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SubSM

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Posts posted by SubSM

  1. 1 hour ago, SSF said:

    I appreciate where you're coming from but I do believe that scout parents can be just as aggressive and demanding - if not more so - than any sports parents ever could.

    I appreciate your thoughts. It is good to hear a different perspective. 

    My original point had less to do with parents attitudes towards sports (or scouts for that matter), and more to do with the bigger push for competing in sports over participation in scouts. I too have seen very aggressive parents in scouting. 

    The question I am really looking for an answer to, is how do we as scouters help facilitate a program that draws the interest of more of today’s youth?

     

    Mike

  2. 1 hour ago, Eagledad said:

    Maybe all our problems are solved.

    The article brings up a interesting point, one of the major reasons parents want their kids to play sports is to help them get into or finance college. I am a firm believer that college has been completely oversold in the last 3 decades. Maybe this is starting to turn around, I can only hope.

    Mike

    • Upvote 1
  3. 1 hour ago, NJCubScouter said:

    I think a lot of Scouters have TRIED to do the same and have found that the parents and Scouts, given a choice between sports and Scouting, will usually choose sports.  So the "free market" dictates that it's us who make the accommodation, and not the coaches.  

    It’s that free market angle that I am looking to work on. I really don’t think there is much marketing, that I have seen, touting the benefits of scouting. There are many advertisements for sports, but not scouts. 

     I can see this becoming a WB ticket in someone’s future. 🤔

    Mike

  4. 10 hours ago, Sentinel947 said:

    To me Music/Sports vs Scouts should be an and instead of a either or. 

    I would agree that it should be an and, but that's tough to accomplish when sports requires attendance at practices in order to play in games. It's an idea that I totally understand, it's very difficult to just jump in and work as a team without everyone being equally prepared. The same is true with marching band, if I don't know my part or exactly where I am supposed to be it messes up everyone else.  The very same idea holds true for scouts, lack of attendance at meetings prevents the proper preparation necessary for a successful outing.

    Sports/band are able to mandate participation, scouting is not. The question is then, why? What gives sports the 'authority' to mandate attendance?

     

    Mike

    PS. I am trying to think out loud here, not be argumentative. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

  5. Prepared. For Life. 

     

    That’s what was going through my head this weekend. I don’t know how exactly that happens on the court or field. I do know how that happens on a backpacking trip. 

    I am not trying to put down sports, but I am preparing a vision where scouting becomes an important part of my community and hopefully yours too.

    Thank you for sharing the article @Jameson76 it definitely shows the downside to overdoing sports. It really feels like sports are oversold especially here in CT. 

     

    Mike

  6. Nine years later:

    I was thinking about this subject last weekend watching my niece's boys play a basketball tournament in their hometown. I watched as kids played their best and won some games and lost some games. They were excited to win, but not so happy when they lost. I also watched the parents react (in some cases very obnoxiously) to their kids paticipation. All I could think of was being in the woods trying to build a campfire, with no parents around. Noone to yell at the referee for a bad call; just wet wood, flint and steel. There is an honesty in having wet feet because a scout didn't bring boots for a rainy weekend, that can't be blamed on a third party. There is also compassion when another scout shares their fire to warm up the cold scout.

     

    I have heard advertisements over and over about the benefits of youth sports on the radio. How kids learn leadership and teamwork etc. Many of these benefits can be found in scouting. 

    Teamwork: Nothing helps build a team than having to get a fire going in order to cook your meal.

    Leadership: The scouts are being led by one of their peers. 


    Just curious what some of y'alls thoughts are.

    Mike 

  7. I learned from the team teaching IOLS up here about using metal pans (I found mine at tractor supply 'Beren's 3 gal') for holding the dutch oven while cooking. It keeps the mess to a minimum and makes clean up of the coals/ash much easier. I also use the CampChef lid lifter that has the trigger pull on it. https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-DOLL14-14-Inch-Lifter/dp/B003Z8YQAY/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=camp+chef+lid&qid=1565286864&s=gateway&sr=8-7 it's much easier to hold the lid and dump the coals/ash of the top.

    I also use a Crisbee stick to coat my dutch ovens after cleaning. It comes in a deodorant sized stick and works well. I found it on Amazon. And I can't say enough about using chainmail, it works.

     

    Mike

     

  8. 2 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

    Well the bane of the Eagle Project has hit Oldest: PAPERWORK. I love his reply to the "what have you learned" question: Behind every great, fun activity there is a ton of paperwork that sucks the life out of you and makes you question whether it is worth it or not.

    Share with your son that there are many scouters routing for him. All of us knowing about the endless trail of paperwork required for scout activities.

    Mike

    • Upvote 1
  9. Barry,

    I took your advice and talked with the SPL. We reduced our total number of patrols in order to have a higher number of scouts in the patrols. All of our scouts in the NSP decided to stay together and absorb some of scouts from the other patrols. 

    We will keep this format for as long as it works. 

    Thank you,

    Mike

    • Upvote 2
  10. Thank you all for the feedback. Teamwork, naturally formed patrols and gentle encouragement are the things I am taking from all of you as the base of a successful patrol-centric troop. 

     

    We we are at camp this week enjoying the cool summer air... wait, it’s not actually cool this week. Except maybe in the lake. 

     

    Mike

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 1
  11. It would be great if we could work out an adviser program. One where the experienced scouters here come and visit the troops wishing to improve or struggling with a certain aspect of scouting. The in-person view would certainly help in understanding the actual problems being experienced by the struggling Scouters. I appreciate the feedback from Barry, HelpfulTracks and Fred, but I don't think it helps address what's needed. 

    Every troop meeting about 25% of the scouts are missing from the patrols. The missing scouts change every week. Trying to work with the patrols to plan meals doesn't work since sometimes there is only one scout at the meeting who is attending the upcoming campout, other patrol members will be attending the campout but aren't at the meeting.

    Most scouts are already stretched thin on time due to sports etc, so they are not able (willing?) to meet with their patrols outside of a troop meeting. Further, the parents are generally very busy with their other kids or work and can't just drop everything to take Timmy to another meeting somewhere. 

    Additionally, the troop I took over had been troop-centric for so long that they don't understand what patrols truly are supposed to be. In order for it to be something with purpose, something more than just social hour I have been trying to work towards more patrol-centric. Maybe I am just not understanding what it's supposed to be... hence where a visiting adviser comes in.

    Mike

    • Upvote 1
  12. 8 hours ago, HelpfulTracks said:

    Left to their own devices youth will naturally gravitate towards what we call the Patrol method. 

     

    How big would the patrols be? 15-20 scouts? Unfortunately, our meeting area is one large room. Without space to have their own area, the scouts tend to gather together. 

    I am trying to think of ways to encourage the scouts to find their own groupings, but there are so many variables it's nuts. Almost as difficult as putting Silly String back into the can.

     

    Mike

  13. All,

    I have read many discussions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of having a New Scout Patrol. I am curious what everyone's thoughts are in regards to the two year age limit for tenting. It makes more sense to keep the scouts in patrols more closely aligned to their ages in order to keep from having several of the scouts tenting alone.

    How are the troops with mixed age patrols handling campouts?

    Mike

  14. I started providing ILST to the PLC a couple of years ago as an ASM, and continued to do so once I was appointed SM. I tried to schedule it as soon as possible following SPL/PL elections (usually the first Saturday after the elections).

    This year I discussed with the SPL about moving the training out a couple of weeks (we will be at camp for one of those weeks) in order to give him and the ASPL time to prepare, because I am wanting them to give the training this time around. I am certain it will be rough and disjointed, but it's important for them to step into the role of troop leader.

    I will report back when we are done to let you all know how it went.

    Mike

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
  15. @mrkstvns thank you for sharing. My wife and I are scoutmasters for our respective linked troops. While this Wood Badge course is not outdoors, I believe it will help each of us lead our troops, including the special challenges of having two troops under one roof. 

    January in the mountains sounds like lots of fun outdoors, at least for me, but I am sure there are many who wouldn’t enjoy it near as much. Waking up to snow on our tents is always a pleasant surprise.

     

    Mike

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