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  2. fliver to cambodia Am sure that some on here may have read this, or at least know about it, but I found this AI generated description that seems interesting. Wonder what others may think about the idea of this being put into afilm or video. A " Flivver to Cambodia: Two Boy Scouts Across Asia " is a travel memoir by French adventurer and Boy Scout Guy de Larigaudie. The book chronicles the journey of Larigaudie and his companion, Roger Drapier, as they became the first people to drive from Paris to Saigon in a motor vehicle. They used a second-hand Ford Model T (commonly nicknamed a "flivver") to complete the trek between 1937 and 1938. Key Details of the Journey: The Vehicle: A 19-horsepower Ford Model T. The Route: Spanned approximately 30,000 kilometers across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Legacy: The book remains a celebrated classic in scouting literature, particularly in France, for its themes of adventure and friendship.
  3. Today
  4. Sometimes I think we are just not getting through... I am an ASM working with a Patrol of younger Scouts. Last night, an older Scout interrupted this Patrol's Meeting to try to take a younger Scout out to work on his Life requirement #6, using EDGE to teach a skill. The younger Scout is the planner for the Patrol's next camping trip, and he was working out plans with his Patrol mates. The younger Scout was obviously frustrated by this demand (from the look on his face) and turned to me for guidance. I dismissed the older Scout and told him this was time for the Patrol Meeting, and that the younger Scout was to stay and finish his planning with his Patrol Mates. This morning, the parent of the older Scout sends a scathing missive to the Scoutmaster, outlining how his son has been trying to complete this requirement for months now, and is not getting any support from the Troop. (This is factually incorrect, and the SM handled the email response to the parent perfectly.) The parent made brief mention of the Patrol Meeting scenario last night, and made a comment in reference to it that makes me believe we are just not getting through... "I understand the importance of patrol meetings, but don’t get why they would take precedence over completing rank requirements." This, followed by threats to leave the Troop if the Troop does not immediately make and implement a plan to help their Scout finish the requirement. Important to note also, this older Scout rarely comes to meetings, and has not been on a Troop outing since Oct 2024. He did not make arrangements with anyone to try to work on the requirement during this meeting... smh https://youtu.be/V2f-MZ2HRHQ?si=ljwnDk_wERNKzhz4
  5. While we have not seen specifics on how this may be implemented, we have been told that the 'rolling registrations' will be going away and we will be going back to everyone expiring/renewing at the same time.
  6. I'm pretty sure our council does not. I keep asking and often no one knows who the chair is, or they keep pointing to a particular professional. This is a huge issue as one person cannot do it all.
  7. There is a 2 month grace period for both individuals and units. I know my district has been very slow with both.
  8. Yesterday
  9. One of the surest signs of membership decline is the lack of Scouters coming to this forum to debate adult square knot insignia. I swear that used to be every other thread around here pre-COVID. 😛
  10. Last week
  11. Recommend you choose tongue twisters that do not twist into profanity Example of a naughty: "I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop" Example of a nice: "Rubber baby buggy bumpers" --------------- Preview the jokes... make sure they are Scout appropriate. I know some ditties on dirty underwear that I learned in Scouts as a kid Not to be told in polite company...
  12. Hello Fellow Scouters: Due mostly to my own lax planning, I'm pulling together plans for tomorrow's Bear den meeting. We'll be working on the "Roaring Laughter" elective adventure. Thankfully, it doesn't look like this one will require too much planning and it's a great activity for an indoor den meeting in the middle of winter. Requirements are as follows: Think about what makes you laugh. Discuss these with your den or family. Practice reading tongue twisters. Play charades with your den or family. Have a "funniest joke contest" with your den or family. Practice "run-ons" with your den or family. Has anyone successfully covered this elective with their den? Any tips for making this a memorable den meeting? - BwC
  13. A conversation with the scout might yield some pertinent information.
  14. I have heard of units (the scouts) voting to have the SPL request a leader stay on when their scouts age out. It seems more ceremonial than anything, like a vote of confidence to try and get a beloved leader to stick around.
  15. In my neck of the woods very few of the councils seem to have all of the mandatory committees. As far as I know, at best my council's safety committee(s) [there are technically two required now] are on paper only, I have never heard of them meeting or putting out anything to the various district committees.
  16. I see what you guys are saying, and it makes sense from a point of view that a scout might not care and wants to just chill; however, the parent told me the scout wants to go to NYLT (has wanted to go for a couple of years). I don't know of any variance that allows a scout to attend NYLT without being at least 1st Class rank. So the NYLT thing really indicates that the scout wants to get to 1st Class but isn't getting there for some reason.
  17. If the young person is challenged, perhaps seriously, in the "very competitieve school", then perhaps the Scouting is a release, and he or she finds it of lesser import. Age may be a factor eventually if the Scouting interest or involvement is consistent. I have had a couple of long term, but stalled in rank youths that suddenly somewhere past sixteen or seventeen light a fire under themselves for Scouting rank. Sadly, some waited too long, at least in ur unit where they still had to do the work. Every young person sometimes loses focus, or is too focused on other goals. We also do not know often what other pressures or home and school issues may "really" be in play. If they take the "Spirit" forward in their lives, the work is done.
  18. While I'd never push advancement hard, I think it's still a useful tool for attracting and retaining kids with a high need for achievement. Based on what the OP shared (Scout attends a very competitive high school, but hasn't advanced in 3 years), it sounds like the program might be failing him. Agreed, it doesn't make sense.
  19. We have one like this in our troop. Kid just likes doing the stuff he likes to do in scouts and doesn't care about the patches. Doesn't come to regular weekday meetings often, but is usually on the hikes and camp outs. He has the skills, I see him use them regularly, just doesn't feel like going through the motions for the sign offs. He's happy. Parents are happy. Other kids and adults like him and his parents. I have no doubt he lives by the Oath and Law.
  20. Council does have a Unit Safety Director on staff. I have never seen or heard any indication of a Council Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Committee. After a cursory read of the cited document, it does present a broad risk assessment algorithm and fortunately specifies the involvement of subject matter experts. Rather than ponder the risks of a developing and instituting a camp driver training program I returned to the concerns stated in my posts. Lake Erie Council has a mandatory policy that summer camp staff tow troop trailers over owned land to the respective troop campsite. Vehicles used are owned by the adult staff performing the work. This amounts to towing 75 - 100 trailers owned by as many different entities. As the troop trailers are in the temporary custody and control of Council employees this circumstance creates a bailee liability for Council. Generally this form of insurance coverage in not included in general commercial liability policies. I would expect this matter could be addressed by a phone call to Council's insurance carrier. The annual premium might be more than a few loads of gravel.
  21. So many things get in the way of real continuity. For our unit, early on it was job issues with the chosen individual suddenly being moved and a fortunate replacement stepping up. That resulted is a few decades of solid leadership, but in reality it was up t half a dozen doing the lifting with one at the paper apex. He and his number one ASM received the first two SB awards in our council in the 30's. Sam the SM noted then that they were in reality co-SM's. WWII brought strong step ups to help, and then Sam" son came back and stepped in for a long period. He was forced out due to adults feeling his approach was too outdated. Lots of turmoil and loss of focus, and it almost killed the unit. Finally a steady hand stepped in to level the waves. I was put in the spot against my preference at the time due to personal issues and my job, yet somehow am still there, but now a paper figurehead with others working to keep us afloat. I was forced out due to a stroke and another major issue, and our unit family discovered that issue of poor planning. We now struggle for outdoor options, but we have a few dedicated adults to hold us afloat, though none are outdoor people in the sense of consistent hiking and camping, which had been our focus for most of our history. The history, over a century is a factor though. So we struggle on and I encourage them from the pedestal they put me on and try to find some younger outdoor types, hopefully maybe even past alumni. We also struggle with the Methodist challenge since the lawsuit. Going into year 104 and hopefully can cement the history in place and use it to draw some new true outdoor Scouting adults. Should add that service has Always been a factor for our units, and that is part of its success. Also, still fewer than a hundred Eagles, so we cannot be accused of that often difficult focus.
  22. There is a mechanism already in place... 1. Scout tells parents they would like a new Scoutmaster, and articulates GOOD reasons for it. Parents tell committee: committee evaluates and takes action, with advice and consent of COR. 2. Scout tells Boards of Review they think they'd like a new Scoutmaster, and articulates GOOD reasons for it. (BoR is made of Committee Members and parents.) Committee evaluates and takes action, with advice and consent of COR. Although I understand the sentiment, youth must not make the decision of who should be Scoutmaster. (Inmates running the asylum and all ) To implement this would mean an abdication of responsibility by COR and Troop Committee. Unfortunately, reality is often that the Scoutmaster is simply the person with a pulse who said they'd do the job. In 45+ years of Scouting, I've never seen a unit with a decent succession plan. Still looking for that unicorn. (Yes, I have failed to get this accomplished in many a unit. If I was allowed to be the benevolent dictator, things would have been different.)
  23. I don't know that I would call it "woke". Seems like democracy is a foundation of the country. As qwazse said, they can vote with their feet. That's probably a less desirable outcome than having a mechanism whereby the Scouts can decide they want a new adult leader.
  24. No, but nothing would surprise me in this new generation of "wokeness". Adult leaders serve at the appointment and pleasure of the Chartered Organization. The Committee can recommend potential candidates. The PLC can voice their opinions, I suppose. But election? Nope.
  25. Your council is "supposed" to have an Enterprise Risk Management Committee that should review this... Good Luck, https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/healthsafety/pdf/680-026.pdf
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    • fliver to cambodia Am sure that some on here may have read this, or at least know about it, but I found this AI generated description that seems interesting.  Wonder what others may think about the idea of this being put into afilm or video.  A   " Flivver to Cambodia: Two Boy Scouts Across Asia " is a travel memoir by French adventurer and Boy Scout Guy de Larigaudie.  The book chronicles the journey of Larigaudie and his companion, Roger Drapier, as they became the first people to drive from Paris to Saigon in a motor vehicle. They used a second-hand Ford Model T (commonly nicknamed a "flivver") to complete the trek between 1937 and 1938.    Key Details of the Journey: The Vehicle: A 19-horsepower Ford Model T. The Route: Spanned approximately 30,000 kilometers across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Legacy: The book remains a celebrated classic in scouting literature, particularly in France, for its themes of adventure and friendship. 
    • Sometimes I think we are just not getting through... I am an ASM working with a Patrol of younger Scouts. Last night, an older Scout interrupted this Patrol's Meeting to try to take a younger Scout out to work on his Life requirement #6, using EDGE to teach a skill. The younger Scout is the planner for the Patrol's next camping trip, and he was working out plans with his Patrol mates.   The younger Scout was obviously frustrated by this demand (from the look on his face) and turned to me for guidance.  I dismissed the older Scout and told him this was time for the Patrol Meeting, and that the younger Scout was to stay and finish his planning with his Patrol Mates.   This morning, the parent of the older Scout sends a scathing missive to the Scoutmaster, outlining how his son has been trying to complete this requirement for months now, and is not getting any support from the Troop.  (This is factually incorrect, and the SM handled the email response to the parent perfectly.) The parent made brief mention of the Patrol Meeting scenario last night, and made a comment in reference to it that makes me believe we are just not getting through... "I understand the importance of patrol meetings, but don’t get why they would take precedence over completing rank requirements."  This, followed by threats to leave the Troop if the Troop does not immediately make and implement a plan to help their Scout finish the requirement. Important to note also, this older Scout rarely comes to meetings, and has not been on a Troop outing since Oct 2024.  He did not make arrangements with anyone to try to work on the requirement during this meeting... smh https://youtu.be/V2f-MZ2HRHQ?si=ljwnDk_wERNKzhz4  
    • While we have not seen specifics on how this may be implemented, we have been told that the 'rolling registrations' will be going away and we will be going back to everyone expiring/renewing at the same time.  
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