ScoutNut

Do they like working with Cubs? District Day Camps are all usually looking for volunteer help. Have they been to JLT? If not sign them up for NYLT. If they have maybe they could be on staff for this years. Are they interested in a COPE course? Many summer camps have them. How about taking Den Chief training & working with a Cub Pack? Form an older scout Venture Patrol. Remind them that patrols can meet on their own & do activites on their own.

I believe that I read on another forum that someone used these as part of a ceremony. Something like - in order to go to the next level the boy must go into a cave & wrestle a bear. He enters the cave, you hear much growling, see much shaking, & then the boy comes out with his new scarf & bear claws. I'm not sure what you would use for Wolf or Webelos. It seems to be a variation on the Cub-O-Matic ceremony. I have also read about dens using the necklaces as a kind of personal den doodle. The boy gets a bear claw for his necklace in addition to an immediate recognition bead for his pocket totem. When he earns rank he gets arrowheads for each arrow point patch. Talk to your advancement person or one of the old leaders. They might have a copy of the ceremony they used.

Seattle - Do you have a daughter who is considering joining Girl Scouts?

Korea - Tell your daughter's leaders to put on their end of year financial report that they are carrying over $XX for reason YYY. That's should be all that is necessary. Councils do this because they don't want the money to be stockpiled. A GS troop is not a money making operation or a savings vehicle. There are some out there who would have large bank balances, getting bigger each year, & spend minimal on the girls. Councils just want to make sure the money is being used by/for the girls who earned it.

The annual planning meeting is done once a year (hence annual) and usually in August (sometimes earlier). This is when you plan your program & budget for the upcoming year. Your Pack Committee & Leaders should be meeting monthly. If the boys do not remember what they did for a particular achievement that is not in of itself a problem, because boys of that age don't retain a lot of stuff for extended periods. If the parents say they aren't getting the chance to work with their sons and they are concerned that the achievements are not really being met, then THAT is a problem. First, the CM & the Leaders all need to get FULLY trained. Then, if this keeps on happening, the CM needs to sit down & talk with him. If the parents are really concerned, then the easiest way to handle it is to simply KEEP the book at HOME. Then, a week before the pack meeting hand it to the leader telling him that the things the scout has finished have been signed by you (his parent) & that is what he should be recognised for. OR If the parents don't feel achievements have really been done, then they need to repeat them at home with their sons, themselves. There is no rule that the parents can't repeat achievements already signed off by the Den Leader.

Good catch Molscouter! As Mol said, Webelos goes from family centered advancement with parents able to sign for just about anything, to den centered advancement with the den leader (or an adult ok'ed by the leader) being responsible for approving completed activities. Talk to your son's leader about how she/he wants to handle work outside of the den. Most Webelos leaders ask for documentaion of outside work and then go over it with the scout before approving it. That would mean that your son should keep a notebook and/or a folder with all of the work he did for an activity pin. Ask your leader about doing Family Member & Traveler on your own over the summer. Another thing you might consider getting started on is earning the religious emblem of your faith. Traditionally the religious emblems are awarded by the religious institutions in February at their Scout Sunday/Sabbath celebration. These emblems usually take a quite a while to finish so getting an early start (when there is no homework to compete) would not be a bad idea. Religious emblems are not BSA programs and are done thru your religious institution. Pray Publishing has the complete listing of awards by faith. You can order the appropriate booklet from Pray or your Scout Shop might carry it. http://www.praypub.org/awards_main.htm

Comparing GSUSA & BSA is like comparing a Mackintosh apple to a pineapple. They both have "apple" in their name, but that's about it. They are 2 completely different programs, set up completely differently and aimed at 2 completely different groups. Will they merge? Not anytime soon or even in the forseeable future. GSUSA National has made that perfectly clear. Should they merge? There have been a number of discussions on that topic in these forums. The most recent of which is still going on in "Eventual Co-Ed Scouting" under Issues & Politics. I would suggest posting there.

Your council would be Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. This is their website: http://www.gssjc.org/default.asp Give them a call and find out who to call about Brownie Troops are in your area. How active a summer program the Troop has varies widely by Troop. Some continue to meet during the summer on a reduced basis. Some only get together for 1 or 2 activites. Some take the summer off completely. Even if the Troop you pick does not meet during the summer, if you register your daughter now she can go to council summer camps and attend any council summer activites. One thing to keep in mind, a GS registration year goes from Oct 1 to Sept 30. Talk to the council about having the National registration ($10) pro-rated for this year (but don't count on it). Your daughter will have fun!

Thanks so much! He is pretty excited & looking forward to doing things with/for OA. He loves meeting new people, doing new things, working with younger kids, & working with council. He was hoping to be able to go on an OA work week this summer, but it looks like he will have to wait for that. Which is just as well because he is pretty booked already what with helping me with District Tiger Roundup, helping with our Pack Family camp, Troop summer camp, staffing at Dist. Cub Day Camp, & staffing at NYLT!

My son completed his Ordeal this weekend! In mid-low 30 temps, with rain & snow showers he worked his back end off (one way to keep warm!). He got home tired, damp & VERY smelly, but with enough energy to model his sash for us! He was a bit leary because we could not drive him up & no one from his Troop was going so he had to get a ride thru council. He figured he wouldn't know anyone. However, he discovered he knew quite a few Scouts & Scouters from helping with District popcorn, Cub events & JLT. And since he is not exactly real shy (LOL) he gets to know folks easily and had a good time.

Earning the Bear Rank does not designate the end of being a Bear Scout. After earning rank a scout can earn arrowpoints, work on Belt loops/pins, work on other awards like Leave No Trace or Cub Scout Outdoor, & have fun doing various different activites with his den & pack. A boy can not be a Webelos until he has completed 3rd grade or is 10 years of age. Most packs hold a graduation ceremony at their May or June pack meeting where the boys are officialy moved up to their next Cub level. Many also present the boys with their new scarf and/or handbook at this time. Talk to your den leader to find out how your pack handles it. Weather it is your pack or you who purchases the new handbook, your son can begin working in it over the summer.

The programs for the different Cub levels are based on a boys needs & capabilites at a particular age. A Bear has completed 2nd grade or is age 9. A Webelos has completed 3rd grade or is age 10. I do not think that BSA's computer system will accept his registration at the Bear level. This boy does not meet the joining requirements for a Bear. He does for a Webelos. Another thing to consider, no matter what level you register him in he has only 2 years to be a Cub Scout while his friend has 2.5-3. Once this boy completes 5th grade he can no longer be registered as a Cub Scout. He will have to move to a Boy Scout Troop or drop out. If his friend is not ready to join a Troop at that time what will happen? Convince the boy's parents that Webelos is the place that is right for him. He can get together with his friend at Pack meetings & activites. They will have more to talk about this way and it might fire up his friend's anticipation for what awaits him as a Webelos (& then a Boy Scout)!

Yes, this was definately a YP issue. The SM specificaly told 1 scout to leave & the other scout to stay. From the description, this was done on purpose so that no one else could see or hear what went on. Perhaps it should have been reported to the CC before the Council, but it definatly should have been reported to someone. This was no "grey area" thing.

An Adult Partner is the person on the Tiger's application who attends all Cub Scout Den & Pack activites with that Tiger. I have had parents (& sometimes grandparents) switch off when necessary. Also, a time or 2, I have had a Tiger parent bring along another Tiger when his parents could not make a meeting & the Tiger did not want to miss it. You don't need the Adult Partner concept when the Tiger is working on stuff at home. You also do not need one to be able to work on Belt Loops or pins. The Academic & Sports program is ment to be done at home, in the community, or in a Scout setting. Having the music teacher sign off on the music belt loop is well within the rules for that program. A Pack campout is a different thing though. Pack campouts are supposed to be family affairs. I would say that in most cases the Tiger should be there with his family. Especially if this Tiger is new to camping. Remember, if another parent/family does take responsibility for a Tiger, that boy can NOT sleep in the same tent with the adults. He MUST sleep in a separate tent. It can be with other boys, but not with adults he is not related to. This might be scary for a 1st grader on his first campout. Also, if the Tiger's registered Adult Partner is not his legal guardian than they can not sleep in the same tent either.

As it is with the Cubmaster of a Pack, the Scoutmaster & Asst Scoutmasters work TOGETHER with the Committee Chair & the COR to provide a BSA program to the Boy Scout Troop. The SM deals with the program aspects & the CC deals with the business aspects and helps the SM provide the activites the boys want.

"The Cub Scout helps the pack go. The pack helps the Cub Scout grow." Individual Scout accounts are not usually done at the Cub level. The Scout is supposed to pay his own way in Scouting & the Cub is expected to "help the pack go". Our only fundraiser is popcorn. With that we pay for scarves, books, patch vests, slides, rank, activity pins, belt loops & pins, Webelos colors, Immediate Recognition kits, compass patches & points, arrowheads, leader training, misc awards/patches, supplies, Pinewood Derby cars, Pack Family Camping, food for Pack Picnic, the Scout's cost for all activities/trips, the bus to go to the hocky game & ball game, & much more. This year we are offering to pay National registraion costs for any new Scouts who sign up at out last Pack Meeting. We have a "suggested goal" of $350 in sales (not profit) per SCOUT for popcorn. The boys who make their goal receive a rocket kit to be used at a Pack Rocket Shoot in the summer. The top 10 sellers each get the chance to throw a Popcorn Cream Pie (paper plate filled with whipped cream) at the Scouter of their choice during our December Pack meeting. The popcorn goal can be achieved by taking orders on a order sheet, Show & Sell door to door (families sign out popcorn with unsold to be returned to Popcorn Kernal by certain date), or Show & Sell Booth Sales (total sold at all booth sales divided up between boys who worked). All Show & Sell monies can also be used towards popcorn company incentives. We have one family with 3 boys who makes their per boy goal each year mainly thru participating in Booth Sales. They usually only have to buy 1 or 2 boxes of micro corn per boy (for family consumption) to bring each boy to their goal. With the cost of the popcorn it's not really that hard. With our CO paying recharter & registration for all returning Scouts & Scouters each year, our families do not have to pay all that much out of pocket. About the only thing we have not covered is the cost of Council Summer Camp. Next year we will be looking at increasing the popcorn goal so that the Pack can pay for Day Camp for boys meeting their goal. I would NOT give any of the money already in the individual accounts back to the families in cash. Cub Scouts is not a family money making operation. Are these actual separate accounts for each boy or is the money in one account with the separation on paper only? As of a specific date stop depositing money in the separate accounts. If you have to, to keep things clear, start up a brand new Pack account. If you do not have anything in writing on how the money can be used I would tell the families that the individual accounts would be used to pay for their boys awards until the new popcorn money comes in. After that, if a specific popcorn goal is reached, the individual accounts can be used for Summer Camp or Scout Shop purchases. If the goal is not reached the account (or a % of it) will still be used for purchasing the boy's awards.

Oh my - BTDT !!! We had 4 girls in our Senior Troop & for 3 years we nudged, mentioned, reminded, encouraged, etc, etc. They had done their Silver in 7th-8th grade along with their religious medal & decided that although they DID want to earn their Gold, they wanted to take Senior's slow. Fine. They started on their last religious medal and fiddled with bits & pieces of different awards. We went camping, out to ethnic dinners, bowling, swimming, etc, & they had fun. Meanwhile, time is passing & we are reminding & encouraging, etc. They are all very busy girls, honors/AP classes, sports, jobs, school clubs, etc. Slowly, slowly, they finally finish their last religious medal & receive it in a very nice area wide celebration. Finishing this seems to revive their "drive for the Gold" & they finally start finishing up the various different parts needed. All this time they would periodicaly talk about their project. It went from one thing to another, from joint to individual and back again. They finally decided that they would do a joint project, that way they could encourage each other. They also figured that it would help keep them going because they knew each of them had to hold up their end of the project. They could not just quit without letting down the others who were depending on them. Close to the end of their Junior year, they had finished everything but the project, which there were STILL ongoing discussions about. Finally, we sat them down with a calendar and showed them that in order to be able to be recognized in their Senior year & to be able to put the Gold Award on College apps, they had to fish or cut bait & do it SOON! It got them moving. They made it & were EXTREMELY proud of themselves! None of them received scholarships directly because of the Gold, but let me tell you, when they finished listing all the awards they earned & the leadership they had done as Girl Scouts it was pretty darn impressive! Every one of them was accepted to every university they applied at and received some nice scholarships based, in no small measure, on their community service & leadership as Girl Scouts! All of that said, your daughter is the one who has to finally make up her mind. IMO, the IP's are the least of it. After 3 years of high school, if your daughter goes thru the IP book I bet she will find that she has pretty much finished up any IP she needs. The most time consuming part is the leadership requirements. If she has finished those then all she has left is the project. Sit down with her to see exactly what she still has to do. It could very well be, that once everything is sorted out she will be a LOT closer than she thought! Good Luck!!

Talk to your Committee Chair (CC) about your concerns. If the Den Leader is not doing their job the CC and the Charter Organization Rep (COR) can take that job away from them. They do not have to wait until the Leader steps down. I think that 4 boys in a den is to few. Especialy if that would give you 3 dens with only 4 in each. According to BSA sources, 6-8 boys is the ideal number for a den.

"Tonight, I was told that the local scout shop is refusing to record advancement and other awards if the pack or troop does not buy the award locally." Who were you told this by? It sounds to me like a communication mixup. I would contact the shop personally to verify before doing anything. If they are indeed doing this, then I would contact your council Advancement Chair. This is not that big a deal with Cubs (except for AOL), but Boy Scout rank advancement should be reported to National.

Check with your council. They might have something put together on outdoor oportunities in your area, or at least be able to tell you where to look. They should also have a list of council approved camping areas. Of course, considering your location, the first thing that comes to mind is Florida Sea Base! Where the boys go and what they want to do will actually depend on what the purpose of the outing/activity is. Every outing/activity should teach Scout skills, help them advance in rank, and reinforce the aims of Scouting. That is why National has themes for the Boy Scout program as well. It gives the boys an area to focus their activites on. For instance, if they want to focus on Nuclear Science, we have various places around us our boys can go. There are 11 nuclear power plants, Fermilab, and Argonne Nat Labratory to name a few. (This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

Keep in mind that Boy Scouts is a whole 'nother animal than Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts. A well run Boy Scout Troop is entirely boy led. That means that while it is fine to put together a list of oportunities in the area, new, interesting places to go & things to do, that should be about the extent of your input. It is (or should be) up to the Troop's Patrol Leaders, during the course of their Patrol Leader Conferences & led by the Senior Patrol Leader, to decide what they want to do & where they want to go. After that, the Scoutmaster lets the Committee know & the Committee then makes sure it happens. So when you ask what Boy Scouts can do, it really depends on what the boys in the Troop WANT to do. They CAN do just about anything, as long as it is within the paramiters of the Guide to Safe Scouting.

The Burning Neckerchief A neckerchief is lit on fire, but does not burn. Set-up: Water collected from a magical spring will protect the neckerchiefs of boys that are ready to earn their rank. If the neckerchief is soaked in the solution, it will burn but will not be consumed by the fire, but only if the boy has worked hard and knows his requirements. The neckerchiefs are collected and, one at a time, placed in the solution. They are held up by the corners and passed across a candle flame. The neckerchief will burn, but soon goes out, leaving the warm, steaming fabric unharmed. It is returned to the boy and the next candidate is tested. Materials: Alcohol Water Coat hanger or tongs Metal bowl Candle Matches Fire extinguisher Alcohol is a flammable liquid. Use care when it is near heat or flame. Be aware of your environment, especially the potential for igniting combustibles above you, or setting off fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Keep boys away from the flames, fuels, and have a safety and evacuation plan in place and practiced prior to attempting this ceremony. The Secret: Mix alcohol and water equally in the metal bowl. Soak the neckerchief in this solution, making sure to mix it well, and stretch out over the coat hanger or hold with the tongs so that there are no folds or creases. Pass the neckerchief through the candle flame and the alcohol fumes will light and burn. The water will protect the neckerchief itself. When the alcohol is gone, the neckerchief will go out. Use care with Webelos neckerchief. The alcohol may cause the colors to bleed, and the patch may melt or burn since it does not soak up as much water to protect it. Keep the burning neckerchief and candle several feet from the bowl of alcohol and water. Once the neckerchief is soaked, move immediately to the flame and light it, before the alcohol has evaporated. ********************************************************************** Instead of doing this with every necker, you might just do one from each level and have them prepared before hand. I would also suggest taking the patches off of the prepared neckers.

"Another training everyone that is going to be camping with boys should take Introduction to Outdoor Skills." NO. This training is structured for, and aimed at, those adults who will be taking BOY SCOUTS camping. This training is NOT for CUB camping and can not be used instead of BALOO or Webelos Leader Outdoor Training. If you are in the Cub program, AFTER you have taken BALOO & WLOT, if you have the time & inclination, IOLS is a great course to take to prepare you for Boy Scouts. Similarly, if you are working strictly with the Boy Scout level I would not reccomend taking BALOO or WLOT unless you simply wanted the experience. I also would not take BALOO or WLOT before IOLS.

They are 2 separate organizations with 2 rather different ways of doing things. The rules & regs of GSUSA are not those of BSA. That said, it is up to the individual GS Council if any of your BSA training carries over in any form. Some will recognize (at least partialy) curent training from other youth groups. Some will not. Check out your GS Council's website and see if they have any info there. Then give them a call and talk to whoever is in charge of camping training. Good Luck!

Yes, there are many Dads who are active in all aspects of GSUSA at all levels. You can get registered and then take your Council's outdoor training. There should be 3 different trainings for the levels of camping progression. If you feel real ambitious you can take the First Aid / CPR training. After that there should be nothing stopping you and your girls from hitting the campgrounds! Have fun!