CNYScouter

I ran into a friend of mine who is in an Antique/Classic car club. This club has its own shop to do auto repairs; the shop has everything from tools to a lift to a paint booth. Knowing I am involved with Scouting, they wondered about starting a Scout Unit with an Automobile focus. They even have a classic car that someone is willing to donate to restore if they start a youth program. In talking with them, it sounded like the wanted this more as a hobby than career and I suggested perhaps a Venturing Crew was what they were looking for. I do not know much about the Exploring program. What are the main differences between a Venturing Crew and an Explorer Post? Any advantage of one over the other?

I am not sure what to think of this so I thought I would put this out for discussion. My son came home from his Troop meeting, which he told me that they had spent the whole meeting doing a service project. This project consisted of the Scouts filling a jar with Cookie Dough, putting a label on the jar and then putting a top on the jar. He is then expected to sell the Cookie Dough and the money donated to charity. The issues I have with this are: 1-Most of this project was planned and coordinated by an adult. The only things the Scouts had to do was to fill, label and seal the jars. I think this type of activity is fine for a Cub Pack but not an activity for a Troop. 2-Using a Troop meeting to do this. I think that this should have been scheduled for another time. 3-Selling a product and giving the money to a charity. I dont see this as a service project. To me actually doing something for the charity is service, not selling something and giving money. The only reserve I have is that I do not know if this is something for our C.O. or not. If this is something that our C.O. asked the troop to do to help them with Im OK with that but I still do not think this should have been done for a Troop meeting and should have been scheduled for another time. Whats everyones thoughts on this?

Try these links for guidelines on conducting a BOR and lists of questions that might be asked on a BOR: http://www.macscouter.com/Scoutmaster/BoR/ http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Shores/6098/questions.html http://www.buckskin.org/Resources/Boy_Scouts/A_Guide_to_Boards_of_Review.htm I'm sure there is an offical BSA publication that covers this, perhaps one of the more informed members of the forum can tell you which one

The Akela award is a program that some councils offer One link for this is the Northern New Jersey Council: http://www.nnjbsa.org/news/awards/akelaawrd.htm Go to Google and type in "Akela Award"

evmori Why the good DE over a good volunteer group?

Am I looking for perfection? You tell me. Back in the spring when I decided to go looking for a new Troop, I sent my DE a list asking him to identify a Troop in the district that has the following: 1) Scoutmaster that has been Wood badge trained. 2) Really understands and uses the Patrol Method. 3) Has 20+ active scouts. 4) is boy-lead. 5) has a good outdoor program. How many of you have a Troop that fulfills these five characteristics? How many Troops in your district do you know that can meet these? How many of you can meet four of these? I think these 5 characteristics show if a Troop is following the program or not. In my District no Troop met all 5 of these and my DE could only point to 1 that had 4 (no WB trained SM) Am I looking for perfection, no, however I am looking for a Troop that is trying to Do their Best to use the 8 methods of Scouting to reach the Aims. I am just finding too many units that are throwing away methods but are still expecting the same results In my experience, the closer the Troop is to be by the book, the more successful the Troop is. Eagledad how did your successful older scout program differ from todays Venture Patrol?

Following the Program: Using (or supporting the use of) the 8 methods of Scouting to achieve the 3 Aims of Scouting. One of the first things taught in SM Leader Specific Training: "If you're not using the methods you're not achieving the aims"

If they don't follow the program how can they have Scouting in their souls?

Why? I have been told numerous times that I should be associating myself with people who think the same way I do about the Scouting program I havent been able to find these people at the unit level for troops in my area nor have I met anyone at my Districts Roundtable except my DE. It seems the only time I have met people who think the same way I do about the Scouting program have been at council training events as staff or here on this forum.

ScoutNut - I am not saying that a person that has not taken WB can not be a good scouter and I have met some. However I have yet to met a Scouter with beads (new or old course)that isn't trying to deliver the BSA program as intended and I have yet to meet a Scouter with beads thats "off doing their own thing". In fact, all the Scout Leaders that I have met that are not following the program, none have beads or attended a WB course. One of the things I was looking for in this thread was how to identify someone that really is a Scouter, with or without WB beads.

As far as the new or old Wood Badge course, it doesn't matter which one. The people that I have met that I consider Scouters some have taken the old course, some have taken the new course and some have done both. I have also met people who have not taken WB but I would consider them a Scouter also. I can say that so far everyone I have met that has the beads I consider to be a good Scouter and a good leader.

Near Scranton, PA there is a coal mining museum. There is also a Houdini Magic museum and a place called Claws and Paws which is an animal park in the woods. Farther South there is a tour of the Pioneer Tunnel where you ride down into a coal mine in the rail cars. Also located there is a narrow gauge Steam Train Lincoln Caverns, near Huntingdon, PA has a good Scout program. You can have them run a program to earn the Geology MB. A little farther is Baltimore, MD. At the Inner Harbor there is the National Aquarium, The Maryland Science Center , Fort McHenry, The USS Constellation and the Baltimore Maritime Museum. Near the Inner Harbor there is also Edger Allen Poe's Grave and the house where Babe Ruth was born. Camden Yards Sports Complex is not far either. And there is always NYC to go visit.

Near Scranton, PA there is a coal mining museum. There is also a Houdini Magic museum and a place called Claws and Paws which is an animal park in the woods. Farther South there is a tour of the Pioneer Tunnel where you ride down into a coal mine in the rail cars. Also located there is a narrow gauge Steam Train Lincoln Caverns, near Huntingdon, PA has a good Scout program. You can have them run a program to earn the Geology MB. A little farther is Baltimore, MD. At the Inner Harbor there is the National Aquarium, The Maryland Science Center , Fort McHenry, The USS Constellation and the Baltimore Maritime Museum. Near the Inner Harbor there is also Edger Allen Poe's Grave and the house where Babe Ruth was born. Camden Yards Sports Complex is not far either. And there is always the NYC to go visit.

What is a Scouter? Ive been saving this question waiting for the return of Bob White and evmori. What makes up a good Scouter? I have been asking myself these questions, to try to be a better Scout Leader What qualities and attitudes do you find in someone that really knows, follows and lives the Boy Scout program? One sign for sure that I have seen is the Wood badge beads. Anyone that I have met with the beads has met my expectations of what a Scouter is. Any other ways of telling? Any other signs of a Scouter? Is the guy who shows up once a week for a troop meeting for 30 years, but does little else a Scouter? What about the guy who for 8 years has made every meeting and every trip but the only time he has ever worn the uniform (and the only reason he has one) was to be on staff for Jamboree? Is he a Scouter? What do you all think?

Which type of District would you rather be involved with: A District with a good DE who is involved in the District (actually lives in the District and has sons in Scout units) and does a good job but has, IMHO, very poor leadership on the volunteer side or a District that is the opposite, a DE who is only concerned with numbers and not very involved but has very good volunteer leadership? Over the weekend, I was on staff for Basic Outdoor Leaders Skills/SM training. This was my first time as a staff member. At this, I met some great Scouters who I learned a lot from. Two of the Scouters I worked closely with were Unit Commissioners from another District. During the weekend, I was asked by these two if I knew my Unit Commissioner, I said that I did not. I contacted my DC and asked him who the Unit Commissioner was for my unit. His reply was I dont know. (I thought he was the person who should know.) We also discussed DEs. Our Districts current DE used to be the DE for these two Unit Commissioners district and they thought he did a good job but did not think their current DE was doing a good job. Which type of District would you rather be in?

Tomahawk throwing sounds like the type of activity that would really spark interest in a Troop. Any suggestion in getting started with this type of activity?

I need to come up with a lession plan for a course called "How to use your Den Chief" for our Scouting University Here is a course description: How to Use Your Den Chief Whos a Cub Scout leaders best friend? It should be the Den Chief! Discover what a Den Chief is and how he can help YOU run an exciting den program. This trained Boy Scout role model plays a very important role on the leadership team. Any ideas or pointers to web pages to find information

I just found out that I will be teaching Leadership concepts (along with other topics) for Scouts (youth) at our Scouting Unversity tomorrow morning. I also found out that I need to prepare a lession plan for this for a 40 min. class. Here is the couse outline: Leadership concepts I What is the difference between a manager and a leader? This course will teach the skill-concepts needed to become a leader. Can anyone out there help me with this?

Does anyone have any experience with backpacking stoves made from soda or soup cans? I saw plans for these on the Internet and thought they looked easy to make and very lightweight. Are they against the G2SS?

The BSA used to sell Hot Pot pliers but no longer have them These were used to lift pot lids during cooking and one of the legs had a hook on it that could be used to carry a pot or dutch oven. The Quartermaster at SM training had some of these but did not know were to get them as they had been in his Troops gear long before he joined. I have looked at Camp-mor, Harbor Freight and even did a search on Ebay but I have not been able to find these. Does anyone know if these are still made and where to buy them?

How about the poster who mentions something and the thread continues about a whole different topic. Isn't changing a light bulb for the Home Repairs Merit Badge?

How about the William Hillcourt Scout Museum and Carson Buck Memorial Library located at Camp Woodland in Constantia, NY

Owl62- Perhaps nldscout is in a better position to answer this as he is on the training committee for another district in my council, but Ill give you what I was told about mandatory Training in our council The current version of the Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Course and Outdoor Leadership Skills Course will be required but anyone who took the previous version will be grandfathered in. Any SM training course taken before this will not count and any SM/ASM will need to retake the courses. I do not know if this has anything to do with this, but I was told (by more than one person) that in my district we have a great deal of long term Scouters who took SM training 25+ years ago and have never taken anything since. They are never seen at Roundtables or training sessions and are just not involved in scouting outside their own units. IMHO, the council is doing this in hoping this will bring about better run and a better quality scouting experiance to more units and to get more units to follow the program. Many of these "oldtimers" have just forgotten how to present the methods or have just using the "that's the way Troop XX has always done it" method. Wood badge will not be required. Our council also strongly encourages training however very few adults are taking training. Almost all training this year in our council has been canceled, including Wood Badge, due to not enough people signed up to hold the course. Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Course and Outdoor Leadership Skills Course is offered twice a year and has filled up the last few times it was run. In fact I was just asked to be on staff for the next session the end of Oct. My district has no Wood Badge trained SMs (30+ Troops) and WB has been held only once in the last 12 years. It was full 2 years ago, but this year I was only one of 10 people who had registered. Our council is having our first Scouting University in a few weeks. I have also been helping to put this together. I do not know how well attended it will be but are expecting 200-300 attendees.

How about "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart. This shows what a community would be like with and without one person.(This message has been edited by CNYScouter)

The topic of Scouting, liability and being sued has come up in topics of conversation lately. Im trying to organize a Sea Scout Ship. In talking with my DE, we discussed finding a CO. When I asked about an American Legion or VFW, he was reluctant to approach these organizations due to the liability involved with owning a boat and having teens around water and that would scare them off from being a CO. (We do have other options for a CO) Ok. Now Ive organized a Ship (or another Scout unit) and own a house on a lake. I allow the Unit to moor a boat (or use my boat) and use the property to have activities. I know that the BSA has liability insurance but, how personally reasonable will I be if anyone gets hurt or killed during a Scout activity on my property even if I have followed the G2SS. Also, the scouts that have been killed this year, were the leaders held liable? Did the parents of the scouts sue any of these leaders for being negligent? Has anyone ever heard of a Scout Leader being sued for a scout being injured or killed on an activity? I have been told that adults have been asked to resign and step down when a Scout has gotten hurt but never that a leader has been sued over this. My wife has been coming more concerned and is becoming reluctant to drive other scouts to activities in fear that if something happens we will be held personally responsible in this sue happy world. She is also concerned when I go as an adult leader on trips that I will be held responsible and sued if anything goes wrong. My DE assures me that I would be covered with all this, but even with the BSA insurance what is to stop someone from listing any adults who went on a trip (along with the BSA, Troop, CO and anyone else they want to add) from being listed as liable if anything went wrong on an activity?