Treflienne

I gave the idea some serious thought. But I really have too little BSA experience. And I am simply not that interested in the district level. I have also now seen that @Eagledad has advised in a different thread: https://www.scouter.com/topic/32568-ticket-help/?tab=comments#comment-524199 It is currently looking like I will not complete a ticket. I am interested in a great all-girls troop for the girls. Unfortunately there are those in the local troop(s) who are pulling hard to (in effect) run our CO's two troops as a single coed troop. I see advancement as but one of the eight methods of scouting -- some others locally seem to see it as the absolute most important one. I'm very keen on the patrol as the community-in-miniature in which scouts get to practise practical good citizenship -- as they work together to accomplish their goals. Others locally do not seem to share my view of the importance of the patrol. I liked a lot of what I heard at Woodbadge about scouting, and found it very encouraging. However, the vision displayed there (and in the BSA literature) does not seem to be what the troop committee, SM, and ASMs want.

This seems to address the issue of tag-a-longs. For example the boy (who is a scout in a different troop) who tags along to his sister's troop's camping trip because (a) his parent is going on the trip, (b) the boy is not old enough to be left at home overnight by himself, and (c) there is no other parent at home or relative living nearby that he can be left with. Inviting experienced scouts from a different troop (same or different gender) to a meeting or outing, because of their skills or experience, in order to help or assist in some way, seems quite a different kettle of fish. If only the FAQ were a little clearer it would be helpful.

I'm glad BSA spelled this out. The coed buddy pair question came up at summer camp pre-covid. I do not like coed buddy pairs.

I am happy for her accomplishment in earning both awards. What the paper labelled "Girl Scout uniform" is not a very standard GSUSA look. Especially with the WOSM patch and the lack of a Girl Scout pin and WAGGGS pin. Any chance it is the uniform of a different scout association? When I was a kid, my (GSUSA TOFS) troop had scouts wearing GSUSA insignia and badges on uniforms of other countries . . . Japan, U.K. etc. Fortunately we did not have any uniform police.

And the Scouts BSA program isn't supposed to be coed, even now. It's supposed to have girl troops and separate boy troops, not coed troops. On the otherhand, the Girl Scouts might have found the prospect of BSA running all-girl troops even more threatening.

And unit admins can approve any rank advancement stuff, too. This is a design flaw of scoutbook.com This makes it imposible to tell whether the person who marked it "Leader Approved" was the person who actually approved the work., or merely the person who is transcribing the information from the scout's properly signed (paper) blue card or (paper) scout handbook. Sometimes you can tell if you know the troop: Mrs. AAA and Mr. BBB are the paperwork lteam and never actually approve scouts work, but have been given permission so they can transcribe stuff into scoutbook. But what about ASM Jones, who sometimes is approving the scouts work, and sometimes simply copying signoffs into scoutbook.com?

Did any of you do woodbadge while your primary position was "Unit Scouter Reserve" or "Merit Badge Counselor"? Or are you familiar with people who have done so? What sort of ticket items? I attended the woodbadge course last year. But prior to completing all my ticket items I resigned from my troop position. (I'd rather not go into details, but unresolved disputes between troop adults - disputes exacerbated by covid - were a major factor.) I am glad I attended woodbadge, whether or not I complete my ticket. I am wondering whether to attempt completing my ticket, despite the change in position. Woodbadge counselor is willing to consider changes to ticket. Some of my orginal ticket ideas were really only relevant to my old position or not doable currently due to covid. My kid is still actively involved in the troop.

Similar here. Scouts is still happening in-person (as least for outdoor meetings and day outings, a state curfew has prevented overnight camping). Many other local extra-curriculars have gone online. We've gotten as many new scouts this school year as last, particuarly friends of current scouts.

I just redid YPT, and noticed a detail I had missed before: On YPT final quiz questions there are explanations about the correct answers. The explanation to Q8 said (emphasis mine) "When sleeping in the same tent, youth must not be more than two years apart in age unless they are relatives." I'd been thinking that I'd rather see a new fifth grade scout share a tent with her eight grade sister, rather than needing to be in a tent by herself, and now I see that that is allowed.

Do I understand correctly that your CO is considering not rechartering your troop? https://www.scouter.com/topic/31928-chapter-11-announced/page/45/?tab=comments#comment-517955 If that happens, will your troop look for a different CO, or will they disband? If your troop looks for (and finds) a new CO, is your old CO happy for you to take your camping gear with you to the new CO? (I've heard of troops around here switching CO's.)

I'm seeing a similar dynamic in our troop at present. Any good advice?

@BAJ, maybe you already saw the post, but @5thGenTexan posted what his council is doing for managing covid risk while camping:

A rule of thumb for girls: (I used this for Girl Scout badge sashes/vests). The mom can estimate the daughter's eventual size based on the mom's size. Girls will typically reach full height about the same age the mom did, by about age 13 or 14, but will continue to fill out a little width-size. So, as a mother, if you wear the same size you did as a college student, try on the sash, and pick the size that fits you for your daughter. If you are a little larger than when you were a college student, then consider sizing down for your daughter. If you are really petite and your husband is really tall, then consider sizing up for your daughter. Or maybe there is a female scout in the troop who is the size you were when you were a senior in high school -- find out what size sash that scout is wearing. If unsure, err or the side of too long rather than too short. You can always shorten it later.

Some things we have done since our state and council permitted the troops to start camping again: 1) Prior resuming in-person activities the troop had a mandatory scout-and-parent-must-participate zoom presentation about the covid precautions being implemented. Not once per trip, but once per scout. I think it was helpful. At least the scouts are doing a much better job of social-distancing at scout events that the church-youth-group kids are doing at church events. 2) No carpooling to or from camping trips. Parents must drive their own kids to the camp location. 3) Every scout has her own tent - no scout shares a tent with anyone (unless she has a sister in the troop with whom to share). 4) Every scout brings her own food and backpacking stove. (Again siblings can share.) And of course the scouts go through oodles of handsanitzer. . . While I am glad that the scouts are doing in-person activities together, and are able to interact with each other in-person, albeit at a 6-foot distance, it is simply not quite the same as normal: I keenly feel the lack of patrol team effort in (say) food prep -- it is more every-man-for-himself (or rather every-girl-for-herself). My daughter, at least, misses being able to share a tent with a couple of buddies. These are girls that I am talking about. Also this year is looking to be a very expensive year for a new scout to join scouting. Not only are there the increased dues and the BSA-new-scout-joining-fee on top of the needed hiking boots, raingear, sleeping bag, and backpack. But now the new scouts also need to buy their own tent and stove right off the bat. (No, none of our scouts was ever registered as cub scouts.) But it is still a LOT better than no camping. And the scouts have been able to do biking, backpacking, orienteering, etc. About 80% of our scouts have done at least one in-person meeting or activity with the troop since we resumed in-person activities. More than half have gone on at least one camping trip.

My take: Yes it is worthwhile, even if you don't fully complete your ticket. The "like minded Scouters" and "enthusiam for Scouting" part was very worthwhile to me. I found it very encouraging to be among other people who were enthusiastic about the program. And who were aiming at the goals of scouting "Citizenship, Character, . . ." with confidence in the methods of scoutings ("Patrol Method, Ideals, etc, etc") as a means to get there. This was especially true for me, since it seemed that in my own unit (and in the boys' troop linked with my unit) the adults have been all pulling in different directions. Some are interested in being an outing club in which kids get to do exciting things which someone else lines up for them to do. Some are interested in low drag high speed advancement . . . I am no longer in the role I was in when I attended woodbadge. And I only completed some but not all of my ticket items - which were chosen to be appropriate to that role. So I don't know if I'll be able to complete a ticket. But I am still very glad I attended woodbadge.