CharityAK

I'd like the men's input on this... Our Scoutmaster tendered his resignation last night after several years with our troop. Military transfer. He's been a great guy. Given a lot to the troop even though he has no son there and had lots going on in his personal life. For a parting gift, I was thinking about making a quilt in a canoe pattern I found (our troop has done quite a bit of canoeing). Each boy would sign one of the canoe pieces. The colors would be scouting/outdoorsy colors in outdoor motifs (leaves, moose, fish, tents, etc.) Is a quilt too effiminate? I and the other seamstresses in thet roop have to get sewing this baby quick as he only gave us about a month's notice. What do you think? Charity

Laura - You stated that you have a stock of badges on hand. Is that the norm for all you other folks? Our district office is the only place where I can buy badges locally and they will not let me buy anything unless I show a blue card. I'd love to have a little inventory as I have to drive an hour one-way everytime I want a badge, patch, certificate, etc. Charity

Hi Laura I can totally sympathize with your frustration. I am the Advancement Chair for our troop. Our service center/HQ is an hour away, one way. I am a busy person - I homeschool my kids, work as a free-lance writer, am a pianist/vocalist for our church, am also our troop's treasurer, practice karate 4x a week and volunteer for several other agencies besides BSA. And still....I am able to get the boys their advancements and badges in a prompt manner. There is no excuse whatsoever for this volunteer's poor performance. Our district rep. told me something once that really stuck with me. He said that he usually looked for busy, highly successful people to recruit as volunteers. This seems to fly in the face of logic. A very busy Doctor or lawyer doesn't have time for one more thing on their plate, right? Wrong. A very busy, successful person is obviously there because they've learned to manage their time and deliver the goods. I would imagine that your Adv. Chair struggles with excellence in more areas than simply BSA, right? If there isn't an appropriate person currently within your troop, there is no reason you can't recruit outside your troop. I'd suggest looking for someone in your community who has a passion for youth and a passion for excellence. A high achiever. They usually make the best Advancement Chairs. I'd approach them asking them to consider volunteering with your troop and then get them the appropriate paperwork to get signed on as an adult leader. It's not fair to the boys to not receive reinforcement for their work. If this continues, it's possible they will lose motivation. Cut the guy loose and find someone who's already proved themselves in their daily life. Charity

NAQ! Very cute. That is so true - though the new set of parents we inherited at crossover seem to be a great bunch. Should help balance out the It-Takes-A-Village types we had before (only by the village, they mean YOU, of course). I'd like to thank everybody for their great insight and solid input. I've finished up the tentative copy and passed it out to the leaders at last night's mtg. Once I get their feedback, I'll revise it, print and turn it loose. Thanks so much! I've been poking around the boards here and this looks like a fun and helpful place! Charity

Thanks for the replies so far. I've cut and pasted them all and am researching policy websites for answers. I need to beef up the section on "How to Help Your Scout Advance" I have 3 principles so far: 1) Make sure he has the necessary supplies, equipment and materials. Unless your child has access to his own banking account and can drive, he is dependent upon his parents for many of the things he will need to be successful in scouting. He will need a uniform, a handbook, access to camping supplies, appropriate clothing for cold-weather camping, etc. He will need to be driven to and from activities. Participation in some activities is needed for advancement. When he reaches the point where he is earning merit badges, he will at times need some odd materials. For example, the Environmental Science badge requires access to such diverse items as Styrofoam peanuts, nightcrawlers, motor oil, ziplock bags and an aquarium. While a scout should operate as independently as possible, there will be times he will need parental assistance to secure needed items. 2) Be informed. Read through your scouts handbook and familiarize yourself with advancement requirements. Dialogue with your scout from time to time about how his scouting experience is going, where hes at in his advancement progress, and what type of assistance he needs to continue. Read any communications that your scout brings home. Attend the parent meetings. Ask questions when you are confused. Feel free to call on your Advancement Chair with any questions you may have. 3) Get involved. Scouting is heavily volunteer-dependent. Call your Committee Chair and see how you can help. A scout who observes parental enthusiasm regarding scouting will most likely be a motivated scout himself. Attend some troop meetings. Volunteer for some of the fundraisers or service projects. Sign up to be an adult leader or merit badge counselor. Or just bring a plate of cookies! See firsthand how your scout is doing. -------------------------------- I'd like something about how to be more involved in the actual advancement process, earning the badges adn all, but don't want to inadvertantly encourage parents to do the work for their kid or somehow empower already pushy Stage mamas. What would you say to a parent who wanted to know how to help their child advance? Let's assume this is a healthy, caring parent, but that we are aware there are some loonies watching in the wings... Charity

Hello All This is my first post. New to this forum. I am the Advancement Officer for my son's troop. We have had some problems with parents who do not understand that personal initiative is required on the scout's part in order to advance - particularly further than First Class. Some have blamed troop leaders when their sons did not earn the necessary badges for rank advancements. They felt it was the leader's obligation to work with the scouts to earn the badges. To help prevent these misconceptions, I am crafting a brochure to give new parents - An Advancement Guide for Parents. In it I covered the four-step process of advancement, the merit badge program, record-keeping, helpful resources, a section on "How to Help Your Scout Advance" and now I'm working on a Frequently-asked questions section. Would you mind sharing with me the questions you have had from parents through the years regarding Advancement? I'd so appreciate it! Thanks Charity