Author: Frank

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ScoutingU: The new look of online training

If you have ever tatrained_monitorken an online course, you know how cumbersome they can be. Usually it just involves watching some video clips, or reading text (sometimes with pictures) and possibly taking a quiz. At best, it’s a one-way introduction to a topic; at worst, it’s a nightmare that never seems to end, as the progress bar slowly moves along.

The Boy Scouts of America has tried to fix some of this with the rollout of the new online training system. Continue reading “ScoutingU: The new look of online training”

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By the numbers

unitnumbersConsider:

  • <2% – The percentage of the 500,000 high school baseball players that will go on to play NCAA Division 1 baseball.
  • 80% – The percentage of college baseball players that play for colleges other than Division 1 schools (i.e. D2, D3, junior colleges or NAIA).
  • 9 – The average number of scholarships awarded each year by a D2 college.
  • 7 – The middle-school grade when college coaches start evaluating recruits.
  • 0.006% – The odds of a high school athlete going pro

Now consider: Continue reading “By the numbers”

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Financial practices for units: Non-profit status and sales tax

To continue our series of articles on unit finance, we’ll discuss a couple issues that can be complex: whether your unit holds non-profit status and its implications, including sales tax liability.

Bear in mind that I am not an accountant or tax lawyer. The information presented here is from personal experience. Also, rules and regulations may vary from state to state. As always, check with your council, chartered organization or a professional if you want definitive advice. Continue reading “Financial practices for units: Non-profit status and sales tax”

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The uniform every kid’s gonna want

ethan_200That’s the subject line on an e-mail advertisement I received this week from a popular athletic gear company. (I won’t say which one.) They’re known for making high-quality apparel that keeps athletes comfortable in hot and cold weather, and their lines have broadened to include casual clothing as well. The e-mail pictured a young man, ready for school, wearing a polo shirt and khakis from this brand’s new fall line. This is your uniform, the ad states in bold type.

But you know what I thought when I read the subject – Continue reading “The uniform every kid’s gonna want”

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Just tell me what I need to do!

TigerDenLeaderGuide_200School starts in most places in just a few weeks, which means we’re heading into our big recruiting season. Packs will be going out into the schools to spread the word about Cub Scouting, enticing boys with the thrill of adventure, exploration and fun, and hoping they’ll run home to tell their parents that they want to join.

We’re also going to be recruiting their parents as den leaders, committee members and even Cubmasters. Without adult volunteers, Scouting simply wouldn’t exist.

Recruiting boys is relatively easy. They’ll go for anything that appeals to them, and Cub Scouting has it all – and then some.

But recruiting adults is another story. Continue reading “Just tell me what I need to do!”