Longhaired_Mac
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I thought it would be useful to have information specific to Archery for Cub Shooting Sports events, training, etc...and Archery merit badge as well. I've created a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1076112180079482/?ref=share If you are new to Archery, being a Range Master/Range Safety Officer (RSO), or Archery in Scouting in general, please have a look and participate in the discussions.
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The last Lodge Chief and the Last Lodge Advisor (myself) being honored with the last Vigils for Tataliya Lodge #614; at our very last Fall Fellowship/event. Now merged with Chief Seattle Council/T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, now for a new adventure.
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Back from G14N Conclave 2022 at Camp Cowels of northeast Washington. Had 11 youth attend. Active members continue to grow and stay active.
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Just back from NLS 2022 in Boring Oregon. Took 4 youth and they had a blast! Had another Advisor with me at NLS and 2 others doing DYLC as well. Our Lodge is small but I feel like there is some serious momentum. Feeling hopeful as spring clears way to prime camping season.
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I finished Short-term camp administration training a few weeks ago and have applied the training for an OA fellowship/fundraiser. 94 -ish pages of standards. Not a big job for our event as it was at a church in town. Recently during a planning meeting for Conclave we were reminded that a certified Dietician was required to approve menu items for the event. And that the event had to be within so many minutes of a hospital, which is problematic with many camps being distant from city centers. Has anyone else had any challenges meeting one of the new standards while planning OA events?
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I currently am serving my second consecutive year as Lodge Advisor so I'm speaking from my personal experience and big mouth. Many have heard that most youth programs are struggling. Sports, Scouts, Art & Music programs. Recruitment is where the money and attention go but retention is more, "We'll get to it next year." OA National believes, and I'm certain they wasted lots of funds to research it, that if Ordeal Members are encouraged to seek Brotherhood or that if they can have Members attend 2 consecutive OA events within a 6 month period, then they are more likely to remain active. In fact they sometimes refer to Brotherhood as "Activation." They are attempting to build in a more proactive approach of membership retention. This is a good thing so far as that idea goes. How Lodges implement that idea, or even individuals...well that will require finesse and needs plenty of grace for error in application as it were. So yes it's appropriate for OA Rep's and other OA members to ask/encourage Ordeal members to grow in the organization. I see a lot of nagging by SM's and parents in scouting. No one enjoys hearing it but the repetition factor does eventually help some things sink in. Hurry up and get Eagle before you age out. Where's your blue card? You should help with service projects for other Unit members. Where's your blue card? the OA..etc. Where's your blue card?! You get my meaning. Teenagers are not the most motivated people the majority of the time no matter how good of a scout they are. If the SM and his son are laying the pressure on thick they probably need to hear it so they at least understand how it's being perceived. The Scout in question was voted into the OA by his peers ideally to recognize his Scouting spirit and camping know-how. That is really awesome. But he didn't have to participate and still doesn't. Because like so many things in Scouting, You get out of it what you put in to it, no organization of Cheerful service wants a member working double hard to avoid work and have pity parties that drag others down. He can always change his mind later but the Arrowman needs to stop making excuses and hurry up and get Brotherhood or state plainly that he isn't interested, then deal with what follows either way. Time to nag Dad and get him off the fence.
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Just back from Wood badge. W1-604-19 100th anniversary. Bobwhite Patrol. My friend got his Silver Beaver this year and landed in the beaver Patrol. And He is working on a scout camp's pond for me during an OA weekend. Seems he's stuck with the Beaver as a personal scouting totem lol.
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I attend NOAC when I was a rather scrawny introverted 15 year old, solo of sorts. No one else from my lodge was headed there but I was able to travel with a Lodge 3 hours from me. The other Arrowmen went out of their way to include me and I had a blast. I even joined them on a basketball team and we came in second place for our region. OA is kind of like the magic school bus, you won't always know what you are going to be doing, but you know you will probably get dirty, and probably have tons of fun. And the key to that is to communicate. With OA members in your unit, or chapter, or lodge. Your solo plunge may turn you into the spearhead leading the charge.
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I'm Attending the ALS/DYLC training this weekend. I've heard that it's similar to Wood Badge, But I haven't taken Wood Badge yet. I'm happy to report back what I learn but was wondering what to expect. Has anyone else already taken the seminar?
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SM Preventing 1st-Years From Being On Ballot
Longhaired_Mac replied to FGarvin's topic in Order of the Arrow
I don't have the years of experience or training others may have so may lack the finer points on elections and my Guide to Unit Election's was handed down to me so it may be out of date. And I'm not trying to antagonize anyone. That said, the first part of point 6 in the Unit election rules, ( 6. A voter may list on his ballot any combination of names, including all eligible candidates he believes are worthy to become members of the Order of the Arrow.) allows for possibility of write-ins without stating it outright. I understand it may not be the intent but a perturbed Scout or parent will shade-tree-lawyer the words "may list," to mean write-in in a heart beat. I do not have a copy of the Guide for Officers and Advisers but have been told the same point is in it. As to nullification of candidates, Voiding may be a better word. The SM cannot adjust the results but can let the Election team know of circumstances that may require the vote to be void. In the case of first-years not being allowed by the SM, if they were added to the ballot, such as a write-in, the SM's "ok" was not given so the candidates election would not have been valid. Other voiding of elections or candidates where they might not have been valid can look like... the SM confuses the boys names and the wrong person was voted in, or they expected requirements to be met and so the SM provides a Scouts name for a ballot but that Scout doesn't meet requirements by election time. It shouldn't happen but it does, and voiding the vote can occur. In your case it sounds like the SM's "ok" was given in good faith to the election team previous to the vote so their results should stand. But I don't know that it's mentioned in the guide specifically either. -
SM Preventing 1st-Years From Being On Ballot
Longhaired_Mac replied to FGarvin's topic in Order of the Arrow
As Chapter Advisor and having just finished our chapter elections last month and having had a few exciting conversations with unit CC's and SM's over election outcomes, I'd like to put a few points out there. Are there mature 11 year olds, experienced in outdoor activities and capable of induction weekend? Undoubtedly. But if your child isn't SurvivorMan at 11 he probably isn't going to enjoy induction weekend anyway or participate later on. Just another Sash-N-Dash. So why press it? While the SM may not have had first year Scouts names on the ballot, the election team should have made the rules of the voting clear. Including Scouts being able to vote for themselves, AND to write in someone they feel should be on the ballot. Even if the election team or SM had to nullify it later. If parents didn't know of the SM's decision before hand then it's highly unlikely that any of the Scouts knew either and as such were free to write in worthy candidates. Either individuals didn't feel they were ready or their peers didn't. The Order of the Arrow is not a popularity contest it is an Honor Society, not everyone gets in...period. Scouts need to have invested time and energy in camping to have earned that respect among their peers. It is not the same thing as advancement and it surely isn't about just fulfilling requirements. Unless it's a small Lodge the election team should have been Youth lead. The Scouts voted not the parents or leadership. The OA has many adult Advisors who get to talk all they want but the Youth make the decisions. Sounds like your Unit made theirs. -
Our patch is rather thoughtful in it's way. The constellations represent different Lodges. The Black Bear represents Moskwa 301 and the Salmon Represents Ump Quah 335. Both merged in 1992 to form Tataliya 614, the Big-Foot. Observe and preserve the Traditions. We currently also have 3 chevrons that go with our Lodge flap. Each one representing a camp within our Council.
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My new Scout's going to camp but freaking out
Longhaired_Mac replied to ScoutMom45036's topic in Working with Kids
Just my 2 cents. As Liz says above, it will always be his first time until it isn't. And the anxiety may grow each year it's not faced. So off to Camp he should go. Should Mom go along? Leadership usually is thin on outings and chaperoning parents have almost always been welcome. So go and learn more for yourself. You being there won't actually allow him to deal with his anxiety though. You might be able to remind him of self-soothing techniques his therapist has given him but any of the adult leadership can be prepped and ready to do the same thing. What will help most with his anxiety is familiarity in tasks. Knowing all the steps to each task he will be expected to perform while at camp. Now obviously he can't know the info to be taught in Merit badge classes, that would defeat their purpose. But you can find out from the SM what daily chores are required by the Scouts and then practice them with your son. Will he be sleeping in a cabin, Adirondack tent, or a troop tent? Find out which and teach him the skills to setting them up and taking them down. Packing and unpacking his personal supplies so he understands how his pack works. As a boy my troop would have races to see who could get their tents up in 5 minutes or less at each of the weekly meeting for the month before camp. The repetition made it less work at camp and served us better when setting up in the rain or dark on other camp-outs. The repetition for your son will create order and focus in his thoughts, pressing his anxiety to the back for awhile. Also prep for the social anxiety aspect. Have play-dates with other scouts his age that you know are going to camp. Have them bonding with each other so they act as a support system for each other while away. And if you include the other scouts in your camping prep, well the repetition wont hurt them either. Do verbal quizzes on the info while in the car or shopping. Don't let him focus on the anxiety, only on the tasks he needs to do and how to do them. Side note: work on his swimming skills. While all water craft require life jackets, most camps won't allow water craft use if you can't pass the swim test. Camp sucks if your swim tote stays hanging in the non-swimmer section. It may be embarrassing which can lead to stronger anxiety. -
Son invited to OA. What does it all mean?
Longhaired_Mac replied to WisconsinMomma's topic in Open Discussion - Program
I have a few points and they don't necessarily correspond with one another: What your son, and husband, are doing to me is the equivalent to being offered the option of a free gold brick ($521,644.05) or a new cell phone. And they choose the phone over a gold brick that would buy a house, a car, an even better phone, and still have money to spend.....because the gold is heavier. A rather frustrating process to watch. The opportunities and benefits are many as previous posters have supplied. One that hasn't been mentioned is as an OA member your son can hold a 6 month position in the Chapter or Lodge that would meet his requirement for Star/Life. If you have a smaller Troop it can be difficult to hold those positions within a patrol, they just don't cycle around quickly sometimes. Those timelines can add pressure to earning his Eagle. Large Troops can have similar problems as Scouts can get lost in the shuffle. When I hear parents and Scouts complain about the work involved I have to remind them that it will all add up to a great young adult, and that is worth the work. I think it is important to recognize that as many Scouts near mid-teens they really start to push back. And generally demonstrate a "lazy" attitude towards work. Because they can. Truly they are just being selective of what they do and don't do following their own priorities, which unfortunately does not always align with our parental expectations. Asserting their independence so to speak. Scouting in general and the OA specifically can help stimulate more productive selection or choice making. Working with peers, leading others...even adults, can be very motivating and empowering. It can create a positive hard-wiring effect towards good work ethic and practices. At the end of the day it's his choice and if he doesn't want to do it he shouldn't be pushed into a Sash-N-Dash situation. It does nothing for the Scout and wastes sorely needed effort and energy of the Lodge. -
In the late nineteen eighties my Scoutmaster was a rather jolly fat man with a curly beard and a chew-can ring in all his back pockets. He found laughter in most everything as I recall, appropriate or not. When I hear things at Scouting U like, "if you can't act like a 10 year-old, then you shouldn't be in scouting," well he comes right to mind.
He had a brown with tan stripe truck that hauled scouts and equipment every direction for a few years. Inside that 80's Chevy Scottsdale of his at all times was a cassette tape of Chuck Berry's greatest hits. The last song on the B side was My ding-a-ling (2 bells on a string). There wasn't a hike, camp-out, camparee, or outing where he didn't manage to squeeze in at least one play. And if one of the boys riding with him was quick enough to hit the repeat button on the tapedeck before his hand got smacked, we might hear it an extra time or two. It always started us off with a laugh or lolled us to sleep smiling on the drive home. I still sing it now and again when camping or flirting. Or showing off for my son.
Now the Scoutmaster was far from Santa and the song is equally distant from anything that could be called a carol, yet as the end of the year draws near and the holiday cheer comes around...some of the coincidental similarities have my brain humming that old Chuck Berry tune. Any time I hear a Salvation Army station outside store fronts ringing thier bells, or clanky bells on doors. Happy Holidays to all my friends in scouting, new and old.
https://youtu.be/UaEC-lWSlmI
