Gunny2862

Continuing Leadership 101 Stevo0880, Leaders lead. It's who they are and whether anyone follows or not, leaders do the right thing. ?Are YOU doing the right things? Do you know your Scout skills? Do you live the Scout Oath & Law - and not just at Scouting? Do YOU show others the respect for authority you are asking for? If you set the example, know your stuff, and the others know(not from you telling them but because they see what you do and know it's real) that you really want Scouting to be fun for the others - they'll come around. If not, take another look at yourself - seek to constantly improve yourself. It is true you have no power, other than what others lend you and they will only lend it to you when they see that you will use it FOR rather than ON them. I see the comment above by stosh and mine to be completely in sync.(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

Still in transition, the previous SM can't stand that it's not being done the way he did it. Don't get me wrong, he did a great job of what he did. But the boy's who were there when I was handed the reins wanted to go a different way. And he is FAR more knowledgeable in some areas than I am. But rather than being a resource he's a stumbling block. I see the value of his help if it were help; but he doesn't help, he takes over - and due to his previous service and the cult of personality he created - everyone steps aside and lets him do "his" thing. Definitely agree on having a Trained ASM or previous SM in line 6-12 months prior, if possible with them knowing and the Committee in agreement that this is the next SM. Then from my perspective, do the last 2-3 months actively transitioning, then take 6 months and stay away from the Troop to let the new SM find himself in the job. Be available if he calls you or needs a sounding board - or even just to know how you would have done something. But remember that it is his responsibility now. And when you do go visit remember that for good or bad it's his job now - let him do it!

If they are capable (I don't know them), see what they think of a piece of flint, a knife, a water bottle, and something to boil water in(if they can't make one out of materials at hand). Then put the 10 essentials in a water-proof, sealed bag. They can use the bag at any time but lose points for doing so.

Look at the tarps at alpsmountaineering.com then check the pricelist that ScoutDirect.com will e-mail you if you "register" with them.

Wiener... Shower Fire... Tent Crabs... any Scout body part Lice... Last month - especially if followed by the tent number I'm currently using Beer... don't tell the SM Scout saying - Scouts name... really a girl... my tent... ooh la la! And in this part of the world a previous post would sound more like "Heh, heh, wartch this! followed by a click, snap, wind rush, boom or other noise you don't want associated with the previous saying.

...resistance is futile.

I hear you John but, for me, as a Serving SM, I am choosing to render the Boy Scout Salute when in Scouting uniform and the hand Salute at all other times. However, no more hand over the heart when I can salute. Yea!

That's great one, Thanks!

I am thoroughly unqualified to answer this but I would tend to agree that you can't stop previously issued cards from being held as complete. What you might be able to do is dis-enroll as MB counselors the persons you believe are providing "no-value" MB training and certifying them. Or at the least approach your DE about the possibility since it might seem that he would want this stopped also?

Don't just put the Waterproofing on with the sprayer, make sure you seam seal them again also - this MAY be of more value than the waterproofing you are trying. One way to seam seal is to use Clear Silicone Caulk and thin it with solvent then paint it on. Check on one piece of similar material or in a hidden corner for any unwanted effects before you do them all this way. It's very inexpensive but it doesn't work well with ALL materials.

Yeah, first hand in the air or the one left after all the good excuses have been made...Or the one who couldn't think of a good excuse...

Be kind to your Scoutmaster - he's just a volunteer too. Or else my paycheck is running Waaaay behind. Actually the PLC paid me last night when there was NO adult interaction in the entire election process last night. Wow! Yea!

Disclaimer: I wasn't a Scout, my brothers were and I had a "70 something handbook I read over and over but I never was a Scout.( maybe I'll tell you over a campfire sometime...) Many, Many years later I became Scout parent and a week later an ASM and not long after that a inexperienced, ignorant Scoutmaster. "Little has changed". I still feel up against the wall, far more regularly than I like. The training has helped a lot. I'm only missing Woodbadge at this point. But I am still dealing with legacy Scouters who have never been to training, yes they were Scouts and many times Eagles but that same experience leads them to think that it's the same thing on this side of the fence. And their differences (which vary far more from the program than my own) an insistence on "this is the way Scouts are supposed to do things" drives me crazy. By I do believe in training, I'm leading Cub Scout NLE and SM specific on a upcoming weekends in accordance with the Wishes of our D Traning Ch.. It would be nice if it were a little more practical - or if the volunteers could be led into going at a higher rate - but I also have issues with mandatory training - because then some well-intentioned folks will inadvertently make the bar so high the leader pool will shrink to unsustainable levels. edit: John's post beat me in - I (as usual) concur.(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

IMHO, part of the reason a Scoutmaster might be a gatekeeper is to: A) Discourage attempts by some to circumvent the growth process of the Scout by steering their child exclusively to MBU style opportunities(while cutting out Individual work) to "rush" them thru so they can "get" their Eagle and be "done" with Scouting as quickly as possible. B.1) Encourage Scouts to participate in MB opportunities that reflect the interests the Scout reveals to them that may be counter to other beliefs the family may have about their direction. "My son is going to be a Musician, why would he ever want to take an Engineering MB?" B.2) Similar to(but my own take on) John's comment,"He can make his own assessment of a program and decide the Counselor is not following procedures", there are MB programs out there that exist to get the Scout the MB and have no concern as to whether or not there is any value to the (small) time spent walking after it(vs. pursuing it). In some cases you aren't only cheating the scout of the Value of the MB itself but may actually being doing him a huge disservice by keeping him from examining something that might become his career and change his whole life. C) Allow the Scoutmaster additional insight in to whom the Scout is becoming so that he can aid in his development. If the SM has no idea what the Scout is involved in - especially/even in Scouting then how can he place the right opportunities for that Scout in his path?

In our area I would be shocked to see a Webelos who crossed over bringing a Pack check over with him to the Troop to establish his Troop Scout Account. I'd welcome it, but I'd be shocked. Most Packs (around here) don't do Scout Accounts - everything goes to Pack operations. OTOH, I do expect that any funds a Scout who transfers has in his old Troops Scout Account transfers with him. And we do send(or would if it ever happened) his Scout Account Funds with a Scout who left us to another Troop(made out to the Troop) of course. But it is a decision for the Pack leadership to resolve and set as policy so everyone knows.

Re-post I concur with SctDad, about not needing Kwiq-Clots all of the time and they shouldn't be a common use item - but I really like having one or two around should things go really bad. Which is why I had the Kwiq-Clots in the Adult Backpack or Troop Level kits. Because if you have to use them they replace an awe-ful(spelling deliberate) lot of gauze. But you don't want to use them on a scratch either. I don't think the EMT or MD use warning is required anymore, either - you can now buy them commonly for lay use at stores like Bass Pro Shops, etc.

edit failed...(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

In my experiences with our Council as a Rangemaster, Cub Scout siblings and prospective Cubs (in our Council) are not allowed to participate but are covered if they were injured at the event(ricochet,etc., not very likely but...) Boy Scout siblings are not allowed to participate unless they are prospective members, but are covered if they are injured at the event.(ricochet,etc., not very likely but...) I do not have the references handy...but those are also the guidance from the local DE.

We have had a racially mixed Troop for as long as I have been involved. All of the adults who volunteer and actually show up are Caucasian(edit- I so do not see in color that I forgot one of our Key committee members is ethnically Korean). I see us as very sensitive to possible problems but we try not to feed into it but rather as active in making it a non-issue. Of course, they are all in fact individuals with many possible discriminators (Rank, age, height, religion, parents marital status, schools, sports played, instruments played, internet access, phone access, leadership potential,etc.,etc.) but I do not choose to recognize the racial thing and if they want to try the race card, go ahead. I choose not to participate in that game. If the Scouts were to discriminate I would be the first to be jumping down their throats. I use the same criteria I used while I was in the Service, As they were all Marines and thus a funny looking camouflage color(which has many shades of Green in it, which we commonly referred to as simply Green)as in "Go find me that Marine, Jones - Which one? - either Lance corporal(if he was the only Jones at that rank), David(if I could remember his name) or the Light Green one."(If there were several but only one of each racial background and I wanted the Caucasian). Or, if he were the only Jones and the other guy wasn't aware at that moment "Duh, the Green one!" They are all Scouts - thus they are all Tan with (currently) either red or green shoulder loops. There are no other differences between them. It would be like discriminating because someone was right handed or left handed - we all have racial backgrounds. (Scot-Germanic) Those who aren't happy with the state of racial affairs in our Troop will not be happy anywhere else in the area. OTOH, there are those who will leverage whatever issue they can, and others who are so sensitized to their own issues that they will see discrimination anywhere that they possibly can. Especially if they do not get something they think they should have had. You have to realize that other than just letting people who live in this state have free rein over you that you cannot make them happy with the situation. And sometimes will be accused of discrimination by taking that course as well - of course you, in fact, were if you did take that choice but... So bottom line, depending on your PoV I am either Very racially sensitive or so far cave-mannned that I simply don't see the issue.(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

Thanks Vickie, But I think that in part, the discipline to do what is expected comes from: Knowing what is expected. It would be fairly simple for BSA to offer the kind of guidance we are talking about.. it would simply require that they SET a TONE to their guidelines. And that all publications that issue guidelines follow the same tone. Of course, it would take a little time to re-write all of those publications(I have some small experience here). But... A) If it's not specifically allowed, then don't do it. (A very hard tone to write in) or B) If it's not specifically prohibited, then it might not be what we prefer but it's allowed.

I'll tell you what the boys are actively in the process of doing... The SPL came to me and said, since we were nearly doubling!!!From two short Patrols. A great problem to have but a little bit of a problem. That He would, until the next election, double hat as the SPL and "NEW" PL The ASPL would shoulder some additional responsibility as he continues to train up(and gather experience for his run at the next election as SPL. Going to three full, plus one or two each, Patrols. That the two existing patrols would not dissolve but allow some existing Scouts to move into the new patrol attempting to achieve some degree of parity among the existing Scouts in each Patrol - and take in immediately about 1/3 of the new Scouts each to attempt some degree of parity among the new Scouts in each Patrol. As was said this actually creates three new Patrols but, they all have some previous experienced members in how a patrol works and what the expectations are. As it worked out each Patrol will have a former SPL in them. And allows some Scouts who started out in a Patrol and who aren't willing to move to stay in the Patrol they were originally "drafted" into. Patrol competitions will be fierce from the git-go because they are +/- balanced and the PL's all have incentive not just to teach advancement but to actually teach the skills so they don't lose competitions. That when the next elections came around they all would have been camping a couple of times and have seen the dynamics in their patrol and have an idea of what they were actually voting on. Before now we have operated at a steady state with two patrols and as older Scouts left we were at equilibrium with the numbers we took in as Scouts. I would rather do a NSP and then have a draft into the Patrols as we were doing. Or open up a New long-term Patrol,allowing any from existing Patrols to flow into the new Patrol IF they wanted out of their current Patrol, but as is we will wind up opening another patrol as soon as/if 2-3 more Scouts show up. I'm interested in seeing if this works.

If those are questions you have about your Troop, then a SM who cares won't mind answering them. Why not ask and find out?

When and where they ask for one, or when they need one; at meetings, at campouts, at summer camp but always within sight of others.

I am told - haven't experienced it yet..., that 50% show rate is about right on pre-paid breakfast and/or Spagetti dinner ticket sales. Was further told to prepare for 60-65% showing up and I would never run out. Disclaimer: I have not experienced this but am passing on my forerunners local advice.

There have been some "irregularities" over the years in the Troop. I realy try to avoid even the appearance that I am smoothing the path for my son. In so doing it seems better to me to have as little to do as possible with any signatures or conferences for him. I do SMC's for any and all other Scouts. In return, we have an unwritten Troop understanding that all Adults are to attempt to let any other adult deal with their child for any "Scouting" purpose. This does get problematic at times i.e. when he is part of the PLC, and directly a part of MY Job - but other than saying he successfully completed his time and mentoring him while he's serving - which is a very public act here and where any hypocrisy on my part would be readily exposed, and I would remove him if necessary and he knows it... - but other than that he's as much in the program as any other Scout. OTOH, I love my son and am extremely proud of him and his accomplishments, and let him know. Just not very often when there are other Scouts around.