BuffaloAnnie

If the parent can't come, can an unregistered grandparent take the Cub Scout on a pack camping trip so he/she can still attend? The grandparent is family, and would be there with the permission of the parents. The Pack Committee is fine with it...they just want to be sure they aren't violating any rules or guidelines. The Guide to Safe Scouting 2024 update mentions that a Cub Scout on a pack camping trip can tent with a parent/guardian and siblings. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss03/ It discusses the exception of allowing a registered adult leader to take responsibility for one unrelated Cub Scout if the parent/guardian can't attend. We just can't find anything on this exact situation and I can't believe it's never come up!

Thank you, both! I appreciate hearing from someone more familiar with the Guide to Advancement. It's a large document and I wouldn't know where to begin looking. I'm so happy that it mentions the exact situation I asked about! That answers my question completely.

If you counsel the Communication MB and Citizenship in the Community, you might have noticed that these two requirements are very similar. I've always required Scouts to attend two separate meetings, but I'm questioning that. Do you count attendance at one meeting for both badges? I understand that Cit Comm 3 just says you have to explain your conclusion to your counselor, and Communication 5 involves writing a report. But can it be the same public meeting? It feels like the point of these exercises is the same. Citizenship in the Community #3: Do the following: a) Attend an in-person meeting of your city, town, or county council or school board, local court session; OR another state or local governmental meeting approved in advance by your counselor. b) Choose one of the issues discussed at the meeting where a difference of opinions was expressed, and explain to your counselor why you agree with one opinion more than you do another one. Communication #5: Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved by your counselor where several points of view are given on a single issue. Practice active listening skills and take careful notes of each point of view. Prepare an objective report that includes all points of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor. Thanks for sharing your opinion, especially if you have experience with these badges.

Update, please! It's been a few months. Is this happening the way everyone expected? I have unit leaders asking a lot of questions that I can't answer. What notifications do Adult Leaders and Scouts receive when their memberships are about to auto renew? What will happen to a registered leader with "Opted Out" on the roster under Renewal Status? I'm concerned about the number of active youth members we're randomly finding with no parent/guardian connection. Will their memberships renew smoothly or will they just expire? Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience, everyone!

Whoops - yes, I meant Citizenship in the Community. Thank you for your ideas. I guess I was only thinking about elected officials.

For Citizenship in the Nation Community (ed -RS), how do your Scouts normally complete 4b? Scouts are to pick an important issue and interview one person from the branch of government that is responsible for the issue. Then, the Scouts should ask what is being done and how young people can help. We used to have a parent who would get the former County Treasurer to stop by our meetings. As long as the Scouts could come up with a question related to money, they were all set! Now, I'm looking for new ideas. Is it hard to get a government official to talk with a Scout?

I’d say that half of our units send leaders to Roundtable. We have 31 packs, 40 troops, 9 crews and a ship. The Scouts BSA breakout usually has about 30 leaders but we’re only seeing around 10 in the Cub breakout. I haven’t been to the Venturing breakout so I’m not sure what their turnout is like. I see at least five Crew leaders at the opening. We’re talking about changing the Cub breakout so it’s more like the Scouts BSA format where each month a different unit shares best practices and leads a discussion.

I've been a Scouter for seven years and I'm very happy to find this forum! Rap sheet: current District Vice-Chair Membership, ASM, Merit Badge Counselor. Former Cub Scout Den Leader, New Member Coordinator, Popcorn Kernel and Pack Committee Chair. Wood Badge Buffalo Patrol. I have two sons in our troop. Recent accomplishment that I'm super excited about: I have had the honor of helping ten new units charter so far in 2019 (one boys' troop, one crew, and eight girls' troops). My favorite part of Roundtable is collecting good ideas from other Scouters, so I look forward to learning from all of you. I hope I can contribute to the discussions and maybe answer some Membership questions!