UCEagle72

You can use Calibre to convert between many of the formats (including PDF to ePub, if the PDF is not scanned): http://calibre-ebook.com/ And this recent article on Mashable has a great list of sources of eBooks: http://mashable.com/2010/12/25/free-kindle-books/ (Although written for Kindle users, most of these sources support multiple formats, or you can use Calibre to do the heavy lifting for you.) There is also an ePub Reader plug-in for Firefox -- and I have used that with a number of Scouting ePub books that have been published here: http://www.melrosetroop68.org/blog/

I've found that the ONLY reason the training people push this is to make their life easier - they don't have to work as hard to do a real training event. Guess you have never had an adult leader come up to you and say "I can't take a Saturday to do a training, ...... (insert favorite excuse here). Can we do it another time?" Plus, many times, it is the FIRST time some of these leaders have ever been to a Round Table, just to take training. Now you get them there three months in a row, they have some free time to see what is happening, then you start to get them into attending regularly. And, I know I plan my "Patrol Method" presentation (yes, the real presentation, not the one in the training book) just the same if it is a "part 1" class at RT, or an all-day class held at a Camporee or District Training Day. (This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

'92 -- I know that town near Dothan! I remember it well from my tenure at US Army Aviator School at Ft Rucker.

I was also at the '73 Jambo, East. I have my '73 patch, along with the wide-game patch, on one uniform, '77 on another (aka, the Mud Bowl), and '81 on the third (first Jambo at AP Hill). (Staff for '77 and '81.) So ... there's a few of us here.

Down here, we offer BS Leader Specific at RT for three months - Sept-Oct-Nov, and again in Spring - Feb-Mar-Apr. We have been offering a YPT class at RT for anyone who wants to take it, usually runs every other month. We have also done Venture Leader Specific Training at RT. Whatever works to get folks trained. No -- not the best place to do it -- but if it serves a part of the population, then it is worth it!

The simplest solution for college-age Scouters, is to form a Venturing Crew and register them there. No need to for adult training, not even YPT, and they are able to continue their association with Scouting. And, they can still associate with the Troop. Plus, the DE will be over-joyed to show another new unit on his roster.

Last word I saw on Robotics was that it will be issued in April '11 at will be announced at a major Robotics competition.

Got to remember where the "above the BSA strip" comes from ... The old "yellow shirt" that was worn by female CS leaders did not have a right-hand pocket! http://www.rbb.me/yellowcubleader.jpg (This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

Technically, the District or Region patch goes in position 2 on the right sleeve. But you will not see that on the uniform inspection sheet - it is in the Insignia Guide: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/10P.aspx But, yup ... I've seen lots of patches up there. Here is what the uniform inspection sheet says: Right Pocket Boy Scouts of America strip is centered above the pocket. Order of the Arrow lodge insignia is worn on the pocket flap. Current national Scout jamboree insignia is centered above the BSA strip and any other items above the pocket. Optional insignia, if worn, is placed in the following order, from the BSA strip upward: interpreter strip, Venture or Varsity strip, name plate. The name plate may be worn on the pocket flap if no lodge insignia is worn. Temporary insignia, including one current world Scout jamboree patch, centered on pocket. Only one temporary insignia may be worn at a time, and they are not required for correct uniforming. Cub Scout leaders and female leaders wearing the official uniform shirt or blouse may wear one temporary insignia centered above the Boy Scouts of America strip. Note that special comment about Cub Scout leaders and female leaders. Originally that was only for the older yellow blouse (if memory serves me).

See ... in the olden days, you went with your own troop ... no need for no stinkin' "special numbers" ... ... Sorry ... couldn't resist. ;-)

As ASM & SM, we did a lot of skills at Troop Meetings and camp-outs. In the "olden days" the process was "build skills for three weeks - test on the 4th." At camp-outs we did skills on Friday night and Saturday, and testing starting Saturday night and Sunday (we did not leave camp early Sunday morning, we usually stayed past lunch, then headed home).

This site has a great history of the Fieldbook: http://historyofscouting.com/handbooks/fieldbooks.htm And also the Handbook, Patrol Leaders' Handbook, and Scoutmaster's Handbook. And you can find copies of older handbook/fieldbooks readily on eBay - http://goo.gl/1BDry - or you can check AbeBooks - http://www.abebooks.com/

Welcome, welcome, welcome ... Enjoy the virtual campfire, pull up a log, and put up your feet. Just like Florida in winter, the weather is beautiful, and the skeeters aren't too bad!

I wore the covers off my '73 printing. Always thought it was the best scouting book out there. Now I have a copy of the 1st edition, signed by James E. West & GBB ... I think that, and my Handbook for Patrol Leaders (signed by GBB at the '73 Jambo [East]) are my two favorites.

As another of those late-60s, early-70s group -- I vividly remember attending BORs with our Committee Chair, and two older Scouts (usually an ASPL, but normally the SPL and another PL).

One of the un-written requirements for a Venturing Advisor or Associate is ... "must like pizza." But this is just a marvelous accomplishment. I thought my SM, serving for 40 years this year, was something!(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

Hi David & Welcome to the Forum -- Your best bet for recruiting is in your local district. I would get in touch with your DE (who should LOVE the idea of a new unit being started) and see if he cannot give you some leads. Plus, if you know what your "Team" is going to use for their "focus" the first year, you may want to consider setting up an "info booth" at the District Roundtable.

If you have questions, you should be speaking to the Director of Field Services, or the Assistant SE if your Council does not have a DFS. We have been "rating units" Nationally for YEARS. JTE is not new, just a new program. The quality unit system existed when I was a Scout (60s & 70s). Seems to me folks are getting too excited about all this. (This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

Always remember one thing when dealing with DEs - their goals, and their pay are affected by (1) Number of new scouts, (2) number of scouts retained, (3) funds raised in the district. Face it, they are marketing folks - and many are not looking out for the best of their units. My "experience" is -- in spite of UCs coming around in April & September when they should be checking on the progress to quality awards -- 85% of the time, that does not happen. Will some "type A" leaders be monitoring things every minute of every day -- yes, but in practice, most folks will look at the goals at re-charter, and never look at them again until they re-charter next year. Other than the Centennial Quality Program, the "standards" have always been set by National (heck, you should see the standards for a Sea Scout Ship to make Flag honors). Do I think all unit leaders should be trained? Yes, I do. They can do 90% online (for your CoR), and your Committee Members can do 100% online. Not like in the old days where you had to attend training. (I am teaching a "complete" training course for CoRs in February - and it will cover every course they need to be considered "trained." It will be done in 3-1/2 hours -- hardly a hardship. The District next to us teaches the same course three weeks later.) Your college age ASMs should be able to "test out" of IOLS (especially if they were active scouts, and it sounds like yours were) - and nobody says they need to take fundamentals training in your Council - they can do that at a council local to their college. Heck, we even teach it at Summer Camp here, just for that reason! You can accomplish these things, but people need to "want" to do them.

E732 -- Sorry to hear you say that your District has been no help at all. When I was a Scouter in NCAC we did our best to help all our units. (And, yes, I lived in Maryland, Patuxent County.) If all our units make the Bronze level, I will probably dance a small jig first! That means they have been listening, and are delivery a good scouting experience! After that, I'll worry about helping "bronze units" get better, and unrated units making bronze the next year. But, since neither you, nor I, know how the "levels" will be designated on the JTE distinctive insignia, I think you are putting the cart before the horse when you think that Webelos will "know" what the ratings are for each Troop. Could they? Maybe. But as I said before, during my tenure as SM, I was never even once asked if we were a quality unit by a prospect or parent. They wanted to know what our program was, where we were going, how often we camped, how the Troop and Patrol meetings might conflict with Sports or School. (And I served as a SM twice, in different states and Councils, so I was not isolated to one geography.) You've indicated that there are few Cub units in the area, and you do not have access to the middle schools. Well, I'll tell you that's not true. You may not have "direct access" to those middle schools, but you have indirect access by your Scouts, and they are really the ones that need to "sell" the program to their friends anyway. Sure, being able to have a School Night for a Troop is handy -- but I can accomplish the same thing with a Troop Open House where each Scout brings at least one friend and their parents! In fact, with a Troop of 15-20, you get a better attendance than most of the School Nights I attended at Middle Schools this year! If you don't have a UC, you need to speak with the District Commissioner and see if they would assign you one -- sounds like you need some new ideas to help jump-start your initiatives.

Kudu -- More than one of us have said that the CSE doesn't know what happens in units ... so I'm not going down that path. He's not here. He does not see what the young men are capable of doing, so, I don't worry too much about his opinions. Now, talk to Tico ... he was a Scout, made Eagle, grew up in this area, worked at Summer Camp ... I think you'll get a better perspective. Will 100% of the new Latino scouts be campers, experts in first aid, pioneering, cooking over an open fire, hike the AT ... probably not, but then again, from my years in the trenches, neither will 100% of the Black, Caucasian, or whateverothersocialgroupyoucaretoname Scouts. I am working with two units right now that are part of the Hispanic Initiatives/ScoutReach program -- no, it's not easy for us "traditional scouters" -- but I am glad I have experience with International Scouting to help me understand some of the issues we are working to overcome.

Kudu -- I live in an area where there are a significant number of Hispanics participating in Scouting, and from what I just saw at our Camporee, I think your generalities are misplaced. Maybe you should discuss them with Tico Perez, the National Commissioner, he was a member of a number of summer camp staffs as a youth - he may have a different interpretation than you do. Do I like all the changes I have seen in WB and even SM/ASM Fundamentals? No. And I do what I can, from within, to fix things.

E732 -- "Recruit 5 Webelos Scouts" is only one achievement, at the Gold level, in the "Webelos-to-Scout Transition" category, for the JTE. You can easily earn the gold level without meeting the Gold level requirements in all 13 categories. Got to remember, this is a "Journey" - the purpose is to gradually improve the units. And, you can most certainly expect that these requirements will change as the program matures.

I checked all over the BSA Alumni web site and did not find any requirements posted yet. I think we will see them after the 1st of the year.

One thing that always amazes me, is Troops who only look to Webelos for new members. You *need* to do school nights -- and your scouts need to be the ones who talk to their friends about the fun things they do, not so much the adults. In fact, one of the best presentations I saw this year was from a PL from a "regular" troop [not one of the 100+ member troops] - he talked about the things he learned, the places they went, and the fun they had. Never once said anything about rank advancement, uniforms, or anything else of the like, but they had 15 new scouts sign up that night!