The Bloggers
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Adult Scout leaders sometimes try to take on too much, try too hard to be perfect or try to out-do one another. Usually, these actions are because we are focusing on our own needs or want others to see what great things we are doing. This kind of thinking can lead to stress. That's not
You may not have noticed, but earlier this year the Scout shops and Supply Division replaced the Troop Committee Guidebook with a new edition. The previous version, item 34505B, was originally published in 1998 and was reprinted several times since. The new version has a bright red and green cover with photos of Scouts in
Our council held its annual kickoff for key donors and supporters of Friends of Scouting this week. I'm sure it was a mistake, but I was invited to attend the reception and program, held at the historic Greenfield Village. While I am an annual supporting contributor and conduct presentations for packs and troops in our
Our pack committees and leaders meet and plan the details of our pack programs, starting before the program year with updates frequently thereafter. Den leaders make plans for outings, activities and rank achievement work. The coming weeks and even the entire year are scheduled with the boys in mind, so everyone can have maximum fun
Citizenship is at the bedrock of Scouting. One of our aims is developing citizenship in our youth, who pledge "on my honor" to do their duty to country. One of the most fundamental aspects of citizenship in America is that we elect our leaders and representatives to govern us. Voting is a sacred right accorded
Despite the differences in aim and scope, we often make the comparison between Scouting and team sports in order to clarify the way something less familiar works (Scouting) in terms that most people can understand (sports). Each has the equivalent of players, coaches and spectators. Each has the rules and boundaries of the game. Take
The tenth point of the Scout Law, A Scout is Brave, is often explained as He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him. We frequently have conversations with our Scouts about the Scout Law and advise them to live the values in
If someone set a marshmallow in front of you, would you eat it? If that person told you that if you didn't eat it, but watched it for 15 minutes, they'd give you another marshmallow. Would you eat it or wait? Now imagine you're a kid. Do you think you'd have the patience to wait
Last weekend my son was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, an honor society for students with high grade-point averages and in the top 20 percent of their class. NSCS is notable in that inductees are freshmen and sophomores, recognizing early achievement and acclimation to the rigors of college academics. At the induction
Time for answers to a couple more of your questions. Why do we recharter in December? Fall is the time that we recruit for Cub Scouting. Many troops and crews recruit new members in the fall as well. So with all these applications coming in, and with our packs renewing their members for the coming
Has this ever happened to you? The following question was posted on one of the Scouting forums in the last few weeks. I thought it was an interesting conundrum and offered my comments. Since it's unfortunately not an uncommon situation, maybe you can relate. I'll paraphrase: Last month at the troop committee meeting, I [a
A friend in a nearby troop sent me the following: I was talking with a former Scoutmaster of our troop about how we have some Second-Class and Tenderfoot Scouts who would like to take part in a high adventure activity offered by our council which permits only First-Class Scouts and above. He mentioned: "If we
Last night I assisted the fledgling pack that I commission with their Join Scouting Night presentation. The pack arranged for a local yo-yo scientist (think Bill Nye with a pocket full of yo-yos) to entertain the boys and families with some stringy hijinks, and the Cubmaster talked about the fun activities to come over the
In the last article we discussed the overall reorganization of the Journey to Excellence scorecards for 2015 and detailed the changes in the Cub Scout checklist. Now, let's look at the changes awaiting Boy Scout troops as they embark on their 2015 Journey to Excellence. Boy Scouting As with the pack JTE form, the troop
Last night I sat proudly in the audience as my sister received the distinguished alumni award from our alma mater, Michigan State University. Sharing the stage with her were others who have done outstanding work in their professions, in their young careers, in philanthropy and in service to their communities. One of the honorees, a
The Journey to Excellence quality-check program has been with us for a few years now, and we have become accustomed to minor tweaks from year to year. For 2015, however, the changes are a bit more sweeping, though nearly all active units will be able to qualify for at least the Bronze level recognition. First,
A Scout unit can be compared to a bird in flight. A healthy bird flies high, soaring with wings open and catching updrafts and downdrafts. It might dip a bit here and there, but it catches another thermal and continues to soar. A newborn bird flaps its tiny wings mightily, desperately trying to catch air.
The national training team has been busy not only with revisions to training courses but also with changes to several other tools and opportunities that will help us better serve our units. Here is a summary of the latest updates on the training front: Better tracking of older courses - Perhaps you have gone online to
As a unit commissioner, I've been helping plan and assist with recruiting nights at Cub Scout packs in our town this year. This is nothing new to me; I've conducted many during my time in Cub Scouts. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly, so I thought I'd share with you some of
Maybe when they asked for volunteers to step forward, everybody else took a step backward. Perhaps you were approached by the pack committee chair who lured you in, telling you "it's only an hour a week." Or you always wanted to be the big guy up front and you didn't see anyone else brave enough
This week we're kicking off the big recruiting push. I've been involved in a number of activities: Helping a fledgling pack we started last year get their recruiting drive underway, plan some activities and try to get more parents involved. They limped along last year with about ten boys and a bit of turnover, but
As we get back into high gear with our pack and troop programs, we may find that we've had some "churn" in our adult commitments. Perhaps a family moved away over the summer or decided on a shift in priorities. When that happens, an adult who made a commitment to volunteer in our unit is
I was on the expressway driving to work the other day when I noticed a kitchen table lying upside-down on the shoulder of the road. A hundred feet or so later, a man was walking toward the table, and what must have been his car was parked several hundred feet down the shoulder. My guess
Most of the time, the business of running a troop or a pack goes smoothly. Everyone is in it together for the benefit of our sons, and nearly all committee members and parents are glad to work toward having a better program for them – and have a little fun along the way. But sometimes
Ten years ago tomorrow, I got up before the light of dawn, got in my car that I had packed the night before, and drove an hour and a half to a conference retreat camp for what was at the time an unknown journey. Many of my fellow Scouters had been urging me for some
Ready or not, summer is coming to a close, fall is rapidly approaching, and with it the start of school. We're gearing up for our Join Scouting nights and Boy Talks and enticing young people (and their parents) to join our packs with our fun programs and cool activities. There are also those who have
Last week was a proud one for us. My son entered medical school, and on completion of his first week, a ceremony was held for the incoming class at which the new students received their white coats. It was a moving ceremony – the faculty of the medical school addressed the students on the journey
About four years ago, our community voted on itself a tax increase to build a new library. Even though it was only twenty or so years old, the former library building was way too small. There was hardly any space to hold the burgeoning collection of materials and provide room for modern technology such as
Our troop held its first-ever summer court of honor this week. I realize that most troops meet year-around, and hold four courts of honor to recognize their Scouts for their accomplishments. Our troop, however, has long had a policy of not meeting when school is not in session. I suggested last year that the Scouts
It seems like every time you turn on the news or look at the paper, you see a story about how our national elected leaders seem to be incapable of getting any work done. Far worse than what was labeled as the "do-nothing" Congress of the Truman administration, our representatives seem to be constantly in
Our hometown newspaper had an interesting article this week about a local group of friends who have been getting together every year for the past couple decades to hold a "no moms allowed" campout. That's right – just like the "no girls allowed" sign that boys might hang on their treehouse, only in this instance
What if a high school math teacher decided that during her geometry class she would start teaching her students about calculus? What if questions about calculus appeared on the course midterm or final exam? In the first instance, the teacher could be trying to show her students that what they're learning – in what to
I attended a district planning meeting last fall at a church which charters a rather large troop. The Scouts were there, setting up and checking their patrol boxes and getting ready for the church picnic the next day, for which the troop was doing the cooking. Assistant Scoutmasters were working with the patrols where needed,
Time for a few more answers to your questions, this time about Social Security numbers on adult applications, the criminal background check and how to become a merit badge counselor. I don't like giving out my Social Security number. Why is it required on an adult application?
Twice last week, I was greeted by one of our former Scouts in public, once at a restaurant and the other at a store. We were having lunch and both my son and I noticed a busboy who looked familiar, but neither of us could place exactly who it was until he came over and…
Over cracker barrel one Saturday night at a campout a couple years ago, as the boys were off at their patrol sites getting ready for lights out, we adults were talking about our boys. We had been watching them from a distance all day as they went about their daily tasks, and I mentioned that…
An essential part of youth leadership development is the reflection that follows a youth-led event or activity. It gives the boys a chance to talk about what went right and what could use improvement, and how to better plan for next time.
Has this ever happened to you? You spot a parent at a troop meeting, chat with him or her and decide they'd be a good fit for a particular task you have in mind. After discussing it, they agree to take on the job, and you give some basic direction.
As you can see, Bobwhite Blather has moved to a new home. I'm hoping the new look and location will be able to better serve readers and provide better resources. Please adjust your bookmarks to replace the previous location (www.fmaynard.com/scouting) with our new address, www.bobwhiteblather.com, and excuse any minor issues that may arise from things…
A smooth-running troop is the dream of every Scoutmaster. Every Scout doing what he should do, youth leaders firmly in charge, and the senior patrol leader taking direction from the Scoutmaster and leading the other youth. Most troops don't fit …
I've written before about the so-called "helicopter parent" phenomenon. Some parents are so concerned with keeping their child from failing that they practically do everything for them so they won't fail at the tasks at hand, but with adverse consequences. …
You've undoubtedly heard the clever saying Scouting is three-fourths Outing or something similar to that. You've also thought "yeah, sure… we go outside and go camping but that's a bit of an exaggeration." Well, it's not a cliché, and in fact, …
A few weeks ago, our troop had the beginnings of the changing of the guard. First, the Scouts elected a new senior patrol leader. The winner wasn't the first one to throw his hat in the ring. In fact, it …
Last month I stepped down as our troop's committee chair, a role I've held for over seven years. After selecting my replacement, I made the announcement in front of the committee at our monthly meeting, and informed our troop families …
When I first volunteered with the troop committee, there was a lot of interaction between the Scouts and adults on campouts. At one low point in our membership (a trend that was not surprising in retrospect), we had nearly as …
Nearly all of us grew up with our sons in Scouting, starting first with Cub Scouts. We remember the pleas for help from the Cub parents. You were always in need of a parent to head up the next outing …
For most kids, play dates can be fun. You get dropped off at a friend's house, play a few games, maybe have lunch or a snack that Mom prepared, the go play in the backyard, watch TV or play video …
Spring is finally here, and with it comes all sorts of outdoor activity. Driving home from work I pass by several churches, schools and city parks. At one church Friday afternoon, the middle school baseball team was having their practice. …
There's a lot of misinformation flying around in our world today. Entire websites such as Snopes and Politifact are dedicated to determining the credibility of news reports, claims and rumors that are put forth online and in the media every …
A generation ago, a major shakeup took place in American culture. Up until then, many Americans participated in a very common activity, part of our everyday lives. Almost every public figure, especially in the relatively new medium of television, did …
