SWScouter

Queenj, FScouter is correct, youth protection training is NOT needed to wear the trained patch. It appears that the only training you have left to take to qualify for the trained patch is New Leader Essentials. It is ~90 minutes. SWScouter

Fred, Thanks, I really enjoyed readig that! SWScouter

Semper, Thongs for the brief

Gwd-scouter, I'm sure brianbuf would be happy to tell you about that song. Apparently he sang it a lot at his recent wood badge experience. But then again, he might just throw you out the window, window, the second story window. SWScouter(This message has been edited by SWScouter)

OneHour, I can dig it. Is there space for me to throw in my two bits? What I'd love to see the BSA do is to start a national marketing campaign geared toward improving it's image among the youth. I think it would really help for the BSA to sell itself. Imagine an ads for boy scouts and venturers during, e.g., the Superbowl. How about some on MTV or whatever music channels the youth are watching these days. SWScouter

Yeah, I think building a catapult or a trebuchet is probably the way to go. Personally I don't think I'd want scouts building a very large crossbow. What would they use for bolts (big huge arrows)?

Aidan_MacAnBhaird, I agree with OneHour's last comment, some of us may make light of the situation but I believe we do hold scouting and delivering the promise very dear. Now his previous spiel I found quite boring. SWScouter

Just pull the cords off the denner or asst. denner cord. SWScouter

Actually, past denners are to wear the denner tab. That's the denner cord with the cord removed. SWScouter

This hole thread is the pits.

I use a sewing machine with great results. I've never had problems with it. I can't say anything about the needle, it's whatever is on the machine. I staple the patches onto the shirt before sewing them. It's quick and seems to work really well. The only patch we hand sew is the Boy Scout and oval Webelos rank patches. That is so the pocket is still usable. Like gwd-scouter states, for hand sewing, just put the needle through the edge of the patch, that way you don't have to push the needle through the patch. SWScouter

Quit running around in circles or I'm going to nail your other foot to the floor.

Alas, declining memberships in scouting and service organizations, the drop in wine consumption, and the game departments diminishing revenues due to fewer license/tag sales is quite lugubrious. SWScouter (This message has been edited by SWScouter)

Hi TwoSirius, I think you'll have a lot of fun with your Tiger Cub! As for the training, You'll need faststart which you can do online at http://olc.scouting.org. Then there's "New Leader Essentials" which takes ~90 minutes. A lot of times that's offered at Roundtable. After that, there is "Cub Leader Specific" for your position. It takes ~2.5 hours. That's it, that's all that is left for you to be trained. Beagle brought up a good point. Tiger dens only have a Tiger Den Leader (TDL), there is no Assistant Tiger Den Leader. This is because Tiger dens use what's called "Shared Leadership." That is, den leadership is shared between the TDL and the Tiger cub Adult Partners. Basically, the adult partners should be planning the meetings and go see its and the TDL is coordinating all that and recording advancement. Usually, an adult partner will plan the meetings and go see it for one month, then another will take the next month, and so on. The Leader Specific Training for TDLs will cover this. With that said, I think it's great that you want to help with the den! It's a great time, I know; I was a Den Leader and Webelos Den Leader for my son's den. I had a great ADL too and that really helps. SWScouter

Eamonn, this shouldn't be a surprise, especially since you've read Grisham's "Bleachers" SWScouter

Requirement 1 of the Arrow of Light is: Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge. Since he'll be turning 10 in February, it appears the earliest he can earn the AOL is August 2007. SWScouter

Gotta agree, Brians web site is nothing more than a blog gone wild. One would think, since this is a WB ticket item, he would have actually done some research & not just accepting the opinions. Poorly done in my opinion. I wonder about this too. Brian wrote that he's completed all 5 ticket items in four weeks. Now I know one's ticket is a personal thing but I don't quite understand how one can develop a ticket towards ones vision and complete it in four weeks. Is his vision that shallow, or is his ticket just that weak? Or perhaps it contains about as much substance as savescouting.com - not much.

I was a den leader for four years for my son's den (Wolf, Bear, Webelos) and had the same assistent the whole time. We usually corroborated well on what the meetings would be like. Most of the time, she would plan the gathering activity and we'd trade off on the main theme. Definitely follow the den meeting agenda as described in fast start training and the Cub Leader Handbook. You can assign certain parts to your assistant. Definitely keep your assistant in the loop and agree on what the program will be. You want your assistant to have a stake in the program. We usually had a short call a couple days before the meeting and discussed what we were going to do and who would buy any needed supplies etc. SWScouter

I just checked on BSA's website, it states: 8. On the unit commitment form, are the references to participation in product sales, conducting a unit FOS presentation and the number of unit commissioner visits required to qualify for the award? NO. It is on the unit commitment form for informational and encouragement purposes. Each of these areas will help provide a better quality program experience for a unit. The unit's answer will not impact the earning of the award. See: http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=xx&c=cn So SSScout, you should point this out to your council. SWScouter

Ed, It's the Centennial Quality Unit award starting next year for 2007. There is a thread that, for some reason, didn't spark any discussion. See http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=140342 Near the bottom of the unit commitment form is: In support of a quality program experience, we confirm: We received ______ visits from our unit commissioner this past year. We supported the council by participating in Friends of Scouting and the annual product sale. ____ Yes ____ No My understanding was that those two items shouldn't really affect whether the award is earned or not. SWScouter

Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire. Basically state if they are not going to approve the unit's fund raising requests then, perhaps in addition to not selling popcorn, the unit will not support FOS. SWScouter

There are tables tables tables With legs like Betty Grables' (Maybe Brian is right, some aspects of scouting could use some updating) at the Quartermaster's store. How about: There's a dolly dolly dolly looks like Angelina Jolie SWScouter

There are geeks geeks geeks, peering down their beeks at the store, at the store. There are geeks geeks geeks, peering down their beeks at the Quartermaster's store. My eyes are dim, I can not see. I have not brought my specks with me. I HAVE NOT brought my specks with me There's a plate plate plate piled high with bait at the store, at the store. There's a plate plate plate piled high with bait at the Quartermaster's store. (Chorus) There are dads dads dads watching all the lads at the store, at the store. There are dads dads dads watching all the lads at the Quartermaster's store. (Chorus) there is lyme lyme lyme ten pounds for a dime at the store, at the store. there is lyme lyme lyme ten pounds for a dime at the Quartermaster's store. (Chorus) There is rice rice rice watch out for the mice at the store, at the store. There is rice rice rice watch out for the mice at the Quartermaster's store. (Chorus) There's a hose hose hose and a boy pickin his nose at the store, at the store. There's a hose hose hose and a boy pickin his nose at the Quartermaster's store. There's a turkey turkey turkey gnawing on beef jerky at the store, at the store. There's a turkey turkey turkey gnawing on beef jerky at the Quartermaster's store. (Chorus) Ok, that's enough for now. SWScouter

Geez, alright already. You go and start the song over before it finishes. Crazy beavers! Can't an Eagle even go and help out at an ordeal... I used to be an Eagle and a Good old Eagle too. But now I'm finished Eagling, I don't know what to do. I'm growing old and feeble, and I can Eagle no more. So I'm going to work my ticket if I can. Back to Gilwell, happy land. I'm going to work my ticket if I can. SWScouter W4-10-04

The BSA website now has information about this program: http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=xx&c=cn SWScouter