should have waited

[Beavah]

Beav...where do you see difficulty for the PLC?

 

Nice setup, anarchist. And nice implementation of youth run (with da occasional necessary promptin'). It definitely helps to be a big troop, eh? (way bigger than the average troop size around here). I've only seen this kind of setup in big troops.

 

Da challenge I saw for the PLC was that your multi-layer stuff involves 2 or 3 times the plannin' load. Now, if you're mostly repeatin' year to year, that drops a fair bit.

 

The second challenge I saw was instructional/leadership support for the multi-layers. How many older scouts do you have who stay "behind" with the younger guys to teach and help them grow? Do these guys rotate so they get some of da fun older stuff, or do they stay with the younger guys to get to know them better? Or do the adults do more of the instructin' through the same-age PL's?

 

Do the groups change based on skill? So if a younger guy is a strong swimmer and watersports kid, can he go with the older boys canoein? Or does he have to stay with the weaker guys? Does an out-of-shape older boy who can't easily do a longer hike/bike have an "opt out" to a shorter ride?

 

Sounds like you're in horizontal rather than vertical patrols?

[anarchist]

Beav,

 

I've worked with this troop for over ten years (through four scoutmasters). I am a lowly committee member (cross trained for SM/ASM and committee member)and the QM mentor and equipment guy. Last two SMs said they'd quit if they lost me...nice to be loved...(but I am not the most "political guy in the world...would you believe it?)

 

We all believe in boy led but understand that an occaisional whisper in the ear is a necessary intrusion...from time to time. After all how can they learn if we do not teach????

 

Planning for four or five events of our calendar(sort of 'institutional' activities) is very easy -the boys like the hundred miler and the beach...and put it in the schedule each year...river or beach might change but the rest is almost by rote....

 

Each NSP has two Troop guides, who for "troop activities" are locked into their NSP for one whole year...however we do not have a formal venture patrol...rather the program has scheduled events that are open to older scouts only, (like cave crawling -BSA says 14 yrs old...)Guides are more than welcome on these events.

 

As far as "staying behind" the 'higher skill level' events are scheduled on different weekends from the NSP events and regular troop activities, a Guide might end up having to "go scouting" two weekends in a row or every other weekend to do both their guide job and the 'high adventure' stuff ...but it can be done... Additionally, we decided on the 2 Guides per NSP "system" to allow the guides to "take time off' for school or other scout obligations without leaving the NSP in the "lerch"...(our ASPL even acts as a third 'guide' should a 'real' scheduling problem occur)

 

White water canoeing (in the spirit of G2SS)is restricted to scouts 1st class and above who have completed our flat water and "lite white water" training...The "high adventure" program (the really fun stuff( is open to all scouts having attained BSA age requirements or skill requirements...whichever is the "controling factor" (in otherwords- Rock climbing/Rapelling is BSA restricted to 14 year olds...a highly "skilled" 13 year old has to wait a year-oh well, thats life)

 

For the most part our patrols stay together from joining to aging out...occaisionally some older patrols merge due to loss of scouts (moving on and/or the "fumes"). A few times we have had total (or nearly so) reorganizations when the boys get a 'wild hair"...but hey its their troop...

 

Hikes and bike hikes that are "multi-leveled" are not age or rank restricted ...on a 50 miler with "pull-outs" at 10 and 20 miles- ANY scout who wishes to stop at 10 or 20 miles can do so...if a tenderfoot can do the 50 miles- he is more than welcome...(and will problably "win" a pizza to eat in front of all the other scouts -furnished by the older scouts)at the next troop meeting.

don't cha love dis scouting stuff!

TRA

anarchist

[Eagledad]

I really like the sound of your Troop Anarchist. I try and teach taking away a many limitations to the scouting experience as possible. A program based on maturity and experience instead of age and rank does just that. Great program Anarchist, great adults.

 

Barry

[sweetspiritpamh]

Hello, being both a Girl Scout leader for 12 years and a day/twilight camp director. I must explain girl scouts and boy scouts are 2 totally different organizations. If the girls and leaders have been properly trained and learn through progression.Many girls try a day or twilight camp as there 1st experience without their family or troop around. A 1st grade brownie can go on a weekend camp out WITHOUT her family, but remember it has flush toilets, hot showers and cabins with cots and a large lodge with a complete kitchen here in Texas. So that next summer if she wants and her parents can afford it she will be ready for a week of summer camp. Last summer my daughter worked at a camp and she said many girls came out every Sunday went home on Saturday then were back there the very much day.For the entire summer or at least 3 or 4 sessions.

Even though when my son was a cub scout he went camping many times with his entire family and in very primitve conditions compared to those girl scout camps his sisters grew up going to.

[ScoutMomAng]

OGE

 

Not sure if you got your answer as to what age GS sends their girls out on their first campout, because I haven't read the whole thread yet, so here goes.

 

Daisy Girl Scouts (Kindergarten) can only go day "camping". That means they can come up to camp during the day with their adult parent.

 

Brownie Girl Scouts (1st through 3rd grade usually) go camping with their leader(s) as long as the girl/adult ratio is maintained. And with each age level (Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors (or now known as 11-17 yr olds)) has a different girl/adult ratio.

 

As for Webelos crossing over in February??? What's the big deal? So he joins the troop and if the troop is run properly, the boy learns some responsibility and becomes a more independant young man. If he needs to wait until the end of the school year to get his AOL, so he has to wait. No big deal, however, don't expect him to go to summer camp if he has never been away from mom and dad for a more than an evening at a time if he isn't responsible and dependable.

 

In other words, it all depends on the boy. There is no "law" that says he has to cross over at 10 or after he has earned his AOL. For example, he could earn his AOL and still not have all 20 activity pins so he could continue on in Webelos and work on other activity pins, maybe on his own so that he could learn that boys in Boy Scouts earn merit badges on their own (choose it when they are ready) with a merit badge counselor.

 

As for summer camp with the Boy Scouts though, if you were an uncomfortable parent about sending your son off to BSA summer camp for a week you could sign up as an adult leader and attend camp with him, but remember to give him the space he needs so that he does not depend on you for everything all the time.

 

JMHO

 

Angela