FScouter

Heres how training works in our district. The training team: - Sets a date for a training event. - Publicizes the date and makes announcements at Roundtable meetings. - Publicizes the training through the commissioners, and other outlets such as the district website and district newsletter. - Publishes and distributes a flyer for the event. - Wait for adult leaders to sign up. - Conduct the training. - Turn in the training attendance roster to the council. This seems to be an inefficient method for getting unit leaders trained. There are those leaders that actively seek out training, but many others need some encouragement to get trained. As the district training chairman, I want to actively go out and personally invite untrained leaders to attend the training events that they need. To do that, I need to know which leaders have completed which trainings. The training guidebook says its important to complete an accurate Inventory of Training. Unfortunately, our district has no training records with which to develop the Inventory, unless training records have been recorded electronically in the ScoutNet system. I'm looking for some help in understanding what the ScoutNet database system is all about. Does the system include fields for the various trainings that adult leaders have completed? Is there a query mechanism to enable a user to retrieve for example a list of all Scoutmasters that have not completed Scoutmaster Specific training? Or to pull a list of new leaders that have registered in the last 90 days? Do any volunteers out there have any experiences with using the ScoutNet system? Mr. Steele, could you provide any insight from the professional point of view on how a volunteer can get information out of the database?

I've always thought that questions posted on an internet forum are open game for anyone to answer. In my opinion, the most complete answers come from posts from a variety of people. To request an answer from just one person might make the rest of the group feel just a tiny bit slighted, as if their comments have been dismissed before even being made. In the same vein, some people might also feel excluded from the group if one responds on the public forum that an answer or suggestion to a public question is being sent via the private message system.

I've got 51 years of experience, but still learn something new every day.

people who think they are part of the committee but are not. BANG (goes the gavel at the start of the committee meeting) Committee Chair Thank you all for being here this evening. The meeting is called to order at 7:01 PM. For the record we have our secretary George, our membership person Joe, our equipment coordinator Suzy, our advancement person Sam, and myself. Bill, our treasurer, will not be here this evening. Thanks to all the rest of you for your interest in being here this evening. Your input is appreciated.? And if appropriate We actually have some committee functions that are not covered yet and if any of you would like to formally join the committee and assume a position of responsibility we would love to have you.

A board of review gives a boy a chance to talk with adults that he doesn't normally deal with. It gives the committee a chance to see how the program is working for the boys. And also to get some feedback on how good a job the SM and assistants are doing. The board of review loses much of it's purpose if the board includes assistant Scoutmasters. All the literature says the board is comprised of committee members, not the SM or assistants.

GrayFox - The vote quote from the current Troop Committee Guidebood #34505B is found at the beginning of Chapter 8. "The committee meeting is attended by all committee members and the Scoutmaster." "The Scoutmaster is not actually a member of the troop committee, and has no vote." You might point out that "The committee should not forget that its primary responsibility is supporting the troop program." As Eisley pointed out, they are not charged with setting the program, they are there to support the program. Assistant Scoutmasters cannot be committee members because a person can only hold one position in a unit.

"I want a Clark bar !"

The audio files on that website are in the RAM file format, which is a Real product. According to the Microsoft knowledge base RealNetworks content is created by software that is developed by RealNetworks. The content is compressed with proprietary RealVideo and RealAudio codecs and is stored in a file format developed by RealNetworks. To play RealNetworks content, obtain the RealOne player. PowerPoint does not support RealNetworks products. The sound file would have to be in some format supported by Windows Media Player which would also be supported by PowerPoint. What you need is a ripper to convert .RAM to MP3 or WAV or something else that Media Player can read. Apparently no such puppy exists. Real wont share their format. One thought would be to use a utility that will record directly from your sound card. Play the RAM file using RealPlayer, and record it into MP3 or whatever. Then insert the file into PP. I dont know if that would work, but you could try. Look here for rippers and recorders http://download.com.com/ .

The Troop Committee Guidebook # 34505B has a good discussion about money-earning events and ideas, and troop finances. The Unit Money-Earning Application #34427A has the guidelines printed on the back side.

Yeah, what did the Patrol Leaders' Council have planned before the adults nosed in?

And the answer is - The uniform consists of shirt, pants, socks, etc. A shirt is not a uniform, a belt is not a uniform, and official BSA skivvies is not a uniform. To be able to say "I'm in uniform" means to wear all the parts and insignia correctly. You may wear a uniform shirt, but that is not a uniform. And as leaders, we are not utilizing one of the eight methods of scouting if we do not wear the uniform. (Sorry, I can't tell you where to find the BSA policy you quoted at your training.)

I used to eat Bit-O-Honey, Big Hunk, and Abba Zabba. Now I "Get the sensation!" Easier on the teeth.

"I want a Clark bar!"

Why would a pack want the same number as a troop? And why would the council allow two units to use the same number?

Moles don't make hills, they make mounds. Get it right!

Propane is heavier than air. Normally, when you open the valve it comes out through the mantle and should drift down and into the lit match you're holding under the mantle. But if the lantern is hot, the propane may be hot enough to rise up, thereby avoiding your match. Just a theory.

Absolutely wear your uniform! There won't be any confusion.

Another point about unit numbers: In our council, a pack and a troop in the same geographical area are assigned the same unit number. This causes confusion in figuring out whether Joe Scouter in unit 666 is a Cub leader or a Boy Scout leader. With four digits to work with we have up to 9,999 possible unit numbers. Why duplicate unit numbers in the same council???

Luckily for us we don't have to draw any lines. We dont have to figure out and weigh differences of opinion. Our national organization has done that for us. It has been made crystal clear for us unit leaders that paintball and laser tag are not acceptable Scout activities. BSA has not banned anything that could be considered simulated killing. BSA banned paintball and laser tag. There is plenty of flexibility for the unit or chartered organization to avoid simulated killing games or chess or whatever gameboy games you might find offensive. I'm sure BSA would have no problem at all if some unit wants to ban chess or fishing in the unit. Any parent that objects to archery or fishing or any other acceptable Scouting activity is certainly not obligated to allow their kid to participate. Any unit that wants to agonize over chess can go ahead and agonize. Its not a problem. But BSA will absolutely have a problem if some unit decides to do paintball as a unit activity. BSA will never give the boy-led troop the option of ignoring the Guide to Safe Scouting, even if all the adult leaders and parents and chartered org agree. Its not an option. If you want to do paintball and laser tag, there's no reason why you should not go right ahead and do so; just do it outside the realm of Scouting.

Nice try Mr. proudeagle, but I still believe that killing other people is wrong, and that any game or activity that centers around the simulated killing of other people is wrong. Making that activity fun or safe doesnt eliminate the basic premise of inflicting death as entertainment. You can cut-and-paste out of the dictionary until the cows come home, but killing people is still wrong.

There is nothing "politcal" in the decision of BSA to not allow paintball or laser tag as Scout activities. And that decision doesn't have anything to do with safety either. "Play killing" of other human beings does not support any Scouting value, and that is the reason BSA does not allow it.

The terms being mentioned by Senior_Patrol_Leader_T15 in the context of the JLT Conference are terms used in the White Stag program. Silver Stag is an award, Beaver is a patrol name, "ticket" is a Leadership Growth Agreement", and the 11 leadership skills are part of the basic leadership program. White Stag shares commonalities with JLTC, and with Woodbadge, but they are not the same thing. White Stag is a 6 year program. It is not a BSA program.

Your district Advancement and Recognition chairman can provide you with a list of registered counselors. If you don't know who that is, contact the district commissioner assigned to your unit. That person is there to help you with issues such as this.

A couple or three suggestions: - Go to your Roundtable and ask some other Scoutmasters where they hike. - Call the chairman of your district Camping Promotion committee. - Check your council website a link to the High Adventure Team (HAT). The Western Region publishes a guide to about 300 awards that can be earned for High Adventure activities, many of them hikes.

FatOldGuy - The syllabus for Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills has two suggested program schedules. The weekend schedule starts Friday evening and ends Sunday afternoon. An alternative schedule is two Saturdays 8 AM to 8 PM. The suggested schedules can be modified somewhat if necessary, but it takes so many hours to properly present all of the material. If your training is only one day, youre missing a good chunk of material.