Cheerful Eagle

Ok, generally I strenously avoid using the forums to vent, but this has me up in the wee hours of the night and I need some feedback from you all you Scouters here who I have come to respect. Last year I realized that I had worked myself into the position that the parents in my den expected me to do everything; plan, host, lead and clean up. I made it as clear as I was able that this couldn't go on. I stopped doing everything and on occasions when no-one stepped up, things didn't happen. My assistant den leader stepped up to the best of his ability, and tho he didn't have the time to g

Ok, here's a thought. Why split up the troop? Why not just have a "Daisy" Patrol and a "Brownie" patrol. Recruit a leader for each patrol, open and close together, but have seperate meeting activities and outings. Then, instead of 2 cookie chairs, you only need one. Ditto on other positions. AND how easy do the badge requirments that involve interaction with other age groups become?! AND now you have built in peer mentoring for the new leaders. Gee, does that sound like a pack. Well, .. yes. Does Girl Scouts USA promote that type of structure. No. Does GSUSA prohibi

My favorite book on the topic: Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, by Kenneth R. Miller 3 main take-aways: 1. Science has nothing to say about the supernatural, because science is by definition limited to the material world. Therefore, anyone who claims that science proves the God does not exist is an idiot. Science CAN, however, illuminate our understanding of God, and often does challenge dogma (cf: Copernicus). 2. While the debate commenly focuses on the two polar extremes (Did humans evolve from pond slime or did

Well, I used to be an eagle, of course... (given that I'm a *gasp* girl, it's my only claim to eagle-ness.)WE3-55-04 But I will say, with great pride and joy, that I used to be a TG for a patrol of Beavers, and they have all now finished their tickets and earned their beads. WE3-55-06. Congrats to Kevin, Marcia, Steve, Robert and Ardsher!

A couple of other programs you might want to check out for ideas: Pacific Skyline Council has Cub-Parent Weekends a couple of times a year. These are wildly successful (we went to almost every single one when our oldest was a cub -- now we've moved and boy do I miss 'em) Last Fall's flyer has Jean Sato's contact info: http://www.pacsky.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=9023&orgkey=192 The theme this May is Cub Olympics: http://www.pacsky.org/registration/calendardetail.asp?orgkey=192&ActivityKey=279732 Another program that I am becoming familiar with i

Definitly come prepared! Kim's ideas are great. I would add a pocket full of wrapped penny candy, suitable for a quick good deed reward or correct answer to a pop quiz. Here in Pheonix, we caried misting bottles (no water guns were allowed) to cool off the cubs, and supplied water balloons for in den-site water battles. I think the temporary tatoos would be really popular for an end-of-the-day "well done". Imagine the whole lot of them with a tat for each day at the end of camp. IMHO the incentives will work best if: - there are several opportunities during the day

As a young scouter (I've been accociated with two packs now), I feel that I've been exposed to two extremes when it comes to family Pack camping, and I'd like to hear from other's experience. So here's the question: When you plan a Pack Family camping trip, how far away do you consider going? Is distance a consideration? If, due to terrain, the closest option was 75 mi away, would that change the traveling distance you'd be willing to consider?

DanKroh wrote: "Also, what if the marshmallow roasting is going on *not* at a camping overnight, but at a den meeting, or a pack meeting? Despite the fact that we'd like them to, not all parents can/do attend every den meeting or every pack meeting (Tigers excepted, of course). Hopefully, though, there is still enough adult supervision to keep the boys safe around the fire; if not, then we wouldn't have an activity involving a fire." Hmm true, I had my personal experience blinders on. I've never been involved in a den meeting that involved a fire, planned or unplanned . Being in a urban

You know, I scanned this thread, very interesting -- flaming marshmallow in the face, scarey thought -- but I missed any reference to the core princple of CUB scout camping. Cub Scouts go camping with their FAMLIES. Not as dens, not away from parental control, EXCEPT for council sponcered residence camp (then with a high adult leader - cub ratio, and there is rarely any opportunity to interact with fire there), or Webelos scouts participating in a Boy Scout Troop event (like a Webelos Weekend). So, if the boys want to roast marshmallows, round up the parents. Have a frank and sho

Hmmm, dart the shirt... I like that idea. As for neck-wear, I go with the cub scout leader necker along with my woodbadge beads and woggle. Most of the time I'm with the pack. When I'm with the troop I wear the bolo with our troop seal on it -- hey, they gave it to me! I never even wondered if the gals could wear it. I nearly always wear the swichbacks these days. They seem to fit way better than those horrid green pants.

An interesting question. I've come to the conclusion that there should be some punctuation added to the law. A scout is trustworthy: loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. It seems to me that the qualities following "trustworthy" describe what it means to be worth trusting in different circumstances. For example, you can trust a scout with the patrol food shopping because he is thrifty. Or, you can trust a scout to retire a flag, because she is reverent.

Lol, we ARE a busy group! As for me... week 1: family camp with Cub Pack in mountains NW of Flagstaff, AZ week 2: Cub Scout Res Camp with the den at R-C Scout Res in Payson week 4: Drop daughter at GS camp to commune with horses, go to summer camp (Geronimo)with BS troop week 5: Collect daughter week 7: Family camping trip (add 2 cousins): Grand Canyon North Rim, Bryce Canyon, Zion Sprinkle with Pack and GS troop summertime fun events. Apply sunscreen liberally and hang out by the pool; teach kids to manage the house.

While the BSA scouters are getting ready for summer camp (yea! me too!) or high adventure trips with their troops, what are the girls planning to do this summer? Some of my girls are going to camp, of course that doen't involve me or the troop. We have tenative plans to "do something fun" in June and July. Rather like the Pack's summertime fun plans.

Well, gee PD, you can too do some other fundraising. Ya, I know council stipulates you have to participate in the fall product and cookie sales, but the key word is "participate". One case of cookies = participation. One nut order = participation. There. Participated. Done IT. Now you can get down to some "real" fundraising.

OMG I was abducted by aliens and my evil duplicate agreed to be cookie manager for my troop this year. Never Again. I have NOTHING good to say about girl scout cookies. NOTHING. Next year I WILL NOT do it. I will support my daughter in as much as she wants to do it, but I will also suggest each scout sell a token anount and then we have a garage sale or car wash or something else. ANYTHING else. Seeing scouting reduced to pimping for a cookie manufacturer and council makes me feel nauseous (we only keep 12.5% of the cost per box, even Trails End is better than t

GW has a really good point. Personally, I'm kind of sick of the gyrations GSUSA keeps going through to "remake" themselves. IMHO National has lost all sense of "true north" and is all caught up in trying to be trendy. Scouting was never for trendy, fashionable, "it" girls. We scouts are the minority who wanted to get dirty, sleep outside in a tent, and play capture the flag. We are constantly sabatauged by the division into tiny single age group units, lack of support for adult leaders. lack of a trained troop committee chair or sizable pool of parent volunteers.

Well, I was asked for updates, so here we go... One patrol elected their Pl as I pretty much as I expected. The other is a bit unexpected, as the scout is often NOT at the troop meetings. Oh well, I guess the APL will have more work to do than usual... Each girl has a specific role in the patrol, and as the patrols grow, I will add positions. Currently each patrol has a PL, APL, Finance Officer, and Recorder. The PL notebook (a looseleaf binder)has a roster, attendance sheet and badge record sheet-- more to add later. The Recorder has a paper binder with forms for recording pl

hooo boy, cookies.... don't get me started. The best thing I can say is, I did my time this year, we're almost done, and I will NEVER be in charge of it again so help me God. Well, ok I could also say, this is the only thing we do to support council and council camps. Gee, we should utilize them more...

I can't really speak to day camp in specific, but I can recommend a framwork called "wide games" theres a great website that describes the concept in detail. I think it works great with the basic premise of scouting -- a game with a purpose. http://www.classb.com/resources/wide/widev100.pdf Our council in California (Pacific Skyline) had Cub-Parent weekends -- actually still does, I hear the upcoming one in may will be Summer Olympics themed -- and they are very sucessfull, and a lot of fun for all involved. In previous years they have done: Cubs in Space Indy's Mountain

As a small troop that has several family members in the same Pack and Troop, we have been toying with doing some things jointly with them, for example helping out with the "scouting for food" food pantry drive. Of course we're all together at the church for scout sunday, as the church also provides our GSA troop with meeting space... Does anyone else do much cooperatively with a BSA unit? Or what about friendly competition with our male peers? I just wonder how much this gender seperation needs to be protected or slightly adjusted. You know, sometimes the guys get this "girl

Oh, Anne, this is great! Everyone should check this out! Just google BOGUK. If you get a bit wistful about doing badges when you work with your scouts, this is for you! cool.

Well, I introduced the patrol method to the girls yesterday, and they loved it. I though long and hard bou how to divide up the girls, and decided I wanted to avoid the "popularity contest" method of determiing patrol members (PL's pick members in a chooseing up sides kind of process). I ended up divvying scouts more or less according to "geographic" origin. One patrol is mostly from the same school, one is mostly from the same church -- this way they can communicate a bit easier in between meetings. I also split a couple of sisters, so they wouldn't be in the same patrol. I broug

ummmm... council? Well, I just assumed that the standard "saftey-wise" rules applied. I filed our trip thingy, had all parents sign event permission slips, made sure we had enough adults, and all the standard stuff. I was pretty sure I had crossed all my t's and dotted all my i's, so to speak. Did I miss a step? BTW, we went out again yesterday. Scooped poop and groomed 8 horses. It is so cool watching these little girls (don't tell anyone I called them "little" ) start to get confident about handeling large animals. A few girls were rather apprehensive at the start! They are

What a great treat to find this thread tonight! Thanks, Anne, for starting it! I'm a mother to 2 boys, one girl. But I started scouting as a kid (brownies and juniors) then entered Civil Air Patrol when I was in Jr High (low these many years ago). I started my current scouting carrer as an assistant den leader when my oldest was a Bear Cub Scout. Helped start a Daisy troop. Led a Webelos patrol and went to Philmont. Tried to help a small pack keep going (unfortunantly it folded when we moved). Did Woodbadge training (2x, I used to be an eagle...) Led a tiger and this year a wolf

Ya I'd like to see that material too! (OOPs, I'm channeling Bevah )