Chippewa29

When permission slips are handed out at troop meetings (I'm assuming that is the way most troops still do it), do the Scouts get the permission slips handed to them, or do the parents that are there take one for their son? My troop has gotten into the habit of handing out permission slips to adults that are there first (we have quite a few hang around the meetings), then if a Scout doesn't have a parent there or come pick him up, he gets a permission slip to take home. What systems do other troops use to make sure this important piece of paperwork gets taken care of?

I've never heard of time limits for certain positions. In our district and council, there are elections for year for those positions (volunteer of course, not professional). Our district likes to keep bringing fresh blood into those positions. At the unit level, it really depends on the unit. Some will have elections for the committee positions each year. As for the SM and ASM positions, they are on a continuing basis until the person either resigns or is replaced. I feel that a Scoutmaster should serve at least 5-7 years. Ideally, a Scout should never have more than two SM in his youth Scouting career. I've heard people say that there is too much work for the SM to serve more than a couple of years at a time. If you delegate the work and get other adults involved, a SM should be able to serve for multiple years without making it his full time job. The stability of that position is a big key to growing and maintaining a successful troop.

I'm afraid that the subject of the thread has been misconstrued. I am not talking about picking and choosing potentially good Scouts from potentially bad Scouts or excluding a kid because his parents are drug addicts or he is a sickly, weak kid. What I am saying is this. If a troop is going to commit its resources to working with a Scout, there should be some reciprocal commitment on their part. If a Webelo is thinking about crossing over and doesn't think he really wants to do it and isn't willing to commit himself to giving it a real chance, then why are we insisting on signing the kid up, pushing him across the bridge, putting a new neckchief on him, and making him a member of the troop? I would love every single kid that I come across to join the troop and get as much out of Scouting as I have. However, I know that some kids have no desire to even try the things that Scouts do (although I can't imagine why). I've written many times about a Scout in my troop that has ADHD, OCD, and Aspbergers. As an 11 year old, he had the body of a 5 or 6 year old. I spoke with his mom many times before he joined the troop. We've definitely had our issues with this kid over the years. However, when I was talking to his mom, she told me that despite his problems, he didn't have a mean bone in his body (this was absolutely true). I also asked her if he really wanted to be a Scout. She told me that he was willing to give it a real try for a year to see if it was something he wanted to do. At that point, I said welcome aboard. After a couple of months and a couple of campouts, his mom told me he loved it and didn't need the full year to see if it was something he wanted to do. He is now 17 and a Life Scout with a decent chance to get his Eagle. Did that work out? Yes, it did. However, a big thing that turned me on this was that his mom said they were commited to having him active for a year to really see if he wanted to do it. To me, he was worth recruiting because he was serious. If his mom had said that they would try it for a couple of meetings and make a decision, then I wouldn't have tried to recruit him anymore (although I still wouldn't have turned him down is he said he wanted to join. At my roundtable tonight, this same discussion came up oddly enough. Another Scouter brought up the question of why we put so much effort to recruit kids that don't really want to be there (other troops in my district have the same issue). We should welcome any young man that sincerely wants to be there, but I don't feel we should beg kids (and/or their parents) to join when the interest really is not there.

So, would it be better to have this scout feel obligated to keep coming for six months, and be miserable the entire time? I think a Scout who decides to commit to joining the troop should commit for six months. He may not have a great experience his first couple of meetings and first campout (when kids cross over in February and camp in March, there is a chance for really bad weather), but it is nothing that should make him really miserable. However, I do agree with you and a couple of other posters that things should be communicated very clearly before the crossover occurs. I don't think any boy joins scouts intending to quit after a couple of meetings. I'm sure if you asked all of them when they joined if they thought they would be around for at least six months, they'd all say yes. I'm not sure about you, but every year we have kids that cross over and at the ceremony, some parent will ask me again when and where we meet, then tell me they have their son try it for a couple of weeks to see how they like it. We always get a couple of "wishy-washy" kids coming in. We had three this year. One came to one meeting and quit. One has come to about a half dozen meetings (no campouts) and we aren't sure what his intentions are. The third one was really nervous about going camping. His parents told him that if he wanted to do this he had to stick with it through the summer. After he went on a couple of campouts, he is now hooked and absolutely loves it. None of those three kids would have said yes if you asked them if they were going to be there in six months. The feeling I'm getting after reading these posts is that we need to be much more clear to those potential new Scouts that they need to make a commitment like they would for a sports team. Go with it for a season. If you don't like it after that, then know that you've really given it a go. Any Scout that wants to join the troop I would welcome with open arms. I just think they need to know what they are really getting into.

Some very good points so far. I would like to respond to John's comments. I believe you misunderstood the meaning of the term "selective" (it's possible I didn't communicate it well). My only criteria for recruiting a Scout is two things: 1) that he is willing to submit to the troop leadership and follow the program established by the PLC; 2) that he is willing to make an honest commitment for a reasonable length of time. The only time I have ever stopped recruiting Webelos to join our troop was when a den visited us on a campout. The kids were very rude and disrepectful to both the Scouts and the adults. Also, their parents laughed at them and thought they were cute when the kids shot their mouths off. I never called them again to visit or about joining the troop. If they had called me and wanted to join, I would not have turned them away. However, I would have made it very clear that the disrepectfulness they showed wouldn't have been tolerated. I would rather have some shy, dorky, klutz of a kid that really wants to be there than the "superstar" that only shows up occasionally and quits after a few months. I feel that when joining the Scouts, the Scout and his parents should make a commitment to be active for six months. During that time, he should make it a priority to get to as many meetings and events as possible. After that time, if he doesn't like it, then he can quit. If they don't feel they want to make a commitment like that, then they probably shouldn't join, because they will quit anyway. What bothers me is that a new Scout comes to one or two meetings, then decides that Scouts aren't what he thought they would be, and quits. When I was ten, a friend and I decided we wanted to join a winter bowling league (16 weeks long). After two weeks, I was by far the worst on my team and one of the worst in the league. I decided I didn't really like bowling and wanted to quit. When I told my parents that, they said no. I had made a commitment and they made me stick to it. They said that if I didn't want to bowl again after the season, that was fine. However, I had to fulfill this commitment. I did end up having some fun with it and getting my average way up by the end of the season. Did I ever bowl again after that? No. But I am really glad my parents didn't let me quit. As I type this, I think the point I'm trying to make is that before we go through the steps of registering the Scout and setting him up in a patrol and making him a part of the troop (and possibly loaning him a uniform from the uniform bank), shouldn't we try to get some kind of commitment on their part? If you were coaching a sports team, wouldn't you expect the kid signing up for the team to at least make a commitment for that one season? Shouldn't we in Scouting expect new Scouts and their parents to commit for a season (in our case, six months)? Just as I am about to pass War and Peace for length, let me stop now.

One of the other adults in my troop (a very dedicated, educated Scouter) brought up an idea that I hadn't really thought about. I thought it would be a good discussion topic for this forum. Each year, we get X number of Webelos to cross over. For some troops, that is five, for some it is 35. Most troops plan on losing a certain percentage of those new Scouts within the first couple of months. In our troop, if we can get the Scout to get active for that first summer, they will usually stick around for at least the next three years. The other point where we lose Scouts is when they go from middle school to high school. If a Scout sticks with it through the fall of their freshman year, then they stick around for good. As we all know, the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are different programs in many ways. Some kids that love Cubs may not like what the Scouts do (how many kids have you run across that think roughing it is an RV with a microwave and DVD player?) Each year, my troop has some kids join whose parents say they are afraid to go camping or are really homebodies or whatever. The parents don't have any inclination to push the kid to get out and experience some new things. We get these kids registered, put them in a patrol, they come to a couple of meetings, then disappear on us. Suddenly, what we thought was going to be an eight Scout patrol ends up as a 3 or 4 Scout patrol for campouts. We end up spending a lot of time and energy wondering where these kids are and what is happening to them. We call and they may come to the occasional troop meeting, but they never seem to go on a campout and are not advancing. By the end of the summer, they are gone for good. I think that often with these Scouts, neither they nor their parents really had any intention of making any kind of commitment. Their attitude was "I guess we can kind of try this" and of course, the kids don't get much out of a couple of troop meetings. When it comes time to recharter, we realize we haven't seen the Scout since August and he only came to maybe a half dozen meetings at best, so we drop him off the roster. The question is this. Should we be more selective in recruiting and registering Scouts? Should we be telling the Scouts and their parents that if they are going to cross over and join, they need to make some kind of commitment (say, six months) like they would for a sports season? Would it be better for us to cross over less Webelos into Scouts, but have a much higher retention rate? Would we be able to provide a better program? Would the patrols be better able to "gel" and become a more effective unit? Your feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

When do you collect the money for the event? My troop has had issues with that on and off over the years. We once had a campout where four of the nine Scouts who signed up didn't show. Of course, we didn't know until after the food was bought. We had way too much food and not enough money to pay for it (none of the Scouts paid ahead of time). By the next year, we were collecting money ahead of time. This time, we had twelve Scouts signed up and paid for. Five didn't show up for the campout (including two or three of the same no shows from the previous year). The next Monday, their parents asked for their money back and gave some lame excuse why they couldn't make it (we had a family committment). It was a troop committee meeting night and a big argument ensued. Our treasurer refused to give back the money, saying that they made a commitment and had to stick to it (he pointed out what happened the year before). Finally, one of the parents said it was the same as buying a ticket to a concert or sporting event. If something came up, no way were you going to get your money back, no matter what your excuse. On the other hand, we had an event where we had to give the place solid numbers about two weeks before. Therefore, we told everyone they had to have their money and permission slip in by two meetings before the event. When it came time to gather for the event, a Scout and dad that hadn't signed up showed up to go. When we had asked the dad two weeks before if they were going, he waffled and wouldn't make a commitment. Long story short, the kid and dad didn't get to go. The kid was really upset because all his friends were going. Although the dad was mad at us for "making his son cry", they had their money in on time for the next event. Getting a commitment in writing and more importantly, with money, will help a lot in this area. The ones who don't like it can leave and wouldn't be loyal to your unit anyway. Scouting is not a drop in club.

I'll have to agree that I often post to see if my opinion is shared by other Scouters. There are times when I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing or not. However, there are times when I'm genuinely perplexed by something and need some opinions on what I should do. It always feels good to be able to unload and feel a part of a community where we can frankly discuss things. It would be nice to do it more often with the other Scouters that are local to me, but you don't always want to be discussing your issues with people that are so close geographically.

Eagledad- Thank you for your post. After I read it, I wanted to make sure I thought about what you read and what I intended. I took absolutely no offense to your comments. They were very well said and made a good point. I thought it over some last night and wanted to respond in more detail. The Scout in question has never really wanted to be a part of the Scouts. It is something his parents make him do because his brother enjoys it so much and has gotten so much out of it. This Scout enjoys some of the activities that Scouts do. However, he doesn't like to wear a uniform (he argued with us the first half of the week when it was time for the Scouts to change into uniform for dinner). He doesn't care to be a part of a group and doesn't feel the need to belong to one. He reluctantly did his duties as a member of his patrol (we did patrol cooking at summer camp) and complained all week about not having a dining hall. He also didn't see any reason to participate when his patrol was doing a project together (he was the only one that objected). I believe that a big part of Scouting is working together in the patrol method and learning how to deal with your peers in a group setting. He doesn't want to do that. Something else I strongly believe in is for the Scout to give back to the troop is some way. This Scout doesn't see why he should have to do that. He believes the troop (and its leaders) are there to serve his wants and needs and there doesn't need to be any reciprocation. He has no desire to take part in the advancement system. The merit badges he supposedly picked were activities he supposedly enjoyed doing. We tell the Scouts that when they pick merit badges (they do it about two months before camp), they need to be sure and follow through with them, as they are taking a spot in those classes (there sometimes are enough spots for everyone in certain classes and Scouts get bumped to their backup choices). An important lesson to learn for Scouts is to create a plan and then follow through on it. Basically, what this Scout wanted out of camp was to go and do some activities that he enjoyed doing on a drop in basis. If he managed to meet some friends along the way,great. He could very easily get this experience at tons of other camps, whether they be for church (his family is active in their church) or another private camp. The additional responsibilities that go along with attending Scout camp (especially when the patrol method is used) are something this Scout has absolutely no desire to participate in. If this were a brand new Scout, then the situation would be different. New Scouts often don't know or haven't had a chance to really participate in the Patrol Method and other aspects that differentiate the Scout summer camp from just another youth camp. Another difference would be if the Scout was an at risk child. This Scout has two loving parents at home that spend more than enough time with him and his brother. The Scout is not a kid that will get in trouble if he doesn't participate in Scouts. Between school and his other activities, his time is pretty well filled. Also, this Scout has a good sense of right and wrong and knows what kind of kids to stay away from. By the way, "Scouting is a game with a purpose" is a saying I believe started by BP himself. I hope this post more clearly explains why I brought up the subject in the first place. Thanks again for your response. I forced to really look at why I said what I did.

Hello everyone. Thanks for the great replies. Lots of good opinions going both ways. We got back from summer camp on Saturday. Summer camp went well for the most part. The Scout in question did better than last year. He lost his temper a couple of times, but instead of blowing up at one of the other Scouts, he just kicked a tree instead. The Scout is still very immature and not a team player, but he did manage to get along with the other Scouts. The big thing I was concerned about was that he signed up for three merit badges that his dad said he wanted to do(basketry, art, and woodcarving) and only completed art. His excuse for not finishing was that he didn't like the class (other Scouts in our troop thought the instructor and other kids in the class were great). This Scout did love the waterfront during free time and got friendly with a couple of other Scouts from other troops. When his dad came to pick him up on Saturday and asked how things went, I told him and he didn't care that his son didn't bother to complete a couple of easy merit badges. Apparently, his son doesn't care if he advances or not. The feeling I'm getting from the Scout and the parents is that they view Scout summer camp like other summer camps that parents just send their kids to in the summer. The kids go to just have fun for a week and the parents send them to get a week off from parenting. I don't think this Scout has any intention of attending other camps or meetings (although I'm sure he will come to the COH in September for his merit badge). Although this is probably the best experience we've had with this Scout, I don't really see the point of him staying in the troop to go to summer camp once a year and not really get anything done. Scouting is a game with a purpose. As his brother is aging out next spring, we'll have to see if his dad will plop down money for this Scout to attend summer camp again. My guess is that he won't, but stranger things have happened. Thanks again for all the feedback.

My troop has an interesting situation this year in regards to our summer camp roster. We have a Scout in the troop who attending summer camp but has attended nothing but one Court of Honor since summer camp last year. This 14 year old has been a member of the troop for over three years and has an older brother in the troop. He was semi-active for about a year (at about 1/2 of meetings and activities), but the past two years or so, has barely attended anything. In 2005, he went to two campouts (summer camp and a Canadian camporee we attend each year), two troop meetings (where we did wall climbing and rifle shooting), and a day event where we went tobaggoning. This year, the Scouts decided to drop the Canadian camporee and not to do wall climbing and rifle shooting. Hence, this Scout has attended one Court of Honor (he wasn't in uniform, he sat with his parents rather than the other Scouts). This Scout's dad pays his dues every month whether he shows up at anything or not, and signed him up for summer camp months ago. The feeling I've always gotten from this Scout is that although he likes some of the things that Boy Scouts do, he doesn't want to be in the Boy Scouts. When he was attending meetings, he never wanted to do what we were doing and was more often than not a distraction. Last year before camp, his dad dragged him to a troop meeting so he could pick his merit badges and fill out some paperwork. The Scout (then 13) threw a temper tantrum because he didn't get all the merit badges he wanted (he had to settle for his back up choices). Things went ok at camp, but there were a couple of times the adults had to take him aside because it looked like he was heading toward a meltdown. After that, we didn't see him again. We were a bit surprised when his dad put down a deposit check back in March. My feeling is that the Scout doesn't want to go and is only going because his parents are making him. He doesn't want to be in Scouts and definitely doesn't want to go along with the "un-fun" stuff we do (falling in line, washing dishes, service projects). We're taking this Scout up to camp again next week. Should we be taking him to camp just because his dad paid for it? Do other troops have some sort of qualification needed to attend summer camp? Myself and the other adults attending camp are a little bit worried about this Scout and his lack of Scouting spirit, so to speak. Any suggestions?

Next year, for the first time in five years, my troop will have Scouts aging out. Three of them have been in the same patrol since 2000 and are the group around which we've built the troop (now three patrols). Their patrol has eight members currently. At this time next year, they'll have five, with another one aging out in 2008 and the rest in 2010. About the same time these older Scouts age out, we'll be getting new Scouts crossing over. The question is this: do we add new Scouts in with the older Scouts in the established patrol? Or, do we just form a new patrol and eventually let this patrol die out? I've heard that troops do both. Thanks in advance for any input.

I feel that getting to know names is critical to making each Scout feel important and wanted, especially when they are just crossing over. In my troop, I make every effort to get to know the kids names as we are recruiting them. They feel great if when they show up at their first troop meeting and I know their name. When my troop was smaller, I knew every kid, their parents, siblings, etc. Now, I know all of the Scouts (within a couple of meetings) and at least one of their parents (providing they ever show up for a meeting or COH). If a troop ever gets large enough to where the SM doesn't know the names of all the Scouts (within a reasonable time) or has to delegate SM conferences, then the troop is too large. The thing that really increases the quality of Boy Scouting versus Cub Scouting is the Scouts getting to know their leaders better and the leader learning more about each Scout.

I'm happy to say that after 5-6 years of work, my troop has a full range of Scout ages and ranks again. The Scouts in my troop that are very active are able to get their First Class within a year. We've gotten a good outdoor program going with solid attendance. However, we've been so focused on what I call Phase I (getting to first class) in recent years, I'm at a little bit of a loss when trying to find stuff for our older Scouts to do. While our younger Scouts work on their basic skills, the older Scouts end up doing one of the following: 1. Planning for a campout 2. Working on a merit badge 3. Working with younger Scouts 4. Organizing equipment I'm sure there are some great ideas for projects that can be worked on by older Scouts at troop meetings or campouts. If anyone has some ideas, please let me know.

I personally don't think that handing out pushups is a great solutions to disciplinary problems. If you really believe that push ups and other forms of physical activity are corporal punishment, then in order for a Scout to get his Tenderfoot, he has to have corporal punishment inflicted upon him. When doing physical fitness testing with our younger Scouts, I've had some who don't want to do it (usually the ones that are the least fit) and I've made them do the pushups, sit ups, etc. Is that really wrong? My favorite punishment was about ten years ago when on a campout on a hot summer night. We let the kids stay up until midnight because of the heat. However, a few of them were still being very loud after they went to bed (I could hear them even though my tent was fifty yards away). After two warnings, I told them that if I heard them again, they would be in trouble. Sure enough, two minutes later, they were at it again. I made them get out of their tent and move a picnic table (loaded with a patrol box on top) from our site to the edge of the camp (about 70 yards). Then, I made them move it back. They thought it was funny and were laughing the whole time (they were all 14-15 years old). Then, I made them do it again. This time, they were grumbling the whole time. Then, I made them do it a third time. That time, they were completely quiet and were starting to breathe pretty heavily. After the third time, I made a deal with them: they could either let me sleep by being quiet or if I was going to be awake anyway, they could keep moving the picnic table back and forth. We were all asleep a few minutes later. Their parents thought the punishment was hilarious and the kids kept quiet from then on.

I just filled out the poll and added my recommendations for lower costing uniforms. I am a firm believer in having as official of a uniform as possible, but when the uniform costs go beyond what most people would pay for their dressy clothes (and well beyond what they would pay for their kids dressy clothes), something needs to change.

I had a similar problem a few years ago. Getting the kids to make decisions was like pulling teeth. After a while, I figured out why. It turns out that each year, our troop would do a planning session in January. Lots of ideas were generated. However, the calendar generated by the Scouts was rarely the one carried out. The SM and a couple of other adults would go through and decide "they don't really want to do that", "thats too much of a hassle", "theres another event this month that would be better for them". After a year or two, the kids knew that whatever they decided would be changed by the SM. The same went for meeting activities or meals on campouts. Like was stated above, I had to start with pre-packaged ideas. January 2002 was the first planning session for which I was SM (I had taken over the previous February). The Scouts generated ideas after I had given them some guidelines. Out of the eleven activities they planned, ten stayed the same that year. The only one that was changed was because of a mixup in making reservations. However, the Scouts picked the alternative activity. Now, we never have problems generating ideas. The Scouts know it is THEIR program. We also give them guidelines on planning menus and troop meetings, but they get to make their own decisions.

One other thing I forgot to mention when I posted before: In the early years of Scouting, many of the Scout leaders were single male teachers or ministers. These were men that had more time available to help the kids since they didn't have families of their own. Often, they were looked upon as good role models who were still able to relate to the Scout age kids. They were adults, but not parents, so the Scouts could be a little more at ease around them. The way I wrote that, does it make sense?

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. This is the first time I've been on the forum in about a month, so having a good thread where I could give some hopefully good thoughts is a plus. I'm single and have no kids. As some of you long time posters know, I am the SM of my troop and am an alumnus of the troop. I wasn't very active while I was in college (I helped out a little in the summers). When I finished college and started working, I missed going on the campouts and helping out. Plus, I've never been someone who enjoys hanging out in the bars and clubs on the weekends. I got partially active (2 meetings a month, 3-4 campouts a year) at first and then got more active after a few years. Whenever we get new Scouts in the troop, at least one new parent is wondering why I'm single and working with the Scouts. My reply is this: 1. This is a much better environment for me to be in on the weekends than the bars. 2. I love to camp and do outdoor activities. Where else would I find a group of people willing to do that every month? 3. The adult leaders when I was going through Scouts were very helpful to me. The best way to repay them is to help some young men enjoy their Scouting experience. Two other factors that are great about "non-attached" adult leaders. The first is they tend to stick around longer and are more committed. Our committee chair joined the troop with her son in 96 and became the committee chair in 98. Her son quit the Scouts about a year or so later, but she enjoyed helping out so much, she stayed around and does a great job. Our troop treasurer once had two sons in the troop, none since 1998. He's been our treasurer since 1990 and keeps us flush with money at all times. He's never once been on a campout, but he shows up to almost every troop meeting, makes a pot of coffee, and shoots the breeze with the other adults. He's retired and enjoys helping out. He's also becomes friends with quite a few of the adults in the troop. The other factor is objectivity. The biggest problem my troop has had over the years is parents accusing the adult leaders of favoring their own sons. At times, it almost ripped the troop apart. Everyone in my troop knows that I'm there for all the kids and I've never been accused of playing favorites. The same goes for our committee chair and our treasurer. I also have a fellow troop alum with no kids that helps us out. Once they get to know us, the parents love the fact their kids have positive role models that aren't parents. If someone wants to help out, find a way for them to do it. If your troop really can't use them, find them a troop that can. When my troop gets to a certain point where they don't need me anymore, I have a friend that is SM of a troop in inner-city Detroit that would love to have my help.

Sorry. I just noticed the URL in the first post. It must be my Delayed Intelligence Syndrome acting up again.

What is the web address to get in the lottery?

Is this for 2005 reservations or 2006 reservations? My Scouts are interested in going for 2006. Are we too late already?

I'd like to get some specific information on how troops score their Honor Patrol systems. I know that most use attendance, advancement, etc., but I'd like to see some specific examples so I can see how they are weighed against each other. Also, what does the winning patrol get for their reward? Please post a link to a website if it is listed (I found a couple of different troop systems). Or, if you'd like, PM me and I'll write back to get the details. Thank You in advance.

Joni- Trust me, I feel your pain. Some of the experienced posters on here can confirm that a couple of years ago, I was going through the same problems. Our former SM was a "do it my way or the highway" kind of guy and pretty much ran our troop into the ground. I took over about four years ago with six Scouts and those kids never made decisions for themselves. Obviously, we got very little help from the few parents we had (they didn't feel they were wanted). The former SM, his wife, our CC (his sister-in-law), and I pretty much were the adults in the troop (I am a troop alum from years back). I had seen him chase off numerous people over the years. Even after he begged me to take over for him, he kept wanting to make the decisions. Yes, there was a lot of backstabbing when he'd show up about once a month. This is how I dealt with it. I told the Scouts first thing that they were going to make decisions since it was their program. They liked the idea, but it took them a while before they realized that they could make decisions and I would back them up, even if it was different than what the adults wanted (totally the opposite of the previous SM). Within a year, I had the Scouts totally on my side. Also, I did the recruiting for the troop and recruited people that were interested in following my vision of the troop. Naturally, as we got more people who believed in a boy led troop, I gained more support. I built my support team to reinforce the troop and sustain it in case the former SM withdrew his support (he still went on a couple of campouts a year). By the end of 2003, after putting up with his "junk" for almost three years, I sent a letter to him and our other ASMs (none of whom had specific responsibilities, but rather were just wearing the patch). In it, I stated that I either needed the ASM to take on some regular duties (1 of the 5 did at the time) or resign as ASM and become a committee member. One of the other ASM's took on some regular responsibilities. Two replied that they didn't really have time to work with the Scouts and resigned, but asked if they could come back if they had more time (I told them we would gladly welcome them back). The former SM replied with a nasty email he sent to the whole troop and said he deserved to have a position for everything he had done over the years. Saying that I had some nerve for pushing people out and taking the troop down the wrong path (we had fifteen Scouts by this time and were in much better shape overall), he resigned in protest. We haven't heard from him since. No one misses him and the doubting that used to occur behind my back has pretty much disappeared (many of the parents who used to side with him have seen how much happier their kids are with the way things are now). For your troop, my best suggestion is to take things slowly, get the support of the kids, and gradually replaced (but not push out) leaders who don't want to follow that "crazy" type of Boy Scout program. John Maxwell is a great leadership author who has written about making change in a group. His best book is probably "The 17 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". I'd strongly suggest reading that book to get a better idea of reshaping a group. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a private message.

I'm looking for a overall troop checklist to help us in better planning the campouts and making sure we are getting things done far enough ahead. There used to be a link to a troop website where they did a T-minus program. In that, certain actions needed to take place (hand out forms, make reservations, etc.) If anyone has a checklist like that, please send me a message or post your website/email. Thank you.