CubsRgr8

Someone needs to educate your DE that packs are not "assigned" to troops, even if they share the same unit number and charter organization! That said, your council covers a huge geographic territory and it just might be (sad to say) that there aren't any other packs closer to you than the two previously mentioned. I went noodling around and came of with this link: http://www.bsa-la.org/index.html Besides provding links to some unit websites, there's a link for each District's website. These in turn have some additional unit links. For a great example of how a council can promote pack/troop res

The more I hear, the more it sounds like my son's troop does it right - they don't ever attend council summer camp! Instead, they go up to a state forest campsite every summer for a week and run their own program for 70+ scouts. While at summer camp: patrols camp together and cook most of their own meals; there are daily patrol contests; mornings are for advancement (advancement for scouts not yet 1st class - merit badges (although usually just a dozen) for the rest); afternoons and evenings are either camp activities or free time; the PLC meets every evening at 8; BORs are held on site; th

Check out: http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/venturing/Quest.html I often find usscouts.org to be an excellent source of up to date information.

Future Games, where was the charter organization in all of this?

Hold it, TrailPounder! If you cede Chicago to us cheeseheads (and proud of it!), then we'll be stuck with the Bears - shudder! Go Pack!

Two separate, yet related, commments. I agree 110% that Quality is the minimum standard for which we should strive. However, the problem I'm seeing here is taking what I perceive was originally a volunteer assessment criteria and applying it to professional staffers. Rational job assessment criteria must be objective, measurable and pertinent. I don't see how a district or council earning the Quality designation is pertinent to a professional staffer's job performance. Earning Quality does not measure improvement, it's merely a yes-no test that really doesn't tell you anything. I

DS - you're starting to sound like Gandalf!

OK, I'll bite: what's a Juliette?

Thanks for the great ceremony! I've been looking for something cool for our AOL ceremony coming up in February and this is it!

My son's troop, which I serve as a MC: How many boys registered? - 70. How many boys active? - 35. How many Patrols? - 8 - including POR scouts in a separate patrol. Does your troop go to summer camp in or out of Council? - out of council. Does your troop go to Dist/Council Camporees - Rarely. Does your troop support FOS? - Yes. Does your troop sell Popcorn? - No, wreathes. Does your troop use NSP, FCFY method? - Yes, very successfully. Does your troop have a Venture Patrol? - No. Does your troop have a feeder pack? - No, it draws primarily from 3 elementary scho

I don't have a canned ceremony to share with you, just some thoughts. I'd call forward the scout, with his parents, and briefly recount his achievements. If he's a little older, perhaps incorporate lighting candles for each rank he's earned. Present him with a small scrapbook about the pack that has some pictures (include names), a unit transfer form, and a copy of your pack's records of his achievements. To keep it from getting maudlin, have the whole pack participate in a rousing send-off cheer. I'd also contact the DE in his new district and ask him (or her) to contact the scout at

Point of Order! The new 2003 edition of the Webelos handbook incorporates earning beltloops in the requirements of some of the activity badges. For example, a Webelos MUST earn the citizenship beltloop to earn his Citizen Activity Badge.

I can think of only three reasons that the CM would even think Tigers shouldn't come to the B&G. No room (it's always in the church basement) - find a bigger space. No money (cause the pack caters) - charge a nominal fee. Tradition (Tigers are not part of the pack) - time to update the traditions book. Lke 2CD said, come prepared with solutions when you meet with the CM - hey! Wait a minute! Why is this an issue with the CM? Organizing the B&G is a pack committee responsibility and should not fall on the shoulders of the CM, broad and strong as they might be. As a former CM, I

Yes, I am a council registered Reading MB Counselor. I am surprised that the MB book isn't required, but I will continue to encourage the scout to borrow or purchase the current edition. The five merit badges I counsel are not very labor intensive (Reading, Communications, Computers, Architecture and Cycling), so I would gladly register for a couple more, if allowed. DS, your second take on my question was correct. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether a council policy was imposed by the professions or by the volunteers. Now I know which approach to take to see if I can get it change

Last night, at the troop meeting, a scout approached me about the Reading MB. He had a signed blue card but not a copy of the merit badge book. Our troop library doesn't have a copy of this particular MB book. Instead, he had printed the requirements out of MertitBadge.com, along with their worksheets. He does not intend for get a copy of the MB book. Is possession of the MB book is considered a requirement? My notes from MB training do not address this issue. Two days ago, I received the renewal letter for serving as a MB counselor. I'm registered for five, the maximum the council

It will get better! Don't give up! My comments follow some of your italized originals. Recently my Tiger Den was dissolved because the only boys that came was my own and my co-leaders son. If you like the original pack, a Tiger group of two boys and their parents is okay. I have observed that some parents don't want to make the commitment required of Tigers but are very willing for their boys to start next year as Wolves. Our current Wolf den of eight boys only had three when they were Tigers. The Cubmasters keep saying they will get us trained but it has yet to happen. It seems

ASM7 - take a look at this with the youth minister: http://www.umcscouting.org/ Click the link to Training and scroll down to a powerpoint presentation which you can download called: 10 Reasons To Consider Scouting A Ministry. There are a few references that you might need to update or make specific to your area, but it looks rather worthwhile. Perhaps this will help her see the value of having your congregation starting up a venture crew. (This message has been edited by CubsRgr8)

Based on reading between the lines, I say go with the den leader position and let the COR recruit someone else for the committee chair. A pack can hobble along without a committee chair, but a den is lost without a den leader. Both positions require work and trying to do both will probably short-change one or the other (or both!).

That's right - my YP instructor confirmed it last spring. Although... who in their right mind would want to run a cub scout den meeting without another adult present!

One year as a youth (law explorer post - no camping ) and four years as an adult (love that summer camping ).

Several troops in my neck of the woods offer a weekend cabin camp outing in December/January as a recruitment tool. The Webelos and parents join the troop Saturday late morning and stay through Sunday.

Keeping these scouts as webelos until September 2004 is a great decision, Sender! They'll get to enjoy a Webelos resident camp experience this summer that is designed specifically for them. That in turn will lay the groundwork for enjoying Boy Scout summer camp the following summer of 2005. Sounds like your webelos are pretty advanced, so I recommend finding the best resident camp session you can for summer 2004, even if that means going outside of your council. What would make it the best? IMHO: webelos only; at least 4 days, 3 nights; offering specific activity badge workshops; sl

I heartily recommend a new scout patrol IF: 1) the NSP has at least one Troop Guide assigned to it, a scout who really wants to help, not just fulfill a POS requirement for his rank; 2) the NSP has at least one ASM assigned to it, working with the TG to make sure that each boy has the opportunity to earn 1st Class within a year of joining; 3) the NSP PL job rotates monthly, so that every boy gets a chance to attend a PLC and get a feel for leadership and no one boy gets saddled with trying to be a leader before he is a 1st class scout; and 4) the SM support the idea, because without i

Communications is great - of course, I'm a counselor for it. Since it's Eagle required, I enjoy working with the older scouts. You should see the look on some of their faces when I tell them that they really have to actually develop a plan teach a skill, teach the skill, and then I check with them to see if the student has learned the skill. LOL DS - I hate to be contrary, but. Number 1: How does a rule that applies to BSA council camps get extrapolated into a general rule that applies throughout BSA? Number 2: How would I, as a troop committee member, know it's a rule if i

I've heard that unit numbers are assigned to charter organizations, who may choose to release them if the unit doesn't recharter. How unit numbers are handled when a CO no longer cares or exists is a good trivia question.