Eagle94-A1

Varies.  If we have new folks 5 miles/day. Last year, everyone had done the AT trip previous, so it was about 7 miles day one and 3 miles day 2 It was more of a new gear shakedown than anything.

Units plan their own canoe trips. 25 year ago, a local company gave a VERY generous donation to a CO for bunch of canoes and a trailer. HOWEVER, the caveat was that the CO had to share the canoes with any unit in the district.  So canoes, trailer paddles, PFDs, etc are covered. 

• Where are you canoeing?                              Tar River, Neuse River, French Broad

• Where are you skiing?                                    Water skiing is good at any lake or sound. Jordan Lake, Pamlico Sound,
• Where are you finding a good klondike derby?               What's that.
• What does your unit plan for any higher adventure first class and up scouts if some of these are too extreme for new scouts (not BSA HA, just more intense than state parks and light hikes, such as backpacking/climbing/rafting)

          backpacking= Grayson Highlands, and the AT. with prep trips at Uhwarrie and other places with backpacking. And we take everyone who has done a prep trip in the past, so if a new Scout want to try backpacking, they can do a prep trip and go (We had one do the prep trip, said he needed to get in shape and missed the first trek. He got in shape and did it the next year.

Whitewater=  National Whitewater Center ( Scouts had more fun there than on an actual float) Nantahala Outdoor Center has been our go to for actual floats.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. Much needed.

Weekend was a camp out, and he needed a lot of help from adults and others. Plus he has a hard time listening to his PL and APL. I overheard  dad telling him he only needs to listen to the adults. I kept telling him ask his PL for those things the PL could handle. Since I lent him some gear, when it came to it, I answered. Other Scouts are surprised he is Life. One commented, "he's like a Tenderfoot when it comes to camping"

I do see some promise. Going to chat with family when I can and get support to let him do things for himself. They do everything for him. Found out Dad bought the food for the patrol this past weekend.

Well, I had another disheartening moment yesterday. 

We had a life Scout transfer into the troop because "you do stuff."  Yes their troop camped, but it was very infrequent. The Life Scout didn't know how to write a menu, food purchasing list, or duty roster.

I am beginning to wonder if I am fighting an uphill battle staying in Scouting.

The closest thing I ever did for a camporee to be a MB was a wilderness survival themed camporee. A lot of the events were based upon requirements for the merit badge. Personal favorite was shelter building. Build a shelter, and we placed newspaper inside of it, and dumped water on the roof to see how water proof it was.

1 hour ago, fred8033 said:

Using my own education, the Citizenship, Family, Personal Management and Physical Fitness badges would have been easy except for checking off boxes.  

Sadly, some of the stuff is not being taught in schools, or well enough for them to remember. When I took a group of Scouts to DC, we did one of the historic trails that had a lot of Citizenship in the Nation info along the trail. Plus all the Scouts, except the visiting Webelos, had Civics in HS. NONE OF THE SCOUTS COULD TELL ME WHAT THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT WERE, THE BILL OF RIGHTS, ETC!!!!!!!!! (bold and caps for major emphasis). Only the homeschooled Weblos could give me the correct info for the MB. When I asked the Scouts if they had civics yet in HS, all said yes, but all they did was watch videos on their laptops. But that is a different topic for another day.

1 hour ago, fred8033 said:

Focus on outdoors and growth. 

Agree 100%

My troop has no feeder pack. Every time it seems as if we are going to fold, we get enough transfers to keep it alive another year. We are a hiking, camping, and biking troop. That is how we attract Scouts: focusing on Outdoors. As for growth, we focus on personal growth. We do not push MBs or advancement. If it takes 4 years for First Class, so be it. We let the Scouts grow at their own pace. Which is probably why our Eagles stick around until they turn 18, or go to college.

We are hanging on by a thread, but we are hanging on.

So as you may know, my troop recruits by word of mouth. Mostly transfers from other units. I am seeing a really depressing trend, Scouts coming in with skills signed off, but have no idea what to do or are not able to do it. 

From one troop we have a guy who was signed off on a bunch of stuff through First Class, including passing a swim test. Yet when we did the annual swim test, could barely pass the beginner test. When I asked about it, he said he didn't remember passing a swim test, but his old troop signed off on it after summer camp. When asked if he took instructional swim ever, he said no.

We got another potential Scout, he is checking out other  troops now, visit us a few times. When I asked about what rank he is, experience with o other troop, etc. It is a deer on the headlights. When working on Scout skills, deer in the headlights when asked to do them. He doesn't even know what rank he is. When I finally met the dad, dad said he is First Class and dad has all the paperwork. When I told dad once he joins the troop, I can access SCOUTBOOK, and whatever is missing I can use his handbook, dad said he doesn't have a handbook, but he has a folder of what he has done.

Finally, we got a Life Scout transfer in. Took him camping, and forgot a bunch of gear, including gear I sent reminders on. He didn't know how to pack for a campout, nor set up a tent. When asked about camping, he said troop went camping 2, maybe 3 times a year. And summer camp was on your own as provisional. Previous to the campout he asked about his remaining MBs. I checked Scoutbook, and when I mentioned Citizenship in the Community, he told me he should have that because we went to the city meeting. When I told him more is involved with the MB, he told me that his previous SM told him all he needed to do was the city meeting and he got it. The topic of board of reviews came up talking to another Scout. He asked what they were. When I explained what they were, and asked about them in his old troop, he told me, "Oh, Mr. (SM's Name) and Mr. (CC's (?) name) said they don't have time to do one, but I got the rank."

Is anyone else seeing this trend of folks getting signed off, but not actually doing the work? And of course, once it is in Scoutbook, it is a done deal.

5 hours ago, Tron said:

Membership loss on/after Jan 1st has always been an issue right? This is the first year where we have 2 major renewal deadlines though. What happens October 1st(ish) ? 

For Pros, the 2 membership deadlines in the past have been December 31st and June 30th. Those are what their performance reviews is based upon.

As for October 1st, I bet that is when most  Roundups have been finished, and we get all the new Cub Scouts.

When I was in the UK, they still had Scout and Guide variety show.

Well, one troop I know created their own Eagle Scout certificate template that looks like the real certificate. Maybe I can get a copy.

I find it amusing that the stuff that cannot be easily made, i.e. patches and medals, have been done and out for a while, but the item that can be easily laser printed we are waiting on.

What's up with the delay in Eagle Certificates? If they are waiting for the president's signature, why not use the one form the previous term? And if it is a design issue, why were they not updated when the medals and patches were updated. Those have been available for some time now.

1 hour ago, Jameson76 said:

 Youth want action, not more school.  Go and DO

One reason why my troop is still alive: we DO stuff.  Except for 2 members, all of my Scouts transferred from other troops. And one of the 2 had brothers who transferred into the troop.

1 hour ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

They know who the "academic" or "paper" Eagle Scouts are, too.

Sad thing is this: it can be very, VERY (emphasis) discouraging for some Scouts who see the 'Paper Eagles" I cannot tell you how many times in the past few years I have seen Scouts discouraged and not want to earn Eagle, because of "paper Eagles." Sadly I have met too many folks that believe summer camp/ merit badge weekends/etc are "purchasing" MBs.

19 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

• Grow our Membership by making our program more relevant, easy fun.  
  • Fully digital program
  • Make a single scout program (that was confusing to me, but on a slide)

Did whomever who came up with this not look at history and the 1972 "Improved Scouting Program" fiasco, where it was possible to become an Eagle without a single night of camping?

19 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

• Outdoor method was mentioned in a lot of slides

 

 HOW ( emphasis) was it mentioned? Do they realize that this contradicts the fully digital comments above? Do they not realize the  'OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING?"

Do not know about staff size, but guarantee that fundraising is a factor. 

47 minutes ago, Tron said:

Forget the reflecting our community part; how does the make regular units take scoutreach units on campouts even work with YPT and GTSS? Was it that some maniac wrote this garbage or were the early 2010s a YPT wild west? 

Until recently, multiple units could camp together with no issues. I think National tightened the multiple units policy because some were creating their own events like camporees and summer camp  even. As long as the YPT policies OF THE DAY (emphasis, YPT has become significantly tighter, i.e. only 21 year olds count towards YPT, parents are not allowed to camp, etc) you were fine.

@Prime00, 110% correct. But sometimes, just sometimes, the pros are so bad, that new Scouters with kids still in the program back away.

As to why it happens? Sometimes the pros move from one areas where stuff they are proposing/mandating/changing is successful, but in the area they move it doesn't work. One example I can give is packs having designated schools they recruit from. Great idea when you are in an area with neighborhood schools. But when you move to an area with forced bussing, not such a good idea.

On 2/22/2025 at 6:00 PM, Tron said:

Does that mean that we can expect multiple council mergers in the next year or two? It is my understanding that national does not want councils under 5000 youth.

Yes.  There is a document in the lawsuit that proposes a significant reduction in councils, something like 100-150.

2 hours ago, fred8033 said:

  I don't understand how small councils can stay in business.  

A small council that provides quality service will meet their finance goals. I know a council that is having membership issues, but they provide quality service to their members, and their financial goals are exceeded. Contrast to another council I know that has membership growth, but poor customer service. I cannot tell you how much they lost donations, but it is significant. One district's goal is 5.3% of what is was 20 years ago when adjusted for inflation.

UPDATE:

Since the last post, the Scout has gotten off his duff and busting butt. Project got approved and is completed, he is in the post project paperwork. 1 MB that we both knew he had left is finished. The challenge  is two 90 Day MBs. I know he started them prior to transfer, and I think he finished one of them with me back in his old troop. Sadly they do not use blue cards, so know record. The other I knew he started. Going to have a long chat with him at the meeting, but he will be cutting it close.