Deaf Scouter

Thank you everyone for the resources, links and info you have provided.  After all is said and done, think instead of making it to list all the USA councils I will do a booklet that does the councils in say a 500 mile radius.  Was thinking Northeast region but we have some that attend brotherhood camporees  in Cananda thus crossing over into  the Central region.

Amazing gift to be blessed with!

So the purpose of your posting is what?? 

Maybe you could start with a map book: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/OutdoorProgram/Properties/Region%20and%20Area%20Maps.aspx

Let the boys figure out the patch for each council.

Qwasze.. found that and decided that my booklet will only list the councils in NE region since I need to limit things to 2 sheets of pages..

My local library has a book that has every U.S. Council in alphabetical order with their patches going back to the time that Council patches were first introduced. It also includes foreign councils, cancelled councils, and merged councils. I believe it was printed in the early 2000's, so it isn't quite up-to-date, but it is still a treasure trove of information for anybody looking into a collection.

Latin Scot... This is news to me.  Going to need to google this tidbit for myself and see if I can find it.

Eagle 94... Haven't found this not seen a publication of the DVD you mention either.  Guess my search is a bit limiting.

The order of opening of our meetings

Pledge (scout salute)

Oath (signs)

Law (signs)

Outdoor Code (signs)

WOW.. Another does signs?  Does this mean ASL signs?  

before clicking save on this thread, I googled it and found this reference to answer my own question.....

http://www.outdoorethics-bsa.org/OutdoorCode.php

I guess it existed when i was a scout, but obviously we never made much out of it either.....

Thanks for the link as I wasn't aware they had a new website.

Honestly I never thought they would be strong to overcome BSA.  Too much of their materials were copied from BSA so there is the copyright infringement.  

The other is if it really bothered people about the vote, all they had to do was switch troops to one that fit their beliefs.  Even in Scouting we have differences in troops so their is bound to be one that fits.  

Last is the volunteer.  The person who started up would quickly find that they are doing so much work.  We already know this in BSA that many wear many hats so why would it be any different in TL?

Had a Scouter friend who is a Scoutmaster complain that his scouts do the same script over and over that Court of Honors were becoming boring for parents?  Do you find this the case in your troop?  If so, how do combat the doldroms and get the scouts to be a bit creative in developing new scripts each time?

I don't know if there's a set of books big enough to offer up enough pages to do it justice.  My council alone has so many shoulder patches, I think they have one for every day of the week.  I think they come out with a new patch every so often to use as a fundraiser.  I still wear the patch I put on 25 years ago and haven't bothered to change.  I'm thinking it's worth quite a mint now.

 

Over the course of a year, I know there's one for the Council, one for FOS, one for major fundraising, one for any specialty event like Jamboree, one for just the Cubs, one for Just the Scouts.  And then there's the OA council patches, and the list goes on and on and on....

 

However on my "historic" uniform I have my community strip and state strip and get FAR more comments on that overall.

Honest with ya Stosh, I thought about this too and added the word 'beginner' for this very reason.  The patch would have to be the main CSP for that Council.  More and more as I think about it it is best served for the Jamboree crew so scouts goal is not really about the patch per se but meeting scouts from all over.  Some of the brotherhood camporee would see the worth of this patch booklet.  Who knows maybe two troops would decide to camp together at a mid point and spend a weekend trading while learning about the other for life long friendships.  (Maybe I should add this last sentence as  purpose of the booklet?  )

http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/28757-prepping-for-eagle-scout-award-merit-badge-completion/

In posting the topic above, I've come to the realization that I miss much more than I thought due to my hearing loss.  So what I'm seeking is written examples to read through of situations where adults steer scouts towards skills developmental for the scout themselves and toward being boy-led.  Do you have good examples to share in educating those of us that are weak as adults in doing boy-led troops and events?  

Another option is sharing what was not boy-led and how you wished an adult thought to do this as it is more boy-led behavior.

Barry, 

Thanks for the long winded write up as it more helpful with me being deaf to see things I don't hear!  You've given me much food for thought.  I'm thinking about rewriting my training material and adding a couple new mini-session topics to me event that would be helpful to parents and leaders.  THANK YOU!

My moment was unexpected.  I chair an annual district merit badge day event.  During an EBOR, I was reading the scout's letter and he mentioned he wanted to become a dentist after taking the merit badge. When I looked at merit badges he had taken, couldn't help but notice when he had taken Dentistry.  (I always bring up something about them to avoid conflicts of questions/topics with the other BOR members being deaf.)  Was a nice feeling to see the impact that after I got home I emailed the counselor to include them in the moment.

I know many knock day merit badge events but one of the things I do see is scouts taking a merit badge they or the troop would not normally do.  I really try hard to get those least earned merit badges into ours.

I think if you can take it back to that simple/basic extreme it might make a little sense....

 

If all the adults do is oversee and coach regarding the menu, drive them to the store and watch.... and it's all handled scout to scout with cash, then that piece of it makes some good sense as a responsibility lesson, money handling, etc...  but it kinda needs to be 100% scout planned, scout budgeted, scout collected, scout paid, etc.... for it to have any teeth.

 

But as soon as the parents pay, or the money goes to the bank, the adults pay by debit card, etc...... then for the scouts it's just going through the motion and handing off.

What about a simple budget sheet for campouts that shows money collected (income) to money spent for food (expenses).  Have a space for expenses to ask for the Troop Committee for like the rental fee of the campground they are going to.  Have the scout present it to the Troop Committee asking for funds.  Scouts don't need the entire Troop Committee budget but they can learn that activities they plan has to go to the Troop Committee for some funds.

Most above have covered what ours youth and adults pay for above but if you still want a detailed list, I can do.

With my troops, the boys are all expected to personally take the lead on whatever service project they wish to do.  For the new boys it might be something as simple as picking up garbage in the local park or along side of roads.  They find a date, plan the scope, etc. and put it all together.   They don't have to do any booklets; nor make any reports; or even have the project reviewed, but from an early age on they know how to put together a project.  They might have a good half dozen of them under their belt before they are expected to do their Eagle Project.  By the time they get to that point they are doing major projects such as cleaning up a neglected park, cleaning up the construction garbage and then landscaping around a local church's new addition.  These aren't small projects like some little lending library kiosk outside some church, but the boys have had the experience that what they put together is pretty awesome at times. Often times I tell them they don't have to have such grandiose projects, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

That is a good example to share with leaders and parents of the importance of the Scouts doing for themselves, hence why we have boy-led.  Anyone have any other examples please?

The other is accountability.  Yeah we have Eagle Advisors/ Eagle Coaches but do they truly understand their role also incorporates scouts accountability in attainment of steps along the way?  Even accountability of deadlines the scout set for himself?  Thoughts please?

After reading all these, seems like the better solution is training and teaching adults to convert to boy-led.  Show adults why scouts are missing skills needed for the Eagle project because the adults did too much for their scouts that the scout lacked skills needed for the Eagle project.  I love that training thought.  I did the Advancement and Program Planning units of the Scoutmaster training and can see the benefits of incorporating that in there.

 

I worked with a couple hundred scouts and about 20 Eagles as a scout leader in our troop and not one of them ever complained about our troop advancement policy's and procedures. They didn't know any different. To be honest, I think we thought all troops did it about the same way. I learned differently when I joined the forums.

 

I think the key is start teaching scouts from their first day how to take the initiative for advancing as well as how to take care of their records and paperwork. I can see it being a problem for older scouts who have not practiced those habits.

 

I am not suggesting troops make a sudden 180 degree change in their advancement policies, but I can attest that the scouts can handle it if the adults can.

 

Barry

To be honest, I didn't know any differently until I started doing my annual event.  I got some of the pieces during my one year stint at stand in SM but I didn't fully put it together until later.  Being on the District and Council level, I get to see and watch how different Troops operate that it has clued me in.  Your posting brings this up that this is a good topic to even have at RT.

Glad wickjr that you aware.  The timing of your topic connected to what I dealt with two nights ago from a fellow Scouter so I had make a mention here.

Yeah.. there is an app now for finding Scout camps that came out in 2014:

http://boyslife.org/about-scouts/scouting-around/134547/camp-scout-find-a-boy-scout-camp-near-you/

This link can sum up how many is out there along with info on working summer camps as staff.

http://www.scouting.org/Careers/EmploymentOpportunities/ScoutCamp.aspx

Be careful, as word choice and actions can have unintentional result that affects the emotions.  This should be about transition from youth to adult and not sendoff.  Sendoff gives the unintentional message of 'thanks for your service, now off you go'.  He can still be part of the Troop as an adult and the choice is really his, not yours even if it well intended.  There are other possibilities of growth within scouting like district and council for this young man.

Roast has a negative connotation no matter how you avoid it.  Why not a 'reminiscing' to share past stories or the young man's journey through scouting for younger scouts. You also educate younger scouts of all the possibilities of leadership in scouting along with parents.  It should be about honoring his services while at the same time opening doors to new roads within scouting (transition).

Has anyone seen a simple booklet of Council Shoulder Patches for the beginner patch collector?  Would like to design one for our event this fall.

Since I'm not a collector, is there any websites scouts should check out that you provide links for and tips I should include on patch trading?

DuctTape -- Seems both of our answers are correct and it is because we are looking at things from two different perspectives.  Neither of us are wrong in our vision viewpoint/perspectives.  In Trainer's EDGE, they point out that using more communication angles helps understanding.  That is what I'm aiming for using more communication tools to teach a point.

Stosh -- Yes we are supposed to be Boy-Led but unfortunately there are still a great number that are not.  It is true these non boy led troops do a great disservice to their youth leaders/ scouts.

T2Eagle -- Great idea with the school calendar but many scouts keep these two separate, nor do they bring it with them to Troop meetings.

Overall guys, I'm not stressing over the Scout making Eagle.  It is just this unique situation with this particular scout (he moved from East to Midwest) that has enhanced the need for some kind of simple one sheet guide for the scout's benefit.  Simply telling a scout he needs to complete x number of merit badges and which ones while he does his Eagle project is the drawback for many.  Youth leaders/scouts need some kind of tool so they can plan merit badge completion for themselves along with the Eagle project.

Don't forget.. today's world.. more leaders are busy wearing more hats, parents are busier, and scouts are sometimes left to fend, sort all this for themselves.  They really want the Eagle project but are still developing their time management, organizational and planning skills.  This visual tool helps them take charge while at the same time helps the adults not to just drop it in the scouts lap without providing some guidance.  You will be surprise how many drop an Eagle packet in a scout's lap without even going through it with them.  Happened my son never even received his so we had to download it off the net.  In the busyness of life and scouting, there are a lot more cracks than you see or know about.

In reading everyone responses, I see my differences.  I prefer a visual tool  for the eyes over the ears' listening tool.  I think seeing is believing.   The other problem I see being on the Advancement Team is from EBOR and asking scouts how they tracked completion.  Many are not even getting the help that they need on this merit badge completion planning schedule other than a list of merit badges they need to complete.  The focus is greatly on the Eagle project that merit badges needed seem to fall a bit to the side for the poor prepare scout or for those that have a weak skill in the or weak leadership resources around them.

I also see the comparison being used here like if one don't sign up for a campout on time, you don't go as a different type of lesson.  I'm looking more at time management skill development and planning development, along with short term versus long term planning.  think how you do projects in the work place or plan a district/council event.  Even troop trips I thought are put together by troop committees that even scouts don't see the time and efforts put in by their adult leadership.  Hence the reason I asked for a merit badge planner for Eagle Scout Award.

Hi Qwazse!  Yeah, deaf-initely a long time!

The problem I see is this step isn't even being done with Scouts so they are not seeing the deadlines and last minute affects beforehand.  I think it is important to talk about last minutes effects earlier because so many issues crop up at last minute that I don't think the real value of not meeting the last minute is coming across correctly.. it is the scouts fault.  Read some posts and its the leadership, council and etc. Gets event worse when parents join in at the last minute when you wonder where they were.  

The point is to talk about it and have a handy communication tool the scout is seeing at one year and along the way then at one month of two eweeks before.

Having to relearn things as a Scoutmaster.  Even though before I was an extremely active Troop parent, I honestly had not concept of boy scouts purpose.  When I stepped in to help in another Troop that needed a SM ASAP, I had to really spend loads of time relearning things.  Now that I look back I see that my son's troop was never boy-led, yet I was trying to follow my new learning to make the troop I was SM boy-led while the parents hadn't a clue.  It isn't just SM and ASM that need training but parents so all are on the same page or it is a fighting battle.

One of the biggest things I see with Scouts is more and more are doing last minute completion of merit badges that is such stresses so many who are involved and helping a scout.  One of the things that I see missing from Eagle packets is a calendar for accountability for the scout in meeting deadlines.  This is especially true on merit badges.  Does any one use one or have a design of calendar deadline if completing merit badges they can share please?