dancinfox

I have been asked to be the Course Director for my council's Wood Badge Course in 2006. In reviewing the course we had in 2002 in which I was a Troop Guide, I determined that the position of Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop Guides is one of the most important positions in the course. In the 2004 the ASMTG was not as strong as should have been, thus some of the Troop Guides were in the dark. We had created a CD with information for them which included four sample tickets covering Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing, and Commissioner Services. These were to be used as a sample to help the TG working with patrols in guiding them with their tickets. Also, we included a breakdown of each day and the duties of the troop guide. It made a big difference in 2004 and I think it will make a greater difference in 2006.

Dancin

Send me your e-mail address and I will send you the Eagle Workbook and Eagle Application in a PDF Fillable. You can not save them unless you have Acrobat Pro but can fill them out.

Dancinfox

Regarding filing of form 990, the IRS instructions state that if your organization makes less that $25,000.00 per year and has assets under a certain amount, then you do not need to file one. Even in the case of the IRS requiring one to be filed, there is a check box that indicates income is under $25,000.00 and no other information but name, address, and EIN is provided. I agree that a unit shouldn't apply for a EIN. I know in my area, banks don't pay interest on checking accounts, so the CO shouldn't have a problem with supplying the EIN for that purpose. Some units tend to place extra monies in savings accounts, I know of one troop that sells platt books every year, and makes 15 to 20 thousand dollars on them. They keep about $20,000.00 back to produce them each year. I think the leaders care more about making the money and not using it for program, which is wrong.

Dancin

I also have the Eagle Scout Application and the Workbook in PDF fillable form. Send me your e-mail address and I will send them to you.

Dancin

In early April I signed the request to hold a Wood Badge Course for our council in 2006. I am waiting to officialy hear back from the Region, but I was placed on the request to be the Course Director in 2006. I have a million things going through my mind regarding the course and staff for the course. Last years course went over so well that people are recruiting participants for next year already. For those of you going to the Jamboree this summer and have been or are going to be on a Wood Badge Staff, please stop by our troop site in the Central Region, Troop 1113 and let's talk. I am a true believer in listening to others ideas and successes. This will help me make the next course better. I will be spending a lot of time at the site reading the sylabus.

Dancin

We will be arriving at the Jambo on Monday afternoon. We have a tour of the White House set up in the morning and then will travel to the Jamboree. If anyone would like come and visit us in the Central Region, Sub-Camp 11, Troop 1113. I'll be the one sitting in camp enjoying the sites.

Dancin

We had our annual Council Wood Badge Dinner last night. Had 38 members of C-03-04 receive their beads. Attendance was at 158 with 172 registered. The sad part was on Friday morning, a good friend of mine and the Troop Guide for the Eagle Patrol for last years course passed away. He had a heart attack two weeks prior. It was a happy and sad event. He would have wanted it to go on, yet all who knew him were sadded by his passing. The Eagle Patrol had a Eagle 2 feet tall carved out of a piece of wood to present to him. They did present it and I accepted it for his wife.

Dancin

I have one of these mugs from 1997.

Dancin

If I remember right, the second weekend of Wood Badge should be a leave no trace campsite, not backcountry camping. This would mean using stoves and equipment that blend into the area. Backpacking stoves would be alright. You can still cook your meals, the idea is not to bring in the Troop Trailer with the kitchen attached.

Dancin

Lynn,

Welcome to the magic world of Foxes. Others may say they are the best, but we foxes outdo the rest. I glad you enjoyed the first weekend. Just sit back and let your ticket come to you. It wlll! Have just as much fun on weekend two.

David Harrison

Fox

C-CS1-93

C-15L-95

Troop Guide C-07-02

SPL C-03-04

I did this with my troop and also at Roundtable only we made the stoves with pepsi cans. Works good.

Dancin

You could do a powerpoint presentation of pictures of you at the course interacting with your patrol and other participants. This could be set to music and last about 5 to 6 minutes. Hopefully the Course Director from your course or another staff member will be present. It's always good to invite your Troop Guide. There is a ceremony in the Wood Badge Syllabus for the bead presentation or there are some online. How the presentation is made is up to you. (you could have your spouse and children present your beads or your neckerchief and woggle)

Have lots of fun.

Dancin

Vicki,

As I posted previously, I would think unless the course director is willing to buy all the youth staff a campaign hat, that the total staff would not wear them. In the Wood Badge syllabus it states that everyone wear the hat of their program or the course can have one hat for the course. This would mean that a Cub Scouter on Staff wouldn't be able to wear a campagin hat, or a venturer too. I think National is trying to put the emphasis on the training more than the traditions.

Dancin

I just checked the new NYLT Syllabus. On page 32 of the NYLT Staff Development Guide it states.

UNIFORMS

NYLT staff and participants should have both their Boy Scout field uniforms and activity unifomrs as clothing for a course. The Scoutmaster and senior patrol leader will determine the uniform appropriate for each NYLT activity. (Field uniforms are normally worn for troop assemblies, evening meals, and evening activities.)

Since the course supports the local roles of Scouts, NYLT staff and participants should wear the niforms of their home troops. Temporary emblems of offices held during the course can be pinned to the uniform or worn as armbands. Some councils also may make available special uniform items-NYLT neckercheifs, T-shirts, and/or hats, for example-to be used as part of the official uniform during an NYLT course.

Uniforms worn by youth and adult staff should follow the same standards as those of participants. Staff may elect to wear indentical staff hats.

COMPASS POINT Each Scout who attends will do so as a representative of his home troop and will wear the uniform and insignia of his home troop.

In reading this my take would be that the youth staff would wear campaign hats if the adults wore them. Otherwise you could wear a special hat made for the course. If only adults are going to wear campaign hats, then you would not be following the syllabus.

Dancin

AnnieB

When my son and some of his friends earned all twenty of the Webelos activity pins (a long time ago) I found a certificate at our local council office and scaned it into my computer, made some changes and printed it on blue parchment paper and put into a picture frame. We awarded it to them at the crossover. I checked over all my old graphic files and found it. I have converted it into a PDF file that you can fill in the Scouts name, the pack number and date of presentation. The den leader and cubmaster sign it. I remember that I found special material that I taped over the graphics on the certificate and ran it through a copy machine using a blank piece of paper. This would make all the graphics have a silver or gold or even blue look to them. I don't know if you can buy this material anymore. If you would like this file, PM me with your e-mail address and send it to you.

Dancin

This happened in my district. I live about 20 miles south of Mt. Pleasant. My opinion of Mr. Scalise who is an attorney, I think he is an ambulance chaser. Our local council stayed out of the schools for 3 or 4 years, letting him rant and rave. Do he win, no, but he did his damage to scouts in the Mt. Pleasant area. The packs and troops in that area are down in numbers.

I would think this is a Cub Scout Activities Chair area, or at the least the Council Cub Scout Activities Chair function.

Dancin

Hops,

I went in 1997 as a Staff Member. You don't need to travel or arrive in uniform. Besides your uniforms, take clothes that you can get dirty in. You will arrive about three to four days before the Jamboree starts to help set up your area. When doing this wear regular clothes. I used a plastic tote about 3 1/2' long by 1' high by 18" wide to keep my things in. It travels great and can slip under your bunk. You will be sleeping in military tents on military cots provided for you. You might want to check that out. When I went they were provided. I also took a wooden platform the same size as my tote. When the rain comes, and it will, it keeps the tote off the mud. A carpet remrent of maybe fake grass is good to put your feet on in the morning. Creature comforts are important for the staff as you will be there for two weeks.

Dancin

Your SM might try letting one MB be taught once a month at a Troop Meeting for 20 minutes replacing the Patrol meeting. It might help wean them off. I read somewhere when training someone give them a small job to do. Communicate with them during the time they are doing the job. Follow up after the job is done and evaluate the job. Then give them a slightly larger job to do, doing the same things, communicate, follow up, evaluate what was done right, what was done wrong and how to make it better the next time. Keep this going until they are doing the job you want them to. This method doesn't set them up for failure, but success as they succeed a little at a time until they are doing the complete job. When I've had problems with parents hanging around doing for the Scouts, I talk to the PLC about having some meetings where there's no need for sitting and have the Scouts fold up the tables and chairs. The parents have to stand for the whole meeting. Done a few times they either go home or don't hang so close. Good Luck!

Dancin

I was talking with the Professional Advisor for Wood Badge in my council and he told me that the numbers are based on when the request for a course was put in. I served on C-07-02 and C-03-04. C-07-02 was the Central Region, seventh course registered in 2002. C-03-04 was the Central Region, fourth course registered in 2004. When I went to Cubscout Wood Badge which was C-CS-1. The regions were just realigned in 1993. The course was Central Region, Cub Scout, 1st course. As Eamonn said the Central Region handled all Cub Scout Courses. When I went to Boy Scout Wood Badge the course was C-15L-95, Central Region, 15th course, L is for Long or Weeklong in 1995. My old region was EC or East Central.

Dancin

Eamonn,

Our council's Wood Badge Course director this past summer is a very close friend of mine. He is also our Council Commissioner. His attitude towards being a one time course director is that he can still help the cause by being positive about future courses. He is the co-chairman of the Wood Badge Dinner and is still talking to prior course directors about the good changes in 21st Century and trying to get them to not compare the old courses to the new. In talking with friends of mine that went to Cub Scout Trainers Wood Badge and have served on staff of 21st Century, they don't have any issues with 21st Century Wood Badge. Not all Boy Scouters have issues. Maybe, it wasn't the right thing of National to exclude previous course directors from being on course again, but I have seen many who can't just be a staffer, but think that they should have a say in how a course is run. Remember, they had their shot, and the new guy should have his. If worked right the new guy will have worked hand in hand with the previous course director to run the previous course and will let his or her backup course director work hand in hand with the next course. My friend did this with me. I was involved with every aspect of the course, from budget to staff to promotion, to decisions about the course. He had the final say, but he always let me voice my opinion first, and sometimes I even changed his mind. I think National will do additional teaking to the course. Do I think that not being allowed to serve on staff after being a course director ir right. No, but if I'm allowed to serve as a course director in 2006, I will still support the cause as strongly as I do now, by recruiting and promoting future courses.

Just rambling thoughts.

Dancin

The Troop Transportation Advisory Instructions state:

Buses bringing the Scouts and leaders and their equipment vehicles must arrive together. To facilitate this, council contingents/troops need to rendezvous with their equipment vehicle at least seven miles away from the fort. This step is not optional-it is a security requirement. Everyone on the bus will be required to have a photo ID (school ID is acceptable), and drivers must have a valid driver's license. I

Looking at the records for C-03-04, the course we just finished in our council. Over half the participants (52 total) were Cub Scouters, and about 1/3 were Boy Scouters. In reviewing the evaluations, most were about the food. (Seems that is always the issue at council camps) The lectures were second. To long, to much sitting around. No complaints about time as 21st Century affords the participant ample time. We tried to be Cub friendly as much as we could and still stay within the syllabus. We did use a suggestion from Eamonn and did a Pack Gilwell Gazette the first morning and had Den Name Tags for the participants until after they crossed over, then gave them their Patrol Name Tags. That seemed to go over well. I do think the course needs some teaking, but is a good way to show all Scouters that we have one program, The Boy Scouts of America. I have read the National Youth Leadership Training Syllabus, and it uses some of the same ideas of leadership that 21st Century does, it is designed for youth. In our council some of the "old guard" that have taught JLTC in the past have some problems with it, but it's a good change.

Dancin

This is new for the Jamboree. Because of 9/11 security has been tightend and each bus will have a special sticker to place in the window. Everyone on the bus will have to have picture ID including the driver whoose license will have to be valid. The bus or buses will have to meet their equipment trucks at least 7 miles from the jamboree and come into the gate together. No one can arrive before 6:30 am or after 4:00 pm. You have to fill out a form and let them know where you are spending the night before the 25th and what time you will arrive.

Dancin

The troop had a Christmas Party on the 20th. I gave each scout a gift. Some got combo Knife, Spoon, Fork for the Jambo, some got compasses, some got knife sharpeners. I have done this for the last eight years. I told the Scouts that our last outing together before I retire as Scoutmaster is a movie with me. I am going to take them to the local movie house and pay for a movie, popcorn, and drink. It will be a good memory to see their faces when we go. The hard part is picking the movie. Hopefully, the parents will help pick. Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

Dancin