KenD500

Seeing the difference in Scouts from day 1 of Summer Camp (I miss my...) to day 6 of Summer Camp (this place is cool!)

Seeing the growth of a Scout going from "I've never slept in a tent before" to showing others how to set up a tent & helping the new guy get thru his angst.

Having a normally very high strung Scout tell me during the campfire of a backpacking trip that he can just relax out here.

etc...

Scouts pay for:

1.  monthly campout food

2.  monthly campout entrance fee for places that charge (state park)

3.  some portion of any required equipment fee (canoes, climbing gear, etc)

Troop pays for:

1.  some portion of any required equipment fee

Scouters pay for:

1.  same as Scouts

For long distance trips, we build in a gas fee.

Our average campout is $20/person.

what is Darn Socks?  I know I could look it up, bit I will wait for an explanation.

Repair a sock with sewing

I really don't understand the point of having so many adults as committee members.  The ratio of ASMs to youth is one thing, but 13 committee members???   Enough adults to spread out the work and get the job done is all that is needed.  It's simply more efficient. (not to mention much less costly at recharter time.)

Some Troops in this area will have a new parent be a committee member for a year before being considered as an ASM.  It can help the parent to get out of Cub Scout mode.  

Some other Troops in the area require the parents to be either a committee member, an ASM or a merit badge counselor.

13 Scouts

1 SM

3 ASM

5 Committee members

Have a plan.  Share it with your ASMs.  If no ASMs, recruit some.

Sometimes, you'll do too much.  Sometimes, you'll do too little.  It's a learning process.

Freely admit your mistakes to the Scouts.

Do your best.

We sell Camp Cards in the spring & mistletoe around Thanksgiving.  Camp cards brings in ~600 & Mistletoe brings in ~$200.

New Scouts pay $65 to the Troop & $24 to the BSA.  Returning Scouts pay $30 to the Troop & $24 to the BSA

My Scoutmaster Corps has a monthly meeting to discuss upcoming events & the Troop in general.  I encourage everyone to be trained.  And then to continue the training on their own.  We are have a potluck supper with the spouses for the first time.  

What does the SM & the SM-elect say?  They may already have a role in mind.

This past weekend our Troop had a Cooking themed camp out.  This was a first for us.  Saturday breakfast the Patrols were instructed to present their best breakfast on budget.  They planned menus at the last meeting.  Saturday dinner we gave them hamburger, potatoes, green beans, snap peas & a mango.  Meals were to be made with those ingredients.

The Scouts did awesome!  Some of the creativity was amazing.  They really enjoyed themselves.  No one got hung up on the winning aspect of it.  They want to put it on the calendar for next year.

Have you had any recent Scouting Success?  Please share.

You should talk with the people with the negative responses.  No email, no lecture, but a face to face conversation.

The business is supporting veterans and Veteran's Day by having a flag raising ceremony.  They asked for Boy Scouts to perform it.  Seems reasonable to me.

Patrol Leaders sign-off for Scouts in their Patrol.  SPL sign off for PLs.  If the PL is uncomfortable or not familiar with the skill, he passes them off to the SPL.  SM can also sign but encourages Scouts to seek out their PL.

 

 

When I'm far enough into the wilderness that I find bear scat, I start to feel safe again.

Quote of the day right there.  

I'm helping my older Scouts plan a back country trip in Grand Teton National Park.  Has anyone been there in the last 5 years?  Any trails you highly recommend?

It's finally fall in Texas.  Last weekend the Troop did our Survival camp out.  We had Webelo visitors camping with us.  A good time was had by all.

Next month, October, scheduled camp out is orienteering.  November is cooking.

What has your unit been up to?  What's on the schedule?

I would rather have data from an expert who has studied an issue.  Voting doesn't really work when it comes to facts.

So according to that study, it's a better process to switch 2 and 3 around so that the sanitizing solution is used before the final rinse.    This not only gets the dishes cleaner but also rinses off the sanitizer

That's the way I understand it.

For those really interested in this topic, here's a peer reviewed paper that evaluated the 3 tub method.

3 tub study.pdf

Vol 2 is finally available in my local Scout Shop.  Picked it up last night.  Interesting information - very similar to what is put out by Woodbadge.  A very good section on setting up Unit vision & goals.  Another good one on evaluations of self/others & unit.

Has anyone else found Vol 2 yet?  What are your thoughts?

I also found Vol 3 of the new Troop Program Resources.

BSA acquired Scoutbook almost a year & a half ago.  How many of your Troops are using it?  Do you like/dislike it?  Do you recommend it?

I'm sure many of you are aware that all of the past issues of Scouting Magazine used to be available online free.  They've now been taken down.

This morning, I read about the subscription service to access them.

Link to article

I understand the need to pay for itself, but to offer a service for free for several years and then charge for it, seems off to me.

I could understand a one time charge but not a subscription.

What do you think?

Interesting article from the business world regarding leadership.  I found it on the BSA Wood Badge Alumni LinkedIn page.

http://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/leadership/decoding-leadership-what-really-matters

We just got some made.  

Local shop, heavy duty cotton, 1 color, silk screened, $11/shirt.  We had 30 shirts so we made the >25 shirt discount but not the >50 discount.

Ask questions about the terrain.  Some camps are relatively flat.  Some of rocky, hilly, lots of up & downs.  

And then talk to the doctor.

1st year Scout is $65 for Troop + $24 for BSA.  This covers costs of patrol equipment for a new Scout.

Every other year - $30 for Troop + $24 for BSA.  This covers costs of patches, awards, etc.

Each campout is paid by the Scout when he signs ups.  It varies from $0 to $45.  Average last year was $20 (including food).

We fundraise for help with summer camp and to help with extra costs of certain campout that have extra activity fees.