buffalo2

Thanks guys

FS - You're not alone - but there are usually ways to get it done without involving (too much of) your personal discretionary income. Honest.

Folks - trying to get a custom Interpreter Strip made up for Latin - a pretty small quantity and can't get any interest out of the big houses. Does anyone have a contact with a small manufacturer for this? Thanks

HotDesk We've had more success by running our Venture Patrols on an activity basis and letting those Scouts stay in their regular Patrols... Watch for EagleDad to surface; he's got some good ideas on this topic.

JLT is a great framework to put around this. Also a great time to take a look at your Troop's annual calendar and discuss how to integrate Troop meeting plans into the larger view. This is good and important stuff, but don't forget to enjoy working with them!

Give it a rest FOG

Maybe it's just me but I'd like to think that the SE has bigger fish to fry... Sounds like an immediate and appropriate punishment was applied by the Camp Director, and I'm wondering if we should just consider moving on. At the same time, I'd have to agree that these Scouts have proven that they're not worthy of representing their Council at the Jamboree?

We had 2 crews to Sea Base this summer; one traveling on the sailboat and one in the barracks in the evenings. All concerned had a good time and most would go again. While I sat this one out, the sailboat was the only one that interested me - but different strokes for different folks. Nose around on the web a bit and you can't help finding photos and journals etc

Eammon you're so right (slowly, slowly etc) but it's hard to stay with it whilst biting one's tongue. Something that I've figured out though is that I don't always have all the background. More than once when learning the whole story I had to agree with what originally appeared to be flat out wrong. It's easy to take a snapshot and offer constructive criticism (and you know which part of that comes through strongest) but remember that those that you're judging may have come a long way to get to where they're at now, and aren't done yet. Does this tolerance mean we're getting old? Or is i

Might be worth going through the SM training series - if only so you can drag some other adults along... Probably coming up pretty soon?

Consider the source... Sounds like you're doing things properly. It's tough on kids to be the SM's own but they usually manage!

Thank you Eammon

Hey Fuzzy - I'm thinking that traffic is down because its summer and everyone is at camp? Dimly recalling that we've seen this in years gone by... I don't think that we're chasing too many away

In an effort to stay on track (just for the novelty of it) I'm a big fan of the little BSA knot book that you find in Council Scout shops for $1 or so. Covers the basics and enough to get through Pioneering. And you'll find that Fisherman's Knot teaches a lot easier when you liken it to the Hangman's Noose - which every boy knows somehow

I believe that we have a 9 yr old in our Troop from the old rules, having been homeschooled and tagging along as a sibling through Cubs(?) He seems like a good kid that's trying to do what's necessary, but struggles to keep up with the older boys that are now his 'peers'. He's just not there yet... While I don't know how it will all work out and certainly wish him the best, it causes me to support this new joining requirement.

Well said FB, but I think that you're trying a little too hard to draw some value from all of the give and take that goes in many of these forum topics. Granted that good ideas are sometimes flushed out, but far more often things just turn to noise and garbage. Wish that I knew how to look ahead and avoid wasting time and bandwidth on most of it...

Thinking that we ought to consider finding something better to do - perhaps along Eammon's direction above? Works at the local level too...

Is this Jason fellow starting to sound familiar? Or do people really operate on this level? Just a thought...

Ed - Check out Camp Powhatan's New River Adventure and High Knoll for your older guys in Blue Ridge Council - Western Va. Both are excellent programs and our older Scouts rave about them

Good to see some constructive ideas rising above the noise! And Bob thanks for the reminder that we are ADVISORS. Prime the pump and sit back for questions...

This is one of the better discussions that we've had lately. While I've really not got much to contribute at the moment, there's a lot of thought going on in the background... Thanks guys - and Good Luck KS; I'm sure that you'll do well regardless(This message has been edited by buffalo2)

Hey Hops - you sound like a staffer to me! Go ask about it...

Someone tell us again why Summer Camp staff are signing off on a Scout's handbook? I understand that it happens, and that some of the First Year programs are pretty good, and that these older Scouts can certainly be capable enough, but are we really sure that this fast-track sort of thing is the best way to approach Scouting advancement? Just one man's $.02...

Eammon - I get the feeling that your experienced impressions are being sought after, rather than a lot of specific input. While you might happen to make the comment that 'the Pioneering area could really benefit from some new rope' I think that the best thing you could do would be to take a high-level view and try to generalize. At this late date you'll probably not be able to put any sweeping changes in place anyway, that time is past. If I got asked to do this (unlikely!) I think that I'd seek out the Area Director's most senior folks and ask what they needed. Are the most popular MB sess

Hops this might be a little ambituous - maybe better to focus on a few pieces of this and really do them well? You might get some direction from your resource availability when you get into it. Good luck!