Rock Doc

Cutting corners from Totin' Chip or Whittling Chip for infractions

Thanks TAHAWK. What was your impression of the level of comprehension of your students given only 60 minutes of instruction/awareness? Seems that the majority of the IOLS skills are required long before troop level activities - fire, cooking, sanitation, knots, navigation, first aid, etc. I'd really like to see application and development (not awareness) of these skills taught to troop and crew leaders. Think of it as the G and E of the EDGE method. Fortunately, we have a strong backpacking culture in our troop, and train from within, but new troops starting out must struggle without these types of resources. So, just curious how others handle this issue.

Personally, I'd like to see Den Leaders take BALOO in the Tiger/Wolf years, IOLS in the Bear/Webelo years, and then develop a new course for SMs/Senior Scouts/Venturers focused on backcountry camping, including intro to canoe camping, backpacking, etc.

It seems that courses don't always fill up, so "exceptions" are made...

Just learned that our council's Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS) course (required for Webelo Den Leaders and Scoutmasters) has been significantly watered down due to changes in National's policy. I've always felt that the old IOLS course didn't go far enough, and that a separate backpacking-specific course was necessary to adequately prepare SM/ASMs. Is this occurring elsewhere, and if so, how are your Councils training scouters for anything beyond car camping, or is it all handled at the unit level?

That would be helpful, because I'm not a fan of anything hanging (not stitched) from a uniform. Far too easy to lose.

You are correct in saying that we should be Loyal, Courteous, Kind, Cheerful and Friendly to this scout, and we have, but there are limits to our patience. And we now feel that making continued accommodations to the potential detriment of the 30+ other scouts who are not causing problems is simply unacceptable. We'll work with the DE to find him a new troop (there are plenty to chose from in our area) if he wishes to continue in the program. Again, thanks for all the feedback.

The default response for a NYLT-trained SPL could be a courteous, "With all due respect sir, have you considered Wood Badge training?" (seems like there should be a T-shirt ) Levity aside, you're probably correct in suggesting at least an awareness of potential issues when working with Scouters, especially the old guard who may be entrenched and unwilling to relinquish control. Personally, I enjoy the ebb and flow as each newly-elected PLC takes the reins and charges off in a new direction, to prove that they know best. Sometimes they do, sometimes not, but the journey is invariably enlightening and mostly fun.

The adult Scouters and senior scouts are all in agreement that we would rather not let him rejoin. There's just been no precedent in our unit for such measures. You're correct about the DE, as his sole purpose it seems is to keep the numbers up and create new units.

Thanks everyone! You're all saying what I believe to be true, but have struggled with simply saying "No".

This sounds very similar to how our troop functions today. As you said, it's a long journey of many small steps. But key to this journey for us was National Youth Leadership Training for senior scouts serving as PLs and SPLs. This training gives the SPL the extra boost and confidence to lead, assuming the adults keep their distance.

《It's unlikely that his behavior has changed much. I'm just not aware of troops saying "no" to youth wishing to join. 》

Until recently we had a very disruptive Scout in the troop and tried to coach him to change his behavior using Scoutmaster conferences, Boards of Review, and parent meetings. However, the root of his behavior seemed due to lack of parental discipline (he could do no wrong in their eyes), and no amount of counseling improved the situation. Prior to us asking him to leave, he joined another local troop. But now he wants to return. So, given our history I'm reluctant to start over again. Anyone experienced something similar?