SueM

eagle90, We have that same system..and problem!! They're kind of like socks in the dryer..you never know where things disappear or how they end up everywhere but where they should be! sue m

Any female should be addressed as "Miss" [first name] and men are "Mr" [first name] don't forget that there is not only Ya'll but in a group it's "All Ya'll" or the plural possessive "All Ya'll's!. There's only one real kind of BBQ and it's Carolina Style and it's NOT an event!! (as a native Pennsylvanian myself I know that we have -A- BBQ, where here in the south BBQ is the main dish!). sue m.

Boy..a subject I'd love to hear more about..especially how to "convince" my boys that I'm not totally losing it when I try to explain to them that a single patrol member should still try to function as a patrol! I think I'll print out some of these and read them to my SPL & ASPL the next time they try to automatically "combine" a single into another patrol for the weekend. sue m

"but I've had a couple of WBers counsel me NOT to go to WB. The reason? "It's just a rehash of the same stuff you've gotten in all the corporate leadership training seminars you've been to. Save your $200." " Well yes, it's typical Corporate stuff, but it is specifically geared to the Scouting program. I'm sure any of us who have gone through the course heard this from more than one person there..but I also heard "Even though I've done all this before, I still came away with something new." Remember..you only get as much out of something as you really WANT to!! If you go into into it with a closed mind and the idea that you have heard it all before, then you probably won't get much out of it. OTOH, if you open your mind to it, I'm sure that there is always something new to learn or relearn. As far as cost goes...I don't know about other councils, but in our council we pay nearly the same amount of money -to be on staff- as the participants pay! Would anyone in their right mind do that if they really didn't feel the course was not worth it?? There is are royalties to pay, licensing fees...food to buy (3 meals a day for everyone!) supplies to buy..reams of paper etc. Don't let someone else decide what might or might not be useful to YOU!! Sue M.

5. I've heard ALL this stuff before!! 6. I look terrible in Tartan

fullquiver, I have continually tried to address these issues with the boys and both their fathers' are adult leaders in the troop and are both very helpful and supportive, though I'm not sure have a real understanding yet for how the program should work yet. I told both boys the other day that if I didn't start seeing more scoutlike behavior from both of them, that they would be removed from their POR..which really ticked them off because they -refuse- to see that they are causing their OWN problems! We had gone to camp on Friday and had a "discussion" with both boys over issues that were going on. Both have good -raw- leadership ability, so I am trying to be patient with them and teach them and help them develop..but when they seemingly refuse to accept MY authority as the SM to see that we are running a BSA program, it makes things difficult!! It's also hard when most of the troops in the area do not necessarily run a strict BSA program, so everytime I try to set off for a new "goal" (remembering that I'm moving from adult to boy led!) for the boys to reach, I hear "none of the other troops around here do it that way!!!"..which is not totally true but it's their excuse then for either ignoring or overriding me when I'm not there! sue m

Make sure that you check with your council to see if perhaps they don't have a "benefactor" who would be willing to subsidize WB Scholarships. Also try to get a list of Cub Scouter's...don't overlook them! sue m.

Joe, Boy, this really hits home with me! I have been in this situation now for about 20 months and there are no easy solutions. My son does not have a lot of social ability, is not athletic, is rather geekish, and has A.D.D. Waking him up in the morning takes me nearly 45 minutes on a normal day, keeping him on task and having him willingly contribute is like pulling teeth!! He is an outcast in the troop. I have to stay on top of him all the time to get anything done...and I HAVE to do that because the minute he does something wrong or forgets something a certain group of boys take glee in making comments (loud enough for him to hear!) about how he gets away with everything because he's the SM's son!!..unfortunately, most of these comments come from my current SPL & ASPL!! They pick on him at school..on the bus and any possible chance they get and go around LOOKING for reasons to put him down and complain about him. It is VERY difficult to separate yourself as a parent and a SM when these things happen because no matter how hard you try, is sounds like you're taking sides! Recently there were some incidents on the bus involving my SPL and another boy and my son was coming home miserable every day. I told my son to try and ignore it as much as he could and if he couldn't, to just tell my SPL that his behavior was very unscoutlike. So he did that one day and the boy's answer was "So what!! I don't care!" I discussed the situation with a couple of my ASM's to help me figure out how to handle the situation and we decided that I needed to address it as the SM. So I pulled the boy aside and said to him "Another scout has come to me and told me that you are picking on him" and approached it that way. His response was "So...it didn't happen at SCOUT's!!" Then he proceded to tell me that HE was not the one who was doing the picking..but the other boy and I asked him if he did anything to step in and stop it and he said no, which led into a discussion about living by the scout oath and law and doing the right thing. I'm not sure it made much of an impression on him. This boy has been a headache in the troop from the get go. I don't know one adult leader in the past 5 years who has not wanted to give him the boot! When we try to address anything with him, all we get is arguement and told that we are "singleing" him out. He is a natural born leader, but usually in the wrong direction! When he became SPL at least it gave me the ability to remove him from SOME of the problem situations and put him more under my direct "control" so that I could perhaps start to try and teach him how to lead in a more positive way. However, he's usually so busy arguing with me about everything I'm trying to teach him, that we're not making any progress..it's VERY frustrating!! In short..when you're the SM and your son is in the troop, there is ALWAYS going to be SOMEONE who is going to think you're showing favoritism to your son no matter what you do. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't most of the time. We try NOT to disclipline our own children at camp, etc. but if I don't do it to my son, then I hear that I let him get away with everything and if ANYTHING, I'm harder on him than I am with the other boys because of that. Good luck and as the BS motto says "Be Prepared"!! It's not going to be easy! Sue M.

Newbie, There is a very STRONG need to get Cub Scout leaders through WB earlier than most do it. Mainly what happens is that CS'ers put it off until they are Webelos Den leaders and then they move on to BS troops very soon afterwards so the CS program IMO really suffers in the long run. Also, when staff is chosen for a course, there needs to be a balance not only with new staff vs. experienced staff members, but also a balance between programs..it is sometimes hard to get WB'ers who are still involved in the CS's for staff! Sue m.

Though I am proud of what WB has helped me to accomplish in my troop, I don't wear my beads to show off...I wear them because every time I look at them, they remind me of the committment that I have made to providing my boys with the best possible program that I can..and WB gave me many more tools to use to do that!! In the "new" WB, it is described and promoted as just part of the adult training continueum (?)and that's how we present it....as just another step along the adult training path. Some of what he might consider "elitism" though may just be seeing the bond that those who have experienced the course have with each other...the commeraderie that is formed and the automatic "network" that you make. And no matter where or when you take the course, you'll always have a common patrol bond with other WB'ers to help you make new connections. That's part of the fun of the course though too... Sue M "Dam right I'm a Beaver"(This message has been edited by SueM)

I should have been more specific...I meant that if it was a situation with just an adult having to take a single scout somewhere and no other adults were available. sue m. >Two deep leadership per vehicle is NOT a BSA >requirement. No one-on-one contact with youth (unless >you own) IS a BSA requirement. That is a big >difference. Many a time, we travel to outings and my >sons go but their preference is to ride in the >vehicles with built in DVD players (i.e. not dad). So >many a time, I've had other boys in my vehicle but >never just one (unless they are my own).

It's hard to get totally away from doing the convoy thing but at least with most people having cell phones now, it's a bit easier to not do it so much...though using them can cause safety issues of their own sometimes!! The one thing that we do try to do though is to at least have one vehicle "escort" for the troop trailer in case something happens to it. Last year, on our way out to Blue Ridge to Summer Camp and the trailer had a flat tire on the Interstate. One adult and 4 boys in his truck..his son was among them and we've been told by our DE that as long as you at least have your own child in the vehicle with the other boys, then we didn't need 2 adults in every vehicle. It would have caused major problems if there would not have been other close by leadership to not only lend a hand with the tire situation but to help keep the boys safe until they could get the tire changed, fixed and back on the road.

John, ah..I THOUGHT maybe that was the "dance" you might be referring too... sue m.

John, I'm not sure..so I guess I haven't learned it yet, eh? I think I have an idea though.. Sue M.

I've only had to do it once...I have a 2nd year scout who is a handful..can't sit still, mostly undeliberately provokes the other boys (can't help himself) and other boys sometimes provoke him too. He's an extremely intelligent boy..and loves scouts and camping. He had gone to the fall camporee and had a supposed altercation with a boy who he goes to school with (they have issues at school too) and I wasn't there to know for sure what happened. Anyway..the results was that I sat down and wrote up a contract with him..he was on probation for 3 months any further incidents and he would be suspended from all troop activities for 6 weeks...sat down with him and his grandmother..we discussed the situation..he read the contract and signed it willingly. He had less than a week to go on his 3 month probation and we were at a district event and I was told that he was poking at one of the other boys..the boy grabbed his arm and twisted it to make him stop..he fell down and when he came up, he punched the other boy! The adult who was with him brought him to me immediately and I called his grandmother to come and get him! He's a good kid..and I'm hoping that because he does enjoy scouting so much, that I can help him to try and control his impulses better by making him know and understand that this behavior will not be tolerated at camp or elsewhere with the troop and he need to do what he can to control it. sue m.

Don't see any old crows circling yet so... I used to be a Staffer, a good old staffer too But now I'm finished staffing I don't know what to do I'm growing old and feeble and I can staff no more So I'm gonna work my ticket if I can... Back to Gilwell happy land! I'm going to work my ticket if I can Sue M. Beaver SR-605 Staffer SR-741 (This message has been edited by SueM)

I generally will say something at a SM conference like "One of the points of the Scout Law is A Scout is Reverent...how do you practice that in your every day life?" (I have one boy who claims to be a Wican..discussions with him are always interesting!!) I also ask them the same thing about being Trustworthy, Loyal, Friendly...etc. thought too, so it's not something that sticks out with them as being odd. sue m.

How cool is THAT!! That is really great that you could take the course with your sister!! Congrats to you both! It is too bad though that you couldn't be a Beaver..They are as SR540Beaver says..a TRULY noble creature!! Sue M.

Our troop does the "official" flag retirement ceremony for the city every year on Flag Day (June 14th). We publicize it and have drop boxes at all the firestations throughout the city and some other sites where people can drop off their unserviceable flags. Then we have a formal ceremony to retire them. We do patriotic readings, especially ones pertaining to the flag recognize any veterans in the audience, etc. and then will generally retire only 1 at that time (depending on the circumstances). We generally will build a good sized fire and put a grate over it and then we have all the flags properly folded and will soak them in kerosene to promote a full destruction of the flag. The flag is place on the grate while the troop and attendees are at full attention and silent and they remain that way until the flag is fully burned. We may go ahead and ask the boys to solemnly continue, putting the flags one by one on the fire until we're done, or we will do the remaining flags at a future campout. I'm sure that you know that your local service center does have printed materials available on the history of the flag, etc. that you can use in a ceremony. sue m.

Just as a side comment about new MB's being developed all the time...has anyone else seen the new Composite Materials MB? It was just announced in our council a week or so ago and I picked up the description at the trading post..didn't look for the MB book yet though to see if it was in stock! sue m

How'd you Guess?? However, I'd probably be doing the same thing even if I wasn't because I understand the impact that it can have on not only the troops and packs connected with the participants, but on the participants themselves. Out of the 13 particpants that were in the recent BLT I was on staff at, at least 5 of those have already sent in their request for info..one is paid in full and another has put a deposit. I've got 2 of my ASM's also interested too..If the course doesn't fill, it certainly won't be because I didn't try to recruit!! Now..where was that tasty tree again... Sue M.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to mention that SR-741 (Colonial Virginia Coucil) will be held from Sept. 8-10th and Sept.30-Oct 2nd, if anyone in the SE Virginia area is looking for a Wood Badge Course opportunity. The first weekend will be held in Smithfield and the second at our brand new council camp at Bayport. You can contact me privately if you'd like further information. Sue M.

Your TG gave you great information..if you can't relax and have fun in the course, you miss half the experience!! It only gets better...enjoy it..even if you were not lucky enough to be a Beaver!!!! Sue M

It's about 25 miles for me one way.. Sue M.

Technically...I won't be on staff until Sept. but can I practice in the meantime???? sue m.