Eagle94-A1

In the 20 months I worked as a DE, 9 of my coworkers quit, most within 9 - 12 months of starting (one after 3 weeks via phone from the emergency room when the DFS told him to leave against medical advice and come to work), a finance director quit within a year, and a field director with 7-10 years in the council. One district had 4 DEs within 21 months. After I left, my immediate replacement left within 3 months, and when they found a DE to replace him, he left after a year due to a nervous breakdown. Things got a lot better when the SE and DFS left. The FD who came about about a month before I left actually stayed around 5 years. When I came back to the area, he was getting promoted to DFS.

SCOUTNET will automatically drop a leader once YPT is expired. ALSO I am told, repeat TOLD do not know for a fact, that if someone's YPT will expire in the upcoming charter year, it will drop that individual from the recharter process. HOWEVER once they go online and do YPT, the name will reappear on the online rechartering process. NOW I got an email stating that my YPT will expire soon and that I would need to redo it in order to recharter.

@@JoeBob, How about this. Only what is in their pockets and a survival kit. Make them stay at the amnesty blanket for a while until contraband is given up. give them a series of bearings, compass or general 4 points, and instead of a marker, they get items for the weekend:, tarp, rope, garbage bags, cans of food, water, etc.

@@ProScouter06, Welcome back from the Dark Side.

Well last nite was interesting. We had two, unannounced visitors. One was a Webelos, the other was a Scout looking for a new troop. Bad news was that things got changed on us by the CO at the last minute. Long story short, we had to do an impromptu service project for the church. I'm very happy we did it because the troop needed to do something to thank the church. We eventually got around to patrol corners and the work that really needed to be done for the camp out. Good news is that the transferring Scout likes the fact that we camp 10 months of the year, do a lock in 1 month, and do summer camp the last month.

As a former professional, I can sympathize greatly with local pros. It is a tough, demanding job. I've seen too many pros sacrifice their families and health. I've had friends and coworkers have mental breakdowns and other stress related health issues because of the job. I have had friends get divorced because of the time away from their families. I was fortunate in that my wife of 2 months gave me an ultimatum. Several of my friends had wives either walk out on them, or kick them out. Worse one was my friend who put his wife through law school, then was served divorce papers by her after her graduation ceremony! The disdain and animosity towards professionals, at least for me, comes down to two things. First and foremost are those that lose the vision of Scouting, and it becomes a job for them. They do whatever it takes, including some questionable stuff to put it mildly, in order to meet their Far Exceeds goals, or be #1 in their division. I'd rather have a solid, attractive program every year, than a great recruiting or FOS year, but have a lousy program and lose donors and members after the stellar year. The other problem pros IMHO are the ones who were either not involved in Scouting prior to being a professional, or have moved so far away from the boots on the ground, that they no longer know what it is like at the unit service level. One boss I had was never in Boy Scouts or Exploring. Had no idea what it was like, and how camp operations were like. Zero experience whatsoever. I was hired because I had 4 seasons of summer camp staffing at 4 different camps. Freaked out when she read my proposed SOP manual for camp operations. Questioned every single point in it, and would not listen to anything I would say. And didn't even stay at camp to see how things were done once we started, she just assumed. Only when she worked Jambo did she realize how she screwed up stuff. And when volunteers see stuff like Department of Labor laws for businesses being applied to Scouting, you do question the sanity of those in Irving. Heck my Bears, when the DOL rules were incorporated into the G2SS, thought I was joking when I said they couldn't use their little red wagons for a service project. And off course there is going to be push back when the folks in Irving, farm removed from the unit level apparently, try to mandate having trained leaders redo basic training every time the course changes. It took me 18 months to get trained, and that was only with me involved with a troop and going to college. Nowadays I have 3 district level PORs, serve as an ASM with a troop, serve as pack MC, plus have a job and family. Yet training I had and have applied all these years is no longer valid because the name changed? To quote one long term volunteer on this topic, "I've forgotten more about Scouting than you've ever learned, and I still know more than you do!" And the volunteer did! For a more humorous digression http://www.buzzfeed.com/bsastaffer/truths-about-being-a-professional-scouter-j3wp

You'd be surprised. First time we did any type of backpacking was essentially plop camping. Only a few of the Scouts have backpacks, mostly those going to Philmont, So the troop plopped it. HOWEVER, all meals had to be backpacking meals and only stoves if used were backpacking stoves.Anyone going to Philmont had take down camp, and backpack the trail, while the others worked on hiking requirements.

I can see this for new leaders, but Star Scouts? They should have had these topics covered already. I know T-2-1 requirements covers all of these topics, and cannot see how a one day course can expand those skills. MONTHLY CAMPING (emphasis) is the way to do it. HOWEVER, if the course is designed to help the Scouts TEACH these skills at the troop level, I'm good. BUT it better be hands on.

I hear ya. I lucked out with mine First one I earned upon completing Brownsea 22, as that was the recognition as well as a patch. The council issued US GI surplus hats to those that graduated. That one went through 1 hurricane, numerous camp outs, being shot at by German Scouts, etc. I did buy a BSA chinstrap, but use a British Scout Association's hatband that is branded with the camps I worked at over there, and a plume I got at BP House. Second one issued to the "youth" staff who worked JLTC. It was number of years after my BA22 course that the council did JLTC. At 20, I was a "youth" and SPL. I was also the only person to have done BA22 or JLTC on staff. Council reintroduced the Smokeys upon completing JLTC, and since none of the youth staff had Smokeys already, and mine was "experienced" They issued us ones to wear. Again US GI surplus hat with Scout Association branded hatband and BSA chin strap. However, I gave my BP House plume away, and now wear a 2007 Century Anniversary plume.

I'm under 55 and wear one. In my old council, only folks you saw with Smokeys were WBers, and BA22 and JLTC graduates. Wore one until I got my Expedition hat when I worked for supply. Since then it's a toss up. Problem I have with the Smokey is that when I wear it, people assume I'm in charge.

I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, but he is referring to units he is a UC for. One of the great benefits, as well as great disadvantages, is that every unit is different. It's a benefit in that if a unit does not meet you needs, you can hopefully findone that does. It can be a disadvantage when a unit's leadership leadership thinks they know better than the former unit leaders, district trainers, and UCs assigned to them, and they do their own thing. And doing their own thing does not include using the methods of Scouting. I have such a unit in my district. They were hemorrhaging Scouts, and have only stopped due to a HA trip next year. Last time I camped with them, they were nowhere near ready for HA. Ihope a lot have changed since then.

I've done or seen a bunch of OA ECOHs. I liked them. At one of them, the Eagle even performed a dance at. I've seen everything from a big shindig, to a coh after a troop coh. I also know of one eagle being mailed everything (he was active duty USAF). My troop had a set script.While the SM and CC played a role, the Eagle usually had a choice in who did what, i.e. who his honor guard is, who had what speakingparts, who is lighting the cansles, etc. I had friends and mentors in the various roles. I'ld talk to your son and see what he wants to do. GOOD LUCK!

Sad thing is, those DEs who are pro-program either leave in disgust, or are pushed out.

ACTUALLY I had my YMCA Lifeguard Instructor register as a MBC so I could get that MB. And even if a Scout was a certified lifeguard, SOMEONE taught him.

#1 Lifesaving. #2 First Aid, especially when changes occur. #3 Canoeing Shall I go on?

Sea Scout leaders can have their own personal flag like general and flag grade officers. http://www.scoutstuff.org/sea-scout-leader-flag.html#.VhgaC27ig40 http://www.scoutstuff.org/sea-scout-flag-rating-stars.html#.VhgaDG7ig40

Forgot about the liability insurance. I saw "supplemental" and automatically assumed accident. Liability insurance, at least back in the day, was on a per person/per event basis. So both Accident Insurance and Liability Insurance had to be budgeted. And I agree with knowing the insurance policy and procedures. I've made a few mistakes in dealing with the Boy Scout insurance. Thankfully they are very understanding, friendly, and work with you.

IMHO, it was probably the last year you can get accurate membership records. Remember all those inflated records being discovered in various councils in the late 1990s? Those SEs pushing membership at any cost and telling their staff how make the membership quotas without getting caught were the DEs of the 1970s who started the membership mess. Easiest way to bump membership is to now merge LfL with traditional Scouting since the membership policies have changed.

Accident insurance is an interesting, and confusing topic. It can be handled a multitude of ways, and if anyone can give a better, or more current, explanation please do so. If memory serves correctly, individual units can get the supplemental accident insurance that covers all of their activities. So if you take you troop to the local scout camp and get a dislocated shoulder with fractures, the UNIT ACCIDENT insurance covers it. If you do not take it, then you have to pay out of pocket. Councils MUST have accident insurance for their events. They need to charge a per person.per event fee to cover it. Again they must have it. So when district/council events are planned, the insurance must be budgeted. So if your unit opted out of the supplemental unit policy above, and go to a district/council camporee, you will be covered. It sounds like that is what your council is doing. Another option, one that my council does, is make it MANDATORY for all units to have through the council. At recharter, in addition to the $24 national fee, all participants, INCLUDING TIGER PARTNERS (emphasis) pay $1 for accident insurance. BEST DOLLAR SPENT EVER! On a personal note, the BSA's insurance company is AWESOME! I've been dealing with them for the past 2 months. Problems I've have had were VERY easily resolved, and great customer service. Well worth it.

@@scoutldr, No problem. @@John-in-KC Thanks for the clarification. I could not remember the formal process.

Unfortunately not everyone in the Supply Division has an actual Scouting or even camping background. So they do not know what they really need to keep and what they don't. Sad thing is at the annual planning conference in December, the PLC was talking about getting those for the patrols. BSA still sold them, and they were about $80 a set. I'm hoping when they raise the money, we may be able to find some stragglers at council stores or at the nearby national scout shops. Sometimes you can get lucky and find discontinued merchandise. BUT I bet the patrol cook kit goes fast!

Agree with you. One of the most powerful versions of TAPS I ever heard is what was locally called "Echo Taps". 2 buglers, either on opposites sides of the parade ground out of view, or one out of view on the parade ground, and the other out of view on the roof at the opposite end of the field,

I think Scoutldr's concern is with UNIT LEADERS ( emphasis) short cutting the system that can affect health and safety. Compared to legitimate physical disabilities with COUNCIL/NATIONAL APPROVED modifications to advancement. @@Krampus , PLEASE (begging) tell your buddy Saint Nick I've been good, really! Oh and I look forward to watching you in action on December 4th.