DuctTape
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DuctTape last won the day on September 26
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Dogs and cats living together.
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Ours is the Monday before. The time sink is having too many ppl involved in the process. At the troop meeting, the PLC has set aside some time (20 minutes) for patrol meetings. Here, the patrol plans their campout, not as a whole group, but by specific roles. The patrol leader helps each member with their specific task to plan. APL helps PL. Each role might have an assistant. Grubmaster plans menu. Hikemaster plans activities. QM requisions needed gear from troop QM. Cheermaster plans campfire. Having a group discuss bacon or sausage for twenty minutes is a time sink.
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Great answers guys. To add to them, each patrol creates their own menu. Best is having one person in charge of it, the grubmaster. This is the patrol member who knows what everyone else likes, dislikes, allergies etc... they also instruct other members how to create the menu, compile amounts, generate shopping list, etc... When a member is ready to complete the menu planning requirements, the grubmaster lets them take the wheel.
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I agree with Fred. As an aside, I had visited my Eagle Project site 20 years later and saw that others had continued my project (building and restoring a trail). Not only that, the parks department had named the trail and put up markers. I realized that my project was more than just the work, but was also promoting the idea of community service and shared responsibilty to others through my actions.
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I understand and agree with the problems. I disagree with your magic wand solution. I also would shorten cubs, but have it 3rd-6th grade. I am a teacher and 6th graders are more like elementary kids, itbis more pronounced in the boys. 7th and above for scouts. At this point, both boys and girls are flexinv their wings but need significant guidance. The scout led program with older scouts (high school age) provides this guidance naturally. The younger scouts look up to the HS age and mimic what they see&do. If the HS age scouts are no longer present in your solution, the system becomes adult-led. There might only be a few HS aged scouts, but that is ok. They are the leaders of the troop.
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Always an issue when performance is primarily based on numbers which are easy to manipulate. I am reminded of the quote (I do not recall who said it), "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
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Our Chartering Organization President wants to be an ASM?
DuctTape replied to KayLH23's topic in Open Discussion - Program
Just another reason I do not favor the chartering org model. I understand mine is a minority opinion. -
Also mB being done without a qualified counselor to maximize the effectiveness of the Adult Association method. The system and protocols actively discourage the benefits from adult association in the mB process. This denies the scouts from a truly beneficial experience with an expert passionate about the badge. The mB system needs to be overhauled completely and returned to its former status as a badge of merit.
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I would encourage all patrols to take this mindset. Packing for a backpacking trip even if the car is 100 feet away. All gear is packed and single carried from the cars which are then locked for the weekend. With this as the standard operating procedure, inching away from the vehicle becomes a non-issue. Necxt trip, backpack in a half-mile to that cool stream that was found on the 1st camping trip. Third trip, do the 10 mile loop around the pond setting up camp along the way. When the scouts (and adults) have the routine of packing and single carrying their gear/food in a backpack, the only change from car-camping to everything else is distance.
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If scouts are not participating in the campouts, then tgd first step is finding out why. Likely it is b/c they aren't fun. This is often a result of the adults planning them. I hope you can find a group of scouts, create a patrol and plan your own outings with fun stuff to do.
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Sorry to hear that. Perhaps you could be the change agent the troop needs to start having them.
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After you find or make a new flag, at the next campout challenge another patrol to a game of capture the flag.
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Bear Grylls ending his role as UK Chief Scout
DuctTape replied to RememberSchiff's topic in Scouting Around the World
Wait, I thought that was Luke Skywalker and a TaunTaun? -
Recently I was driving somewhere and it became apparent that I was in the vicinity of a few cars that were in a convoy. Their driving to maintain proximity and eye contact with each other created a dangerous situation, These other drivers were oblivious to everyone else due to their primary objective of staying in a group. Since I was able to discern which vehicles were involved, I was able to maintain being safe. While I am sure some very capable drivers would be able to drive in a convoy and maintain safety, it does add just one more item by which one could be distracted.
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That questionnaire is definitely a great idea. So are the suggestions you gave to the District Executives. Agreed, the hardest part is getting the actual leaders to buy into it. Other practical steps. (I apologize in advbance for my stream of consciousness) Committee Chair and SM need to be on the same page as the troop requires adult leadership in both areas. Immediately register every adult in the troop and have them complete YPT. this serves a number of functions, first and foremost it sets the tone that participation and training is the basic expectation of all people in the troop; scouts and adults alike. At all scouting events, including (and especially) meetings have an adult training piece. It can be any number of the module trainings like the YPT, or other adult leader type training. Or live trainings like Introduction to the Patrol Method, Troop Committee Training, etc... These can be conducted by the SM, Committee Chair, or any number of current adult leaders (just like we have the scouts train their patrol mates not just the PL or SPL) Ask them to do something small. (also a reason for the YPT). "Hey Mr. X, next weekend the Eagle Patrol is doing a hike. I could really use your help as one of the shuttle drivers." Host District/Council Training events so that your adults can more easily attend. Adults, like youth, have natural preferences. They will either lean towards Troop Committee type roles, or SM/ASM type roles. recognize these tendencies and nurture them. Invite adults for coffee chats (think SM conference for adults). Lastly, recognize everything. It is not just Scouts who react positively to praise and recognition. Notice and thank them publicly for everything. Create incentive "awards" such as "The Troop Driver Pin"- awarded to an adult who has driven scouts 5x. Invite adults to the Troop Committee Meeting where they will be recognized for completing trainings, making contributions, etc... I suggest to do this at Committee Meetings so as to not take focus away from the Scouts at their meetings. Certainly special recognitions for adults may occur at COH, but these should be minimized at much as possible. As I mentioned from the onset, I do not have this all figured out. I only know that it requires a system wide approach. Hopefully these pratical ideas as an addition to the ones you already mentioned will be helpful to you and others.