frank10

The following is from http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/18-260/ The BSA recognizes that youth in various parts of the country develop at different rates. These guidelines are designed to demonstrate the mainstream of youth capabilities. For instance, Cub Scouts may be involved in winter camping in Alaska, where cold-weather activities are part of the culture. On the West Coast and Gulf Coast, surfing may be appropriate for Boy Scouts. In the Northeast, youth begin playing street and ice hockey at an early age. Because of the varying development rates among youth, these activity guidelines are flexible and should not be perceived as requirements or rules. They address the mainstream of youth abilities while allowing for exceptions for Scouting units and groups based on the consideration and judgment of unit, district, and council committees and boards. Older Boy Scouts should be at least 13 years of age by January 1 of the year they participate.

I'd bet that the flaws were always there. As your troop moves ahead they just stand out more. It's a sign that you are "delivering the promise". Give your self and the other troop leaders a pat on the back.

Way back when in COPE we didn't exactly have a trust fall station. What we did have was a bar that you had to jump out and grab (or fall to the ground) and then move to the next position (higher and farther from the bar) and jump again. At the start of the course we tried it as above, at the end we did it with the troop there to catch us. In every case we were able to jump farther with the team in place.

I was in 7th grade, walking with a friend down town when a small pick up truck pulled over and the driver talked with my friend. I was so amazed that an adult would take the time to listen to a 7th grader that I had to find out more! the adult was the Scoutmaster of T111, joined the next meeting.

I think this is one most of us can agree on... nothing works as well as success. Put a good program in place and the numbers will almost take care of them selves. Start by acting like you allready have the numbers you want. Never say we can't do that because we are too small. Plan event that the members of the troop will brag about to their friends. If you have an active program the kids will find you. See also -> http://www.pinetreeweb.com/areyou.htm

If it is a small den you should be able to get by with a baseball batting helmet or construction hard hat. for a larger den I'd say a bike helmet atleast... you may even want to go the whole nine yards and get blus and gold motorcycle helmet. You can never be too safe!

Sure, your ear ring must be in your left ear. (Sorry, couldn't help my self.)

Here are two I have used (posted under http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=49434#id_49434 ) Success To laugh often and much To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others To leave the world a little better - whether by a healthy child, a garden path, or a redeemed social condition To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived This is to have succeeded. Ralph Waldo Emerson ------ Isn't it strange that princes and kings And clowns that caper in sawdust rings And common people, like you and me Are builders for eternity? Each is given a bag of tools A shapeless mass, a book of rules And each must make ere life has flown A stumbling block .... or a stepping stone

You can send a boy in for a BOR even when he is not up for a rank advancment. Any time we feel that a scout may be off track we will ask him to come in and meet with us (the committee) to see how the troop can beter serve his needs. He may be more comfortable talking to the committee than to you in this case. Set up the meeting but be sure he understands that he is not up for advancement at this time. YIS John B CC T115 Naugatuck, CT

The best way to keep your uniform bank work is buy and sell the uniforms. $5 for a shirt or pair of pants. we buy and sell at the same price. Folks always remember to turn in their old items. It also takes away the problem of choosing who needs a free uniform most.

http://onmyhonor.com

BTDTGTS (Been there, done that, got the shirt)... and the mug and the neckercheif and the photos and the memories... Great camp. (Welcome to the campfire) While your posting so much info, let me add a link to their home page http://www.housatonicbsa.org/ and one to my photos from your council's air show... http://www.onmyhonor.com/events9900/air/

Canyon289, Welcome to the camp fire! Look in the Yellow Pages and news papers for your friendly local stump grinder. He may be able to supply you with all the mulch you can use. Also, Look up tree services for wood chips. My family has owned both over the years here in CT and we'd do just about anything to dump a truck load for free. I recall showing up at a farm in our pick up truck and asking the farmer if he needed two truck loads of free chip... Later that night two large dump trucks unloaded. Still feel a bit bad about that trick. Point is, try looking for sources that want to get rid of something rather than asking a retailer to take a hit in the pocket. Good luck!

Bas, I think you'll find that the younger scouts will have the advantage. Most will be in full uniform and at most meetings. If you throw in points for things like advancing in rank they will do even better. Main thing is that if you set it up be sure to carry thru with it. Don't build them up and then disapoint them.

I have found that the Law and Oath will work for the boys, it's the adults that need to have it spelled out for them. Things like the no smoking rule and such, helps if you can point to it in the parrents guide rather than telling them it is in a book they will never read.

Note: my experince with this method goes back about 12 years ago and does not involve my current troop. Our Scoutmaster droped out due to health and family issues. So we formed a selection committee. That's was the start of it all. They had no real idea how to run a troop and would meet each week and follow the program as outlined above. As I said, they got no where while the ASM's tried to hold things togeather. The end of our problems came when we asked all the folks on the selection committee to step up and take a real role in the troop or get out of the way of the folks who were doing the real work. One of the Asm's steped up to SM, troop went from 20 to 40 scouts in a single year with 100% retention. Eamonn, Sorry if my original post came off as an atack, I should have reread and then toned down my reply.

No, not a myth, more a joke. Ok, we start by making our list of what we are looking for... Good with kids, good leadership track record, schedule that allow them to be there, etc. Then we try to match it up... Well, there's Tom, but he's with another troop, there's Dick but he's a coach for soft ball and there's Harry but he's got no background for the job. OK, lets meet again next week and try again while the troop fades away.

The only way to clean up the mess is to turn it over to the committee before you do any more damage. Ter is a reason the SM is not invited to BOR's, even more so not to invite youth members! My only question is are you looking to do the right thing or are you looking for us to tell you it's ok to do it your way?

Can't say any thing about the book, but I would find an other vendor to buy from. My dealing with scoutingbooks.com was not what I expected from a business that supports scouting.

Mrs. S., Please tell me you don't know me... John B. (Grin)

Or you can take FOG's statement to the extream and go for something really diferent like a bed race or some kind of relay race... Hmm, now I'm interested.

Eamonn, Way back when, in my days as an engineering student we learned that a structure could only be truly called successful after it has outlived it's reason for being and has been dismantled. Only then can it be said that it has not and will not fail. Your troop and district can both pass this test. It is so much better to hear that the leadership and funding surpassed the needs of the youth than the other way around. To this end I would like to raise a mug to success. and to offer my congratulations and thanks to all who made it possible. Take a bow for a job well done.

Wow, that looks like fun! One thing on safty, the plans call for "Saftybelts and helmets"... Not sure I'd go with a safty belt. General rule is karts with out roll cages don't get seat belts. I think I'd go for helmet, full finger leather gloves, long pants and sweat shirt or jacket. I'd like to add boots to that but I know that wouldn't fly. (Maybe it's just the motorcyclist in me.)

Unless your pack has a rule against it, I'd let him wear it until the new tigers arrive. (Or until he wants to change)

In my younger days I pushed for the idea of items that could only be earned. Things like a hooded sweatshirt with teh troop logo, buy as many Tshirts as you want but you must sell X number of candy bars to get a sweatshirt. Now I'd lean towards letting the parents foot the bill if they want and use the time that would have gone to the fundraiser to do a service prodject. Not sure if either is right but that's the way I'd go now and then.