WisconsinMomma

I have no idea nationally. I expect our all-boy Troop to continue to have strong membership, and I expect the new girls' troops in the area to continue to build. I think that as more parents see Scouts BSA as a viable and attractive alternative to Girl Scouts the girls' numbers will grow. Plus they won't have to deal with the ridiculously low proceeds from their cookie sales.

In terms of easiness of tickets, that is up to the individual and their WB leaders to negotiate. At mealtimes when staffers would join us, I found the question -- tell us about your WB tickets -- a good icebreaker so there was always something to talk about. I honestly didn't care that much about other course members' tickets, I was concerned with my own. They were: 1. Help teach Cub Scout BALOO training. I assisted on the full course twice, presenting multiple segments of the training 2. Create a new parents handbook for our pack 3. Lead a 3-hour Traffic Safety merit badge clinic for our council -- a new offering that sold out with high interest 4. Present about ADHD and scouting (diversity ticket) 5. Write an article about ADHD and scouting (diversity ticket) Why would I care if others' tickets were hard enough? It was not my role as a participant to be responsible for them. I think with anything you get out of it what you put into it, and I chose to go with things that were meaningful for my Scouting leadership experience as I was transitioning from Pack to Troop work. My tickets were based on my interests and strengths. And, by the way, I finished! I did all of it! I feel like I would be a good future staffer (but it is a big time commitment). Don't know if I'll get asked or not, and it doesn't matter all that much. I took Wood Badge (I am the only WB trained leader in our Troop) in large part to prove myself to some of the other leaders in our Pack/Troop. It's a little bit harder to discount or ignore someone who has put a lot of time and effort into their training. I don't care about the status that much, but it does signify the commitment I have made to Scouting.

I loved meeting the people at Wood Badge the most. I was lucky to have a great patrol and a great staff. Also, one of my patrol mates brought his wife's homemade pickles, which were amazing.

Hornaday is a very cool award. I think it's something that my nature-loving first child may be interested in. I learned about this when he started racking up nature-oriented merit badges that qualify for Hornaday. His Eagle project is likely to be nature-related, but it's hard to say.

Hi Everyone, My 14 year old First Class scout son was invited and voted into OA from our Troop. From what I heard, many scouts from our Troop were elected into OA. My husband's attitude (and son's) out of the gate was -- it's just more work. However, I was talking with another Scouter who said that when he was a youth he never had the opportunity and it's special. So he should at least go to the Ordeal? He also said that whole families can end up in OA and with 3 boys, it's possible they could all be in together, in time. How can we help infom and/or encourage our son? Thanks!

This may sound bad but just because an adult or youth turns in a medical form, it doesn't mean that they get read in detail. Obviously, if someone has an important medical condition, they will also communicate that beyond the health form. But I've never sat and read 40 people's detailed health histories. Why would I? But if something happens and an ambulance comes, the paperwork can be grabbed and sent to the hospital with the patient. Or, in an emergency situation, the paperwork gets pulled out and referenced. Otherwise, I would stick the forms in a manila folder upon arrival and return them on departure. Does that make sense?

Ths is an interesting point of view. I wonder how we can identify people interested in Scouting in Kindergarten and First grade, and provide some cool stuff, outdoor activities, etc., without the drag of requirements and boring meetings.

If we're talking about women doing their best to prove themselves alongside men, here is a fantastic example from hockey. She was not the fastest, but she was competitive with elite men's hockey skaters. That said, she's an Olympic Gold Medalist already. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-all-star-skills-competition-mcdavid-coyne-1.4993845 And, she was given a job with NBC because of her high performance. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2019/01/28/kendall-coyne-schofield-olympian-all-star-nbc-analyst/2704810002/ This is very cool. From the second article: Coyne said when she received the call that she would compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition as a replacement for injured Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, “it put chills down my back.” “I knew it was going to break down a lot of barriers and open a lot of eyes,” she said. “I was super excited for the opportunity. I know there was a lot of people who worked really hard to make that moment possible. I didn’t think it would (lead to) this opportunity, but I knew it would be a historic moment and it would change perceptions about women’s hockey.” I love it when people get well-deserved opportunities!

I posted this in its own thread, but here is a news story about a large all-girls Troop in Wisconsin. It's a pretty nice article. It does refer to the girls paying attention and being enthusiastic about learning. That's not so bad. https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/mukwonago-home-to-one-of-nations-biggest-all-girls-scouts-bsa-troops

Here's a news story about all-girls Troop 229 https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/mukwonago-home-to-one-of-nations-biggest-all-girls-scouts-bsa-troops?fbclid=IwAR0KD4Hau1YLJSIR2b2SkpyA4vZo3wjV6qPGreAuYfQII0ZiO4UjynyJAxY

Hi Scouters, I am writing an article on disabilities awareness as my final portion of my Wood Badge ticket. It's almost done, but I'd love to get some extra eyes on the content and get your feedback if possible. I'll be wrapping this up within the next day or two. Thank you! Karen https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zghby3d5MpfK0JLUipzHwZBbLiMdX-WV8Qg-DE9dshM/edit?usp=sharing

Go with him! Go with him and make some memories. At camp, don't let him velcro to you, he can go off with the other Scouts but see you back for whenever the adult leaders and youth are in proximity -- meals? (I don't know, I have not been to summer camp yet). But be there, but when you are there he has his own schedule and stuff, and you have your own stuff. Talk to the counselor and the Scoutmaster about it. Your son should be working with his patrol leader and that kid will be the point person for your son at camp, NOT you. I hope that helps! After his first time he may be much more comfortable.

Love this topic and can't wait to come back and read all the responses!

Last year, one of our Cub Scout little sisters proudly told me that she was in girl scouts. The next thing out of her mouth was, "we're selling cookies!" I was hoping to hear about other activities. Also, two years ago, I planned to buy a box every time someone asked me. That got way out of hand!

Our troop would rent Girl Scout camps out, but now they are not allowed to, and it hurts the GSUSA camps because now they're not getting our money. There are camps on beautiful pieces of property and I worry that they'll eventually get turned into subdivisions. Ew.

Something is up with younger generations doing less volunteering. That said, we do have helicopter parents, and free-range parents, so I'm not sure what's going on. But the trend is on. I think there is less of a civic duty to volunteering and community involvement than there used to be. People move around more and spend more time online, so less time out in their neighborhoods. Not much we can do except be the change we want to see in the world. Good luck with your Scouting adventure and thanks for all you have done for the Cubs!!

Based on what you are saying, I would suggest go visiting with other Troops in your area to make your life easier. Your son can find a new group of buddies to hang with and he will learn and grow more in a real patrol environment.

Barry, I can't even have a conversation with you when you're going down the path of saying that I'm over-sensitive, you're logical, and I'm too inexperienced to understand completely how men and women are different. I don't think you realize how patronizing those comments are.

It's tough -- basic safety is important, but the kids need some room. Different people have very different tolerances for what is acceptable. The word that jumps out to me in your paragraph above is "punish". Giving instruction and setting boundaries is different from punishment. I don't know if tree climbing is covered in BSA guidelines, but I can understand that it could be a safety hazard. Some people take it too far. One of the former leaders in our troop that I did not get along with corrected my son for sliding his feet on an icy patch on the ground. He was 12. We said that it was micromanaging our son. He claimed that our son could have gotten a concussion and brain damage if he fell. I felt that that person wanted to bubble wrap my kid, and he was not SM or ASM (he was a my-way-only CC). It was not his job to manage our son. He got all huffy about safety, though. Sliding on a little patch of ice! Different points of view, for sure. You'll have to feel it out. Also, I do not get a lot of info from my husband or sons on Boy Scouts. It is frustrating and it took me a year to find a balance with learning how the troop works, and working out basic communication with my husband. However, my spouse goes on all the trips and is an ASM so he is plugged in, I just don't get much of a download. Your husband might be totally hands off and let the boy learn his own way. That can work, but sometimes the kids need support.

OK, the son needs some support navigating a difficult situation, and for whatever reason, Dad is not that interested or involved, so Mom is going to help out. Of course the kid still has a dad. But if the kid wants to do Scouting and Dad isn't interested, then he will form other relationships with other Scouters.

+1 You call the Scoutmaster and get the update on what exactly happened and where things stand for your son's membership in the Troop at this point in time. I would tell the Scoutmaster that my son would like to continue his membership if possible, and that at this point in time, you (mom) are the main contact for your family. See what he says, and go from there. Offer to talk through any concerns and a process for your son to come back under good terms. Try to make friends with the Scoutmaster and ask if they need any adult volunteers to help out -- so you can find a place in the Troop where you can network with other families and make more friends and a supportive community. If the Scoutmaster is resistant and does not welcome your son back, then go to Plan B and go start meeting with other Troops. Good luck!

Our pack has nearly no rules for PWD. You make a car and we give out rough measurements for what will fit on the track. Hopefully, all the cars fit on the track and we make onsite modifications and repairs if cars are presented that won't make it down the track. We give fastest and second fastest in each Den awards, as well as best Design in each den awards, and everybody gets a small trophy with their name on it. Yes, we spend a lot on trophies. It works for us. We now have a batch of new parents who seem more rules-oriented, so that might evolve, but for my kids' duration in the pack, it's all about just seeing the car you made run the race.

OK, imagine you are a 9 year old and your parents just had a nasty split brewing for who knows how many years, and you have a car you made with your Dad who is no longer around, and you and your Dad built this beautiful car together. I imagine, it's a treasure to you. Some adult tells you to take someone else's leftover car? No. That is for a kid whose family didn't have the time or resources to make anything and got caught unprepared. In our experience, this kid's car was slower the 2nd year because it wasn't tuned up or anything. But he had his cool car and I imagine and hope he has some happy memories of building that car. Pinewood derby is for the kids, not the parents, so the main concern should be -- are the kids having a good time? Are they being good sports?

I think what makes a troop vulnerable is when they are light on leadership manpower (heh, heh) and the new folks waltz in. Strong personalities can overpower the existing leadership. Remember that thread with the CC where a parent just showed up in uniform and started acting like he ran the place? It can get crazy out there.