked more than a few miles together. Asked them to step outside, and we talked for 5-10 minutes. they went back in. I drove off. Came back to pick up son an hour or so later. He wanted to talk to the SM so I went and stood by the car. I couldn't hear all that was said, but at the end SM got pretty loud, something like this: A decision has been made! and I don't like you and your father talking to other people about it! A few replys went through my head at this point but somehow I said nothing. He jumped in his car and drove off. I guess my bridges just got burned.

I would leave the Troop and find another. Who knows whatelse is afoot within the Troop.

When the Scouts start leaving for other Troops, the SM should get the idea. The CC/COR/Treasurer will start to ask questions since they have to transfer Scout ISA's to other Troops.

I would leave the Troop and find another. Who knows whatelse is afoot within the Troop.

If you are doing 2 backpacking trips a month, I would ramp up to 15-20 miles a day. Learn to do without all the extra weight. Since your next to Sea Level, I would make sure your hiking as high up as possible to have the Scouts/Adults understand altitude. That's your big issue.

Where are you hiking in Yellowstone? What entrance are you coming in at? I spent 4 summers working there.

Since you are doing 18 hikes, one or two misses wouldn't be an issue. Though, towards the end you might want to make sure the final ones are attended.

We have a council that has said no den dues allowed too.

Sorry - Not possible. Your BSA Council has no say in how a den is run financially. They can NOT dictate what can, or can not, be charged in dues at the Pack, or den, levels.

 

BSA units (Pack/Troop/Team/Crew/Ship) are OWNED by their Chartering Organizations (CO). The CO agrees to use the BSA program, but their financials are their own.

 

Bottom line - how would a council ever know what a Pack is charging for it's dues, much less a den?

 

Just silly.

 

 

A Pack down the road is about $100 a year and they don't pay for room rental. Everyone is different.

So, yes a Council cannot dictate to you what you charge outside of the annual registration fee & Re-Charter Fee.

On the Uniform Bank: It is a great idea. Keep doing that. I made woggles for all the Scouts at the beginning of the year one time. I hated buying the $5 slide for each year. LAME! I told them that this Woggle will work from now on. They can take it to Boy Scouts with them and that to remind them what pack they came from. Big Ceremony. I had a Scout a year or so later that I saw at a Troop Meeting wearing his. He came up and showed me. The Scoutmaster later told me that he was very proud of that Woggle.

See a need, fill a need! Good for you! Your training enlightened you! That is what it's there for. I am a former Cubmaster, and fought several battles along the same lines. It's slow, but it can happen. Take what you know and learn more and apply it all.

Yes, go to District. Talk to them. Also, go to Wood Badge. You will find more like minded people (generally) and they will help you network. Chat with the Wood Badge Staff, they will point you in the right direction. Tell them you want to be a Trainer. They love that stuff.

You will be great!

This is Awesome. I have not been, but working on going. Hopefully this year. The people who have gone love it. Yes, you can take your whole family. You sleep as a family. While YPT is in affect, your with your family. I do not know about being the only male in the spouse group. I bet he would not be alone. The people that I know who have gone totally loved it.

As for your position going forward after Crossover. Training is awesome, especially in Cubscouts. Have you contacted your District Training Chair? I suspect you can get on the Training Team there. Also, there is a Webeos to Scout Coordinator in many District's. Will you still be involved on the Cubscout Roundtable?

If there is EDGE in your Council, take that training. You need it to be a Trainer. Plus, it gets you networking with other like minded people.

Okay, I am glad to see that I am on the same page as most everyone. I will just wait and see what their dedication is....if they do come back and work through all the home items, then we'd be glad to repeat the den items.

 

Hueymungus....you don't need to yell at me. We have a flag for our pack and den and we have a den flag. We do a flag ceremony at every meeting. We do not have a large outside flag pole where you can actually run the flag up and down the pole with a rope. I guess you could take the small indoor flag outside and call it an outdoor flag ceremony, but I would only do that if we had no other options. We had to go to another location to do that, and it would be a bit of work to repeat.

Generally, no. You can give his parents the sheets or items he needs to work on. If there are things that can count for rank, that your doing now, he can do those.

Flag: GO BUY ONE! Get a Pack and State Flag too! Does your Pack even have them? I know that the ELKS will give you a flag if needed. Your Pack should be doing a Flag Ceremony every Meeting. Even the Den should do one.

Overall, don't re-arrange for just one Scout. It was a whole gaggle of Cubscouts, that would be different.

Yes, you do not need to do the work within whatever rank your going for in Cubscouts. You will follow your buddies in that rank/grade to the next. If you do not fulfill the requirements you do not earn that Rank. Hence, no patch on your shirt. You will move up. Just means that you will go through the program and crossover when your 11 and not before. Heck, you don't even need to earn Bobcat for that matter.

Great that the new Dad is getting into the spirit of Scouting. Since the Wolf is new and wasn't part of Scouting until now, what was done before joining does not count.

Here's the thing to do, take the New Dad with to the in-person training! That way both will be trained and he can also be a Den Leader and understand the program.

SFF in our Council is Dec 5th.

Outside of Camping within the LDS Pack, OWLS is very good information about how to put on the Webelos Program. It covers all the Activity Pins. You can still teach how to camp and how to pitch a tent, build a fire and what to look for.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/training/pdf/511-336.pdf‎

It is a Position of Respondsibility within a Troop. Look at 4.2.3.4 in the Guide to Advancement 2013 edition for more info. It goes over the basic's of POR. If you have the Boy Scout Handbook, you can look under the various ranks after 1st Class. [h=3][/h]

You mean this patch? http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/awards_central/lifeguard.aspx