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Everything posted by SlowDerbyRacer

  1. Care to explain how the Tiger program has hurt scouting? Our pack has had nothing but good experiences with it.
  2. A good overview of the differences between STEM in scouting and STEM Scouts. http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/05/11/understanding-the-difference-between-stem-in-scouting-and-stem-scouts/
  3. Genuine question here, as I want to know. I understand the philosophical debate in scouting about gay leaders, but I'm curious, how does it play out in practice? I don't recall a question on my adult application about sexual orientation. (Perhaps I just glossed over it?) I imagine there are gay leaders out there who just don't make a public issue of their orientation and it's a non-issue in practice. Does the gay thing only become a problem when someone gets wind of it and makes a stink, forcing a council to take action?
  4. For starters, you are NOT permitted to modify the requirements. What you are permitted to do is cover the material as you are currently doing and then inform the scouts what they need to do to complete the requirement. IF they complete the work, they can then get the BL or mark the achievement/elective as complete. Under no circumstances is a scout entitled to award. And they are especially not entitled to one, if they don't have the motivation to complete the requirements as listed. You can still teach them as you are currently doing. That definitely has benefit and is a worthy endeavor
  5. Direct from the 1st page of the Guide to Advancement: Policy on Unauthorized Changes to Advancement Program No council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to, or subtract from, advancement requirements. There are limited exceptions relating only to youth members with special needs. For details see section 10, â€œAdvancement for Members With Special Needs.â€ I can't disagree with you more.
  6. The issue with not requiring the book is you risk the scouts themselves drifting further from scouting. The book is something tangible for scouts to pick up and read. I realize many might never open the book, leaving the management of their scouting experience to their leaders and/or parents, but you don't want to cut off those that do read it. Part of the purpose of cub scouting is preparing boys for boy scouts. Having the books aids in that goal as it allows scouts to be more vested in their experience. To me, the best way to cut the entry expense is to eliminate rank specific slides
  7. Yes, you do. For a couple reasons: 1) What does it teach the boy if he still gets the Readyman? 2) What message does it send to the other scouts when Johnny Noshow gets his award when everyone knows he wasn't there? The parents screwed up. Don't compound the error by rewarding the wrong behavior. It sucks for the one kid that his parents are deadbeats, but it doesn't create an excuse to skirt by.
  8. To clarify my original question, I was referring more to the doing of all the requirements versus the quality of what is done. I totally get the do your best standard, but I'm talking about how closely others follow the stated requirements. For example, the Bear Elective for Weather has the following two items: Learn how to read an outdoor thermometer. Put one outdoors and read it at the same time every day for two weeks. Keep a record of each day's temperature and a description of the weather each day (fair skies, rain, fog, snow, etc.). Build a weather vane. Record wind direction ever
  9. I'd like to hear how closely other packs and dens follow the listed requirements for achievements, electives, belt loops, etc. I'm definitely a do what the book says kind of guy, but I'm at the extreme in my pack. It seems to be the norm in my pack that the scouts get credit if a topic is touched on, viewed, or is otherwise in the room when something is covered. Our dens don't seem to hold to the letter of the law. I recognize that sometimes staying true to the book is not always feasible given logistics and other circumstances, but I wonder how often other packs & dens stretch things?
  10. I think this is always going to be a point of conflicting approaches. At the CS level both the parent led and scout led methods are needed. I think it really depends on the scouts. Many kids, if left to do things on their own won't do it, don't know how, aren't motivated enough, or have some other legit reason why a scout led approach is doomed to fail (at the cub scout level). But there are other kids who can and will take the initiative to grab the book and do it all. As parents there is a fine line between leading, guiding, helping, mentoring, encouraging versus helicoptering and do
  11. I occasionally see or hear of dens meeting once a month and I just don't get it. When you're meeting that infrequently, how do you get into any kind of rhythm or develop any sense of den community? And how do you come close to covering even a fractional portion of activities for a given year? I'm talking about rank requirements and electives? Sure, maybe you could just squeak by and do the minimal requirements for a rank badge, but are you really doing enough to provide a rich, fulfilling, and valuable experience for your scouts? I don't see how that's possible. I don't think it's unr
  12. I agree. We have a den that is holding up rank awards so everyone can get them together. It irks me but I haven't made a stink about since I couldn't find a policy stating ranks should be awarded close to when it's achieved. I did a cursory look through the Advancement Guide and couldn't find anything.
  13. I don't see this as hyperbole at all. It is the truth. It's why scouting teaches first aid and life saving skills - to be able use them as necessary. I know what you're getting at here, but reality is first aid skills do not earn a comedy badge. I think it's good that the scouts hear what the alternative is to not learning the skills. It many cases there is no second chance.
  14. I don't agree with that approach as I accept the model of "once it's awarded, it's awarded." However I will say that I think the hurdle to have things awarded is often too low. I'm focused on the cubs now, but the general low standards theme is the same. Too many times I've seen kids get recognized for something they never should have earned. For example, if the requirement says "demonstrate" then the scout should have to demonstrate and not just be there as someone else talked about something.
  15. Which Facebook page are you seeing this? Because it's not on the page I follow, which I believe to be the one representing the approved national STEM/Nova program.
  16. This is the best line I've read on hear in a long time, maybe even ever. What amazes me the most is that there was any resistance at all from the troop leaders. Never should have been questioned at all. Scouts are to be reverent, but nowhere is it stated they must practice a certain religion or attend a certain church. Direct from the BSA Declaration of Religious Principle: "The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, b
  17. Welcome. You say you were recruited to start a new pack. I'm curious why some felt the need the need for a new pack, especially with just 4 total wolves/bears? Not questioning, just genuinely curious into what the thoughts are behind starting new packs.
  18. There are a number of ways to potentially address this. 1) 100+ earns the scout some type of "family participation patch" 2) Committing to 100 points at the beginning of the scout year earns a reduction in dues 3) Guilt from falling short 4) ??? My take is such a plan wouldn't necessary be to penalize families who fall short, but rather to encourage more participation. The reality is 100 points from every parent might actually be too much help.
  19. Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Click- This is a great concept, though I was a little nervous clicking it... Glad to see I'm over 100 points!
  20. I agree with the comments about it not being a showstopper, However, an endangering the welfare of child conviction might raise more flags than any other when you consider the role he'd be in. For that reason I suggest being completely up front and forthcoming about all the facts. I realize your original post was not the application, but if his application contained essentially only the same explanation as what you just wrote, I'd reject the application. You focused on what the conviction wasn't - not a felony, not recent, not violent, not drug related, etc. But what was the charge?
  21. As a follow up, the only real resources you need are the rank books every scout has. That's what drives your activities. The District Commissioner is also correct about Googling for help. But to that, I'll add that you should be specific about what you are Googling. Don't search "how to run a good pack." That's far too broad. Rather search something like "Tiger Go See It ideas". And as for being behind rank for the B&G, who says you need to attain rank by B&G? Scouts have the whole year. Hope some of this helps
  22. My suggestion to focus more on the dens and less on the district. Scouting is about the kids, not the leaders. Scouts are not behind because of a lack of support from above. A good pack could be run without any district support, in my opinion. If your den leaders are meeting regularly with the kids and doing activities and achievements, you'll be in good shape. You want to run a PWD? Find someone with a kitchen scale and a parent with some basic woodworking skills to build a simple track. Scouting teaches resourcefulness, the leaders should be able to model that. Good luck.
  23. Ditto to most of what everyone else said. But I'll also add I think (of Tiger, Wolf, Bear) Bear is the year most conducive to being done individually. For Tigers, a full third of their requirements are Den Activities and another third are Go See Its intended to be done with the den. For Wolves there is very little flexibility. My numbers might be off but I recall something like 52 out of 58 individual activities being required for Wolf. The Bears on the other hand have tons of choices and very little restrictions.
  24. I agree. I clicked this thinking some harm had come to a scout. Then I started reading and I was heading in a different direction and thought "Uh oh, he called out the BOR guy for incorrect badging and the guy retaliated by turning down the kid." In the end, I'm glad to hear "very sad" was really nothing more than "less than ideal."
  25. The ship has likely sailed, but killing the belt loop program was a major disappointment.
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