Eagle94-A1

Most Cub Scouters have a hard time transitioning. Why many troops i have been with wantba year or more on the commitee first.

Praying for all involved.

My main worry as well. I have seen this done with OA funds and property. I remember an SE appropriated "excess funds" from the OA account as a donation to the council's FOS campaign. Those funds were earmarked for camp improvements for the upcoming conclave at the camp. And when all the bills came due, OA had no money to pay the bills. Then the SE was complaining about "The lodge supports the council, not the other way around." when council was asked to pay the bills since they took the money. One local chapter spent thousands of dollars over the years buying and getting donated equipment to a local camp. They were the ones that maintained the camp, not the council, over the years. Especially when the caretaker died, the OA chapter was doing it all: maintaining and repairing the camp, providing a campmaster, etc. Camp ranger from the main camp came to the local camp one day and took the the zero turn mower, a bunch of hand tools and the storage rack made for the hand tools, AND one volunteer's flair mower! This was done with one one knowing it was going to happen. I know the OA is owned by the council, and that any property and money is really owned by the council. But if they are willing to do this, what will they do with units?

Regarding snacks and food, they can serve a purpose. I have seen cooking demos and cook offs during meetings, especially for backpacking instruction. As a Cub Scout DL, the last meeting of the year was a party with me making cookies in a cardboard box oven.

You are correct, the program should support a motivated Scout to get First Class in a year, and it doesn't mean they have to get there. Lord Baden-Powell said it best, "Advancement is like a suntan, it just happens in the outdoors." The reality is that EVERYTHING (major emphasis), that BSA has put out since August 1989: handbooks, training syllabi, roundtable topics, ad nauseum, has promoted First Class, First Year. Heck even the 1989 report on why National implemented "Operation First Class" as it was then called, ignored program, and focused on advancement. I believe I have lost potential transfer Scouts because when I talked to them, their parents, and their Scouters, I talk about how we are focused on fun and adventure, and not advancement. They seem to be advancement focused, and I blame National for this.

FYI, Family camping does not count toward Tenderfoot through First Class. Tenderfoot 1b states, with bold for emphasis "Spend at least one night on a patrol or troop campout. Sleep in a tent you have helped pitch." Second Class 1a states "Since joining Scouts BSA, participate in five separate troop/patrol activities, at least three of which must be held outdoors. Of the outdoor activities, at least two must include overnight camping. These activities do not include troop or patrol meetings. On campouts, spend the night in a tent that you pitch or other structure that you help erect, such as a lean-to, snow cave, or tepee." And First Class 1a states "10 separate troop/patrol activities, at least six of which must be held outdoors. Of the outdoor activities, at least three must include overnight camping. " Camping Merit Badge gets tricky as some requirements must be done in the patrol setting. National Outdoor Award is not a problem. But in my area, the award is not a big deal. Most units are camping 9-12 times each year.

Patrol emblem. Here is the source https://www.boyscouttrail.com/docs/uniform_male.pdf

Outside of the plan. Back in the day when I was a DE, I was told as part of my training that BSA's liability insurance covered both the LCs and COs. The reason for coverage was that the charter fee they paid covered the liability insurance for them. Thank you. And Mods, if these posts are out of place, mea culpa.

But aren't the LCs and COs covered by BSA's insurance, at least sine 1976? I know I was told that BSA insurance covered both when I was a DE.

Training helps get them get an idea of what to do without whispering in their ear. Letting them make mistakes or fail is a way to learn. If you do it for them, they never learn and grow. Worse they will lose interest 4th method: Socratic Ask them questions that make them think and come up with solutions.

No, but thanks for the assist. The document was a list of council properties, including non camp properties, by name and/or location.

On one of these Chapter 11 Threads, there is a link to a court document that lists 2 to 3 appraisal prices, if memory serves. Be advised that it does include camps with restrictions on them, so even that is not 100% accurate. I know one council camp on the list has a high value price on it and noted that it is restricted. What the document does not state is the restriction: that when the Scouts no longer use the camp, it will revert back to the trust. So while the council operates it and allows units to build structures on it and make improvements to the property, they cannot sell it for money. Another restricted camp, with a high value, will not get the valuation price listed as the family that sold the camp to the Council has right of first refusal at the actual cost the council bought it for. And believe me the price is SIGNIFICANTLY lass than what the council bought it for.

Concur with @Eagledad. While it is easier to start a Venturing Crew within a Scouts BSA Troop, in the long term they fold. The initial group of Venturers leave, Scouters get burned out, or the troop starts suffering and all hands are needed to support the troop.

So that is what the Baden-Powell Service Association is calling themselves these days. No experience with them whatsoever. Nearest group is over 3 hours away.

First warning sign that this is not a good troop is that they stop meeting for the summer. Summer is the absolute best time to do stuff because you don't have school and extracurriculars to deal with. Second, Agree with @MattR. Talking to another adult may help. If that doesn't work, another troop.

THIS. IS. THE. WAY!

Don't I know it. In 1994 I was a YMCA Lifeguard Instructor, who also worked and trained with ARC Lifeguards, and a 3rd national organization's lifeguards that I cannot remember, at the college pool. I took BSA Lifegaurd in 1994, and it was the hardest, most demanding lifeguard course because it not only covered pools, but also lakes , rivers, and open water. It started before 2013. One reason why I never went for BSA Lifeguard as a youth was because A) I did not have Rowing MB, which was a prerequisite along with Swimming, Lifesaving, and Canoeing MBs and B) I was working summers as a YMCA Lifeguard and needed to earn money. When I first became a BSA Lifeguard in 1994, those merit badges were no longer perquisites, although you still had to demonstrate the skills in the requirements.

As a former BSA Lifeguard, I can tell you it is 99.98% ARC to the point that the books and videos used in the class was ARC. In fact if you were willing to pay an extra $20 and take the ARC exam, you would be dual certified. the .02% difference was BSA's Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat. So BSA Lifeguard is not a good example of BSA going their own way.

BSA is to blame. I remember as a 18-20 year old ASM, I was treated as an adult by my troop, and most other adults on the district/council level. Yes, some folks looked at my age and lack of Wood Badge and ignored me, denigrated me, etc. But for the most part I was treated as an equal. I maintained friends in the troop, and hung out with them at school and outside of Scouting. But at Scouting activities, I was treated like any other adult by them. I was able to do Swimming and Lifesaving MB sessions at the pool I worked at with just a parent present. I was even the acting SM one summer since no other adults could attend the entire week. The CC and a MC switched off until Friday when the SM showed up. It was me and one other adult. Flash forward to today. I have an Eagle who if he was to be an ASM would have to give up friends in Scouting who are under 18. Another Eagle, if he was an ASM, would be unable to do school work with several classmates because he is 18, and they are under 18. The 18-20 year olds no longer count towards 2 deep leadership. So if they are a MB counselor, they need 2 registered adults over 21, or one registered adult over 21 and a parent, to be at their MB sessions. As for summer camp, there is no reason for them to be there since A. they are not counting towards YP, and B. Taking tenting space, an C. costing money. Until I see the raw data to support this decision, it it the stupidest one ever.

Tell me about it. I remember the first time I was eligible, and I didn't vote for myself because the other three candidates were better Scouts than me, AND I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME PICKING THE 2 I DID! It was rough. Under the old rules, it was possible to get everyone elected under the right circumstances, i.e. odd number of eligible Scouts. I had a SM tell his Scouts how to vote so that the three scouts had 2/3s of the ballots each. Found this out after the fact and it infuriated me. Now it is common.

No clue. I am an old fogey and what I wanted at that age may be completely different from what folks today want. But I would start with with following. 1. Get input on what the young adults want. Not just the various VOAs, but also rank and file members. A. Have actual town halls and various meetings where the members, not the advisors, have input. B. AND HAVE THE MEETING BE REAL AND NOT A COVER UP FOR PREARRANGED CHANGES, I.E. THE MEMBERSHIP TOWN HALLS. Let's face it from everything I have heard from pros, the timing of the town halls, read i.e. gender neutral language on applications prior to the changes, and the fact that the membership polls have never been published, the membership town halls were just a cover. C. Have open ended survey questions instead of the leading questions like the membership survey. If you want to know what the members want, you got to be open to both what you want to hear and what you DO NOT want to hear. D. ACTUALLY DO WHAT THE YOUTH WANT! If 94% of folks are against something, YOU DO NOT DO IT! 2. Have more national resources available to support them. And if you cannot support them, empower the members and volunteers to support themselves. One of the reasons why Sea Scouts is successful is that for the longest time, National had little to do with them. Sea Scouts and Volunteers provided their own support.

Tell me about it. We have folks who not only know school board members, but some who have been friends with them since elementary school. We have folks who work in the school system, are part of PTOs, various parents' booster clubs, etc. But council does not want us doign anything.,

As I stated, this council does not want units contacting anyone the school system and it has been like this since before I got here. As for outside groups, I will repeat, NO OUTSIDE GROUPS are allowed. This law was brought up once or twice when we had a DE, and this is what he was told. And from what I get from the Sxcouts, it is enforced. Trust me we had relationships prior to the current superintendent. Now everything needs to be focused on "teaching time."

1. I have deleted texts and emails. And I cannot find the letter I sent to a SE selection committee about one of the potential candidates. 2. For me the OA lost its uniqueness when they changed their election policies. At the time, I said it would be a slow death. I admit I was wrong as it is taking longer to die than I thought. But I also know a lot of folks are fighting tooth and nail, to preserve the OA. I was in that number until unit responsibilities took over. From the outside looking in, OA is a pale shadow of itself. 3. The Venture Patrol concept has been tried in one shape of form multiple times. If memory serves, at 14 you automatically became an Explorer in the 1950s, and troops had an explorer patrol. You had the Leadership Corps in the 1970s and 80s. Then the Venture Crew/Patrol in the 1990s to sometime in the 2000s. I can speak only for Leadership Corps and Venture crew/patrols as I have experience with those. If you read the literature, they were suppose to be able to do things separate from the troop. In reality they didn't AND THIS WAS WHEN PATROLS COULD CAMP WITHOUT ADULTS! ( emphasis). Unless you have a large troop with lots of willing adults, I cannot see folks doing 2 camp outs a month. Also something would need to get the Scouts interested. The Venture Pins idea didn't work.

"OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING." William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, 3rd ed. SMHB "SCOUTING IS OUTING!" William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt