So, let’s hear it: What does your pack, troop, team, crew, ship, or post charge for annual dues/fees? Don’t include “a la carte” items, such as uniforms or campout fees, if they aren’t part of that one-time dues payment.
Leave a comment if you need to explain what’s included in your unit’s dues. Thanks for sharing!
You’re walking through the church lobby after your Scout meeting one night when you spot something new on the bulletin board.
JOIN PACK 123!
“But wait,” you say, “this church is where my pack, Pack 456, meets!”
It happened to Sandy, a Scouter who e-mailed me and asked that her full name and hometown not be used. And it could happen to you.
It’s a sticky situation. Yes, we’re all in the business of serving as many Scouts as possible, so we should be happy when any young person finds a pack, troop, team, ship, crew, or post to call home — even if that home belongs to a different unit.
On the other hand, each Scouter out there wants his or her unit to reach its full potential, and losing members restricts that.
How do you walk this line? And when, if ever, is it appropriate to compete against other units for members? I turned to our Facebook friends to find out: Continue reading
Let’s talk money.
Two big changes coming up next year will impact every registered Scout unit:
Every Scout unit — packs, troops, teams, crews, ships, and posts — must pay the fee each year, and every penny of this fee goes into the general liability insurance program, providing coverage for claims alleging negligent actions that result in either personal injury or property damage.
Note that the annual registration fee for individuals isn’t changing — it remains $15.
Find answers to your important questions after the jump… Continue reading
In bowling, you get instant feedback. Roll the ball, watch the pins, and look at the screen.
What if tracking the hits and misses in your Scouting unit were that easy?
Turns out it is.
With the Journey to Excellence program, your pack, troop, team, crew, ship, or post simply uses the appropriate scorecard to track 10 to 13 objectives — areas like advancement, retention, budget, service projects, and camping.
Then — voila! — you know instantly if your unit qualifies for a Bronze, Silver, or Gold award. And if not, you know where you can improve to stay out of the “gutter.”
JTE perfects on and replaces the old Quality Unit awards, and with the 2013 scorecards now online, the timing’s right to make sure your unit is aimed at success. Here’s what you need to know:
When the going gets tough, Scouts get going.
Just look at what’s happening in Michigan. The place has experienced some of the toughest economic times in America and it also boasts some of the toughest volunteers and professionals in the Boy Scouts of America.
They’ve refused to let Scouting fail in the Great Lakes State, and they’re teaching Scouts and Scouters everywhere a thing or two about courage under fire.
On Tuesday, the Michigan Crossroads Council received its official BSA charter — effectively merging nine councils into one. It’s the culmination of an 18-month, volunteer-driven effort that Scouting magazine first told you about in our March-April 2012 issue.
But they’re not crossing the finish line. Continue reading
Ever wonder who signs off on major changes to the Scouting program?
Instead of wondering, why not be one of those people?
Yep, by joining the Research & Program Innovation team’s Scouting Research Panel, you’ll be one of the insiders who give their thumbs-up (or down) to new merit badges, updated rank requirements, or other major changes to the Boy Scouts of America.
As a member of the panel — which I first told you about in 2009 — you’ll get three or four surveys per year regarding new programs or proposed changes to existing BSA programs.
The panel is open to all current Cub Scout parents, Boy Scout parents, Boy Scout and Venturing youth members, and registered volunteers (Scouters in any BSA program).
One note on youth members who want to lend their thoughts: “By law we are not allowed to send surveys directly to youth ages 13 and under. However, if a younger Boy Scout would like to participate in our surveys, he can do so by having his parents register in the Boy Scout Parent Panel and indicate that their son is interested in participating.”
Visit the Scouting Research Panel page to get started.
Photo via Florida Center for Instructional Technology and ClipPix ETC
Once upon a time, we used maps printed on paper to find our way. We studied laminated sky charts to identify constellations. We counted seconds after thunder strikes to locate storms.
What were we thinking?
Today, thanks to the ubiquitous smartphone, we can do all that and more with a few taps.
As Scout leaders, we can now carry a library, GPS, weather radio, compass, map, camera, and field guide in our pocket. But which apps are worth downloading or — in some cases — paying for?
I tapped our Facebook friends to find out. Continue reading
In Scouting, knives are a double-edged sword.
Used safely, they’re part of a rite of passage for boys and a chance for leaders to impart important lessons to help Scouts become “Prepared. For Life.”
But inevitably, some Scout will do his best Crocodile Dundee impression and show up at summer camp with the 10-inch sheath knife his uncle bought him.
The BSA keeps its knife policy intentionally vague (see below), offering suggestions but leaving specific policies up to individual units.
Does your pack, troop, team, or crew have a policy? Continue reading
UPDATE (Oct. 17, 2012): This proposal has been approved. Read more here.
Scouting’s core values are the same in every program, but the words used to express and affirm those values differ depending on whether you’re in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, or Venturing.
That may soon change.
The Scout Oath and Scout Law — engrained in the minds of Boy Scouts everywhere — also would be used for Cub Scouting and Venturing if a proposal by a group of volunteer-led task forces is approved.
That would mean Cub Scouts would recite the Scout Oath and Law instead of the Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack. Similarly, Venturers would no longer use the Venturing Oath and Venturing Code.
Here’s what else I know: Continue reading
Parents in your troop expect you’ll help mold their boys into better young men.
They also have another, equally important expectation: that you’ll keep Scouts safe while doing so.
Before you drive Scouts to your unit’s next campout or other event, ask yourself: Am I safe behind the wheel?
Your life — and the lives of your Scouts — may depend on it. Continue reading
