How bad do you procrastinate?

[Scoutfish]

*** THis is more for parents than leaders ***

 

So, the other thread was discussing med forms.

 

Yeah, our troop has the same issue. I doubt anybody would be surprised at how many "Part C's" are turned in - in the 10 minutes before we leave camp.

 

Brand new parents excluded, I have to ask:

 

" Didn't you know camp was coming up again this year?"

 

I mean, it's not like scouts just learn about camp the day before they go. You do remember last year's camp, right?

 

 

So, don't most of us start thinking about and planning for summer camp in ..oh, I don't know....January or February?

 

Now, parents that are new to a troop..sure , I get that, In cub scouts, it's rare you have to fill out part C . Parents are not used to it or in the habit of it.

 

BE PREPARED

[AZMike]

Let me get back to you on this issue.

[desertrat77]

Me too, I'll read this thread later.....

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

I intend to procrastinate, but never seem to get around to it.

 

If you don't leave something until the last minute, you might waste that minute in idleness.

 

[CCbytrickery]

LOL

 

Well, I'm not a procrastinator. I'm the person that is where they are supposed to be at least 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I'm the one that wants to schedule Disneyworld from hotel and meals right down to potty breaks.

 

Good thing I'm married to a procrastinator; we level each other out.

 

 

I recommend to all our parents to fill out the health forms on their computer and just print copies as needed. Part C, I ask them to make a copy and send it with the camp forms (for the Webelos). Never send originals to anyone in the BSA for anything.

[NealOnWheels]

If it weren't for that last minute I would never get anything done.

[SSScout]

true story.

I was once called into my super's office. She was attended by ANOTHER super, so I knew something was up.

She hands me a paper that listed all the paid leave I had used over the past year, and told me that this indicated a "poor use of leave".

I looked it over and noted that it included my prescheduled vacation time, several pre schduled doctor appointments ( for both me and my daughter, I was then a single parent) and a number of emergencies (flat tire coming to work, daughter injured at school, etc.)

I mentioned the above observations, that I still had several hundred hours of leave in my "bank", and I knew of several of my coworkers with NONE in their banks (use it as they get it) , I asked what she meant? She said she wanted me to (wait for it....) "better schedule my illnesses and emergencies".

I thanked her for her concern and left the office. I sent a copy of the paper and my comments to my union office. Never had another mention of "poor leave useage" again.

 

I am not anticrastination. Definitely procrastination.

Never put off until tomorrow the emergency you can have today.

 

[eagle90]

We leave for camp Saturday morning. I'm still waiting for nine medical forms, that were supposed to be turned in by JUNE 6th!

Driving me absolutely nuts!

[Trevorum]

SSS, I'll bet she complained that a full 40 percent of your sick days were on either Monday or Friday, thus creating a long weekend for you.

[Engineer61]

(This message has been edited by Engineer61)

[SSScout]

Trev: I don't think it was that, so much. I was the senior fella in my classification, and got to pick time first, so my habit was to save up my leave, and, instead of scheduling a week here and a week there, as some of my buddies did, or maybe an extra friday or monday, I would claim the whole month of July . Or August.

 

But the idea of "better scheduling illnesses and emergencies" stuck with me.

 

I have no idea what Mike did. He would pick up his pay stub, look at it right at the dispatch window, and ask for a leave request slip. More than once I heard him say to himself, "ummm, 9 hours of annual. I'll take this friday off."

[pchadbo]

I was the camp coordinator again this year. I thought I'd be smart and proactive. Sent the Med forms out (email and hard copy) in February, again in March, April and May. Follow up calls to all going at the end of May for June 1 Turn in with the friendly reminder no form, no camp. Began seriously pushing people through June (we left for camp July 1). With all this effort and time by me, out of 23 attendees, cubs, Den Chiefs and adults, I turned in 7 med forms the morning we showed up for camp.

If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would evere get done. . .

 

[Gunny2862]

I don't really know if it's me procrastinating or being driven to do things at the last minute due to parental inaction and youth venue shopping - Really? 21 days prior to turn in the Tour Plan for a Float trip when I truthfully don't know who will be attending until the Monday prior??? who is kidding whom?

[GKlose]

This is yet another "me too" post -- not me, though. I get my forms in promptly, because I am all too familiar with the receiving end.

 

Summer camp (last week) wasn't so bad this year, but I started in January trying to collect all forms. 16 Scouts, and only 1 had to bring the form with him (the deadline for the camp was June 1 -- my troop-imposed deadline was mid-May, so I could make the June 1 deadline). I had a bigger problem, this year, with two Scouts bringing medication in unmarked packaging. The camp nurse, on check-in, took their ziplocks and handed it directly to me and said "I can't accept these, please lock them in your car." Now I'm left wondering if this medication is critical or not.

 

But that's all a side issue...collecting forms. Honestly, I view it somewhat differently than most. I see it as Parts A, B and C, and the copy of the medical insurance card, and possibly a doctor-generated physical exam report. Either 4 or 5 separate items, per Scout and Adult. This year, 16 Scouts and 4 adults in camp, so 80 to 100 separate pieces of information to collect, total. I'm sure all of you would empathize with the idea that I might get 2 out of the 4 or 5, and have to continually hound to get the rest of them in, on-time.

 

I know this is self-inflicted (as in the troop is voluntarily doing this), but we are heading to a Canadian camp in a few weeks. The camp wanted forms June 1 also, but I just found this out two weeks ago. So I'm going to try and collect all forms in the next two weeks. This time, it is 8 to 10 individual forms per person, with a total of 23 people. So anywhere from 160 to 230 individual items. I am due for a headache, because it is hard enough when it is just 4 or 5 forms, per person. Tonight's task is to make a spreadsheet for tracking this stuff, and logging in the small handful of stuff already handed in.

 

Guy

[sbemis1]

An aspect of the med forms issue, in our troop at least, is that med insurance won't let you have 2 exams in the same year. with many doctors requiring a recent exam to sign the form, the turn in for a given family gets later each year as scout progresses through his career (adults too).