Jump to content

WisconsinMomma

Members
  • Content Count

    609
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by WisconsinMomma

  1. Our Cub Scout pack and I believe our Troop also will participate in Wreaths Across America at the VA cemetery in our city. I am not sure how Scout led our Troop service projects are. They do the same stuff every year.
  2. Huh? If a single mom is intent on having a male role model for her son, she has many places to seek out and find a role model. Or maybe, her son will find his own role models, hopefully positive ones. A troop with a female SM may have male ASMs or other dads around. Or she may find another troop or a male role model through sports, school or other activities and relationships. I haven't seen anything in Scouting about providing male role models as a major purpose of the organization.
  3. In retrospect, I will say that having female leaders has not hurt the BSA. A female Scoutmaster may be good or bad, just as a male might be. I'll be starting as Cubmaster for our Pack this month and I'm looking forward to it. My Wood Badge course director is female, she had an incredible, hard working team and the program was thoughtfully planned and well executed.
  4. Our council has a patch. Then there are other council patches. I received a special edition one for a gift to FOS, and I just received two from my wood badge course. But, would you wear a unique council patch on your uniform, or stay uniform? What do you do with your extra patches? My boys have patch blankets, I keep my extras in the sewing box for now.
  5. My husband has a similar hat from the Army that he modified and wears occasionally.
  6. Since everyone appears to ignore the bylaws anyway, a repeal is not urgent. It's good to know however that there is more than one path to get the job done.
  7. My parental attitude towards raising the boys is not really connected to Wood Badge in any way. I think it is a balancing act and will back off on making some of the decisions for the kids... but... I do make some decisions for them, such as -- put that computer game away! (that's a big one nowadays). The boys are sort of going along with Scouting and I don't know if they have any particular goals and desires for the program. While they generally like Scout things when they get there, they don't necessarily desire on their own to go. Both boys if given totally free choice would likely liv
  8. Good to know. So that is the IH and COR, together, can change policy? I think I need to go read the troop committee guidebook...
  9. Good to know. Thank you! So our chartered organization is a school PTO that seems to be pretty out of the loop, but the PTO co-president has a son in our troop, so she would be the "natural" COR. Probably need to make that more formal? We do not have anyone as a COR who attends troop committee meetings at this time. IH is institutional head, correct? Would that be the PTO president, or the School principal?
  10. For me, I went to Roundtable once and it was a lot of people. I personally did not find a lot of value in Roundtable (as a Cubs person) and I wouldn't fault you if you wanted to skip out of some RT meetings. Wood badge is cool. If you go, just talk to your course director and let them know you have anxiety issues and I am confident they will help you and accommodate your needs so you can enjoy the course. If you are good with the boys that's the most important thing!
  11. I love the idea of Patrol accounts. I would love to propose this to our parent committee and Scoutmaster. Can you give me some examples of how Patrols have used their funding and how much money the Patrols would get as a starting balance?
  12. I think that with my sons' Troop, it's going to be a journey of baby steps to help the Troop become more boy oriented and less adult controlled. On the way up to our Thanksgiving spot, I chatted with my husband (an ASM) about the idea of throwing away the bylaws. His feedback was that -- no one follows the bylaws anyway so don't rock the boat repealing them. This may be a good suggestion, especially since the bylaws' amendment process is a 2/3 vote at 2 consecutive meetings. I have been attending parent meetings for a year, but I'm still "new". Is this the best use of time? So I a
  13. The reason I am asking is that our fundraisers are generating less money than they used to. I am wondering if the Troop should charge families more in fees to cover their costs. Then again, I could just do the meeting minutes and not worry about it. Not my problem? So the issue is described as -- parents aren't interested in doing fundraisers. And the natural solution is -- then families pay more "dues". Do your fundraisers have buyouts?
  14. OK, Stosh so give me more details on how this works. Let's say that in the year, the expenses are something like $300 for summer camp, $30 for BSA enrollment, $20 for supplies like patches and pins and Eagle gifts, etc. and $50 for other outings. Does the parent pay $50 to the troop for the supplies and BSA enrollment? Our Troop has scout accounts but honestly I am not up to speed on how those work out. We usually pay as we go for our kids activities. So for example, they have a camping weekend that's $25 a kid, and we'll write a check for $50 for our two kids.
  15. Are there any nature centers in your area that have animals on exhibit that do not have admission fees? Or, could you ask a zoo or nature center for special permission for the Scout to visit for his badge? When my oldest did this badge this summer, we had an interesting time -- first, he had one of these little african frogs that we've had forever as a pet -- they live a long time. They're tiny and cheap and easy to maintain. That's what he did his log with. Then, I came across a painted turtle that was crossing the road, just as he was starting his badge work. We grabbed it, brou
  16. Our CO is an elementary school PTO that is very hands off, and interesting, our district commissioner is the person who is listed as Scoutmaster on our 7 page Troop bylaws. Guess I'll focus on my jobs -- being a good mom, and making great committee meeting minutes. Honestly I don't want to make things messy, but it would be wonderful for the boys to have more opportunities to make decisions for themselves. What can I do to help make things better in the Troop?
  17. Questions: Does your Troop have annual dues, what do your dues cover, who (adults or youth) determines the dues amount and handles collection? What is the relationship between dues and fundraisers in your Troop, and do you have any great ideas for fundraisers? Who decides which fundraisers your Troop participates in, adults or Scouts? Thanks!
  18. Right, would it be fair to say that a BSA Troop operates per BSA policies? Is there a piece of literature that would be referred to? I am not sure if I should attempt a bylaws repeal with the parent committee, or a "repeal and replace" with something extremely simplified. Or, just go as is, assuming no one reads or really follows the bylaws anyway?
  19. The Troop does a half and half payment for Scouts going to NYLT. They pay half up front and then the other half when the Scout completes whatever their equivalent of a ticket is for NYLT. I do not see a lot of what happens at Troop meetings, sometimes I go and sit off to the side or out in the hallway but it is my impression that NYLT is very good for the boys who went to it. The boys who went liked it and want to go back to staff it and that is all very very good.
  20. Here is another piece of our Troop's bylaws that needs to go: A designated member of the Parent Committee shall keep a “cuss†box. 25 cents will be charged for every word considered by the troop to be a "cuss". Theft from the "cuss" box will be punishable with the return of the money in twofold. The money will be periodically turned over to the Troop Treasurer for the Troop funds. The "cuss" box is applicable at Troop meetings and all Troop outings. Doh!
  21. Right. The problem I have with this bylaw is that it is dictating to a Scoutmaster how things must be done. I think the easiest proposal may be to eliminate this part of the bylaws altogether, and let a Scoutmaster do his or her job. If the Scoutmaster wants a new scout patrol, great, if not, great, and ideally the Scoutmaster is listening to the boys about how they want to organize. ETA: I am guessing our Troop could use more training on the patrol method. Changing this bylaw might open up some conversation.
  22. Here is the language from our Troop bylaws. Any suggestions on how to re-write? How are patrols typically formed -- by the Scoutmaster? Thank you for any help. The older scouts are organized into 2 or more permanent patrols depending on the size of the troop. New scouts that have just crossed over from the cub pack will be placed in their own patrol for their first year. In the following January, the Scoutmaster or their designee will break up the new scout patrol and will distributed its members into the existing permanent patrols. ETA: I could just propose that the Troop eli
  23. Eagle 94, sorry to hear about the New Scout Patrol being set up. I was just reading our Troop's bylaws and a new scout patrol is written into our Troop's bylaws! I could use some help coming up with a way to try work with our parent committee to get this particular detail changed.
  24. My goal for doing it via a designated Troop fund would be to raise awareness and hopefully motivate a few people, anybody -- to go participate in Wood Badge. Any leader that gets trained will make the Troop stronger, and attendees still need to take time for the 6 days of training. I am not sure if providing funding will achieve the goal of getting more attendees to the course though.
  25. I'm thinking about personally funding a Wood Badge scholarship program for adults in our Troop. Generally, it would get funded 1x a year in an amount to cover one attendee's Wood Badge course fee. Any registered adult in the Troop could attend Wood Badge, first come first serve. I could commit to funding the scholarship for approximately the next ten years. Does this sound like something that would be useful and appreciated by a Troop?
×
×
  • Create New...