drmbear

I set a standard for my den this year - a first year Webelos den - that for all the things we had to learn in activity pins and for the Webelos badge that required "talking," we would do all of those while out hiking on area trails and parks. For example, pretty much the only time we have spent learning the Scout Oath and Law is while we are out hiking in the woods. It's been fun, and I think it is working.

Humans are a storytelling species. For as long as the species has been communicating at all, telling stories is a way that we convey meaning. Look at early native American stories, African stories, and other stories from around the world. The stories are not only a reflection of the culture from which they came, but also an important way to pass on to those who follow important meaning about what is believed to be right and true and how to live life in the world. There was a story I remember hearing about a culture in Africa that demanded and required the mastery of at least 100 stories before a couple was permitted to become parents. It seems a good general rule. Is it unreasonable to assume that the stories of the Bible are any different - an important way to pass on what is important in meaning and belief rather than documenting factual record. The underlying meaning is not lessenned just because "facts" don't necessarily hold up as true. It was very enlightening to learn storytelling and explore folklore and the literature that grew out of cultures that had no written record of their history. Rather than maintaining specific events and dates, what was maintained was the underlying meaning, lessons, consequences. So the verbal tradition story, with animal characters, that conveys the Golden Rule (for example), is no less important to that culture's development and success than the Ten Commandments are to those brought up in this culture, in my opinion.

When I've been canoeing or camping in places with these miniature monsters, I've had the most success using a hat and headnet kind of method. The sprays don't work so well for me since when they are out it is usually also HOT, meaning most anything I spray on will be quickly sweat off.

And why exactly is this person Cubmaster??? If it is just because that's the person that agreed to do it, then I see why you have the problem. I'm a Cubmaster, and essentially I see my job is program - that no matter what it is my responsibility to see that the boys have something to do and are having fun. Even in situations where I have to wing-it because someone else that was responsible didn't show up, isn't on top of it, etc. It really takes a crazy person to be CM, because it really is a "step-up" position, and an ability to get into that 8 or 9 year old mode. The person that decides to be CC is usually not that person that is ready to do that.....and that is a good thing. I don't think I'd want someone as CM that is not ready to engage the boys, at their level, at the drop of the hat. Find the "super-mom" that's always there that can pull a pile of junk out of her bag and create "program" in a flash, or the nutso dad that has crowd of boys around him because he is creating interest and fun. That's where you will find Cubmaster material!!! Boys this age need engagement ON THE SPOT, so it really is necessary to have a CM that prepares, that shows up, and that is always ready to engage or arranges to have someone else ready. This month, just a day before our monthly Pack Event...you know - our meeting, I came down with laryngitis. Not a good thing for a Cubmaster that yells cheers, sings outrageously loud, and uses my voice to engage everyone in the room. I got in touch with my new ACM and the CC(that's also a DL)a day before the meeting to be ready to help out with my part. It was very funny seeing me, with no voice, jumping around orchestrating things, with everyone else doing the voice part. CM more than anyone else always needs to "Be Prepared."

I remember when I lived in Texas that there would often be men with their cowboy hats on while eating in restaurants. When I inquired why, realizing the general chivalry of the cowboy culture and thinking it odd they would still have their hats on, I found that there is a problem with finding a safe and clean place to put the hat down while eating. It ends up that the only reasonable place to put it is on their heads.

It makes perfectly good sense to take your shoes off before entering someone's house, particularly your own. You know all the crap we walk through every time we go outside - in parking lots, public restrooms, bird droppings (and lots of other animal droppings), grease, tar, spit, and lots of other nasty stuff. Do you really want all that in your house, where your kids play on the floor, where you sleep. It is rediculous that anyone would have a problem with that - if it is okay for you to bring all that in on your shoes, is it also okay for you to spit on the floor or take a dump in the corner? My wife is Russian, and their tradition is to remove the shoes at the door, and it really makes sense in Russia where the nastiness of everything outdoors is beyond reason, but in reality it is also very dirty here as well. Mama makes everyone take off their shoes at the door, and we all know that if mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy!

If God means something "greater than selves" then does that mean belief in nature, the universe, the world, the magnitude of all that is around us, equates to God. Works for me...

I always find it funny when I hear someone talking about "the reason for the season..." For thousands of years before the idea of Jesus or Christianity even existed, humans celebrated this time of year in honor of the return of the sun. For me, that is a long tradition for all humankind for all the fun and celebration this time of year brings. But what's funny is that Christians think it is about the return of the son... Could be, but more likely just co-opting something that existed before they even thought of it.

Do you want to know why neither I or anyone else should ever have a problem with Scouting's religious principles and "duty to God"? Because there is no one on the planet that can precisely define exactly what is "God." Any one person may have something THEY think about God - I know I do - but to find a universal definition is impossible. Even athiests need to have their own definition of God in order to say they don't believe in it. At the same time, I could probably come up with a perfectly well accepted definition of God that an athiest could accept with no problem whatsoever. At the least, we've all heard the definition that "God is Love!" Anyone have a problem with duty to Love? Oh yeah, Scouting has a problem with who its members love...

Way to go bear! I completed my ticket over a month ago, but schedules don't want to match up to get me beaded anytime soon. They're saying something like March or so... I used to be a Bobwhite...

I agree that B-P included a lot of his own spirituality in his writings - part of being a minister's kid. But not to the extent of demanding what or how you have to believe. He recognized it as a personal matter among families, and that people around the world are different. To him that was okay. It seems to me, and in my experiences with athiests and humanists and others, that even though there may not be a belief in God the way a Christian might believe, they still value greatly inner spiritual values of goodness, service, intellect and thought, a wonder of the world around us, mysteries of the universe, and more. A moral compass need not only come from the Bible. The ideals B-P suggested were to find that thing that provides foundation, sustenance, strength - and the way I see it for many people their faith does that. Humanists may find the same in reason, and athiests in science, and pagans in the wonders of nature. I think that as soon as we start looking for reasons to divide by saying "my beliefs are better than yours..." we start falling outside the principles of Scouting I learned. A Scout shouldn't be afraid to share his beliefs so long as he connects with that deeper understanding of how it can affect his life.

I'm just glad that when I was a youth in Scouting that the leaders I spent time with understood the higher ideals of respect, kindness, brotherhood, and always seeking those things that bring us together rather than divide us. It bothers me to no end that this thing that I care so much about, Scouting, here in the USA has decided to take a stand for hatred and discrimination. I had always heard that B-P believed that Scouting could be a bridge that eliminated the need and desire for war around the world. Since religious differences seem to be a foundational element behind so many wars, the idea that the BSA stepped in to set up conditions of intollerance is hard to comprehend. No matter how hard I work in my own unit to promote tollerance and acceptance, there are those in the community that will never see past BSA discrimination and hold it against me, my son, my Scouts, whenever we are out in uniform. Of course I think it was rude and wrong what these folks in LA did. If they had gone out to present something they love about the season and time of year without knocking anything others believe, I doubt we would ever have seen anything about it in the news. I feel nearly as bad about BSA's stand concerning sexual preference and religion, as I've already stated.

I will start out by saying that I believe completely that any particular woman can do anything as well as or better than any particular man if she sets her mind to it. I have no interest in discriminating against women in any way. That being said, I spent a great deal of my adult life learning (actually studying) things about being a man, growing into a man, what it takes to be emotionally mature, connected, men in relationships and life. I've looked cross-culturally how people have grown their men (actually finding how a lot about the industrial age drastically cut the numbers of emotionally mature men in our society). I've been actively part of men's groups for most of the last twenty years. I've been particularly interested in the boys-to-men transition, studying goals and outcomes. I've been able to compare and contrast the best of what I've learned with my Scouting experience as a youth. I actually recall adult leaders that stood out to me back then and actually have a foundation about why I was drawn to them. So, considering what the Boy Scouts is all about and why we put our sons into the Scouting program, I can say I believe completely that women have no place in the line leadership, SM, ASM, etc., actively working with the boys, camping, etc., no matter how capable they are, particularly in the Boy Scouting part of the program, from age 11 to age 18. Certainly, Cub Scouts is no problem, and the transition into a coed Venturing program is no problem, in my opinion. If BSA is so dead set against discriminating against women, how come they still feel it is completely okay to discriminate for other reasons? Just saying... Is the objective of Scouting to grow boys into men? Or is it just to get them their Eagle badge to enter it on their college applications? Do we want them to mature into leaders and responsible family members and leaders in their community? If that's what we really want, then Scouting would look a whole lot more like B-P or even Green Bar Bill envisioned rather than the powderpuff Scouting-lite I'm seeing in too many places nowadays. I guess I am very thankful that as we go out searching for troops, my son will have options to choose a troop he can grow into.

I'm and Eagle Scout, and I had extensive youth leadership experience, including running our councils youth leadership training course for three years. I always anticipated getting involved in Scouting later in life, but realized all the normal things in life get in the way. In college, I managed to register as a Scoutmaster of a handicapped troop, working with men and women in my fraternity (Alpha Phi Omega) to help these folks out. Even doing all we could do was very limited with this troop. When I was 34, I had time, and hooked up with a crew going canoeing in Maine since they needed adult leadership. Until a few years ago, that was the limit of my contribution to Scouting. My first kid, now 18, was a daughter. When I married my wife, she had a young daughter, now 17. I was raising girls, and as important as family was to me, regardless of all my Scouting experience, my time was spent for them. Then came my son, just 9yo and in 4th grade. I went back into Scouting with him. I know that if he hadn't come along, I probably would have found my way back to Scouting anyway once done with the heavy duty parenting with my daughters. Of course, I am now almost 50yo, so you see a big gap would have been there regardless. I've served as den leader, and am on my 2nd year as Cubmaster. I've been going through every bit of training that has been available, even though I have found little use in it. If for no other reason that it sets a good example for those that really need it. So with this information, I'll answer your question pointing out that this is a youth organization - meaning that it really has to be parents of those youth that makes up the foundation that keeps everything going. My father served as a leader, supporting my Boy Scout troop, and he had never been a Scout. I'm pretty sure he was registered as a leader, though I don't remember him going through any training in particular or going into any particular effort to get up in front of the group to say anything, but he SERVED Scouting. So much so that he was selected into the Order of the Arrow and was even selected as a Vigil Honor member, something he was proud of. So it does not have to be the former Scout, or the Eagle Scout, to make an impact on the units they serve. Cub Scouts probably requires the very most from adults, a program I was not involved with as a kid, and it requires crazy participation as an adult. If it were not for online resources, forums like this, and a complete willingness to embarass myself completely for the boys, it would be a challenge. You have to get up to speed FAST. I think an adult going into a Boy Scout Troop has it far easier - just stand back and stay out of the way. I imagine I'll be in Scouts now until I just can't do it any more. I'm sure there will be decisions about level of commitment once my boy passes through. Part of me hopes I'll have a chance to be a Scoutmaster, but there often aren't choices about that. Ultimately, most of the leaders in Scouting are just trying to be the best parents they can, and once they are done with their kids, they realize that a kid can't have too many loving, caring adults to look after them - so they hang around. That's my thought on the topic.

Putting participants in patrols to "model" the patrol method in a day-and-a-half course just doesn't cut it in my opinion. I know we formed into patrols for IOLS, heck we even formed into patrols for Woodbadge, but the truth is that we are all adults. I knew absolutely what to do, but it is never a patrol. Our role in the troop is not to BE in a patrol, but to recognize the elements that MAKE a great patrol. My proposal puts the adults in their role as adults - the right place - but it is also a laboratory, because the participants can interact with the boys, can change things to see what works and doesn't work. They can challenge the example if they see something that doesn't make sense to them. And in your "adult participant patrols" you will have "patrol leaders." How does that teach "boy lead?" I'm a participant, leading a patrol - I'm not learning how a patrol is "boy lead," I'm learning to lead the patrol. The thing we are doing is the thing we are learning. Don't we really need to be teaching how to be an adult in a boy lead troop? As for Scout skills, like map and compass, I would let the "older" Scouts in my model patrol, go through the complete process they would use to teach the "younger" scouts, with the participants "looking over their shoulders" with compass in hand, etc. Remember, I said that this would be a laboratory, with a chance to interact. But the real lesson from the start would be what it is completely supposed to look like. Hey, I think this could be a little hard to pull off, but I think it would make for an awesome course.

You know, it was in Scouting when I was a youth, as a leader putting together lots of what we called "non-denominational" Scout's Own services, that I developed my own beliefs on things that lead me to be Unitarian Universalist. That idea of a World Brotherhood of Scouting really had meaning to me. So I've come to appreciate what we all share, and in this case the holiday season before us provides lots to share. First, we know for a fact that humans around the globe recognized and celebrated this time of year for the return of the sun. Ruins from Stonehenge and central America and lots of others marked the shortest day. If for no other reason, we are celebrating as our ancesters have for nearly as long as there have been humans that could tell the difference. Bringing it to the present, though, there is a huge cultural connection we can all make regarding this time of year, no matter our faith. Certainly the weather and season, the start of a new year after the holidays, and even if some don't celebrate, they cannot avoid hearing holiday music, seeing the lights, hearing jokes about fruitcakes, drinking eggnog, and enjoying a fire. How better for Scouts to enjoy being together than to share food, and then possibly step out into the cold to stand around a fire, toss in a piece of wood (yule log, right?), and contemplate the Spring we know is coming? What seeds are you planning to plant? What other things, culturally, are we all affected by this time of year? Don't they come out with "Year In Review" summaries, etc? A celebration could include cheesy gifts about crazy things that happened during the year - certainly everyone in the troop did something to warrant a silly gift. I remember a guy at camp one year that allowed himself to be "tied" to a small tree with his own legs, and he wasn't able to free himself. That would definitely get a gift!!

Honestly, I was very, very disappointed by the IOLS course. Of course, I am an Eagle Scout that camped a lot in my Scout years, and have continued regularly to camp, backpack, canoe, etc. in the 30+ years since then. Besides the obvious gripe of wondering why I had to be there in the first place, I had overall disdain for the fact there was a programmatic focus on what WE teach the boys. I was wondering what the heck happened to the patrol method and "boy run." It should be boys attending this kind of course rather than adult leaders. And it should be older, experienced boys teaching the less experienced boys. I understand that we need to have a clue what "right" looks like, so maybe there is a need - for clueless adults. So instead of setting an IOLS course up with the objective of teaching Adult leaders to be teachers of Scout skills, I would instead work to demonstrate the ideal of the patrol method in an outdoor camp setting. I would take your experienced Scouts and form them up in a patrol or two. Have your adult staff set up their site as they would in a great campout setting. Make how things work be the ideal - you can do that with your experienced boys, right. I saw it with my Leadership Corps when I ran Troop Leadership Training Courses for the council as a youth. So what can we see? We can see a patrol deciding how to best set up a camp. With some of the boys playing younger Scouts, we can see how the older Scouts help and teach so that everyone can participate. We can see how Scouts work together to set up a meal, cook, and clean up. We could observe proper teaching of firebuilding practices, campcraft, older Scouts teaching the younger Scouts about poison ivy, insects, and animal life. We can watch Scouts properly set up things for knife and axe safety, and how they police themselves. I think the adult participants should also break up in patrol size groups and also set up for the night as adults would on a campout, separate from the others. Each of these groups could have a guide from the adult staff that is there to explain exactly what they are seeing and why it works. The participants are also free to ask the boys questions - they should know the answers, right? So what things are we primarily concerned about as adults here? I'd say one of our primary missions as an adult is safety, right? We try to stay out of the middle of what a patrol is trying to do, what the boys are doing, unless we notice things that are becoming unsafe. So these participants, in observer mode, have an adult guide that is pointing out safe practices as the boys go through their day in camp. They can learn how we, as adults, advise and intervene when we see things that are unsafe. I can also see inexperienced adults asking the Scouts why they did certain things the way they did, etc. As well, the participants can see how the adults of a troop campout in style and comfort, right? Something that was never presented at my IOLS course is just what it is supposed to look like if it really worked like it is supposed to, like that ideal, like I had the opportunity to see in developing that boy staff team for my TLT courses. It shouldn't be that hard to do, pulling a boy staff from OA members and recent NYLT staff. Your adult staff should already be full of experienced campers with troops. I'd get the boys to prepare together a few Saturdays, to build the rapore of a patrol, to set their agenda and schedule. The course could still essentially start Saturday morning (if you want all the participants to come out Friday, night, no problem). They could observe patrols going through set-up, lunch, afternoon activities that cover some of the other IOLS curriculum items, dinner, a reflection/discussion time after dinner, a great campfire program (older Scouts can do an awesome job of this if they are encouraged), a breakfast and Scout's Own, responsible tear-down of camp, and a really good walk through of the entire area to make sure they've left nothing behind. I think this would also significantly raise the bar for these older Scouts. Most of them "know" what they are supposed to do, but you and I know that they don't always follow through. Getting them to recognize the "ideal" and how it works out will make a difference in the units they serve. It's also a great leadership opportunity for the boys, because they really are demonstrating the highest ideals of Scouting. That's what I would do...

This year is my second as Cubmaster. The first year we had great Spring recruiting for Tigers, had several great parents agree to be Tiger Den Leaders, one an Eagle Scout, they had the training and materials and more to kick off a great year. Or so I thought. When you are trying to create something you've never seen before it is almost impossible. While they made it through the year, there was little shared leadership, they got bogged down, and the leaders just couldn't take it. We actually have two entirely different parents serving as den leaders for the Wolf Den this year. Tiger Den shouldn't be like that. First of all, look at the Tiger Program. It is definitely a cushy, easy thing. If the boys are moving, getting to do things, make lots of noise, and go see and do cool things, you're pretty much done. Since now, everything necessary to be a trained TDL is online, unless someone stepped up saying they wanted to be a den leader, I wasn't pushing the idea early. I actually decided I'd rather have all the parents about on equal footing at the start of the year in September - that way no one could dump off their responsibilities on the "trained" leader (with absolutely no experience). So for this second chance to go through the year I decided to act as the Tiger Cub Den Leader for a while. At the first meeting I used den meeting plan 1, I followed it, I had it in my hand, and right away I was handing it to the adult partners to lead parts of the meeting. I gave the week 2 meeting plan to the parents before we left and assigned parts for several of them to do. The problem is that when someone agrees to be den leader, all the other parents tend to back off knowing they don't need to do anything now. That's what happened the first year. The "Shared Leadership" model of the Tiger year should be what sets up everything in the entire Cub Scout program, including Pack Committee and leadership. The parents need to figure out that they CAN do it, it is not that hard, resources to guide you are available, and it makes a huge difference to the kids. By the end of the second den meeting, I had different parents taking lead responsibility for meetings 3, 4, and 5. I was also pushing the idea that having someone represent them and organize them (just as I had been doing) as the Tiger Den Leader was necessary, since I was the Cubmaster and I really wanted to get back to my son's den and help with the Webelos. Although it sounds nice to have an experienced Tiger Den Leader for the whole year, I think it defeats the purpose of the Tiger year. During the year when they have to be there as the adult partner is the best time to make sure they "get it" that the Cub Scout program is created by all the families of the pack, not the few "leaders." I realized I really wanted them to take responsibility for their son's experience in CS. Having them see that they could do it had three of those parents agreeing to help in the den and pack by the time we got to that 3rd meeting. They helped with presentation of Tiger Paws and beads, and we had lots of fun. The new den leaders got it that what they were to do is get others to lead upcoming den meeting, not try to do everything, just like I had been doing. They were excited to get trained, and they attended our council's Pow Wow a few weeks ago, the first time in several years it wasn't just me and the now Committee Chair attending these Council training events (Pow Wow & University of Scouting). It's a win because we have some new leaders that are excited about Scouting, they know that it doesn't have to be a drain or a chore, and they are having fun doing it. I never saw that in the faces of last year's TDL's and I regret it - because it is my fault. We missed most of our Tiger year, because we didn't get started until the end of January with my son, and by the time we got there it was only one other boy in the den. We hooked up with the Wolves for the most part, and I didn't start as a DL until the Wolf year. I get it now, after participating in forums like this and going through the material extensively, trying to pull out the underlying intention. I've determined that the most important leadership goal of the Tiger year is shared leadership. Having an experienced TDL may sound great, but I would want to make sure that it does not prevent the whole team of adult partners from taking responsibility. Of course it is necessary that the boys have a blast, and since they are boys we keep them moving. But anyone that is a parent of a boy should already know how to be silly and have fun with their boy - and I gave them my nutso 9YO example in the first several meetings. Right from the start the boys don't want to miss. This helps me as Cubmaster as well. I know them all by name, and use them during the Pack Events. And since the Tiger Den is "my" den, I get great Tiger yells and participation from them in songs and things. And I'm not the big bad CM across the room, but someone they connect with. Often, first graders come in a little shy - mine are over that!! I'm definitely doing it again next year, and I'll try to work with whoever becomes the new CM after that to do it as well, or even come back to help for those few weeks from whatever Scout Troop I'm with. I think it is just too important. Hope this helps.

One of the most common things I've done when closing out a Pack Event, whether we are in a circle, or arms crossed holding hands, or left hands in the middle, or any particular combination, and all the boys know what it means, I raise fingers, no sound, one, two, three..... "DO YOUR BEST!!!" and break away. I've also done this with a rumble of feet stomping, going lower in volume to higher in volume until I give them the 1,2,3. Also done humming, starting very low, getting louder and louder, until we are done to the 1,2,3. It was very funny in September at some of our first den meeting nights, before everyone starts mixing in other activities and times for den meetings, and most everyone was in different corners of the fellowship hall where we meet, and I was working with Tigers on their very first Bobcat requirements. We made sure everyone in the building knew who the Tiger Den was with the 1,2,3,D,Y,B!!"

I'm the Cubmaster, and I've had a busy year. First, I decided to play Tiger Den Leader for the first six weeks of den meetings. I wanted to get them an explosive start, and I know how to move right into the shared leadership model of the Tiger year from the very first meeting. By the time we were at the 4th Tiger den meeting, we had two of the Tiger Parents agree to be den leaders, and another as Assistant Cubmaster - I'm having him learn to work with his den first. I had great fun. Luckily, I had one of the other Webelos parents to take over on my son's den during that time. We're actually passing around the activity badges to all the parents of the Webelos den as well. Just makes it more interesting.

We've been having a blast with the Webelos Activity Badges. The last few months we did Citizenship and Fitness, just to get them out of the way. Yes, if all we did was the stuff in the meeting plans, it would have been extremely boring. Everything got connected to games and activities. Citizenship visiting historic sites and government buildings, building all the academic stuff into games. We had a football game with citizenship questions, etc. Fitness was done on a board game path at high speed, very funny. Then we did a jumprope thing in a circle, and when someone missed they went and got a question. There were other jumping and running games, with questions thrown in to determine whether you stayed or had to go back, etc. They were worn out after an hour of that. Now we are doing Scientist, which sounds like a completely academic thing, but the boys really wanted to do it. I sold our first meeting on the idea that we were going to blow something up and we would make slime. They did blow something up..... baloons, with baking soda and vinegar, and it was a contest to see who would get the biggest balloon - demonstrating Pascal's Law. It was hilarious seeing one of the guys covering his ears thinking something was going to "blow up." We balanced ping pong balls on the vacuum discharge (Bernouli) and we made slime. they even learned the chemistry behind why it works. there was lots more, and we have plenty more planned. Cub Scouts is all about doing. Even for learning the Boy Scout things for the Webelos Badge, most of the time we've spent learning it and talking about it is while we've been out on hikes, not sitting around a table. with every activity badge, if you start with thinking about what you can do to learn the material, and the boys can make it happen, then that is what you want to be doing. Handyman, working on a car, washing it (hey I'm getting my car washed), helping with yardwork, messing with the wiring in a lamp, etc. Craftsman, obvious, but make it things they'll actually like doing. Forestry, Geologist, all that stuff is outside. I've loved the Webelos pins because there is really nothing that we need to sit around discussing, except where we want to go to camp next summer, and it's time to do that now.

I actually really liked Beavah's response to this one. I'd like to take it a little further, though. Before I ever had kids, I had dogs, and I learned to train them really well. One of the most important lessons I learned about training dogs is that you can only teach them what you want them to do, not what you don't want them to do. Try telling a dog to NOT sit, NOT come, NOT lie down, etc., and the dog does those things. The same thing applies to kids. Instead of telling my kids not to grab that beautiful glass vase, I'd tell them the vase is just for looking at and come over here and play with this cool toy with me. Instead of telling my 9 YO son to stop playing video games I say let's go for a bike ride or I ask him to help me out in the yard. Here's how this has worked for me, sticking to talking with my kids about what I want them to do rather than any negatives. My oldest daughter graduated from high school last June, was near the top of her class(and would have been at the top if there hadn't been a mistake by a guidance counselor during transfer between schools), had straight A's all the way through. She was accepted by lots of great universities with lots of scholarships, etc., but chose to defer entry to go to Morocco for a year to learn Arabic with the State Department. I don't remember any time pushing her to do homework or using any sort of punishment around all the crazy activities she was involved in. Instead we stayed interested in what she was doing and learning. She picked up early on that the course of her life and success was tied to what SHE did, not what I did. Second daughter is a senior in HS, was advanced a grade in her 7th grade year to 8th grade, never missed a beat and has had straight A's all through school. She's not as tough on herself as first daughter, more easy-going. She decides what she has to work on and when to get everything done, and she has done great. Son is 9 and in 4th grade (also advanced a grade). He's consistently been the top performer in his class on the academic side, not so much on keeping his mouth shut and minding his own business. Part of being a boy and a full year younger than all the other kids in his class. I imagine that part will get better in the next few years as he gains some maturity more even with those a little older. Even though he is a bit video game obsessed at the moment, even he determines what he needs to do and gets it done. He knows that he gets to decide what happens in his life, and I think that is cool. He knows we go to Scouts on Wednesday night, and that he's responsible for getting what he needs to get done before we go. He still has to be reminded often, Sunday and Monday, even Tuesday, that we have Scouts on Wednesday and asking him to make sure he is ready, homework done, in uniform at the door by 6. He does great. Maybe I have exceptional kids, but I don't think that is all it is. I've been a den leader for years now, a Cubmaster for over a year, and with every kid I deal with I use those lessons from training my dogs, directing them into the activities I want them to do rather than ever telling them what NOT to do. I actually see these kids doing more of the things I said I wanted them to do, more often. Amazing.

I haven't tried attaching patches to my uniform with duct tape yet!!! Gotta see that...

The key to good leadership, particularly at the Cub Scout level, is that you set up your program over the course of the year so that you have lots of different ways to "win." What is considered "BEST" in one competition may not even have a chance in other competitions. The best looking car in the PWD is not necessarily the fastest, and in Boy Scouts I remember contests not only for speed, strength, fastest and longest swimming, etc., but also for things like orienteering and pioneering skills, firebuilding skills. At the camporee they were chunking pumpkins with catapults - what's the loss, even if you don't chunk them the farthest you still got to chunk pumpkins, right? I'm a Cubmaster, and there is a world of difference between what a 1st grader and a 5th grader can do, but we regularly have competitions where anyone in the pack can win, and most of the time there are many winners of different categories, each one celebrated with fun and lots of silliness, usually. The boys love it.

Try going camping in that get-up!