Eagledad

>>I have often heard some scouters say that they use the dining hall because it is faster and gives the scouts more program time. That usually turns out to be more perception than fact.

Hi Tagguy Robert is right that there isn't a BSA issued district JLT. Many do provide them, some are good and some are just opportunities for adults to be busy. You are at that place where you want to see change in your youth leadership. Robert is also right that the responsibilities of the leadership development is the Scoutmaster's. I'm not trying to Mr. Know-it-all or condescending, it has always been the scoutmaster's job. The problem is their was a trend a few years back to push some of the responsibility from the Scoutmaster to District and councils. Nothing wrong with that except that many scoutmaster misunderstood that to mean it was nolonger their job. Things went downhill from there. Anyway, there are lots of ways to get your unit training going. What I like to teach troops looking to do their own JLT is first go out and get the SPL Handbook and PL Handbook for both the SM and SPL. Then sit down with the SPL and PLC if you want and identify things in those books that your troop isn't doing now. Then prioritize those items and pick a few to work on. I like to suggest doing a half day course on saturday to get use to doing a JLT. Half day is long enough to get a few things done and measure your performance to how well it went, but not so long that the scouts get bored and loose focus.As you get better, you can do full days, overnights and weekends if you like. A few hints are that boys gasp about 10 to 20 percent of what they hear, but 80 percent of what they see and do. So the more you yak, the less the learn. The more they act, the more they will gain. This might seem a pain at first, but you will find that its fun for both the adults and the youth leaders who help you plan and run it. For many troops, JLT is their older scout program. There are several of us who have done a lot of this, so when you're ready to do this, ask some questions and we will be glad to help. It seems lately in fact that some of us are tripping over ourselves to help. Still, this is a pretty good group. Good luck and have fun. I love this scouting stuff. Barry

Great Scouting All >> Lowering the scouting age from 18 to 15/14? That really puts the challenge on any youth to pull off an Eagle in only 3-4 years time. Talk about a fast-track program!

HI All War! Don't confuse boy games with adult diplomacy. Fscout is right in that these kinds of games are in a boys instinct or nature. Fscout (Female Scout?) is wrong that the instinct is training to kill other humans. It is simply natures way for developing skills to survive, which means providing food and protection. Nature doesn't not understand war. Nothing beats a game that encourages a boy to think strategically , to understand the goal and to a plan for achieving the goal. And they wear themselves out in the process. Do you realize how hard it is to practice all those same objectives in other normal scouting activities. Our troop plays at least one game of Capture the flag on every campout. Many times after the Saturday Night campfire. It is amazing how creative they get with the game. But simply the game allows boys to play within there natural drive to be a man. Don't resist the force and don't make it out to be more than it is. It is not evil and IT IS NOT TRAINING FOR WAR OR TO KILL. It is strictly natural human skills development. I am far more worried about the video games with the gory graphics and horrific sounds of death and dieing. Lisabob, you are responsible for successful recruiting. If you hang around enough webelos while the visit troops, you will find the majority of them are looking for the most fun troop. Now it is your responsibility to teach the adults what a quality troop program looks like, but don't ignore great opportunities to introduce Webelos to the fun of being a boy in a boy scout Troop. Don't make activities of simple tag any more than it is. Would you feel OK if they were only allowed to tag each with their hands. Whats the difference in the human nature of the boy? Only the technology of winning the game. Gold Wing, I think you will understand the value of how Laser Tag benefits in patrol method if you just go watch one game of it. It pulls out the leadership and following skills in 10 minutes where it usually takes that same patrol three meetings and a campout. I've seen the bonding of patrols accellerate in these types of activities because each member of the team (patrol) understands the goals instantly. Even many adults don't understand the goals of patrol method at a troop meeting. But, a patrol will pull together and use each other skills to acheive the one goal of winning the game of tag because that is their instinct and it is fun. It is really pretty cool watch. Don't take the fun out of being a boy. Agressive games have been part of scouting since the begining. I love this scouting stuff. Barry

You are a Star Trek weinie. Barry

To new for Council yet, but here is a quote from someone on a different forum who called National. ""I asked National RM for a definitive reading on this. Got the following: ... (we have modified the online) Guide to Safe Scouting and removed the word "lasers" from the"" Honestly I'm not to surprised. From what I heard, this is way up there on National's complaint list. Barry

Hi All What you will get from WB that you have not experienced yet from your list is how to set visions and goals and how to build a team that works toward those visions and goals. In my opinion, 50% of inter-unit adult problems will disappear with that training. I love this scouting stuff. Barry

>>I could never totally understand the fascination with games of simulated killing of other people. It must be some sort of inborn instinct. Kinda like kittens that stalk and pounce on imaginary prey. They grow up and use those skills to find food and survive. Human nature is to kill other humans, and we let our young "play kill" to prepare them for life as an adult?

>>SO because laser tag isnt metioned then its ok?, the pointing of the weapon thing doesnt count?

Oh my gosh, I hope it's true because I just looked out the window and there is dancing in the street. I wish I knew how to dance. Barry

I was told National Changed the Online G2SS I think this is the right reference. ""Pointing any type of firearm (including paintball or dye) at any individual is unauthorized. However, law enforcement departments and agencies using firearms in standard officer/agent training may use their training agenda when accompanied with appropriate safety equipment in the Law Enforcement Exploring program.""

I JUST READ THAT LASER TAG IS BACK. (Happy face) (Happy face)

>>only for members of the New Scout Patrol

>>For those of us who do NSP's/age based, do yeh put the new 14-year-old boy into the NSP along with da 10 year olds?

Great Friday All That is good news in my opinion, but there was once a rumor that National would also lower the max age in the Troop to 15. Is that rumor still around? If that happens, in my opinion the quality of leadership developement will go down because 15 is the age when a boy (man really) is mature enough to lead, and wants to lead. Barry

Happy Oklahoma Winter Day All (35 F) I like the Saturday visit idea. I don't know if all your older scouts are camping, but ending the new scouts saturday with a lock in, pizza and a movie is a possible idea. Barry

Well! Been there done that. (LOL) Give it a breather for a couple months at least. I have found that time will melt the fog of emotion. Once that fog drifts away, folks can see your heart and they find that they want what they see there. Just like anything new, this is a learning experience for everyone. I like to teach adults that you have to push the boundaries to find them so that you don't limit yourself or hold back the scouts. You know the boundaries now. Thanks for everything. Barry

Beautiful Day All >>We ASM's check that scouts are properly dressed and check for exposure. We watch that fire, stoves and axes are safely handled, prevent rough-housing, counsel scouts feeling homesick, make sure meds are taken. And more... We intervene to correct problems as needed, usually by just talking with SPL or,if urgent, directly. We are also there to further instruct and sign off requirements.

>>Eagledad disagrees saying that you will ALWAYS have someone who moves. Really? ALWAYS? I can agree that it is possible that in a sampling someone might move but is it a requirement that in every sampling someone will move? I don't think it is. Evidently in Philts sampling no one did.

>>We were very surprised at the number of Scouts with no rank advancement, or Tend and 2nd, who re-registered.

I really dont think this is a trustworthy kind of thing. National created the criteria to control the program at a national level. While these are pretty ridged guidelines, they are only ridged so the Councils perform their business uniformly. There are always acceptations and they know that. This is not a moral problem to contemplate Just a logistic problem that needs special attention. Barry

>>The conclusion we naturally reached was that FYFC has a direct relationship to retention.

>>I do not know yet if the older boys will be going to summer camp with us.

>>None, and therein lies a dilemma. BSA has figured out that learning knots is a way to self-sufficiency which leads to confidence and character and eventually fulfills the mission.

>>It may be time to kill off First Class Emphasis, not because it was a bad idea, but because it was so mangled beyond its intent that it may be better to start over.