AKdenldr

For years we used a living bridge that involved the younger dens. I agree on involving them. The pack now uses a assemble as you go bridge, which could be done by the youngers but tends to be done by the receiving troop. I agree that you could write your own....in a few years it will be 'tradition' and what the pack has always done.

As a merit badge counselor I would not accept it. From the cooking merit badge which I counsel that has such a requirement: Food-related careers. Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Select one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you. I would make the scout have a full conversation with me. But mostly I would not accept it. If scout is absolutely not interested in that career at all, why did he select it out of all the possibilities for a career

Okay, I've really done my best trying to make the official bsa uniform pants work for my scout. Scoutstuff.com doesn't even have the classic cut in his size (men's small or medium.)! The relaxed fit do not work, at all. He's heading off to Philmont this summer. Can a pair of non-uniform shorts work? Anyone have a suggestion as to brand in a nylon?

Perfect bound in the cover that has a pocket to hold the blue cards in. (pen fits in that pocket also.) Name on the outside in sharpee. Reinforce the advancement and camping log pages from the beginning with packing tape. Once in a while scout (or scout parent) zeroxes or takes a picture of advancement pages. That's what works long term in our troop.

No ISAs in our troop.

Hello all, Our high adventure group is looking into fundraising that doesn't involve selling products. (15 and 16 year olds a little tired of the popcorn thing.) I seem to remember there was a discussion in the forums about a troop that has good success with a 'rent a scout' program for fundraising. Can someone point me to the old links or provide best practice details? Thanks much, T26 Anchorage -- Philmont 2016 Chilkoot 2017

More than anything I resent an imposition to a Boy Scout court of honor, a four times a year event, a captive audience and boring the boys. Let the parents give some feedback. Do they want a presentation at a COH, or do you schedule it during a different meeting? (Swim night?) Have some discipline adult leaders and just say 'not the COH, but you can come on__________" (With pack meetings happening once a month, 10 minutes for the FOS guy was okay. You need a CM with a hook to pull them off stage.,,,, and the cubs in the gym playing sock war. ) I work in a non-profit, have kids to

This family might need educating on the 'group' concept of scouting. Their son should of attended to enjoy the company of his little buddies and build his social relationships and because he is part of the den. I am not suggesting that you single them out for an type of communication, just all the tiger parents as a whole. This most likely is the first "club" the son has been involved in. Best of luck with your tiger year.

To me this seems like a vision problem and not a rule problem. I think the boys and parents do not know that the that "in our pack we listen to Akeela" (listen to our registered and uniformed adult leaders) and "help the Pack go" (everyone do their part and cooperate). I suggest your next few pack meeting have lots of games where listening to the instructions from the uniformed leaders is the game. (Red light, Green light) Time seconds when the hand goes up till the room is silent. Require Tiger adults to be with their sons and not in the back of the room talking on their phones.

If the new Webelos are joining the troop in February (or May) my view is that your Pack has this time to retain them in the scouting movement. They need to have fun and worthwhile experiences with their buddies. Let the den leader run her interesting experiences with a minimum of attention from you. The early ranks of Boy Scouts will teach them what they need to know, as the Boy Scout program is designed. Do Webelos who come out of a good Webelos program have a bit of a leg up? Yes. But we all should know and remember that the Boy Scout program is designed to take any boy, age 11 and

Not every child needs to be a scout, but every childhood should contain many aspects of scouting programs. Turn off the screen and the organized activities. Make your own fun, get outside, have diverse experiences, learn at your own pace, form long term friendships with peers of all different abilities and interests, use your hands, explore your community, community service..... Comp soccer or <insert your intense focused activity here> can't be the beginning and end of it all.

Is he coming in some type of uniform? I had great success as a cub leader asking military members (who were in a uniform) why uniforms are important.

Seattle, I've been thinking about your post. My experience at all levels of leading scouts was the first few read throughs an item seemed to be too complicated. Then my after a bit of time I began to think it was doable piece by piece. I've read your posts for years and know that you accomplish a lot of little things with ease when you get your tiger and parents together. I think you would be able to do this also with the new program. And be able to slip in the time honored scouting experiences that may not be in the current program. When I was a youth there was a major change

Congratulations for stepping up and really taking the "shared leadership" concept of tigers to heart. I disagree with some advice above, your tigers can earn and achieve at family, scouting, and community events that do not have a "bsa permit". I suggest you tiger families invite the Pack BALOO trained adult to join you on your campout (they can bring their scout son -- he could help). They can take care of the permit for you and that will make it an official Pack campout. If that person isn't available to come do the event a bsa day in the park -- followed by family camping, foll

Lots of great advice above Shutterbug. I found a lot of success in using a visual advancement doodad for my bear den. (I used a poster but almost anything would work.) This had a line for each boy and stickers for achievements completed. (Mine was color coded for the categories and with the achievement number on the top for achievement). At most meetings we took a tiny bit of time to add to the poster. (You could also add a line for what the DEN did.) Then each boy could be more aware of his advancement and den as a whole is reminded about all the stuff they have done. Arrow heads and

What CalicoPenn said

Seattle you can purchase invitation envelopes 25 to a box for less than $5. They fit quarter fold 8.5 x 11 paper.

If I were this scout's mom I would counsel him to ask the 11 yo ASM to get the blue cards for all the 11 year olds. Then teach those boys an organization system. Those boys moving up could change the process of blue cards themselves.

I recently counseled a 17 yo with a 5 year old partial in Family Life. They don't always lose the blue cards you know. (I complimented him on his organization skills and suggested that his thinking on families might have changed in five years.)

Twice a month for meetings (grew from 1:15 hour to 2:15- as the boys aged). Included afterschool snack and active games or outside time. One field trip a month, often using school half days which then would have lunch time and mini-meeting added in. Our pack met less frequently 3-4 meetings a year and some activities (scouting for food, PWD, fall and spring campouts). I was advised by a first grade teacher (in her classroom met lot of brownies and tiger dens) to meet more often than once a month. She said they just couldn't learn once a month. My dens went better I switched to a re

Sidney said, "I actually think it is pretty hard for most Tigers, Wolves and some bears to cut the wood. Getting the wheels somewhat alligned is not the easiest of tasks. These scouts are pretty much left to painting it.When you get into deburing axels and polishing them I think that just about everyone uses a power drill. Which excluded the scouts. Webelos and some bears do have the stregth to use a hand saw, they are also interested in what makes a car go faster. I know people will say it allows the adult and the scout to build it together. But if the adult needs to do a good percentage of i

After a sad derby we revamped... We deemphasized the winning and used a pool racing concept (old posts on this website I think). We called it the "everyone has fun" bracket system. But the main thing that was successful is to teach the parents prior before the car kit was handed out how to be... At a pack meeting Webelos den leader gets up and tells the story of the "best pinewood derby car he ever saw" with much drama. (It was a car built by a Web boy long gone from the pack who did every bit himself including the weights -- quarters duct taped to the bottom of the car.) CM

Our custom was that we would "award" the colors at the first pack meeting when the Web1s were getting something, usually that first fall meeting. That way the pins got on the colors and the colors didn't get lost over the summer (or at camp).

2C if I was the typical parent of a new scout 9 months into the year and my scout wasn't advancing (but a few were) I'd be frustrated with the program also. Nothing worst as a parent than not knowing what is going on. We tend to assume that new parents know nothing when they come in. However I would not bore Webelos parents at open house with the administrative issues of our troop's advancement process -- just that it is individual paced and scout directed. Signoffs in handbooks yes! Go over it with the boys multiple times and their parents once verbally and once in writing.

A wise scouter on this board once said to call it a "Pack Party" instead of "meeting". What boy wants to go to a meeting? Let us know how it goes.