Docrwm

Well, I just got home from RT this evening. Always meet some great people. All the heavy lifters in the District are usually there and tonight wasn't any exception. Problem is that out of the 93 minutes of program over 50 were announcements...........and I'm not counting the awards (even a Heroism award tonight!)

I hate to ask - thereby showing yet again my ignorance - but what is TDC? Acronyms are great when you are a member but for new members of the club they can be a barrier. Sorry. EDIT: Just found it online - Trainer Development Conference. Good source for Scout related acronyms = http://www.scoutway.net/scouter/abc.html(This message has been edited by docrwm)

What parts of the training that he had would still be current? None as far as I can tell from my cards. He needs to take YPT as soon as possible - its online, pretty good too, and is easy to do. He needs FastStart because not only has the Tiger program changed dramatically (I had someone give me, very kindly, all their old Tiger materials last year - BOY was it misleading!!!) but so have MANY of the forms, requirements, rules, etc., etc. in Cub Scouting more generally. It too is online, pretty easy to do, and will update him on a couple of things. He needs CSLST so he can have a gen

I really appreciate the time and effort that folks put into Roundtable. District level, from what I feel I have learned in the past 12 months, is the actual operational level for getting meaningful boy-related things accomplished. In our District that is the level at which all the Cub camping originates. Its the level at which two of the three most significant events, based on the feedback from the boys in my Den, were implemented (our local Memorial Day Flag Placement and our Family Camping events). However, I also think that there needs to be a balance between teaching the old hands the

Thanks guys. You are reinforcing for me my own initial reactions. I like doing the DL stuff with the boys but have to say that 5-8 seems ideal to me. I had two more parents email me today about the Den. That would be 10. I have an email in to the CC and CM. They are both planning on being at Roundtable tomorrow so I hope to talk with them then or immiedately afterward (even if I have to buy ;->).

"I still liked it better in the 1960's." Couldn't agree more (except for the Medical advances and a few other minor things). Seriously, I thought about this all summer as I watched my 7 year old son. When I was his age it was precisely as you described - I was out exploring the woods around our suburban home, trekking along our "river", making forts, figuring out how to cross the "river" without getting wet, etc. He's not allowed out of the yard without permission, a bodyguard, etc. It's very sad IMHO. That's why I see Cub Scouts as even more important today then when I was a

I was the new-guy last year in our Pack. We had 2 Tiger Dens. The other DL was a former Life Boy Scout, really dynamic, seemed really on top of things, and did some terrific Go-See-eM's. He has resigned. My Den had 5 boys. All got their Tiger Badge and most earned multiple activity beads and 6-12 belt slides last year. We went Family Camping twice for 2 1/2 days each. We led the local parade, etc. Generally I think we had a good year. Now we're Wolves and my son and another recruited 2 new Scouts. One transferred in from the other Den because of scheduling and one of mine wen

It doesn't sound like you are running them down, just that you are frustrated. I can understand. Our meetings were much like the one you describe last year. Burned out CM. But this year the fellow that organized our amazing Derby is the CM and our first Pack meeting last night was radically better! It really comes down to the people. As the new-guy last year I made what suggestions I could but was roadblocked regularly. Got comments on all my training that were not precisely friendly but nothing you could point out as snide either. This year there is a real interest in new ideas, i

Sounds good to me. The boys ought to be able to earn the Bobcat with the number of meetings and the plan you outline. Remember that for Tigers it is not performance but effort that is what is measured.

Knight wrote: BALOO was the best part of the Cub Scout training I did. We did lots of hands-on type learning. I actually took BALOO twice and am glad I did - both courses offered different ideas and great ways to make Cub Scout camping better. However, my wife took a BALOO course and her course was like what you described. The two BALOO courses I did were both at Boy Scout camps; my wife's was at a local church. I think doing BALOO at a camp really adds to the course. I feel the same way about Wood Badge. I've seen online pictures of quite a few courses where it appears the course

Welcome aboard. I was a new Tiger DL last year - wheww. The issue of the 5 Areas and 15 activities divided into 3 types of activities has been dealt with well already. You asked: "Q: Do the Tigers get to earn belt loops or patches too or do we only get the achievement and elective beads? " There are Belt Loop awards that can add spice to the boys time in Tigers and which can give you a tangible Den distributed award for their involvement in something like the activities you planned for the upcoming A&S Museum trip. Good information on these programs can be found at: h

I said I was new to all this in previous postings. Cub Scout FastStart Aug2007 Youth Protection Aug2007 Faststart Pack Committee Aug2007 FastStart Cubmaster Aug 2007 BB & Archery Instructor Sept2007 CSLST - Tiger Den Leader Sept2007 Staffing the District Committee Oct07 Safe Swim Defense Oct07 Safety Afloat Oct07 Weather Hazards April08 BALOO April08 Scheduled for our Commissioner Conference on Saturday where I understand I can complete the Basic Training (Assoc. Degree in Comm. Science??) Gotta LOVE the online courses. Best training, both most fun and best

Its a bit of a stretch for Councils and National to require 100% trained if their own records are in such incredibly poor shape. The most important conclusion that I draw from the posts here is to keep ALL my training cards, scan them in so I have an electronic back-up, and have them with me in situations where they may be needed and/or required. For those in areas where this standard is to be applied for recharter - perhaps you should present copies of all signed training cards for each registered leader as an attachment to your recharter packet - just in case.... (This message has be

Really sorry but insignia MUST be changed if you buy a new uniform as they have removed the red-based insignia like the "Trained" patch and you can only buy the new green one in many locations (sound of defunct horse being beaten in the background). As for the shoulder loops - the red ones are gone. You can only buy the green ones - BUT you can still buy old shirts from National Supply. So, if you buy an old shirt you will end up with green trained patch and green should loops for it. What our National Scout Shop manager said was that they don't want you mixing insignia - no red

I'm gonna beat a dead horse here because I was a bit annoyed about the statement that someone was "a little suspicious" of the statement that our Scout Shop had been directed to destroy all red-based insignia like "Trained" patches. Well, on the Scout-L listserv others have been posting the same thing, here's an example: "At Roundtable last night they also were displaying the new uniform. The fella from the Scout Shop repeated that our current uniforms were good "forever", however he also mentioned that National also requested that they (Scout Shop) return all the red shoulder loop

Thanks for everyone taking time to discuss my concerns. They remain. I do not want to sell tickets to your events. Problem is, discouraging others from viewing them can be taken loads of ways. It was often a defense in the past, after a problem, for folks to say things like "Well, they could have come and seen it for themselves if they had wanted to..." As for the "You're not a member so you don't get it" answer (paraphrasing)....please. I've been a member of several secret societies and fraternities. I "get" what secrecy is all about. Its just that it is completely incompatible wi

I do NOT believe I took the comments here, and on the rest of this OA list, out of context at all. Yes, there are some who agree with me and who are in OA, and I am always happy to see folks who understand that secrecy is a thing of the past with BSA. However, there is clearly a component here that wants to reserve some mystique and that implies privacy and/or secrecy. I understand wanting it to be a surprise for the boys - got it, moving on. I do NOT understand in any way whatsoever the apparent negative reaction to allowing others to observe. As for your assertion that I t

Aren't there activities for which a Pack MUST have a CPR trained person in attendance?

I am not OA. I have not posted here before. However, that the question has been raised and debated about whether non-OA members can come to ANY of your ceremonies disturbs me very deeply. I, for one, really respect that BSA has a NO SECRETS policy. Either OA is a part of BSA and abides by that or..... As for the, rather caviler, suggestion that "just show them the ceremony manuals". Gee, and if they have worries as parents do you honestly believe that seeing your manuals will put their worries at rest? I'm not for keeping my son from experiencing things for himself - I want him to b

Locally I've been told that our Cubs may not participate in any activity at our Aquatics based because it is considered to be running water not Flat Water. This, again as I've been led to believe, includes swimming. However, I can find nothing in the GSS section #II on Aquatics Safety that prohibits swimming by Cubs in non-flat water. On the issue of boating, I agree that activities afloat are not appropriate under BSA guidelines for a Pack but per the training I received in Safety Afloat they are also never ok in the location described for the proposed camping - even if sponsored by

We had a similar question come up in the past. Don't forget another factor in what you select - something the recipient would actually want. BTW, we did not come up with a viable alternative.

Ah.....Atheist Boy Scout is an oxymoron. BSA has consistently won Federal Court cases involving the requirement that all registered members of scouting (adult and boy) profess a faith in a G*d.

Thanks, as I said I'm at work. But the commercial operators part makes sense and rings a vague bell. Would an outing on an island that requires a commercial ferry have a) any safety issues as one would be isolated and b) wouldn't activities related to water like swimming and boating be off limits even though tempting?

You have to be very careful about going on any BSA approved event with Cubs that involves using or crossing running water (in a boat). Perhaps others here are more versed in this but when I did BALOO training last year it seemed clear to me that boats and running water (as opposed to flat water) is a no-no for Cubs. An outing using a ferry and water with a current would fit that restriction in my book if my memory serves me right (at work and don't have my BALOO manual here).

Several years ago joining and advancement requirements for Cub Scouting were changed to a grade basis (with age as backup). As a refresher, here are some age/grade requirements. The idea was to keep boys together in Dens who were together in classes. Keep in mind that grade is the primary determination and age is the backup (note the word "or"): * TIGER CUBS -- In the first grade, (or 7 years old) * CUB SCOUTS (Wolves and Bears) -- In the second and third grade, (or 8 or 9 years old) * WEBELOS SCOUTS -- In the fourth and fifth grade, (or 10 years old) * ARROW OF LIGHT