Time to leave a Troop?

[packsaddle]

I agree, the CDL seems to be unnecessary....unless you're thinking about another line of employment or something.

As mentioned before, you should do whatever you think is best for your boys. The other troop looks like a good option. Don't entertain any second thoughts or regrets in your move.

[SSScout]

The demise of a previously successful Troop is sad. If the ideals of Scouting are worth the effort, then here is my advice:

1) Go to your CO's leadership. If this "25 years of Eagles" institution is at all interested in continuing it's tradition, then you need to enlist their aid. Any kids in there? Any Youth Ministry (might not be a House of Worship?).? Find out if they want to be more "hands on". They may be the place to get the help you need in rebuilding the Troop, if it's worth rebuilding.... Then you need to consider the next things:

2) Publicity. Merely assuming the Cub Packs will provide the boys is always short sighted. Make sure the community at large is aware of you . The opportunity may be there, but if no one knows about it..... The CO's newsletter, local Gazette, even a sign out front would help. Library display? Get a "Join Scouting " night at the library on their calendar. Upcoming town parade? Service project? Write up in the paper?

3) How Scout friendly is the local school? Any chance of making a presentation at the school assembly? See http://www.inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm for a real good discussion of how to do this. Posters? Handouts on the office table? Contact the school Guidance Office....

4) Make sure your local DE and Commissioners know about your concern. They can (and should!) help. At least, they can give you free printing! And they can help with the legal clout in gaining access to the schools for publicity.

5) Think about this: Are you in it for the boys, or are you more concerned about the continuance of the Troop? There's a difference there. The one may not equate to the other. But again, if you can provide a quality Scout program (see #1), then people need to know it is available (see#2 and 3).

6) Lastly, remember you should not be in this alone. See the above. If it ends up that only YOU are involved, then it may well be time to (a) join another Troop, or (b) merge the remnants of the old Troop with another Troop (a new Patrol?) or © go family camping more often. As Red Green says, "we're all in this together. Keep your stick on the ice. We're pulling for ya."

 

Good Scouting to you!

 

[my_three_sons]

We got a nice diesel bus a few years ago and in our state any vehicle what carries over 16 people is special class of the CDL license.

 

I am still conflicted on what I am going to do. If I can't convince boys to join the troop from my own pack I am not sure if I can convince them from other packs. I know that the parents of the troop want it to go on but once they all get through their eagle projects I think I will never see them again.

 

We are charted through a Moose Lodge so while they enjoy having us there most of the members are grandparents. We tried to have an event to get members boys join the troop and not a single boy showed up.

[anotherguy]

Do what's best for your boys. Don't get caught up in the sentimentality of keeping a historic but struggling unit going- regardless of how long it's been around. You're not there to serve the Troop or the Chartered Org, you're there to serve the boys. Think about the big picture, help the boys get the most out of their Boy Scout experiences. Also, don't underestimate the good that all of you can do if you combined with the other Troop. Investing your time and energy into helping the new Troop become an even better Troop will be a win-win for all and has the additional possibility of attracting more quality members to the BSA.

[SSScout]

Oh, a CDL class B with P endorsement. Isn't the bus owned by the Moose lodge? Then it is their responsibility. Nice to have that resource, but I like to think the parents would want to be the transport. Cheaper in the long run, what with maintenance, licensing and all.

You can take the CDL test (do you already have a licensed driver to go with you to practice and take the test?) and presto, you have a fall back job. I mention this to Scouts all the time: There are three skills to have, and you will always have a means to support yourself: One is cooking, the other cleaning, the third is driving. If you are skillful and responsible in these activities, you can almost always find someone who will hire you to do it. Learn the first two in Scouting.

Read that CDL manual.....

[Fehler]

This just in, Mississippi House passes a law allowing non-CDL drivers to operate church-owned vehicles for up to 30 passengers.

 

Its called the "Jesus Take the Wheel Act". I honest-to-Pasta wish this was a joke.

 

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/politicalledger/2015/02/05/jesus-take-the-wheel-passes-house/22931465/

[scoutergipper]

To be honest, I've driven vehicles much larger and heavier than a 30-passenger vehicle, including some very large, long, ornate and very, very expensive motor coaches ($500 k) without any special driving endorsement. The extra weight and length do take some getting used to, but it comes quickly. Keep the speed down and the following distance up and problems magically melt away.

[SSScout]

The Feds may have some say in the Mississississppi (oh heck) bus bill. The CDL laws were mandated to be uniform across the country.

[pchadbo]

The Feds may have some say in the Mississississppi (oh heck) bus bill. The CDL laws were mandated to be uniform across the country.

 

Or, they choose to leave it alone as the "C" in CDL is Commercial. Hard to argue that the interstate commerce clause applies to volunteers driving the church bus.

 

Now, that being said:

 

"To be honest, I've driven vehicles much larger and heavier than a 30-passenger vehicle, including some very large, long, ornate and very, very expensive motor coaches ($500 k) without any special driving endorsement."

 

This scares me a little. I thing thee needs to be an RV licensing process for the larger units as it is a far stretch from a Smart Car to a 42 foot diesel pusher motor home, yet the licensing is the same. . . same to be said for that crew cab dually truck hauling the 40 foot 5th wheel trailer too.

 

[my_three_sons]

 

Sorry for waiting so long to post an update. I met with the District Executive while rechartering my Cub Scout pack. When I told him of my plan to leave he was shocked and started to work on a plan to get more scouts to the pack. The Troop is going to host an open house in mid April for the 5th grade Webelos who haven't crossed over to another troop yet. There are 43 scouts who are going to be invited but I am not sure how many will show up. But if I can get 3-4 scouts out of it I would be pleased. I have 7 4th grade Webelos scouts who have been with the pack for over 2 years and I think most of them plan on crossing over. I mapped out what packs generally go to what troops and the numbers are very lopsided. The two largest troops pull from a base of 4 and 5 times the cub scouts as we do. I have met with some of the Cubmasters that I know best to invite their 4th grade Webelos to some Troop events. I am sure that I won't be making any new friends at the next Roundtable meeting. A few of the Cubmasters were excited about sending boys to us since there have been camp outs where scouts were left out since there wasn't room on the bus. Both of my son's both want to work though this rough patch with the troop so I told my wife that I was going to give it another year and if things don't improve drastically I am done.

[qwazse]

Props to your boys. And to you being foolish enough to listen to them.

See if you can get them to work down that list of 43 invites! A signed invite and follow-up phone call from a scout could go a long way in earning your unit some street cred.

 

About half of that list probably have settled on a troop, but not turned in paperwork.

 

There is no way this should cause bad blood at RT. A district needs every troop to be casting a net.

[perdidochas]

Props to your boys. And to you being foolish enough to listen to them.

See if you can get them to work down that list of 43 invites! A signed invite and follow-up phone call from a scout could go a long way in earning your unit some street cred.

 

About half of that list probably have settled on a troop, but not turned in paperwork.

 

There is no way this should cause bad blood at RT. A district needs every troop to be casting a net.

 

Ideally, yes, but a lot of troops would be angry with someone "poaching" their crossovers. We're at a point where I think we would welcome another troop taking some of ours. We've got 10 crossovers from one pack, one from another, and a Tenderfoot that is unhappy with his troop coming in this month.

 

[Eagle94-A1]

Ideally' date=' yes, but a lot of troops would be angry with someone "poaching" their crossovers.[/quote']

 

Don't get me started on that one. I know a leader who was upset when a church restarted their Cub Scout pack. The CM was a den leader in the pack, and was approached by the pastor to be CM at the restarted pack. Over 6 months, 1/2 of the pack left to be in the other pack. The CM and CC didn't like that they "poached" their Cubs and leaders. But it's hard to say no to your pastor.

 

And I have a gut feeling that is part of the problem with the troop I've mentioned previously. The CM and CC who didn't like the "poaching" are now involved with the troop as SM and MC. Aftyer trying to have Den Chiefs from them for a year, when another troop offered them to us and they found out, they mentioned that they needed DCs to prevent the other troop from "poaching our Cubs." That;s when we got DCs from them. Unfortuantely they were not ready for the responibility and were eventually asked to leave.

 

Now, they are losing Scouts to 2 other troops; the one that originally offered DCs and the one that was restarted. I think it may be one of the reasons they do not participate with the district anymore. They may feel that if they participate, we will "poach" their remaining Scouts.

 

 

[SSScout]

All this sounds like Chef Ramsay and his restaurant rescue show. He is invited in to help turn around a failing restaurant and then, often, is resented when he points out why the restaurant is failing: Number one reason usually being the customers don't like the food and the resident chef thinks his food is delish. You can't have it both ways.

If the Troop leadership is convinced they have a "Scout" program but the Scouts depart for Troops elsewhere, what might that indicate?

[perdidochas]

 

Don't get me started on that one. I know a leader who was upset when a church restarted their Cub Scout pack. The CM was a den leader in the pack, and was approached by the pastor to be CM at the restarted pack. Over 6 months, 1/2 of the pack left to be in the other pack. The CM and CC didn't like that they "poached" their Cubs and leaders. But it's hard to say no to your pastor.

 

And I have a gut feeling that is part of the problem with the troop I've mentioned previously. The CM and CC who didn't like the "poaching" are now involved with the troop as SM and MC. Aftyer trying to have Den Chiefs from them for a year, when another troop offered them to us and they found out, they mentioned that they needed DCs to prevent the other troop from "poaching our Cubs." That;s when we got DCs from them. Unfortuantely they were not ready for the responibility and were eventually asked to leave.

 

Now, they are losing Scouts to 2 other troops; the one that originally offered DCs and the one that was restarted. I think it may be one of the reasons they do not participate with the district anymore. They may feel that if they participate, we will "poach" their remaining Scouts.

 

 

It gets complicated. Last year we lost all of a den, except 1, from crossing over from the pack that is sponsored by our CO. (Notice, I don't call it a feeder pack, because I don't believe that Scouts joining different troops is wrong, nor that we are entitled to those boys). I know why, it is because their Webelos Den leader and I had a falling out years ago. He didn't want his boy to join a troop that I was involved with, and he took the rest of them with him. I'm fine with that, as long as the boys that crossed over don't get turned off from scouting because their new CO meets 40 minutes away from us.

 

Our troop is doing well, and after our crossovers this year, will be about twice as big as we were 4 years ago.