ScoutNut

"the Scoutmaster is responsible for advancement. It would be irresponsible of him to let the boy go off on his own and make the wrong choices...Not all scouts are able to discern a timeline for their advancement... that's up to the SM to keep on target with....the Scout is not responsible for his own advancement, he is guided by an adult who is ultimately responsible." I also strongly disagree. A Scout is most definitely the one ultimately responsible for his own advancement, no one else. You state you want a boy-led Troop, but you refuse to let the boys lead even themselves. If a boy fails to make a rank, & years later blames only other people instead of himself, then his SM has failed him in a much more fundamental way than advancement. The primary role of the SM is to train the boys to be leaders, to guide & help them create their program & run their own Troop. The SM's purpose is NOT to hand pick which Merit Badges each boy earns. Making choices, both right & wrong, learning from them & growing, is what the BSA program is about. As has been stated, advancement is only 1 of 8, equally important, methods that we use. (This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

OK, I am a bit confused. I can see cross dressing as being inappropriate. The Ugly Girl Scout I have never heard of. However I don't see a problem with a skit like the Ugliest Man, when everyone in the skit knows the script. Looking at the NE Region memo, it does not mention skit's like Ugliest Man, or even the Motorcycle Gang. It does, on the other hand put J.C. Penny under nudity/underwear, but goes on to say it would be ok if done in a swim suit. HUH??? What leader has ever had a Cub Scout (or Boy Scout) running around in public either naked or in their underwear??? That's not inappropriate, that's right up there with sexual abuse. Then, under toilet paper, they have The Viper listed as being ok only if done with paper towels & Windex. This is another big HUH??? Every time I have seen, or read, this it has had the punchline of a window washer. Not quite sure I want to know what else it could be wiping. Maybe it's just me, but if the folks in the NE Region need to be told that Scouts running around naked or wiping back ends with toilet paper is wrong, but apparently vicious motorcycle gangs beating people up is ok, then I think I will stay here in the Midwest, thank you very much!

Welcome Jen ! Bears are a great group. Poised between Cubs & Webelos they are starting to grow up a bit and are usually eager to learn, & do, as much as scouting stuff as possible. Trev is correct, the best thing you can do is take training ASAP. Your council might not have much training going on right now because they are focused on Summer Camps & other summer activities. Come Aug or Sept, they will probably start offering New Leader Essentials & Cub Leader Specific trainings. Keep an eye on your council's website for all sorts of info from training to camping to council/district events. If your district or council has an e-newsletter, sign up for it. For info on who your council is, online training (Fast Start & Youth Protection - VERY IMPORTANT!), & lot of other helpful stuff for new Cub Leaders, visit the BSA National website : http://www.scouting.org/ The Adult Leaders section of Cub Scouts has a wealth of info for you! Along with the Bear Handbook, 2006-2007 Cub Scout Program Helps, & the Cub Scout Leader Book are both a big help. Have fun!!

While I do not have a copy of the "Cub Scout Leader Book" at work, here is what the Cub Scout Application says - http://www.scouting.org/forms/28-102.pdf This is what the BSA National web site has to say about Adult Partners - http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/about/thepack/tcadp.html

FScouter states - "Every Tiger Cub must have an adult partner. Both the boy and the adult partner must be registered members. All adult leader applications must be approved by the chartered organization." This is incorrect information. The ONLY times a Tiger adult partner HAS to complete an Adult Application is if they want to become a registered leader with the Pack OR if they are not one of the parents living at the same address as the Tiger. If all a parent is planning on, is to an adult partner to their Tiger son, all they have to do is simply check the little box on the Cub Scout Application that states - Tiger Cub Adult Partner - and then fill in their name, address, phone, date of birth, employer, etc. No social security number is needed. This is the same info any parent is required to give on a YOUTH application. The original poster NEVER specified that this man was to be his son's adult partner. He simply said that a father of one of their new Tigers is on the list. BSA does NOT exclude parents. As a matter of fact, BSA has a Scoutreach program that takes Cubs into prisons to work with their incarcerated parents. Follow YPT rules. If you must, the CC & CM can have a private talk with the man & explain why he will not be allowed to be a registered BSA leader. I can see no reason, if all YP rules are followed, to ban him from participating with his son as the program allows.

Since you now have a donor willing to cover camp costs for all 18 boys, stop messing around with your old Troop. This is the course they have chosen, let them alone. Start by finding out if there are 18 spots at any of your council camps. The camp might not be able to transfer the original slots, but they can sign up a new Troop if they are still taking registrations. If all of your camps are sold out, then start looking at councils around you. Heck, you might find there is a camp right in your backyard that has low registration numbers because it is so far from its home council area. Start focusing on finding your boys a camp, NOW, & stop focusing on your old Troop.

I think that scoutingagain has hit it on the nose. The Summer Camp has ALREADY been PURCHASED in the name of these scouts. It is a done deal, the camp slots bought, paid for & given to the Scouts. To now demand that the camp refund the purchase price of something that NO LONGER BELONGS TO THEM is ludicrious & EXTREMELY unscoutlike. If your Scout Camp is anything like ours the ONLY reasons they will consider for ANY % of refund are medical reasons, death in the family, or changes in work schedules. Even when they DO agree to some % of a refund, they take out a 10% admin fee off the top. To me it looks like the old Troop is going to loose it's money one way or the other. Why take it out on the boys?

Well, that would certainly make more sense. However, the discussion was about training that was either Wood Badge or SM basic training. Scottteng said that in his council it would not matter which one it was, because the training would only count if taken within 2 years time. Neither Wood Badge or SM Basic are certification type courses.

Check out your "Cub Scout Leader Book". Individual Cub Scout Dens are NOT allowed to do money earning projects. Charge Den dues for basic supplies. Have families pay their own way for admission fees. Have families bring in supplies for specific projects. Everyone should be on craft supply watch (or as my son likes to call it - garbage picker watch) at all times. Companies will throw out the darnedest things, so the families employers are a great resource!

Recertify EVERYTHING every 2 years? So what you are saying is that EVERY OTHER year all scouters have to retake - New Leader Essentials, Position Specific, BALOO, Webelos Outdoor, SM Outdoor, Wood Badge, Okpik, Powder Horn, Climb on Safely, Lifeguard, Merit Badge Counselor training, etc, etc? Not here thank goodness! We only do YPT & Safety Afloat/Safe Swim. Both of which can be retaken online. It is hard enough to get people to take training once, much less to repeat it every other year. Sorry, but that rule is just plain silly!

Just about any of the rank ceremonies can be tweaked into a graduation ceremony. The changing colored water one is nice, though a bit hard for everyone to see. Face painting is a good one. The boys love to have the different symbols painted on their face. Any kind of Indian ceremony goes over big. We have used a tepee where the boys go in & come out with their new books & scarves accompanied by tom-toms & chanting (kind of like an Indian version of the Cub-O-Matic). I know some folks who swear by the flaming neckerchief ceremony, but I have not tried that one yet. It is one that I think would be best done outside.

ROFL !!!!! Eamonn - You make my head spin! Do you think I need a plumber?

OA Jumpstart for New Arrowmen http://www.jumpstart.oa-bsa.org/

Take your question back to your Committee. They are the ones who will decide if (& how) the Pack will use this attendance incentive. It does not have to be "perfect" attendance either. Your Pack can decide to go with any combo of percentages it wants (50%/50% Den/Pack - 80%/90% Den/Pack - 100% Pack only - etc). At $2.75 for the the pin w/first year bar, & $1.35 for individual year bars, it can get rather pricey for the Pack. I rather like a cheaper pony bead option that you can incorporate uniforming, books, etc into & do both for the individual boy & the Den as a whole.

Hmmm - Deer tackling - sounds kind of like high adventure cow tipping to me! Welcome back dsteele!

While I do not see the elitism or arrogance in our WB'ers that others see in theirs, I can understand why some believe it exists. I have heard the same kinds of comments from people in other venues I volunteer at. The problem is that it is often much the SAME people who do the volunteering for EVERYTHING. So, once you get involved, you end up working with the same bunch over & over & you get to know them pretty well. Then, when someone new comes along, they see this bunch together and they feel like the bunch is a "clique" that they are not a part of. Sometimes it is very hard to get people to feel comfortable. Some of the boys in my son's Troop think he is showing off when they go to a Camporee & SM's & ASM's from other Troops know him by name & the DE comes by to give him a high five & chat. In fact this is because he has worked with these people on different council or district events for the last 5-6 years! I have not taken WB. Our Training Chairs keep trying to get me there, but, as much as I would REALLY LOVE to attend, I just can not justify spending the $200+ (much less $400+ if I went with spouse) from the houshold budget. NDL said - "You dont need WB to take cub scouts on outings and plan fun den meetings". This is true. You also don't need WB to improve your unit's program. I have spent the last 11 years working to improve our Pack's program. I have had plenty of help & it is an ongoing process to find other volunteers who are as "Nuts" as I am, keep things going, keep quality up, & keep folks interested in learning new & better ways to deliver our program. I do not see that I need a WB ticket to do these things. I have been doing them for 11 years without working them as ticket items & I sure as heck am not going to put things I want to do on hold on the off chance I will take WB in the future & can use them for ticket items then. I attend Roundtable, staff events/training, & help out at the council & district level. I know a LOT of the WB'ers & like & respect them, not necessarily for the beads they wear, but for all of the time & effort that I have SEEN them put into this Scouting stuff! All that said, I will continue to encourage our Pack's leaders to take more training & that includes Wood Badge!

We do a Council E-Letter, not a District one. It contains council wide info & also has District specific areas. This makes it easier for folks who attend out of District events. I really like it & have convinced other leaders in our Pack to sign up. The E-Letter usually gets updated info sooner than the website. We actually do get District notices too, but they are usually things like Roundtable reminders or changes.

Hmmm, you know I was thinking about the same thing at our Pack Graduation a few weeks back. I have not seen the new books yet. We will be purchasing them for our new Tigers later on (but NOT the spirial, way to expensive for the Pack to cover!). I would say that they would just subsitute the Cub Motto, but with that being a requirement for Bobcat it would be unnecessary, & redundant, to also require it for the Totem. Of course, with BSA that does not really mean anything! My guess is that they will drop the Totem requirements completely. Wolf & Bear are not required to complete any requirements in order to receive their Progress to Rank Totem, and BSA is bringing Tigers closer in line with the rest of the Cubs. Any takers on when Tigers will get sew on electives like arrow points? They could go in the center, between Wolf & Bear! G-R-R-R-E-A-T!

There are a lot of variations, this one is pretty good - http://www.scoutinglinks.com/GSRC/recip030.htm This one has pictures - http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/SubPages/EdibleFire.htm

This has actually been a problem on a college campus in downstate Illinois. The deer population is rather high & there seems to be a large number of fawns. The fawns moms are getting very aggresive & there have been a number of students attacked. The university, rather than having the deer killed or relocated, is trying to educate their students & faculty to leave all deer (especially fawns) alone & run when they see a crazed looking mom deer coming towards them.

ChuckSt8er - You asked for a "Well DUH" and FScouter is right on the money. Two deep leadership is Point #1, NOT Point #2. Hope this clears things up for you!

There are all sorts of cool Bobcat & other rank ceremonies. Any of the magic ceremonies always go over big. Turning the pin is an interesting tradition that came from, I believe, the Boy Scout Slogan of "Do A Good Turn Daily". If you plan on doing this, you might consider changing the terminology somewhat to better reflect Cub Scouting. You could say "Do your best to help another person or give goodwill".

The boys do NOT have to wait until they earn the Bobcat to begin working on their Tiger, Wolf, Bear or Webelos rank requirements or electives. They can be working on everything all summer long. Summer is a GREAT time to do the family and outdoor activities. The only stipulation is that, like electives, before you can receive the actual award/recognition, you need to have first received the Bobcat rank badge. What typically happens is that at the first Pack meeting the boys will have 2 recognition ceremonies. The first one will be when they receive their Bobcat award. Then, whatever they have earned during the summer on their level rank requirements (totems, beads) or activity pins will be presented at the second ceremony. WIscouter - Welcome! No, this change has not gotten a lot of "airtime". It has kind of been snuck in under the radar. There is a small blurb in the newest edition of the Cub Scout Leader Book, in the Online Tiger Fast Start, & a notice in the latest issue of Scouter magazine, but that has been about it. Our District Commissioner mentioned it in passing at our May Roundtable, but he was not aware of the Tiger Motto being dropped. "sigh!" I will have to be REAL careful about what Tiger Handbooks I give out this year because we have some older ones left!

A Pack DOES qualify for a Unit Certificate. The requirements specifically state a PACK is included & the award application has a spot to pick Cub Scout Pack and add the unit number.

One other thing - the Pack should have a Conservation Advisor to help with the project & teach the boys. These projects are NOT just picking up litter in a park or recycling cans.