AVTech

Here is what we use as a guide: Den Chief duties: • Serve as the activities assistant at Den meetings • Communicate regularly with the Pack Leaders to review the Den and Pack meeting plans • If serving as a Webelos Den Chief, prepare boys to join Boy Scouting • Project a positive image of Boy Scouting • Know the purposes of Cub Scouting • Encourage Cub Scouts to join a Boy Scout Troop upon graduation • Help out at monthly Pack meetings • Attends at least 2/3 of the den meetings/events during his service period • Be a friend to the boys in the den • Participate in Troop outings. Attendance requirement 75% • Attend Troop meetings. Attendance requirement 75% • Set a good example • Wear the Class A uniform correctly to all regular Troop meetings and other events • Wear the Class B uniform to all outings and other Troop activities • Live by the Scout Oath and Law • Show Scout Spirit

Family camping is part of the Cub Scout program, but nowhere in the new program have I seen that a Troop will offer that as a regular feature of its program. Just for the record, I will be stepping sideways from my current role as Scoutmaster of my son's Troop to be Scoutmaster of a linked girl's Troop (I have a 13 year old daughter who really wants to be an Eagle Scout like her brother, who just had his EBoR last week). I have absolutely no intention of presenting the girls with a program that is less than the Patrol Method program that the boys have been running. I have a couple of helicopter and bulldozer parents in the Troop right now. They hold no sway over how the Troop operates, despite the occasional barrage of whiny emails. They may be able to cow the staff and administration of our local schools, but I refuse to bend to their will. I know that as soon as I start making an exception for any Scout (unless there is a medical necessity), I will have to continue to make exceptions for everyone. Rank advancement happens in Patrols. Parents are NOT members of any Scout's Patrol, period.

That is unfortunate. I have never caved to any of these odd requests. I simply tell the parents that we lose relatively few Scouts on camping trips, no matter what conditions might exist, and that the odds are good that their kid will return in one piece. We had 15 Scouts crossover to our Troop this spring. I have one who was on the fence about continuing, and he has vanished. I have another who looks like is getting a lot of pushback from his parents about doing anything. Of the 14 that remain, he was the only one who didn't go to camp this summer, so he is already falling behind his peers. I'm really annoyed with the dad, but trying to be diplomatic, when I really want to give him a good shake. The kids are easy comapred to some of the "adults"...

How does a Scout advance without camping with his Patrol? In our Troop, this particular issue has never come up. We have parents who don't let their Scout go on very many trips, for a variety of whirlybird-related issues. These Scouts often (unfortunately) remove themselves from the program because they only get to come to meetings where they are planning all the really fun stuff that they won't get to do, and they also don't advance because they aren't fully participating in Scouting.

RT needs to rotate days. Our District RT is the same night as our Troop meetings. That makes it hard, unless BSA has some new cloning technology that I don't know about. Unit leaders need more face time with the DE and other District officers. I have met our DE once, at an annual meeting that our Council's camp holds to distribute their new (mostly recycled) camp guide to all the units. I asked him questions that required follow up, and have heard nothing back, despite emails and phone messages being left. Someone in the District needs to "own" a web page (or pages) that are easily found through the Council website, and make sure it is kept up to date. That person needs to talk to all of the other District leaders to make sure that the Units have access to as much information, as soon as it is available. If this doesn't happen, District events will never be as successful as they might be. Easy to answer general questions can be answered there, and all the resources available to Units form their District officials can be spelled out.

NJ is correct- he would get three silver and one bronze at the time of his ECoH, to reflect the Merit Badge count as of the date of his EBoR. Then, for every 5 additional Merit Badges and 3 months of service, he would be eligible for an additional Palm. Your CC is incorrect about there being any limit except for a Scout's 18th birthday.

Last summer, I got a handwritten thank you card from a 12 year old Scout. He thanked me for taking a week off of work to be at summer camp with him and the rest of the boys in the Troop. It's the little things, right?

At least 50% of the paper we hand out at Troop meetings never leaves the meeting hall, and some percentage of that becomes dryer lint.

Here is how we try to head off these situations (as much as we can): Every September, we ask the parents to fill out a new Emergency Contact form. This allows us to keep up to date with new phone numbers and email addresses (including that of our Scouts- the town has an iPad based curriculum from grade 6 on, so we know that every Scout has a school email address at the very least). The back side of the form asks for any information about the Scout that we need to know about, from allergies and medications to learning disabilities, phobias, or any other emotional or social concerns- things that aren't generally listed on the Medical Form. We had a Scout a couple of years back who was just horrible to deal with. He wouldn't listen to anyone, was disruptive and openly disrespectful during meetings, was mean to other Scouts, etc. During a week at summer camp, his dad was coming down to help us out with adult coverage. I ran into him near the entrance to the camp and stopped him to chat before he brought his gear to our campsite. When I related the events that had already transpired already during the earlier part of the week, he told me that his son was on the Autism Spectrum, and that he thought that his wife had told me (she hadn't). So much of his behavior made sense after that, and that knowledge would have completely changed my relationship with the Scout. After that conversation, the CC and I decided that we needed to keep that lack of knowledge from happening again, if we could help it, and the new form was born. I hate to add paperwork, but this can be crucial for the success of the Scout in the program. As for your SPL/ASPL being tied up with 5 new Scouts, that is the job of a Troop Guide. We added 16 new Scouts in our Troop this Spring. We have 2 full New Scout Patrols, each with a Troop Guide. The SPL/ASPL have other things they are responsible for besides the advancement of the new guys. The current SPL and the 2 TGs have been leveraging a large group of 11th grade Scouts to each take a couple of the new guys under their wing to go over Scout requirements, then work on T-2-1 skills. Then the new Scouts sit with a TG, ASPL or the SPL to get their requirements signed off. It is pretty efficient, and each week, the Scouts sit with a different older Scout, so they are all getting face time with each other. Everyone gets to know each others names, and the Troop is gelling really nicely right now. Good luck with this father and son. Follow the Oath and Law. Be patient.

Our Troop started an Adult 101 series. We started with some basics that our current SPL (my son, as it happens) felt that every Scout should know, but are not necessarily covered in any Rank requirements or Merit Badges. He actually taught every Scout in the Troop how to sew on a button and repair a tear (works for tents, clothing, socks, etc.). Most of the parents of our Scouts don't know how to sew. But I think you are on to something with how to run a meeting, and how to be a participant. Time management topics are always good, essential skills that translate to every corner of a Scout's life. I plead with parents (more than Scouts, since they tend to be more tech savvy) to please sync the Troop calendar from our website to their phones. Other topics yet to be covered include ironing a shirt, balancing a checkbook, and even how to write a letter and address an envelope (don't ask about what I have seen- it will chill you to the bone).

During our last few trips, I have tried the following in Dutch Ovens: Meatloaf (my wife's secret recipe) Jambalaya Lasagna A Modified American Chop Suey (less sauce, more cheese) A breakfast casserole (eggs, ham, cheese, breadcrumbs) A simple cobbler/dump cake hybrid- pie filling, cake mix and a can of soda I have recipes to share if anyone is interested

We use Troopmaster to keep track of advancement. Our Advancement chair takes photos of Handbook pages with her phone after each BOR. I ask Scouts who are working on ranks up through First Class to see their books often, and take photos myself, then enter the info into Troopmaster. This allows me to report to the SPL what skills might need to be worked on during Troop meetings or on camping trips. He brings that info to the PLC so they can plan properly. BTW, in the 5 years I have been involved with this Troop, the only handbooks that are ever misplaced are just buried in messy bedrooms. Not one Scout has ever lost his book permanently. These worksheets, IMHO of course, are counterproductive if they are replacing conversations between Scouts and PLs and TGs, who should be doing the signing off of the requirements. It also seems like they may be replacing conversations between Scouts and SM/ASM. So this Troop isn't looking like a Scout run organization, and the opportunities for adult association, and the adult leaders really getting to know and appreciate these Scouts.

Just playing Devil's Advocate... You don't know what you don't know. My son, who just turned 16 in December, took NYLT last summer. He came back with a whole new set of tools that have made him a superior SPL. He also has a new appreciation for what it takes to be a good leader, and he will tell you that it was the best thing he has done in Boy Scouts. The skills taught in NYLT might make you much better than fine.

Eagles in my Troop have gotten them, but they have been very late- well after Courts of Honor have come and gone.

I was specific about the Mission Statement: "The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law."

My next move is easy. When we create our linked Troop, I will step down as SM of the boy Troop and become the SM of the new girl Troop. My wife (my kids' stepmother) just finished all the SM required training, and will be our first trained female ASM. I will provide the same leadership and opportunities for my 13-yo daughter and her peers that I have for my 16-yo son and his. I am not sure why everyone has their underthings in a twist about this. The mission statement of the BSA has always said YOUTH, without mentioning gender. Our flavor of Scouting should be available to any kid who wants to sign up. I have no intention of providing anything less than the same program to the girls that we have always provided to the boys. My daughter is frustrated with GSUSA, because unless the leaders want to do outdoor stuff, it doesn't happen. The GSUSA program may work for some, but its open-ended structure doesn't work for everyone. Its exclusivity is self-limiting, and their insistence that only women should be role models for the girls is short sighted. I get it that the powers that be haven't been as organized or open about these changes as they could have been or should have been. But to turn your back on the program because of a chromosome change is hardly Scoutlike. Just my opinion, of course...

Nalgene has a lifetime guarantee. My son used one as a tent peg mallet and cracked the bottom. They replaced it. You just go to their website, fill out a form and upload a photo of your damaged item. That makes the cost easier to take. I prefer the OTF style. They may be a little smaller, but the one handed pop-top is easier to use on the trail. All that being said, if you want to keep water cold, HydroFlask is the way to go. I can put cold water in mine early in the morning at Summer Camp, and it is still cold in the evening (I had other bottles on my pack, this was sitting in my tent all day). They are not cheap though, so your $30 budget won't get you a decently sized one.

I do the same. Given my job and employer, I understand way more about this topic than the people at HQ ever could.

My opinion is that the whole CyberChip curriculum needs to be rewritten and designed to be a Unit-wide activity. There should be better videos (some of which I already show to my Troop anyway), and then a group discussion with topics led by a moderator (SPL). Something that is important enough that it is required for Rank Advancement needs to be crafted to be useful and more easily implemented.

I absolutely disagree with you on this point. My daughter is a Girl Scout. She is bored to tears and cannot wait to be able to do all the cool things her older brother gets to do. The GSUSA program is very open-ended, so leaders who don't like to camp run programs without camping. The BSA program is much more rigid, and heavily biased towards being outdoors. We will not be poaching from GSUSA, except for those who are NOT being served by their existing Troop's program. We will be attracting young women who want the adventure that a properly run Troop offers.

We are fortunate that our CO has a mostly unused basement. We keep all of our gear in a caged area. Our Klondike sleds and a few other large items are outside the cage. We store our trailer in the parking lot of an industrial building owned by a local electrician. We have a designated parking spot next to a small dog park, so there is a lot of coming and going, which makes that lot a relatively safe location. You might want to see if you can find a similar local business that has space for you to locate a shed.

I don't understand why anyone has to drone on about upcoming events. Does the Troop not have a website with a calendar? Does leadership not send out reminder emails? I spend more time writing and sending emails to the parents as a backup to the SPL's weekly announcements than I do on most other Scouting business. We use a website from SOAR that sends out a weekly eBlast to all Scouts and their parents. It has all of the events that are open for registration- they can register and pay for all trips online too. They can also (and this is HUGE) sync the Troop calendar to their phones or even Outlook or Google calendar, so no one has to waste time reminding them about every little thing at these few events- for some parents CoH are the only time we ever see them. As for FOS- I told my DE a long time ago (back when I was a Cubmaster) that coming to any Unit event looking for handouts from the families that already support them is barking up the wrong tree. They need to go knock on the doors of businesses that have deeper pockets, a much better return on their investment in time. I also told them that the presentations were awful and boring, and an unwelcome distraction from the purpose of the gatherings that they asked to be added to. That was the end of any FOS presentations at our events.

Wasn't joking. Do the basic instructions inside, then everyone grabs their headlamps and heads out to do a course.

Headlamps make so many activities much more fun...

My take on this has always been that no matter what the intent of the folks in Irving might have been, they will not get the volunteer base that would be required to run separate Troops in most communities. The more opinions I see, and the more I think about how the heck they plan to roll this out, the more I am convinced that we will see separate Patrols in mixed Troops. The other thing that no one seems to be able to answer is when they plan to roll this all out. The issue with no clear dates as of yet is this: Let's say, a 10 year old girl joins a Cub Scout Pack on January 15th as part of the early adopter push. She earns her Bobcat in the first week, and starts working on the requirements for Arrow of Light. Without pushing her hard, she is eligible to earn her AoL on July 15th- 6 months later, as per the Cub Requirements. What does she do after that? If the current timeline is gospel, she has to wait until sometime in 2019 to join a Troop. I see another early adopter program for Troops available over the summer. As the father of a really bored 13 year old Girl Scout, I am actually okay with having a coed Troop, and with starting the coed program for the 2018-2019 school year. I have the backing of my CO to run whatever program I think will best serve the local community. I have the support of most of our Troop Committee. I also have a wife who has already taken the online SM training and is scheduled to take IOLS this spring so that we have one trained female direct contact leader before we even start.