Treflienne

That's right. But the flip is that a person could be listed in scoutbook and not actually be a fully registered and valid MBC. How? Some council upload the council's list of merit badge counselors. These counselor then show up in scoutbook with a blue checkmark as "Approved by NNNNNNN Council". If the MBC has opted to be visible as a "Counselor for any Scout in the BSA" then troops from other councils can see him in scoutbook.com. But some councils like mine that don't upload the council's list of merit badge counselors into scoutbook.com. To be able to connect one of our tro

There is a new activity log system as of, I think, today. We had been using the ability in the old system to make notes about trips. (Who slept in the cabin versus who pitched tents outside in below-freezing whether? Who arrived late and thus did not pitch her own tent but slept in a tent her friends pitched? etc, etc, etc) I cannot find these notes in the new system. Are they gone? Are am I simply not looking in the right place. Paper records are looking better and better.

When my scouts were picking out neckerchief colors I told them they should not pick solid red (looks like communist young pioneers) nor solid black (Hitler Youth). I was not really concerned about people seeing black and making a Hilter Youth connection. (I have a troop of girls, and there does not seem to be a lot of German influence in the area in which we live.) I was genuniely concerned about how people locally would react to girls wearing red neckerchiefs. We have many adults in our community (including the parents of some of our scouts) who grew up in the People's Republic of China

Thank you all for helping me think this through. @Eagledad, you articulated one of my underlying concerns that I had not actually identified yet – I don't want this enthusiastic scout to become discouraged by being “stuck” and to lose momentum. (Thanks for clearly articulating this issue.) And I realize, that even if I were to combine these two outings and call it close-enough, I would not solve the “stuck” problem – she would very quickly bump up against the need for another troop-or-patrol tent-camping trip for first class. Another layer under my concern, I realized, was whether th

You can still do a parent as the second adult -- you just need to prepare in advance by proactively registering them as "reserve scouter" (which entails having them do YPT and background check). Once they've done this, next step is to get them to sign up as a merit badge counselor for some area in which they have skills and interest -- promising them that you will never require them to teach a merit badge class, you are merely hoping that they will be available when an eager and enthusiatic scout comes along wanting to learn about their field.

Hello Strangers-On-The-Internet, I'd like your opinion. The covid-FAQ is permitting some temporary changes to allow Scouts to complete rank requirements, despite the need for social distancing. It discuss certain specific rank requirements. Specifically concerning camping it says “Tenderfoot rank requirements: 1b - Virtual patrol or troop campouts via video conferencing will be permitted.” and “Second Class rank requirements: 1a & 1c – Virtual patrol or troop activities via video conferencing will be permitted.” Note that virtual camping is not listed as permitted for Second Clas

By the way, I found it odd that BSA (differing from Scouting for Boys) raises the hand well above shoulder high, rather than shoulder high, for the half salute. Also, I found it odd that the BSA does not accompany the scout handshake with the half salute. Scouting for Boys, page 42 says These are two areas in which GSUSA is closer to Baden-Powell than is BSA.

No need to reinvent the wheel, here. Quoting Scouting for Boys, by Baden-Powell (page 41) And what is this secret sign and half salute? From page 40

Yikes!

The New England Orienteering Club is doing something like this. "Stay tuned . . . as we work with land managers and club volunteers to implement a number of bring-your-own-map events. Participants will be able to navigate around a course on their own time to minimize interactions." https://newenglandorienteering.org/news/1082-orienteering-during-the-covid-19-outbreak

Thanks for your description of how the online class format worked. My council is also pushing online merit badge classes, and I am a little skeptical. On the other hand, my daughter started a new merit badge. Spent an hour conversing one-on-one by phone with the merit badge counselor who is an older adult who lives in our neighborhood. It looks like it is going to be a really good experience. (Because of YPT she put the phone of speaker phone, so I could listen in.) Of course there are a couple of steps that she won't be able to finish until the quarantine is over, but a grea

Looking on the bright side of things, I am trying to encourage my scouts to take initiative on merit badge work, and find things they are interested in doing rather independently while at home. Maybe we can get away from a "merit badge class" mindset - which is unfortunately the mindset of the boys' troop to which we are linked. Even if a scout cannot complete all the steps of a particular merit badge class, there are a lot of steps of a lot of badges that can be done quite well at home, and there is a lot of "discuss" interaction with a merit badge counselor that can be done by telepho

That sounds like our joint committee meetings for our linked troops (some committee members are on just one committee, some are on the other committee, and some are on both). There has been good and bad: good the girl's troop committee members can learn from the boys troop, and the boys troop commiteee members can hear what the girls troop is doing. Bad: the committee meetings are taking way way too long, and I feel like some of the girls troop issues are getting squeezed out. Fortuntaley for us the girls troop PLC and the boys troop PLC meet separately, and can plan their own t

My understanding is that the big concern is that boy troop and the girl troop are each to have its own leadership structure. Because girls and boys don't mature in the same ways at the same rate. With one girl patrol, the girl troop (which was a single patrol) did not need an SPL. With three boy patrols, the boy troop needed an SPL. But now you have it backwards. That is precisely the problem. The boys are missing out on an opportunity here.

Sometimes the additional structure can be helpful to those who are inexperienced. That is why I prefer the ScoutsBSA program to a hypothetical "Junior Venturing" program.

I am more familiar with Scouts than Venturing, but I think these are some differences: Scouts BSA: single gender troops. Venturing: Coed Scouts BSA: wears uniforms. Venturing: uniform is optional Scouts BSA: patrol method including patrol names, flags, yells Venturing: doesn't have this Scouts BSA: very structure rank advancment program Venturing: advancment seems not to be a big deal If you have a scout who (a) wants to be in a fully coed group (b) despises the unifrom (c) cannot stand rah rah of patrol spirit it

The tenderfoot was consulted as to whether she wanted a corrected card or not.

Thank you very much. Your replies have been helpful. My troop botched the card for one of our Tenderfeet, and it was not noticed until very shortly before time to hand the scout the card and patch. I think I will ask the scout whether she wants a correct card to save, or whether she does not care.

My question concerned the small cards stating their new rank, that the scouts are given, along with their new rank patch, at the COH. Are these important to save long term? (like blue cards) Or does the scout not need to be concerned about saving the card, since the sign-offs in his book are his documentation that he completed his rank? Really, what I am asking is: is there any problem if a scout does not have or keep these cards?

I got a very different impression of the overall emphasis of their talking points. Mainly that they want to emphasize that GSUSA is not part of BSA. Note the repetition of words like "separate" "independent" "never been affiliated" "distinct". The first five points really try to hammer this home. In contrast the word "safe" is mentioned only once, and only near the end where you see it only after you have read to the end. A great deal of the general public seems to think that the two organizations are acutally somehow the same.

Hi @Cburkhardt Here are the relevant rules from my GSUSA council, emphasis mine. In my connection with GSUSA I have never seen adults bringing alcohol to, or drinking on outings. I don't know where you dredged up those comments, but in my experience that is not normal.

As for GSUSA - they have the problem that much of the general public thinks that Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are the same organization. You can take a group of Scouts BSA girls, all wearing the older shirts that clearly say "Boy Scouts of America" and people assume that they are Girl Scouts. (This has happened to my Scouts BSA troop more than once.) I've had to explaine to numerous friends that BSA and GSUSA are completely separate organizations. It is unsurprising that GSUSA wants people to know that they are not part of the organization that is going bankrupt.

Where is the wood (the logs) coming from? Is it available on the property from fallen trees? Otherwise, what about all the "don't move firewood" admonitions, to slow the spread of invasive bugs. Informational signage seens more useful that a really fancy enclosure -- though I doubt the insects and chipmunks will care about either. And what is the purpose of the fancy enclosure anyway? So that people will understand that it is a deliberate wood pile, and not simply leftover logs that someone forgot to carry away? To keep kids from climing on it?

That's because if families care, they will know that information without asking you. I thought the WOSM connection was a benefit when comparing BSA to BPSA. I also thought that a local council and local camps and name recogniztion were a big benefit when comparing BSA to BPSA.

For the 3rd-4th (or 2nd-5th) grade girls, I would recommend the various girl guide stories by Catherine Christian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Christian Really emphasize patrols. Probably only available from used book dealers.