The PLC Has Decided: Mixed Aged Patrols in May

[TAHAWK]

Yup.

[Krampus]

I know a few MLB pitchers who cannot find the plate this season. Their dads should step in and help them.

[Eagle94-A1]

And that is why this particular troop has lost more new Scouts(7) than they have gained (2 and one transferred in from out of council) in the past 3 years. I recruited 3 for them, against my better judgment, and they quit in under 3 months. In the past 3 years, they have only been able to keep 1 Scout from the feeder pack; and for the past 2 years NONE (emphasis) of the cubs joined them.

[Krampus]

And that is why this particular troop has lost more new Scouts(7) than they have gained (2 and one transferred in from out of council) in the past 3 years. I recruited 3 for them, against my better judgment, and they quit in under 3 months. In the past 3 years, they have only been able to keep 1 Scout from the feeder pack; and for the past 2 years NONE (emphasis) of the cubs joined them.

 

Clearly the adults don't see the problem.

 

We do five year forecasting in our administration of membership. If our inflow *ever* dropped below our outflow we'd know there was a problem and would be working to correct it ASAP.

 

These guys must really have their head in the sand.

[Stosh]

Not really, my former troop did the same thing.  They (troop of 30 boys) would heavily recruit with all the ooooh's and aaaah's of high adventure and tons of equipment in their troop trailer.  20 boys would join up and by the end of the year they're back down to 30 boys.  They did this year after year after year.  They thought this is how it was supposed to work.  Only the cream of the crop survived and became Eagles.....

[Eagle94-A1]

These guys must really have their head in the sand.

 

Understatement.

 

SM is actually blaming me for "betraying" the troop, since I let my son decide to go elsewhere. I tried to help, I encouraged the Webelos to visit them, I BEGGED THE TROOP TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE PACK WITH DEN CHIEFS AND INVITES TO CAMP OUTS! (caps for emphasis, OK maybe showing a little frustration).

 

The one I really feel sorry for is the pack's CM. CM and SM are best buddies, going way back. CM sees and knows the issues with the troop, and the Webelos son has seen some of the differences between the ways the CO's troop and the troop I'm in does things and acts. CM is letting the Webelos decide which troop to join, and I think if the Webelos goes to us, everything will break loose.

 

As it is right now, 1/2 my middle son's Webelos den is coming to us. My son and one of his buddies have brothers in the troop. So they and 2 of their friends have already announced they are headed our way. Don't know where the other 4 are going yet. And of course the wife will be in the middle of this since she is taking over as WDL June 1. Going to get interesting as she is truly commited to taking care of her Cubs. She's already said she wants them to visit as many troops as possible so that they can find the troop that meets their needs.

[Krampus]

Understatement.

 

 

I was going to say something else but my Scouting filter kicked in. 

[TAHAWK]

I know a few MLB pitchers who cannot find the plate this season. Their dads should step in and help them.

 

 

 

But will it help the son's control?

 

Exactly!

[desertrat77]

If the youth pitchers can't find the plate, the coach shouldn't step in.

 

Just let the game unfold like a train wreck.   It will end.   Not soon enough.  It will be a very slow, painful span of time.  But eventually it will end.

 

The youths will have a moment to reflect, in the minivan, on the way home.   "26 - 3...wow...unpleasant."

 

If they have any grit, they'll figure out a way to prevent that kind of embarrassment from happening in the future. 

 

Same thing when the Roadrunner patrol screws up dinner.   Let them eat the charred remains.   They won't starve.   They'll make a concerted effort to do better next time.

[TAHAWK]

Nohting wrong with coaching.  Front foots needs to come down in the same place.

[Krampus]

If the youth pitchers can't find the plate, the coach shouldn't step in.

 

Just let the game unfold like a train wreck.   It will end.   Not soon enough.  It will be a very slow, painful span of time.  But eventually it will end.

 

The youths will have a moment to reflect, in the minivan, on the way home.   "26 - 3...wow...unpleasant."

 

If they have any grit, they'll figure out a way to prevent that kind of embarrassment from happening in the future. 

 

Same thing when the Roadrunner patrol screws up dinner.   Let them eat the charred remains.   They won't starve.   They'll make a concerted effort to do better next time.

Exactly. Had several scouts forget rain gear on last camp out. Torrential rain happened. They got soaked.

 

Next camp out planning meeting they were evangelizing the use of rain gear...and not forgetting it. One made a point to tell me he's already packed it.

[Stosh]

Exactly. Had several scouts forget rain gear on last camp out. Torrential rain happened. They got soaked.

 

Next camp out planning meeting they were evangelizing the use of rain gear...and not forgetting it. One made a point to tell me he's already packed it.

 

My wife spent 25 years in Alaska working for the US Forestry service.  She knows a thing or two about being outside in the elements.  Last night she came home from kayaking in the area in time for supper.  When she left the sun was shining and was a beautiful day for a float.  When she got back the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.  But while she was on the water, a thunderhead passed through...MAJOR downpour with hail and high winds.  When she got home she looked like a drowned rat.  She hadn't taken her rain gear. 

 

Well, when she walked through the door I couldn't resist.....

 

Me: How was the kayaking? (I did manage to get it out without laughing!)

 

Mrs: Good, there was a really neat double rainbow out there and you missed it.  What's for supper? 

 

I guess we've been married too long. 

 

Some lessons just aren't worth learning, seeing double rainbows is more important than rain gear.

[Sentinel947]

I liked both desertrat and Tahawks comments because both are true. 

Failure is an excellent teacher, as Krampus and Stosh's examples illustrate. A few weeks back I took a college buddy backpacking for the first time. At one point, he said "My foot feels funny." I replied. "Lets stop and look at it." He said "it'll be fine, lets keep going." I told him "You're probably getting a blister, it would take 2 minutes to fix." I got "I'll be fine."  My buddy got a nice blister on his heel. Backpacking lesson 101 learned by failure. take care of your feet! 

 

In some situations, giving our scouts a friendly piece of advice or coaching is ok. IMO this should be as unobtrusive as possible, and definitely not doing it for them. This is generally when they are stuck and come to us for advice. I try to use questions to tease the answers out of them. They almost always already know the answer. 

[Stosh]

There are two major teaching techniques I use frequently with my youth, both in and outside of Scouts.

 

The first one is: "The Obvious Comment"

 

A kid is sitting there with blisters on his feet and I look and say, "Bummer!  That doesn't look good!"  This technique works better on males because by the time females get to high school they have already mastered "The Look!"  It does, however, opens the conversation up for further, more helpful comments if the boy responds back.

 

The second one is: "Tacit Demonstration"

 

At the end of a long day of hiking, the boots come off, the socks come off, and the feet get rinsed off and air-dried.  Best part of the day!  But then the boys notice there's no blisters, no bandaids, no duct-tape, just tired, stinky feet.  Be sure to do this sitting next to the boy that dumps the boots and exposes bloody socks.  Everyone in the world wants to know what you're doing differently than they are because they all have blisters.....Time for a lesson while you rinse out your socks to dry over-night. 

[desertrat77]

Exactly. Had several scouts forget rain gear on last camp out. Torrential rain happened. They got soaked.

 

Next camp out planning meeting they were evangelizing the use of rain gear...and not forgetting it. One made a point to tell me he's already packed it.

Krampus, sounds like you are describing my scouting days!

 

I had some good scout instructors, youth and adult.   By far, my best teachers were pain, embarrassment, cold and hunger.   All temporary conditions, fortunately!