The Latin Scot

I checked my copy of the 1979 Handbook and it does not include the waiver, though the 1988 handbook does. But nowadays there is no such "head start," though as a Webelos leader I wish I could give my boys a boost like that. All I can do is train them and prepare them! Which I guess is the best I can do. :-)

I think the motto of the Cub Scouts is still an essential element for any Boy Scout, or adult for that matter - DO YOUR BEST. No true Scout will accept anything less than his very best effort in all things, whether it's advancement, personal effort, individual integrity, or whatever. Mediocrity is never acceptable to the boy with Scouting in his heart. As leaders we model that ideal in the expectations we have for the young men we work with, and in the expectations we have for ourselves. Requiring 50% attendance at OA elections is a reflection of that principle. The purpose of the OA

When I offer Den Leader Training courses for new Cub leaders in my council, that's actually a large part of what I try to convey. As a Webelos Den Leader, I think it's important to be aware of the local Boy Scout program so that I can sufficiently prepare my boys, not only for the program, but for the leaders and Troops up to which they will be advancing. My den feeds in to the Troop sponsored by our shared CO, so I always make it a point to attend their committee meetings and to know the SM and his assistants personally. That way I can give them information about the boys moving up soon,

That wouldn't work because the SMC has to take place while the Scout is in the Boy Scout program. Work done as a Cub Scout, even a Webelos Scout, cannot be counted towards Boy Scout advancement.

If the Webelos leaders have been doing their job, you can cut another month off of that time frame - the requirements for the Scouting Adventure adventure are almost identical to those for Scout rank, so ideally they should be able to pass off that rank after their first meeting. That's always my goal with my Webelos Scouts; I prep them in the weeks leading up to their advancement to Boy Scouts so that they are prepared to meet with their Scoutmaster and pass things off at that first Patrol gathering. But it does take careful planning on the Webelos leaders' part, and close coordination with t

LOL. Don't get me wrong, that sounds like a cute idea and it would be great for school or a family council or something - but not for Cub Scouts, where we have enough requirements to complete already!

Okay, that makes more sense. And I apologize for the long diatribe; I just had an instance a few days ago trying to deal with a neighboring pack that asked me to come do a training and I arrived to find their program was WAY WAY OFF, so I am a little skittish when I hear about using the Patrol Method for little kids lately, lol. And I have never heard of a "sit upon," but it sounds ridiculous, albeit cute. Don't we have enough to do without wasting time making fluffy chairs? I am totally with you on that one, haha.

This will be a crazy year for packs implementing both girls AND 5 year-olds! I am honestly relieved my CO isn't accepting either, LOL.

When you say "acting as patrols," do you mean in regards to camping only, or through the whole program in general? I will be frank - as a Webelos leader and an child educator I am not in favor of this idea. The patrol method is, specifically, allowing the boys to manage their own affairs, and leaving them to their own devices when it comes to activities, cooking, etc. Boys of Cub Scout age are too young for this practice to work. There is solid educational, pedagogical support for the leaders guiding activities for boys this young. They need to have solid, positive modeling for how activi

From blog.scoutingmagazine.org: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/02/14/after-roaring-success-lions-will-move-from-pilot-to-full-time-part-of-cub-scouting/

Welcome to the forums! Glad to have you.

Do I count as a Millennial if I was born in '83? I dunno, as a teacher I have to keep a sharp eye on my e-mails in case parents or administration has notifications that I need to be aware of - if I take longer than a day to reply to a message, there is always a dang good reason for it. So maybe that disqualifies me from being part of that generation, lol.

It was signed in DC, so Eastern time. Sorry, I forget that because I live in California, my 11:03 is different than yours.

Happy Birthday BSA! Begun at exactly 11:03 am, February 8th, 1910. Here's to 108 more years of serving our nation and its youth! I have sat at my computer for the last 15 minutes just to be sure I posted that at exactly the right time, lol.

I think this is wonderful! Congratulations Mr. Eugene Cerniglia!

Huh. I have never had a designated "snack time," and I haven't had a single comment made about it in the 2+ years I've been the Webelos Den Leader. Sure, every now and then I may have extra cookies that I share with them, or extra holiday candy or whatever, but it's never a regular thing, and if anything it makes the boys more eager to work for them whenever treats do somehow materialize. But nobody has ever asked about it, and I don't think it's something I would ever really consider, at least not for boy the age I'm working with. Besides we're usually up and doing so much that there ju

The only thing that can doom Scouting is people who allow themselves to believe that Scouting is doomed. If we embrace the pessimistic idea that Scouting's days are numbered, then sure, it won't last long. But while I may not be able to rescue the perceptions of cynics and fatalists, I can certainly save Scouting in the eyes of the boys in my Den or Troop. I can instill in them the ideals and aims of Scouting, and lead them to believe in the power of this movement, however it may be distorted or warped by reactionaries and so-called 'progressives.' I can motivate them to live the Scout O

Wow I thought this was a joke at first ... As a den leader, I would be appalled if I wasn't invited into the monthly committee meetings. In fact all parents, den leaders, and interested parties expected to be at our committee meetings, and we have a great program going. But I would hesitate to be part of any program where the den leaders, the very core of the Cub Program, are not welcome.

Ah, the yearly meteorological meanderings of the marmota monax ... Remind me why we get six me weeks of winter if he sees his shadow - doesn't that mean the sun is in fact shining, which should be indicative of impending spring, yet an overcast sky means he doesn't see his shadow, and thus somehow, more winter? This is why I would never trust the weather with an overgrown rodent.

I agree with the plaque idea; in fact the Scout Store offers a number of examples that would be perfect, appropriate gifts. Have it engraved with a lovely message and relevant information regarding his tenure, and it would be just the thing. Regardless of whether it's entirely appropriate or not, I feel a gift card is the gift that says you don't know me. A nice plaque or even a statuette is a dignified memento he can put among his personal effects in a place of honor. I would go with that if possible.

Yes I do. Just as much as you do in fact, and your question, while rhetorical I assume, brings out an important point that must be made. It is a bit condescending to imply that, if one really knew BP's writings (as you do), he would come to different conclusions than the ones I have drawn. You imply that you must have a broader knowledge of his works than I do. However, I have also read nearly all his writings available in the US, and a few still found only in Britain, so I'm afraid your attempt to undermine my comments by labeling them as "unique interpretations" cannot be based on a gre

First of all, thank you for the link to that article @Eagledad. I found it well-written, level-headed, and much-needed voice of sense in society's ongoing war against families. As for the idea of Scouting focusing on "leadership training and character development," and those being "gender-neutral" (never one of my favorite terms) -you will find after reading through Scouting's published materials over the years that those have been pushed and emphasized far more now in the past two decades than they ever were before. Yes, they were always a part of it, but you are failing to recognize tha

Understood. That kind of focus will certainly be important after High School when you more on to any kind of university, college, or trade school setting!

This is mildly amusing to me ... when you say "actually enjoy my time before Eagle," does that mean that most people ... don't? Or that somehow things will change after you earn it? Don't get me wrong, you have a lot going on in school, and you should definitely focus on that for the time being. But that's always the risk boys run with Scouting - every year they get even busier, and for too many boys, 18 comes before they know it and they are left with more hurdles than they expected when they actually get to the application process. I was talking a few months ago with a 13 year-old Life

This is ADORABLE! Campy (tee hee!) as all get out, but I love it!