HashTagScouts

My council has taken to having monthly "office hours" where folks can attend and ask questions. It's a 2 hour block, that unfortunately is on a weeknight evening that is a conflict for their weekly unit meeting night. Problem #1. It has a call-in conference number for those that can not attend in person. Problem #2 in that a lot of time is wasted with people asking for the question (and/or the answer) to get repeated, apologizing for talking over each other, etc. The biggest problem though, is that one question can easily eat up 30 minutes, if there are several people that want to comment

I feel JTE is good for new units, or units with newer inexperienced adults, as a baseline structure of how to get a unit performing. However, I don't find "standardized tests" as something to repeat year-over-year, so I'm not beholden to it. Our Crew is Bronze, and we are perfectly fine with that "measurement", and frankly we wouldn't have even cared to have that designation, but the JTE form was required for us to submit before Council would process our charter for next year.

I agree with much of this. Allowing Venturers- especially true when it is a group of several 18 year olds- be able to meet and carry out events without adults would be huge.

Ultimately it the SM, who would have already had consult with the PLC (and ASMs if needed) that would present a request to our committee for X $s to purchase tents. I wouldn't at all have debate in my meetings on the type of tent, just whether we had majority to allocate the funds. The SM might come to me as CC, or I may go to him, to discuss the item(s) if we each felt it necessary. Being a first year group, your committee seems to still be "norming". A private aside with the CC to encourage that they try to keep these discussions on point and concise might be a good idea.

We do most everything electronic at the front end. Scout sends an email for their project scope to the District Advancement Chair, who reviews, asks questions if necessary, and approves- in a rare instance, they may ask to meet with the Scout if something isn't clear or needs revision that isn't coming across via the email chain. Once project is complete, the Scout completes the Eagle workbook and 3 copies of the application, and requests letters. Letters are sent to the unit (typically SM, but some units have it come to the Advancement Coordinator). All is brought to the Eagle BOR. The

Our staff adviser wants the LEC to "increase Brotherhood numbers"- presumably that is coming from the SCF. I'm with @Oldscout448 that I'd welcome anyone to Brotherhood, if it truly was in their heart as a desire, not just because it fulfills someone else's wish.

Not sure I like "selling" service. feel like giving back to the community for raking an elderly person's yard, etc. is just something we should do to fulfill our "do a good turn", not make money off of it.

here are some more for you: http://manyhoops.com/wampanoag-food-and-recipes_1.html

I was on meritbadge.org last weekend , so it may just be undergoing maintenance.

We only charge the BSA registration fee + our Council Activity Fee, so $90 total for 2020. We have one large annual fundraiser that gives us several grand for operating budget, as well as several thousand to split into scout accounts. So far, only 2 will be leaving, but those two youth weren't involved more than a couple meetings this year, they never camped or attended Memorial Day parade, etc. There are couple parents that grumbled about it, but our Council has created an application to appeal for financial hardship exemption to seek waiver of the $30 Activity Fee to assist families, so

By far the biggest challenge- stay in solidarity to the SM. That is very important when it comes to parents. They will push- and often you'll hear them talk about "Eagle" in about every sentence they ever utter. It is hard to sway their mindset. At our recent parent meeting, I spent 5 minutes explaining to the parents that if it has been a year+ that their son has not advanced in rank, it is far more likely that the scout just hasn't asked anyone for signoffs, not for lack of the troop providing program needed for the scout to advance. I gave them perspective to feel free to spend time wi

I can assure you, you are one of thousands who have died on this hill The younger kids hear you, that I am convinced- caring about it, not so much. My findings are that they are not so worried about it. You have ~7 years to get to Eagle, anyway, don't you? Most are just happy to be having fun, and often glad to be away from the "structure" that sometimes shows up in the cub program, that advancement isn't their priority.

Largely agree with your thoughts. MB universities/colleges/fairs can be structured so that the selection process/choice/approval still happens. Similar to summer camp, if you know the schedule of what is being offered, that is shared to the scouts, and those desiring to attend can make selections from the list of what is available and discuss with their SM what they have selected. If SM deems appropriate, blue card issued, scout goes off to the MBU to work with the counselor. Some may feel that the BSA is implying that MBs are supposed to be one-on-one, scout to MBC- but it does not

That's a new one on me. What exactly is their logic? You are selling a ticket to a product/service, similar to how units are selling popcorn. If what they were concerned with is having a fundraisers selling chances on a 50/50 raffle, yes, I would say no field uniforms for that, as it is gambling and the unit shouldn't really be doing it.

Perhaps they can be a “bridge” of sorts. Not that they have to only work with other girls, but their DLs might find it advantageous to have the few girls from the two packs have some weekend events held jointly for just the girls to have their own time together. A few troops in my area are doing a mini camp ore of sorts this spring to let the girls learn from each other, share ideas on growth, lessons learned, etc.

Sorry that this has to be such a major issue, but applaud you are thinking of what is best for your kids rather than just taking the easiest road of what is shortest commute for you. I empathize with that. Think beyond the next year though, what would be the landscape for your daughter once she is moving to the next level? Would it be likely she would be in a troop with this 1 girl that is in the pack near you (and would that be a troop that is near you)?

Too much change can really take those changes a long time to fully execute. My advice is start small- have it for Scout rank to start off with as you plan, then maybe have it be "former SPL/ASPL" can sign-off up to 1st Class for the next year after that, and within just a few years you should have a handful of "older" scouts modeling to the others how it should be done, where you could either let it be any Star/Life/Eagle, or just keep it that way.

I can appreciate your view. NSPs can go in a bad direction, in a very short amount of time. We're maybe a little non-traditional in how we view the role of TG. To us, it is a short-term, temporary position. Generally, we encourage the SPL to pick the scout the they see as their potential successor, and that scout may wear two hats for those few months if they are currently scribe or QM, if they are ASPL they may step down their duties as ASPL a bit. Crossover for us is early March, and summer camp is the first week of July, elections are just before camp, with the new SPL/PLC taking over

1000% agree. I have barked at several leaders that object to youth signing for youth. It's a requirement to reach Life you have to teach skills- why would you ever want a kid learning how to do that, only to do it once??? Seems insane to me. We keep the crossovers in a NSP until summer camp, then integrate them at the stat of the next school year (that's based on we only have had 3-5 crossover the past few years- if we get back to having 6+, we'd probably leave them as a patrol).

Perhaps a bigger question- who in your troop signs on requirements? For us, we want any scout that is Star/Life/Eagle signing off on anything up to First Class requirements. Adults are a last resort for most requirements.

Pretty much by the time they have completed their second campout. Does the patrol have a Troop Guide assigned to them? We would usually have the TG take the new patrol aside after opening for the first 2-3 meetings apart from what the rest of the troop is doing, and go over all the book-work stuff (requirement 1-3, though some will need to spend some time at home memorizing if they aren't quite as sharp as needed on Outdoor Code, etc.). Totin Chip is at first campout, knots (as many as possible, including bowline and sheet bend) on the 2nd. The hope is by that second campout, they will be a

So, here in Eastern MA, November temps can range quite a bit. One weekend it could be 60 during the day, 40 at night. The next weekend could be 40 during the day, 20 at night. Weekend after could 50 during the day - you get the point. I do know of units that cabin camp only in November. Not at all what I would do. December/January/February are pretty assured of having temps that are below freezing at night, so I can appreciate having cabin camping in the winter. I know at least one unit that has gone so far as having pizza delivered each year to camp during their January cabin weekend.

BP's original Scouting for Boys had Tenderfoot as the joining rank. http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/yarn03.pdf

history of rank requirements if you are interested: http://www.troop97.net/pdfbin/bsa_ranks.pdf

Thanks- that is my feeling. The OA, in many areas, is only suffering the effects of what is going on in the program as a whole. BSA culture overall is far too # fanatical today than it was just a few decades ago. Ever heard the "First Class-First Year" rhetoric? I'll take a troop of 10 kids who are really interested in outdoor activities, that don't whine about a 5 mile hike, that know what it is like to wear out the soles on a pair of hiking boots before they outgrow them, who aren't afraid to be out of range of a cell=phone tower for an entire night any day over a troop of 50 kids that is