Ticket Update 2013

  In looking at posts from last year, I found a post about my 2012 Goals that I created.  These are based around my Wood Badge Training.  I realized that I have not communicated an update for a very very long time.

Please read the post so you get the gist of what I was trying to carry out with these ticket items.

1)Lose Weight: Target date missed by a mile.  I really wanted to lose weight.  I am basically the same as I was then.  I went on Medifast for 90 days and really lost weight.  However, in the end, I did not meet my goal.  I know what I need to do, I just need to do it.

2) Get new Cubmaster  & Ast Cubmaster.  I got a Cubmaster and she’s off to Wood Badge 2013. (Which as of this posting the 2nd weekend is this weekend. She is an Owl!)  I did not get an ACM, but that’s ok.   The switchover was on April 6th.

3) Training Plan for Pioneer District.  I am still working on that.  This weekend actually we are holding ITOLS at the Camporee.  The District stopped doing that about 10 years ago.  The Council via a Task Force is working on getting more people Trained.  So, this is a work in process.  I am happy with the way this is going overall.   I have also teamed-up with another District to put on/host a Cubscout Den/Pack Training Day in the fall.  They did it last year and I was very happy of how it went.

4) The Bobwhite Patrol of W1-492-11 and getting their Beads!  Very happy to report that six out of seven earned their Beads.  One Bobwhite went onto staff W1-492-12 as a Troop Guide.  Very happy!

As for the other goals that were not a Ticket Item.  I have signed up as a Merit Badge Counselor for Ham Radio, Chess and Graphic Arts.  I am playing more with my Ham Radio.  Last year during a Cubmaster Hike during JOTA I brought the Radio with me and we worked a few stations.

So, two of my ticket items were met and finished.  Two are needing work.   Wood Badge  is never over.  You complete a ticket, create a new one and move on.

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The Webelos Journey

The Journey of Scouting includes the Journey of Webelos Scouts. It is vastly different from that of the Tiger, Wolf and Bear Cubscouts. First, there is the Webelos Rank itself.  Then there is the Arrow of Light Rank.  All obviously must be completed before the awarding of each Rank.

Over the past 18 months or so, I have written about how I look at Webelos and what I am doing with my son.  The first was back when Elliot was close to moving up from Bears to Webelos I and also another post about just explaining what Webelos requirements are.   I even had a couple posts about the Webelos Summer, and how to work with Beltloops as a Webelos.  I think that the most fun of all the Webelos outs we had that worked on advancement was when the Tree Scouts (as they are called) went to the Ape Caves in the fall.

So, why all of a sudden blogging about Webelos Rank Requirements?

In a Linkedin Forum that I take part in a Cubmaster posted a question about what are the requirements of the Arrow of Light and when can the Scout move on from Cubscouts to Boyscouts from the fourth grade.   With a lot of back and forth between several people, it came down to this:

4.1.1.9 The Arrow of Light Award

“The Arrow of Light Award may be completed only while the following four conditions are met: (1) The Webelos Scout has been registered and active for at least six months since completing the fourth grade or since turning 10 years old; (2) he is still registered in a pack or as a Lone Cub Scout; (3) he has not yet joined a troop; and (4) he has either not yet graduated from the fifth grade or has not yet turned 11, whichever is the latter.”

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/GuideToAdvancement/MechanicsofAdvancement/CubScouting.aspx

There is not a pick one and fulfill, it’s “While the following four conditions are met!”

Seems pretty simple enough?  Insert monkey wrench here.  A few people came up with situations of a boy held back to repeat the 4th Grade.  Or what about Home Schoolers or boys that skip a grade due to being very smart.  Ok, you got me.  But, here is my response.

As to the Scout who repeated the 4th Grade.  He would be in the 5th Grade if his grades were acceptable.  He isn’t held back within the Pack because of grades, he moves with his buddies since he earned/completed the Webelos Rank requirements.  Use the Age Requirements as your guide.

The same will be fore the Home Schooler and those who skip a grade.  You must also look at the time in rank requirements.  Webelos must be active for 3 months.  Webelos 6 months.

In my son’s case, he is 11, but has not graduated from 5th Grade. He has at this time fulfilled all requirements and Activity Pins for Arrow of Light.  He is crossing over with his buddies.  Yes, I could make an issue of it and push him to a Troop sooner than the rest, but it’s his Journey and his buddies would not be there until they cross.  He has told me, he wants to go with his buddies.

Now, there are parents who will want their son in the Troop so they are start working on the Eagle for various reasons.  There are parents who will say their son is bored, that everything is done or the completed everything early and there isn’t anything to do.

First: Eagle is a journey, not a destination.  What happens after the fact he becomes an Eagle Scout?  Secondly, isn’t the Scout who is earning it and NOT the Adults?

Which, really brings me to a point made by a fellow Beaver and Cubmaster in the Denver Council.  Five Ways to Help Webelos Transition to Boy Scouts.  If, we as Cubmasters and Den Leaders read the book, understand the Webelos Program and know what is in store for them, then everyone is successful.

If we do not understand and are not “Prepared”, then we have collectively failed.  It is not our Journey, it is the Scout’s Journey.

Unfortunately, as Cubmasters and Den Leaders cannot save a Scout from his Parents.  We can just show them the BSA literature that guides us and hope they understand.  If not, maybe they will reap what they sew.

I know that within the District our Pack is in, there are 14 others.  Each Webelos and Pack Program is carried out different.  It is the same throughout the BSA Scouting Program in every Council.  Everyone does it differently.  Some, are drastically wrong and make for horrible war stories during trainings.  Others, are gleaming lights of inspiration that only Green Bar Bill and Baden-Powell themselves would be in awe of if they saw it.  My hope, is that our program meets the need of the Webelos that are in the Pack.  I know it does.

Just make sure that if your Pack is doing it wrong, that you step-up and correct it sooner than later.

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Voice of the Scout

The Voice of the Scout has been out for a while, and I am just now getting to read it. The summary is here. Not sure how that happened.   In reading these, specifically the summary, I agree with a lot of it.

As it relates to the Scout Unit directly you see this:

“• Youth/Scouts overwhelmingly enjoy their experience, citing it is fun, life skills
learned are very valuable and activities are of interest. However, the way in
which the program is delivered is not consistently hitting the mark. The two
themes are meetings are boring and unit leadership is not strong. More great
outdoor activities is a strong request by a majority of respondents.

• Parents echo their sons’ sentiments: Scouting is a critical part of developing
character, but the meetings are not always a good use of time. Parents’
number one area for improvement is better trained adult leaders.

As part of the Cubscout Program you see this: “Needs Improvement: It’s Too Boring: There are numerous negative comments (boring, not fun) scattered throughout the Cub Scout responses in the context of meetings, gatherings, and experience. In the case of Detractor experiences, about 90 percent of those who commented were negative, specifically citing boring and not fun.”

For Training of Adult Leaders: “Training – more opportunities, relevant and improved – was suggested by the Volunteer segments.”

So, what can you and I do to help turn the tide?   For me, there are two things.

First, get more involved if you can.  I am not saying become the Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Coach, Advisor or Skipper or some big position leader.  If you are a subject matter expert (SMB) then offer your support there.   For the most part the Cub Scout program is the only Adult led program.   The rest of the programs are supposed to be youth-led.

Two points about any of the programs.  Listen to the youth.  We adults are there for them, not us!  If your in Scouting for yourself, you will fail.  When I went through Wood Badge in 2009, a comment that heard and understood was “Ask them what they want.”  It’s their program, they just do not know what or how to do stuff. As Adult Leaders we are charged with providing the program, helping them advance and learn as they do.

All other program we are there to using “guided discovery”.   This is their time to fail and learn.  Failure is generally not an option, but that’s in a life or death situation.  Within Scouting, we learn what not to do the next time.  Which, maybe part of the “waste of time”  or “boring” comments.  People get frustrated if they do not see around the issue.  But, this is the second point. We are using guided discovery with the Scouts to help them find what worked and what failed.  It is the same we would hopefully do within a Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt project at work.

Training and Improvement of Leaders.

The Scouters who are in the program, working with the Scouts need to understand what they are providing.  An Eagle Scout is really only as good as where he comes from.  Yes, a Troop and/or a Scouter can severely hamper the advancement of the Scout.  It is also true with those within the Cub Scout level.  The Cub Scout Leaders put on the program.  Den Leaders have a lot more interaction with a Cub Scout than a Cubmaster.  That being the case, each Adult Leader needs to avail themselves to good quality training.

Online training is good for just the basic’s.  IE: If your Cardiologist got a C in Medical School, you might look elsewhere.  You want the person who has the A or very close to it.  That’s online training.   Seek out good face to face training within the District or Council.  You do not have Tigers Scouts using a video to learn how to do a leaf rubbing?  No, you get construction paper, crayons and go for a hike in the neighborhood park to find them.  You look for different leaves.  You talk about each tree and what’s special about it.

Hence, the face to face training, even if it’s “Leader Specific Training” will have more information about that position than you will get from online.

Continued Training: Go to the University of Scouting/Pow-wow/Program & Training Conferences.  Go to the Commissioner Colleges and BALOO, OWLS & IOLS.  Take First Aid, CPR & AED.  Take Wilderness First Aid, even if you’re not going to Philmont.   Take classes on sewing, Geocaching, snowshoeing, cooking classes and other things that have nothing to do with Scouting. Heck, go to the Apple Store and learn iPhone, iMovie and how to create a database.  You can use these within the Scout Unit.  Being well-rounded within Scouting will serve you and the Scout Unit well.  It is what we talk about to the Scouts in what Beltloop/Merit Badge to take/learn.  We need to do the same.

Taking what you know and applying it to the Scout Unit will only enhance the fun that everyone has.

Here’s the but: The District/Council needs to give people who are very knowledgeable about the subject they teach.  Boring presentations will stop people from coming to a training.  You will get people looking outside the District and Council for training.  I know….I was and am that person.  I took on the Training Chair position one and half years ago so I can help make a difference.

Do your best, make the program, unit and position you’re in the best you can.  Encourage others to do the same.  If we do this together, we can turn this next Voice of the Scout in with better results.

If you have not participated within the Voice of the Scout, check with your Unit Commissioner and/or your District Exec to make sure the email address that is in Scoutnet, is the correct one.  Mine wasn’t and I got it changed!

Yours in Scouting.

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Why I donate to Scouting

It is that time of the year, Friends of Scouting.   I want to tell you about why I give to my Council.  I have already told you why I do what I do.

I give to my Council for the exact same reason I give money to my children’s PTA and School Foundation.    So, that there are people and resources for them to learn and have fun.  My school’s PTA raises money for the Teachers and Students to use because the State keeps cutting back the funds needed.  Each year the PTA gives each Teacher $450 to buy supplies.  It also provides a coffee service (you know they need coffee) and so much more.  The PTA also has paid for laptop for each teacher when the School District didn’t.  Now the Teachers can go home sooner than stay at school on P90 Desktops running on 16megs of RAM.  Try playing Minecraft on that?  Wait, you can? On the iPad or iPad Mini or on your Android Tablet that you kid has?

The Foundation also works to help fund Teacher Positions that the State cuts funding for.  Yes, years ago when the State was at the throats of Students our School put on a huge auction that brought in way over $125k.  (This is before Elliot/Rachel were even in Pre-K.)

We as parents also fund outdoor activities, as in trying to save Outdoor School.  Another article about it here as well.  In the end, the City of Portland, somehow in the midst of its own budget crunch, help fund the program.  This is after a group of Portlanders raised $300,000 to help save it.  Suffice to say, it was saved.  It was saved because people cared about the program.  The same lies with the PTA and School Foundation.

So, what about Friends of Scouting?  What does it do?

It does a lot.  Friends of Scouting brings Scouting at risk youth who do not have the resources pay for it themselves.   It does pay for Council Support Services & Program Planning.  But it also helps pay for training, liability & accident insurance. (We as Scout Units do not have to pay or have coverage. Not all Council’s give this).  It also provides for the upkeep on the camps and other facilities within the Council.  The Cascade Pacific Council covers 18 counties in NW Oregon and SW Washington.  It is one of the larger Council’s.  The Scouting Programs include Cubscouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Explorer Posts.  The last three does include females starting at the age of 13.  Scouting is NOT just a BOYS ONLY Club.

So, while a donation might not directly impact your child in the Scout Unit (in my case a Cubscout Pack) it will help someone down the line.   What I can say is that within our Council, there is a thank you that is given.  If our Cubscout Pack meets it goal, we get free rank badges for the year.  We also get free camping at any site suited for Cubscouts for the year, but does not include Summer Camp.  (We have enjoyed staying at Scouter’s Mtn for the past several years and recently the Webelos II went camping at Butte Creek.)

So, Friends of Scouting is just the same as funding the education via the PTA or School Foundation or an Outdoor School.  But, if you really want to have a direct impact on getting something for yourself, try OVER THE EDGE!  Now, that was fun!  I did it last year!

And yes, I have already made my 2013 FOS Donation.

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A Look Back

   I am trying to come up with a post that talks about all of Pack 221′s accomplishments for the past calendar year.   Outside of the announcement that for the second year in a row, we have attained Gold for the 2012 Journey to Excellence, our program is good.  I know that there are weak points within the Program and within the Committee, but what Scout Unit doesn’t?  If they don’t then well, they are mindless and their compass is defective.  My goal since I took over as Cubmaster is to make this Pack a lot better than I got it.  I have had my Committee Chair say that is true.

I can say that just about every Den has 10 Scouts in it and we basically have grown each year.  The Committee is good and is growing into their positions after adding a few new parents to it.   My replacement was found and accepted the position.  The new Committee Chair is on board as well since re-charter is basically over.

The new Committee Chair is looking into  the 2013 Wood Badge, but the Cubmaster has already signed up.  For me, that is a huge win.  I think Wood Badge will help them understand more of Scouting and get them more information and support than I can.  Not to say that I did not give it, but hearing it from another source than myself is good.

The Committee and Den Leaders as a whole are now functioning way better than what I had as a Tiger Den Leader.  Pack 221 is now in its 62nd year as a Scout Unit.  It is always good to leave something a little bit better than you found it.    While I will not be far after I turn over my duties on April 6th, 2013 when the Webelos II “Tree Scouts” earn the Arrow of Light and crossover, I know that Pack 221 will be in good hands.

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The Harvest

This is the 400th post on Scouteradam.  I started it back in 2009 and now over three years later it’s still going strong.  At about 38,682 views (since moving from Blogger to WordPress) later as I type this it’s been a great journey.

I am not leaving and this blog is not going to fade.  Yes, it will continue.

I have written about many subjects as it relates to my journey as a Boy Scout Volunteer.  Fresh from Wood Badge as a participant and staffer, to being a new Cubmaster and District Training Chair.  I have been opinionated, depressed about what to do and excited about what has happened and what will happen.

I have met people both in the Virtual Internet Roundtable in the Twittersphere, Facebook, Linkedin and Google+ worlds and in real life because of my interactions.  I cherish and value them. Even if some of them are just dead wrong. (Mainly Linkedin)

I wanted to write a profoundly awesome post for the 400th posting.   I wanted to take what I have learned and also what I was feeling and put it down so you can understand it and that I can re-live it years from now.  So, here goes.

No matter what you do in life or what you volunteer for or how you want to be remembered,  “What you Plant now, You will Harvest Later“.  I got that from the BSA Licensing Facebook Page off a photo they posted.

It is significantly simple. In the picture is the words “Do your Best” with Always in front.  Do you Best is the Cubscout Motto.

You do not have to be a Cubscout or a Scout to Do your Best.   You just have to do it.

That sentence does a lot for me.  As a parent, I try to make sure my children understand right from wrong, the golden rule and manners.  I also try to show them the outdoors and that the world is not viewed through a TV, Monitor or an iPad.  I also try to carry myself in the same way my parents wanted me to be.  I still remember my Grandfather, Bill Trask showing and explaining how to shake hands and it’s meaning.

Whether you are in Scouting or not, these traditions, values and character traits ring true in how we would like to pass on to others.

Please take a moment or a few, and look at what you are planting.  How are you planting it and why are you.  Is it for your children, your community or something else?

Because what you Plant, will grow and you will Harvest it.  Let’s just make sure that we tend to it.  So, like any investment in a 401k or 529, make good choices.

Yours in Scouting.

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Go for 20

This is the final year for Elliot before he crosses over into a Boy Scout Troop.  The focus is generally on Webelos Activity Pins.  The other focus is learning the Scout Oath & Law.  As well as several other items needed to earn the Arrow of Light.

Just like in Boy Scouts, Cub scouts can earn ALL 20 Webelos Activity Pins.  For those who do, they can earn a patch like shown above.  Councils have their own version of this patch.  Within the Boy Scout Program, they are called Eagle Palms.

So, is earning all 20 bad?  Is earning all 144 (or so) Merit Badges bad?  Is it good? That is something for your son to answer for himself.  You as the Adult are not earning them.

In earlier posts about earning Webelos Pins, I got into a funk about getting Elliot to earn these Webelos Activity Pins.  I soon came to realize that I was pushing him and pushing Scouting on him.  I completely backed off.  That was the Summer of 2011.  I read a blog about earning Merit Badges at Summer Camp this Summer.

That guided me this summer and how I approached the Webelos II camp at Adventure Cove.  In years past I would see the Webelos Den Leader fork out lots of metal to the Webelos. COOL, I thought.   Go to a week of Summer camp and get half the Pins! DONE.  I realized from last summer to now with reading, listening and observing that this is NOT a Method of Scouting.

While Advancement is a Method of Scouting, it’s not the total answer to be a Scout.  The Method of Cubscout is a tad different from Boy Scouts, but the journey and goals are the same.

The Webelos Activity Pins are a great help into providing knowledge and fun while earning the Webelos & Arrow of Light Badge.  These Activity Pins help spark interest in various areas, which may lead into a career.  The Merit Badge program is very similar.  Once the required Webelos Activity Pins are earn, the rest help the Webelos Scout keep interest within Scouting.

“3. Using Advancement
Recognition is important to boys. The advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members and their den leader work with boys on advancement projects.”

It is not the primary focus of Cub scouts or Scouting.

The primary focus should be THE JOURNEY.  As pointed out in the Merit Badge blog, memories that are created will last longer and be a lot better than a sash full of badges.  They could be lost or forgotten, but memories will come out fast and strong when talking to buddies years from now.

So, if you son is way into Scouting and the Webelos Activity Pins are his thing and he has a lot of fun, great. Do them.  Make sure that the memories created are just as good and rewarding as earning the Webelos Activity Pins.  I know that during the Webelos II Summer Camp at Adventure Cove on the Oregon Coast, I just let Elliot do what he wanted.  He had more fun doing that, than cranking out Webelos Activity Pins.

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Cubmaster Hike #5 Pacific Crest Trail

 

  Sunday, was our last Cubmaster Hike of the whole program.  I know that I will do more of them.  But for now, since Summer is basically over, so are they.  I first wrote about this in March 2012.

My goal was to get out to places that I had never been.  I wanted to take the family and the Scouts along with me.  It started in close to home and went out further from home.   First, it was Memorial Woods Park.  Then it was Jamboree on the Trail and we were at Elk Rock Park.   Third was Whistle Punk Hike.  We ventured off to Washington State! Our fourth trek was to the Portland Audubon Society.

All of these adventures are memorable.  I can say that the first two hikes we had Scouts on them.  The other three were just the family or just Elliot and I.

My goal for this trip, was to go UP HIGH!  I wanted to hike up above Timberline Lodge and look down.  However, once Elliot and I got there, I quickly realized that UP was walking UP to where I really did not want to go.  Plus, we had just gotten to 2000 feet.  Being at sea level and then being at 2000 was not really a good idea.  Both of us were out of breath.  I knew that the Pacific Crest Trail went right through here.  So, I opted for that trip instead.  It was basically flat.   Elliot and I checked in through the Lodge and looked at what was entailed for hiking.   My first thought of people who get in a bad way up on Mt Hood when trekking, should really know what they are in for.

Suffice to say, we made it back just fine.
As we got up to the trail head, I had to push Elliot into keep going.  He was pulling all his normal excuses.  I kept telling him, that we had never been here before.  That, last time we went for a hike, he found really cool stuff and had a good time.

When we got up to the sign I asked him if he wanted to go to Mexico or Canada.  He opted for Canada, since it was CLOSER!  I agreed.  We took the easy way out…;)

We ended up hiking/walking about two to two and a half miles round trip.  We went past the Timberline boundary and into the Mt Hood National Forrest.  I got us a permit, since I did not want to pay the $100 if caught without one. Cool part of the ticket was all the Leave No Trace info.  Those USDA people think of everything.

It was interesting that a lot of people did not fill one out.  Yes, it was a day hike for us. Many others were doing the same.  We did see a lot of backpackers both coming and going.  They had the tickets.

During the course of the hike,  Elliot got fascinated with Rocks, Snow and the Ravines.  I pointed out the glaciers up at the top of Mt Hood and he saw the blue and dirty areas.  He asked why some ravines had water and others did not.  He played on the snow and even ate the snow.  Hopefully it wasn’t yellow….

In the ravines at the bottom, he dug in the dirt looking if there was water.  Nope.  One it was all recently moist.  Very moist.  The last ravine, we took a break at and had a banana and a couple of chocolate bars and water.  We were up very high and could see all the way down to the other Ski Hill.  He kept throwing rocks down, which got a few more tumbling down.  Explained that part of Leave No Trace was also not starting avalanches…  He loves to explore, so I let him.  We talked about how glaciers melt and such as he explored.

With all the exploration of bone dry, moist and WET ravines, we headed back towards the Lodge.  I promised him lunch.  Which, was very good.  The Cheese Pizza apparently is VERY GOOD here.  I had a large bowl of Chili.  Coupled with a Chocolate Shake for him and a Huckleberry one for me, we had a great day.

It was a great hike, learned a lot about how water travels.  Looking back at this today, it’s amazing to see how much he likes rocks, water and how these things works.  He drove all of this.  I just had to PUSH him to go hiking.  Richard Louv, is correct.  Read his books.  His books helped me make The Cubmaster Hike a reality.  Without reading them, we would not have had this day.

And, yes, I wrote a blog about his books.

 

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Bearing Up: Reflections on ShelterBox SRT Assessment

Reblogged from A Scouter's Journey:

Much like the Order of the Arrow and Woodbadge, within ShelterBox training there is an element of keeping the details to yourself as not to spoil it for future participants. What I can tell you is that the past week has been mentally and physically exhausting (as promised); and I loved it.
Myself and 11 other candidates spent 4 days being assessed on our leadership skills, navigational abilities, self sufficiency in primitive conditions, logistic skills and our knowledge of ShelterBox and it's role within the global humanitarian community.

Read more… 219 more words

This is a blog post that you should read. My good friend Doug Metz has been working and training with Shelterbox. It is much more than Scouting. Read this blog and the others on his site about Shelterbox and his journey.

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Cubscout Pack Position Question

Please answer……

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