ItsBrian

Absolutely; it's not "recommended," per se, but its absolutely permissible. Here's the link:

 

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/11/19/merit-badge-counselors/

 

Just as an added note, the blog at scoutingmagazine.org, "Ask Brian" is one of the best sources for information out there. Many of my questions have been answered after a quick sweep of his posts. Just like searching here! Hope this is helpful.

@@The Latin Scot Thanks so much!

I couldn’t find anything saying that they can’t, but if you guys do or know please let me know.

 

I really want to do the cycling merit badge with my mom since it’ll make life easier ( and I’d rather not do 50 miles with someone I don’t know ).

Adding on, most Cub Scout packs have their den & pack meetings during the week. It worked the best for my pack when I did Cub Scouts. (Now almost Eagle.)

Yes a lesson for life - how to eat healthy,

Exactly. People also think that if you eat a pound of bacon, that you will “burn it off†by the end of the day. That’s not how your body works. All that sodium can not be “burned offâ€. The calories technically can yes, but figuratively speaking no.

 

This is why they need education.

IMO,  as organizers decide not to continue annual events (parades, holiday events,...) for various reasons, this may be a fundraising opportunity for local units to step up. 

 

 

What happened to BSA not allowing any gambling?

 

Also that is true, my town use to do a town wide garage sale, before another troop took it over.

Welcome!

 

So, let’s look at the Pros and Cons for WEEKEND meetings

 

PROS

- Parents may be more active due to possibility of being off.

- Scouts won’t have much homework

- Scouts won’t be as tired

- If morning or afternoon meeting, allows more activities to be done.

 

CONS

- Parents might have plans

- Weekend camping trips will interfere

- Parents want to spend time with their scout

- Less will show up most likely

- Parents may work

 

 

Weeknight Meetings

 

PROS

- More active parents

- Scouts will not be completely full of energy

- Sports, after school activities, weekend trips, will not interfere

- Access to your “dedicated scout roomâ€

- Scouts will be able to have plans with family or friends on weekend

- And more I can’t think of.

 

CONS

- Scouts may be extremely tired

- Homework

- Dark

 

You can work around planting trees at night, by having a weekend activity day and do all the stuff you can’t do at night on that one day on a weekend every so often if needed.

If one burns 3000 calories a day, a ton of starch and carbs won't matter. Seriously? It's the fat adults who don't walk around (or can't) that get fat at camp.

Again, it’s more for the education on it I believe. Yes, it “ won’t matter “, but can still put you at risk for heart disease, etc.

It's not summer camp that drives obesity.

 

Camp Anawana was on a hill side. Our camp site at the top, dining hall at the bottom, trading post just before dining hall. We slapped peanut butter and syrup on pancakes and it would have been burnt off by the time we marched back up to our campsite. Then would march down the hill to activities, maybe swing by the TP. Plus, we had a disabled kid, who we would rotate pulling a wagon.

My Sons' camp was not as vertical. Cooking was in camp, well-provisioned TP was close to our site. But camp Liberty activity areas were more spread out. I'm pretty sure most boys there also burned more than they consumed.

 

Still, one week of camp won't drive change. It's the other 51 weeks of the year that need to be set right in order to put a dent in childhood obesity.

 

That said, good produce from the commissary can boost morale.

The study they did didn’t say summer camps causes obesity, but it can add-on to a unhealthy lifestyle. I think it was to see if more people will prefer healthy snacks if they know and are educated better.

I wonder how the risk management folks feel about a unit hosting a motorcycle rally.

 

Probably REALLY happy.

Good news, all.  Our new troop has been approved by BSA!  Our 1st troop meeting is scheduled for 9/18.  Class B t-shirts have been ordered and we're off to the races!  Thank you all again for your help and feedback.

 

Hi, just a few tips. I joined a new troop and it was a little hectic in the beginning. Make sure the adult leaders are trained and know what they’re doing before the first meeting. I would suggest having your budget and all worked out, possibly make the schedule for the scouts since you are starting in the beginning of the ‘scouting year’ for this year only.

I can't seem to find a reliable article about this, can you send where you found.

 

UPDATE: Found it. https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-replacing-varsity-and-venturing-scouting-with-new-activities-program?lang=eng

Forcing folks to the salad bar isn't a heavy-handed tactic? Riiiight.

Whatever happened to coon it and allow folks to choose? We ate poorly when we were kids and still hit the TP for candy. We weren't obese. What changed?

 

Scouts weren’t actually forced from what my troop had told me.

@@MattR @@Eagledad @@qwazse Tonight, I had the ASPL lead the activities (see who knew what knots game), guide/instructor teaching about hiking (upcoming hike soon), and I was able to focus on my ES project.

 

Just wanted to say thank you to the three of you!

Brian, I'm definitely wanting the Dens to meet elsewhere. I too remember going to my Den Leader's house almost every meeting. Sometimes another parent hosted, but usually it was at our Den Leader's house.  I'm bad at guestimating size, but I would say we have about 600 sq ft. plus a stage.  We only have a few weeks left of decent weather and having light outside in the evening. Normally we break up with a group on the stage, and in the corners. We are currently running our meeting as you said. We hold an opening ceremony, do announcement and then break off into Dens. 

 

Have you tried contacting your school district to see if you could hold meetings there? 

@@Eagledad @@qwazse Thank you guys so much for all that advice. Here’s what I’m planning on doing:

 

- have my ASPL retrain all non-leadership positions (such as chaplain aide, quartermaster, etc)

 

- On camping trips send scout to PL that asks me something before talking to PL

 

- have guide / instructors do more

 

Thing is though, I had the guide and instructor teach one meeting, I was so bored it wasn’t even funny.

Well it's not easy letting failure happen, it goes against our human nature. I'm curious what your SM says.

 

We have a local troop that has a great reputation as a well run troop. It's over 100 years old and the alumni always try to recruit the best Scoutmasters. One of their SMs was a mentor for me when I started as a SM. About 20 years ago this troop of about 70 scouts had two senior scouts that were outstanding leaders. I knew these scouts because they were my son's friends at school and they joined one of our Philmont crews. These two scouts were so good that their adults didn't have to do anything for about four years while they led the troop. Well, when they aged out of the troop and went East (MIT) to school, the troop fell flat on its face. The Troop lost almost half of it's membership in a years time. The simple cause was that these two senior scouts never trained any scout with the leadership skills to perform up to the "expectation" of leading the troop. The two scouts just assumed the next generation of leaders would be as good as they were. But because these two scouts did all the work, the next generation never experienced the kind of leadership required for meeting the expectation of leading a troop. They never really understood true leadership even at the patrol level because the older scouts jumped in for them when the PLs struggled.

 

I don't have an answer to your situation because I don't know your scoutmaster's expectations. But you would be doing it wrong in our troop.

 

What is the worst that will happen if your PLs don't do their job? I don't need an answer, I've heard them all. I'm just throwing out the question for you to consider for a while. But, I would tell my SPL that he is being prideful (arrogant) thinking he is better than his PLs.

 

Failure is more of a teacher than success. The Scoutmaster that the OP is talking about appears to me to be afraid of failure. And because of that, he is afraid to risk allowing the SPL prove himself by succeeding. It's easy doing someone else's work when you assume they will fail. The real challenge is figuring out how to motivate them to rise up and succeed. It's a skill that will be used for a lifetime.

 

I know your doing your best and trying hard. I'm not asking for more because you might be doing the best in your situation. And for that, I'm excited for your accomplishments.

 

Barry

@@Eagledad Sorry, I didn’t mean that like “I’m so great I’m the only one that can do itâ€, more like it’s one of my traits? I guess that’s how I would explain it. I was never taught how to lead either. I also kinda meant since they saw how nobody else did anything, meaning they could get away with it, but now I kind of set a “standardâ€? Might be confusing not sure.

 

What would you say is the best way for them to gain leadership ability? They have 0 interest in being in a leadership position unfortunately.

@@ItsBrian, you need to spend more time in your hammock, or at the trading post, or lashing your own personal giant hamster wheel. The position needs to look like fun before PL's will start running for it.

 

Talking to your SM about necessary adjustments is a good idea. Needing to focus on your Eagle project is a good excuse. Not just between you and the SM, but between the SM and the boys. He needs to say to them "The current SPL to focus on his Eagle project, that means you all need to take up the slack and be more accountable to do things the way he was doing them."

 

By the way, that is a REALLY BIG ASK for many SMs. Parents aren't comfortable with the ensuing "storming" among boys who are now finding that the spoon-feeding has stopped. Unless he's heard from ASMs or other adults who see what you're seeing, he'll likely get some agitated phone calls. So, expect a little give-and-take on this one.

 

 

@@qwazse Noted. I also think they know they can't handle it, unfortunately (I didn't think I could either), past SPLs, now Eagles, say I'm the most efficient one the troop has ever had. I guess that may be a reason why they wouldn't want to run because they actually have to do something as SPL instead of adults doing it because of me? My troop HAD to be adult-led before I started growing up and gaining higher leadership roles because no scouts did anything. There was NEVER a PLC, CC always made the schedule, SM did all teaching. I fixed all of that gladly, now I made the schedule with help from the PLC.

 

My troop is small(12), everyone knows each other. (besides the "ghost" parents). Basically, every parent knows every scout's name, so that wouldn't be a problem if someone gets told something no parent gets upset.

Yep, that's what they all say.

 

The thing is that SPLs shouldn't see themselves as the Troop leader, instead he is the Patrol Leader's working model of a servant leader. I don't know if you realize it, but the Patrol Leader position is the most important leadership position in he troop. There are many reasons why, but as a SM, the PL is the most important position because it teaches a scout more about his character than any other position. There is no position as stressful as the Patrol Leader position if the troop is running correctly. And there is no better motivation to learn new habits and change old habits than stress. A person can only change when they see and feel the consequences of their choices. If the SPL does for them what they should be doing for themselves, then he is robbing the scouts an opportunity to learn and grow. Success isn't a well performing troop under your leadership. Success is well performing patrols under the Patrol Leaders leadership. The more you do for them, the less they will do for their patrol.

 

In most cases, the Patrol Leaders are new to the experience of leadership, so the SPL should be a model of leadership skills for PLs to learn from. And remember, we humans learn best by watching, not by listening. Patrol Leaders watch everything the SPL is doing. So show them how to be a servant to their scouts. Treat the PLC the way the PLs should treat their patrol. Serve your PLC so they learn how to serve the patrol. Run your PLC meetings the same as they should run their patrol meetings. All the PL's look up to the position of SPL, so set the example of servant leadership by "looking up" to the PLs as the main leaders of the troop. Treat them with the respect as the top tier troop leaders and you will find that your humility will be rewarded with the same respect. It's pretty cool to experience really.

 

Sounds like you are pretty good SPL already. I look forward to learning what you gain from your experience.

 

Barry

@@Eagledad Everything you just is completely true! The thing is though I have the most issue with is having the PLs actually do their job. Not a single Pl in our troop has done their job. I’ve tried fixing it, and many other SPLs have too. Tonight at the PLC I’m requesting for the SM and I to talk to the PLs separate. They watch what I do, and they don’t want to do it. Reason why I get stuck doing it, this is my second year as SPL due to nobody else stepping up for elections. It honestly wears you out when you have to do most of it. Even worst thing is, I always have to teach! Senior scouts go above my head always to SM saying they want to help instruct but NEVER ask me! Then why I say they can teach, they don’t even prepare!

Something qwazse said reminded me that the main skill I wanted SPLs to practice was delegating. Actually delegating and patience, they go hand-in-hand. But I find that delegating is one of the least used skills by adults. That skill gives the average leader leverage for being a good leader. If the skill can be learned at a scout age, imagine their leadership ability when they are adults. 

 

And thinking about this scoutmaster; through my struggles in learning to be a better scoutmaster, I tried to balance my pride with the humility of learning something new from all our youth leaders. There is so much that could be learned in this situation.

 

Barry 

 

 

Current SPL for my troop, I hate delegating, I know I should do it. I've been getting a lot better with delegating. it's so much easier doing it yourself instead of having others do it.

If we have to have mess halls at summer camp then this is an improvement from the  prevalent "fill 'em up with whatever they will eat" .

 

No mention of food allergies or buy-in from troops whose trailers are often filled with snacks.  Never was keen on the trading post selling sugar products.

 

Fresh local produce instead of cans of salty processed food is welcome.

 

Glad to hear ItsBrian's troop had a good experience with Carrots for Candy.

 

My $0.02

 

 

I don't mind if the trading post has sugar snacks, junk food, etc. as long as it's eaten in moderation. Some scouts yes, would buy the entire store. Instead, I maybe buy two slushies, and candy bar the whole week.

We meet at a Legion hall so we have just one open room with a stage.  

So does mine! Anyway, since you have limited space I really think you could run it like a Troop meeting. Do opening ceremony together, but then you would break out into dens. In a troop, you would break out into your patrol. If your legion has an outside area like mine does. maybe have each DL plan something for outside and rotate weekly so it isn't as crowded if space is small. I remember as a Cub Scout we went over our DL's house a lot, maybe you could have the Tigers go to their DL's houses.

 

If you give me a  rough estimate of how big the hall is I can probably suggest more ideas.

Wow! Nice to see scouting worldwide can help one another.

My troop went to Bashore this summer, said they loved it and the food was the best they’ve had! (I had to work that week at a day camp)

Does Dunkin Donuts coffee count as "fancy?" I like that a lot better than what I get in a Starbucks, and it's probably about a dollar less and I get it a lot quicker.

 

It's still expensive no matter what, to be honest. If you make it at home, probably can make three+ cups for how much you pay for one. 

The part I'm struggling with is that the old CM is still there as the Webelos DL and helping me. I badly want to make changes, but it is hard to make the needed changes while the old CM is still around and helping me. For example, all the Dens meet every week at the same time and location like a pack meeting, but it is not a pack meeting. We do a flag ceremony, announcements then break off into Dens.  It is too chaotic for the kids to have a good Den experience. We do not have a real monthly pack meeting. We lack a committee. The CM does everything. We take a break off for Summer.

 

I think the first thing I will do is have real  monthly Pack meetings. It seems the least intrusive.We have a lot going on until Christmas so I think I will stick with the Den meetings as they are. After Christmas, I will give the Dens more autonomy with when and where to meet. This will make Pack meetings more meaningful, and hopefully allow Den Pride to develop.

Question, where does your pack meet? Church, school?