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Hedgehog

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Everything posted by Hedgehog

  1. Hedgehog
    Interesting. Our troop has an SM, a 1st ASM (me) and a cadre of other ASMs. A handful of the other ASMs (usually the same two or three) come on outings - we have at least 1 adult for every 10 boys. Typically, the SM and I are the ones who talk to the boys and then typically only to the SPL, ASPL, PLs a APLs at the Friday night PLC meeting. We do our best to keep the other adults out of the way of the boys. Most of the ASMs that have been around get it. The new ones take a little bit of time to get used to it. We make a point about talking up boy-led around the adult campfire. The
  2. Hedgehog
    We have three COH's a year -- October, February and June. October is cider and donuts, February is pot luck with every family bringing something and June is burgers and hot dogs with the families bring the side dishes. The food is organized by the adults (really just one e-mail), supplies are purchased by adults and food is cooked by the adults in June. Honestly, this is one of the areas that I don't care is run by the adults. It gives the adults a chance to be involved and to do something nice for the boys. I'd rather the boys run the COH than organize the food.
  3. Hedgehog
    Sounds like age based patrols rather than a NSP. My understanding is that the NSP is for short term use. The best use I saw for it was for crossover scouts from when they join until summer camp. I would reform all the patrols letting the boys choose. Now, considering that as an ASM in my troop, I'm unable to get that accomplished, you also will be met with unsurmountable obstacles. So the best realistic solution is to give them the freedom to fail. They are really in a power struggle with the adults -- from you, to the SPL, to the TG to their parents and grandparents. From what yo
  4. Hedgehog
    We'd never use water guns. We prefer foam water pump squirt toys :http://www.amazon.com/Foam-Water-Squirt-assorted-colors/dp/B005GPCL1K Seriously, we don't go canoeing or kayaking without them (provided the weather is warm enough to get a little wet).
  5. Hedgehog
    First Committee meeting I attended, adults decided on one of the campouts "because that is an easy on to do." My wife had to talk me out of quitting after that meeting. With the new SM, things changed. We DID ask the boys what they wanted to do. The answer was COPE courses, rock climbing, backpacking treks, canoeing, climbing mountains, bicycling to camp, backpacking into summer camp, sea kayaking, camping in Maryland and touring Washington D.C. and more. We did those. We kept asking -- the adventures on the boy's lists now are building snow shelters and sleeping in them, cross countr
  6. Hedgehog
    We are around 50 scouts, pretty evenly dispersed by grade. I'll take some pictures and post them when we do it in May. The four towers of stacked Dutch ovens is a pretty cool sight (they are stacked together on our patio so as not to leave burn marks on the lawn). I'll also get pictures of the dinners that were served. I'm still trying to find a suitable trophy that can be given out each year and passed on. I'm always for camping more. Tried to convince my son to try out the new four season tent in the last storm that dropped 24 inches... for some reason he didn't want to.
  7. Hedgehog
    @@Stosh, the integrating new scouts to the troop has been the boy leader's problem to solve. We have boys coming from at least three Packs (last two years it was four Packs) from February through the end of March or even April (after the School District's spring break). Last year the boys wanted to try the NSP idea because they thought that it would help the Patrol Leaders by eliminating a disruption. The idea was to keep the NSP until the June Court of Honor. The leaders of the NSP was the former SPL and ASLP (who are with the troop as 18 year-old Eagle ASMs). They found it difficult to c
  8. Hedgehog
    We typically give the boys options with an adult override if we think the scout isn't qualified. The only time I had to do something resembling an override is when a parent of a Webelos crossover asked if their son who had never backpacked before should consider doing the 50 miler. I told them that he wasn't ready and they agreed. That being said, I had a 12 year old accompany us on that trek and that was his first multiday backpacking trek (he had backpacked into a campout once before). I knew the boy from Cub Scouts and knew he could do it. We often set up outdoor adventures in two t
  9. Hedgehog
    The boys tried the NSP last year and decided that it didn't work. The new scouts cross over at different times, so it was difficult for the older scouts to teach any skills because in two weeks three more scouts would arrive. Also, the new scouts kept asking why they weren't allowed to be with the rest of the troop. The new scouts want to hang out with the older boys -- that is the fun part of joining boy scouts. The PLs and APLs have to adjust a bit to accomidate the new scouts. It becomes a little bit more difficult to keep the patrol focused and on task. It seems like the guys who
  10. Hedgehog
    First, the logistics of doing it on a campout would be difficult in coordination with the Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements. When the BSA made cooking a required badge, we had 12 older scouts who needed that badge. Add that to the fact that prior leadership did not do a lot of campouts that required patrol cooking, so we had around 8 guys who had been in the troop for a couple of years needing the Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements (which must be done on a campout) as well as the cooking merit badge. Add to that another 10 new guys just joined and 10 more
  11. Hedgehog
    Again, I'm not disagreeing with you. We've talked about this before and I think you understand where I'm coming from. I also understand that you are pointing those items out to have me (and others) think about what more can be done. I realize there is still a lot of work to do but for me, the "WHY" is a matter of focusing on what are the most important changes and then accepting that some functions will still be handled by adults -- at least in the short term. The next change is to have the older boys work with the younger guys in developing menus for campouts. After that, it is having
  12. Hedgehog
    The requirement is "In the outdoors, using your menu plan for this requirement, cook two of the five meals you planned using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire." The last time I checked, my backyard is "in the outdoors." The boys use the same equipment that the patrols use on campouts -- they set up four tables and four stoves, pull out the four patrol boxes and use eight dutch ovens. They use water from the water jugs we use at camp and wash dishes using the three basin method. Their food for the day is stored in pastic bins and in coolers -- just like on campouts. The on
  13. Hedgehog
    I was talking with a couple of scouts about having a cooking merit badge session in May. We do it in one day in my backyard (with the exception of the home and trail cooking). Make omlettes, grill sausages over a fire and then cook four different dinners and desserts for the parents who join us for dinner. The dinners, which were cooked in Dutch Ovens, have included chicken caccatori, beef stew, barbarqued spare ribs, italian braised short ribs, lasagne and chili. The desserts, also cooked in Dutch Ovens, included brownies, apple pie, cheesecake, upside down cake, two layer chocolate cakes
  14. Hedgehog
    Stosh: As you know, I don't disagree with your assessment. In a perfect world, the boys would be doing those tasks. I'd love the boys to take those roles. However, I'm a believer in gradual change and picking and choosing how to best move the troop along the continum toward being more boy led. I'd rather have the boys packing the patrol gear for campouts (as they do now) rather then the adults packing the gear for the troop (as it was before). Getting that done is more important then having the boys (rather than the adults) sending out an email about who btings a main course, sa
  15. Hedgehog
    I think you may be looking at this from the wrong perspective. The question really is what do you see that provides the boys with real opportunities for leadership. The refreshments at our Courts of Honor are organized by parents (for one a parent purchases the refreshments, for one an e-mail is sent out by a parent assigning a catagory of dishes for pot-luck and for one the parents do the cooking on grill). However, the Court of Honor is run by the SPL and the other scouts. Where the SM and ASM used to talk about outings, the ranking leader on the trip talks about it (an adult used t
  16. Hedgehog
    That was my story. I started when the boys were doing an orienteering course. Told the adults that the boys were in front, adults in back. Started doing it on backpacking treks. I've trained the guys based on my favorite Baden Powell quote -- "the best way to avoid getting lost is to always know where you are." The stop and look at the map at every landmark -- cross trail, stream, change in elevation (valley or top), service road, etc. They locate where they are, figure out what the next landmark is and how far away it will be. Once, I let the boys go about a mile past the trail we were
  17. Hedgehog
    Who is the top leader of an army? The political leader, the top general or the Colonel in charge of field operations, the Lieutenant in charge of the platoon or the Sargent-Major. There are many different types of leadership. The SM and ASM lead as coaches to the SPL and PLs. The SPL leads as mentor to the PLs and to coordinate the activites of the patrols at the troop level. The ASPL acts as a mentor to the QM, Guide, etc. The PLs lead their patrol. The APLs assist the PLs. Each has a different role and each requires different leadership skills.
  18. Hedgehog
    Stosh: Are you saying she can't throw a birthday party for her son if she doesnt do it for all the kids in the Den? As others have said, if you are doing something outside of scouts, it is outside of scouts. The YPT guidelines (no one on one contact) and two-deep leadership are good ideas whether in scouting or otherwise. Having other kids around avoids one-on-one and having your husband around is good in case you need to run out.
  19. Hedgehog
    The story is a tragedy and I suspect there is more to it than what was in the article. That being said, I think the emphasis of schools and society is misplaced. The emphasis is on stopping bullying rather than empowering kids to deal with it. If we raise kids knowing they are loved and teach scouts that they are inherently valuable, nothing anyone else can say will change that. There also is empowerment in knowing right from wrong -- knowing that the other kids are not acting in a Scoutlike manner makes you superior and stronger than them. My son knows he is smart, handsome, d
  20. Hedgehog
    Interesting discussion. The things I think lead to our Troop's high retention rate are: 1. Quality Outdoor Program. We have had great campouts in April, May and June that the new guys attend. We try to schedule 12 outings a year. Recent outings (since the last group of cross overs) included a shakedown backpacking hike, a campout the older guys cycled 25 miles to, a campout with a hike around 20 waterfalls, a three-day canoing and backpacking trek, summer camp, a 50 mile backpacking trek, sea kayaking, a camporee, an 18 mile backpacking trek and a camping trip to Washington D.C.
  21. Hedgehog
    Interesting. I think our loss rate is around 10% (1 in 10). If they go on a campout before the summer after crossing over, they stay. If they don't camp with us in the first three months (April, May and June) or go to summer camp, there is a 50% chance they drop out.
  22. Hedgehog
    Interesting. I'm curious what the basis is for question would be. The Guide to Advancement places the decision on the number of merit badges earned from a particular counselor on the SM. Our SM's rule is you can't just be a counselor for your own kid, you have to do it for everyone in the Troop and you are encouraged to do it for other troops in the District. By the time my son goes up for Eagle, I will have probably counseled 30 scouts in Cooking, 15 scouts in Camping and 20 scouts in Family Life. If they don't question it for the other guys that have all three of those ba
  23. Hedgehog
    I'll admit that my involvement in the Troop is because of my son. I want him to learn independence and to learn to be at home in the outdoors. OK, there also is a bit of reliving my childhood by going and playing in the woods one weekend a month. I've learned new skills (backpacking), relearned old skills (Camping and Hiking) and adapted other skills (gourmet cooking to camp Cooking). I've dusted off what I learned in college (Citizenship in the Nation and World), applied what I've learned in real life (Personal Management and Family Life). I've been the MBC for my son in a lot of tho
  24. Hedgehog
    Does presenting rank advancement patches and merit badge patches at a COH encourage advancement? Maybe, but not necessarily in a good way. I've seen a couple of parents exchange looks which if I was to guess mean "why didn't you advance?" I think our COH's generate excitement for our outdoor program. The SPL and ASPL talk about what we did over the last couple of months, the kids that were there remember how much fun they had and the ones that missed it wonder if they should have gone. However, I did notice that a bunch of kids and adults paid attention when my son received his
  25. Hedgehog
    "We've got this Mr. Hedgehog" - SPL, frequently "It was AWESOME" - New crossover after his mom asked him about his first campout "IT'S MR. HEDGEHOG!!!" - Several senior scouts screaming with joy at my arrival at summer camp midweek "That was the longest hike I've ever done" - A first year after six miles "I can't believe I made it." - A 12 year old after backpacking 50 miles "Leadership is a lot of work" - My son after his first campout as APL "We need to work together more as patrols." - Several boys during stop, start and continue after our last campout
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