buffalo2

We're currently offering District level training twice a year, and have just finished our 3rd offering under the new syllabus. Along with several others, would have to agree that presenting Cub and BS and Venture leader training all together is a demand on scarce resources. We're beginning to combine some parts of the Cub trainings with specific breakout sessions; and have separated the Venture leader training entirely outside of the NLE piece. We've begun to combine the SM/ASM training outdoor weekend and offer it just once a year with some success. While we're committed to presenting

kwc: I too attended WB during my first year in the Troop after crossing over. Had some minor troubles with not trying to set the world on fire; but things worked out pretty well overall. Be a good time to connect with your new SM and see what his perceived needs are as opposed to what you might think should happen... I was fortunate enough to use an 'OR' on my ticket to better follow the needs of our Troop as they changed and that worked out pretty well also. Might be worth not putting too much thought into that Ticket until after your training has been completed; use those new insights

Wouldn't that make a great CAmporee theme...

While all of you COPE folks are out there, what might a person do to be really prepared and get a lot out of that training? Attending the June session in Knoblick, Missouri Understand the diagram of your local course, policies, etc Anything else? - and thanks in advance

Find a local activity that is well attended; a soccer game, a school program, an outdoor festival or concert. Check with your sponsoring organization or local schools for ideas. Sell food and drinks that kids like. Good luck!

Under the application theme: One night one of the Moms sent in a birthday cake for her son; a nice break from the routine. Wily SM built on that by challenging each Scout at the kitchen door with a piece of rope and a knot to demonstrate... Kept the traffic manageable in the kitchen for a while and everyone got a chance to practice! Provided a great object lesson to the older Scouts.

Don't forget these guys... If you ain't Cav you ain't _____

This is strong stuff - never forget it.

Um - well So what do you folks with active Crews see as critical elements? Beyond what we see in the training materials and Jamie S' "Lessons Learned" on the Electronic Venturing Magazine? What advice could you offer to those just starting out? Thanks!

Happened to be reading over the BSA fundraiser application today; while it's pretty straightforward, would be nice to see what's between the lines... Can anybody share the details from the Council Operations Handbook that we always hear about and never get a chance to view in person? Where might a District or Council Finance Committee go for some real information? Honestly not interested in anything beyond the pale, just would like to know exactly where we stand with respect to the letter of the BSA policy before the interpretations commence. Thanks in advance

Thats one advantage of a pickup I guess; leave anything in the back more than a day or so and nature will take care of it for you!

Hi DS Appreciate your input from the professional side of the house, and I like your tree analogy. Our Council is slowly beginning to take notice of an increasing level of Venturing activities, but the volunteers at a District level are able to move more quickly without the encumberances of policies and procedures and often we're not privy to all that goes on in those offices... And your point about training is well taken! Thanks

What will it take to get this program going? Easy to blame some of these growing pains on your Council but there's got to be some things that are getting left undone... So what works, and what hasn't, and what do we need? I'll open it up by suggesting the obvious - don't be afraid to get outside of your own District! Combining forces is a good way to go on this; a good example of that lies with pulling off a VLSC course. Pooling resources amongst Crews makes this potentially tiresome necessity a good time for all concerned.

Hi DS What's it take from the volunteer side to make Venturing kick in? Other than the more obvious things... I'll move this topic to the Venturing section but would appreciate any professional input that you'd care to offer. Thanks in advance

Our Venture Crew is heading out on a more serious caving trip soon; no vertical work but spending long hours underground and things like pee bottles (guess we can say that)are sort of new to us. While our guides appear to be top-notch, we've all got questions. Anyone have ideas to share?

Our Council is slowly seeing Venturing come alive; they do sponsor several activities each year that are fairly well received. But the real action is in the Districts; here and there they're banding together and are able to present an event that serves as a draw to those new and struggling Crews. Spreads the load out a bit; helps out with training as well. Call me naive, but I'm believing 'if you build it they will come'. Perhaps we should shift the focus of this a bit and ask "what can we do to support the movement?"

Troop_358: You're receiving good advice here; please don't feel that folks are being deliberately evasive. You will know what YOUR ticket should look like when the time comes, and no one else can do it the justice that you will... Enjoy your Wood Badge course!

This discussion is a real eyeopener for me! I'd not considered the idea of the DEs serving as firefighters, and guess that we should be honored to NOT have them attending our events - While it does seem somewhat obvious in hindsight, I'll make a point of sharing that idea around a bit. In regards to volunteers grumbling about 'Council', some of this is just going to happen regardless of any good reason - think about your workplace... But it must be said that the more open we can keep the lines of communication, the better off we all are. Recently attended a camporee that had detailed info

Not having gotten too close to that TCC, how does it compare to the Troop Committee portion of the new Leader Specific Training syllabus? Just curious...

I must echo the welcomes that you've already received, but would like to pose a question... One of the problems that we see from the volunteer side is a constant turnover of personnel at the DE level - while its understood change is a constant in today's employment market, and that nobody's getting rich as a Scouting professional, what is being done to try and keep these folks stable for a while? Thanks again for being here!

Has anyone been to one of these Powderhorn courses? What sort of material is covered? At a glance, they appear to be an introduction to High Adventure, similar to Discover SCUBA or Climb On Safely with a bit of hands-on thrown in. Didn't think that there was a lot of leadership training involved and few prerequisites beyond the physical. Then the other evening heard someone compare it to Wood Badge but oriented to Venture leaders and had to wonder - either its been a pretty well kept secret or there have been some changes made? Misunderstanding aside, is this course worth the time

Curious about that Bible reference - where is that again? Think I'd like to see it in context. Thanks!

Got asked about resources for satisfying the Ranger First Aid requirements - haven't read up on it but looks like the 25 hour First Responder level of training would more than fill the bill. Heard a mention of American Red Cross' basic First Aid and their 'When Help is Delayed' modules, really don't think that they're adequate for the task. We do see a NOLS class come around about once a year but thats a bit pricey for our youth, and a pretty intense weekend building on top of what they may or may not know. So how to satisfy something like this? There are some excellent resources avai

Hi Dan - can you recommend anything particularly interesting on the topic of BP and his military exploits? There's sure to be some good material out there but I've not taken the time to research it... Thanks

From Ohio, we're partial to flying; trains aren't quite as convenient and take precious time. (But I'd like to try it once!) Last summer we flew into Colorado Springs and hung around for a day to acclimate to the higher altitude - a local church made us welcome and helped keep our costs down. Contracted with a local charter van service to take us to Philmont and back for ~$100/Scout. If you can pick up your plane tickets early you can save a bundle but its a bigger job than it looks! We found costs were very similar from Colorado Springs or from Albuqurque(sp?) but like the mountain scene