DuctTape

I do not think you are too impatient. The forming of patrols is the first step. I would say give the SPL the goal of having the patrols by the end of the first meeting. Anyone not there can join a patrol when they do show up. Suggest some games the scouts could play which will help them get to know each other differently. Like 4-corners games*. Or other type of grouping style games. After the games, SPL hands over the "create your patrol" challenge. Have SPL provide the purpose and minimal boundaries 1. Patrols of 6-8. 2. Patrols will be the teams for games. 3. Patrols will be the group you camp, cook and hike with. Etc... The SPL can use the corners as a way to "gather your patrol". If the the SPL (or the scouts) are having difficulty, start with pairs. Choose a buddy to be with in a patrol. Then the buddys find another pair to join up with. Before they "commit" encourage them to talk about why they want to be together. Common interests? Common goals? Etc... (this goes back to the games played earlier). After a 4-some is created, they can join up with another 4-some, or a pair which did not join another pair yet. No real rules, the idea is to break down the "create a group of 6-8" into a simpler first step. The SPL and scouts will probably surprise you with how quickly they can self-group. *4-corners. Scouts gather in center of room. SPL says the category and points to the different corners with "answers". Then scouts run to the corner of their choice. Ex. SPL says "Category is breakfast" points to each corner and says "bacon, sausage, ham, no-meat" ... "and go". SPL continues with another category...

The metriics in the performance evaluation of the DE are what the DE will focus on. Until and unless the items we discuss as important are the primary measure of a DEs performance, they will never get done.

Yeah, either way. Although blue cards are typically preferred with outside mB counselors as we then keep the mB portion for our records. Regardless of which tracking method is used, some of the hidden growth outcomes for scouts in the process are: 1. Scout initiative. Choosing which badge, setting and achieving personal goals. 2. Communication skills. Scout contacting mB counselor and setting up times to meet. 3. Record keeping. Scout responsible for their handbook/blue cards. I only mention these b/c too often well meaning adults take over much of the process which denies scouts' these growth and learning opportunities.

I remember that exact project as a kid. I recall my NatGeo picture was of a bird. Either a cardinal or blue jay. 99.9% of my cub memories were doing stuff like that with my den. The pack rarely met as a group except for the B&G dinner. I agree KIS, the "S" is for "simple", and also "small". Dens meet and do stuff, get rid of pack meetings except for once/twice a year at most. Don't even start as a pack meeting, then split off. This rarely works well.

I sometimes find them at estate sales.

And this is where the problem begins. National has zero interest or motivation for scouting to be a quality program. By design councils (and units) exist for the benefit of HQ. By extension units exist to benefit councils. The system needs to be flipped. National HQ primary responsibility should be to support councils, and Councils primary responsibility should be to support units. National should be using big$ donations to fund the basics of the councils. Councils should not be begging scouters and parents via FOS. Camporees should not be used as a means to generate revenue b/c HQ refuses to fund their own system. At present, IMO, National HQ serves no purpose to scouts, units or councils.

I don't think so. I am suggesting they do, 100%.

Perhaps BSA should fully fund their councils, instead of requiring councils to fundraise (FOS) to pay for the lack of $ from HQ and let CO/units do local fundraising. BSA can do national fundraising. just a thought.

Right. My point was it is no different than any other CO.

"The friends of" is the chartering org, it is not the unit itself. As a separate legal entity it may do its own fundraising just like any other CO.

@Runningwolf I read your vent with an open mind. I understand that there are parents who will choose whether their child participates in scouts (or not). The choice of parents however is not equivalent to BSA being exclusionary.

I don't follow. Can you elaborate?

Dogs and cats living together.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

Sorry to hear that. Perhaps you could be the change agent the troop needs to start having them.

After you find or make a new flag, at the next campout challenge another patrol to a game of capture the flag.

Wait, I thought that was Luke Skywalker and a TaunTaun?