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You know you have a great group of new scouts when


Lisabob

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within a few weeks of crossing over they're out-scoring the established patrols on uniform inspections!

 

The troop really stresses the uniform method and it is unusual for any of our scouts to show up without the shirt, pants, book & beret (the belt, socks, necker, and membership cards are somewhat easier to "forget" it seems), but these new guys really got it together quickly!

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Lisa and Fellow Scouters,

 

I'm not one to brag...

Okay...Well, yes I am... (just joking Lisa)

 

 

You know you have a great group of new Scouts when...

The New Scout Patrol earns the National Honor Patrol Award (formerly known as the Baden Powell Star Award).

 

The Incredible Lightening Bolts, have a flag and cheer. They held three Patrol meetings a month specifically to work on camping skills and advancement, took their own local trail hike with two committee members-parents, advanced in rank, and scored the highest week after week in the uniform inspections. These Scouts really get a kick out of the program!!

 

Okay.. I'm done bragging, back to my normal humble self.. Not!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

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Crew - Zap! Glad to hear your incredible Lightening Bolts are getting so much from the program.

 

Gonzo - we special order them with our troop # embroidered on them, I'm told from the same company that produces the military's "Green Berets" (ours are green too but not for that reason - rather because school colors are green/yellow and the troop adopted those colors as well). The boys love them - usually - but the downsides are that a) they're wool, so hot in the summer and b) if you don't take time to shape them properly they look a little poofy and goofy. They're a sought-after trading item at summer camps though!

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At any given time there are usually 3-6 red official berets floating on E-Bay at any given time. Prices and quality varies, but they are wool and durable. One shouldn't have too much problem coming up with the 8 or so needed.

 

 

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You know you have a great group of new scouts when

Their parents all get along together.

 

Lisa,

About the berets, if the boys don't have short hair, and a properly shaved and formed beret, they will look like pizza chefs.

 

Ask a former airborne, ranger or special forces soldier for instruction on beret care.

 

G

 

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Hey Gonzo, yup, we have a few of those pizza chefs (among the adults too). For a few of the women with longer hair there just isn't a good way to deal with this either; I don't suppose they'd take kindly to being told that they must cut their hair in order to wear the beret properly, this being a volunteer organization and not the military after all. But mainly it isn't so much an issue of knowing how, it is an issue of doing it! 10 & 11 year olds aren't that interested.

 

I've been told that in years past (before my son joined) the troop would devote a couple of meetings a year to beret care, believe it or not. This ended when the very militaristic SM who had been there for a long time left. Can't say I'm upset about that. I think spending troop meeting time on something like this is too much, not what boys joined scouting to be doing. There are, of course, others who disagree.

 

Still, the berets do have a certain coolness factor with the boys!

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... when the nine boys from your Pack that crossed over all show up for their first Troop meeting last night, half in full uniform, the others were except for some long pants, due to the cold weather; much more so than the rest of the Troop. In one meeting, they elected their Patrol leader, he appointed an assistant, and they elected a Quartermaster. They voted on a Patrol name (Cavaliers, as in knights) and selected their Patrol patch. Then they planned their menus and made camping arrangements for the District Camporee this weekend! (8 of the 9 are attending). Not bad for one night's work!

 

Several of the boys asked about earning the National Honor Patrol Award, then they all agreed they want to earn it. They have all signed up for Summer Camp in July.

As the ASM-NSP, I conducted the election of the Patrol Leader (we don't have a TG yet), then turned the meeting over to him. I let him know what needed to be done, and they did it. I think they are off to a very good start.

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