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As a Commissioner for Voyageur District, I get the luxury of visiting several boy scout units that I service and I often will visit some of those units attending camp at one of our many Council camps. Usually the visitations often come with an unplanned meal.
It is time for the second episode of the new Scouting-themed podcast, previously known as the Melrose Scouting Audio Podcast , but starting today will be known as Around The Scouting Campfire . Unfortunately, this episode was created before the new name so it still refers to itself as the Melrose Scouting Audio Podcast.
Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons talk about being a star, the Scout Motto, Life with Dad, and have a little fun with a rapping version of Little Bunny Foo Foo. Share and Enjoy:
I once was a part of a conversation, while at work, on what the most amazing thing in the world was today. One of my friends was talking about the new medical techniques now available to people that allow people to have major surgery and not be layed up for an extended periods of time…
Hop over to BSA Online Learning Center and see the plethora of opportunities for training. This Is Scouting replaces New Leader Essentials. Generational Diversity - if you can sit through the entire Intro you're better than me. Den Chief Training - very good intro for Boy Scouts serving the Cub Scout dens.
I have a daughter and she has attended more scout meetings than I can remember ...partly because I was a Cub Scout Leader for my son's unit and I am now a part of a Boy Scout troop and also because of my Commissioner responsibilities (she is too young yet to stay home alone).
As a result of the FDA expanding the Peanut Corporation of America's (PCA) Salmonella related recall to include all peanut ingredient products produced in PCA's Plainview, Texas facility since March 2005, Weaver Popcorn Company, Inc. has issued a precautionary voluntary recall for the following product: 12 oz.
On February 27th, we started the February Twitter Contest , and today we announce the winner! We had 31 entries to the contest during the two week period it was open. The Prize The prize was donated by the good folks at TrailStop.com , and consists of a $25 coupon code and free FedEx Ground Shipping at…
The Silver Buffalo Award, created in 1925, is bestowed upon those who give truly noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth. This award, Scouting's highest commendation, recognizes the invaluable contributions that outstanding American men and women render to youth. The service must be national in character and can be directly connected with the BSA or independent…
#176-What's On Your Mind? Sorry this was so delayed in getting out. Making Tigers match, making Bears easier, membership card improvement, Indoor Game Nights, business cards, Blue & Gold, and a small rant about Friends of Scouting are all on the agenda for this show.
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Obviously using only four different styles of leadership is not going to work all of the time. These are not guaranteed methods but are methods that should give a new leader a starting place to work with. People can fill multiple books full of information on the different styles of leadership, I am just focusing…
Enews issue 12 - March 2009
Obviously, on the day your son was born, his umbilical cord was cut. But was completely cut? Even for those boys who progressed all the way through cub scouts, for many parents, it is a difficult task to cut the emotional cord once they enter boy scouts.
3 Vote On Idea Several organizations and companies, including groups as diverse as the Army and Burger King, have successfully developed console based games as a tool for marketing their products and experiences. This could range from moral and character based rpgs, such as Knights if the Old Republic and Fallout 3, to simple mini…
1 Vote On Idea Since so many boys are interested in video game design, I think we should offer a merit badge based on this career. This could include storyboarding, graphic design, animation, illustration, testing, and marketing. Many colleges offer this as a major, so finding merit badge counselors should not be a problem.
On March 13, 2009, Weaver Popcorn Company issued another precautionary voluntary recall due to the salmonella outbreak at the Peanut Corporation of America facility in Blakely, Georgia. This recall includes 12 oz. bags of Chocolatey Peanut Clusters which is a component of the Chocolate Lovers Tin package.
Sticking with this training theme for one more post... With Webelos crossing to troops, this is a great time to review your adult training levels. All adults, whether registered volunteers or not, should complete Youth Protection before interacting with scouts, as a minimum.
The Western Region has announced its 2009 Silver Antelope recipients. These individuals will be honored at the Western Region Luncheon at the National BSA meeting in May 2009. About the Silver Antelope Award The Silver Antelope Award, created in 1942, is granted for outstanding service to youth within the territory of a BSA region.
Over the weekend I was told that the young sister of three of our Cubs had passed away. She had been born earlier in the year three months prematurely and I don't think she'd ever left hospital. Very sad news and I know we're all thinking about the family.
3 Vote On Idea District leadership volunteers are responsible to monitor, track and ensure district and unit leaders are receiving training - especially Youth Protection Training. Right now, the only way a volunteer can get reports on who has/has not taken YPT is via a District Executive.
Arrowmen in Action: Saving Lives While Still Scouting Go to class, check. Do homework, check. Run an EMS service… check. That's the average to-do list for Michael Pandya. Michael-a former lodge chief and section vice chief from Nakona Lodge in Texas-is a student at Rice University and works with the EMS service.
The March-April 2009 issue of Scouting magazine is now available at the magazine website. This issue has articles of interest to Cub Scouters on the following subjects: New Youth Protection training video. Link Vehicles for hauling gear and kids. Link Camp Cooking Contest winners. Link Fast pasta dishes. Link Posted in Cooking, CUB SCOUTS, Training
1 Vote On Idea One of our volunteers posted a comment on twitter that he did not like the new Scouting Community. I asked him what would make it more useful, here's what he stated: login and interface are very clunky.
Councils across the Country kicked off their spring popcorn sales on March 15th. In a push to sell more popcorn online, Trails End introduced three new products that are available exclusively online. Available online are: -Chili Lime Almonds -Wasabi Soy Almonds -Yogurt-Covered Pretzels To order visit http://www.orderpopcorn.com .
Twitter is a popular micro-blogging service through one can send and receive short personal updates called "tweets." BSA National now has its own Twitter feed which you can access at the link below. Link Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Tech
We started making swatch cards while back. Why? Many people want a true representation of the color of the t-shirt. Everyone knows what Red is, but not many can tell the color of Avocado. This is especially an isue for packs with Navy and Royal and Troops with the various shades of khaki: Prairie dust…
0 Vote On Idea The 990 report run from the PAS system lumps all 3 funds together. My endowment is a different tax ID number and different tax return than the Council. It would be helpful if the 990b noted the fund to which the contribution was made.
Thanks for the support, this was not an easy one I must admit. The first thing I did was to look at the Scout Association's Bereavement Factsheet (we have one for everything it seems). It wasn't quite what I was looking for, but gave the numbers of some professionals in this area, so I gave…
The March 2009 Cubcast from BSA National is available (free). It has ideas for den meetings and more utilizing the April " Jurassic Pack " theme. The program also has a number of tips on helping special needs kids. Link [ Photo: Wikipedia ] Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Jurassic Pack
8 Vote On Idea The volunteers I serve and I are very excited about the new, and continually updated, e-learning site on MyScouting. It would be helpful to have a brief description (course overview, estimated time to complete, who should take the course and when the course should be completed) along with the course title.
3 Vote On Idea An electronic Excel file of the national scout executive's list would be most helpful. I have been told that the print out is all that is available, which means I must retype all of that information if I want to create a merge file or put part of the list into…
Refrain from nagging or complaining or scolding. Instead, give your scout a reason to cherish your time together.
If you have not noticed yet, a comic strip called The Buckets is currently running a few days worth of comics about Pinewood Derby cars. The Cub Scout son does not seem to understand that he has to make a car from this block of wood he received.
Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around Reputation is what the world thinks a man is; character is what he really is. Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.
Laziness it seems that it is becoming a epidemic not only with the youth but also with the adults in the Troop as well. Right now there are probably only three people that have the interest of the boy scout Troop close to their heart.
#61-Boy Scout Ideas Tonight we dive into the BSA Scouting Innovation Engine and look at some of the Boy Scout topics covered there. What?s your opinion? Let us know. Guests: Jerry Schleining – Host, The Scoutmaster Minute Podcast Links: BSA Innovation Engine- http://ideas.scouting.org PTC Media Ideas- http://ptcmedia.ideascale.com/ The Scoutmaster Minute Podcast- http://thescoutmasterminutepodcast.wordpress.com/ Share and Enjoy:
5 Vote On Idea During the online recharter process, there is an option for unit leaders to transfer youth or adults from other units. This is a great way to transfer their information, and not create duplicates in the system.
#177-Don't Stop Believin' Tonight I talk about the March Roundtable. If you're on Roundtable Staff or are wondering how another District does stuff, this one is for you… Links: New Uniform Inspection Sheets- http://www.boyscouttrail.com/blog/395.asp Guidelines for Using Cannons- http://www.scouting.org/HealthandSafety/Alerts/cannons.aspx
Until now, the two components of Basic Leader Training for Cub Scout leaders have been New Leader Essentials (an overview of the scouting program for all new Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venture leaders) and Cub Scout Leader Specific Training.
March 14th was our small town's big parade. Its called Founders Day and we are lucky to have a front row seat. Our building is in the downtown historical district, right next to the park where the parade and activities are centered around.
0 Vote On Idea Have a position for units to have someone take pictures and catolog them for their unit. This will help with the history of the unit and also with recruitment of Scouts to show them what that unit does for activities. Comments (0) Category/Tags : Retention (8) Mark as duplicate
2 Vote On Idea The issue of competing against the plethora of sports programs that draw so many boys out of Scouting in the Fall and Spring brought this statement to mind recently: There is no such thing as Major League Boy Scouting.
Hello fellow Scouters, At the end of our Bear year, we chose a Boy Scout patrol emblem for our Webelos den name. In our pack, the Webelos change from a den number to a den patrol name at the beginning of the Webelos program (I know some units do this at the beginning of their…
I have been an adult leader for approximately 12yrs. now and I am a firm believer the the Boy Scouts of America has cornered the market on available training for scouts and scouters. Access to this training is easy and the information provided is more than helpful to anyone that chooses to seek further knowledge…
I was thinking about writing a post about great leadership and what makes a great leader but instead I am writing a post on my Heroes: People that I admire and just happen to be great leaders in their own rite.
When I was a young boy, I would often take road trips with my grandfather while he delivered he candy orders to his customers. Most of these road trips were very uneventful, in fact, most of the time they were pretty boring for me.
2 Vote On Idea Start a walking initiative or tag a program along with the AHA National Start! Walking Day on April 8th. Or Walk4life has walking programs. Lets get the youth off the couch or sitting at computers playing video games.
It's almost time for Scout Fair. In case you aren't in SHAC, every year, the scouts sell scout fair coupons in order to add money to their unit, or as it is in our troop, to their individual scout accounts.
Well last night at Cubs seemed to go well. The boys who lost their sister were there and seemed, albeit a little subdued, to be enjoying themselves. I saw the parents, but couldn't really speak to them properly, which was a shame, but they seemed better (probably only on the outside).
Last night I went to see the Beavers and Cubs mainly because of the reason I've discussed in my last three posts. However I was also there because seven new Beavers were invested into the Colony last night. To see seven excited 6 year olds getting their neckers and badges is great!
1 Vote On Idea Believe this or not there will be many volunteers and professionals that will not read this site or know of its existance. I suggust that for the volunteers the National Office provide a quarterly update on web sites, badges, applications and other changes or inovations that will affect them.
I use to think that achieving success was something one could only appreciate for themself and receive some type of award for being successful. A personal victory. Boy, was I wrong! When I was in cub scouts the only thing that seemed to really matter was how quickly I could master a specific task for…
I think that Commissioner Keith's post about hero's hit it right on the spot. I just wanted to say that I totally agree with him that too many kids think that there true heroes are celebrities and athletes but in truth this cannot be true because a fair amount of these so called heroes are…
One of the things that I like to tell parents and youth members about scouts is that scouting is one of the few environments where members are allowed to make mistakes in their approach or ideas and not have terrible consequences as a result of their action.
This has been an interesting year so far, and not at all what I imagined. I've been working on a number of projects, and learning how to work in a few new tools, like Facebook and Twitter . Our council's camping committee asked me to put together a web presence for Camp Rock Enon in the…
The results are in from the Boy Scouts' annual popcorn sale, and once again the Scouts have outdone themselves, taking to their neighborhoods, local businesses and even the internet to sell Trail's End popcorn. Congratulations to this year's "Tops in Pops" - the top 10 sellers from across the country for 2008, whose combined sales earned…
Its been a real busy week for me , as you can tell, it's been a week since I last posted. So today I thought I'd drop a note and give a little recap about whats going on with me and Scouting.
From the Chief Scout Yarns January 24, 1920 THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE SCOUTS The story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is really an old Arab tale, and was first written in Bagdad. The Boy Scouts of Bagdad recently got up the play of Ali Baba.
The News Briefs in the January-February 2009 Scouting magazine include the following stories of interest to Cub Scouters: "This is Scouting" replaces "New Leader Essentials" 100th Anniversary Generations Connection program Traveling scouting art exhibit Seeking story ideas Link Posted in 100th Anniversary, CUB SCOUTS
The National Scouting Museum and the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) have teamed up to offer special discount packages to Scouts and their families who want to learn more about the history of the Boy Scouts of America. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Irving serves as the national headquarters for the Boy Scouts…
0 Vote On Idea All of the data has shown that Scouts attaining First Class in the first year have greater retention rates and stay in he program longer. These are facts we have understood for many years. Why not create an alternate First Class First Year Emblem.
0 Vote On Idea While nice, these are not necessary--I will go to the exhibits in order to get information with or without the give-aways and prizes. Please save the money this year and put to better use or just save the money. Comments (0) Category/Tags : Money-Saving Ideas (1)
In a couple of weeks we are going to take the Scouts hiking and they will be carrying their own tents etc. Nothing too unusual about that really. They will be split into two groups and the older Scouts (12+ I think) will go on a longer route than the remainder.
If you are a big fan of the Den Meeting in a Box kits, enjoy them while they last. According to an email I received from a BSA National employee, they are in the process of being phased out . Posted in CUB SCOUTS, STUFF, THEMES
This is Scouting" has been added to the BSA's on-line Learning Center. "This is Scouting" replaces New Leader Essentials as a required course for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing volunteers to earn the "Trained" leader emblem. New Leader Essentials will no longer be taught after April 1, 2009.
Great contest idea from Boys' Life. Scouts can submit photos via the website to compete for the cover of Boys' Life 's February 2010 edition (THE anniversary edition). From the site: The Boys' Life "Happy Birthday, BSA" photograph contest is open to readers age 6 to 17.
0 Vote On Idea Within Traditional Scouting, losses are expected as boys become young men and other interests compete for their attention. BSA research shows that the "UNDERSEARVED MARKETS" demographic is about to dramaticaly increase in the coming years (whether it be spanish or african american, or asian american) The Chief Scout Exec.
To run alongside existing leadership and supervisory adventurous activity permits, it is now possible for under 18s to get personal activity permits.
Strange title for a post that is typically about scouting. "A Whack on the Side of the Head," by Roger von Oech was the first book that I read in college that really got me thinking outside of the box.
It must be a fever that is contagious because my husband and I can't wait to get back to our high adventure training at Powder Horn in less than two weeks. We had a blast getting to know the PH leaders, other members in our Crew, as well as having the opportunity to form a…
For the next 5 weeks I will be going to a emergency medical training class that is known as the Emergency Trauma Technician Class this is a modified version of the national first responder curriculum. This class covers about 1/3 of the material found in the EMT-B or EMT-1 class as defined by the National…
Can anyone tell be the three tiers to the youth leadership training continuum. Let me give you a hint it begins with Troop Leadership Training. So Now that you know that the three courses our TLT, NYLT, and NAYLE. Lets talk about what each class is about.
First off for those of you who do not know what NOAC is it is the National Order of the Arrow Conference that is traditionally held at Indiana Unversity. This event is a opportunity for members of the Order of the Arrow to get together for look at the following description: This summer, Order of…
Scoutstuff.org , the online store of BSA Supply Group, now has its own Twitter account. You can use it to stay informed of scoutstuff.org sales and specials . Link Posted in CUB SCOUTS, Merchandise, Tech
At its first annual meeting, the World Scout Committee appointed Luc Panissod as Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Mr Panissod, who had been fulfilling this function on an interim basis since November 2007, will lead the World Scout Bureau, the international secretariat of the Scout Movement, based in Geneva.
1 Vote On Idea In several other organizations where fundraising is done they give titles to different levels of giving that would appeal to the potential donors. For example: Oklahoma Shakespere in the Park uses titles like 'patron' for $125 donors, 'director' for $250 donors, and 'producer' for the $365.
2 Vote On Idea Simply make contact with Orange County Choppers. Ask the OCC team to work with 1 volunteer, 1 professional, and Michael Ramsey (National Staff) to design a 100th Anniversary Chopper. This would be great publicity for OCC & the BSA.
Today I received a call from a mom in our Troop with a story she wanted to share. Her son Alex,one of our Scouts lost his wallet a few months ago. Since that time they have looked high and low, at home, in the cars, basically everywhere.
Here it is, the third episode of the Around The Scouting Campfire podcast. There is a lot happening in this show. It begins with Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons discussing a new (fictional) video game based on the adventure of Scouting.
Scoutmaster Steve and Buttons talk about a new (fictional) video game, life a generation ago, the Dirty Sock Song, when you know you are a true Boy Scout, and what really makes up a good troop. Share and Enjoy:
If you purchased a new Centennial Uniform adult leader shirt and it seemed too short , you are not alone. The following was posted on the Innovation Engine website by Erin Feola, BSA Production Manager for Apparel: "The original production shirts were short and we adjusted the length by adding 3 inches to the center back…
Last week, we introduced the Knot of the Week series on Cracker Barrel in an attempt to, ahem, untangle any confusion about square knots. Well, in the second edition of that series, we bring you the District Award of Merit .
I'm sure I will have a lot more to say on this subject after we hike during the 2nd part of Powder Horn, but one very important detail I learned last weekend is that you must start with the fit backpack.
The Automation Federation announced today that it has been selected by the Boy Scouts of America to provide activities for Technology Quest at the 2010 Boy Scout Jamboree. The event, which celebrates the 100th Year of Scouting in America and attracts over 40,000 Scouts and leaders, will be held at Fort A.
The committee of the Boy Scout troop has recently been discussing ideas about how to get Scouting more visible in our community. The pack has had a few rough years and membership numbers are down. This in turn has hurt the troop since 80 percent or more of our membership traditionally comes from the pack.
1 Vote On Idea Whenever I pull a DTR I have to go through the whole process to customize what I want (report date, effective date, stop level, etc...) When in reality 99% of the time I want the same thing: My district, today's report, Period.
Wilderness is a necessity...a fountain of life... thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people who are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wilderness is a necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."
Just because... this is worth the time to watch. What and who we are.
If you follow ScoutStuff.org on twitter ( @ScoutStuff ) you would have seen the following message earlier today: ADVANCED NOTICE: Free Shipping, March 27-29 on Scoutstuff.org. Start shopping tomorrow. Enter code TW91422. Visit http://tinyurl.com/cax9k3 Happy Shopping!
0 Vote On Idea What about having teams of professional Scouters whose sole job is to go to a council and help solve critical issues. We have so many councils that do things right and many that don't. if we had a service team of career professionals who go to different councils to help them…
1 Vote On Idea Our council and several others use Microsoft Outlook as their central hub for e-mail. I believe the CRM tool to be a worthwhile endeavor and have used them in the past, but here is my one question: Wouldn't it make sense that a tool designed for District Executives to track communications…
A great image video for the world scouting movement - please share this one with parents of new scouts. "Think globally and act locally" comes to mind when I put into perspective the work at the troop or pack level against the cumulative effect of scouting around the world.
Natural disasters and serve weather are occurring all over the country. Here are just some of the major weather systems that are expected to cause large problems around the country. First lets start in alaska where if you did not know a volcano on the Alaska Peninsula called Mount Redoubt has been erupting for the…
There are great Scouting stories to be told across the country every day, and newspapers and other media outlets are catching on. Here are some recent highlights: Stories of heroism are nothing new for the Boy Scouts, but they never seem to get old, do they?
Do you have an interest in making movies? Ever wanted to share your interest with someone else? Want to have your video on the screen at NOAC? If you answered "yes" to any of these three questions, then the NOAC Short Film Competition is for you.
Hello fellow Scouters, Several Scouting friends have recently asked me to provide more detail about how I collected ash for my boys. I have previously blogged about why I collect ash. Here is how I used ash to start a campfire ceremony, and how I collected ash and gave it away.
Here are some great resources for scout learning in a fun way. Rather than reading books, these Decks Of ... have useful information packed onto colorful, well illustrated, sturdy cards. They are great for a patrol meeting or merit badge session.
1 Vote On Idea I attended a technology network function recently and it was mentioned that businesses are utilizing YouTube and Facebook to market their companies. Youth, as well as many adults, are very much in tune with these types of technologies.
Congratulations Nathan on becoming Troop 483's newest Eagle Scout. Last night we had Nathans Eagle COH at the church, then afterwords we had snacks and drinks.
