Thunderbird

The people who are registered as the unit's Key 3 (Cubmaster, Pack Committee Chair, and Chartered Org. Rep.) should all have access to the new Internet Advancement (IA).  And they can also designate other registered leaders in the unit as Key 3 Delegates or a Unit Advancement Chair, which would also give those leaders access to IA.

What have you heard from your Pack Committee Chair or Chartered Org. Rep?  They should be solving the replacement Cubmaster issue.

What is stopping your Lions from moving up to Tigers?  This is mostly automatic, although most packs have some kind of den moving up ceremony at the end of the school year.

Or the Webelos Scouts from moving on to a troop?  If they have earned Arrow of Light rank and are at least 10 years old, then all they need to do is turn in a transfer application to their troop.  They can also join a troop without AOL rank if they are age 11 or if they have completed the 5th grade.

Here are a couple BSA links on the duties and responsibilities of Den Chiefs:

https://troopleader.scouting.org/den-chief/

https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/den-chief-training/

What was the purpose of these inspections?  Were they looking for anything in particular?  General tidiness of campsites is one thing.  Rummaging through other people's belongings is something else.  Did the Den Leader instruct the Den Chief to conduct these inspections?  Or did the Den Chief decide to do them on his own?

Have you earned the First Aid merit badge yet?  Requirement #1 of the first aid merit badge is to demonstrate your knowledge of the first aid rank requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class, so there is some overlap.

There are a few exceptions, but most of Scouting is not about memorizing stuff - it's more about participating and doing.  @fred8033 offers some great advice.  Find an adult leader who can help support and mentor your journey.

Packs in my area mostly crossover in January-March.  The Scouts (and mostly parents) need time to acclimate prior to summer camp.  And summer camps fill up early where I am, so we need parents to make a decision as soon as they can about whether their Scout will be going to summer camp.  It's not always possible to add new Scouts later if camps are full.

Webelos Scouts only need 6 adventures (5 required plus 1 elective) in order to earn the Webelos rank.  If they complete 2 adventures per month (on average), they can earn their Webelos rank and then move on to Arrow of Light required adventures (due to February 2019 changes in the Guide to Advancement) while still in the 4th grade.

And then for Arrow of Light rank, they only need 5 adventures (4 required plus 1 elective).  Even if you start up again in September, it's not to difficult to complete 5 adventures in 6 months (September through February) - they would still have time for fun electives.

Personally, I think it's a good idea to work on adventures over the summer and try to spend time in the fall visiting different troops to get an idea what different troops are like.

There seems to be something wrong with the Scout Shop links.  If you go to your favorite search engine you can use these search terms to go to the product pages directly:

"protect yourself" site:scoutshop.org

Try these links:

Protect Yourself Rules preview adventure loop (for Lion, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear dens)

Protect Yourself Rules preview adventure pin (for Webelos dens)

You might want to contact the Scout Shop online to let them know that their links are not working and the URLs of the broken links or searches.

5 hours ago, Liz said:

So... this month, our Pack went to Day Camp the first week in July. 

Our family was on vacation out of state that week. So my daughter attended Day Camp the 2nd week in July in a neighboring District, without her Pack. 

Since she did participate in a major Cub Scout activity in July, even though she didn't participate WITH her Pack, who also did participate in the activity, just at a different time, does she qualify for the Summertime Pack Award (she attended the June event and will attend two events in August). 

This is a relatively big question for me since we anticipate our allotted week at our vacation cabin to ALWAYS interfere with our District's Day Camp dates. I'm actually pondering enrolling my next Cub in a Pack in a neighboring District when she's old enough, just so she will be able to attend Day Camp with her Pack. 

It is up to your Pack Committee to decide.  If it were up to me, I would probably count it.  The Cub Scout standard is to "do your best", and she did the exact same thing as everybody else, except a different week during the same month.  The whole intent behind this award is just to encourage packs to be active in Scouting over the summer.  Your pack was active and so was your daughter.

This is why I recommend holding a couple activities each month.  And the activities do not need to be anything major, they could be something like a nature hike, geocaching, picking up litter at a local park, etc.  Small activities that don't require a lot of preparation or time.  Different adult leaders could lead them (maybe Den 1 is in charge of nature hike #1, and Den 2 is in charge of nature hike #2), but the entire pack would be invited to attend.

1 hour ago, The Latin Scot said:

I have never heard of a "Scoutmaster merit badge." Do you perhaps refer to the badge of office, worn on the left sleeve? 

I think @rickmay might be referring to a "spoof" merit badge.  Maybe something like these:

[spoof] Scoutmaster Merit Badge

[spoof] Exhausted Scoutmaster Merit Badge

Scoutmasters should be wearing the Scoutmaster badge of office:

 

As @Eagle94-A1 said, adults can wear square knots on their uniform for certain ranks and awards that they earned as a youth:  Eagle Scout rank, Arrow of Light rank, Venturing Summit Award, Quartermaster Award, religious awards, etc.  There is a pretty good list here:

http://usscouts.org/awards/knots1.asp

If a pack is promoting and organizing for the event (as @Pale Horse describes above), then I would count it.

DE means District Executive.  A DE is a paid professional who works for your council.

You mentioned you have a troop handbook.  What does it say?  Who is responsible for deciding issues of discipline in your troop: the Scoutmaster or the Troop Committee?  Before going to your DE / council, I would recommend talking with your Chartered Org. Rep.

I think it depends on how you define "everything".  If you mean all adventures for a particular den level, then I think it's very realistic.  If you mean all adventures plus all other awards for a den level, then it becomes much more difficult.

I agree with the other posters.  At the pack level, there is no participation requirement.

The requirement for the pack is:  "The pack can qualify for the certificate and streamer by planning and conducting three pack activities—one each in June, July, and August, or during other school vacations if your pack is in a year-round school."

The requirement for dens is:  "Dens with an average attendance of at least half their members at the three summer pack events are eligible for a colorful den participation ribbon."

The requirement for individual Scouts is:  "Scouts who participate in all three pack events are eligible to receive the National Summertime Pack Award pin, which they can wear on the right pocket flap of their uniform."

https://www.scouting.org/awards/awards-central/national-summertime/

It's a participation award, so I would personally interpret it generously, because the idea is to encourage your pack and Scouts to be active over the summer.  But ultimately, it's up to your Pack Committee to decide.

Some of the trail to First Class programs at summer camp are good.  A lot depends on the camp and the people teaching the skills.  It's a good starting point for Scouts, but a good troop program will repeat a lot of the skills.  IMO, this is a good thing, because many of the skills are perishable, so the Scouts need to keep repeating them, in order to retain the skills.

We also recommend first aid and swimming.  Keep in mind that Scouts also need 8 elective merit badges for Eagle Scout rank, so fun merit badges at summer camp will also help them with advancement.

6 minutes ago, perdidochas said:

First, I know few scouts that finish T21 in a year. 18 months is more typical.  Second, forget the whole school grade thing, and don't plan this out that way.  Let this just proceed at the rate of your son, not at some kind of schedule.  The first 4 ranks are, IMHO, the second hardest part of Scouting. (hardest, of course, being Life to Eagle).  

I agree.  From what I have seen, 12-18 months is fairly typical (since the 2016 rank requirements went into effect), and most are closer to 18 months.  The Scout Handbook no longer mentions First Class in the first year (this is a good thing, IMO).  It now says that making First Class rank will probably take one year to 18 months.  This assumes an active Scout who attends campouts, etc.  The part that seems to take the longest for Scouts in my son's troop is the fitness tracking for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class.  The Scouts enjoy being physically active, but tracking / logging what they did is the hard part (writing what they did is not as much fun as actually doing it).

@ParkMan  I think that might be old information.  If you look at the current adult application forms, there is no longer any place for committee chairs to sign.  There is a place for the chartered organization head (EO/IH) or representative (COR), but that's it.

1 hour ago, RainShine said:

Okay thanks. Indeed I intend to complete the forms for our own use and not turn them in. I don't want to recreate a method for measuring improvement. I suppose if I thought we were going to get Gold I would change my mind!  😉

Your troop should be able to get gold.  Conduct 9 short-term campouts, 70% of Scouts attend a long-term camp, 5 service projects (at least one for your chartered org.), get most of your adult leaders trained, etc.

Units can also use the new Internet Advancement.  It uses the same database as Scoutbook.  After logging in, click on Run Report, Advancement History, then select the dates.  The report will show you the names of the Scouts and the ranks that they have earned during the selected dates.

@bsaggcmom  I agree with you except I would add this point to merit badges:
 

Quote

"All merit badge requirements must be met while a registered Scout in Scouts BSA, or a qualified Venturer or Sea Scout. Accomplishments before joining, or while a Cub Scout, do not apply."  (GTA section 7.0.0.1)

And the Guide to Advancement defines a "qualified" Venturer or Sea Scout as one who has previously earned First Class rank while registered in the Boy Scout / Scouts BSA program (GTA sections 4.3.1.4 and 4.4.0.1).

28 minutes ago, Liz said:

I thought she was also a Venturer? 

I would think it would be the "while living abroad" clause that would be the concern here. Was she actually residing in Canada?

I do not know if she was a registered Venturer or not, but the temporary transition rules clearly state that any work done (including nights of camping) while a registered Venturer or Sea Scout but prior to becoming a registered member of Scouts BSA do not count.

8 minutes ago, Hawkwin said:

You are quoting from a section not relevant to the topic. To quote:

This issue isn't about work she did as a tag-along with her brother's unit. It is about work she did while a scout of a foreign troop (not at all mentioned in the transition document). The Temporary transitions rules don't really address this issue at all (outside of the recognition section - which I fully support).

 

It is relevant because it was work that she did prior to joining a Scouts BSA troop.  All requirements must be completed after joining a Scouts BSA troop.  You and I disagree, and that is fine.  We will agree to disagree.

The temporary transition rules very clearly state that "all requirements must be completed while the individual is a registered member of Scouts BSA, or after achieving the First-Class Rank in Scouts BSA (as specified in the BSA Guide to Advancement, an individual after earning First Class Rank in Scouts BSA may transfer primary membership to Venturing or Sea Scouts and continue to work on Eagle Scout requirements)."  All requirements means all requirements.

The part about "after earning First Class Rank in Scouts BSA" refers to how Scouts can transfer their membership from a troop to a Venturing crew or a Sea Scout ship and continue their Scouts BSA advancement there as a qualified Venturer or Sea Scout as long as they meet the age requirements or get a time extension (GTA sections 4.3.1.4 and 4.4.0.1).

The transition rules also state that work done (including nights of camping) while a registered Venturer, registered Sea Scout, or while participating unofficially prior to joining the Scouts BSA program do not count.  It is clear that national wants all female Scouts to have a level playing field and start at the same place.

The transition rules also state that "Eagle Scout requirements are set by the National Council and cannot be adjusted by a troop, district or council."

Like @Eagle94-A1 said, if you are with a troop, then you would typically wear the green on tan unit numerals (at least, according to the current BSA Guide to Awards and Insignia).  However, some troops do their own thing.  Cub Scout packs and Venturing crews usually wear the white on red unit numerals.

Also, there are 2 different shads of green for shoulder loops.  One shade of green is for troops, the other is for Venturing.

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/07/30/different-colors-scouting-shoulder-loops-mean/

@ArmyScout  Are you with a Cub Scout pack or a Scouts BSA troop?

2 minutes ago, Buggie said:

At camp it's difficult enough for the coffee truck to make its way to all the campsites in the morning early enough before the flag ceremony. 

Oh lord, nothing worse than adults crying bout not getting their coffee. I get it, but sometimes things happen. You can get your coffee at breakfast. Deal with it. I like coffee too. Stop complaining! Someone get this scouter their coffee so we can get some relative peace here! 

 

Coffee trucks???  Which Scout camps have coffee trucks?  We have to brew our own if we want it before breakfast!  🤣