
sheilab
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Yes one of the older boys is going to be troop guide. How can you have a patrol with 2 scouts and one being not a scout rank and the other a tenderfoot? They do not know much yet.
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Looking for a feedback on what is the minimum and maximum in a patrol. Seems everywhere I look it appears to be different, is there an official page for min and max? This website appears to be from the Troop Leader Guidebook http://troopleader.org/types-of-patrols/ and this website http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/PatrolLeader.aspx . Both are good but seem to differ. Our situation is, we have 7 new scouts that joined last night. The scouts decided to put them into a new scout patrol. Our current scouts, which are 4 or 5 scouts. 4 or 5 because one just became Eagle and will probably not continue. These scouts decided to be in another patrol; however not sure if that is advisable due to only having 4 boys and both the SPL and ASPL are in this patrol and are not part of a patrol. Of the two remaining scouts, one joined 3 months ago and is not a scout yet and the other is tenderfoot. What would you do?
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How is everyone's popcorn going so far this year?
sheilab replied to jc2008's topic in Unit Fundraising
Our troop is doing better than last year. All scouts have exceeded their goals except 2; however sales are not over. We sell at Frys and Safeway grocery stores the first two weekends and this year we added Lowes. They also go door to door and sell to family and friends. The scout earn 38% since they do not want the prizes and it all goes into their scout account. This year the scouts decided to take 10% and put into the general fund. I have gotten donations from various businesses to use a prizes for top sellers etc and it works out well and keeps them motivated. The one thing I don't like about popcorn sale is the tracking. Wish I had an excel file that tracks all the popcorn, when the scouts exchange different kinds of popcorn etc. It is a nightmare to keep track of. -
You are correct it does send emails everytime to change anything. I also did email the DE a couple days ago, but have not heard back. I thought I was doing something wrong.
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Blancmange, Where on Scouter.com do you sign up for a website. I've looked but have had no luck. I'll also check out google sites. Thank you
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Does anyone know of a free website for Scouts when you search say Google, it will find the Troop? I did find one from scoutlander and started creating our new troop a website, but if I do a google search it will not find us. Scoutlander told me it is the way google lists them. Since we are a new troop we do not have money to pay for this at the moment. I am not someone who builds website or know exactly how they work so if anyone can give some guidance in the area I would appreciate it. Thank you
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Our troop just signed up for Be A Scout and we are having problems with getting the correct unit website to show. I copied and pasted our website in this place but it always reverts back to the council office. Anyone else have this problem?
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Yes, we also talked about have the indiviudal accounts used for their dues, OA events, uniforms etc. Basically it was their choice how they spent their money, of course scout related. The general account we thought was for what startup costs we need (Patrol patches, troop numbers, Class B, ECOH rank advancement, MB, neckerchiefs and approx 4 -6 webelos crossing over). Once this was accomplished either as a percentage of fundraising or all the fundraing till the money is in the general account. Then at that point each fundraiser was divided between the boys who showed and in their individual accout. I think sometimes we get stuck on if we are truly boy led.... To me that does not mean the scout make all decision and do what they want, there are areas they need guidance and budgeting i believe is important. I am meeting with the PLC tonight to show them what we really need in the general account for a year and ingage them in what they think about how to come up with this money. Absolutely they should know all aspects of the money there are no secrets.
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Thank you Fred8033. I have been dealing with finances/leadership for over 2 years from the prior troop and it was not fun, way too much drama for me. Being a new troop with good parents we now have an opportunity to do thing different. Of course we well never all agree on everything, but we are pretty close. Our leadership with the adults/scout is really good. The SM and the ASMs are wonderful and this is the first time I have ever seen the SM and ASMs allow the boy to take full advantage of the patrol-method. It is a little strange to see them sit in the back of the room and not get involved until they need to. We really need to decided on the finances. Who pays for what, what account and who makes that decision. Keeping it simple would be great. I think the adults are a little paranoid, we are not arguing just paranoid given our history with other troops but do want to make it work and make sure all opportunities are available for the boys. I am all for fundraising going to the individual accounts but when I heard scouts become more concerned about their own individual account and lose site of a troop being a team and they are all accountable for supporting and helping the team first I was a little concerned. I suppose I am being overly concerned and should stick to my gut instinct.
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Hi Everyone I would appreciate your help and feedback as this forum seems to have an enormous amount of combined experience. I apologize for this post being pretty long. My son and two other boys (Eagles) wanted to start a new troop due to the prior troop being adult lead and some negativity by adults. I found the church and the boys within one week made it happen. 15 scouts (3 different troop, 4 younger and the rest older and Eagles), SM, 2 ASMs and 9 committee members, we had our first weekly meeting the beginning of this month, I am impressed by their dedication and willingness. Starting a new troop is a financial struggle for both scouts and adults which is what I would like your opinions about. We have been lucky, received many donations, complete flags, $600, Troopmaster, MB books, blue cards and MB card holders. The SM presented the scouts annual budget to the committee and I took their budget and put together an annual budget including their budget, what the troop needs including charter which we do not pay for 18 months and presented to the committee. Personalities came flying, not because of the budget but who pays for what and which account money goes into. I expected this since most of us came from a troop where the parents paid $150 for due and the scouts said I want this activity and we ran around making it happen. I believe most of us want each scout to financially support their program. There is no policy/procedure on who pays for what and what account it goes to; however there are many guidelines referring to BSA goal is that every boy raise enough money to cover his program expenses for the year and I did talk to the program director at council and that is also what he said along with our commissioner. I know the COR owns the troop and can ultimately say what goes. Our COR attends all committee meetings and would prefer for us to work it out. Since the goal is for each scout to pay their own way most of us are leaning towards a portion of the fundraisers to go to the general account until that covers what the troop needs for the year and all remaining fundraisers whoever shows up gets divided up between the scouts in their individual account. Is this realistic or fair, I am not sure. I do believe finances is important, a life skill and the scouts need the opportunity to learn budgeting and pay their way. The individual accounts are good for this and once they see they have reached their goal they will have a sense of pride, achievement and raise their own bar so to speak. I read a case study about individual accounts and the results from the study was increased participation in unit money earning projects, increased involvement from parents and boys, increased participation in unit activities and summer camps and greater retention rates. We have scouts that are in OA and this would also help them participate in those events since OA does not fundraise. I could be totally off base, I think the boys should know about the money incoming and outgoing and be able to have input in that decision; however they do not totally understand all financial aspect and should have the opportunity to learn. Isnt this called guiding them so they can learn a life skill? How is putting all funds into the general account or even select fundraiser achieving the goal of each scout be accountable for their own program. I can see what would happen putting all money in the general account, the over achievers will be paying the way for other scouts that chose not to participate and then the parents will be complaining. One comment from a parent was when a scout becomes more concerned about their own individual account, they lose sight of the fact that a Troop is like a team. They are all accountable for supporting and helping the team first. Not sure if I agree with this when the scout have goals, but I do know this particular does not want son to fundraise; however she is willing to select a few fundraiser to support the troop account. Being a new troop we have the opportunity to do things different or correct. We do not want to get lost in the verbiage of whatever the boy want, we need to support the boys or it is the scouts choice. We all feel that for the most part those are correct; however we also have other responsibilities to the boys, I hop that made since. Your inputs would be appreciated?
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We had this issue in the prior troop where the committee wanted to remove the CC from her position and from the troop. The CC was coming off like a dictator, constantly quoting policy and procedures. CC had a hard time running the meeting and keeping everyone on task mainly because of the CC constant input to everything. Any committee meeting I have been in the CC, runs the meeting with no input except if we truly are going against policy and procedures. I don't know if that is correct or not, but that is how is has been for me. As far the committee knew the only policies and procedures BSA has is The Guide to Safe Scouting, Advancement and anything from National. In the CC eyes the Troop Committee Guidebook and anyone that the CC talked to at council was a policy and procedure. Most of the committee spent one year trying to work with the CC and it got too frustrating and we were all about to leave so we called upon the commissioner. The commissioner spend 6 months having talks with the CC and nothing changed so we decided to form our own troop. Yesterday I had someone call me from that troop and ask me last week what is the policy and process on how to remove a CC. I have not been successful on find the actual process written anywhere and the only policy I found is the troop is owned by the CO and the CO/COR can hire/fire etc. From what I am reading and I don't totally understand everything so i could be inaccurate, there are two way to remove a CC. 1. The committee can call an emergency meeting and have a vote. 2. The CO or COR can remove the CC. I am not totally clear on the process for both. For #1 is this discussed with the CO/COR first and then have an emergency meeting. If more than 1/2 the committee decides to remove the CC who would tell the CC and are they just out of their position or are they out of the troop as well. For #2 if the COR has had complaints from atleast 1/2 the committee he can have a chat with the CC and decided to remove or decide to see if it gets better. I saw someone said something about paperwork. Is there paperwork that needs to be filled out.
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We are a brand new troop as of a couple weeks ago. Many of the Scouts got tired of it being adult lead so here we are in a new troop as of a couple weeks ago. We are learning the ropes, so to speak. It was brought up by the committee chair that the COR had to be registered as a COR and committee chair to have a vote at our committee meetings. Most of us thought that was silly since he has voting rights at council and district level and since the COR is over the committee, so to speak we thought he automatically had voting rights. He only registered at coucil as a COR, so we really just want to make sure we are doing this the correct way.
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Are you saying they are the same person? We have a Committee Chair and a COR, who does attend our meetings and yes we vote. However the Committee Chair said it is policy that the COR also register as a committee member in order to have a vote on the committee. I could not find that policy anywhere but then again our Committee Chair things everything is a policy. The only policies I know of is the Guide to Safe Scouting and policies from National.
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Does the COR have to register as a committee member and COR to have a voting right on the committee?
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Our troop is considering purchasing Troopmaster Web. I noticed that most of the posts are not recent and I would like to receive your opinions now that some of you have been using Troopmaster Web for a while. Pros and Cons?