ScoutNut

As Wolf & Bear Scouts their parents (not their den leader) should have been doing most of the work on advancement with them at home. Parents signed off on all requirements, pretty much without question. Webelos do most of their rank requirements in the den meeting/outing. The person responsible for signing off on completed requirements is no longer the parent. It is the den leader (or whoever the den leader appoints). Do a den survey & find out what your parents skills & hobbies are. Use them to teach Webelos Activity Pins (similar to a merit badge counselor in Boy Scouts). Also take advantage of any Webelos activities your council might offer. Check out near-by museums, nature centers, etc. Many have programs specifically for Scouts that will help them to earn part or all of an activity pin. Contact your local fire station & see if their EMT's will do Readyman with the boys. Attend your District's monthly Roundtables. They should have resources available for Webelos & Cub leaders. BTW - Remember that if a Bear achievement is used toward Rank requirement, unused parts of that Bear achievement may NOT be used as electives.

I know I get confused from time to time, but I do know what day this is. In my space time continum it is Friday, March 10, 2006. Why do all of my posts (& everyone else's) today, show Saturday, March 11, 2006? I feel a verse of "Time Warp" coming on!

Per the BOR Training module on line at the National website - http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/supplemental/18-625/index.html In regards to the tenure question : "The Scout holds his new rank as of the date of the board of review. For ranks where a period of tenure is required, that period begins with the date of passing of the board of review for the previous rank." In regards to how often a BOR should be held : "An ideal troop might hold monthly boards of review, possibly at the same time as a troop meeting." And "It (BOR) gives three to six other sets of ears to hear how a Scout is doing, how he feels about the troop and his role in it, how he is advancing, and whether he is striving to live up to Scouting's ideals. It is a good idea, therefore, to hold boards of review regularly and often." And "Ideally, a Scout should sit for a board of review every six months, whether he is advancing or not." So your hypothetical SM, CC, & Advancement Chair are both right & wrong. Tenure does indeed start after the completion of a BOR. However, quarterly BOR's, while they might be more convenient for the ADULTS in the Troop are NOT helping the BOYS or the Troop. They are also not BSA policy.

Right now your concentration should not be on finding non-advancement opportunities for your boys to earn patches. Your Troop adult leadership should be working on forming a Boy-Led Troop. That will be hard with no experienced boys or leaders, but it can be done. You all need to get out of the Cub mind-set and into Boy Scouts. Get trained & then train the boys. You should not be "restricting" what you offer the boys. The PLC should be setting their program based on what they need to get accomplished & what they want to do. The SM should be helping them with that. "Extra" programs are nice, & fun is a must, but as Eamonn said, they can be (& should be) learning without even knowing it WHILE they are having fun. The historic trails gives the boys a great opportunity to learn outdoor skills. The boys should be planning fun camping trips for every month (or at least every other month) to hone their cooking & camping skills & to work on their advancement. They can learn about the knots needed to go climbing & then go wall climbing at your local YMCA or athletic club. While the International Awareness & the Rosary Patch series are good programs, & some the boys might be interested in, why not have a parent take your Archdiocese training & offer the boys the opportunity to work on their Ad Altare Dei religious emblem. This should be worked on outside of regular Troop meetings. You said the boys are working on their "hunter safety certification". What exactly is that? According to the "Guide to Safe Scouting", hunting is not an authorized Boy Scout activity.

SSScout says: "insist that parents accompany Ks and 1st graders. No Baby sitters etc. I could not believe when one year we had 14 nascent Tigers one year and NOT ONE family would join. Everyone of them pleaded "too much time involved"." If you could not get even 1 family to join Tigers because they did not want to attend every activity with their boy, how do you expect to convince Kindergarten parents to sign up for TWO years?? The parent (& leader) will have an even more hands on role with K's because K's do not read or write. Either mom/dad will have to do it all or we dumb the program down to cut, paste & coloring pages. Learning For Life is a subsidiary of BSA that is classroom & workplace based. Explorers are the workplace based side. Here is the site: http://www.learning-for-life.org/

It's up to the boys, thru the Patrol Leader's Council, to decide what they want to do. Do you have any older scouts at all, or are you 9 scouts total? It is very easy for the boys to include advancement activities in most of what the Troop does. Camping, cooking, tent set-up, camping gear, rope making/tying, hiking, first aid, physical fitness, orienteering, Fireman Chit, service projects, local plants, local animals, etc. The PLC, along with advise from the SM, should plan out the next few months worth of meetings/activities. They should include things that the new boys need to advance as well as fun things that the boys want to do. It is not up to you as Advancement Chair or ASM, to decide what the boys will be doing.

Nope, sorry, we don't do a ceremony for streamers. Our CM will show them to everyone after the opening & explain what we received them for & that will be it. They will be put on the flag later when we can take it apart & mess with it. Maybe you could incorporate it into the presentation of the new flags. Or, do something with the theme of the evening. Cubstruction is this month, maybe you could have the 4 boys come up with hard hats, shovels, & buckets, saying something about what they just "excavated" by your meeting place. Then they would each pull a streamer out of their bucket.

You notice the BSA policy that John quotes says "no YOUTH" not "no youth MEMBER". This means that boys & girls can stay (together) in a tent with their parents. Remember that Cubs is for the family. However, if you are staying in a cabin, lodge or dormitory type building, then you will need 1 building for males & 1 building for females, even if that means separating families. You should also have the adults separated from the youth, however, with Cub aged youth, as long as changing can be done privately, once everyone is in their jammies we have no problem with moms sleeping by their daughters or dads by their sons.

Well, this certainly explains all of the inconsistencies I have been seeing. When this was first brought up I thought that it sounded an awful lot like it was a new version of the Seekers program. This feels a lot like National attempting to boost numbers for both Cubs & LFL at the same time. Their instructions are rather vague in the area that counts (co-ed or not) and since we are talking LFL, it IS co-ed (and school based). What it sounds like to me, is that for these pilot programs that let the girls participate based on the fact this is a LFL group, when 1st grade rolls around the boys will go into Tigers & the girls will go into 1st grade Seekers. You end up with more Cubs & an in-school LFL program. Although if they keep taking the boys for Cubs, & don't dual register them in LFL, the LFL will end up all girls. This needs a LOT of work! Lisa is right that the carry over between the 2 separate programs could generate problems. I would hope that the BSA lawyers have thought of all of that. I really am EXTREMELY GLAD I am NOT in a pilot Council!!

Yep, there is ample evidence that there is a genetic link to ADHD. Has your husband done any reasearch or read any of the online articles on ADHD? Have you talked to him about how his behaviours are similar to those of his son? Since both of your sons have been diagognosed, are they seeing a P-doc or some type of counselor? Or, are you simply going thru your family doctor? A Phych or another type of counselor doc would be best, but if you either are not using one, or can't get him to attend a session, then make an appointment with your family doctor to talk about this. Don't give him the option, just make the appointment & get him there. Granted, he is most likely ADHD, but there could be other reasons for his problems too. ADHD VERY rarely travels alone & sometimes what looks like one problem could be something else entirely. Good Luck, I know how hard it can be!

Both our 4th & 5th graders are up to their necks in basketball, including the leaders kids. The coaches this year seem to be borderline psychotic. They have practices all the time and let the kids know THAT day when /where/or if the practice is happening. We have learned not to make the boys choose between sports or scouts. The secret is to be flexible & do what you can, with whoever can show up, whenever & where ever you can get them together. Sometimes that means a meeting with 2 boys. Sometimes that means you start with a couple & more show up after practice. It does tend to slow advancement up a bit, but it keeps the boys in. When basketball finally ends at least they can get back to some kind of schedule.

Nothing I have heard of the few (approx 3) councils that are running trial Kindergarten Lion programs has said anything about the program being co-ed. Rather than start a rumor - please post a link to a council site stating the Lion trial program is co-ed. Until then, as far as the programs I have heard of, they are all just for boys, and ALL still in the TRIAL phase. Nothing has been rolled out nationally.

Ahhhhh - As you have discovered, ANY thread can become political, and/or heated, with some of our posters. Especially if you pair the two words "girls" & "BSA"! Don't worry, you will soon learn when to duck & run for cover! They are a great bunch over all!

Girls can not be MEMBERS of the BSA until they are 14 & can join a Venturing Crew. Girls can not receive EARNED Cub Scout Awards. Girls ARE a part of the Cub Scout's FAMILY. Per BSA National website on the subject of family participation & siblings in Cub Scouting - "As a program for the entire family, Cub Scouting can help families teach their children a wholesome system of values and beliefs while building and strengthening relationships among family members." "It's worth the effort to keep a family strong. For this reason, Cub Scouting seeks not only to help the boy, but to unite and support the entire family." "Weekly den meetings are intended for the boys to interact with one another and their leaders in a small group setting. Any gathering on the pack level, however, is intended for Cub Scouts and their families." "Besides being fun, family camping is a chance for quality time together and an enriched family life." "Pack overnighters are pack-organized overnight events involving more than one family from a single pack, focused on age-appropriate Cub Scout activities and conducted at council-approved sites. If nonmembers (siblings) participate, the event must be structured to accommodate them." For resident & parent/scout camping (also Boy Scout & Venturing) that is structured for a particular group of Scouts - "If a well-meaning leader brings along a child who does not meet these age guidelines, disservice is done to the unit because of distractions often caused by younger children. A disservice is also done to the child, who is not trained to participate in such an activity and who, as a nonmember of the group, may be ignored by the older campers." Bottom line is that CUBS is a FAMILY program, but there are times when the program is set up specifically for the Scouts & NOT the siblings. If sibs must be brought to den meetings they should not distract the boys from their activities or their meeting. The leaders should be concentrating on the Scouts, not the sibs. Sibs can be put at another table (or room) to quietly do their own thing (color, homework, reading, etc), supervised by an extra parent or older sibling. They can do the same crafts as the boys if the den has agreed to provide them or if the parent has paid for extras. They can be included in any song or games ONLY if they are age appropriate & it will not interfere with the boys doing those things. PACK activities are meant to be for the WHOLE family. Including parents & sibs in crafts, songs & games is a must & these activities should take into account the age spread of everyone involved. No one is even REMOTELY suggesting (in THIS thread) that girls join BSA or be awarded achievement or rank awards. However, MANY leaders/dens/packs, will purchase (with scout or personal $) extra participation/activity patches for sibs who go along on special outings. Since both parents were Scout Leaders, both my son & daughter attended many of the meetings & outings of their sib's scout group. They were NOT members of the other's scout group, just along for the ride. My son had patches on his "brag vest" from different Girl Scout Days (zoo, museum, state parks, etc) that he attended. My daughter had a large BSA Family Jamboree patch on her Junior GS vest & Sports pins she helped her brother earn back when the S/A program allowed that. He would go with her to do door-to door cookie take orders. She would go with him to do popcorn take orders. When she got older my daughter worked with her brother's den to help earn her various Girl Scout leadership & service awards. She is still (at 20.5 years) the best the Pack has for figuring out what to put on car & costume certificates (I tend to boring things like greenest or fuzzy)!

Broadcast channels only. No cable, satellite, HDTV, or any of that. There are a few things that would interest me on paytv, but not much. It usually ends up on broadcast or dvd sooner or later.

Have your Treasurer put together a financial statement showing how much comes in from what (registration, popcorn, etc) & where/how it goes out. Separate the costs of each Pack activity if you can (books, awards, B&G, trip to ball game, etc). That way they can see how much was spent on each one &, in cases where a fee is charged how much is lost on the event. You can either hand these out at the last Pack meeting of the year, or at the first one in September. Sept might work better because everyone (including new families) will have the costs fresh in mind when fundraisers come around.

You might try writing to the BSA Cub Scout Division. I would not count on the change being implemented in 2 years or less however. Let your son know that as soon as he bridges to a Boy Scout Troop he can begin working on his hiking merit badge!

"I'm hoping that we will have an idea of whether we'll be switching packs and councils before the early bird registration for reduced fees ends." What difference will that make? Most councils do not require that you sign up as a Pack/Den or be a member of the council to attend their Summer Camps. Pick the camp that fits your time schedule. See if any of the other families in your den want to/can attend. If you can get a group of his den mates together, great! That will make it fun, but, if you can't, go on your own. The camp will put you with others who are there on their own too. If this is his first Summer Camp experience, rather than do a week of Resident Camp, see if any area councils offer Parent/Pal Adventure Weekends. These are a good way to ease the boys into summer camping. For your Pack problems, have you considered starting a new Pack with your Temple or your son's Hebrew school as the CO? It might be easier on the schedule problems, & to get people involved, if everyone is on the same page as far as religious observance goes.

The Webelos to Scout Transition has always had a big emphasis with councils. Their point, of course, is not to loose membership. Just because it is one of your DE's top priorities, does NOT mean it should be YOUR top priority as a Cub Scout Leader. As a Cub Scout Pack leader, sure you want your boys to stay involved in Scouting past Cubs, but you should be concentrating on the other 9 purposes too or number 10 will not happen. BTW - Many Troops do not participate in School Night for Scouting. Some Troops are overly complacent about their incoming Webelos. Some do their recruitment for brand new scouts (never been in Cubs) differently. Bring a Friend Nights are big & some do boy talks at the middle & high schools. Why do a School Night at a grammar school when they need middle school boys? In general though, because you very seldom get an older boy who has never been in Scouts to join, Troop recruiting is done at the Webelos level.

As Fred stated, the Roman Catholic adult religious awards are by nomination only. You usually have to have worked with youth for a while & have "made significant and outstanding contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic youths through Scouting". Some nominations are by a local diocese committee, some are by the national committee. The Rosary Patch, International Awareness Activity award, Duty to God Patch, & the Millennium Patch, all have requirements for adult Scouters to earn them. However, earning these do not qualify you to wear the Adult Religious Award Knot. The other knots you saw were training awards for various levels of Scouting & also for awards earned as a youth (religious award, AOL, Eagle). BTW - The Catholic awards at the Cub level are family centered. To mentor the Boy Scout level awards you must be trained by your local diocese. Contact your local diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting for training dates.

Ask your council it they have the materials for the "My Best Friend is a Scout" recruitment. It is rather like bring a friend, but there are invitations, follow-up postcards & other things. Some areas have had great response with it. If you are active during the summer you can hold a recruitment drive at the end of the school year (May in most areas). All of the boys signed up (even Tigers) can attend Day Camp, Council Summer Camp & all of your summer activities. If you have a good Day Camp Director have them attend (in costume if possible) with brochures for all of the camps. Have a poster board with pictures of your Pack activities.

Saluting of the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, and the hoisting, lowering & passing of the flag, are all covered in Federal Codes Title 4 & Title 36. http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title4/chapter1_.html http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+36USC301 http://tinyurl.com/ndov5 There are no Federal Codes relating to the saluting of color guards or while the playing of Taps. These things are simply local traditions & not hard & fast rules. Edited to include a "tiny url" to replace the 2nd long one.(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

Nope There is no BSA insigna for leaders who are also trained in other fields. Make sure that when you are going on a Pack outing they know that, being an EMT, you are the person to go to in case of any accidents.

OK, I wasn't going to get into this, but here's my 2 cents anyway I don't have a problem with this song - if it is "short & sweet", just the first verse (what a horrible way to be bored to death). I have no worries that the boys will break out in the song in school or church. They may be short & young, but they are NOT idiots! Even by 1st grade they know that there is a time & place for most things & they know what will happen to them if they forget that. School is boring, church is boring, being lectured at by an adult is BORING! Cub Scouts is SUPPOSED to be FUN. Cub Scouts is SUPPOSED to be SILLY. Cub Scouts are SUPPOSED to be LOUD. Cub Scouts are SUPPOSED to INTERRUPT (that IS the point of a run-on after all). Cub Scouts are SUPPOSED to be having FUN! Fun for a Cub Scout is WAY different than fun for an adult. Cub Scout LEADERS are SUPPOSED to ACT LIKE THEY ARE 8 YEARS OLD AGAIN! I just love the look on the boy's faces when they realize that I WANT them to yell at the top of their lungs! I love the looks on their parents faces when they realize I want THEM to yell at the top of their lungs TOO!

Check with the council your summer camp is part of first. Most councils have packets already made for their camps. You could include some/all of their info & save yourself work.