Advancement, Bobwhite Blather, Page 8

June 9, 2014

Changing of the guard

A few weeks ago, our troop had the beginnings of the changing of the guard.

First, the Scouts elected a new senior patrol leader. The winner wasn’t the first one to throw his hat in the ring. In fact, it was one of the other Scouts who decided, maybe at the last minute, to give it a whirl.

I didn’t listen to their stump speeches, but he must have given a good one, because he won the election. I don’t know by how much (I don’t concern myself with such details), but it shows that the message is important. He accepted the challenge of backing up his ideas and putting them in motion, and has been doing a terrific job. Continue reading “Changing of the guard”

April 28, 2014

Advancement True or False

There’s a lot of misinformation flying around in our world today. Entire websites such as Snopes and Politifact are dedicated to determining the credibility of news reports, claims and rumors that are put forth online and in the media every day.

Of course, Scouting is not without its misinformation and urban legends, and it’s up to us to know what’s true and what’s bunk.

With that in mind, here’s a quick “true or false” quiz on matters of advancement, and specifically on the board of review process. Answers follow the questions. Continue reading “Advancement True or False”

February 17, 2014

Scouting’s triangles

A triangle is the simplest two-dimensional figure and is one of the strongest in nature. The world is made of triangles, from honeycombs to bridge trusses. Three is a magic number in many ways beyond the familiar Bob Dorough song popularized in the TV series Schoolhouse Rock, including within the Scouting movement.

This past week, Bryan Wendell, Scouting Magazine’s editor, posted on his blog an item about the Scouting triangle from Scouter Michael Dulle, likening it to the triangle of fire. In the triangle of fire, you need to have fuel, oxygen and ignition. If any one of these is missing, you can’t have a fire. His Scouting triangle consists of youth, program and trained adults. Same thing – if a side goes missing, the movement falls apart.

This is just one of the triangles in Scouting, though. There are many more situations where three is the magic number that keeps us moving Continue reading “Scouting’s triangles”

November 4, 2013

Can Cubs go ziplining, and other questions

Over the last couple weeks I’ve received questions on various issues from readers. Since they’re probably subjects that others may have questions about, I’ll discuss them here. (And as Joe Friday would say, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

Can Cub Scouts go ziplining?

A local nature center is sponsoring a Cub Scout activity day. They’ll be running nature activities for Wolf and Bear advancement as well as some of the Webelos activity badges. Our pack is going to sign up. They’re also offering an opportunity, for an additional fee, for the boys to go on the zipline. Is it OK for them to go on the zipline, and what’s involved in getting the parents’ OK? Continue reading “Can Cubs go ziplining, and other questions”

October 14, 2013

What Cub Scout advancement chairs need to know

Last month we explored one of the essential but often neglected committee functions in a Cub Scout pack – the membership coordinator. In this article we’ll look at another position that’s essential to smooth operations – that of the advancement chairperson. If you’ve recently taken on advancement for your pack, you’re finding out that it’s an important job, but be assured that it’s not overwhelming once you learn what’s involved.

Advancement is one of the eight methods of Cub Scouting, and it is one of the most visible. Cub Scouts is all about fun, and while they’re having fun the boys are also doing things that lead to advancing in rank. It’s through advancement that the familiar symbols appear: rank badges, Progress through Ranks beads, arrow points and activity badges, as well as the supplemental awards such as Academics & Sports belt loops and pins.

Since boys like to receive recognition for the things they’ve earned, and since families like seeing their boys receive them, it’s important for the pack to make sure that they’re promptly awarded. This is where the pack advancement chair comes in. Continue reading “What Cub Scout advancement chairs need to know”