click23

I would bet that NDC=National Distribution Center, the supply division distribution center in North Carolina. Here is the "Youth Protection Guidelines DVD English/Spanish" http://www.scoutstuff.org/youth-protection-guidelines-dvd-english-spanish.html

Opps, How did I miss that.

From the latest national training update http://scouting.org/training/trainingupdates.aspx "The national councils awards committee recently conducted a review of the hundreds of awards presented to Scouts and adults in the BSA. Many recommendations were made to simplify and update procedures, and the awards themselves. Among the recommendations was the update of some awards and/or the knots that represent them on the uniform. These include the training awards and the Cub Scouting awards. For example, to give the award the same recognition as the other top unit leader awards, the Cubmaster Award will become the Cubmasters Key and use the Scouters Key knot. The Cub Scouter and Pack Trainer Awards will use the Scouters Training Award knot. The Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Den Leaders Awards will use the Den Leaders Award knot. Devices to be worn on the knots will be available to indicate which awards, and for which program awards were earned. Scouters who have earned the awards will still be able to wear the old knots as long as they are available. The training team is currently reviewing and updating the requirements for the awards. So watch here for news, but we expect the details in early 2012." I have long thought that something like this should be done. Why have 7 knots for Cub leaders(including the Unit Leader Award of Merit) versus 3 for Boy Scout Leaders and 4 for Venturing leader(including the Venturing Leadership Award, which will become a youth only award next year). So next year Cubs will have four awards, and the other two programs will have three(This message has been edited by click23)

The way I took this is that person conducting the test-out will mentor the person testing out in any areas they have issues and get them where they need to be with their outdoor skills.

All of the units in my district recharters in January, and as a commissioner and a member of the district training staff I cannot express how disgusted I am with national on this. They should have told us this 10 months ago so we could plan for this. Just last week I saw on nationals training website was a list of previous training courses equated to the current courses, it appears that this was pulled when they posted this new training update. Unlike some here, I personally like most of the JTE requirements, it can used as a road map for a poor unit to improve. It is we were told by our pro's that previous training courses would count. I cannot hold this against to pro's, this what everyone has been told for years, old training counts in place of new training for awards and such. Shortridge, the way I took "tenured leader" is a leader that was trained under a previous training progression.

This is going to be a bit long, but here is what is stated in the advancement guide in regard to cubs with disabilities. The advancement program is so flexible that, with guidance, most boys can do the skills. It might take longer for a disabled boy to earn his awards, but he will appreciate them more by knowing he has made the effort. The standard for every boy is Has he done his best? A Cub Scout who is physically disabled may be given permission by the Cubmaster and packcommittee to substitute electives for achievement requirements that are beyond his abilities. It is best to include parents in this process of determining substitutions since they are most familiar with their sons abilities. Immediate recognition of advancement is even more important for boys with disabilities. The Tiger Cub and Cub Scout Immediate Recognition Kits, the den doodle, and the Den Advancement Chart all help provide immediate recognition in den meetings as achievements and electives are completed. Remember that a month seems like a long time to a boy and that completing requirements for a badge might seem like forever to him. Be sure to give him periodic recognition at pack meetings when he earns a badge. While leaders must be enthusiastic about helping youngsters with disabilities, they must at the same time fully recognize the special demands that will be made on their patience, understanding, and skill in teaching advancement requirements.

The G2SS can be found here http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx This is from the current revision Pointing any type of firearm or simulated firearm at any individual is unauthorized. Scout units may plan or participate in paintball, laser tag or similar events where participants shoot at targets that are neither living nor human representations. Units with council approval may participate in formally organized historical reenactment events, where firearms are used and intentionally aimed over the heads of the reenactment participants. The use of paintball guns, laser guns or similar devices may be utilized in target shooting events with council approval and following the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety. Council approval means the approval of the Scout Executive or his designee on a tour permit specifically outlining details of the event. (However, law enforcement departments and agencies using firearms in standard officer/agent training may use their training agenda when accompanied with appropriate safety equipment in the Law Enforcement Exploring program.)

I have a green uniform with silver loops and a District Committee patch, I handle venturing training. I have another green one with silver loops with a Council Venturing Committee patch. This is from the venturing leaders manual: "District, division, council, and national adult leaders related to Venturing may wear the green, silver, or gold shoulder loops with the green Venturing shirt." I really think this should be revised to include youth, but our council VOA officers wear silvers loops anyways.

Not a new uniform at all, it was mentioned here way back in 2009. http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=248066

Here is a quote from the "Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures" guidebook http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf "When the completed application is received at the council service center, its contents will be verified and the references contacted. The Scout shall have listed six references (five if no employer, and parent if no organized religious association). The council advancement committee or its designee contacts the references on the Eagle Scout Rank Application, either by letter, form, or telephone checklist. (The council determines the method or methods to be used.) The candidate should have contacted individuals listed as references before including their names on the application. If desired by the council, the candidate may be asked to deliver a blank reference form and envelopes to the listed references. The candidates should not be involved personally in transmitting any correspondence between people listed as references and the council service center or advancement committee. If the initial reference letter or form is not returned to the council in a timely manner, the council advancement committee must make direct contact with the reference(s) listed on the Eagle Scout Rank Application on its own, by follow-up letter, phone contact, or other methods as it chooses. The candidate shall not be required to make a follow-up contact with the reference or submit other reference names. A Scout cannot have a board of review denied or postponed because the council office or council advancement committee does not receive he reference letter forms he delivered." What Twocubdad quoted was from a previous revision, what I have is current. The basic information is the same, the boy cannot transmit the letter from the reference to the board. This has been the procedure for a long time.(This message has been edited by click23)

In the county next, Bradley County TN, to mine there were 9 fatalities, 285 homes destroyed, 195 homes with major damage, and 176 with homes minor damage. I drove through the area on the way to my moms over the weekend, I have never seen anything like this. My wife works with three people who either lost their homes or they were heavily damaged. I know most of the news coverage was from Alabama, where it a major city, but to see some of the damage from Tennessee here are some pictures from the Bradley County EMA, http://goo.gl/QWbqZ. Most of the damage shown is from an EF4 tornado that was at one point 800 yards wide and on the ground for 35 miles, it was the same tornado that devastated Ringgold GA. Some of the more minor damage was from the other 4 EF0 to EF2 tornado's that they had.

In high school I worked as a tour guide in a commercially operated cave, those wild tours could get pretty dirty especally in the spring after all of the rain. We had a guide that one stepped in some mud with one leg went up to about his thigh, and it was like quick sand. He had to be pulled out, the leg of his pants ripped off and he lost his shoe and sock in that stuff. I washed my wild tour clothes at home one, then the next load of moms white came out red for the red clay we have here that was still in the washer. After that I would take them to the car wash and pressure wash them when they started to get smelling bad. The nastiest thing I have ever had to do was in college I worked at a grocery store. Someone decided to smear #2 all over the womens restroom, somehow I got volunteered into cleaning it up by the store manager, he was a SM and I joined his troop as an ASM I think he thought I was the only one that would do the clean up job.

Congrats "The E. Urner Goodman Award was established in 1969 as a tribute and testimonial to the Order's founder, E. Urner Goodman. Its purpose is to encourage and challenge Order of the Arrow members and lodges to increase their effectiveness in promoting and increasing Scout camping in each council. Awards are presented to two outstanding lodges in each region annually. For a lodge to be eligible for consideration, the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award petition should be completed and forwarded with the lodge's charter renewal application."

From the Guide to Safe Scouting Safety rule of four: No fewer than four individuals (always with the minimum of two adults) go on any backcountry expedition or campout. If an accident occurs, one person stays with the injured, and two go for help. Additional adult leadership requirements must reflect an awareness of such factors as size and skill level of the group, anticipated environmental conditions, and overall degree of challenge.

To drift this topic a little further out, District Members at large, code 75, are actually the voting members of the district committee. District Committee Member. code 79, are the nonvoting members of the committee. From the District Nomination Committee worksheet, http://www.scouting.org/filestore/commissioner/pdf/513-332_Fillable.pdf. And now to bring it back, the final requirements are available here, http://www.scouting.org/filestore/alumni/pdf/542-056_WB.pdf

There is a lot of misconception about what what current bead holders must do if they wish to attend a new course. This is from the 2011 version of the Wood Badge for the 21st Century Administrative Guide "Individuals who have attended Wood Badge in the past (either Cub Scout Trainers Wood Badge or Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge) may attend Wood Badge for the 21st Century provided that: (1) They agree to write and work a Wood Badge for the 21st Century ticket; and (2) they agree not to wear Wood Badge beads until they have satisfactorily completed their Wood Badge for the 21st Century ticket." There is nothing about giving up your beads, but yes you will have to work another ticket.

Check out this conversion chart. http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsasupply/images/pdfs/sizechart_0709.pdf

I submitted the following to nationals health and safety team yesterday: I came across the new national Tour Plan today, and I have a few questions. The Tour Plan states: "Boy Scouts of America policy requires at least two adult leaders on all BSA activities. Coed Venturing crews must have both male and female leaders older than 21 for overnight activities." while the Guide to Safe Scouting states: "Two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips or outings. There are a few instances, such as patrol activities, when no adult leadership is required. Coed overnight activities, even those including parent and child, require male and female adult leaders, both of whom must be 21 years of age or older, and one of whom must be a registered member of the BSA." Is "one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older" acceptable for an activity that requires a Tour Plan, or must we have two registered adult leaders on said activities? The G2SS states that patrol actives do not require adult leaders, yet the Tour Plan state that two leaders are needed for all activates. Which is correct? The G2SS states "both of whom must be 21 years of age or older, and one of whom must be a registered member of the BSA", while the Tour Plan states "crews must have both male and female leaders older than 21 for overnight activities". Would one registered crew leader and an another adult over 21 be acceptable as the G2SS states?? The Health and Safety Team Leader just replied with this: First, give the tour plan another month to execute, consider the link a preview. Leadership requirements for outings have not changed. Two deep MINIMUM, one registered, second registered or another adult. Coed overnight requires coed adults. In the case of crews second must be 21. Patrol outings in the sense of literally youth only hiking the Appalachian trail is in process of being removed as a conflict in the literature quoted with the safety rule of four, minimum two adults, two youth.

Could you just get a new one and transfer the ribbon over?

This is from my course, 1. Nothing of the sort 2. Just one patrol flag per per patrol, participates were not required to carry a stave at all times. 3. Only at the closing ceremony, very brief 4. Only at the chapel service for the world friendship fund, again very brief and no pressure to donate. 5. Yes it is a lot of the same material that is covered in professional leadership courses, but at a fraction of the cost.

That brings up an interesting question, does the Tiger Adult Partners who have to fill out adult applications have to be approved by the CC and the CO?

ScoutNut, once again we have found another example scouting policies that contradict each other. My council has went from no permit required for district or council activities, to if a unit is anywhere other than its normal meeting place it must have a tour permit, needless to say this is causing a headache, and a bunch of questions: What if parents drive only their own kids do they need to be listed as drivers on the tour permit? What if a parent driving only their own kid does not comply with the insurance requirement do we have to tell them they cannot attend? What if a troop has a service project in town and older boys drive to it, just like they do regular troop meetings, do they have to be listed as drivers? etc, etc, etc And yes we are addressing these questions with the council.

"A Local Tour Permit is something that councils are given discretion in creating rules specific to themselves. " I am not too sure about this. As others have quoted: "If a unit plans a trip within 500 miles of the home base, it is important that the unit obtain a local tour permit. A national tour permit is required for trips in excess of 500 miles from home or outside the continental United States." But what you don't see here is the text quoted is in bold in the G2SS, which means "Bold type throughout the Guide to Safe Scouting denotes BSA rules and policies." I believe that councils get tired of all of the paperwork, so they just say if it is this or that type of activity, then no tour permit is required.

My council and national Scout Shop has informed us that the latest revision of Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures (actually called Advancement and Recognition Policies and Procedures in this revision, but still the same 33088 document #) has been pulled from national supply and should no longer be used. For those of you who did not see this revison it can be found here, http://www.troop198bsa.com/upldDocuments/Unit613/Advancement%20Policies%20BSA%202010.pdf According to them the 2009 revision should be used, http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf What were told is the 2010 revisions had policy's listed that not correct, this happened because it through one review and changes needed to be made. After those changes were made, it did not go through a second review but instead was issued. Has anyone else heard this? A few things of interest in the 2010 revision: No more district and council Advancement Committees, according to the new book they at Youth Development Committees Added "In communication with the unit leader on a quarterly basis." to the definition of active, which I believe is in the new scout handbook "In the past, in an effort to secure national approval for a time extension beyond the normal range so that their Eagle candidate son could work on his Eagle Scout requirements past his 18th birthday, some families have tried to use nonsevere, temporary medical conditions such as a learning disorder or ADD/ADHD as extenuating circumstances. Such requests will continue to be denied, and families and/or individuals should be discouraged in requesting a time extension for these reasons."

What I feel is the big kicker in the process is #4 "The Scout must complete as many of the regular requirements as his ability permits before applying for alternate requirements." Before he can even apply of alternate requirements, he has to do all that he can do as written, and this would probably mean applying twice, once for second class and then again for first class. You would only need to apply once if he completes all other second class and first class requirements, and then works on the swimming requirements for each.