mrjohns2

I think one link can simply sum up a lot of issues with National: National Staff Cufflinks | Boy Scouts of America. I like local councils for running summer camp, though.

I thought that was acceptable at the time? Either the Green Explorer uniform or the tan shirt with green loops?

Another hard job is the Pack CC. It is very hard being a DL, but having 2 or 3 dens without DLs? Not harder, just impossible? Finding, registering, and getting those DLs up to speed, so they can DO the hardest job, is a hard task.

Correct. One has to either use Scoutbook or import from a 3rd party tool to get advancement in AND they have to enter if they went to camp. To get the data on camp, for the test years, he used our council camp data and then, with the help of commissioners, contacted units that camped outside of council (or didn't at all). The ideas was that we have rarely had enough unit commissioners. So, focus them on the "at risk" units. Units scoring 4 or 5 don't need as much help.

It wasn’t covered in the roll out of the unit metrics, but those are rooted in research. A Scouter in my district was literally the guy who came up with them. Units that score 4 or 5 have a very high (90%+) likelihood to recharter. Units with 0 or 1 have a very high likelihood to fail and not recharter. Data was gathered, by hand, for about 4 years and in the 4th year he could predict units they wouldn’t recharter very well.

There are councils charging more than that for the council fee?

I hope burning of any country’s flag is protected speech. Not that I have felt the need to disrespect any country in such way.

I think it has to all be from memory. If a Scout wants to work with me on a skill, they are more than welcome to use the book. We learn together, we use the book as a guide and aid. That doesn't count for a sign off, though. Come back the next day, demonstrate the skill without an aid, notes, etc, then I will sign it off. This is why I find "merit badge days" so hard to staff. It is hard to do that without requiring pre-reqs that are actually done.

Did the parent know of the new plan?

But it IS doing business as Scouting America. It changed the name it goes by. Does that help?

Interesting. Not a bad article. One interesting part is she seems to imply that she was the one who broke the barrier to girls being members. I wonder how much effect she had on the decision. I assume 0%, or it was one of a thousands societal changes that nudged it.

He gave his own book a 5 star rating. 🙂

There was a window when the medals had not been made yet, but the old with withdrawn, I believe.

All camps? It would need to be updated often (annually or more frequently).

Check out the guide to safe scouting and safe swim defense. What do they say?

They aren’t teams, they are patrols. They aren’t junior scouts, they are scouts or new scouts. They aren’t lead by an ASM, but by a PL and a troop guide. It’s been awhile, 31 years, I suggest reading the PL, SPL, and SM (Unit Leader) handbooks again. Words matter.

This doesn't much sound like Scouts. Why not put the skills into practice in their current patrols on the normal upcoming campouts?

Again, I’m guessing this is local. All units in our council are 4 digits. Most, not all boy troops start with a 1, some with a 2. Most packs are 4, some start 3. All crews start with a 9. Ships I’ve seen start with 1. Almost all girl troops start with a 6, but one starts with a 1.

In your council. Our council the packs, boy troop, girl troops, and crews all have different numbers.

Thanks so much for the educated and diverse perspective. You are probably pretty unique to be a vigil, who has gone so far as attend NOACs, and been a firecrafter and experienced camp with micosay. Very neat. You reinforced my assumptions about micosay.

The midwest camps I’ve attended don’t “do” footlockers. It is a “funny”, to me, regional thing.

No, there is a change. The outside groups that do their own range safety still are stopped. That is a real change.

Stand downs are very standard in the area of industrial construction I work. If there is an injury or serious near miss, a stand down is issued. Initial facts are gathered and any prudent immediate follow up is taken before restarting. For very serious incidents, sometimes multiple common sites are on stand down until imitate follow-up is understood or complete.

@ThenNow Thank you for sharing the darkest moments anyone can imagine, but in the post, and in past ones. It provides perspective that many don't have. I kept wondering what you were thinking and if you had sworn off this site for good. Keep on, keeping on.

Sounds like a healthy system. How long are your backpacking prep-trips?