Jump to content

Adamcp

Members
  • Content Count

    50
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by Adamcp

  1. So I just watched our Troop's Scouts conduct the Troop's Spring Court of Honor over Zoom, ending the formal Scouting year for us since Summer Camp is closed for us. This COH marks the culmination of twelve years of Scouting for our family. Quite a night. In the Troop, there are fourteen graduating high school seniors who I had as the den leader of a gargantuan Tiger Cub Den starting twelve years ago. My guys. I was their Cubmaster and then became their Scoutmaster along the way, five years or so ago. Six Eagles in the graduating Group. My older son was a year older than this group. He earned h
  2. I start by telling them what a Scoutmaster Conference is ("talking to you about your experience in Scouting"), and I explain that each Rank will have a Scoutmaster Conference, and every other rank from now on will also have a Board of Review. I explain what that is, too. And then I tell them that the last step is to take your book to the Advancement Chair to have the info about their rank put into the computer. Then I ask them about what they like about being a Boy Scout. I ask them which of the Rank Requirements was hardest for them to do and what was the most fun. I ask them what the
  3. We did a different adventure off Big Munson, but we only heard rave reviews about the sailing adventures. Enjoy!
  4. Congrats! You'll have a great time. Which adventure are you doing?
  5. When UK and Ireland and Canada went to co-ed Scouting, did they just go "all in" (any girl 12-18 could join right away) or did they "phase in" girls joining in some way (younger girls first and letting them grow up in the troop)?
  6. "Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!" "Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!" "Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!" "Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!" Oh wait. That is what the Fox says, not the Coyote. Carry on. (Sorry, could not help myself.)
  7. I have worried a bit about this issue as well. We do not use last names anywhere on the Troop website, for example in the patrol section. The Troop Shutterfly account has only pictures (no names) and there are no pictures that would show someone's name, i.e., a certificate awarded to a Scout that would have their name listed on the Certificate. Beyond that, the website and Shutterfly account are technically open to the public and I have had a lingering doubt as to whether this is okay.
  8. I must sound like an old man telling the kids to get off my lawn, but I just keep thinking, "Why didn't they just leave well enough alone?" Who cares what rank the Scouts learn the taut line? But also it is the minutia of things like (for second class): With your parents or guardian, decide on an amount of money that you would like to earn, based on the cost of a specific item you would like to purchase. Develop a plan written plan to earn the amount agreed upon and follow that plan; it is acceptable to make changes to your plan along the way. Discuss any changes made to your original p
  9. After having lived with the "new" BSA Rank Requirements for 2016 and now into 2017, I do not see that they have contributed in any positive way to the Scouts' scouting experience. For example, last year's crossovers blundered through the cyberchip (and/or giggled through the insipid videos). If they missed the meeting where the Scouts did a skit for internet awareness, it added extra confusion for the patrol leaders. I don't see how the additional requirements helped in any manner. Soooo.... how can I change my thinking about these Rank Requirements to make me less frustrated? Whethe
  10. Wow. I always thought that our merit badge counselor issues were just due to our own Troop limitations and weaknesses. It is amazing to hear how many others have similar experiences. Frankly, I am having a hard time understanding how something so central to Scouting could be such a mess. Well, I guess not THAT much of hard time ..... But still
  11. I really like this idea. It worked super well when I was a Den Leader. Back in Aught-Nine.
  12. Interesting, Stosh. The way it was always said to me was that the pathway went like this: "Ok, Scout. If you want to do a merit badge, first go to your SM and ask the SM for a blue card. The SM will then connect you to a Merit Badge Counselor (which means give the name of the Counselor and the phone number). Then, Scout, you call the Merit Badge Counselor and ask them if they will be able to serve as the Merit Badge Counselor for your Merit Badge." Is that different from your experience?
  13. I love that you capitalize The List. It does feel like it is held in such mystery as to deserve such status!
  14. If it were me (and I did have my own sensitive son in my Tiger Den back in the day), I would tell him that if he did not stop the behaviors you mentioned, E.g., Interrupting, not listening, telling the den what to do, not letting me try to give the other Tiger Cubs equal chance to answer, etc., I would not take him to the next Den Meeting. He may not actually believe you, and you may indeed need to leave him home once or twice to make the point, but unless he has other behavioral issues, I would hope that would work. And he has A LOT of potential Scouting ahead of him. Missing a few Tiger me
  15. Most merit badges do happen at Summer Camp, at least in this Troop since I've been a part of it. Hoping to give some different opportunities for the Scouts, especially for topics that do not have merit badges offered at camp. Thanks for your thoughts.
  16. I worked with transgender teens and young adults, some under 18, some older than 18. Younger teens needed parental consent to move forward with transitioning, and the teens I know needed about six months minimum of sessions with a psychologist who also was working with the endocrinologists. They often start to live their desired gender identity during that time, i.e., wearing those clothes, hair style. I guess shoes are more expensive than a pair of jeans, those often change last! Some folks do take longer to go through those initial steps with the psychologist and the endocrine team. The
  17. Do those of you in far and wide Councils have trouble with Councils regarding record keeping of Merit Badge Counselors? As in, trouble with the list of who is on Council's list of approved Counselors. I'm thinking that a good basic class in Excel should suffice here, but we cannot get any list of counselors, other than a poorly Xeroxed paper copy (unsortable of course) 20 pages or so long that looks like it has not been updated in many, many years. (I am not sure all of these Scouters still walk amongst us!) And when we send in applications for new Merit Badge Counselors, we rarely (.
  18. Every transgender person with whom I have worked as a psychologist (not my specialty, so 5 people) were acutely suicidal (my specialty, so there is a selection bias there) until they began to live their life according to their gender identity. In each case, suicidality went to zero when they started living as their gender identity. Some of these folks went on to further assessments by psychologists (specialists) and medical doctors and proceeded with medical transitioning (hormonal and partial surgical). The other folks are teens who are working/discussing with their families, but who do often
  19. Great idea! I will show it to the Scouts.
  20. Good point. And yeah, my issue is not with the Cabin camping. We do that, too. I just appreciated the novelty of the boys' experience this weekend and want to support it. Thanks.
  21. I like the snowshoes and the ice fishing ideas! As for your last suggestion, if only we had a football team in our state which played into the Winter months! Although I know at least one of my scouts is a Steelers fan, so he would love your suggestion! Thanks much.
  22. This past weekend, our troop just had its first Winter Camping experience since I've come on board as SM. I would consider it to have been a success. We're in a winter-y part of the U.S., and there was indeed snow on the ground. The boys had proposed the outing in their Annual Planning Meeting back in June, and I wondered whether they would hem and haw their way out of the event once the cold was actual, rather than conceptual. Much to their credit, they did not hem or haw, and we had a representative group. The Roses? They handled the cold without any complaints. Really. None. They man
  23. I do appreciate the experience that my sons are currently getting to be part of Scouting where they can be with boys and focus on becoming men of character. I don't think that this decision changes that experience presently. This decision affects the BSA the membership opportunity of young people, who I view as boys, because I believe that gender identity is a valid concept and that biological gender can be inconsistent with gender identity. This belief is based upon my experience listening to transgender individuals describe their experiences. The folks I know gladly enjoy life as boys/yo
  24. Despite the fact that the DSM V lists Gender Dysphoria as a diagnosis, most psychiatrists and psychologists I know do not see being transgender as a mental ilness, and certainly not a delusion. Many think that the diagnosis will not continue to be listed as a mental health diagnosis in future diagnostic manuals.
×
×
  • Create New...