Jameson76

For clarity from the start we are very clear that the troop is youth led and that either the SM or the Outdoor chair is the leader in charge at outings. Adult leaders are welcome, not so much if you want to come as a parent. We clearly camp away from the Scouts, cook and eat together. As we have explained, our main task as leaders is logistics, safety, and sort of overall timekeepers. For ANY parent attending an outing we require them to take YPT and have that certificate, that diffuses some that may feel the need to come and "assist". We also have a firm transit plan and will only take the needed cars. Scouts meet at the church and we return to the church, end of story. We did have one parent who was sort of oblivious to our efforts, he was an Eagle Scout, but had a different drummer he marched to. He and the younger son have decided to move on to another unit and we feel that is a super decision.

Yes it is. We have a new scout program, ASM for that has not been involved in Cubs for many years. Our goal is to get the new Scouts to the NS campout, then the May event, then summer camp. After that we feel that gives them a good view of the troop, how it may be different from Cubs, etc. After the summer we roll them into existing patrols and off they go with the patrol ASM's working with them within the patrol framework.

FUN is the main thing, actually the only thing. We as leaders need to do what we can to make the GAME of Scouting easier. They lead it and we need to enable and be flexible in our part of it. Scouts competes with many things for attention in the youth's lives. Just this week we had a Scout, went to summer camp, but plays football in the fall, he was back at meetings this week. Let them be part of the Scouts as much as they can Great results and hope it continues to be positive.

The Eagle candidate determines the manpower needed. I have seen many project where too many came to help and the Scout spent way too much time trying to find stuff for them to do. When I work with the Scout our conversation is how many do you need and for what timeframe. The better learning experience is for them to plan and manage the labor needed.

That could be an interesting project. Many of the challenges I see with Eagle project plans are not the concept, but it's the write up and assumptions. Key for the coordinator is to find what is on point and guide the Scout to ensuring they meet the requirements. You are correct that there is no "build" requirement for an Eagle project. The basic requirements are: While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. (The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 512-927, in meeting this requirement. (To learn more about the Eagle Scout service project, see the Guide to Advancement, topics 9.0.2.0 through 9.0.2.15.

Remember what the DE mantra is... More applications equals more green.....

There are other troops out there, seek one that meets YOUR Scouts needs. Troops are like musical groups, while the vast majority seem to have 2 guitars, a bass, and a drummer, they can be vastly different and can appeal to a variety of specific tastes

To coin a phrase...and try to refrain from saying this to everyone (though you want to) Boy Scouts (11-17 year olds) was NEVER intended in any way shape or form to be a family event or group. If parents feel the need to interpret it that way, they are missing the point. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The aims are character development, leadership development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The methods are Ideals; Patrols – The patrol method gives Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches Scouts how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where they can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through their elected representatives; Outdoor Programs; Advancement; Association with Adults – Scouts learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of their troops. In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to the Scouts, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives; and Personal Growth While the family is a critical part of the youth and his identity, the goal of scouting at this age is to have them learn and grow on their own. They lead, they make their own decisions, they become a better person. They work with their peers (and that is good and bad) to do things. Also they are part of the troop and EVERYONE needs to follow the goals and traditions of the troop. If not then YOU have two choices; stay and endure or move on. Based on your input and earlier posts, you are a more patient person that I am. Good luck as you move on, there are many great Scouting experiences out there.

I would not think you would need WFA at Summit as you ride the trams between the attractions...though I may be confusing Summit (sorry THE Summit) with the Goofy place in Florida

Good Lord...is there a secret decoder ring that comes with this matrix??

I'm with you on this. WB is not about running program for scouts (though it used to be). Now it is basically billed as a management course and the "ticket" items may help program for scouts/youth. Note that ticket items may be unrelated to actually assisting in program. Billed as the pinnacle of BSA Adult training, but not sure that it what the results may actually be. But...apparently you get a neat pink neckerchief, you can culturally appropriate kilts if you desire, you can freely join the WB cult and drink the kool aid, you get the beads (by the way, Q - how many WB beads does a 100 year old oak tree yield? A- One), you get to become a critter of some sorts, and you get a sense of smugness related to adults scoutery... Well worth the price of admission

Make sure any milestone anniversaries fall at the same time as a High Adventure trip, that's a real crowd pleaser....

Not to split hairs or lessen the impact, was this a Scouting / Troop sponsored type event or was this just a gathering of youth, some (most??) of whom belong to the troop.

Not skip the fact, just the public discussion of the occurrences. Just saying that that part may not be a good section to be discussed if the choice is to have the SPL address the troop. Not sure all the troop needs all the details. That does not give a pass at all on his actions or the inactions of the PLC group. This may need to involve a higher level within BSA. As with all disciplinary actions the facts are not typically broadcast or discussed outside the ones involved

Seems like a good plan. May want to have the SPL be more generic in his mea culpa, just that there was bullying, it is inappropriate, skip the details. Tough one as the PLC was involved and stood by. Good luck

We wear the "official uniform" in transit to outings. Actually we call it Class A and are just hoping the uniform and or phrase police stop by and try to ticket us. But anyway, when we arrive, the Scouts take off the class A (typically tossing them into the dirt) for setup, activities, etc. Most scouts have the Class B troop t-shirts / summer camp / fleece / hoodies to wear. When we depart everyone is back in the Class A shirts. Also good times with many calls that their Class A shirts have been stolen until someone points to the tan lump under some leaves.

Troop total: 13 outings per year, 40.3 average scouts, 2.3 nights average per outing = (roughly) 1,205 nights of camping last year

I was at summer camp and a couple of WB (dare I say) zealots were hitting it pretty heavy that WB was the end all be all. Told them not doubting it may have some benefit, but in the last 5 years I had been pretty busy as we had doubled the number of scouts attending monthly outings, the troop was exceeding 1,000 nights camping each year, we did 2 summer camps, 1 High adventure trek, did 11 other outdoor activities, had 10 -12 Eagle scouts each year, service projects, etc and really was not sure what WB might do to take us the the next level? I explained my focus was on the unit and delivering program to the Scouts. They did not have a great comeback

They go inside. Some have lower pockets for the sleeping bags. The tops are expandable for lighter sleeping pads. Yes the nylon will fall apart after many years. Also the padding breaks down if stored in heat and comes out like little pellets. The newer packs with the internal frames take some getting used to if you are only familiar with the frame ones. Though many have handy nalegene pockets that can be accessed right behind you while hiking. One does have to adjust the straps and the way you load more thoughtfully as they can tend to have the center of weight lower and that can tend to pull you back as opposed to the frame pack which tends to ride higher and can be flatter

Big Iron by Marty Robbins is a crowd pleaser...if you have a stand up bass it really sells it To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say, No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip The stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip It was early in the morning when he rode into the town He came riding from the south side, slowly lookin' all around "He's an outlaw loose and runnin'", came a whisper from each lip "And he's here to do some business with a big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip" In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead He was vicious and a killer, though a youth of twenty four And the notches on his pistol numbered one and nineteen more, One and nineteen more Now the stranger started talkin' made it plain to folks around Was an Arizonia ranger, wouldn't be too long in town He was here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead And he said it didn't matter that he was after Texas Red, After Texas Red Wasn't long before this story was relayed to Texas Red But the outlaw didn't worry, men who tried before were dead Twenty men had tried to take him, twenty men had made a slip, Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip Now the morning passed so quickly and it was time for them to meet It was twenty past eleven when they rode out in the street Folks were watchin' from their windows, Every body held their breath, They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death, About to meet his death There was twenty feet between them When they stopped to make their play And the swiftness of the Ranger still talked about today Texas Red had not cleared leather when a bullet fairly ripped And the ranger's aim was deadly, with the big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip It was over in a moment and the crowd all gathered 'round There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground Oh, he might have went on livin' but he made one fatal slip When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip Big iron, big iron, Oh he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip, Big iron on his hip

I have heard that reference and don't get me started on that statement. The two could not be more different in goals, aims, and achievements. I did see one (was a Cub Leader at the time) wonder why there was no knot for WB...I swear that guy slept in his beads...

Note the wording on the infographic: are interested in a program like Cub Scouts for their daughters are interested in a program like Boy Scouts® for their daughters They do not say they are specifically interested in CUBS or SCOUTS...just a program LIKE Scouts. So who knows what sort of program that may be.

First - trying to get a youth to e-mail is tough. Should be a knot for accomplishing that task. We just copy another leader / parent and drive on. That is public and two deep leadership. Gotta deliver the program right? The wizards at National who generate the rules and YPT are governed by lawyers. There are no people involved in this that have worked with an actual unit in at least the last 10 years. If the professional group could raise money and earn salaries without having the bothersome youth around, they would be all in for that

A chart for tracking exercise seems reasonable. The other parts should be done as part of activities and the Cubs can accomplish FUN things and not know they are doing it. When working with Scouts on Camping Merit Badge we get to requirement 9b and some Scouts are not sure about this one 1. Hike up a mountain where, at some point, you are at least 1,000 feet higher in elevation from where you started. 2. Backpack, snowshoe, or cross-country ski for at least 4 miles. 3. Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours. 4. Take a nonmotorized trip on the water of at least four hours or 5 miles. 5. Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience. 6. Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more. Then as I talk with them and we talk about the various outings the troop does they realize they completed these when we did backpacking, our bike outing, or the kayaking trip and did not even realize it.

Agree on Family Scouting Sadly many have lost the focus of Scouting in the rush to "Family" scouting. Scouting was NEVER intended or designed to be a "Family" event or activity. The dens were designed to be "patrols" with the Den Leader as the patrol leader. They are supposed to do things as a group WITHOUT Mom and Dad and family being involved. Go off and do stuff that they experience from THEIR perspective. Over time the family camping, the siblings, etc have lessened that and made it more the circus that Cubs is. Now we can see that creeping into Scouts. We have more focus on advancement and less focus on the journey and the experience. Unfortunately I expect the planned extensions for Eagles will not be the only coming change to requirements.