Jackdaws

This recipe is a hit with our pack and troop.  I showed it to them a couple years ago.   Hardest part is getting the cheese on top to melt without burning the bottom of the bread. 

If it were me, I would run far far away from that circus!  Sounds like there is some fundamental issues with the scouts and more importantly with the parents.  These are going to be the parents who do everything for their scout including the Eagle project.  You know the everyone gets a trophy mindset.

If the Committee Chair is vacant, can the committee actually make a vote for this?   Where is the COR?   I would at the least have a conversation with that person prior to leaving.  Taking over the CC spot will only further fuel the flames that that committee and parent core has.  

Its a shame, sound like you had a good solid plan in place and was implementing it and the scouts and their parents failed you. 

#9 needs to be addressed whether you stay or go.   Bullying is not acceptable.   

Also for those parents who squawked at the # of activities, they should be aware that the goal should be at least one activity or outing a month for a troop right?   Sounds like they never transitioned over very well from Cub Scouts. 

Also, I used to be an owl...

I actually proposed something like this to some other parents on 7/20 and it was a resounding no.  Only one parent wasn't appalled by the idea.  The one parent was in the 4H as a youth he said they did something like this where they rode them around blind folded and dropped them off in a valley and the adults went up on top of the mountain and observed them from there.    The youth didn't know they were up there.    I proposed that we reserve 2 campsites in our council camp about 2 sites away from each other ( no mountains in Florida )  We could be close enough to hear if something went wrong but out of eyesight.   Just proposed that they knew we were at the camp but not sure where.   But we would leave them a walkie talkie if needed and hopefully get the campsite nearest the open area where the first aid is and camp master.     Other parents were worried how the boys would do.  Said they were too young for it and would freak out.  I sort of see it as most of our troop is 12 year old's.     Maybe we can try something like this in a couple years when the troop is a little older and more sure of their skills.   But I almost want to force them to use the patrol method and not be reliant on adults being around to help or defuse a situation.   They will need to navigate an orienteering course to retrieve their food and work together to prepare the meals in a true patrol method.  

Our pack crosses over in February-March.   In doing anything later, its doing a disservice to those crossing over.  They wont have an idea on how the patrol method works and wont know what's going on for summer camp.   Also it provides those 5th graders a chance to learn what its like in being around older kids so its sort of preparing them for junior high school.  

Its no secret in my district that I am not a fan of popcorn.   This year our council added selling nuts.  My son has a nut allergy so its a definite "NO!" for us.    Our troop doesn't sell popcorn anymore.  Just for giggles I opened up the order form that the council mailed to me.  Holy moly!    We live in what could be called one of the poorer sides of town so finding someone to be willing to drop $60 for a can of nuts and popcorn probably isn't going to happen.    Now  for camp cards I am your girl.   Love those things.  They just sell themselves.  Our council says you have to sell so much popcorn or camp cards to qualify to camp at council camps for free for the year.  Our small troop sold enough camp cards last  year to cover that.   I don't think they actually enforce it but its not that hard to sell 100 cards.

On ‎7‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 2:57 PM, mrkstvns said:

Thieves just can't seem to get enough of stealing troop trailers!

This week another tale of a missing trailer....this time in sunny Florida...
https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/clay-county/thieves-snag-boy-scout-trailer-full-of-equipment 

 

Yes we have had at least 2 possibly 3 trailers stolen recently here in the N. Florida Council.   Its sad.   When we kept our pack and troop trailers at our Chartered Org. it kept getting broken into.   Cut big locks and mangled the boots on them.    Now I believe they are parked at the SM's Dads house on his land and his Dad is apparently ready to shoot anyone coming onto his property.  So best of luck to whomever tries them.  LOL 

I think the main problem is that these trailers are easily identified as scout trailers due to the decals on them.   We have removed ours.   Someone suggested painting the unit # on the roof so the thieves cant see it but you have an ID on it when possibly found or looked for. 

25 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

There have been some good discussions of ILST lately, I'm not sure the best way to find those discussions (mods?). They are pretty good, but with a lot of content, so starting the discussion over is difficult. I'll just say (repeat in short) that I think ILST is a good way to start team development for a new program, but looses it's effectiveness quickly because the syllabus content does not mature with the troops program growth. 

Youth this age don't enjoy training, especially when they have seen it before. They learn best by watching their older scout role models repeating the lessons learned. If you feel ILST is needed to improve the program, then why didn't the older scouts learn it last year? A habit is developed in practice, not training. 

I'm not saying don't do it, use it if you can see value in it. But, don't just do it because it's there to do or something to keep scouts busy. Instead, work your program for continued growth in the troop and patrol activities. 

Barry

I definitely see what you are saying in reading thru the syllabus.   We are essentially going to be like a new troop.   If we can get the boys to start running the troop and progressing, they should be able to naturally incorporate their own experiences and ideas into future trainings for the new boys. 

We have done Country Meats at the pack level and I have had my son sell them to raise money for summer camp.   It was pretty successful.  Lots of flavors and $.45 is a decent profit.   People do not buck at spending $1-$10 on something like the sticks.   The looks we got our Tiger year trying to sell popcorn for $20+ forever cemented my opinion of the popcorn fundraiser.   BSA must figure out something better than popcorn.   Our council also added nuts this year.  My son is highly allergic to nuts so you can definitely count on us NOT selling them. 

I also like Country Meats as they are a local company for us.  They are based in Ocala, FL which is within our council so I like to support them.  Excellent customer service.  They give you all kinds of goodies to help sell with also.  And have a patch program! 

23 hours ago, SteveMM said:

Whatever we all disagree about, I think we would all say that it's monumentally stupid to take Camping at your first summer camp.  The Scout won't have the camping nights, and won't have any of the 9B requirements.  What you're left with is a partial that probably won't be finished for a year or more.  There's no point in bothering with this one until the Scout at least has the camping nights.  Once he has the camping nights, he'll likely have knocked out one or more of the 9B requirements as well, and can focus on figuring out ways to get the rest.

Yep.   My son has done everything except the 9B & C.  I am hoping he will set a goal of trying to accomplish this by the end of this year.  Its getting him set up with a local counselor here to complete the B portion of it.   

I am an advocate for letting them pick what they want.

When my son was an AOL I kept telling him,  "Just wait till you get to Boy Scouts, you can choose what you want to earn!".   Well we got the list of courses offered and he and I sat down and looked at them and the requirements for each badge offered.  We made a couple lists with 1st 2nd and 3rd choices for the schedule allowed (all of the 1st year scouts were going to do the TNT program in the mornings).  The Advancement chair also said that the first year boys need to take First Aid and Swimming.  I think the advancement chair didn't like me asking questions on why he HAS to take First Aid and Swimming why cant he choose to do what he wants?  She said with attitude that's just how we do it here.  He didn't get a single class he asked for. He was upset.  I also think she gave my son none of his choices out of spite. WTH? He was given First Aid (ok no biggie), Orienteering and Camping.   Orienteering is IMO not a 1st year scout MB.  And to my knowledge, none of the 9B options were offered at camp for the camping MB so I am not sure if it was worth it.

Well needless to say just after summer camp I replaced her as the advancement chair.  She claimed she had been waiting 5 years since her son had aged out for someone to come along and replace her. I said I would take over for her and when I kept asking to help on advancement stuff all I got was attitude.  So I finally told the Committee that she either lets me do it or she can wait another couple years for someone other sucker to come along, I have no problem just going over and sitting with the other parents after volunteering for the last several years in the pack.  She was very ugly about it.  She pretty much brought in all of the advancement stuff and threw it on the table and walked out.  It was all very odd...

This year, I made sure the boys got what classes they asked for except for one boy who wasn't old enough for shotgun and another who had put down wood carving but didn't have his totin' chip yet so we had to go to alternative classes.   They still had a lot of fun.

Needless to say my son had a much better time this year at camp. 

I agree.  No one ever asked the district for any advice or materials.  So it was pretty quiet on that front.  Granted you can just google search for the syllabus.  Its how I got all of the manuals I used for any trainings.    But I would have thought that it would have been reported to us so we could show that people were training during the year.    Thankfully I got away from training.  It was a bad year to head it up with the whole new YPT coming out and other changes from National coming down the line.  I was ready to pull my hair out and quit it all.   

The sardines game sounds fun!  Our charter org. isn't very big so hiding spaces are not abundant.   

We have already given them the criteria for the Honor Patrol rocker patch and have hopes that it will spark some teamwork and scouting spirit.   So the ILST should help give them the rest of the tools needed to getting them on the youth led path.  

21 minutes ago, qwazse said:

One game for church lock-ins: sardines.

Unfortunate about the older scouts. But, make sure the 2nd years especially have a lot of fun, but carry responsibility. It is well within their reach to read sections of the course, then instructions for games and excercises, etc ...

The older scouts: back off things like EDGE or lecturing about the being examples, etc ... Instead, challenge them with a roll of twine and say, "Build a cool camp gadget. Try and impress ..."

Inquiring minds want to know.  How do you play sardines? 

Awesome thanks everyone.  We will be having the ILST during a lock in at our church.   Funny part is I was the district training chair for over a year.   Never taught one or got wind of anyone having one during that year which was kind of odd.   We did plenty of BALOO and IOLS courses but no  ILST.   

Most of the boys in our troop are pretty young.  Just 1st and 2nd year scouts so we are trying to get them to take the reins and start making their own fun.   Sadly the couple older scouts we have are Life Scouts and have actually said they don't want anything to do with the younger scouts and are unwilling to help guide them.  Should make their Eagle process a lot of fun.   I can't comfortably acknowledge that they have been an active member in the troop for 6 months nor give them my recommendation (requirement 2).   And getting volunteer help for their projects should be interesting since they don't want to deal with the other boys in the troop.   So I guess they are all planning on working on each others projects themselves.  LOL. 

So we are looking beyond them and just going to get the younger boys on the right path and move on and plan and get the younger boys trained and working the EDGE method.   Build from the ground up.

Our troop is about to have an ILST.  We have not yet done one to my knowledge(all new leadership).  We need to reestablish the patrol method and make it a fully youth led troop again.

I have the syllabus and am about to start going thru it.  Since our older scouts are next to non existent and are probably going to be absent, it will be an adult led course.  

Checking with my fellow scouters to see if you have any tips or tricks to running one and making it successful.

Thanks!

Yes it is Echokotee. 

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 3:20 PM, Rock Doc said:

This might just work! Adding details like this can make a relatively simple action quite impressive and highly memorable - and what soon-to-be Boy Scout isn't going to love fire raging at the sound of his name!

Our pack used to do the flaming arrow across the lake also.  Granted the lake was way to big to really get a real arrow all the way across.  The person on the other side would wait a couple seconds and then light a huge bonfire while the boys canoed across the lake.  Very cool effect each year.   Since the property we were using was sold we have since moved to our local council camp.   There is a zip line already rigged up in the amphitheater for cross over ceremony's.   However, the line failed us last year and the flare type thing they were using just sat up on the line burning for a good 5 min(as you can see in the photo).  Thankfully we had a back up plan of lighting it discreetly from behind.  Still kind of a bummer that it didn't work out the way it was planned.   My son crosses over in 2 weeks.  I hope it works for his den's ceremony.

Sigh.  Count me as being in the stuck on module 2 club.   I was really hoping to finish it before my council training team meeting tonight.  I would love to see a quick reference guide for the camping regulations.  Hopefully National will get up to speed soon as apparently there are already girls attending meetings and signing up.  

On a side note, is there any change to the BALOO trainings in regards to the girls joining yet? 

If it were me I would run for the hills.  This pack sounds very disorganized and like it doesn't follow the program guidelines. 

What den is your son in?  Knife safety shouldn't be broached till Bears. 

Is there another pack in your area for you and your son to join?   If so, then maybe see if your current pack is willing to get their ducks in a row and have a training day and a planning meeting. 

YP can be taught off line.  I have taught it several times.  We have downloaded the video, watch the scenarios and each person is given a quiz.   We have a parent orientation at the beginning of each year and every parent, whether they are a volunteer or not is to watch it.   I then submit the training sheet to council so if they ever become a leader its already on record.  

Most of your basic leader trainings are online and can be completed fairly quickly.   You need to establish a key 3 and make a committee from there.   Really have to wonder if your unit is even re-chartered at this point.

Thank you for the replies. I went to roundtable last night and asked our DE.   He said to ignore it, it was meant for actual council employees and was sent out in error.  I apparently was not the only one to have gotten it as others were confused as well. 

I am wondering if this some kind of scam or something.  I am not an employee of the council.  I am a very active volunteer.

Seems like I would have seen an email about this from the council letting people know they need to take this training.  I wonder if it stems from the whole transgender issue?   I did a quick google of lawroom.com and it appears to be a HR/sexual harassment/discrimination training place. 

Here is the email.  I have omitted my personal information. 

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Please ensure that this training course is completed by 03/15/2017. This course normally takes users 15-25 minutes to complete.

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We had an 18 year old girl in my patrol this past year.  She was the area VP for Venturing.  All of her family is in Scouting so I doubt there was any resistance there.   She did fantastic.  She had a full plate: Going to college, venturing responsibilities and her mothers passing was like 2 weeks before WB started.  She definitely has her head on right.  I believe she is about to finish her tickets.  

This redundant waste of time is no where to be found in my training module.   It only shows up in the "expired" section of my trainings.   I can print out an expired certificate till the cows come home but can't see where to re-take the course.   I checked each section.  Nope nada.  

I don't really need to re-take it but that expired tag bugs me and I am a training nerd so I like things current.

Maybe they have done away with it since its outdated and really pointless.  Its basic health class stuff anyways.    I may have to override my training OCD and let it go. 

Susan

Sounds like an episode of "Chopped".  I like that idea.   Could be a lot of fun for some younger scouts to get creative and out of their comfort zone with food.  

Thanks for sharing your success story! 

All excellent ideas.  Thank you so much.   

Fehler:  We will be in the school cafeteria.  So pretty decent ceiling height.  I found a stomp rocket on Pinterest that you can aim at a 45 degree angle and another idea for tarp with holes cut in it for a points system.  Its made with a pvc frame so it can be easily transported and stored for future use. 

Still looking at a 60% chance of rain so far.    Hopefully this storm that is brewing down in the Caribbean will stay much further south and the weather will clear up some. 

Our school sign up night is next Wednesday night.  If the weather permits we will have the council's mobile climbing wall come out:  https://www.nfcscouting.org/mobile-climbing-wall

But since we live in Florida and it pretty much rains every afternoon here and the various tropical storms that could be heading our way its looking like a 60% chance of rain right now for next week.    Granted that could change a lot in the next week.  

Last year I had planned on doing the Alka Seltzer rockets outside but it poured.  So we were at a loss on what to do with the boys while the parents filled out applications and asked questions.   We ended up making paper airplanes and have a distance contest. 

So my question is: What are some fun indoor activities you can plan for the boys? 

I am thinking some minute to win it type games but I would like to know what has worked well for your pack when the weather doesn't cooperate. 

Thanks,

Susan