qwazse

Public education is about 1. producing a literate workforce, 2. producing consumers who can read advertisements, 3. self-promotion. If your business/government beureau has benefitted from 1 and 2, no point in complaining about 3. The majority of your laborers or clients that you have employed would not be literate if they had to pay for their own education or count on some charity paying it for them. The wheels of capitalism would grind to a halt. So yeah, a successful public education will teach a little entitlement (laborers can read their paychecks and levearge for a better deal, consumers can smell the snake oil and demand more for their money/votes). It will also promote itself so everyone feels they gotta chip in a chunk of change to keep the engines running. But, I'm not so sure private or home schooling wouldn't do the same.

SN - Our troop's gear is available to any responsible GS unit in the community. (Lord knows, we've been blessed with plenty, and they return the gear in as good a condition as when the boys borrow it.) But, backpacking does not demand much from troop stores. (E.g., we ain't haulin a two-burner stove, a lantern, and a 20' cooking fly anywhere by foot!) Our crew is starting to accumulate a small collection of packs, and may eventually have some ultralight stoves, ultralight tents, etc.... But, older teens tend to be proud, and borrowing personal gear is not in their ilk. And their money is starting to go to other things (homecoming/prom gowns, etc ...). WCS - My daughter (and a bunch of other young women in the Venturing program) had similar experiences. I'm proud to say that she still "mixes it up" and spends far less time at the mall than her GS peers. It's a shame, b/c I think GS becomes unnatractive to a certain segment of youth because the program doesn't challenge them. Tent-averse moms are a serious issue. I've talked to moms who raised kids in the '50's and they are ashamed at how their "granddaughters" are being deprived of wildnerness experiences. I've had dad's who've given me the line, "If there ain't a shower, count me out." But at the end of they day if their kid was interested, they'd rough it. But, seriously, are there GS mom's who get their Jr. high girls into a little backpacking? Because I am really interested in having some of our crew promote it to GS troops, but I am also not interested in reinventing the wheel!

What I've seen missing, and it puts the GS coming into our Crew at a disadvantage: is experience backpacking. The disadvantage is somewhat physical, but also financial. From age 11-13, Boy Scouts have been aquiring the backpacking gear and practice that they need by the time the serious wilderness hikes start to become available to them. A 14 year old girl who has to go from nada to a full pack of equipment is facing sticker shock for a hobby she is not entirely sure if she's cut out for. The alternative is to borrow big-brother's hand-me-down, and those of us who've used loaner packs know that can add just enough pain to the equation to want to end it after mile 2! Do any of your GS programs incorporate backpacking education targeting that Middle School range?

NC It's not a group that bans homosexuals outright (at least not until they apply for unit leadership). And our youth are trying to sort out these issues (as much as they are trying to sort out religion, the opposite sex, proper engine mounts, etc...). So, being able to filter the BS from the central issue in light of massive cultural shift is pretty time consuming.

The answer: yes. The real question: does it matter? For example, some colleagues are busy learning how to coax adult stem cells into regeneration. If, after years of hard work, it manages to grow back a missing leg, it doesn't matter if you are born that way or lost it in battle. We all would probably want you to get a missing leg. However, the lot of us (who can read this blog) are born without wings. Not sure the majority of us would countenance trying to grow a pair -- regardless if on some level we could argue there's a natural tendancy in some humans to want to fly. We can argue 'till we're blue in the face about if that tendancy is innate or acquired. Likewise resolving how much sexual preference is inherited or acquired does not help us deal with wether we should confer rights and privelages on any particular preference.

I split Seabase fees with my son. He did chores (including renovation projects) to earn his half, but when it came time to pay fees, the portion that he earned got left in his savings account. The fact that he could earn $ if he wanted to was good enough for me. Bottom line for our family: a kid's primary job is to do very well at school. (Getting a 'B' or less = you flunked.) If they pull that off and some basic chores and the police aren't knocking at our door, they'll get a pass on having to earn every $ they spend on activities. I do let them know exactly how much I am paying for stuff, and if the money can't be spared, it won't happen. Result: he is not a deadbeat. He is on the dean's list in college, and works the summers for his spending money and part of his tuition. I have seen other "part-time job since age 12" kids completely incapable of building up any savings because they had a mindset that everything they earn is theirs to spend in the moment. That said, I'd rather have a kid find a part time job than do fundraisers for every activity he's in.

... my son would not have as many friends from different schools and in different grades. and if it weren't for venturing ... my daughter would not have sat around a campfire discussing the manufacture of explosives ("you just don't get that in girl scouts"). ... my daughters' friends would never shout "Mr. __, we love you!!!" to me in the middle of a carnival. Still not entirely sure if those last two count in the + or - column. Just putting them out there.

"... ruined because his patrol was totally dysfunctional." I had an 17 y.o. boy complain about his "dysfunctional" family once. I replied "Have you ever gone a day in your life without food in the fridge? Then your family functioned."* Granted, you should screen patrols and shake them down as much as possible before the event. But, forming a patrol with other kids in your council is part of the experience. And the Jambo experience with a troop of young boys will be much different than one with old pro's. But, unless they completely missed the arena shows, I would not call it "ruined". Keep the minimum age for Jambo as is. If you want a 14+ year-old experience, promote a High Adventure Base or Venturing Area gatherings. Although I've known some 16 y.o. slackers that could bring a troop/crew to a grinding halt, the difference in maturity does make things run more smoothly. But, the only problem with such events: younger scouts miss out. *P.S. - I reserve "dysfunctional" for truly life threatening/demeaning situations.

SN, This is really good news. BS, tell your new bugler that you pulled some strings for him.

As MT mentions, some non-participants may be doing you a favor by staying out of your way. Others, you have to pour the sugar on when they even lift the slightest finger. ("Thank you for [x], it meant a lot!") They may catch on. The one's who do go all out: make them your best cup of coffee. Or, if they aren't reward-taking type, have the boys on the PLC sign a thank-you note at the end of the year.

Also, consider that -- all other things being equal -- moving a unit is more arduous than moving a couple of boys. (Ever try to bike slowly to accomodate a novice rider? Even after a couple hours every muscle in your body will be screaming at you!)

We do a mixture: The PLC tells us which camps they want to go to the following year. (Yes, it's come to a year in advance, even for council camps.) Based on lulls in the local school's schedule, we pick dates that *may* work. This is easy when the PLC is all from the same school and are in the same activities; otherwise, just get out the darts. SM goes to HQ on the morning of first day available (usually a school day) and pushes the paperwork for our preferred dates. Council makes it very difficult for this process to be boy led. As mentioned above, state parks / wilderness areas are much more user friendly, so we sick the boys on those.

Reservations (esp. at council camps) are tough. Develop some local options as backup. Back to topic ... the troop is visible in the community. Boys are recognised for accomplishments outside of scouting. (They may be the ushers in your church, on student council, etc ...) You may even find them camping in some local hollow!

I doubt these were pre-selected. It's one thing for a skit, but when prizes are involved there are serious legal issues with saying you're having a contest then "rigging" the outcome. In fact, depending on the state rules for participation and expected odds have to be posted somewhere. (Thus all the fine print on candy wrappers with "Wonka" type games.)

If your boys are on the move a lot, I've used popsicle sticks with a 1/8" hole in one end. The boys write their name in indelible ink. My "buddy board" is an unused chain fishing stringer. (Given my luck fishing, my regular stringer is always empty.) Buddies slide their tags into the same link in the stringer. P.S. - If you want to use those tags for more than one trip, you'll have to reinforce the hole with duct tape. Obviously, durability of materials or even the level of improvisation depends on your objective. But, the boys -- if they've been to camp more than once -- seem to appreciate the opportunity to improvise.

This must be a rule of conflicts: "The moment you think you have the upper hand ... prepare for resounding defeat." Sorry you experienced this in a Scouting venue, but it happens elsewhere.

Our SMC's (once paperwork is out of the way) are essentially prep. for BOR. For some Life scouts it's been years since their last BOR, so yes it can be nerve racking. Our "coaching" amounts to basic communication skills (think before answering a question, don't reply with more than was asked, etc ...) and reminders that the committee members are there to get to know the boy to whom they are awarding this badge.

There are some boys who I wish would have earned Personal Management when they were 13. Namely the ones who are now 15 and tell me they want to go to Seabase, but money's an issue. (Actually, the guitar/game/girlfriend on which they spent all of last summer's earnings is the issue.)

Interesting that no one mentioned the First Class requirement to invite a friend to his troop. It has done nothing to boost our rate of recruitment, and it has uselessly added time the already difficult task of tracking advancement. Maybe we need to require the boy to invite ten other boys. Or, maybe we should just strike that one from the books.

Hey, maybe he can drop by one of the shining light telecasts!

"Any kind of religious service is by its very nature is not going to be voluntary. When a leader directs a Scout (the Chaplain's aide) to perform a service and read a sermon, it is incumbent that all the Scouts and leaders attend that service." That's not how it worked in any unit I was a part of. First, our troops and crews are youth led, so we *ask* the Chaplain's aide (who volunteered for that POR in the first place) if he could organise the boys in a moment of reflection. (The boy picks a passage or devotional of his choosing. The troop Chaplain gives him options including Scouts Own if the boy asks.) If one of the boys (or young women if it's a venturing activity) asks to be excused, we allow that. At summer camp, if our SPL would rather not muster the whole troop to attend a campwide service, we don't. If some of the boys want to go, we arrange for leaders to volunteer to escort them. If some boys would rather not attend when the troop is going, we can find a couple of adults who don't mind keeping an eye on them. In all circumstances, it's made clear to our youth that devotions are strictly voluntary. Occasionally we have an adult who takes issue with that -- they hear from me pretty quickly. You know what would really be involuntary? Forcing all youth to abstain from ANY service of any kind by using the lame excuse that it's bound to offend somebody or their parents.

Last year when the 14y/o's had to wait to complete 8th grade, an advisor I met called them Venturers-in-Training. A few of the younger sibs to my current crew are starting to call themselves that. Look for a gaggle of VIT's stalking a crew near you. P.S. - Nice info about the letters and pins. Got me longing for the days when being in the "Leadership Corps" was its own reward.

Evry: "So, why should I feel pressure to be a part of this nonsense? Why should my son be subjected to this? Isn't this proselytization to the protestant way of worshiping that I totally detest?" 1. I think we all buy in to attendance being voluntary. And "nonsense" is a pretty harsh judgment. The folks who put these things together really do mean well, and most of them think hard in the preparation. 2. Your son is subjected to a plethora of religious influences. Have you written letters of complaint to the producers of every book, movie, TV show, and video game that foists a religious perspective on your son? 3. I know plenty of protestant families with apprehensions about such a service. It runs the risk of teaching a boy he can "get by" with some watered down, campfire theology. (I think that was Bevah's and John-In-KC's point.) So please don't call this "protestant proselytizing" -- it demeans the grand history of both words. But, please consider this: Telling the boys "Y'all go off and sit on your respective rocks contemplatin' for 15 minutes and keep quiet about it" is proselytization to a "you don't need a church/mosque/synagogue/temple" kind of religion. Moreover, by not providing ANY interfaith service, we teach "keep your god at home" and "disrespect any folks who may want to assemble for a religious purpose". Essentially, we fail to model reverence.

I've seen two SM transistions (the advantage of my oldest being 6 years older than my youngest). I agree with all of the above, but would think in terms of a 1 month rule: Month 0 - let your ASM's know Month 1 - make a formal announcement at the next committee meeting. Let them know you will be reccommending your replacement to the CO. Let the COR know that it is ultimately their call. Month 2 - let your boy leadership know - especially the ones approaching Eagle, let them know if you will be available to assist them, or if after X months you'll have left town. Month 3 - let the rest of the troop know and begin letting your chosen ASM start leading meetings, campouts etc... In fact if your gut says it's fine to make speed that schedule up and do everything in a matter of weeks, go ahead. If a decent set of ASM's has your back, don't worry about the boys knowing long in advance. Kids are really flexible. They can sort out the difference between future and current SM's.

Count me as "yea" even though I tend to just stick with our troop's meditations at summer camp. Those wind up being some derivative of Scouts Own. If I'm doing it, I have the Chaplain's Aid pick something from New Testament & Psalms. I think the point is to get the kids to set aside time. So longer moments of silence and less preaching and singing is a good idea. The real goal is to model this: if you're out on a day of worship, don't let devotion to your creator slip away. Sure Scout's Own is watered down, and if there isn't a merciful and loving God watching over these boys, it's pointless. On the other hand, if you think the higher being that you believe in might knock on some kid's heart if offered a moment of time -- even during a theologically vague service where time is the only thing sacrificed -- it might be worth that time. On the other hand, if you're afraid some lesser being may invade the kid's soul in that moment of theological ambiguity, I suggest you look up a less wimpy god.