curious_scouter

This was my first year helping in the annual planning. I think keeping it simple, letting the Scouts take the lead, and having the adults engaged primarily to sanity check cost, logistics, and safety is the key. For this, we asked 3 adult leaders to attend - the rest agreed to "proxy" to those three. This provided decent sanity checking and avoided having too many adults around to interfere with the Scouts' discussion. We did not seek further approval after that session. No plan survives first contact anyway. If we had gotten "committee approval" for the plan, we would have felt obl

Getting help is hard. Things I have seen help ... with getting help: Ask for SPECIFIC help. Sit down, be thoughtful and document some of your needs before asking for help. I've seen it when someone stands at the front of the meeting saying "Uh, we need some help" On the off chance it does motivate someone I've seen too many times where the volunteer goes to the CC only to be asked by the CC "So what do you want to do to help us?" The volunteer goes glassy eyed ... they don't have the first idea how a unit runs and what it needs. So you're going to get something like "Gee, I don't

Here there are also limited options for pack overnighters. We are fortunate though that the council camp is open for packs and checks all the boxes and there is also an Elks sponsored youth camp - they have more facilities for cabin campers, but a very nice open area with a bathhouse that makes it suitable for our Packs. Most state parks also meet the bill and many have group camping (here). There is a small cost to most of those options, but even the highest (Elks) is like $2-5 a night. Hope you find a spot, I was on committee when our Pack was around 100 scouts, it was a def

Summoning this thread back from the dead to solicit updated feedback. We are diving back into patrol method and I want full patrol autonomy including a dining fly per patrol. What poles / tarps are people using with success? Wood poles are best. Time tested, durable, easily repaired/replaced. I don't know if we have trailer space for them. We have 5 patrols. I also would like to have a no-trailer option if needed. Conserving trailer space is a goal, being able to fit patrol rainfly poles into mom's car is desireable also if we can't (or don't want to) take the trailer. Wha

Agree with @Eagle1993 on burnout and Den Leadership. Be a Den Leader. It's awesome. You get to be with your scout and their buddies. I miss it so much. Cubs was such a great time but burnout is real. Being prepped and ready to meet the challenge of thoroughly entertaining a group of boys almost every week for YEARS See how that goes before loading up too much else on your plate. But it's fun. And it's hard. And if you're really into it too - it's like... even better, but also even worse Use your past knowledge and experience, but man... prepare to be humbled too. You've prob

Is there an option to 'remix' the adult roles so you have more in a committee role? If you're very small and have more than 1 ASM consider asking some/all of them to transition to committee. You can probably get away with less ASMs (or none) easier than less committee, especially if your SM allows higher rank Scouts to take a lead and sign off on advancement at a certain point. If you end up being able to grow the committee more later and people prefer wearing the ASM badge, you can shift again.

Yeah, distance to Scout Shop's a thing. Once you get the uniform and get to know some folks, I've found it pretty easy to ask "anyone going"? Making the trek for the uniforms is almost mandatory so they can try them on. Side benefit here at least is MOST of the patches you'd have to buy and then get sewn on are already on the uniforms at the shop. I might drive 900 miles if it meant 10 patches are perfectly affixed on purchase I know you're not in Patches-on-shirts territory yet, but will be soon and it's worth it (my humble opinion). Buy them big when you get to that point. I've u

@qwazse - thanks. I needed to hear that, some of the responses here are downright mean spirited.

On here, perhaps. There are enough fillable PDF templates out there from a dozen+ sites that plenty of others do it. As I started creating my own little library, I was wondering if someone on here was as OCD/crazy as me and had already gone down the path and pre-filled the requirements listing for a bunch I haven't yet. That's really the hardest part. I use 3-up template (3 cards per sheet) vs. the 1-up template so save paper (thrifty) but it requires me to manually type every requirement 3 times and get it right. If Scoutbook will print a card like below (dates aren't needed - that's

It only auto fills the ones that have been signed off. I can't print 20 pre-filled camping MB cards so I have them to hand out when scouts ask.

Our SPL actually just sent me this month's PLC agenda and on it he has a specific line item to discuss with the PLC about "expensive" outings. His definition is anything where the outing fees (excluding Patrol food expenses) are more than $20 per scout for the weekend. That's probably a decent standard to shoot for honestly. Next month PLC wanted a canoe trip, that'll be $30-$50 per Scout due to canoe rentals mainly. By this definition this is "expensive" November they asked for a pretty cool but expensive excursion which with bookings and transport fees will be $200+ per Scout.

I started creating files for common MBs using the PDF fillable template. As I was doing camping and cooking MB today I wondered if anyone out there had already created a pre-filled set for themselves they would be willing to share.

Looking for general outing concepts we can float to our PLC. There has been a bit of a trend in our PLC towards "Spendy" outings. Really cool stuff, but they cost $100-$600 per Scout to attend and when done in consecutive months and around high-spend times of year (holidays) creates a challenge RE: exclusion. I've been advocating within our troop the idea that not every outing has to be for everyone, but there should be an outing for everyone - every month. So, if there's a contingent that wants to drop $200 a scout this month on something unique, awesome. But there should be somethi

Will second this. Get Baloo, get IOLS, do position-specific online. I recall thinking I knew my stuff and being humbled on several occasions since re-engaging with my sons Between what you've forgotten and what has changed, there's plenty to learn.

This is a passive thought I had too. Get in there, enjoy your time. One of the great things about Den Leader vs. Pack Committee is you get to focus on YOUR SCOUTS. You'll need to pop your head up to Pack level now and then, but I talked the outgoing Cubmaster into joining me in Den Leadership (we had both been on Committee / Pack Leadership to then) and we had an absolute blast. You're right in it with the Scouts and they are so much fun. As with SSScout I was a prior youth, I had no concept of the power structure or struggles of the adult leadership. As a parent and a Den Leader -

Welcome! I was where you are about 9 years ago. Hoping your renewed Scouting journey is as fun and fulfilling as mine has been.

I've been advocating this for a while. But I think it should be done at not fee at all. Value add for a mediocre (but improving) product as a means to attract regular use. If you want a specific pamphlet, my experience is they are pretty easy to find with some light googling. You do what you feel okay with, but the information is out there. I find them very useful for the info in them. When paired with the free and regularly updated requirements PDFs they make for a good resource.

That's actually the policy. Within boating for those not classified as swimmers there are two tiers: Fixed seat rowboat or pedal boat: Those not classified as swimmers can operate "fixed-seat rowboat or pedal boat accompanied by a buddy who is a swimmer". Because these vessels are far less likely to capsize, an adult buddy is not a requirement. Canoe or other paddle craft: Those not classified as swimmers can go canoeing if they share a canoe with a Swimmer Adult. Additionally, these policies only apply "on calm water with little likelihood of capsizing or falling overboar

I would not call my personal uniform "minimal" in the sense nothing but default is on it, but I also prefer a simple uniform and do not put on every single thing I could. I want to be recognizable as a leader to Scouts (in and out of unit) and parents. I want some things like AOL/Religious Emblem/Eagle knots to show the Scouts "these things mean something and follow you through life" as a means to encourage them to achieve and respect those things. But otherwise, I want all the "showing off" to be the youth. I think that's a good practice when you're actively involved in unit leadershi

I love that there is no set "order" for Scout-->First Class rank requirement completion. And there is some wisdom to connecting Scout-->First Class advancement with what fits for older scouts into a win-win to maximize results in meetings and outings. What is ultimately most important is what is the goal for that Scout and do they feel empowered to achieve it? If not, they should talk to their PL/SPL/SM to get help and advice. That might not come in the form of "let's change our meeting plans" so be prepared for some homework or outside of the box options. Have your scout start

I think we have a spare and a jack. Our leaders are great, but with few exceptions any kind of mechanical issue beyond a flat is going to require outside help anyway. I actually think the concepts of proper loading, appropriate cars, etc. could use a bit more focus. Most adults in our troop are trailer rookies. Some guidelines / preflight checklist would be good.

I was typing something almost identical to this So I will just quote and add: Avoid assumptions as well. Just because a Scout is at an "expensive event" does not mean they paid to be there. There are plenty of Camperships, Sponsorships, Volunteer chances to attend these larger spendy events with no or low cost. This does not mean that Scout and their family have the means to be fully kitted for whatever reason.

Will cheat and include last year's also. Philmont is obvious probably, but we had a group go in 2021 and hope to send another in 2024. Great time had by all. Sea Base first time I know of was this summer, hearing incredible stories although I was not there in person. Main "downside" is cost and logistics... which as you would expect no Scout is commenting on But parents said that was the main challenge for them. Raven's Knob in North Carolina was awesome. Us flatlanders from Florida were wowed by the terrain and the hike to the top of the knob was a legendary moment for our

I also had a small troop growing up of about 15 and loved it. Does not have to be 100 scouts to be a great troop. But, in Scouts BSA in general I don't see the same kind of council-sponsored in-school recruiting in middle and high school that they do for Cubs. Without that, it does unfortunately leave actual recruiting up to the unit and their ambitions with as you are pointing out are subject to the energies and resources of the unit and its leaders and scouts. First class requirement 10a is designed to get the recruitment discussion going I think. I try to make it part of any sc

https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33066/33066_Official_Policy_WEB.pdf Official policy even states wearing the uniform is not mandatory and to "promote the wearing of the correct complete uniform on all suitable occasions." I think this is intentional and works. At least in our troop we expect for meetings shirts, jeans, or scout pants/shorts. For Court of Honor and Board of Review full uniform to the extent you own (even BoR rules state something about only having to wear the parts you own). Etc. Our troop has policies on what to wear when, the Scouts follow it, we hav