Buffalo Skipper

Our pack has also used the OA for many years, at least the last 5. But even though most of the local packs use the OA, some have crossovers in a different environment. We do ours at B&G. Others have a post-B&G pack campout (a month or so later) in which the boys crossover to troops invited to camp with them. In the OA ceremony, the Den leader is (presumably) just another parent, and has no part, speaking or silent. It is the Cubmaster who represents the Webelos, and as the Webelos cross the bridge, they stop midway, turn around, salute their cubmaster with the cub scout salute

>>Editing in a dark room

We have always required permission slips. Last April, we had a scout cut his finger on the trip. Taking him to the hospital, the permission slip was scrutinized and copied before medical treatment was administered. I was glad to have had it. Likewise, our permission slips include (when possible) a specific detail of our activities such as "boating and swimming with manatees" or "rock climing and repelling." This way the parent is understanding and agreeing that the activity is one in which they are giving their permission to participate. And yes, it also seves a very functional

A troop camps 12 months a year. One of those camps is a 6-night long term camp, and the remainder is Fri-Sat-Sun camping (2 nights) then a troop would camp 28 nights a year. If a scout makes 2/3 of the campouts then that averages to about 18 nights a year per scout. I would not expect a scout to typically work toward the camping MB at the end of his first year. In fact, I would expect it to often naturally occur sometime during the 3rd year (age 13ish). By then a scout should have experienced certaintly 30 campouts (even if he only makes half the activities). Yes these are average, B

Having a scout-led troop mean neither that the scouts are suposed to vote on every action which takes place in the troop nor that they run amok like "Lord of the Flies." It means that, with Adult Association and Leadership Development, they mentor scout leaders so that they experience Personal Growth. I (and others) have already said that this is best experienced in the Patrol Method. I would be concerned about this kind of aproach to leadership; and based on your repsonses, I believe you are too. Even if the scouts make the right choice now, it begs the question: When will then next

I have not found this online either. But I know that at least a partial description is in the new Boy Scout Handbook.

Brent, you missed (and it appears to be particular relevant here): The object of the patrol method is not so much saving the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the boy. Robert S. S. Baden-Powell E-Mtns, it seems that you have a pretty clear expectation of what should be happening in the unit regrading the patrol method. This is something you will have to evaluate where it will take your son's troop, what your role will be (as a parent and/or leader); eventually it may be something you will need to discuss with your son and with these things in mind, you will have to mak

This question, by default also begs the answer to "What constitutes Cabin Camping?" Cabin camping is defined as overnighting in an enclosed structure with electrical access. Hence, travel trailers and motor homes, especially when hooked up to power would not count. I agree that this is meant to rule out ambiguous family camp experiences which are now excluded for the camping MB. Curiously, the National Camping Individual award has not been updated, but it does include family experiences and a much more in depth description of what does or does not count: What Counts As Camping

20 Scouts is 3 patrols, or two if you divide the inactive scouts between 2 groups of 7 active scouts. SMs don't shop for food. Scouts shop. He needs to prepare them, but even with our 10-12 year old scouts in our young troop, scouts collect cash for food and shop on their own. This teaches them leadership and responsiblity. As I posted earlier, when one removes the Patrol Method, one removes opportunites for personal growth, leadership development and a host of other learning opportunities.

Four years ago, I helped the pack at my children's school with their school night for scouting (not the pack my son is in). There was one particular boy (and father) whom I helped recruit. He stood out because at the same time I "recuited" his neighbor who is a friend of mine. Two years ago, the boy and his father were ATVing (not at a scouting event), and the boy was thrown from the ATV and was killed when his neck was broken. He was wearing a helmet. The boy was in my daughter's class, and she was very upset about it for some time. As a boater, I have come to dislike jetskiis f

Four years ago at Wood Badge, I made a beef stew with a red wine in it. I did what I could before hand to render the wine "undrinkable" by putting it in a jar and adding all the premeasured spices (onion salt, garlic salt, pepper, minced onion, etc) direclty to the jar. The recipe turned out great. Afterward, however, I had second thoughts, and decided I would not do that again, as in my opinion, it clearly violated the intent of the "no alcohol" policy in the G2SS. I rarely drink, and this was probably the only time in the past 10 years I have even used alcohol while cooking, but

The Patrol Method is a exactlty that, one of the eight "Methods" of scouting. BP called it the patrol "system" and the BSA and Green Bar Bill adopted the term "Method". If you look at the eight methods of Scouting, the are: Ideals, Patrols, Outdoors, Advancement, Personal Growth, Adult Association, Leadership Development and Uniform. Many youth organizations incororate Ideals, Outdoors, use Adult Association, work toward Leadership Development, commonly use some type uniforming, and many even have a system of advancement. It is the Patrol Method, which is unique to scouting, and wit

bearshark, Thanks for the clarification. I can understand why the AC may have said this, even if I do not agree with her. I know there are some districts out there (mine is not one of them) which has any "troop MBCs" go through their troop and have their app signed by CC and COR before sumbitting to the district. I agree, however, that the logical place for the parent to start is with the AC, whose job it is to recruit MBCs for the troop (at least in some troops).

My thought on this is both "Yes" and "No." I think there needs to be an expectation (in advance) that success in a position can only happen when one is actively involved. For example a patrol leader who misses 4 of 6 campouts would hardly be seen as doing a good job of leading his patrol. But what if he was working closely with his assistant patrol leader, helped the scouts pack (the trailer) for outings he could not attend, held montly Patrol meetings, had 2 patrol hikes in the same 6 months, completed 2 service projects, and earned 2 National Honor Patrol stars? I would be gl

If I had been around when that AC had told me that I would have busted out laughing. Guess it was a good thing I wasn't there. So a swimming MBC can't also counsel for Lifesaving? Or a Whitewater MBC can't work with Canoeing? And a Veterinary Medicine MBC cannot also be the MBC for Dog Care or Pets? There can sometimes be extremes regarding this, but it is usually the other extreme, that a MBC is signed up for too many merit badges. I have seen some people which are which are responsible for as many as 30 or more MBs including all the Eagle required. That is too much. If yo

I became an adult leader of our Cub Scout Den back in 2003. I earned the CM award in 2005, after which I spent a year working toward the Cub Scouter award. A year later, I became the Pack Trainer as a Wood Badge ticket item; by chance the award came out a couple of months later, so with 1 year toward the Cub Scouter Award, I began working on the 2 year tenure of the Pack Trainer Award. After that, I had stepped into a Den Leader position, where after a year I earned the Den Leader Award. Now that my den has crossed to Boy Scouts, I am again registered as the Pack Trainer, and I still have

I don't think that it is so far fetched an idea. 2 years ago, I stepped down as Cubmaster (I had recruited and trained my replacement) to take over a den which, inspite of good scouts suffered from having a qualified trained and hardworking Den Leaders quit after each the Tiger, Wolf and Bear years. My wife was the DL for my son's Webelos den, but I stepped into a den the year behind, because these scouts deserved a good leader and I committed to seeing them all to crossover. Only 1 of the boys returned that year, but we recruited in the fall and by the following year we had built up to 6 w

The reason the scout was not available was that he was in the car with his mother, going to a relative's house. Both parents left town the next morning for Woodbadge. It wasn't that he couldn't call, it's that it wasn't convenient. The fact is that the scout called me while he was in the car (I believe either just before or after his father's email, which I did not read until the next morning). He said he wanted to take a particular MB with a particular counselor and he needed a SMC and BOR by Monday. I advised him I would look into a counselor for his MB and would gladly meet with hi

I have worked hard in our troop to foster a scout-initiated advancement. I expect the scout to initiate requests for Scoutmaster conferences and MB blue cards for counselors. I have made this very clear to the scouts and to the parents. However, one scout's parents just don't seem to get it. I got an email from the father last night requesting a SMC and MB cards for his son. He said: "I know you expect the boys to communicate with you directly, but that isn't possible right now...." I know these parents can be overbearing. I knew that when they trasferred from another troop (

10.5 is not mentioned specifically, but generally speaking, joining younger than 10.5 can only be accomplished before if a very specific set of circumstances occur and the depending upon the Webelos scout's actual birthday. Boy Scout joining requirement 1 reads: 1) Meet the age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old. So, without completing the Arrow of Light, a boy must be 11 or completed the 5th grade to join a troop. A Webelos may crossove

I certainly see how this could be seen this way, but I agree that the BS age is 11, the special exception being for those scouts who have completed the program for boy scout preperation called Webelos (culminating with the Arrow of Light). Last year, my wife's Webelos den had one scout who joined Webelos as a 5th grader. He could have crossed as an 11 year old in October even before others who had been in Cub Scouts since Tigers but were not yet 11. She worked up a program which (recently described in other threads) allowed this scout to finish his requirements in the minimum 6 months

Eagle92, I get the impression that you have an opinion of GBB. If that is true, I would like to hear how you REALLY feel about him. No, really, don't hold back. ;-) I knew that GBB did many of the BSA books, I was really questioning what he may have written that was not an official BSA publication. Thanks for the list, emb021. I did not realize GBB had a hand in Aids to Scoutmastership; I always thought that was a British pub, directly from BP. GKlose, I consider myself a pragmatist rather than a nolstalgist. I went through scouting in the late 70s and early 80s, so I grew up i

Stosh, thanks for the perspective of the SPL being like a TG to the patrol leaders. Though that is the way I have generally understood the SPL position to be (at least the main part of it), I neeed the refresher, and yesterday's timing couldn't have been better. Last night, I Life SMC with our SPL, who, admitedly can be bossy. He is the only scout (above the ran of Second Class) who wants the job, so he is, in effect the defacto SPL. He does a reasonable job, but is met sternly by the other scouts (that is another story, not for now). We have just created another patrol and recruited

AvidSM is correct. Approved camping list is an issue for Cub Scout camping, not Boy Scout. If I understand the concept right, it revolves around safety and sanitary issues surrounding elementary age appropriate environments. However, to me, this is one of those gray areas; after speaking to our council PD several years ago, he was completely unfamiliar with this "requirement," which is clearly referenced in BALOO training. Great idea, but for the implementation, the right hand doesn't know that there is a left hand. Asichacker, thanks for the link. I will certainly pass that on to ou

Thanks for all the good information. I will look toward adding this to my library, as well as a 3rd ed. SMHB. I was somewhat disappointed that no one recommended BPs Aids to Scoutmastership. Though now available as a pdf at numerous websites, it is an intersting read, and has much useful information. I am not as familiar with Hilcourt as I should be. Did he have any out of BSA publications worth pursuing? Sorry GKlose, it was probably too much coffee yesterday.