mrkstvns

I've never been a scout campout where meals didn't begin with a pause to say grace.

Some scouts use a standard form of grace followed by their family or church.  Some scouts like to make up their own free-form grace, fitting their prayer to the place and moment. Some scouts use standard forms of grace they get from BSA camps.  

Here are the 5 most common BSA graces heard throughout scouting...

Philmont Grace
For food, for raiment
For life, for opportunity
For friendship and fellowship
We thank thee, O Lord

Sea Base Grace
Bless the creatures of the sea.
Bless this person I call me.
Bless the Keys, You make so grand.
Bless the sun that warms the land.
Bless the fellowship we feel,
As we gather for this meal.

Summit Grace
For this time and this place,
For Your goodness and grace,
For each friend we embrace,
We thank Thee, Oh Lord.

Northern Tier Grace
For food, for raiment,
For life and opportunity,
For sun and rain,
For water and portage trails,
For friendship and fellow ship,
We thank Thee, Oh Lord.

OA Grace
For night alone that rests our thought
For quiet dawn that lights our trail
For evening fire that warms and cheers
For each repast that fuels our work
We give thanks, O Lord.

Another scout in Houston has earned every merit badge.  138 of 'em....(137 are current, plus he picked up one that's being discontinued).  Story:
https://abc7chicago.com/localish/teen-earns-all-138-boy-scout-merit-badges/5579341/ 

15 hours ago, DeaconLance said:

Working copies were distributed at recent course director conferences but it is not 100% yet.  Probably 90% done.

Sounds good!

Any particularly innovative techniques or approaches we might benefit from?

8 hours ago, mashmaster said:

Too me the National Outdoor Activity awards are an awesome thing to strive for.

I've been trying to get my son interested in them, but he has less than zero interest in trying to re-create logs of every single scouting activity he's ever done. 

Do any of you have experience with the Messenger of Peace award (which goes around the World Scouting crest)?

I'm reading about the program on the BSA web site, and I'm not really sure what projects should and should not be regarded as meeting the criteria.

In the requirements section  (https://www.scouting.org/international/messengers-of-peace/)  , it says...

In terms of the MOP initiative, peace encompasses three dimensions:

1. The personal dimension: harmony, justice, and equality
2. The community dimension: peace as opposed to hostility or violent conflict
3. Relationships between humankind and its environment: security, social and economic welfare, and relationship with the environment

Any Scout or Scouter who participates in a project that has had a significant impact on the community in any one of the three dimensions above can qualify as a Messenger of Peace.

The requirements seem pretty straightforward, and it seems like most troops would have plenty of Eagle projects or Hornaday projects that might qualify....and since the qualification is determined at the unit level, a scout shouldn't have to ask anyone other than his Scoutmaster.

But I get confused when I read the FAQ: https://www.scouting.org/international/messengers-of-peace/faqs/     Especially that section about "examples"...

Can you give me some examples of qualifying projects?
Projects like these inspired the Messengers of Peace initiative:

• Scouts in El Salvador working to disband violent street gangs
• Scouts in New Orleans working on the ground to rebuild post-Katrina New Orleans
• Scouts in the Great Lakes region of Africa running an inter-ethnic peace education project
• Scouts in Sierra Leone rebuilding their communities following a decade of civil war
• Scouts in Ireland bringing young Catholics and Protestants together
• Scouts in Haiti doing work in rescue, relief, and rehabilitation after the deadly earthquake in 2010

Yikes!!  Talk about BIG projects!

And to think, here I've been encouraging scouts who just want to build another park bench to try thinking bigger.  I'll have to point them to this FAQ.

Soooo, what I want to know is, what do you think makes a service project qualify for this award?

Would just about any Eagle or Hornaday award qualify?  Only big ones?  Only ones that confound presidents and popes?

BSA is gearing up for the 2021 National Jamboree.  The theme will be "Face the Challenge".

Dates:   July 21-30, 2021

Cost:  $1,175

Info:  https://jamboree.scouting.org/  

What?!  Girl Scouts use same motto as Boy Scouts?  Good thing their program's emphasis on being indoors prepared them for adventures in the urban jungle!

https://abc13.com/society/girl-scouts-spend-3-hours-stuck-in-elevator/5582230/

1 hour ago, TMSM said:

 I can see some SMs being ofended by having to explain how well his program is working 

I can also see some who can't wait for the opportunity to brag (yet again) about the wonders of their program.

I'm with RainShine though --- most scouters are just good people doing their best and they won't mind some ideas for improvement.

As Webelos bridge into troops, they are expected to learn about the patrol method for requirement 3 for their Scout rank ---- 3b specifically includes a patrol "name, emblem, flag, and yell" and we have a patrol meeting with the new guys to work on these things.  The boys are always expected to make their flags from scratch. No scout shop kits or pre-mades, no moms designing and sewing a beautiful embroidered flag, no anything you can buy at a store.  Thankfully, most of the boys adopt silly mascots like "flaming nuclear mutant bacon ninja poodles", which don't exactly lend themselves to mass-market flags (but are still in stock and ready for immediate delivery through suppliers like ClassB.com).

We tell the boys that their flag should be something they are proud of, and that it should be something they are happy to brag about when they go to Camporee, where the District always has a "best patrol flag" competition.

2 hours ago, qwazse said:

 

I'm wondering if the NBOF makes these awards available to GS/USA troops as well.

I'm not seeing any mention of it, but I found another page that talks about the historic trail awards available to Boy Scouts, and further down the page, has a section for Girl Scouts which basically says they can feel free to do a walk (but no mention of whether they get anything out of it beyond a good cardio workout).
https://www.gblth.com/group-scouting 

11 hours ago, 5yearscouter said:

Find a council/camp that does ATV riding and maybe the pistol markmanship course.

I particularly like this one...

Anything that is new and different is a great opportunity to deliver on the promise of "adventure" (which is mighty hard to do if your troop  just keeps going to the same local merit badge summer camp.

I've heard that Indian Nations Council in Oklahoma has a camp that offers Jet Skis   (Z-Base....aka, Zink Scout Ranch).

But, but, but....

If your kids aren't reading Boys Life, how will they ever know important things like whether or not it really WAS Baden-Powell who first said, 

"Give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fail. But in time, they will join you in the sun."

Boys Life readers know for sure who the role model was who uttered those motivational words of wisdom....

13 hours ago, yknot said:

One half jar peanut butter, raided from home: Free

Foraged ground apples from local farmer's orchard: Free

One snicker's bar, melted but edible: 35 cents

Wild blackberries: Free, although may have created a calorie deficit caused by running from bear. 

A frugal scout should also be able to find a local pizzeria whose dumpster contains several perfectly edible burnt pies.  Free

4 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

A little sarcasm here I see...

I've seen enough new Scouts join packs & troops to know that getting them engaged is a good thing.  I've seen enough new parents with questions to know that having a defined person to answer them is a useful idea.  I've been around adult recruiting long enough to know that engaging with parents is the first step in getting them to volunteer.

Yes - you could do all of these things with a position called Committee Member and the New Member Coordinator title isn't necessary at all.  I know it's sport to poke fun at national.  But so what if they decided to try something different in an attempt to encourage activities that benefit membership?

I always try to remember, "never let an adult do what a scout can do."

In our troop, the SCOUTS are the welcoming committee....and they are much more effective than anybody the committee might throw at the non-problem.  

3 minutes ago, rickmay said:

when was the Gettysburg trail award founded? before 1985?

Probably.

BSA let its historic trails program get overgrown with weeds and most of the trails on the "officially approved" historic trails list are very OLD.  (In some cases, calling the local council gets a response of "Never heard of it!")

The Gettysburg Trail is different from most of those on the BSA list....it appears to be well documented and supported by the local council with good, useful info about their trail.  Wish I were in the mid-Atlantic area --- I'd definitely want to hike that trail!

See:
https://newbirthoffreedom.org/programs/gettysburg-historic-trails/ 

14 hours ago, ParkMan said:

Think of them as a specialist - we have them all over in my professional world.  The district person would be the wizard at getting new families integrated into pack or troop life.  They would know the tricks and tips.  They would then have a network where they co-ordinate with the unit level NMC for the purpose of making their unit counterparts even more successful.  I'd expect them to be a member of the district membership team.  So, while others on the team are focused on recruiting, AOL to Scout transition, etc.  This person would be the one focused on making the NMC successful.

The council version is working among the district NMC so that they in turn know the best practices for being a district NMC.  

Hmmm.  I see your point.

Having such specialists is a GREAT idea!  In fact, it is just the BEGINNING of what is possible...

I just sent an email to National suggesting that the following positions be created to further "specialize" skills.  We need...

* New Member Welcoming Smile Chairman - studies and recommends the best strategies for smiling so that it is welcoming and not perceived as a smirk or worse, a gratuitous mask

* New Member Welcoming Hearty Handshake Executive Chairman - evangelizes the hearty handshake --- not so tight as to squeeze, but not so weak as to appear timid or effeminate (except female scouters can be effeminate, if there are 2 or more present for each handshake)

* New Member High Five Grand Poobah - goes around recommending that units welcome new families with a hand raised up high and a very loud, enthusiastic, "Up High!  Down Low!  Whoa! Too Slow!"

* New Member Good Natured Laugh Executive - stands around to provide laughter and good natured merriment as the new family is welcomed to scouting. Preaches the important distinctions between a chortle, a chuckle, and a guffaw (and provides advice on when to use each)

Naturally, these positions need to be duplicated at the District, Council, Regional, National, and International levels because you can never have too many layers of bureaucracy.

If any of the volunteers in these positions feel under-utilized, they can follow scouts around town and practice their smiles, handshakes, and high fives whenever somebody buys an overpriced bag of Trails End popcorn. 

12 hours ago, DuctTape said:

How about encouraging the scouts to use the Court of Honor as a way to recognize more than just advancement? Recognitions could be for individuals and for patrols. Imagine a scout being recognized by the PLC for his exemplary character on a campout, or a patrol recognized for the "most service hours" logged for the year, etc...

That is one of the best ideas I've seen on this forum in a long time!  Make it a regular thing...and keep the focus on values. Excellent!

47 minutes ago, RookieScouter said:

We started off with 5 scouts in August and now have 35 after round up at events and schools. What is the best way to go about asking new parents to help with leadership? We have asked everyone but being they are new to scouting you can tell they dont want to at the moment. 

That is a good problem to have.

I would gather the parents for a "welcome meeting" or something of the sort and let them know, straight up, that the troop only works if everybody works. It is EXPECTED that every parent volunteer in some capacity. Those who like working with the boys and being outdoors should be ASMs. Those who aren't comfortable with that should be committee members. Every parent should sign up to be a merit badge counselor. Tell parents that you will help point them to training classes if they have no experience in these roles. Tell them that there is also online training for many of the positions. Tell them they will be supported in their roles, but the troop does need them to support the boys.

47 minutes ago, RookieScouter said:

Our meeting place is also very small for the number of scouts we now have. We meet in a community building they hold parties that isnt very big and only has one room. So during meetings it is hard to hear what the other one is saying. Outside is an option but being gnats in our area are bad at the moment we opted out of that at last meeting. Then meeting at different nights is out because they have other things going on other nights at building. What would you suggest to make meetings a little bit better?

Well, you're already thinking of ideas.  I like outdoor meetings, and maybe a can of Yard Guard shortly before the meeting will help with those gnats.  Otherwise, you might want to ask around and see if there is another building you could use that has more space --- outdoor meetings are great some of the time, but some of the time it's raining or too cold for that to be a viable option.

2 minutes ago, perdidochas said:

Actually, the only flair I have is the two Eagle Dad pins, and the three Eagle Mentor pins (and sometimes a temporary patch, usually a Camporee patch). 

I've been meaning to talk to you about your flair...

6 minutes ago, HashTagScouts said:

Membership of youth participants is on the decline yet again for Scouts Canada: 

Invite Tim Horton to the meetings, eh?

10 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

Do scouts even read BL any more?  

My kid looks at the comics page.

3 minutes ago, qwazse said:

I did the math with a scout earning Life and he has 5 months until turning 18.

It was a little discouraging because he said he wanted to earn Eagle, but he really wasn't paying attention to deadlines -- especially because he counted on summer camp to earn badges that would have been better earned with a counselor. So, I encouraged him to stay positive and still lean in to scouting. I told him to think about the badges he'd wished he'd earned and go for it.

Along those lines, what awards might you suggest to a scout whose remaining tenure precludes rank advancement?

Mmmm...

Maybe just fun things like Motorboating, Shotgun Shooting, or White Water.

If he's actually up for a challenge, a Hornaday might be a boast-worthy achievement, or maybe a Supernova...

6 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

The NMC position for units is trying to address thr issues of retention and adult involvement.  By having someone focus of new families, it is likly those families will stay engaged.

Got it!   Great idea....especially for packs!

7 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

A similar district or council position would probably be more about coordinating, encouraging, and training their unit counterparts.  I.e. let's increase the success of the program by having a volunteer who focuses on the success of the program at a local level.  

Soooo....all the people at Council who were already promoting membership or handling training are getting replaced by someone with a new job title?  If not, I still fail to see what value a "New Member Coordinator" brings TO DISTRICT OR COUNCIL.

I still see no point in having this job title outside of a unit.

46 minutes ago, yknot said:

...It's a marketing vehicle. Many articles review products in an effort to sell ads and others thump marketing themes related to membership and recruitment. It's fine if you like it but at least understand what your scouts are reading. ...

Well, my friend, if you think the magazines have too many ads now, just wait until you get them online "for free"...

Or haven't you noticed that the "free" apps and web services are the ones that bombard you CONSTANTLY with irrelevant ads and that require you to sign onerous terms of service and that collect your personal data (often illegally) in an effort to not only get you to buy stuff, but to sell your info to anybody in the world who wants it and can pay a price (any price).  Haven't noticed that stuff, eh?

Well, in the real world, quality of anything costs money.  You may feel like only Economist readers deserve well written, factual, professionally edited and produced materials, but in my house, I'd like my kids to start seeing quality content as early in life as possible. 

Sorry to hear that you would happily settle for less.

When I first heard about units appointing a "New Member Coordinator", I thought it would be a good idea for a lot of units --- especially packs.  It would give units an opportunity to organize their thoughts and offerings and present a coherent message to families who were coming into scouting brand new.  Obviously, this would be a job that would be most important in Cub Scout packs.

Now I'm hearing that there is a District-level and a Council-level New Member Coordinator, and I just want to yell out, "WHY???"

Does anybody REALLY think that District or Council staff should be the welcoming face to a new family?  REALLY?!?!

Cub Scouts join packs.  It's the packs that are located in local schools in local neighborhoods. It's where kids go because their friends are in the pack.  Having a welcoming committee in the local community (i.e., in the pack) makes sense. But having a stranger at Council HQ be your "friendly welcome to scouting" makes NO sense to me.  Maybe some of y'all can explain to me why this is a good thing.

There's already commissioners to help units. There's already membership committees at district and council...

 Is there REALLY any benefit to having a District-level or Council-level New Member Coordinator?

Sign me, 
I just don't get it

From Patriots Path Council (a useful job description):
https://ppcbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/New-Member-Coordinator-Q-A.pdf 

From Scoutingwire (a confusing and useless job description):
https://scoutingwire.org/marketing-and-membership-hub/councils/new-member-coordinator/

From Scouting magazine (yet more uselessness):
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/09/25/new-member-coordinator/