ScoutNut

Bear Dad, contact your DE and see if your council can help with scholarship money to pay registration fees for families in need. As others have said, the Pack can't pick up the costs for everything if they have no money. Make everything at this point Pay-As-You-Go. Let the families know that the reason is that dues are not being paid and under 1/4 of the boys sold any popcorn at all. Put another fundraiser together (don't forget to turn in the Unit Money Earning Application to your council and get it approved), and let your families know that participation is the best way to not have to pay out of pocket.

You don't have to be registered as a WDL, or AWDL, to go camping with a Webelos den. Neither Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders, or BALOO, is required by BSA to be able to take a Webelos den camping (although one or both might be required by your council). Since BSA is talking about an entirely new training to cover both Webelos and Boy Scouts, I doubt that they will be grandfathering old IOLS training into Webelos. However, you never know. Until the new training sylabus is done, and we hear something concrete from National, none of us can know for certain. Your question on staffing the new training should be directed to your District/Council Training Chair. While generally, it is preferred that a trainer have gone thru the course they are to teach, some councils are more strict about this than others.

Flyingfish stated - "The church says it will be doing background checks and drug test on the men. They said the space is not accessible from inside the church. They also said they will provide security while the children are there." Nothing was said about an "AAA and Drug intervention program", or allowing the occupants unlimited access to all areas of the church and its grounds. There is a BIG difference. Also nothing was said about it being an "inner city" shelter. Flyingfish stated the church is located in the downtown area of a small town. In the small towns I have seen, and lived in, the downtown area could not be even remotely considered "inner city". A church in my town put a PADS shelter in it's basement. There was much hoopla about safety because the church had it's own school. It's been there years now without any problems. Perhaps the church will allow the girls to share the space across the street used by their BSA units. That would put more distance between.

There are a LOT of homeless out there now who are former middle class who are brand new to the streets. This is not a lifestyle most would choose willingly. The church has given you their assurance of security. There will be no direct access between the girls and the men in the shelter. How old are the girls? Depending on how many girls there are, and their ages, you might consider having a few more parents stay around for meetings. However, make sure they are useful, not just chatting, and distracting the girls. Also, depending on the ages of the girls, the Troop leader(s) might discuss the situation with them, and get their feedback on the situation. My feelings - as long as the church holds up their security end, I don't see this as a problem. It could be a very good learning experience for the girls, and inspiration for them for leadership/service projects.

Training will be going online so you don't need to worry about that part. I too, have had 100% retention. I have done some advancement and electives in the den, but not all. I have left the majority to the parents. And it's not like I was sitting around with excess time on my hands either. I work full time, have 2 children, volunteered with school, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts (at both the local and council level for both Scouting groups). This is why I don't buy into the idea that the Fast Tracks way is the only (or best) way to increase retention. However, there is nothing that can be done at this point. Good or bad, we are stuck with it. As I said, it should be interesting to see how this all plays out in the long run.

My son's Troop used Coleman tents and had no problems. I purchased a couple Alps Taurus 4-man tents for family use. Love them!

I would not look for BSA to change their restrictions on registering in more than one position any time in the forseeable future. Yes, in the "real world" many folks, while being registered in only one position, wear multiple hats. However, your Pack's leadership should be leary of putting to much onto one person. A person who is loaded down with to much, often does none of the jobs really well, and the program then suffers. As others have said, the "cure" is to work hard at getting more parents involved. Getting parents to help out depends strongly on getting them invested in the Cub Scout program. This is where utilizing the Tiger program's Shared Leadership can help a lot. Get those new families excited about what they are doing with their Tiger sons. Let them find out that working with the den/Pack is not a chore, and can even be FUN! Get them invested in the program, and make it so that it is almost second nature to chip in and help. These are your future unit leaders. Start cultivating them now.

There is no training out yet for "Cub Scouts 2010". Just the blurbs, and the pilot Fast Tracks program, on the National site. We will not know anything solid about this new program until later in the year. As for the parents doing all of the work on Pinewood Derby cars, or other take-home projects, that will not change with the new program. BSA will not be mandating that every little thing be done in den and Pack meetings. Not sure what things your den does now at their meetings if they are not doing Cub Scout activities. Currently, everything you do with your Cubs should pertain, in some way, to one of the Purposes of Cub Scouting, or one of the 12 Core Values. If that is not how you are running your Cub program now than that is NOT a programming problem.

It is the den leaders responsibility to keep the Scouts involved during den meetings, and to give them a good program. It does not matter if they are doing requrements, or something else entirely. A good den program will retain the boys, even if they don't earn all the bling. I am not of fan of this new program. I don't buy the notion that everyone now a days is way to busy to commit much time to doing this. I also don't buy taking the parents off the hook and giving them the babysitting they want. However, I will wait and see what EXACTLY BSA comes up with. Without new handbooks to go along with the new program, I think things will be pretty spotty for a while. It should be interesting.

I am not sure why some of you feel that is the responsibility of the YOUTH in a unit to enforce disipline. From the Guide to Safe Scouting - in BOLD print - "Adult leaders of Scouting units are responsible for monitoring the behavior of youth members and interceding when necessary. Parents of youth members who misbehave should be informed and asked for assistance in dealing with it." "The unit committee should review repetitive or serious incidents of misbehavior in consultation with the parents of the child to determine a course of corrective action including possible revocation of the youth's membership in the unit." As I noted, the above are in BOLD print, and clearly state that the responsibility is the unit leaders (SM), and the unit Committee's, ALONG WITH the parents of the Scout. Lisa, if your unit leaders have discussed the behavior of these boys with their parents before then this will not be a complete suprise to them. In regards to the past behavior of these boys, the Guide to Safe Scouting states, also in BOLD print - "The unit should inform the Scout executive about all incidents that result in a physical injury or involve allegations of sexual misconduct by a youth member with another youth member." These boys have been lucky so far because of your Troop's leadership. Since the Troop did pretty much nothing about past incidents, kicking them out of the Troop now, over what the parents might feel is a "minor" incident (especially compared to the other incidents) might seem over the top. I would recommend that the SM and the CC have a heart to heart talk with these parents. Explaining their sons past behavior, the consequences of that behavior, and the fact that while stealing snacks might seem small stuff in of itself, in the light of all of the rest it is not. I would recommend a suspension for a month, or two, while these boys decide if Scouting is really for them. I would also recommend that they make it VERY clear that the requirement of Scout Spirit will not be signed off until there is BIG improvement in behavior, and that any kind of repeat behavior will very possibly result in their membership in the Troop being revoked. This brings the parents into the decision, and gives the boys and their families a concrete set of expectations and consequences. Good luck!

>>"it would be a little late in letting him know you have issues, but don't sign off if you are not satisfied."

As far as I know, you can't. Silly, yes. Especially with everything going online. However, I believe the only way to get that information currently, is to go thru your council and have them get you a printout. By the end of 2011, all top leaders, in all units, in all councils, MUST be trained for their position. By the end of 2012, all direct contact leaders, in all units, in all councils, MUST be trained for their position. It is a good idea to start now. Use this information to help convince your units of the need for training, and accurate records.

There is really no good reason not to take YP training. It is online so that it can be taken at any time from the comfort of your own home, or on your lunch break at work. Even if you do not have an internet connection, you can easily get online at your local library. If they have not taken Position Specific this year for their current position, it might be a bit more dicey. Many councils only offer it in a very limited window. They might not be able to take it until Spring at this point. Personally, I feel that being a trained leader is VERY important. Especially if you are brand new. Having your Pack keep track of training is important on several fronts. Someone mentioned Quality Unit. Another reason to start tracking training is that BSA is moving to make training mandatory in the next year or two. Knowing, as we all do, how wonderfully accurate our Council's training records are, it will be VERY important for units to track their leaders training and keep their own records. With the changes in the Cub Scout program next year, BSA is also supposed to be putting Cub Scout Position Specific training online as well. That will, hopefully, help get more leaders trained. Your CO/CC can make being trained for your position a mandatory requirement for the unit accepting your adult application.

Teams are not "sponsored" by Troops. A Team is a separately chartered BSA unit. The Troop and Team can both be chartered by the same community organization (LDS does that all of time), but that is not a Troop sponsoring a Team. Just like a Troop is not the "sponsor" of a Pack chartered by the same organization. Your son should wear the uniform that represents the unit whose activity he is attending at the time. If he is at a Troop #1 weekly meeting, he wears the uniform with the Troop #1 insignia. If he is at a Troop #2 meeting, he wears the uniform with the Troop #2 insignia. If he is at a Team #2 meeting, he wears the uniform with the Team #2 insignia. Since he will be going to Jamboree with a Council Contingent, and not as a member of any of his registered units, he can wear which ever complete uniform he wishes.

Eagle92, nothing in the passage from the Insignia Guide states that it is refering to wearing the District Patches in place of Regional patches (which are not to be worn by unit Scouters at all). The passage is directly below the one describing Council Shoulder Emblems, and seems to be saying that the only affilliation emblem needed is the Council Shoulder Emblem. As for the community/state strips, I would agree they might be allowed only if they were original "vintage" patches. However, because BSA National is no longer producing these patches, or approving Councils to produce them, any new patches of this sort produced by either councils, or individuals, would not be approved for uniform wear. Personally, I have seen any number of strange things on uniforms, and while I might not approve, and in some cases even think the wearer a bit goofy, I am most certainly not going to chew them out for it. Their choice, not mine.

From the BSA Insignia Guide - "Districts are operational arms of the local council. Individuals are not identified as residents of a district, but of the local council and the Boy Scouts of America. For this reason district insignia is not authorized for wear on the uniform." I would think that a city/state patch falls under this rule, and therefore would NOT be authorized to wear on the uniform.

We did this one Christmas at Border's, many years back, with our Girl Scouts. They were rasing funds for their Gold Award. The nice thing about Border's was they supplied all paper, tape, ribbon, etc. All we had to bring was ourselves, a sign saying who we were, and our donation box! Needless to say, we had to sign up for our time slots VERY, VERY, early!

That is simply your local council's restriction to attend training. It is a shame if you have a younger Scout who is itching to take on the job. However, BSA does have Den Chief Fast Start training online. Your young DC could take that, and also purchase a copy of the Den Chief Handbook. There is a LOT of info in the handbook. While an older DC is preferred by many, the problem is that 1) many SM's don't like, and don't utilize the DC position at any level 2) many Troops that do utilize the position do not ASSIGN it as a POR. They ask for volunteers. Most boys, especially the older ones, will NOT take it on. It is a big commitment of time and energy. Why take on 4-5 more meeting a month when you don't have to. I think that if we have a Scout, no matter the rank, who is enthusiastic about working with younger boys, we should encourage him. My son loved working with the younger kids. He was a Den Chief for 7 years. He tried to get some of his peers to take it on, but none lasted very long. However, of the Scouts in "his" den, all crossed to his Troop, all stayed in the Troop, and 2 went back to the Pack as Den Chiefs to bring "their" dens through Cubs to the Troop also.

Just checked - While your local Scout Shop might not get it in for a while yet, National Supply now has the new Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide. You can order it from ScoutStuff here - http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=BOOKS_LIT&c3=LDRS_TRAINING&c4=&lv=3&item=34299

Yes, Tiger Cubs can still earn Belt Loops. They just can not earn the Horseback Riding one. From the Guide to Safe Scouting - Horsemanship Activities - "Horseback riding activities are limited to Wolf Cub Scouts and older members."

The new loops and pins should be in Scout Shops. If yours does not have them yet, they should be on their way soon, or you can order them from ScoutStuff. The new Academic and Sports program guide (with the new requirements) should be in your local Scout Shop by the beginning of January. But - STOP THE PRESSES - BSA has finally done something smart for the Cub side of their National Site. They have listed all loops AND their requirements. This is similar to what they have done for Boy Scout merit badges for a few years now. So, no need to wait until January for the official requirements for the new loops/pins. You can find them (and all of the others) here, now - http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/awards/adults/sanda.aspx (This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

Not against all bags. Just against the idea of a bag that is only big enough to hold a Handbook and a pencil. It is not practical, and I doubt that the boys would use them. There have been other suggestions offered for other kinds of bags and other sewing projects.

I'm with Lisa on this. Attending Jambo is not a Troop activity, it is an individual activity. He does not need approval from the Troop in order to attend. Why, exactly, are you upset that he did not tell you? What difference would it make to you, or the Troop, if you had known earlier, later, or at all, that he was going to Jambo? Payment does not have to be made in total, up front. Perhaps there was some question within his family if he was going to be able to go or not. Perhaps, when the discussion was held about where to go for July's Summer Camp, this Scout did not know he was going to be able to go to Jambo. Perhaps the final decision was made very recently by his family. Lots of possible reasons why he did not tell you. Not to many reasons why you should be this upset about it.

>>"I think the parents like it as everything in in one place and they don't have to search for Johnny's book every week."

1) I must say that I can't see a 3rd grade boy (much less a middle, or high, schooler) carrying around a small handbook sized bag. Maybe, if it were tote sized so they could use it for other stuff. Still.... A messenger bag, or backpack, would probably be more their bag of choice, and could be used on campouts too. Maybe a bookcover, with a loop to hold a pen? BSA sells Handbook covers. You could take a look at one to get an idea. Another idea for recycling jeans is a "sit upon". Cut off jeans at the top of the legs. Sew the waist and leg holes closed. Fold up an old towel and put in a large ziplock bag. Insert the towel in through the zipper. This gives you a seat for campouts and a spare towel. Another idea I have heard used for stuffing is old plastic grocery bags. Easy to get tons of, gives you a soft seat when stuffed full, and also provides a spare plastic bag when needed. 2) Notebooks are not really needed for Webelos for every meeting. Basically they are used when doing work at home. This gives the Webelos somewhere to document his work so it can be approved by his den leader. Would your Webelos remember to bring a binder, pocket folder, or bag, to every meeting? Maybe. It depends on your boys. I know when my group was Webelos, most were lucky they remembered their heads, much less anything else! Personally, I am not a big fan of the worksheets. They might be helpful in some instances, but on the whole they seem to be to much like schoolwork and tend to be used by some leaders as the entire Webelos program. Webelos should be learning about Adult Association through the use of various Activity Badge Counselors, and learning thru hands on activities.