gwd-scouter

What a great day yesterday. All but two of our Scouts showed up for Scout Sunday and Scouting for Food collection. That's the best attendance we've ever had. The guys worked in rotations handing out flyers during all 3 services last week, then everyone on hand yesterday to receive the donations. We collected over 500 food items (cans/packages, etc.). Last year going door-to-door the guys only collected 140. Hey EagleDad, I appreciate your comments about being seen in the community. At least this year, our Scouts made more personal contact with members of the community by being seen and greeting the over 1500 church members of our CO than they have going door-to-door (especially since more than half of homeowners weren't home or wouldn't come to the door). I watched and listened yesterday as many of the older men in the Church came up to our Scouts, handed them a cash donation for the Food Bank, told them about when they were Scouts in their youth, and thanked them for helping the community. What a wonderful day.

So the people of the valley sent a message up the hill asking for the buried treasure tons of gold for which they'd kill. Came an answer from the kingdom with our brothers we will share all the secrets of our mountain all the riches buried there.

We have a group of older Scouts (ages 14-15) that are planning a backpacking trip on their own, or at least part of it on their own, for March. On Saturday morning, we will drop off those Scouts at one end of the hiking trail, then drive the adults and the younger/new Scouts to where we will camp. The older guys will hike, camp over night, and then hike some more and meet up with us on Sunday morning. This is what we've been working toward. Last fall on one of our backpack trips these older Scouts said they wanted something more adventurous. They want to go back to the trail we hiked on that campout, but instead of only a few miles they want to do 10 or 15. Kinda tough on the new guys, so they asked if we couldn't do a lighter backpack trip for the young guys and let the older Scouts go on their own. I think they were surprised that I said it was a great idea. Work out the plans guys and we'll do it!

FireKat, Acco's post was not meant to be offensive. He's written an old line from the original Saturday Night Live TV show used in the point/counterpoint debates of Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin. Well, at least as a lady myself, I didn't take offense.

Been to many different flag retirements. I'm not a fan of cutting the flag up before being burned, but I understand some like to do it that way and have something to say about each stripe, etc. Our Troop recently disposed of four flags that had been given to us by folks in the community that knew, since we were Boy Scouts, we'd know what to do with them. We were camping at our Council's Scout camp this past December and another group (a youth group of girls - not Scouts, though) was there the same weekend. We invited them to join us for our flag retirement and they were eager to come since they said they had never seen one. Before we started the ceremony we took time to explain to the visitors what we were doing and why. I said a few words about where each flag had flown. Silently, pairs of Scouts carried the flags to the campfire and each team fully unfolded the flag, then folded it into quarters making a rectangle, then placed it into the fire. After one burned, the next team stepped up and so on. After the last flag burned, our Bugler played Taps while the Scouts saluted. The girls and their parents were very moved. Many had tears in their eyes. Gotta admit I did, too. Noticed a bit of moisture in my husband's eyes as well as another Dad who came with us that weekend. In the morning, the boys scraped through the ashes and collected all the grommets. Each Scout kept one. When asked what they were going to do with them, we heard "going to give it to my Dad when he gets home from Afghanistan," "my grandfather was in the Army, I think he'd like to have it," "I don't know anyone in the military so I'm going to hang it on my wall," etc.

I would agree with adding cooking merit badge. In addition to the reasons John-in-KC gives, I would add another. Learning to cook using fresh ingredients, or at the very least minimally prepackaged foods, is usually much healthier and less fattening than take out, fast food, or overly-processed microwave meals. I would also like to see the camping merit badge changed so that backpacking is not optional. Many of the requirements are worded in a way that one would think it means backpacking, but it isn't explicit. For instance, one could argue that cooking a meal on a lightweight stove could be done in the middle of a district camporee. Same for showing how to pack a backpack for proper weight, balance, etc. Too many guys out there have no idea how to camp or to appreciate nature and their surroundings unless they pull a huge trailer loaded with all the conveniences of home.

Our Troop has always participated in campwide games at summer camp. Last summer the guys decided they wanted to go white water rafting instead of the games on Friday. Couldn't blame 'em. Friday games/competitions at camp had gotten pretty lame. What the guys didn't know was that camp staff changed the Friday schedule last summer and the games were much more inventive, fun, and had something for everyone - not just the biggest and strongest. Our guys missed it. When it came time to give out the award ribbons at Friday night's campfire, they all kept asking me why they didn't get anything. "you weren't here for the games," I said. I don't know what they'll decide to do this summer, but it will be up to them.

LisaBob: For the past two years our Troop has offered to have joint campouts with this struggling Troop. SM always said the boys weren't interested. In our talk the other night, Mom said they'd never heard about our offer. So, I offered again as they move forward. During our conversation, I also mentioned that I would be happy to come and help conduct Troop JLT (or whatever it's called now) for their Scouts. They've never had that before - ever - none of the guys has ever been to Council JLT/NYLT either. Offered to get together with their leaders, parents, Scouts, whomever, and show them the plans our Troop has made this past year to help give them something to go by. Offered to have their PLC (at such time as they form one) come to a couple of our PLC meetings to get a handle on how that works. New SM asked about training and I let her know all the dates coming up, the online training available, that she should start attending roundtable every month, get her hands on a SM handbook and start reading, read the Boy Scout handbook too. Our District is pretty bad with Unit Commissioners, but I certainly hope someone will be assigned to them. We just had one assigned to our Troop and he's wonderful. Maybe he'd consider taking them on too. Den Chiefs - funny you mention that John. One thing I had considered if these guys were transferring to us was to put a couple of them in Packs as Den Chiefs. Other than our two Scouts who served as Den Chiefs last year, there are none in our District. It is a POR I fully support. Unfortunately other SMs in our District don't feel the same way. Almost all of our Troops and Packs meet on Monday nights so the SMs don't want their guys gone during Troop meetings while they serve in a Den meeting. Very sad because it is a marvelous program and opportunity for both the Troops and Packs. I will most certainly mention it to the struggling Troop since they have not had any recruiting for several years. Their CO has both the Troop and a Pack. The Pack is having troubles, too. Just a mere three years ago I never thought I'd be in a position to offer advice and assistance to another Troop. Time to give back for all the helped I've received over the years.

Here's an update. The Troop of boys considering transferring is going to try to stay together and revive their Troop. Chartered Organization does not want to lose their Troop, although they've never offered support in the past. The other parents, one of whom is the COR, have asked the Mom who called me to step up as SM and they are going to ask the current SM to resign. Mom called me to tell me about all of this and to ask for my suggestions. Oh boy that was a LONG conversation. They were all supposed to meet last night to try to work all this out but I don't know the outcome yet. My biggest question to her was whether she had any ASMs in that Troop. Was anyone other than the current SM trained. Was she trained. No she said, but some of the Dads do go on campouts once in a while. Her biggest concern and the complaints from the Scouts is that their Troop never does anything. It is certainly a mess, but I wonder...if they've been so concerned (for at least a year) about not doing anything, why didn't they step up before this? Why did it have to come down to "firing" the SM? Just not a good situation.

Aquila, I hadn't thought of that. I don't know what rank these Scouts hold, but it is certainly possible that they all may be in their last steps toward Eagle. Of course, it is likely that these Scouts will not transfer to us. Last year, a couple of Dads and their sons came to visit with the intention of transferring. I've know them since Cub Scout days. When word got out that they were thinking about leaving, their leaders held an emergency meeting of all the adults to find out what the problems were and to work them out. Their Troop Leaders promised to make changes and so they stayed. In the end, one Dad and his two boys left anyway just last month and joined another Troop (not ours) where the boys knew many of the Scouts. The other boy and his father simply quit Scouts. Same thing may happen with this bunch. No doubt word has gotten out and pressure will be brought to make changes in their Troop. I would imagine our DE doesn't want to see the Troop fold, likely its CO doesn't either. Maybe they will make changes. Maybe they will get a new SM and ASMs that are committed to revitalizing the Troop. Maybe those boys will get the program they should. Whatever they decide, our door is open.

Our Troop is chartered by a large Baptist Church with over 1500 members. Every Sunday they have three worship services. Year-after-year we do Scouting for Food and year-after-year the guys tell me they don't like knocking on doors or putting out bags one weekend and picking them up the next. We usually get poor participation, both on the part of the Scouts and in the neighborhoods we visit. This year we're trying something different. Tomorrow our Scouts will hand out flyers at the beginning of all three church services asking the members to bring food items back the following Sunday when our Scouts will be in attendance for Scout Sunday. Even if each member only brings one can, we could collect more for our County Food Bank than we've collected going door-to-door in the past few years combined. Our Chartered Organization has not been very supportive of our Troop and most years don't even mention us when we attend on Scout Sunday. I doubt many people who attend even know the Church has a Scout Troop. We've asked if we could hold fundraisers at the Church and they've said no. We've asked for service projects we could do for the Church and they've never responded. So, it was with a bit of surprise and gratitude on my part when they agreed to let our Scouts conduct the SFF drive on Sunday. What is even better? I've been contacted by the pastor and he said that not only will he recognize the Troop on Scout Sunday, but will, in fact, work his sermon around Scouting in general with particular attention to our Troop and it's SFF service project. Good stuff all around. Troop gets recognition. Chartered Organization feels good about supporting the Troop. Church members feel good about helping the community. Food Bank receives much needed donations.

I know you believe you understand what you think I said; but what you fail to realize is that what you heard is not what I meant.

OK, jblake, I see what you're saying. But I think then perhaps you have misunderstood my posts. In the first post when I wrote I hoped one day that our troop would grow to 20 Scouts, I didn't mean I wanted to limit it to that. It's just that for the past few years as some of our Scouts aged out, moved, lost interest, only one or two Scouts joined. No loss, but no gain either. Also, the group of Scouts that is coming to join our Troop next week is not a Den of Webelos, but rather 9-10th graders looking to transfer. I don't think anywhere in my posts I've been using or asking for excuses to turn these Scouts away. I did mention that we've been contacted by a Webelos Den that is looking to crossover next year (Feb. 2009), but I never said anything about turning them away either. I think our Troop has a quality program, is getting better every year, and welcome any boy that wants to join. I do have concerns about a sudden influx of older Scouts since we've never had to deal with that before, but I'm sure our current Scouts and Leaders will handle it all just fine. Life as a Scouter is never boring.

Gern - stop your quivering, you were listed.

What I meant was that the size of a Troop doesn't necessarily determine its reputation for being boy-led, adult-led, advancement driven, and so on. Didn't word it very well. I was trying to find some similarity in the Troops in my district to those described by jblake as Troop A, B, C, and D. Yes, I agree that those mega troops that roll into a Camporee in a bus and establish what looks like a military encampment with four or five patrol sites each with matching tents, quonset huts, etc. certainly get noticed. Yes, parents of Webelos Scouts may see that unit as the best in the area because it is so big. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the mega troops gain respect merely because of their size though. In fact, in our District, we once had a mega-troop (now down to 24 Scouts) that was most certainly not respected by other Scouters and Scouts. This was in part because, due to their numbers, their adult leadership ran the District, the adults and boys in their Troop ran the OA Chapter. Not because they were selected to do so, but because of their majority influence they pushed aside ideas of other Scouts and Scouters.

jblake: I'm not sure I understand the meaning of your post. I certainly agree that Troops tend to gain a reputation, whether accurate or not, as being boy-led, adult-led, advancement driven, etc., but I don't agree that those reputations have anything to do with their size.

lip quivering, sniffle, sniffle....John, you didn't mention me.....sniffle, going off to pout.

Hey John, I most certainly have thought of that. If the other Troop is dying due to lack of adult support, it seems to follow that those adults wanting to transfer their Scouts to our Troop will not offer support either. We just got a couple of new ASMs who are very eager, but it wouldn't hurt if we could get a couple more to help support this sudden growth. If we do get all these Scouts and looking ahead to the possibility of five more next year crossing from Webelos, we will definitely have to make plans to deal with some infrastructure problems.

Got a call last night from our JASM. He and my son (ASPL) go to the same school and know many of the guys from the other Troop that are considering transferring. JASM mentioned he thought it would be a good idea to get the PLC together to talk about restructuring the Troop to accommodate these transfers - yep, gotta think about patrols now and the best way to organize them. His concern is that if the transferred guys are kept together as a patrol they will not really integrate into the Troop and it will be an us vs. them kind of situation. I thought about that myself. I have not yet spoken to the rest of the PLC, but JASM and my son have both told me that they are proud of the direction our Troop has taken and hope this new influx of, as Beavah says, 'inculturated' Scouts will not cause too much strife. JASM and my son also mentioned that they are excited about the prospect of forming real patrols and building patrol spirit and having competitions. In essence, achieving one more goal we've been working toward. I did find out last night more information about these transferring Scouts. The number considering transfer has grown from five or six to eight or nine - the whole Troop basically. I feel awful about this. I know that Troop has had problems for a couple of years. The biggest problem was outings being canceled because of lack of adult leadership. We have offered to have joint campouts with the Troop, but they (the SM) have always declined. Perhaps he was afraid if his boys saw all the fun and adventure we were having, they'd want to transfer and his Troop would fold. Sadly, that is exactly what may happen now.

I actually know the biggest reason they are transferring. Their Troop has not gone on an outing since our District's Fall Camporee (October) and before that was summer camp (June). So that won't be an issue with our Troop. One reason I was told last night for these boys wanting to join our Troop is all the activities we've done over the past few years. Something said during the phone call with Mom last night concerns me though. She said a couple of times, "these guys have come so far and I want to see them finish...make Eagle." I did explain that we don't 'make' Eagle Scouts in our Troop and that while opportunities are there for advancement, we are not advancement driven - you know, that is but one of the methods of Scouting. She seemed to understand that, but we'll have to see. I am looking forward to talking with the parents and Scouts and finding out what they are looking for and if our Troop would be the right fit for them. We do have other Troops in the District and depending on our discussion, another Troop may work out better. Sure I want to see our Troop grow, but it would be regrettable to throw our well-running Troop into chaos because of a group of new Scouts and parents with expectations that do not fit with our Troop's program. As far as summer camp, the campsite we use each year has room for more Scouts, so that won't be a problem this year. Of course, if we get more Scouts next year it could be.

BuffaloSR793: I have not been involved in starting a new Troop, but have in the reviving of a failing one. Are you interested in starting a new Troop because you are dissatisfied with the Troop you involved with now? The reason I ask is that (at least from my observations in this District) starting out a Troop with a handful of Scouts and parents that leave another Troop because of problems rarely results in a vibrant long-lasting Troop. The Troop I currently serve was formed by a few parents that were disgruntled by their current Troop's leadership. So, they took their boys and started a new Troop. Yep, they had a great program and did what they wanted to do to benefit their Scouts. Problem was that they did very little recruiting and eventually their sons Eagled and quit or just plain quit and then the parents were no longer interested in Scouting. That, sadly, left a few new Scouts and their families holding the bag. Yes indeed, that's how I became the Scoutmaster! If you are indeed planning to start a new Troop, please go in with the idea that you'll be there for all the Scouts and for several years. Get training. Get other adults leaders on board and trained. Get your Scouts together and have them come up with a list of activities they want to do. Then go do them. One thing I found that helped us recruit a few Scouts and keep those we had during those struggling years was that we did something EVERY month. Even if only 2 or 3 Scouts signed up, we went. Now we've had three years of successful events and are starting to get noticed by others in the District. Numbers will grow as a result. As Eamonn posts, don't be discouraged if your Troop is small for a while. Ours is small, be we always have the highest percentage of attendance at any District function - we hit 100% or come darn close!

John-in-KC: Fortunately for our troop, we have a very large trailer filled with patrol boxes, tents, stoves, tarps, etc. etc. We probably have enough gear to outfit a Troop at least 3 times our current size, possibly even more. LisaBob: Yep, already contacted the PLC and our adult leaders to let them know what's up. I've known the Mom that called last night for many years through Scouting. We've always been in different units, both during Cubs and Scouts, but have worked together many times on District events. She said they stayed in their current Troop mostly out of loyalty, but it just isn't working any more and it's time for a move. The Scouts considering transferring know many of the guys in our Troop so that will certainly be helpful. We're setting up a time this week to get together with all the transferring Scouts and parents so that they have a chance to ask questions about our Troop and find out how we do things. Not trying to disparage anyone, but I know that they way we do things is very different from what they've been used to. It will no doubt be difficult to get these older Scouts (and their parents) on board with the idea that they will not be spoon-fed advancement any longer and that the Scouts will be expected to contribute rather than simply go along for the ride, but we've managed to get our current Scouts working that way. The one thing I've been thinking about since last night's call is helping to integrate these guys so that we don't wind up with an us vs. them kind of situation. Being such a small Troop we've not had separate patrols. We do many times have different activities going on at meetings - one for the new and younger Scouts, another for the older Scouts (actually, our PLC). I've heard the arguments for age-based patrols and mixed-age patrols and both have merit. Just something else for us to figure out as we go forward.

As a reminder, we are a small Troop currently with 11 Scouts. For the past few years we've been working toward changing our Troop culture to boy-led rather than adult-led. Been having very good progress on that. The biggest challenge we've been facing though is recruiting. We usually get one or two new Scouts each year at different times during the year. It has only been in this last year that our Troop has been noticed and visited by Webelos Dens from a couple of Packs in our District, so things are looking up. Just had a visit from a group that anticipates crossing over to our Troop next year, so we hope to add about five new Scouts then. Got a call last night from a Mom in another Troop asking if she, her son, and FIVE other Scouts could transfer to our Troop. Oh my! My head was spinning after talking with her. Six Scouts joining this month, maybe five more this time next year? Yep, I've often said my hope for the Troop was to build it to somewhere around 20 or so Scouts.

John-in-KC. New SPL asked my son to be ASPL and he's happy with that job. He feels his age and experience will be helpful to the new younger SPL and he will run for SPL again next time. Funny, these events always remind me that most times the adults/parents are more dismayed at seemingly unfair situations than the boys.

Update on our junior leaders. Had Troop JLT a couple of weekends ago at my house. All five new leaders present and it went very well. The best thing to come out of the training I think was that the guys came together by the end rather than entering their new positions with some negative attitudes that resulted from the election. New SPL is young and inexperienced, but I think the other guys are more interested in helping the troop continue its momentum toward boy leadership, rather than trying to undermine the SPL. Fantastic. After speaking with outgoing SPL, he thought he'd like to work as JASM with specific attention to advising and mentoring new SPL (oh yeah, experienced senior Scout stepping up and a little bit less on my plate). We've reinstated the Scribe position for this year and the Scout in the position is excited and ready to begin. My son was selected to be ASPL and he's happy in that job. One of the other guys that ran for SPL was selected to be Troop Guide. Older son, as ASM for the Troop, has volunteered to work with this Scout to help him learn how to train and mentor our new Scouts. At the end of our training day, I talked with the guys about our Troop and how they, as leaders, set the tone for the Troop. A couple of them may be young and inexperienced and most likely would not be eligible to fill these PORs in other Troops, but the enthusiasm and willingness to learn they showed during training gives me a good feeling for the year ahead. So here we go into 2008.