InquisitiveScouter

We use Scoutbook. The PLC decides our trips and events during the Annual Planning Conference. (We have two APC's per year, so we always have a minimum of six months of activities on the books...) An adult helps the Troop Webmaster and Troop Scribe enter the events in Scoutbook (due to Scoutbook edit permissions.) For "regular" events, our planning horizon is 90 days. Prior to the 90-day clock starting, the PLC has to designate a Youth Planner for the event. The Committee tags an Adult Planner. The Youth and Adult Planner use this checklist (a bit outdated, but still useful...) to plan for the event. All details go into Scoutbook, and an appropriate RSVP date is set and entered into Scoutbook (I wish there was a feature for this.) At the suspense date, the RSVPs are closed, and the trip is set. At that point, Scouts and families are financially obligated if tickets/groceries/etc are purchased on their Scout's behalf. Changes are on a case-by-case basis after RSVPs close. There is a full PLC each month, usually the meeting night following a camping trip. (No regular meeting then.) At that PLC, they review the trip planning for the next three outings (90-days out, 60 days out, and next outing) They plan activities, schedules, etc. No, they are not good at it, but remember who we are dealing with 😜 The meeting before the trip, all menus must be approved by the ASM assign to that patrol. Planning and prep for gear and meals is done by patrol. We set an overall budget (usually about $20 per person for food for the weekend) and the patrols pick their shopper. Sometimes, patrols will combine if there are only one or two from a patrol going. If the shopper exceeds the budget, their family eats the overage. The patrol shoppers buy and submit a receipt after the trip. We ask parents who take them shopping to cover the cost until reimbursement. All accounting is done via Google Drive shared spreadsheet after the trip, with the Adult Planner, Youth Planner, Troop Treasurer reconciling costs. Once reconciled, charges and credits are issued in Scoutbook. We haven't reached nirvana on this, but we are close. Rather than paying outright for every trip, some parents deposit money into the Troop account, which is tracked in Scoutbook and debited/credited accordingly. Some parents wait and float a debt... At $200 debt (for past events), your Scout is no longer allowed to participate until you clear the debt. We have had a few people skip out on the Troop, to to tune of about $30 to $50 on average. This happens about once every other year. Most of the time, we eat that cost, or count it as the cost of having that family exit the Troop, if you know what I mean. (Happy to elaborate, if needed.) This way, we almost never have to have small sums of money change hands. As it turns out, each Scout in a patrol does the shopping about once every six months. The amount credited to their account for the groceries covers their participation for the next six months... Parents can view all credit/debits/balances directly in Scoutbook. It is a wonderful tool. All these policies/procedures are in our Troop Handbook. Hope this helps... outing_planner_checklist_from_troop_leader_guidebook_volume_1_bsa_publication_512-150_2015_printing.pdf

LOL, "Chief" is an English word. And there are/were tribal chiefs (chieftains) around the world in multiple countries/lands throughout history. It is not "appropriation" to use that word. The etymology is French...

Yes, I think that is an accurate assessment

Agreed! I met you at Philmont some years ago when I was there at PTC getting WFA Instructor certified. (I'm sure you thousands of people 😜 ) I have about 50% of our unit currently certified in CPR/AED, and work to get/offer training to folks in our council. Have trained over 200+. Now, getting folks to dedicate time and effort to do First Aid or Wilderness First Aid training is a challenge. I've been pushing for an AED purchase for our Troop trailer, but that's a high-dollar pilferable item, so we have not gotten consensus/committee approval to purchase yet. (About 60-70% of our camping is car-camping.) It's always tabled for further discussion. Thanks for the input...

@RichardB I heard this recently, and it rings true, but... comments.?? "As a group, youth are more likely to be injured on Scout outings. Adults are more likely to die." LOL

How about apple-smoked pork belly? Is that a suitable substitute?

I'm going to ask my doctor for a prescription for damnitall. (Dam-nit-all). He loves a good quip, but has probably heard it before 😜

My health suggestions are more along the lines of hygiene and first aid... - Bring some wet wipes. For after toileting, or at night prior to bed for a "bath" using a few... clean in this order: 1. Face (face, neck, ears) , 2. Front (torso and armpits), 3. Feet, 4. Fanny (groin and rear), 5. Fingers (wipe and and sanitize) After wet wipes, do the Gold Bond (use gold container = body powder, do not use blue container = foot powder with much higher menthol content. Unless you like the ICY BURN 😛 Talc dust is bad for you to breathe in, so do this outside, not in your tent!) - Bring diaper cream with zinc oxide. Best for dealing with chafing (Scouts love to wear wet swim suits all around camp... after a day or two, you see them doing the "penguin walk.") The cream can also be used to cover a bad sunburn. Zinc oxide is a sun block versus using a sun screen which still allows some UV in. - Trim (do not shave!!) your armpit and groin hair before going into the woods (especially long term). - Trim your finger and toenails before going into the woods - Invest in removable shades for your spectacles. Your eyeballs can get sunburned!! (That's what snowblindness is, and it can happen when you are on the water also!! see photokeratitis ) - A WIDE brimmed hat!! Can't tell you how many sunburned ears and necks I have seen from Scouts/Scouters wearing baseball caps. - A well-equipped First Aid kit!!! The checklist in your Scout Handbook is an awesome start!! - First Aid knowledge is priceless.

??? From the Declaration of Independence: "...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them.." "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--" "We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,..." "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, " From the Constitution, here's one that is a head scratcher... "...done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names..." Although you could argue they were just using the convention of the day, it does hint at the cultural background of all signatories... John Adams said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Morality and virtue are the foundation of our republic and necessary for a society to be free. etc, etc, etc...

OK, sister!! A correction... BSA has nothing for Buddhists, nor any other religion. Religious emblems are offered by private organizations from various faiths. When a Scout earns one, BSA recognizes the achievement with a knot. To get an award, you must contact those non-BSA organizations: https://www.scouting.org/awards/religious-awards/chart/ Scouts may earn different awards. After receiving an Award, you may get the knot to wear (in place of the award medal) from your Scout Service center. https://www.scoutshop.org/nsearch/?q=religious+knot Scouts who have earned different awards wear the same knot.

Brother, I wholeheartedly encourage you to practice your faith as you see fit. If any Scout, Scouter, or person has a problem with it, then they are being un-Scoutlike. BTW, have you seen the Buddhist Sangha Award for youth?? (Metta for Cub Scouts...) https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/8551291/requirements-for-the-sangha-award-national-buddhist-committee- Or the Bodhi Award for adults? https://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/_files/ugd/458b11_07bacc39c7714155b86c0d9075103570.pdf

This is why participation is not required. Simply do not attend... no harm, no foul. If you choose to attend and you realize it is not your cup of tea, then leave. Again, if anyone ever requires participation, now we have a problem.

If you were uncomfortable with the format, content, or message, it would be perfectly acceptable to leave. From time to time, I see Scout Camps offer a whole menu of worship services... Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or the "Non-denominational" catch all. I have walked out of services before, due to matters of conscience. I do not consider it rude at all...

You could contact the organizers and offer up an alternative of whatever flavor you want. If they turn you down, then you don't attend the event and report that to your SE. Become a part of the solution...

I wish life were that easy. I have seen many Scouts over the years who didn't want to be there. Their parents made them. (We have a few at the moment.) Some have changed their minds over time, and some left. Parents ultimately make the decision about joining Scouting, not the youth.

https://mattixdesign.com/marketing/how-to-target-multiple-audiences-and-ideal-customers

Um... no. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUWJ4lZ0NgQ&ab_channel=Matt"Wags"Wagner

So, if the adults are the decision-maker to sign up the kid to Little League (or Scouts), then they are certainly A target audience

So, Little League websites, social posts, email blasts, electronic newsletters, "Annual Key Touchpoints", imagery, sponsoring searches, etc. etc. etc. are all aimed at the youth?? Who knew those kids were so savvy?? https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/annual-guide-marketing-assets/ If kids just wanted to play baseball, they'd go to the park, backyard, open field, sandlot, (like we did as kids) and hit the ball around.

Ask. Also, you are not required to attend any of these events. If any particular camp requires you to attend some event in order to qualify for some award or recognition, you can simply go off on your own and have your own "spiritual experience" according to the tenets of your beliefs, and count that. If anyone denied that opportunity to you, I'd gladly come and side with you to oppose them. And although I'm not going down the metaphysical rabbit hole again 😜 I'll simply say your beliefs are your business. And if you believe that any value system contortions are acceptable in order to participate, then have at it... I have my own garden to tend.

Just curious... why the downvote @Scouterlockport??

I do not believe you have to worry about this... For example, we have Hindus, Muslims, one Buddhist, Jews, Protestants, and Catholics (Roman and Eastern Orthodox) in our Troop. We all get along together 😜 The Scout Oath does have a phrase each Scout promises, "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law,..." This is the first part of the Scout Oath. The 12th point of the Scout Law is, "A Scout is Reverent." At each rank milestone along his Scouting journey, your Scout will be asked to define what he believes to be his duty to God. This is totally under the purview of you as his parents, and the Scout. It is my job as an adult mentor to challenge the Scout to do this, and to challenge him to live up to what he believes his duty is. If at any point, you find someone is trying to proselytize your Scout, you should identify this to the Troop leadership so that it can be stopped. However, religious-affiliated chartering organizations who use Scouting as their youth outreach program may certainly encourage Scouts to attend events that are faith-based, but they may never "require" it. Also, questions to your Scout about his faith, and other people's sharing of their faith are fine... A Scout is Reverent means "A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others." And further... "It is your duty to respect and defend their rights to their religious beliefs even when they are different from your own." Also, you signed an application which said: "Excerpt From the Declaration of Religious Principle The BSA maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life. Only persons willing to subscribe to this Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of membership." So, basically, as the current policy is written, your Scout (or you) can not be an atheist and be a member of the BSA. If you are, indeed, atheist, as is your right to be, there are other Scouting organizations in the US you could investigate. One of them is Outdoor Service Guides https://bpsa-us.org/join-us/find-a-group/ In hope this answers your question.

I love the idea, but how do we reach that as reality? Parents are a target audience. Without them, how would we have Scouting? Adult volunteers are a target audience. Without them, how would we have Scouting? BSA National has made itself the target audience for the dollars. Without them, we could still have Scouting 😜

These are the two words for the youth! As I laid out earlier, there are several target audiences for Scouting, not just the youth. Any strategies to increase membership must identify and appeal to each of those audiences.

Illuminates purpose!! I have thought for a few days on this... and the article below points to the why. https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/teen-girls-struggling-mental-illness-record-levels-many-persistently-sad-data-reveals BTW, the points in this article specifically apply to males, as well. https://www.familyeducation.com/teens/values-responsibilities/helping-teens-find-purpose https://yourteenmag.com/health/teenager-mental-health/purposeful-lives https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_help_teens_find_purpose Read those three articles, and you will find Scouting at its core. Without a sense of purpose, life is meaningless and unfulfilling. As Scouts mature, starting at about the 11-12 year mark, they seek this for themselves. "Why am I here." I contend that Scouting helps them find their way to answer this for themselves.