Rockford8070

Again, you guys seem too hung up on it. Is it really the absolute worst thing in the world? Do you have to teach them using the edge method? Sure it might help them to learn it if you did. But it's not a prerequisite. Treat the EDGE method as simply another tool that they CAN use, not one that must be used all the time. How hard is that? Heck, every one of the steps in EDGE are used in some form or another any time you teach someone a skill. And teaching a boy how to use EDGE doesn't take all day. It can be done very well in under an hour. I mean it's 4 steps. You can also teach them every other training method under the sun if you like. Does having to teach a skill to a young boy bother you that much? Is learning that skill doing the boy a disservice? Or is it possibly giving him a tool that he can use when the situation calls for it? Or is this just a thread to complain about having to do something differently? BSA is an institution. Institutions have rules, they have policies and guidelines, policies change, documentation changes, get used to it.

There seems to be a lot of chatter over this. Negative, positive, indifferent. Here's something to think about. Do the requirements say that the youth have to use the EDGE method for everything? In every situation? No? I think I saw it a grand total of once, and that was for Tenderfoot. Why not look at the EDGE method as a skill not as just a training method. The youth has to learn the skill, use the skill, and show proficiency in it. BSA mandates all kinds of skills that the youth have to learn. This is just one more. Will they use it later in life? Will they judge their entire scouting career by it? Probably not. And who really cares?

My first guess would be your council's Director of Camping.

I'd rather see people corrected to say "Webelos" instead of "Webelo."

jamist649, since you enjoyed Cubs so much have you thought about staying with the pack as maybe a committee member? Perhaps in a more or less advisory manner? I know we had a grandpa that showed up once in a while to throw new, well really they were old, ideas at us. It was great having that kind of experience around.

I think a lot of people are forgetting what first aid is. It's FIRST AID. It's not an EMT, it's not a trained medical professional. It's not comprehensive, it's basic. It's a stopgap until a doctor or EMT can get the situation under control. And no, it's not perfect. But are you going to require an EMT to go on every scout outing? If a person has a severe medical problem the responsibility is with the individual to explain to the leader what the risks, signs, and symptoms are. Or are you going to just tell a leader you have suchandsuch, and let the leader read up on it and make his own decisions?

What I've done for our incoming TDLs is take all the notes I had taken as a TDL and compiled them into a document. So they have ideas for go see its, den projects, etc.

One thing I've noticed is that the first time you come out with a new rule you are going to get flak for it. Stick to your guns though and next year it won't be as much of an issue. Heck, before long it'll just become "the way things are done around here."

JoeBob, Scenario 3 could easily be altered to adhere to both common sense and YPT. The leader could take another scout with him. Even if there were 3 scouts and 2 leaders, one of the leaders could stay behind and make sure camp is setup. Or at the very least that nothing gets ravaged by the wildlife etc.

Regardless of whether or not you think troops and packs need bylaws. I think if the troop is to be boy led, the boys have to have input on them. And what better Ah ha moment than for a PL to come to an SPL with an idea for a bylaw that would truly help out the troop, then seeing that idea put into place?

At recharter can you charter the same person as COR and CC? You shouldn't be able to.

Check the date your charter expires. Around here it's the 31st of March. So a scout is registered until that point if they don't recharter. If they cross over into Boy Scouts before that date they only need to pay a dollar for the transfer. After that date it's a Troop problem anyway. I know of no packs that recharter second year Webelos. They simply transfer them to a Troop.

One thing that jumped to mind, how about talking to the other boys and asking for a volunteer. But phrase it in a way makes it sound like a position of responsibility. Giving them a chance to lead.

I have to say I like where this is headed. Drawing people back into scouting is a great plan, and it looks like this will help.

About the only real gripe I have is that you have to re-earn any belt loops that the boy already earned if he needs them for an activity pin. He's not going to learn anything new really. I'd rather see some of the belt loop requirements put into the activity badge, not all of them mind you just the ones the wouldn't have already done. For example, Citizen activity badge. The boy needs to earn the Citizenship belt loop. Well if he's already done it that's a waste. Even if he hasn't look at the requirements for the belt loop: 1. Develop a list of jobs you can do around the home. Chart your progress for one week. 2. Make a poster showing things that you can do to be a good citizen. 3. Participate in a family, den, or school service project. Now I can see adding number 3 to the list of activity badge requirements. For number 2, that is already kind of handled with the requirement for the activity badge that says: Explain the rights and duties of a citizen of the United States. Explain what a citizen should do to save our natural resources. But for the first belt loop requirement? That's something the boy has to do as part of the wolf badge anyway: 4E, Talk with your family members. Agree on the household jobs you will be responsible for. Make a list of your jobs and mark off when you have finished them. Do this for one month. Looks like a bunch of busy work when you really sit and look at it.