Frank | Bobwhite Blather

September 2, 2014September 1, 2014

Selecting volunteers

raised_hands_200 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 no longer available. This churn is most common in Cub Scouting, as den leaders move up and new dens (particularly Tiger dens) form, membership in the various den levels gets redistributed, or an adult in a key role has experienced a change in outside commitments, such as work or other involvement, and can’t continue in that role.

You might thin the termÂ selecting volunteers is a bit strangeÂ – Continue reading “Selecting volunteers”

August 28, 2014August 28, 2014

Save a table. Save a life.

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 is that the table had been lashed to the roof of his car and came loose while he was driving. Continue reading “Save a table. Save a life.”

August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Taking action on tough issues

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 there’s a problem. It could be a dissatisfied parent, or a rift between volunteers. It could involve a Scout’s misbehavior or something he did unintentionally. It could even be the top leadership – in a recent column,Â Ask Andy dealt with a situation where the committee chair was abusive toward the Scoutmaster and committee.

What’s the best way to deal with situations like this? Continue reading “Taking action on tough issues”

August 21, 2014August 28, 2014

Ten Years a Bobwhite

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 time to attend, so I planned for the two Fridays off, renewed my medical record and registered. Now the first weekend of my Wood Badge course was beginning.

Upon arrival at the camp, I took a deep breath Continue reading “Ten Years a Bobwhite”

August 18, 2014August 13, 2021

To play, or not to play?

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 had a year or two experience with Scouting and are on the fence, deciding whether they’d like to continue on with more of the same or branch off into other activities. It’s always a shame to lose a Scout and his family if Â they have the impression that they’ll see the year ahead as “been there, done that” with the kinds of things they’ve done already rather than as a progression into activities that build on what they’ve done and involve new things they can do as they grow.

One reason for this reluctance is the preponderance of youth sports teams, whose seasons are really anything but a continuum or progression. Continue reading “To play, or not to play?”