kbandit

Here is a word doc that was included in 2008. Our cd's have lots of powerpoint presentations included, links to sites, lots of pdf files, and lots of information. Below is 1 of 4 handout for Troop Court of Honor on that particular cd. University of Scouting January 19, 2008 B315 - Court of Honor Notes 1) Immediate recognition is a powerful incentive of the BSAs advancement program. A scout should receive his new badge as soon as possible after his achievement has been certified by a board of review. A simple ceremony at the conclusion of a troop meeting or during a campout is ideal, with the Scoutmaster making the presentation of the badge. --from the Scoutmaster Handbook, Ch. 10 2) A troop holds a Court of Honor every three months- a formal recognition with families, friends, and the public in attendance. All scouts who have moved up to any rank except Eagle Scout, or who have earned merit badges since the last court of honor, should be recognized. (A special Eagle Scout court of honor will be held after an Eagle Scout board of review has certified that a Scout has completed all of the requirements for that rank and the application has been approved by the National Council. The Scout and his family should be involved in planning the ceremony and selecting those who will make the presentation of the award.) --from the Scoutmaster Handbook, Ch. 10 3) Courts of honor may be chaired by the head of the troop committee, or the troop committee member responsible for advancement. The planning of the program also should be handled by these individuals, along with other members of their committees. --from the Scoutmaster Handbook, Ch. 10 4) Courts of honor can be very meaningful experiences for Scouts. To make the most of the opportunity, those planning a court of honor might consider these guidelines.  Publish the dates for courts of honor in the troop calendar.  Promote upcoming courts of honor throughout the troop.  Involve the chartered organization.  Invite local media.  Have all awards on hand and certificates signed well in advance of the event.  Ensure that the meeting place is appropriate and properly set up. Consider outdoor locations, weather permitting.  Use decorations and props that are fitting for the occasion.  Make the ceremony dignified and meaningful, both for Scouts and for the audience.  Consider serving refreshments afterward and providing adults and Scouts time to visit.  Watch the time. Most courts of honor should last no more than an hour. --from the Scoutmaster Handbook, Ch. 10 5) Basic Protocols to consider. 1. The Scouts enter carrying the troop and patrol flags. 2. The court of honor members enter. 3. The color guard enters carrying the colors. The Scouts and audience members stand at attention. 4. The parents and audience members join the Scouts in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. 5. An appropriate opening ceremony is presented. 6. The court chairperson (or master of ceremonies) convenes the court of honor. 7. The court chairperson calls on members of the court to make awards presentations. 8. Special program features are presentedScout demonstrations, a brief address, or singing. 9. Retire the colors. 10. Close. The court of honor may close with the troop's regular closing ceremony. 6) Idea Checklist: Planning Phase o ___ Schedule the date. o ___ Reserve the facility. o ___ Meet with the Eagle Scout, committee, and parents. o ___ Request letters from dignitaries, etc. o ___ Secure the speaker/court commitment. o ___ Send invitations. o ___ Print programs. o ___ Prepare/distribute news releases. o ___ Mail programs to participants. o ___ Order refreshments. Physical Arrangements o ___ Seating for audience o ___ Seating for platform o ___ Lighting o ___ Heat and ventilation o ___ Public address system o ___ Special equipment [such as movie equipment, if used) o ___ Custodians cooperation secured o ___ Refreshment? o ___ Parking Awards Presentation o ___ Badges and certificates are in individually marked envelopes. o ___ Clasps on mothers' pins and metal badges are open and ready to be pinned on. o ___ All other awards and recognitions are arranged and marked. Presenter's Briefing o ___ One Scout at a time receives his award. o ___ The Scout faces the audience. o ___ The Scout is on a box or raised platform. o ___ The Scout is spotlighted, if possible. o ___ The presenter knows where to pin the badge. o ___ The presenter knows how to give the Scout handshake using the left hand. General Program o ___ Who is to be introduced? o ___ Make speakers aware of the time limit. o ___ Prepare notes for people who are not familiar with the activities. o ___ Encourage parents' participation. o ___ Recognize the Scoutmaster and other leaders. Have any demonstration or special program materials on hand. o ___ Plan the entrance for court of honor officials. o ___ Start on time and end on time. o ___ Set up and staff refreshment? and reception tables. Follow-up Details o ___ Make arrangements for returning equipment and cleanup. o ___ Send a note of thanks to program participants, the custodian, and any others who helped. Webpages of Interest: These few webpages have multiple descriptions of Court of Honor Ceremonies. http://www.danandsherree.com Sample ceremonies http://scoutmaster.org/rank_ceremonies_final.pdf Sample Ceremonies It makes great reference materail. On the 2008 cd it includes materails from classes that were taught in 2007 but not 2008. Most classes have atleast one document or powerpoint presentation. Our cd's are passed out after the last class or can be requested from council office at a later date.

oh forgot Program Helps.

Contact your District Executive and he can put you in touch with someone at your council office that can get you a cd of the last Scouting University. Lots of useful info. Check out your council website for training dates. If you want private message me with your address and I will burn you a copy of what I have from my council and send it to you.

I went to your council's website and nowhere could I find anything about a council summer camp other than the notice of your leader's meeting May 3, 2009. No very user friendly for out of council scouts looking for a new camp to attend. I could not find even the name of your coucil camp doing a search of the website. Could not being able to find information about your summer camp be part of the reason numbers are down? I would assume that your council does not have a council camp if I was doing research of summer camps in your part of the country.

Last night our scouts were picking merit badges and a second yr. not a particulary strong swimmer wanted to take Lifesaving. OK. Here is the requirement book. Upon looking over the requirements another wiser choice was made. No one told him he couldn't take it but upon a little research in what is involved he made the choice. Since we do not have a schedule of sessions we had them pick 1,2 and 3 choices which I will then plug into a schedule. By looking at first choices last night and returning to the same camp as last year most first choices will happen. It just a matter of filling in the ones that are offered limited session(s). If I have to goto 3rd choice I will talk to the scout and make sure that is something he really wants to take not just fill in the slot on the paper thing he did.

Get a dutch oven cookbook or outdoor cookbook.

COH after summer camp the scouts look forward to their "special awards". My son was the co-winner of the "Lobster of the year award." Every scout gets something. Had a scout jump in the pool for the first time got " The Big Splash Award."

The food budget per scout depends on how many meals are needed for the weekend. Our troop has the scouts eat dinner before they come to drop-off/camp on Friday and we pack up after breakfast on Sunday. It also depends on the cost of food in your neck of the woods. Our troop charges $9.00 per scout/scouter per weekend. We do recycle left over condiments, can of ? and the patrols are given a list on menu night as what is up for grabs or available for use. If it is up to the scouts on menu night how do you get the correct funds to the shopper for the patrol? We plan menu the week of camping when permission slip and funds are turned in. Things tend to come up and someone will have to cancel if we did it say a week earlier.

Sorry this is not my petition just an email I received from my district. If you click on the link it will take you to the page that has the link to Ft. Ancient site. Our troop camped there in Oct. and did clean up from the big wind storm we had Sept. 14. The park is owned by state of Ohio. Our district is having its camporee there in April. We have heard the rumors this park will be closing due to budget. I do not know where Lill Morris got the information. I will look for more information and post as I find it.

Please read and consider signing a petition to save a very scout friendly park. Hopewell District Scouters, Please see the note below from Lill Morris. I hiked the Silver Moccasin Trail at Ft. Ancient when I was a Boy Scout. As an adult, I've attended multiple crossover campouts, district campouts and other events as a guest of Jack Blosser and Ft. Ancient. Jack has worked with many of our Scouts to provide opportunities for Eagle projects. Please take a few minutes to sign the online petition at the bottom of this e-mail to save Ft. Ancient. Then please take the time to forward to everyone in your unit that is not on this distribution list so they have an opportunity to sign as well. Thanks, Tom Lehn Ft. Ancient is in trouble because of the financial situation we're all in. It may close and the staff let go.Ft. Ancient has been a friend to Troop 617 and all of Dan Beard Council. To date, Troop 617 has had 15 Eagle Projects at Ft. Ancient. Please take a minute to help save Ft. Ancient. Click on the website below, read and consider signing. Save Ft. Ancient for Jack Blosser, your Scout and for Troop 617. Yours in Scouting, Lill MorrisScoutmaster Troop 617 Save Ft. Ancient Historical Site, OHS - Online Petition I have just visited GoPetition and found the following page very interesting: http://www.gopetition.com/online/26239.html Thanks Kbandit

When my youngest was in cubs we got into selling the magnetic ribbons. We got in on the "ground floor" so to speak and sold thousands at $5 ea. Cost was 1.25 pack got 2. scout got 1.75. There were approx 25 in pack. We had scout accounts with $500-600 in accounts. It followed the scouts into boy scouts or was put into general cub fund for those who did not cross-over. Checks were made out to BS troops. To the original post:Your committee needs to setup the guidelines on funding for individual accounts (Webelos). As for transferring monies to a different cub pack I would only consider any unused portion of the dues paid. One way to set up Webelos accounts is Webelos sell $XXX.XX you will get $XX.XX into an account to use for scout related expenses (receipts req) or it will tranfer to troop or go into pack funds. Anything over X amount goes to pack. Our troop sells wreaths in the fall and invite Webelos who are going to join our troop to participate for part of proceeds going to scout account. I am going to venture not alot of troops do this. We believe popcorn sales should benifit the pack the webelos are a member of at that time. Your committee needs to get a written policy (agreement) regarding any of this and it must apply to all. I would stronly suggest that only Webelos have accounts. Everything else would be pack funds. What your pack decides to do is what will work best for your pack.

We start new scounts in First Aid merit badge class. We have a great merit badge counselor. They usually meet for 6 or 7 (or more) meetings spaced out over several months. Counselor makes the call on how many weeks they meet. If they don't get the badge they can usually learn/retain enough for the early ranks. Swimming ASAP. Sometimes swimming begins as just instructional swim which is great. Camping is good also. You have got to remember new scouts are used to getting a patch for everything they did in cubs. Go on outing get a patch mentality.

Nice site. Our council/district I believe has some guidelines for photos on the web. I don't know if it is a national thing but.... Also we have a parent signed photo release form to fill out. To view photos on a scout web site around here it must be passworded for just members of the group to view if faces are visible. good luck

Has anyone applied waterproofing to tents? What we are looking for is some other than the cans you can buy anywhere. We are wanting to rewaterproof 15 tents. These are 4 man tents so we would like waterproofing we could put in a garden sprayer and spray them all at once. Does anyone know where we could find such a product? These tents do not have any major leaks just they are a little old and we will be using them at summer camp. Thanks for all suggestions.

Wow! I would educate myself on how the EBOR works in your district so I know what to expect down the road. Since you are meeting with the DE he/she may have some insight to this. Good luck

I would suggest that your committee have a plan on where to donate any left over food or supplies. Food pantries, homeless shelters that type of thing. Most places like that don't care how little or how much you donate all can be useful. I wish you much success on this fundraiser

WOW 33 new scouts. That is great. Glad to hear things are going well. Good Luck.

Looks good however you should check that all your links are working correctly. New scout links did not go to the title of correct item. Information link and I got resources survey. I was really disappointed about the cooking. I thought I could see some of your troops recipes. haha The main thing is if it works for your troop. Is the information kept up-to-date? Is there useful information for your troop/prospective new scouts? Ask your SPL and a few other scouts to give their opinion. Ask some of your adult leadership. Maybe get the feedback on an evaluation form you make up so you don't get the standard "Looks great" replies. They are you main target. Maybe add a scoutmaster update type thing on the good things the scouts are doing, such as "Jimmy C. earned his Tenderfoot", and keep it current. Kids love seeing their names and accomplishments out for everyone to see. I think I was told at a roundtable that national has some guidelines for scout troops/packs that have websites. Our troop does not have one so didn't pay all that much attention at the time. Good Luck you look like you have a nice website.

Hi and welcome. Dan Beard council here. I am in Middletown. I am on committee troop and pack although I don't have any sons in the pack. Hubby is SM of the troop and youngest (13) son is Life, oldest (20) is Eagle. Welcome and join in.

You stated that you and the CM will be out of town for the B&G. What about your Assistant Cubmaster? Remember most of us do the scouting thing for the boys.

Just did a crossover ceremoney tonite and our troop does it for the scouts who are joining a Boy Scout troop. We welcome the new scout to the troop after he crosses over the bridge. Not sure what your pack thinks it symbolizes. What is the point of being welcomed to a troop when there is no interest to join in the first place. I can see where your Boy Scout troop is frustrated. Who is paying for the scarves and eplets? Troop, pack or parents? If it is the troop that is just wrong if there is no intenetion to join the troop. My 2 cents

Have you filled out a Unit Fundraising Permit with your council? That will give you an answer.

Look up the requirements. Google Arrow of Light requirements, look in scout book. I think you will find the scout needs to have his Webelo badge for 6 months before he gets his AOL. Our troop does an AOL ceremony, where the AOL is awarded and then later in the evening we do the troop crossover ceremony for the same scouts who are moving to the troop. We are doing one this coming Tuesday. I think the wise thing to do is have a copy of the requirements with you when you talk to the CC. Can't add or take away from the requirements.

My Eagle son had to have a longer sash. He's 6'5". What we did is grandma, who is an excellant seamstress, combined two of the long sashes. Sure there was an extra seam in the back but better an extra seam then having a sash end 10" above his waist. Find someone who does alterations and I'm sure they could combine two sashes without removing the badges may just have to reposition a few.

Had an adult use the discount for a new tent. He put his information and our code popped up for him. You pay shipping on order unders $250. I think is the cutoff. I have let everyone know there is a troop discount code and use it. Troop will probley be purchasing some items within in the next month from there. The leader who used the discount thought it was great. Who wouldn't. LOL