DannyG

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.

Sorry to hear that... It does require shared leadership. Cubmaster to organize the Pack meeting activity. Another parent to coordinate Scouting for Food. Another parent to coordinate a community event., etc... We put ourselves in position to provide lots of opportunity, so each family only has to commit to one or two.

We have several college-aged scouts registered as Unit College Scouter Reserve instead of ASM. Less commitment. It keeps them on the charter so they can attend 1 or 2 events per year they are available. But they spend most of their time at college.

Yes. Our Pack participates in Scouting for Food in the spring: One hour to distribute door tags one weekend. One hour to pick up food next weekend. We have devoted entire Pack meetings to creating care packages. That's one hour each. We have organized park clean-ups, then play a game in the clean park afterwards. Our charter org. runs a food panty and is always looking for help. They have Cubs bag groceries and gopher supplies from the shed. Our community holds events that has scouts volunteer: ie. flag ceremonies, American Legion, etc. We offer plenty of opportunity for service for our scout

Do it. Make it fun. The kids aren't going to know if they are official or not. It is really about the experience.

In my experience, all of the girls BSA troops in my area are "linked" with a boys troop. As in, they share the same charter org and adult committee. They register as two units: there is a boys scoutmaster and a girls scoutmaster. But mostly the adult leaders cross-register to both troops. At least one of the adult leaders of the girls troop is female. Each troop elects its own SPL and PLC. But they really meet together and plan activities together. They go on the same monthly camping trips, with the boys troop on one side of the campsite and the girls troop on the other. Adults camp in the mi

One year we had a few Cub Scouts earn the Shooting Sports award at a district event. They were proud to wear the patch opposite the rank badges on their shirt. Other scouts could see the patch and ask how can they earn one themselves... I feel like they are less likely to notice it if it's on a beltoop.

I wouldn't call our troop a backpacking troop. But we do have a large troop and multiple patrols, so we plan a variety of trips. There is a Venture Patrol for the older, experienced scouts who want to backpack and go on high adventure. Down to first-year patrols who are just getting their feet wet at weekend camps and summer camp. The younger scouts see and hear what the older Venture scouts are doing. So they move up to a Venture Patrol when they are ready to go on high adventure. Our troop books a Philmont trip every couple of years. We start training a year prior to condition those scouts f

I have seen troops fall apart because an overbearing parent takes the lead, the scouts get bored and quit for other activities. Discuss your concerns with adult leadership, COR and Scoutmaster. All adult leaders answer to COR. It is time for COR and Scoutmaster to sit down and have a meeting with this person about how detrimental this is to the scouts and the program.

@ThreeFiresEagle It seems you plenty of experience in camping and outdoors as well as in Scouting. You would appreciate the difference between camping on your own and some friends vs. camping with a Scout group. Camping is an Eagle-required merit badge. I believe the spirit behind the requirement is to get the scout acclimated and working with the troop on their outings. Also incorporating some of the adventures like backpacking, paddle craft, climbing, etc. Not only building on the scout's individual camping skills, they are working with their peers to accomplish similar goals building interp