Eagle94-A1

Actually there use to be books on the topic. William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt wrote the 3rd ed. Scoutmaster Handbook, vols 1 & 2. I have his abridged 5th edition which I've been rereading. Wish I would not have lent out my 3rd edition as I never got it back. I'ld also recommend his Patrol Leader's handbook too. There are other books out there too. I'm told Roland Phillips wrote an excellent manual on the patrol methods in the 1910s or 20s that GBB based his work on. And of course BP's writings. But you are correct in that there is no one, simple answer. And that is because we are dealing with people. Everyone is different. Each one has their own views and biases. And that is part of the problem. Until everyone is on the same page, and that can take years, you will have problems.

"Patience, a Jedi must have patience." Very true. Again must think long term and for the entire troop. and not just your sons. All of us wants what is best for OUR kids. But as a Scouter, you must think long term. I know my oldest son has not had the same experience as I had in Scouting. In a lot of aspects, I had it better in that I was in a Scout run troop. I was not dealing with adults interfering, nor having to worry about Scouts not meeting expectations and doing what they were suppose to do. We had our challenges, but they were able to be overcome since it was mostly Scout based, and very rarely adult based. In other aspects his experience is better than mine. He has learned to deal with difficult situations, especially dealing with 'superiors." I have talked to him over the years about the challenges in the troop. He does not like them, and he wants to work to change the troop. We've talked about transferring and starting a new troop. He wants to fix the one he is in. The last 6 months as SPL has exhausted him, because he has dealt with all the problems I've mentioned. Sadly, BSA's current training is worse than a blister on a Scout's foot IMHO. SM Specific is online, how can you get the Patrol experience by yourself on a computer? You can't! Can you ask questions and get advice via an online training module? No! As for ITOLS, you cannot get the Patrol experience in just a weekend. Yes you can mimic it, but you cannot get the experience. Heck even in the old course I took way back when, you could not get a true patrol experience. But at least it was better. You were a patrol for an entire month instead of just a weekend. The key is MENTORING! The new SM will need a lot of it, especially with no experience. "Everything you just said in that...is wrong." Seriously you are now going beyond what a MC does. Regarding Patrol funds, best thing to do is talk to your sons about it. Get them to buy into it, and get them to work it through their patrols. The annual plan should have been made back in August or September, unless the troop is like mine and does it on a calendar year, not program, aka school year. If the plan is made, YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN CHANGING IT! As for the APC, yes the Scouts should be running it and planning it. As for time, I've been involved in some that has taken that long! part of that was working through 15+ different school calendars. Part of it was a cookout was involved. That and swimming were the incentives to get the plan over and done with in one session instead of multiple like it took one year. Very much so, a big chunk. And again as a committee member, you do not have the duty to go after these changes. That is for the SM to do. MCs job is support the troop, not run it. Thatis the Scouts' jobs. On another note, one thing you can do is talk about how Scouting is suppose to be done with your sons and their friends. When I talked to Scouts, it gives them hope and they have pushed for some of the improvements. Good luck.

Ok, I'll probably see IX too since I like to brag that I've seen ANH opening weekend, and the rest opening day. Still wish I saw TPM at my secure undisclosed location instead of back home, despite the daiquiris (which made the movie better ). David Prowse, aka Darth Vader, was at the theater that nite! HMMM maybe I could convince the theater to get a liquor license before IX comes out?

I met one "Eagle" who received it on appeal. The EBOR did not grant him Eagle because they found that the unit leaders, who also happened to be his parents and grandfather, pencil-whipped his Eagle. Long story short, he appealed to National and received it because 'you do not punish the Scout for the errrors of the adults involved" or words to that effect. District advancement committee resigned in protest.

Because you have been a Boy Scouter for so little time, 'Be Prepared" to meet resistance and being told you are wanting to do it wrong. I know one of our Scouters grew up in an age based patrol troop. He kept telling me that mixed aged patrols are wrong and NSPs are the only way to do things. I had to remind him that for the first 79 years of BSA's existence, mixed aged patrols were the norm. Only time you found NSPs prior to 1989 was with LDS units, and those units asked to experiment with them. One thing that helped us was giving the AT treks. While only for First Class or higher Scouts who did the prep trip, or the first AT trek, it gave the Scouts confidence in their abilities to take charge. It also showed one PM doubter, the one who told me he wished the Scouts would fail at camporee so they they know the need to listen to adults, what scouts are truly capable of when you "Train 'em. Trust 'em. LET THEM LEAD!" Another thing that will help is having a SM and CC who are 100% behind the PM, and will run interference with Helicopters. saw that work with the troop growing up. Sadly my current troop has had adult issues since oldest joined.

One thing I was reminded about. I remember as a Sea Scout, the galley had an alcohol stove. And I'm told alcohol stoves are still in use on ships still.

One reason why I liked the Expanded Universe books, it didn't put you to sleep. Spent many a night up till 3AM or later reading them. There was one article that critiqued the movie, wish I had it. But the last sentence said it best, and I will paraphrase Just as Disney removed the Expanded Universe from canon, many fans will be removing the sequels from canon.

Lots of questions for me. Don't like the plot holes. Loved the cameo by my favorite Jedi Master. Was surprised they kept hat a secret. And I love how they went old school and used a puppet instead of CGI. As for the gender politics, I go to the movies to escape that kind of stuff. Get enough of it at work. Yes I know, it's a lost cause. Personally, I am more of a fan of the Expanded Universe, what the Rat calls Legends now. Some stories were AWESOME. Some OK, some ridiculous. Glad Disney got Timothy Zahn and his Grand Admiral Thrawn back into the SWU. But that's probably to make more $ since Thrawn is awesome I'm just glad the Star Wars Christmas Special, Ewoks cartoon, Droids cartoon, and the Battle for Endor made for TV movie are still canon according to the Rat.

How long have you been with the troop? How active are you with the troop? How long have you had to observe what the troop is doing? How much experience do you have with the Patrol Method? And i do not mean what little is taught in today's training, including WB. Are you willing to set the example for the other adults and back off from pushing the Scouts and let them fail in order to learn? More importantly, how hard and how long are you willing to fight for your Scouts? I ask the questions not to put you on the spot, but so that you can reflect and get the needed answers to prepare you for a fight that is ahead. And don't be surprised if you encounter resistance like I have. Also don't be surprised it it takes YEARS . I've been working with my sons' troop for 4 years now, and it is still adult led. Slowly getting better, but no where near the troop I grew up in, nor some of the troops I worked with over the years. But it is better than some out there. One of the challenges you will face trying to move from adult led to Scout led is that you are a committee member. You are very limited as to what you can do in your support role. One of the reasons I switched to ASM. But even then you are limited. Even ASMS are limited, as evidenced by my my many posts on the topic of Adult led. You need to get the support of the SM, and if you have an active committee, the CC. The SM is suppose to be in charge, settle disagreements among the ASMs, and chart the course the troop will take. ASMs serve at the will of the SM and CO. And it is hard establishing the Patrol Method because it is "organized chaos." Adults, even those who should know better, don't like the time consumption it takes for the Scouts to do things. Getting started takes 3 to 4 times as long, maybe longer, for the Scouts to decide. And then there is the learning curve. SCOUTS WILL FAIL AT THINGS AND THAT IS OK! Some folks hate seeing their kids fail. What they don't realize is that " The best teacher, Failure is." Some threads to help prepare you for the fight ahead. Hope they help. The Helicopter Parent thread is this year's major challenge. Messed Up Patrol Method thread is another. Adults At It Again, and Two Steps Forward, two Steps Back both discuss some set backs.

Yes, I've noticed the "Prohibited" and "Not Recommended" in the G2SS. My understanding is that the homemade ones are "Prohibited." So the stoves in the old Cub Scout Leader How To Books are no longer allowed. But a manufactured stove, like a Trangia or Batchstovez are OK. "Not Recommended," is quite different from "prohibited." Kinda like the Sheath Knife policy IMHO. Plus there is the "...that are not in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for chemical-fueled equipment." So if a manufacturer states a fuel, like unleaded gasoline, is acceptable to use in their equipment, like a Whisperlite International, then it's OK.

So, who uses alcohol stoves for backpacking? I'm switching over to an alcohol stove because it's easier to use than my Whisperlite, and is a lot lighter weight wise. I've had more challenges with the Whisperlite than anything. After using it and becoming familiar with it in the backyard, first camp out it starts leaking. Found out I had to replace a gasket, and this was after about 3 months after purchasing it. A few years later on a backpacking trip, it would not ignite. Did a field cleaning and would not work. Inspected all the part I could, nothing was wrong. had to borrow a friend's stove to cook that trip. I was able to finally get it working after 2 weekends at home taking it apart and putting it back together. Still have no idea what was wrong. Friend introduced me to alcohol stoves. Just pour in the fuel, prime it, and WHAM, it's lit up in about a minute. So I got a Trangia and used it on one camp out to date. No problems. Friend showed me another stove from Batchstovez . It's made from recycled aluminum beer bottles. I put it on my wish list, and got the cook kit they make for Christmas. Entire cook kit of stove, screen, pot, and a storage case that doubles as a quart cup and bowl weighs under 8 ounces.

How do the boys on coed teams feel? How do the boys feel playing against girls? I know my youngest hates the idea of girls joining Cub Scouts because he said it will ruin the program. When I asked why, he told me the story of the Boys Club and Girls Club the homeschool group had. Boys Club had a very active program, with lots of running around and Nerf gun fights. he didn't know what the girls did, but there was not a lot of attendance, and they started cancelling meetings. Someone came up with the idea of merging the two groups. Activities the boy wanted, life Nerf gun fights were stopped because of the girls. Eventually attendance at the coed club dropped because the boys no longer were having fun. The club folded within months of going coed. Maybe boys joined the Boy Scouts because it was one of the few safe places to still be a boy? And now that is taken away from them. Something to consider.

I understand where you are coming from. There are all kind of Eagles. Some are pushed and prodded, and some aren't. Some are gung ho and some aren't. Some, speed up the trail, and others like me, take a slightly longer, fun route. My purpose in the Tale of Two Eagles is remind people to let the Scout do it on his own, and let him have FUN. If he is having fun, he will stay in the program, and give back. I don't care at what age you make Eagle, as long as you give back as much as possible. I had friends come back and work with the troop while in college. We had one who visited us on leave from the military.

19 months minimum. 1 Month for Tenderfoot FITNESS 6 Record your best in the following tests: • Pushups ________ (Record the number done correctly in 60 seconds) • Situps or curl-ups ________ (Record the number done correctly in 60 seconds) • Back-saver sit-and-reach ________ (Record the distance stretched) • 1 mile walk/run ________ (Record the time) Develop and describe a plan for improvement in each of the activities listed in Tenderfoot requirement 6a. Keep track of your activity for at least 30 days. Show improvement (of any degree) in each activity listed in Tenderfoot requirement 6a after practicing for 30 days. • Pushups ________ (Record the number done correctly in 60 seconds) • Situps or curl-ups ________ (Record the number done correctly in 60 seconds) • Back-saver sit-and-reach ________ (Record the distance stretched) • 1 mile walk/run ________ (Record the time) 1 Month for Second Class FITNESS After competing Tenderfoot requirement 6c, be physically active at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week for four weeks. Keep track of your activities. 1 Month for First Class FITNESS After completing Second Class requirement 7a, be physically active at least 30 minutes every day for five days a week for four weeks. Keep track of your activities. Share your challenges and successes in completing First Class requirement 8a. Set a goal for continuing to include physical activity as part of your daily life and develop a plan for doing so. 4 Months for Star 6 Months for Life 6 Months for Eagle. While I wish people would not make Scouting a race, I know there will be a race to be the first female Eagle. I hope that whomever sits on those EBORs makes sure everything is up to snuff, otherwise it will diminish the achievement and Eagle.

What area are you in? I ask because different areas do different things. In my neck of the woods, Day Camps are 100% volunteer driven. Even within the same council, day camps differ. Some are 2-3 days, some are nights only, some are all day for 5 days. Quality of program differs based upon the resources. One camp had enormous support from the military base in the district, others do not. Our fee is $75 Contrast to a friend's day camp. They run multiple weeks, have paid staff, and have a set program. They also charge $200+ per person. I could not afford that, especially when all three were Cubs at the same time.

Agree with @HelpfulTracks . We had one Eagle who coordinated with the COR several months in advance his ECOH. a week prior to the COH, COR said they could no longer have the ECOH as they needed the facilities for their youth group. he could have it the following week if he wanted it. Eagle said no thanks since folks from out of town already made plans to be there. Since the Eagle was extremely active with the chapter and lodge, The CO that hosts the OA said he could have it there. Instead of the normal troop ECOH, he turned it into an OA themed ECOH. He and many others wore their OA sashes.

Only time I've seen it done are those who were Life and nearing 18, or Eagles 15+ (15 was back in the day when a 15 year old was able to have the POR). Mixed reactions. Some good some negative. Biggest problem is fro YP purposes, he is a youth, but for responsibilities he is an adult. he is not part of a Scout patrol, does what the SM tells him, and can sometimes have challenges with the Scouts listening to him, especially friends. As for recommending folks for PORs as a MC, I'd stay out of it. When I was a MC, I did that with Oldest Son, i.e. gave him ideas about who would make a good XYZ POR. Our SM and ASMs "make recommendations" for PORs, and it usually backfires. Long story short, some youth have adults fooled. The Scouts know who is best for the various PORs.

District Committee meeting or Roundtable meetings? District committee meetings are suppose to be business, with folks reporting on the things they are doing. Most unit leaders don't go. Roundtable is the leaders' meeting. more later

Towards the bottom of the page on November 9th.

It hurts the Scouts. No MBCs who know what they are doing so the Scouts could work with. Grant you, I can count on two hands the number of times I've been contacted to work on a MB outside of summer camp or a MBU in the past 25 years. But my son has had to contact MBCs, and they were all unit leaders too. In my neck of the woods, the Cub program was under a micromanager who ran off anyone willing to help. We are slowly recovering. Everyone involved with district level Cub programs is a unit leader,whether Cub Scout or Boy Scout: Cubmobile (Cub Scout Leader), Pinewood Derby and Webeloree (Boy Scouters), Day Camp (mix of both). While I wish we had enough volunteers so I can relinquish my district hats, we don't. heck the DE is panicking b/c I've been doing both RTs for 2 years now, and I tenderd my resignation effective May 3rd.

It is to me since I am dealing with the situation. Even after the 3rd group meeting, and individual one on ones, they still don't get it. Here irony. I quoted the line 'Failure, the best teacher it is" in regards to Scouting. And one of the Helicopters gives it a thumbs up. yet she won't let her son try stuff on his own in case he fails.

DSA is a very rare knot. Outside of NOAC and Jambo, I've only met 3 individuals with it, and they helped create OA Trail Crew.

Chess is a lot more than setting up a board and playing 3 games. It's about history, strategies, maneuvers, etc. Both of my Scouts have been playing competitvely for years, and some of the requirements they knew nothing about until they started teaching it at meetings. Oldest still doesn't know Scholar's Mate.

We already know what National will do if there is pushback on tougher requirements: CAVE IN (emphasis). I say that because National caved in on the new Cub Scout requirements less than 18 months after they came out. National also caved in on the camping requirements for Second and First Class within 18 months of them becoming required. And National caved in on the Eagle Palms TWICE! First time they ignored 94% of those polled who believe strongly or very strongly that palms should not be awarded instantly and the 3 months tenure is important. Then when people were upset with the arbitrary deadline, they decided to retroactively award all the palms for current Boy Scouts as many demanded.

I've told the Tale of Two Eagles often enough on this website that I don't think I need to repeat it. But suffice to say my cousin earned Eagle with my uncle pushing Eagle at 13 and quit shortly thereafter. I was Life at 13, completed the project at 14 years, 7 months and I don't remember how many days. I had fun prior to earning Life, the real adventures came afterward: Brownsea 22, OA, jamboree, Canada trek. Earned the last MB, Personal Management, 5 days before 18. I had a blast. Don't know how much fun cousin had as a youth, but as a Scouter, he didn't push his son to get Eagle. But son is an Eagle, and stayed around until going to college.