ScoutNut

Herms - That sounds like a fun alternative to our Cardboard Boxcar Derby! Do the boys take turns riding? How do you run the race? Is it a straight race or a relay of some sort? How do you pick the riders? Thanks for the info and the idea! OK - This cutting off of posts is really annoying!!!!

Herms - That sounds like a fun alternative to our Cardboard Boxcar Derby! Do the boys take turns riding?

You mean aside from working, going on a student exchange program abroad, and getting ready for College?! Well, my girls are planning on spending the last of their Troop money this summer by visiting various museums in Chicago, seeing a show at Second City Theater, and going out to dinner. They are also getting lifetime GS memberships and donating money to our local Food Pantry.

I have been in Girl Scouts as a leader for 11 years now. I have also been our troop Cookie Coordinator for 11 years, with about 5 of those being Coordinator for another troop as well. Currently I am Advisor for a 12th grade Senior troop and the Cookie Manager for our Service Unit. I plan on staying on as SU Cookie next year and maybe (just maybe, it depends on my Co-Leader) take on a new Daisy troop. Our high point this year has been the girls earning their GS Gold Award. I have been a BSA Scouter for 9 years. I started with my son as his Partner in Tigers. My husband took over as Den Leader for his Wolf year and volunterred my to be his Assistant (payback for my volunterring him to be a Leader for our GS Troop!). We led the boys from 2nd grade thru 5th grade. At that time I became the permanent Tiger Leader and he became the Asst Cubmaster (the BS Troop is anti-female ASM, kitchen help ok, but not ASM). We also are Co-Kernals for the popcorn sale.

You might want to check with the BALOO trained person who is going to be attending the overnighter. They might have some ideas/input for you from their training.

You might want to check with the BALOO trained person who is going to be attending the overnighter. They

This is one of several new recruiting initiatives which National is presenting at their May meetings. More information should be available from your council next month.

We do not charge any Pack dues at all. All of our operating funds come from our popcorn sale. We have a goal for each boy. The goal can be met by Take-Order sales or by participating in Show & Sell booth sales or both. Many boys meet or exceed their goal. We pay for all patches, awards, pins, etc. We give each boy their book, scarf, & slide each year. We also give "Mom Ribbons" to the parents. Most Pack events/outing are free to the scout with the rest of the family paying a minimal fee. The Pack presents a haunted house each year to raise food/funds for the food pantry and pays a portion of each den's decorating cost. We pay for any decorations used at Pack meetings. We also have great parents who many times never turn in recipts to get reimbursed and a CO who pays for all recharter/registration fees for all scouts and scouters. The boys and leaders only have to pay their very first National registration and Boys Life fee when they join.

Well as far as the National Supply Division is concerned it's official! Check out the News Briefs section for a look at the new Tiger uniform. http://www.scoutstuff.org/misc/news.html Looks like the same hat, a blue & orange scarf and the Tiger Totem moves to the pocket. "sigh" I kind of liked the matching adult/kid orange shirts! It made the parents feel more a real Tiger Partner and my Tigers were real easy to spot in a group!

From what I have read, as of Aug 1, 2004, the official Tiger uniform will be the blue CS shirt. Don't know what they will do about a scarf, although the councils that have been participating in trial runs have been using an orange one. Hopefully a new book is in the offing for the beginning of the year at least! This comes from a memo from the National Cub Scout Exceutive to all council Scout Excutives. Also included in the memo are new recruiting inititives, including a Cub Scout recruitment website. There will also be changes which will allow rechartering with only 1 leader per Pack instead of 1 leader per Cub level. Actually, I have heard that the wording on the uniform issue will be that the official uniform for all Cub Scouts (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, & Webelos) is either the blue Cub Scout uniform or the tan/olive uniform with blue shoulder loops. This would lead me to believe that Tigers can also be in tan! There is supposed to be an official announcement and more info after the National meeting this month. I will wait until then and see what the official, official word actually is.

We give the new Webelos II's a handmade slide and a compass or vittle kit. Last year the slide looked like an arrow to remind them to go for their AOL.

OK What's with chopped off posts??? As I was saying: I would also contact your Charter Organization Representative. Since he is technically the one who has the power to "hire" & "fire" leaders he should go with you when you have a face to face talk with ODL. It is a done deal and hopefully the den will benefit, but don't compound the problem by assuming someone else will talk to OLD about this.

I agree an apology is in order. Your CM handled the whole thing badly. I would also contact your Charter Organization

Hi Guys! Unlike many of you I was never a scout as a youth. I do remember Boy Scouts and CampFire Girls (they were girls only then!) in uniform attending mass at my church. I attended public school and never saw a recruitment flyer for any of them. In 1st grade my daughter asked to join Girl Scouts. That year was the 1st, and almost the last, year of her career in Scouting! It was the "Troop from Hell" or, more correctly, the "Leader from Hell"! My girl would come home from meetings in tears because this woman spent the whole time yelling at the girls. Cookie time was a mess with the Asst. Leader being overwhelmed and the Leader never paying the Troop for cookies. We stuck it out that 1st year and the next I took over cookies and my friend took over as leader. Half way thru 2nd grade the AL had to back out because of time issues and I volunteered my hubby as the new Assistant Leader (he was working nights at the time - hey who needs sleep!). In 3rd grade I added Co-Leader to my Cookie duties for their last year as Brownies. The 3 of us lead the Troop thru the end of 8th grade and saw the girls earn the Girl Scout Silver Award. As Senior Girl Scouts in high school, my hubby dropped out as leader. We were down to 5 girls and he figured 2 leaders were plenty! This year, their final year in high school, our girls earned the highest award in Girl Scouting, the Girl Scout Gold Award! I have been on the area Service Unit team as Service Unit Cookie Manager for 3 years now and will probably continue at least for another year. Since we will be troop-less next year, my Co-Leader and I have been considering taking on a brand new Daisy (kindergarten) Troop. Can you say Glutton for Punishment! LOL! My BSA career started when my son joined Tiger Cubs. He had been a Girl Scout "mascot" for a few years and was more than ready to start on his own scouting trail. I signed on as his Tiger Partner and the next year my hubby took over as Den Leader and "volunteered" me as his assistant! We had 3 leaders and a great bunch of boys! Soon I added Popcorn Kernal to my fundraising resume! When our boys were in their 2nd year as Webelos, the Pack was having problems finding a Tiger Coordinator. No one wanted to join Tigers unless there was a leader in place and no one wanted to step up as leader. So, because hubby didn't tie my arm down quick enough, our Pack accuired a new, permanent Tiger Den Leader! My son (who is now in 9th grade and soon to be a Star Scout) moved on to a Troop run by a "traditional good ole boys club" who had no use for a female ASM. Kitchen help, fine, ASM or camping, not in this lifetime. So hubby and I stayed with the Pack as Tiger Leader, ACM, Popcorn Kernals, BALOO Pack camp coordinators, etc. My son has been Den Chief for many years and is looking forward to when "his" guys move up to the Troop. He has been doing his best to bring the Troop to the Cub Scout Pack so that more boys will want to stay in Boy Scouts after Cubs. That about sums me up. 11 years and counting!

"You can repond if you join the team..... Or did you miss that question in the original post?" No need to be testy - or rude. No, I did not miss that. However, as I stated, I could find no way to access the blog on the site you listed. That includes instructions on how to become a member of a team. If all requests for team membership have to go thru you (via private email or some other route) that is fine, but again, I found no instructions for this on your blog site or in your posts. My nieces and children all have blogs or blog type things that they babble on with their friends. Personally, I don't see the attraction. Course, they all think I'm nuts for belonging to Scout forums and lists!

"Now I know I want to know what the difference between sounding off in a Blog is too sounding off here?" The difference is that in this forum people can respond and comment on the different posts viewed. In ASM1's blog there is no way to respond. At least I could not find a way. It is basically just an online diary of his thoughts which can be read by anyone who knows where to look.

Have the boys use the plastic badge holder that hangs from the pocket button. No sewing involved. Maybe the Pack could present the patch with the holder!

Have the boys use the plastic badge holder that hangs from the pocket button. No sewing involved. Maybe the Pack could present the patch with the holder!

Many new tents on the market now have a window in the roof. It sounds like there would be little chance of rain if the fly was left off so he could see the sky. Also have a talk to him and his parents. They might have some ideas for you.

To earn his Webelos rank a Webelos Scout must demonstrate the BS salute, sign, and handshake and explain when to use them. They must also explain the BS Oath, Law, Motto & slogan. To earn his AOL he must memorize and explain the BS Oath & Law. What better way to memorize something than to say/do it repeatedly. I think using these every week as a part of their den meetings is a great idea.

If the boy is not interested in the things Cub Scouts do, he will either not join in the first place, or he will drop out. It is not our place as leaders to say that a particular boy cannot join because we don't think he will make a very good scout. The idea is rather insulting.

The BSA is not "looking" for any particular characteristics. Boys do not have to "qualify" or undergo any type of screening to join either Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. They simply have to want to join, be in the correct age/grade for the program level, and pay their registration fee. We are not building a master race here. From the BSA National website: "Cub Scouting is fun! But it is fun with a purpose. Woven through all the activities is an inspiring program that works. The methods of Cub Scouting are on the cutting edge of child development. Proven methods are used that transfer traditional values, build character, and develop leadership skillsall in the context of fun and family togetherness." "It is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting." If their are any Packs (or Troops or Crews) out there who are denying membership to boys because they don't like their "stock material" then they are dead wrong.

The 5th grade Webelos who will not be able to return next year still have the rest of this year to complete any requirements they are missing. Cub Scouting does not end with Blue & Gold. These boys can receive any awards they have earned to date and watch as the others cross over to Boy Scout Troops. Hopefully watching the crossover ceremony will inspire them to finish their rank at least. They can then work on their Webelos stuff for the rest of the year. At your last Pack meeting of the year you can award them whatever they have earned. You can also cross them over to a Boy Scout Troop at that time. The only way that any of the Webelos without AOL can crossover to a Troop this month is if they are 11 years old. I would not let them participate in the crossover.

Like BSA popcorn, each GSUSA council sets their own troop profit for their cookies. Each council also sets the cost per box of their cookies. Try selling GS cookies for $4 per box when across the street, the council is selling the same cookies for $3! I just don't know why some people don't get it. You are not selling popcorn or cookies!! You are selling Scouting! At site sales, or door to door, do not ask people to buy stuff. Ask them to support Scouting in their community! Most will, some will even just give you a handfull of change or a couple of bucks and tell you to keep the product. Sell Scouting, not the product! The reason that BSA requires the Unit Money-Earning Permit Application for any money-earning except for council sponsored popcorn sales is the same reason that GSUSA requires the Application to conduct Money-Earning Activity for anything besides council sponored product sales like cookies. They are not worried about their "cut". Councils do not get a "cut" of unit money-earning activites. They are worried about how their name is being used. When you conduct a money-earning activity you represent the program (BSA or GSUSA) and there are certain rules that must be followed because of that. The application is to make sure units are following the rules. Submitting an application also ensures that your activity will be covered by the programs insurance.

Speaking from experience, a good place to find a Tiger Den Leader is a parent of a Webelos. I wanted to stay involved with the boys and my son's Troop is rather anti-female. I started in Tigers when my son was in 5th grade. I was assistant Webelos leader at the time, but we had parents telling us that they would not sign up their son for Tigers unless we already had a leader. The rest is history and I am now in my 5th year as Tiger Leader. The only year we lost the Tigers was my first. It was the old program and except for 2, the parents just did not want to do anything. Those 2 families were great, but they both moved at the end of their Tiger year. One added benefit has been getting (and keeping!) a Den Chief (my son). This year he recruited 2 of his friends to be Den Chiefs also. Den Chiefs (1 not to mention 3!) had been unheard of in our Pack!