Category: Boy Scouts/ScoutsBSA

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The part-time patrol method

half_patrolsAs a unit commissioner and Friends of Scouting presenter, I have the opportunity to visit many troops and packs and get insight into how they operate. We commissioners also talk among ourselves about problems and issues in our units.

One of the troops had an observation about a recent campout:

…the boys were separated by patrols… more boys seemed to be engaged cooking and cleaning…younger Scouts did well…we should continue this method.

While on one hand I’m happy that the troop conducted a successful patrol-method campout and has seen its benefits, I was disappointed to hear that most of their monthly “campouts” tend to be group activities: a ski trip, a merit badge clinic, a museum weekend, and so on.

This troop seems to be employing the patrol method on a part-time basis, Continue reading “The part-time patrol method”

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How much are you doing for them?

checklist_200The question came up recently on one of the forums about how different troops handle registration for monthly campouts, and I was intrigued to read the replies.

Many respondents had well thought-out procedures, ranging from e-mailed permission forms to Google documents and the BSA’s new Scoutbook. These systems aim to add some level of reliability and dependability to the process of parents signing their sons up to go camping and to make things easier for them.

It’s great to have a consistent way to reach the parents, to get word back on who is going, and to be able to assign drivers to take Scouts to and from camp. This certainly helps the troop committee members and the Scoutmaster responsible for overseeing the campout.

Most of them, however, miss the point. Continue reading “How much are you doing for them?”

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NOAC 2015: It Starts With Us

noac_banner_montano_250More than fifteen thousand Arrowmen – Scouting’s best – converge on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing starting today to take part in the largest Scouting event in the United States other than the National Jamboree. The National Order of the Arrow Conference, or NOAC, gives these young men the opportunity to participate in a wide range of leadership enhancing, life-skill development and fun activities while living on a college campus for a week.

Scouts travel and live with those from their home lodge but will meet and participate with others from around the country in a wide variety of activities intended to not only help them be better lodge and chapter officers and leaders but to be of service to their troops and others in Scouting. Training sessions include subjects like high adventure, camping, ceremonies, American Indian activities and supporting their local units. Historical exhibits give attendees a glimpse of Scouting’s origins and the opportunity to see items such as memorabilia from the first hundred years of the OA. There’s plenty of fun, too, with sports and competitions that challenge Scouts physically and mentally, and nightly arena shows that feature keynote speeches and entertainment in a once-in-a-lifetime setting. Continue reading “NOAC 2015: It Starts With Us”