Drimcynn

Greetings to all.

First of all I want to thank you for all the posts on these forums. Very helpful. I have been a scoutmaster in a troop for a total of two weeks now. All the Asst. Scoutmaster have mystically moved away and the Old Scoutmaster is on our committee now but is slow to respond due to his fatigue on the subjects. Since I was the Asst. over the new scout patrol and the more I get trained the more I realize that the troop I grew up in didn't have it quite right I am still trying to learn some things and remember others

One of the things coming up is new leadership. It has been past 6 months and I don't want this to slip any longer for a new Troop leadership. My main question is any requirements for Senior Patrol Leader. I can't seem to remember them. Age or rank? Anyways please let me know and I will keep looking in the handbooks.

Our troop as well uses a similar method. We feel that any way to assist the young men in understanding the importance of recordkeeping and organization is good. Plus at the same time it assists me as the scoutmaster to be able to check with the young man to make your our troopmaster software is correct and that he is getting the badges done.

I also feel it is a good thing to have this so they don't lose any handouts you give them.

I know this is an older thread but I just now joined the scouter forums.

I appreciate everyone's dedication to the scouting program. And Bob & Ed are just 2 different people. I have seen both in my years of scouting in the mutliple councils I have lived in. Just realize you see differntly.

As for the subject at hand. I as of this week will be a Scoutmaster for the very first time. Though I am no where near new to scouting or leadership in the scouting program. For the past 1.5 years I have been working as an Asst. SM and directly overseeing crossing over and the New scout Patrol. I use the First Class empassis program that you speak about, but not because I knew it was a program. Until I read this I didn't know. We have had 100% retention and all so far have been 100% within the first 12 to 14 months of scouting. Some much earlier.

Our troop has used the New patrol no matter what the size even if it was 3 or 4. Amazing what it does for these boys. Synergy is the only word I can use to describe it. We had boys volunteering to be the troop guide. Even skip a merit badge class to work with the new scout patrol. The only reason we implemented this is from recomendations from our charter organization and from my experience as a boy myself. The troop I grew up in didn't directly use a new patrol but something very similar. they used the first class emphasis program. Every boy went through that program. Not 100% got FC by first year but it is was a very high percent. What is an amazing fact is that by boyhood troop is over 80 years old. And in the years since the implemented the focus on getting first class in the first year went on to get his eagle. In my 7 years in the troop that was 60-70% of the boys. So I agree this is important and for boys who didn't get it in the first year. It is running at 0%.

I know that not all will make it like Scoutpro has mentioned. Sports is a problem and if parents back sports over scouting they will be the one or two in the new patrol who don't make it.

Drimcynn

I know this thread has been going for quite some time now but I would like to add a few comments that I notice were not mentioned and only briefly covered by Bob White.

First, BSA national committee is no where near or even considering this subject. Other than the decision for it keeping the program solidly intact, It would substantially lose many organizations that donate so much to scouting. Some of the largest supporters would be lost. I think also that a large portion of Chartered organizations would be affected.

Now for my comments on the subject. I grew up in the scouting program from age 6 and have never stopped and I plan to stay in it for the young men and my future sons. My sister belonged to the GSA as well. The programs do not compare in any way, but the GSA works if they have good leaders. My sister liked the program as long as her leader was good. Once they were not active in puting the "outing in scouting" then she quit. I on the other hand stuck with it due to a great program and leaders who cared. Troops can fail too if leaders and parents are not actively a part of the program.

BSA is at the troop & Patrol level. They are responsible for making young men strong. I know as a youth that I and my friends would have taken scouting very differently if a girl was in our troop. I appreciated the knowledge it gave me to work with just young men. I feel young men need to be seperated from the the woman. ONly for a few reasons. One is men and woman are different. No matter how much society equalize them out. Physically they are different and have different needs. I say keep them seperate. GSA if it has the leaders will do just fine but my goodness the United States has program upon program to assist youth in a co-ed setting. School is #1. As a youth I was happy to get away from the peer life of school by having scouting.

My last comment on the subject is this. No one has mentioned at all in this thread the value of morals. I know that other countries have co-ed activities and that is fine but the United States' society is mixed and is constantly being tossed around up in the air. Why put children just learning about themselves in such a situation where problems could arise. We have two-deep leadership to solve some problems, but scouting is seperated to solve this one in my mind. Dont' get me wrong I trust them, but temptation in that subject is tough and shouldn't be a focus at those younger ages. Venture age is fine.

sorry so long

Brian (Drimcynn)