Thunderbird

Councils in my area are not offering boys-only weeks. It's co-ed or nothing. No information so far on how (or if) campsites will be shared.

@qwazse I think you are misunderstanding my point. I don't mean that the recognition has to be exactly the same in every way. Of course if you have 30 brand new Bobcats in October but only 1 Bobcat in January, then the time taken for the ceremony will be different even if the ceremonies are otherwise the same. All I meant was that if you make a big fuss over the Cubs who join in October, then you should make a big fuss over the ones who join later, too. They are all deserving of recognition regardless of when they join.

Whatever Bobcat ceremony you decide to use (painted Bobcat or something else), you should try to give them all the same amount of time and attention. I do think it's important to try to give them an equivalent ceremony / recognition even if they join later than the big group in October.

@The Latin Scot There are different versions of it, but here is an example of what a face paint Bobcat rank ceremony might be like: http://www.scoutorama.com/ceremony/ceremony_display.cfm?cer_id=10

Previous packs I have been with would do them monthly at the pack meeting (or perhaps at an activity / event, depending on timing), if there were any new Cub Scouts who had earned Bobcat. The idea is to make a big fuss over these new members and get them excited about joining your pack and making them feel welcome. It also serves to encourage the new Scouts to earn their rank. Are you presenting adventure belt loops and pins at pack meetings? Is that eating up too much of your time? The belt loops and pins are intended to be immediate recognition devices and can be presented by Den Leaders at den meetings / activities. Perhaps this would free up some time at your pack meetings for Bobcat or other rank ceremonies?

@qwazse They changed this a few years ago. Now it's free to transfer an unexpired membership. 🙂 I think it actually cost councils more money to process the $1 payment.

If the troop uses Scoutbook, the Eagle Application report is the same exact form as the Eagle rank application form -- it's just pre-filled with information such as merit badge dates, etc. It's also editable, so the Scout can change stuff, such as leadership positions, etc. The link posted by @HashTagScouts looks pretty close to what @ACEMAN040 is looking for in a spreadsheet. I would just caution you to compare the requirements very carefully to the current official Eagle Scout rank requirements. A cursory look at the spreadsheet, and I do not see all of the PORs listed. Not sure what else might need to be updated. Current requirements are listed at the following link: https://www.scouting.org/programs/boy-scouts/advancement-and-awards/

Does your troop use Scoutbook? There are some helpful reports there that you can use: There is an Individual Advancement Record (IAR) report, which is available from the Troop or Patrol pages. Also at Scoutbook, you can download a pre-filled (but editable) Eagle Application that can help Scouts get started. Your troop can give you access to Report Builder, which allows you to create custom reports. One that would be helpful for you would be a progress toward Eagle report or a merit badge report where you select all of the Eagle-required merit badges. I also have an Excel spreadsheet that you could use for an individual Scout, although I'm not sure how to upload it to the forum.

Great work! It's clear that a lot of time and effort went into your Troop Book. One thing to consider is that the BSA is constantly changing requirements for ranks, awards, and merit badges, so you might want to consider linking directly to BSA pages such as: https://www.scouting.org/programs/boy-scouts/advancement-and-awards/ https://www.scouting.org/programs/boy-scouts/advancement-and-awards/merit-badges/ https://www.scouting.org/resources/guide-to-advancement/ Unfortunately, the Requirements Book does not always list all of the changes made each year, so I think you are probably better off just linking to BSA original sources whenever possible. Same with BSA forms like permission slips, Annual Health and Medical Record forms, etc.

I think the lesson is fine. I just wouldn't use the word "fasce" or anything close to it. Some people will take it the wrong way and associate it with fascism. They won't care about the history.

The "Order of Fasces" would sound too close to fascism.

I think this article is from 2017? Of course, that doesn't change the seriousness of what happened.

Make sure that you get a copy of the newest Wolf Handbook and Den Leader Guide. When you come up with your den meeting plans, I would recommend that you start with the requirements that are listed in the handbook, then look in the Den Leader Guide for ideas / suggestions. In many cases, you don't have to do all of the requirements (do X of Y of the following requirements), so this gives you some flexibility on how to best deliver the program to your Wolf Scouts. Talk to your pack leadership about rank advancement and when it traditionally happens for your pack. You can use that date to backwards plan your meetings. Remember that you can assign requirements to be done at home or with the family. Some den leaders assign the Duty to God adventures to be done at home. The pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide needs to be done at home. Communicate with the parents about what they need to do to help their Wolf Scout earn the rank or other adventures / awards. Written communication is frequently better than verbal (because they have something to refer to). Whenever possible, keep it simple, make it fun!

Saying this another way: if the boat is owned by an individual Scouter (not the troop), but that Scouter lets the Scouts use it a couple times a year, then the burden of repairing an old, broken down engine should not fall entirely on the troop. It might be reasonable for the troop to pitch in and pay something based on how often the troop uses the boat vs. how often the Scouter uses it for private use.

All of the troop's assets (including money raised or in bank accounts) actually belong to the charter organization. Troop money is supposed to benefit the unit - not individuals. The Troop Committee is not required to invite all parents to committee meetings. In many troops, the members of the Troop Committee are the ones who vote, and the Scoutmaster is an advisor / non-voting member. Different troops may choose to do things differently. Like @T2Eagle, in my son's troop, we invite all interested parents to attend. If we vote on something, we allow parents to vote. The Chartered Org. Rep. can veto decisions by the Troop Committee (because the charter organization owns all of the assets and is one that takes the blame if the Troop Committee decides to do something in violation of the law, IRS rules, BSA rules, etc.). Generally, individual Scout accounts are discouraged due to some recent rulings / decisions by the IRS. (This is mainly aimed at fundraising and how unit fundraising is supposed to benefit the unit - not individual Scouts.) However, units are allowed to track which Scouts owe for activities, etc. "Funds raised by the unit from product sales belong to the unit. They may not be transferred to the Scout or another unit, but may be re-assigned to units sponsored by the same chartered organization, such as when a Scout moves from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts or Boy Scouts to Venturing. The unit committee is responsible for expenditures from unit funds for the benefit of the unit. Unit funds may be used to reduce the cost of participation, including the cost of attending camp or obtaining uniforms. They may be used to provide financial assistance or awards to individual Scouts based upon their level of participation generally or in specific activities benefiting the unit, chartered organization or community, attendance, advancement and/or need. Unit funds may be used to buy equipment for the unit or for any other legitimate need of the unit." (BSA Product Sales Guide, page 9) BSA Product Sales Guide Fiscal Policies and Procedures for BSA Units FAQs December 2014 CubCast - How to Handle Fundraising Dollars (also applies to other BSA units such as troops, crews, ships, etc.) Bryan on Scouting: BSA offers guidance on individual Scout accounts