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Add to the themes: one camporee was a canoe trip. Hasn't been done for a dozen years because the advisor who organized it was thrown so many paperwork hurdles (under the guise of G2SS), he said "never again", but I bet some of you would be up for it.

The boys got skills? Worst case scenario: They would have to wait until 12 years old and some change to get Eagle. Let your DE know about the gaff, and talk to the Pack who's feeding you these youngn's. Your biggest problem will be keeping these boys engaged over the next few years.

{begin rant} You say "modified", I say abandoned . .... Reference, Learn, Do, Teach -- what a great way to master a skill! Doesn't need an acronym. Makes sense. Easily translated into any known language. {rant over} Anyway, Ed, one more idea, while you still have a relatively small group of boys to work with ... when you talk about how you want things to operate, I find it's best to get every scout sat in a circle. No tables or desks or other scouts to hide behind. Just the them and the SM on the same level. You could: Apologize that you're in a bind with the backlog of conferences that you'd like to have with the scouts. (Sure, it's not not your fault.) Say you're going to catch up, but you want to start conferencing with the scouts who everyone agrees are most sure they are ready for the rank they will be awarded. Pass a rope around and give each boy a chance to tie a knot that you think they should know. Or orient a map or set a compass bearing. Or some other skill. If a boy isn't confident that he can do the skill, ask him to get help from the scout beside him. If that scout isn't sure, ask him move beside a scout who he knows can help him. Hopefully, this will identify the boy(s) who everyone knows has mastered the skills commensurate with his next rank. That's who will get the next SMC for rank advancement. Don't be negative. Just point out that they earn a rank when they know each skill well enough that other scouts trust them to be their teachers. Ask them what they think should be done a bout a signature in the book if a scout can't teach the skills he was signed off on. These are just some ideas. You know your boys better than we do. But often times, the way we allow meetings to run creates a "distance" that boys hide behind. Try to reduce that distance until the boys have their own smaller patrols with leaders whom they identified could help them go hiking and camping independently.

I'm sorry if I implied that your SMC should be a retest. But it sounds like you have your doubts about how some boys got their sign-offs. You should find a way to express what you expect from boys before they sign off. It's a new year. Your boys need to elect who among them they think will help train and vouch for every 6-8 of them. These boys will have to be the most trustworthy and helpful (or become that way real fast). So, it's time to choose wisely. No longer should you accept adult sign-offs, camp staff sign offs, time lord or other super-sentiment life form sign offs for scout skills. If it's not a PL's signature in the handbook, it doesn't count. Train your PLs to only accept demonstration the week after they teach the skill. If it's a knot they havent mastered themselves they can practice it together and demonstrate it. Any scout who feels upset that they have to recertifying with their PL can simply demonstrate all the skills he should have mastered right before starting his conference with you.

No quota system or formal vetting or vote, but not "any warm body" either. Those who do best as direct contact leaders are ASMs. Those who do best mobilizing our parents as needed, MCs. For new adults: It's pretty obvious who is who after a campout or two. SM makes recommendations to CC and COR they invite the new person to come on board. We accept paperwork first, then give them until recharter to get trained. Former SM's don't disappear. They demote to ASM. Practically, they are SM-emeritus. From my reading here, others have found this a source of friction. We haven't. Knowing how it feels to be "the guy", these gentlemen understand where and how to assist. It used to be any willing former SPL/JASM would be promoted to ASM at age 18. (One day of those young men's time is invaluable -- at the risk of some shortcomings in maturity.) Now, with the PA state clearance mandates, that's trickled off. Troops similar to ours have had young female ASMs ... they are usually mentored closely because they haven't come up through the program or brought their own boys up through cubs. But, soon they come on strong and do well.

I think it is pretty important for the SM to handle those T2F rank conferences. It's your best chance to touch base with each boy as he's growing. Your previous experience is all the more reason to have the conferences where a kid can go back and master the skill. Campouts are ideal for that sort of thing. Meeting, not so much. The boys need to know that their conference is not complete if they haven't mastered the skills.

Steelers fan here. So I get how we have to make adjustments for such things. (And kinda wishing I was in a similar bind ) But this one is so simple. Arrange for 3 committee members to come camping with you all on your next overnight. Boys who have been waiting for SMCs and BoRs may request them that weekend, and you will schedule them throughout the day. Scouts not attending the campout may schedule SMCs and BoRs during the standard time available at your regular meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you don't mind setting aside liquor and cigars, you all could also schedule a Superbowl party with the scouts. Oh, and congratulations to the boys for getting so much work done in the off-season.

I remember setting up our klondike sleds in the bank display window. So much fun playing "mannequin" when you saw your friends walk by ...

@@SlowDerbyRacer, I sort of agree. But, now is the time to start warming up next year's leaders. DL hates bureaucracy. Fine, then get a tiger parent who will help manage it for her. The reason this is important? As the boys get older and the program gets more complex, being mavericky is a non-starter. She's gonna hit a wall.

First, never take this stuff personally. If a DL wants to go off the rails (but the boys are otherwise safe), there is no amount of training or correction you can do to stop it. Never, ever, feel stupid. We're all learning here. Clearly, you need to listen to your parents more. You don't have to agree with them. You just need to better understand what they're thinking. Then, you might want to ask the least disagreeable parent to step up as Wolf DL! That parent (if you identify him/her) will start by participating in the leader's skit and dispensing awards at the B&G. The uniforming thing ... you need to talk to parents about how they feel. Some den parents are fine with a tight ship. As a parent I pushed back on any over-policing. (Partly because I knew finer points. Partly because I knew what would be no problem for us could be a hardship for others.) Your troop's SM needs to understand that there are personality conflicts that may be driving why few crossovers come his way.

Thanks for sharing. Wouldn't it be lovely if those two eventually join this forum and tell us about the "real" 'skip?

We love our pro's! Welcome.

Honestly, our best MC's are the ones who come camp with us (or even visit for a few hours) and observe how things operate. When the boys are at their best, we really enjoy your company, 'cause there's nothing else to do. When they are at their worst (happens when you take on bad kids) it's nice to have the committee there for backup.

I miss my scout-house (basement of a mansion, really) as a youth where each patrol had a room. Your people, like mine, might be a victim of their space. With all of the patrols in full view, it's conducive to the SM's "dropping in". In fact, our SM asked me to touch base with his youngest son's patrol because the father-son dynamic is a little rough at age 13. I'm still trying to figure out how to best do that without any semblance of leading the patrol. I think the best strategy will be an offer to the PL of particular weekends where I, along with one of their dads, can chaperon an overnight for just their patrol. Anyway, pick your battles and be positive. It'll take a few campouts before you can evaluate where you can really help your troop mature.

Okay, let me explain this in terms that you might understand. You and I don't watch Doctor Who just because the dialogue's witty, we watch it because they saved the film where the actors were reciting their lines from memory ... and cut out the film (if there was any) where they were reading through the script. It definitely sounds like your lodge has gone off the rails ... your lodge chief needs to learn: Even a dry speech is better when recited. Every video can be replaced by some personal anecdote from the presentation team and/or your troop's O/A rep. Our council's elections team never collects dues during a troop meeting. That's just ridiculous. As for regalia, that is for call-outs, not elections. But I think if the content of the presentation were handled appropriately, you'd be fine with the boys in field uniform and O/A sash.

So, @@Stosh, are you saying that you don't have sufficient experience with an SPL to determine if a committee would benefit from his presence at their meetings?

Step 1. Memorize the speech. Step 2. Practice the speech to one another on the team. Step 3. Evaluate who presented the speech the best. Decide what everyone liked about it. Step 4. Practice again. Step 5. Practice introducing yourself to leaders (adult and youth). Step 6. Practice holding an election. Step 7. Knowing that you're prepared to do your best, go forth. Every scout notices when someone takes their job seriously. Scouts who've memorized the perfunctory elements have room in the brain to address individual problems. It won't look like you're looking for the answer in a piece of paper if the piece of paper is tucked safely away in your pocket. Our district's O/A reps meet at round-table just so they can approach that level of proficiency.

Congratulations! 1. Well, I logged in. Went to membership manager. Selected my name. Clicked print cards and then this: Oops! Something went wrong...Aim low, and BSA's IT will never disappoint. 2. Talk to your DE, but I think you need Trainers EDGE to be legit.

Yep, do your best to always know where you are. That way, you'll have a good estimate of how much your destination arrival time is being delayed, and can reasonably ask the group for a map review before the distance they must recoup is beyond their ability to do so safely. But topos on GPS units can be your enemy ... Just ask my scouts who were swayed by the SM who said "Says here ... there's a trail just across this ravine!" A 80 foot drop, 75 yards of laurel thicket, 200 foot climb, and four miles off course later ... well ... let's just say MY track record of orienteering blunders has been forgot for the past three years. Land navigation is at its best an exercise in communication. What one pair of eyes missed, another pair can fill in. Success is when all boys are in a circle around an oriented map, telling each other how what they see over the shoulder of the guy across from them is depicted on that piece of paper.

You're welcome. But, that's pretty much my mode of operation ... even when the troop was leaning toward adult-led. It's from taking that 1st class land navigation requirement quite seriously. But I guess that brings up a series of things that adults desire (mainly because they are unprepared for others' mistakes): Wanting to cover the hike with no wrong turns. Unprepared to walk a mile or two out of your way. Wanting the grilled cheese sandwich with no burnt sides. Unprepared with hotsauce in the pocket. Wanting the knot to look exactly like the picture. Unprepared to test its function. Wanting every pack to be perfect. Unprepared with that extra sleeping bag. Wanting a fail-safe menu. Unprepared to be pleasantly surprised. Wanting to be in earshot of the boys. Unprepared to set your shelter at a distance. Actually, all of them kind of reflect a pessimism that seems to squelch the joy of watching boys grow into men.

I encourage the practice. The challenge I see is freeing up the SPL's time to drop in on a committee meeting. But, I would not encourage folks who do it to think that they are more youth-led by doing so. As Barry points out, the whole thing is a bust if this is just a bunch of adults heaping advice on the SPL. It's a boon if on the other hand it's the CC asking, "What can we do to help you all?", and the SPL saying "We can manage XYZ, but are a little weak on ABC" then the committee sets to working on how they can enable the ABC (hardly matters if the boy's in the room or not).

New requirements are now on http://www.scouting.org/meritbadges.aspx(click through to the .pdf of the first few pages of the respective pamphlet) so get those shoes rigged! I'm not a fan of clipping from PDFs of the pamphlets to get to the requirements. Especially since the pages clipped don't have the revision date. I'm not a fan of the links being labeled "Current" and "Previous". I'd much prefer using the year as a tag.

Only 900# at 8'? That's one anorexic bear. Probably'd be happy that you echo-located a filling meal.

@@k3egl, thanks for taking this personally. Unfortunately, much of the problem has to do with professional staff (who have dwindled in number and become burdened with more tasks) not having the lodge in their radar at all. I'm sure (just like with districts or councils) there are some clique's who have made fiefdoms of their lodge to everyone's detriment. In those situations, scouts "vote with their feet." All of us in councils with outstanding arrowmen can't control what others do, but we can have kind words to your pros and volunteers who added facilitating a healthy lodge to their job description. We can also give props to our boys when they are representing their lodge well through their behavior.

The best camporees are never at a boy scout camp. No soliciting. Period. I would however encourage leaders to put up a "flyer wall" announcing troop fundraisers and such. Some of us are looking to visit some breakfasts/dinners on the weekends. All soda machines, lunch carts, ice cream trucks, etc ... 2 miles away. That said, it wouldn't hurt to have some venturing advisor (especcially one in a wide-brimmed leather hat ) and your council/district VOA officers wheeling around a keg of root beer and ice cream to undisclosed locations ... doling out rootbeer floats. Or, from "nuggets" patrols win at competitions, they can "purchase" ingredients to make their own trail snacks and beverages throughout the day. Merit badges??? Are you guys insane??? Pioneering weekend, yes! Pioneering blue card management, no!!!!!!! If the O/A sells anything, how about a small craft kit and time instructing on making some native beadwork or leatherwork? With all due respect to your SPL, I would not enforce a uniforms, but I wouldn't outright ban them either. Heck I would offer an inspection station where if a scout scores 80%, he wins the coordinates of the next expected location of the rootbeer float cart! Maybe a build-your-own activity shirt station would be kinda cool. What would that look like? No clue. But each patrol would come out looking proudly unique.