Information, Observation, and Inspiration for Scouters
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. Continue reading “Preparing for next year’s journey – Troops”
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, you should review your pack’s or troop’s performance using the 2014 Journey to Excellence scorecard. If you find you fall short in some areas, it might be possible to make some changes now to ensure that you meet the 2014 requirements.
The 2015 JTE scorecards are out now, and as always, there are some changes. Continue reading “Preparing for next year’s journey – Packs”
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 term selecting volunteers is a bit strange – Continue reading “Selecting volunteers”
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, 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”
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  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?”