DannyG

I believe scouting teaches youth to be involved and engaged. BSA has Eagle-required merit badges that teach civic engagement: Citizenship in the Community, Nation, World, and Society. Certainly BSA teaches this in a way to find common-ground with others: If you are out in the wilderness with a group you need to work together and solve problems as a group. We are stronger when we work together. If you take a stand as an individual, what are the repercussions to the group? There has to be a good reason and you should have allies who support you. Therefore, I believe the Gold Award project d

Train them. Trust them. Let them lead. It is 3x less work for SM..... Since the adult "patrol" is cooking for 3 people, not for 11.

Our Pack took a similar approach. We are not "free": unit dues pays for awards and things. But we go as lean as possible. The Pack purchased neckerchiefs of each rank - So when AOLs bridge out, their neckerchiefs are reused to the Bears den bridging up. The Bears neckerchiefs go the Wolves den, Wolves to Tigers, all the way down. The only required uniform left to purchase is the shirt and belt. Everything else is optional. (Tie neckerchief in a knot so you don't need a slide. Or make one at a den meeting.) Books are not even required anymore. The Pack buys one for the den leader. Everyo

Active and engaged scouts. Monthly activities. Year-round program. Personal growth. Opportunities for advancement. Anecdotally, we just had a lapsed scout recruited into our troop who quit Cubs for this same reason. Turns out the family just didn't like the Cubs program, they like the troop program better.

Yes. Maybe your scouts like to play kickball. I think it is an appropriate activity for scouts, not one to immediately step in and put a stop to. Certainly if there is a safety concern, bullying, etc, it should be addressed immediately. Or is the activity getting stale, detrimental to troop morale? If you have concerns with the program, as an adult you should approach the Scoutmaster. SPL and Scoutmaster should work in tandem. I also believe scouts need coaching from time to time. If you have meeting ideas, get permission to attend PLC and present them. They should be meeting regularly. Ours m

My unit doesn't give a percentage, per se.... Rather, after fundraising is done and all the unit expenses are paid for, we take the remaining funds (if any) and decide how much we want to give to FOS.

Scouts is life. If there is a demand, somebody is going to meet it.

This is not the norm. I have heard talk of Girl-only camporees and summer camp, but I have yet to experience one. I have only good things to say about girl troops and adult leaders I have worked with. If a unit wants to participate in girl-only events, they can schedule their own camping weekends, stay in their own campsites doing their own thing. Scouts in units and patrols can decide on their own what activities they want to partake. I have no problem. But I believe BSA is a coed program. If the unit is going to participate in district-wide and BSA events, then I believe they should be

Right. Signs can be moved. Schedules can be adjusted. Separate times scheduled and posted for youth/adult and female/male is good practice. That the troop was unable to accommodate male troop camping next to them speaks volumes of their leadership.

I will make an assumption that the troop always travels with these signs, so that the girls troop has separate facilities from the adult male leadership, as YPT requires. I am surprised that camp staff couldn't find compromise acceptable for both troops. I advise book a different campsite. Or find another camp altogether.

I like the idea of ghost patches, I was given one as a gift for helping a beloved adult leader. We were trying to qualify for a James West fellowship award in his name. So we took up a collection and were given ghost patches for helping out. Folks helping out from the shadows, if you will. I don't mind the current rank patches. I think they look cleaner.

I am guilty of wearing knock-off pants. They cost less, look better and fit better.

You can lead them to training, but you can't make them take it. We are lucky to get leaders YPT and Position Trained... University of Scouting is even harder to sell. It's the ones looking for square knot awards who go. BALOO is required for a Cub Scout outdoor event (ie. camping). If you don't have a BALOO trained leader, your Pack can't go camping. Our Pack camping trips are always a hit. So that's how we got adults to go. Our district got smart by holding BALOO/IOLS at spring/fall camporees. So adults are already there assisting the campout. Might as well send them to training.

For scout's personal use, I would recommend anything with a folding blade. I remember the old Swiss Army Tinker knife when I was a kid. Enough tools to be useful. Not too many to be a distraction. For a gift, it even comes in a cool BSA design: https://www.scoutshop.org/swiss-army-with-universal-emblem-tinker-multi-tool-pocket-knife-3-blade-618438.html Currently my personal favorite is the Leatherman Rev. It's a little smaller than the full-size Leatherman, comfortable for growing scouts. Sturdy and a good tool selection. https://www.leatherman.com/rev-832127.html I don't want scouts

I agree. It's likely too much for the new crossovers with little experience backpacking. How does your troop define high adventure, and the limits? I trust scouts know who is ready and who isn't. Instead of a strict age limit, I would suggest First-Class rank or Scoutmaster approval.

First decide if the scout is camping with the troop as a Cub Scout, or as a prospective BSA scout. Apply rules from there. For a prospective scout to join an overnight camping trip, our unit needs a completed application and health form. The ink may not be dry and the dues check may not be cleared... I know we have taken a signed application to the council office on Friday morning so a scout can join our trip on Friday night. Since the scout in question is already a registered Cub Scout, it's just a transfer, and the membership fees have already been paid through his Cub Scout registratio

Is this what you mean?

Registered Webelos/AOL scouts interested in crossing over can attend Scouts BSA camping trips with a parent per Cub Scout guidelines. It is one of the Arrow of Light requirements, Scouting Adventure #4: The scout can join Scouts BSA immediately by meeting the age requirement: he is 11 years old. Scout/parents would just have to complete an application to join the Troop. National membership fees paid through Cub Scouting apply to Scouts BSA. Our unit does not allow prospective scouts of any age to attend overnighters unless they are on the troop charter. So if the scout wishes t

Yes. Meaning the adult is registered with BSA, background checked, and has completed YPT - at minimum.

There is no standard BSA policy. It is up to your troop or unit. Simply speaking, our troop policy lets you carry whatever tool your parents allow you to bring. Expect a safety lesson if you have not completed Totin chip. At a bare minimum, Scout Rank 5 will be covered by the first outing: Tell what you need to know about pocketknife safety. Crossovers will have the chance to complete Totin chip by summer camp. Our Cub Scout Pack was much more strict. Must have completed Whittling chip first, then only folding knives less than 3".

It depends on the unit. Our unit delegates this task to a parent. It requires somebody who is orderly, keeps up with deadlines, is good at filling out forms, and follows up. Do you want your scouts to go to summer camp? As SM I am sure you do. A lot of times tasks that aren't being done fall to the Scoutmaster.

I am a minimalist. I only wear the insignia on my uniform that means the most to me. The temporary patch is usually the last camp I went to. True. Now when I see a uniform decked out in knots, I presume you are an old-timer and your children have likely aged out of the program.

No two paths are the same. It is a shame that an overbearing SM who is eager to serve the lodge has put undue pressure on scouts eligible to serve. It is an unending cycle: Because when they come around to serve, did they serve enough? It will never be enough in some eyes. On the flipside, I understand lodges are dealing with a lot of apathy. It takes some effort to run an ordeal weekend, and perhaps this SM was under pressure to make sure it was covered... But you have to let the youth handle it. They know more of their peers' obligations than even the adult leaders do. Many hands make l

The draw to get kids into scouting is showing them we are doing all kinds of fun activities. They are not aware we are also building good character... That's the part we tell to the parents. 🤫

There is an AOL-Building a Better World requirement "Meet with a government or community leader, and learn about his or her role in your community." Here in the states, we have a few local government officials who like to get involved in our ceremonies: like Blue and Gold and Eagle Courts of Honor. But it could be a politician, a government official (appointed), or somebody else... The new requirement seems oddly specific.