Eagle94-A1

Correct. Liek everyone is saying. baby steps.

Stosh, Sorry about the confusion. The meds I'm back on are messing up my cognative ability. Can't wait to be off them for that aspect. But it's great having NO pain whatsoever.

Thankfully summer camp is taken care of. Older Scouts are going to Philmont, the rest of the Scouts are going to a summer camp they never have been to before: our council's camp. On a positive note, SPL is starting to take charge. Slowly but surely.

Sometimes it's due to grades. I know I know I keep mentioning band, but at the HS I went to, the different sports were considered PE, and they got a grade. During the season, they got out of PE class, with the intention that they did homework. that doesn't happen around here, but may elsewhere. Sometimes parents put the pressure. Sometimes they are reliving their childhood. Sometimes there is a hope of getting that scholarship and goign to college. Scouting doesn't have as many scholarships as sports. Sometimes it's peer pressure. Sometimes it's boredom. if you are in a troop that does the same thing over and over and over again, yeah it gets boring.

My thoughts. 1) YOUR SON (emphasis) should contact the old troop and get a copy of the records, even if they turned it in to the new troop. His rank, his responsibility. 2) YOUR SON needs to bug the heck out of the SM to the point of providing COPIES (emphasis again) of his signed portion of the blue card. Squeaky wheel get the oil so to speak. 3) YOUR SON needs to contact the council office and get a copy of his records ASAP (yep emphasis). I've seen too many times where paperwork that was turned in to a council and council either had the wrong dates or didn't put it into the records. Grant you I've dealt with this a lot on the Cub Scout level, but dealt with one case where the Eagle Candidate was denied the EBOR by the Council because in reviewing their records, he was listed as a First Class Scout. 4) Your son can start work on his project as soon as he gets Life. I too recommend getting the project completed as soon as you earn Life because I've known too many people wait to the last minute and either do projects that meet the requirements, but know they could have done a better job if they didn't wait to the last minute, or not get Eagle as a result of the project. In one case the Life Scout had 56 MBs. In another case, the Scout waited so long to do the project, he appealed all they way up to national for an extension to do the project. It was denied.

Closest i've come to giving a patrol a menu is this cook book: http://www.macscouter.com/cooking/docs/PHLMNTCB.pdf Gave every patrol one.

SO TRUE! I've had multiple encounters where a council's records were incorrect because the person imputing the data was using the date they were placing the reports into the computer and not the date the award was actually earned. Also encountered where the council records were never inputted the data at all, but that is mostly on the Cub Scout side of things but still affected one Eagle I know. In all instances, the Boy Scout Hand Book advancement sign off pages, or photocopies in my case , were used to correct the council's records. Took over a month after passing my EBOR to get the council's records corrected, and forwarded to national for approval.

Someone mentioned band. In these parts, you miss a band fuction, you lose points on grade.

Yep, I that will be the case. One thing I'm hopinng will happen is to use ''ego'' i.e. you guys have been to Philmont, and if you want to similar trips, I need. your help to get everyone else up to speed.

Yep it's what we call Sunday School. Stands for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, but sometimes known as Catechism. My middle son freaked out when I told him I did CCD only 1 year. When he asked how, told I went to parochial school and had theology classes everyday.

I was told the pin for the Light of Christ award was the youth's lapel pin. Both boys wore it on the suits for First Communion. The "Parents' Pins" were originlly "Mother's Pins, and would go on a ribbon that the ladies wore. Name changed some time in the 1990s, except for the one in the Eagle Presentation Kit. That is still called a mother's pin since the there isa tie tac for dad. As for the Council Pin, if you go to jamo, you are authorized to wear it onthe hat, hence hat pins. I actually mounted my pins for dispay in my office. Unfortunately I haven't found them since the last move

I admit, I let son skip CCD when the troop camps, Next year, however wil be confirmation, and I'll be doing some travelling. But I too have seen it where sports comes before church. I have a problem withthat.

Unfortunately nowhere. Only pins authorized for. the uniform are Sea Badge trident, Powder Horn, the Emegency Prep pin, and various knot devices. In all honesty, when I worked for national supply and had to wear pins, it was a major pain, litteraly and figuratively.

Back. One concern is tring to change the culture, and the Scouts just going along with it without them thinking about it, offering ideas to improve, etc. Basicically being a bunch of automatons, and going along with it. I want them to OWN the change. Not be just adult led. Hence the 'Balance" in the title. Ok,I'll be back

I know on the HS level, sports counted as a PE class, and band was a music class. It affected your grades. But a club sport? My oldest had something similar happen.His martial arts class started demanding he compete in compitions, attend workshops, etc. And that was way too much for a 7 year old.

Way my old troop ran the SPL job, he ran it all. He made sure everyone did their job. He mentored and counseled PLs, made sure instructors were ready to go, etc. More organizational and planning than hands on. More later

Back. My personal game plan is the following. 1) Talk to my friend who is suppose to take over. He's been with the troop since it was recreated, and has provided some vision as evidenced by us going to Philmont. But between his job, the Cub Scout pack, and upcoming nuptials, i do not think he has the time. So I want to talk and make sure I'm not stepping on anyones toes. Plus I will need his support with my evil plans 2) Talk to COR/CC about the switch. 3) If all approved, then talk to the Scouts. Try to get them to support the changes.

NYLT is out for at least 2016 as the only ones olde enough to go are Philmont bound. A litte info about the troop. 3 patrols. Olders Scouts, 13-14 years, 3 First Class, 1 Second class,and 3 Scouts Patrol of 12-13 yos who have been in at least a year if not longer and are probably the best run. 1 Tenderfoot, rest Scout. NSP All Scout Scouts did the annual planning. 3 activities "pushed" by the adults. January is a lockin with either ILS-T or First Aid Review, in addition to climbing ( Scouts have said don't mess with their climbing ) Council Camporee and District Camporee are the other 2 adult pushed events. And with the ringamarole the district camporee is making the Scouts do, there is talk among the adults of seeingif the Scouts even want to do it. BUT that is my #1 change. Right now the annual plan is calendar year, not school year. So the first 6 months we don't have many conflicts. HOWEVER fall tends to have a lot of them Last year we postponed one camp out because only 4 Scouts could go do to school extracurricuals. We are not using the troop meeting plans and that is one thing I want to change. Prior to me switching over from CS to BS, the SM did the bulk of the instructing. Whenever i could, I've tried to get the youth to do the instructing. SPL was out of town when we started workingon backpacking, left no instructions, so I got the Tenderfoot NSP member who has more miles on his feet than I do . OK Dad helped a bit too. Dad brought his toys as well to let the Philmont bound feel how a week-10 day trek will feel, and also to answer questions the Scout couldn't answer, which wasn't much. We haven't had a lot of adults helping out until recently. Most are doing doble duty with Cubs. More later

Well being out of work has given me a lot of time to think about my son's troop. Most of you know that the troop has had issues in leadership, specifically an SM with health issues trying to get the troop organized and going with little weekly help from other leaders because most of the ASMs are also Cub Leaders and the troop and pack meet on the same nite. So it's been intersting. SM, in trying to get things up to speed has done more adult lead than youth led. I've worked some with the Dec-May SPL and a bit with the May-Dec SPL to try and get things more youth led, and more intersting than "lectures" Some of that has been me and other adults talking about skills, but on a few occasions we had a Scout do it. My personal favorite was the 11y.o. Tenderfoot who has more backpacking miles than I do doing a class on Backpacking class.Those going to Philmont next year didn't take him seriously at first. They know better now. Anyway the challenges with the troop really hit me when we had a Webelos visit the troop and I talked to him afterwards. He told me that it didn't seem like a real Boy Scout troop with lack of uniforms, lack of patrol spirit, etc, but just like a camping club. And in thinking about it, he's right. I'm going to talk to my friend who is suppose to take over as SM as soon as he can find a replacement CM. I really don't think will have the time committment to be SM since A) he will be a newlywed again and B) Stepson will be a Tiger. if he's agreeable, I may take over as SM once I am out of this imobilizer and I can be active again. If this happens, there are things I want changed that may upset some of the "older" Scouts. I want them to take on more responibility instead of just goofing off. I want patrol spirit. I want uniforms. I want them to be proud to be Scouts. BUT I do not want to take over and run the troop and be a dictator. Any advice?

Doable, but he will have to work. And he will need time to do things on his own.

I've been preaching the evils of NSPs ever since my troop was one of the "guinea pig" troops that used it in the 1986-1987 time frame, and it was a complete and total mess. We went back to integrating new Scouts into one of the 3 mixed aged patrols

A few things: 1) Very sorry to see you leave. But can understand when something turns from fun to frustration, it's time to move on. 2) You have a lot t0 be proud of. You've directly touched the lives of 50 young men who need an adult leader like you. And that is just with this one troop. Think about how much of an impact you will have made when the 50 you worked with imitate you!. 3) Keep up the good fight in regards to keeping old school Scouting alive, making a difference to young men's lives, especially with those who need Scouting most. 4) In regards to someof the challenges you and your Scouts have faced locally, Always remember: Illegitimi non carborundum!

I admit I have some " gucci gear." I ALWAYS pack my newsest toy: a 30 once French press coffee maker. I don't want to wake up Grumpy when she comes, and I am a coffee addict. But you are spot on about the expensive hydration systems, water bottles and other gear that WILL get lost. True Story my son was in a panic because he lost the waterbottle I got for him right before his very first summer camp. He spent over an hour searching for it and was crying over it (I also think part of it was homesickness too). He said it was special because I bought it for him for camping. I told him it was OK, it's not a big deal, and I would take care of it. So I took him to the trading post, and bought him another Gatorade so he could use the bottle. Yes he was freaking out over a Gatorade bottle I bought before we left for camp.

I admit I tend to focus attitudes and how new leaders interact with their youth. I've had both good and bad expereinces in that department. I admit I tend to neglect group gear on the Boy Scout level, because i have been extremely fortunate to have been in troops that have been around for a while and have enough group gear. My son's troop was is a ressurected troop, so we have gear from the troop's glory days still in use. Old, but usable. In the past, I've done an "Intro to camping" class for Tigers and Wolves in preparation our council's fall family camp out. While I do bring my "toys" to show off (I am a kid at heart ), I focus more on the DIY gear that you can get from items around the hours ( blanket sleeping bags, tin can stoves, cooking gear from home) or very cheaply from a store ( plastic ground sheets and tarps for shelters). I stress not making major purchases until they KNOW they enjoy camping. Then I talk about my "toys." I talk about what to look for in gear. I talk about how if you take care of the gear, it will last a long time. Like the used backpack I got 25+ years ago that oldest is borrowing, the 15 year old tent someone was throwing away because it had a small rip and couldn't sew to fix it. I talk about Government Surplus, and garage sales (now oldest can talk about how he found a fully stocked chuck box with an estimated $100-$200 worth of BACKPACKING cooking gear at a garage sale for $40 for his patrol! ). What i don't mention to the Cubs, but sometimes to the dads on the side, is what an old SPL of mine told me way back in the day, " Treat your gear like you would treat your girlfriend; take care of it and you will have a long healthy relationship."