Posted on 01/23/2006 3:56:02 PM PST by Coleus
Monmouth Boy Scouts to Charge Annual Fee
(MARLBORO, N.J.) The Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts will start charging a $52 annual membership fee, beginning March 15.
Previously, parents paid a one-time registration fee.
The group says it needs the money to help erase more than $1 million in debt that was caused by expenses and professional fees.
The group also is asking parents to match the fee with a voluntary donation.
Families with more than one Boy Scout will get a 25 percent discount on each additional child.
Membership in the Scouts has been on the decline in recent years.
Monmouth BSA
A very sad thing to hear. So, now boys can experience the great outdoors by riding in their Mom's mini-van down to the soccer field. There they can run back and forth for awhile and have absolutely no idea what they are doing.
Meanwhile, the boys that are members of Scouting will be learning things like lifesaving, swimming, hiking, camping, survival, and so much more.
Remember, send donations to Scouting and not United Way.
This is a consequence of the existence of the ACLU.
Scouts need help!!! My FOS contribution was $250.
If you can get your hands on a current copy of Boy's Life there is a great story about a doctor using his BSA taught skills to save numerous lives. It is a truly amazing story. The MD is an Eagle scout.
Bring it on, ACLU. You will lose.
I'll find this council and send them a donation.
Thanks for all you do for Scouting! You're a hero, Sand. Never forget it.
Winter camp is great, and only $55.
My youngest son and oldest daughter (in a Venture crew) sold popcorn like crazy this year, however, and because of how well they did ($740 in sales) one of our Scouts has his dues, winter camp, and summer camp paid for this coming year.
Scouting can be affordable if you work at it. And it is so worth it!!
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bttt
And the Cub Scouts have had female "den mothers" forever.
The one sponsored by my conservative Baptist church did back in the mid-60's, so that's nothing new. Female Scoutmaster, that's a different thing altogether. The guys in Scouting age need strong male role models.
There was a second, more troublesome issue with that troop. The parents were constantly in "raising money" mode and the troop was off to very expensive outings every month. Nice people with a champagne budget and tastes in activities. It was an order of magnitude beyond anything I ever experienced in my own PTA sponsored troop.
I really dislike those kinds. Have you ever seen that post, the myths about Eagle, or something like that? I'll go find it and post it here for you. It's great, imo.
Statistics are dangerous. Used properly statistics can build, motivate and serve as guidelines; however, if not used carefully, they will destroy confidence, make tasks seem impossible or improbable, and even serve as a crutch for justifying failure.
Generally speaking, young men know no bounds. Restrictions and decreased motivation are most often an environmental phenomenon created by leaders. While only three percent of scouts may achieve their Eagle rank, this is nothing more than a statistic. It should only be used as praise for a young man who has soared.
The statistic is not meant as a limiting factor - do not use it as one. Do not let the young men reason that the troop has already awarded its 3% quota of Eagles so they may now cease work. Every scoutmaster, scouting coordinator, committee chairman, committee member, and chartered organization leader should have as their goal a troop of 100% Eagle Scouts. To say that it cannot or should not be done is the first great myth.
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MYTH
Most people who subscribe to the myth that only a few boys should be Eagles base their belief on the qualifications and expectations that are attached to a young man who wears the Eagle badge. To wear the Eagle badge, a young man must be mature, highly motivated, goal oriented, have developed leadership skills and woodsman skills, exhibit a high degree of citizenship, demonstrate a loyalty to his God, and exhibit a positive self image. That's a formidable task, yes, a task not achieved by many young men. However, with the right leadership it is a task within the reach of every young man, and it is upon this premise that I base my analysis of effective programs. The first leadership truth is that every young man within the reach of an effective scoutmaster can and should be an Eagle Scout.
Having been involved in scouting leadership for years, the response to that statement is anticipated. Immediately after declaring my first leadership truth I am usually criticized about my opinion of scouting and blasted with a number of applied limitations. An applied limitation is a limitation that only exists because someone in authority has applied the limitation to a person. For example, if a young man is constantly told he is not mature enough he will attach that limitation and point to it as the reason why he does not succeed. Over and over again I have seen young scouts enter the scouting program at eleven years of age with the motivation of a freight train traveling at full speed, only to have some leader figuratively grab hold of the boy's coat tails and tell him to slow down. "slow down or you will burn out." "Twelve-year-old boys are not mature enough to be Star Scouts." "You cannot work on that merit badge, you aren't old enough." Or, in the case of older scouts, "you don't have the ability to catch up with the scouts your age; just come on the camps with us." These, and all other applied limitations form the misconceptions that stand in the way or "limit" a troop from being a 100% Eagle Troop. The simple truth is that 100% of the troop can be Eagle Scouts, and leaders should not be embarrassed at a high level of advancement. Eagle Scouts are in fact the ultimate goal (but not the final or only goal) of the system, because the Eagle award embodies the skills and moral characteristics inherent in the program.
The text above was reprinted from a book titled: "On Tender Feet and Eagles' Wings" by Kevin R. Murray
In our new troop he went from Scout to First Class in about nine months and is about to go Star. He dove in hard after being told that and also has about 20 merit badges now.
We were upset when it happened and hated changing troops, but now we think it may have been terrific motivation for him.
I said this because it's in there too - Or, in the case of older scouts, "you don't have the ability to catch up with the scouts your age; just come on the camps with us."
What we think we learned from that lesson is that a good SM, and we have a really great one now, is the bottom line.
The article about bad advice is clearly something experienced by many scouts. My #2 son definitely has the tenacity. He has financed his degree in business by selling real estate. As a 22 year old licensed real estate broker, he is well positioned to pursue his interest in law school. He plans to do that in the Fall of 2007 after his commitment to the USMC is complete.
We're trying. Constant rain is keeping us from completing Pers. Fitness and Cycling.
He's got First Aid, E Prep, all three Citizenships, Env Sc., Family Life, and is working on Communications.
We're hoping by fall he'll have everything but Pers. Management.
When you run into a resource limit, divert the energy to a merit badge that holds a particularly keen interest. Snap them up as rapidly as time permits.
Good strategy! Thanks.
It's awful about your son. A loss to the troop and to Scouting!
I have seen young Scouts like the article describes and hope they are being carefully nurtured.
Last spring I had a 15 yo Scout in my Animal Science group at a weekend MB event. He took it because he was already Eagle at 13(I think?) and had now some 70 plus merit badges, but not yet Animal Science.
I had a keen interest in electricity in kindergarden. The bell and buzzer circuits that were common in "science fair" stuff in 6th grade were the subject on my "show and tell" in kindergarden. Both electricity and electronics are great "rainy day" things to do inside. You can get the basic parts at Radio Shack.
You obviously have a computer in the house. The computer merit badge is a good indoor activity too. The weather merit badge is a quick one too.
Look over the requirements here. Quicker and cheaper than chasing down a printed copy.
I must say that I have worked with numerous female Scouters and have found them active, able, and dedicated. I know of more than one unit that would not exist due to lack of leadership if women were not allowed to be unit leaders. I have been in Scouting as an adult for over 13 years and have been very active at the District and Council levels and I have never met a female Scouter who was in Scouting for a political/social agenda.
Send me a motivated boy on his 14th birthday and he can get to Eagle a little after his 16th birthday.
I served 8 years as a Scoutmaster, and my own son made Eagle. But I'll say this; there are 8 methods in Scouting. Advancement is one of them. A great many kids go in and out of Scouting without making Eagle (including myself), but they still get a heck of a lot of good out of Scouting. I give all the support I can to help a motivated Scout make Eagle, but I don't see the percentage of kids who make Eagle in a Troop as a measure of the effectiveness of that Troop. Eagle has to be something that the Scout wants to do, not something that I push the kid into because I think that it's the best thing for him or because it makes me look good. The worth of an Eagle is as much the journey it took him to make it as it is the rank itself. If you turn a Troop into "Eagle School", I'm not so sure the kids benefit so much from it.
That's pretty much what our new SM said.
And I agree that not all Scouts want to make Eagle, and will get a great deal out of Scouting without doing so. Our younger son (adopted) has delayed development and really struggled to make 2nd Class. It took him three tries to pass the SM conference. He is getting an enormous amount of personal growth from Scouting.
The thing that makes me angry are the people who hold Scouts back because Eagle is only for "the few". We were really proud of our (older) son because he came home and told us he wanted Eagle, after being told it was next to impossible. We changed troops and he proved he was willing to work hard to get there - so far at least.
Can you tell me about the 8 methods? I am very interested..
Anyway Electronics is on mom's want list, but so far he has not really gone for it. It actually looks like a fairly demanding MB to me...
Here is what he has now (non-Eagle) -
Art
Animal Science
Computers
Space Exploration
Fishing
Fire Safety
Reading
Nuclear Science
Snow Sports
Forestry
Woodcarving
Basketry
Leatherwork
Photography
Canoeing
Whitewater
He is going to be working on Wilderness Survival next...did you know there is a movement to have it added as a required Eagle badge?
Look at all that "free education" from a lot of professionals. How can any club or other activity come close by comparison in terms of what they have to offer?
I have been giving this more thought and I see what you mean, I think, now. It would be hard to tease apart into separate issues all of the great things about Scouting. I think the wonderful friendships, both for our boys and for us, are a huge part of what we like about it.
Scouting is about GOOD PEOPLE, if I had to sum it up into one thing only.
My Life service project was done at a widow's house on the edge of town. I took my patrol out and we cleared the brush for a 300 foot radius from her home. She had a farm with a barn and field around the house. The brush had grown fairly heavy and we had lots of brush fires (1970) in the area.
I think the Wilderness Survival badge would be an excellent upgrade to the required Eagle badges. It is a very useful skill. Many of those skills were traditionally part of the 2nd and 1st class requirements.
Seems like mostly around here they call it service time. For Star he worked a few days at a food bank - his idea, and he used the same work for his Community badge so the time was well-spent.
He signed up to work at a fundraiser breakfast or something, and our troop gives credit on service time for Scouting for Food. Both of those will happen after he reaches Star this coming Sat. That should give him 4 hours at least.
Which other merit badges did you earn? My son loves to look at the older merit badge names. It sure tells you a lot about our society and how it has changed to look at the merit badges for each generation.
You're certainly not alone. One of the reasons we're going to just get it and be done with it is so that we don't get hit with it as a requirement at the last minute.
There is a lot of money to be made in the boycott industry.
My Life service project was approved by the Scoutmaster. Many of the scouts who participated were given credit toward their advancement as part of the overall effort.
I haven't looked at my merit badge sash in a very long time. In addition to the required badges, I recall: Music, Bugling, Electronics, Electricity, Radio, Firemanship. I'll have to pull it out to check for the remainder. The uniform has been put away since 1972.
1. Ideals
Each Scout commits himself to the personal behavior guides and standards in the Scout motto, the slogan, the Oath and the Law
2. Patrols
Patrols give Scouts experience in teamwork, democracy and leadership.
3. Outdoors
Scouting emphasizes outdoors activities which foster an appreciation of nature and our ecology. Along the way, Scouts practice and learn new skills and develop confidence in their own abilities to cope with obstacles. Scouting is outing!
4. Advancement
The advancement program provides Scouts with a ladder of skills to climb at his own pace. On the way up, he has many opportunities to learn and to be recognized for his achievements.
5. Personal growth
All of the other methods contribute to the personal growth of a Scout through experience. The quest for growth is a method, too.
6. Adult association
Adult leaders, male and female, provide an example to Scouts of the high character they should strive for in their personal growth.
7. Leadership development
Making boys get leadership experiences is one of the most valuable things Scouting does.
8. Uniform
The uniform reminds a Scout of who he is and what is expected of him. It identifies him as part of a patrol, troop, council and worldwide youth movement. He can take pride in being a Scout, and in the achievements shown on his uniform and sash. Even neighborhood gangs recognize the importance of wearing a uniform, their colors.
We were taught these when I took Wood Badge. These are from National.
I think Cooking MB should be required for Eagle, myself.
For anyone who's interested, I'm going to be SPL of Des Plaines Valley Council's Wood Badge course C-20-06 at 9/15-17/06 and 10/6-8/06. If you are a Scouter who has taken basic training and hasn't taken Wood Badge, you should consider it!
Better Cooking than Env Science. My son thinks Fire Safety should be Eagle.
Thank you for posting these for me!
I have never met a female Scouter who was in Scouting for a political/social agenda. >>
how do you know?
Thanks for the suggestion yesterday. I spoke with my son about it. Last night he made arrangments to do the first 4 requirements of Communications this Sat. with his MBC.
He's doing this one with the troop advancement chair because it looks so difficult in terms of arrangements.
Got my first two beads at C-19-96; my Dad, who used to be an Owl, put them around my neck. Got my third as a Troop Guide at C-19-02. I trained as SPL for a course in '05 that got cancelled, so we're trying again.
how do you know?
O.K. I'll restate; I have never met a female Scouter who was in Scouting for any political or social agenda that they have revealed through either word or deed.
Well, I got my first two beads in the previous course and got my third in the new one. I liked both courses. I'm more of an outdoors type of guy and so I liked that aspect of the previous course better. Apparently the BSA found that it was more important to pass along the ideals/methods than outdoor skills and also got a lot of feedback that people no longer responded well to getting sandbagged as an instructional method (at least, that was the perception). Me, I thought it added a little spice. They've really turned it more into a management course, although it's still obviously BSA training. I still think that every unit leader should take it.
Frankly he knows it is an ER badge so he is going to do it. He is very Eagle-motivated.
It's really hard these days, or maybe just where we are, for teens to find jobs. Our oldest has been looking hard and not had one phone call. She is in a Venture crew and volunteers on weekends at one of the BSA camps here.
I bet that was a great experience for you - mowing lawns. Sounds like your parents were terrific.
When I was at PacBell I frequently had requests for help from people at my current employer. I had no real intent to leave PacBell. When I decided it was time to go, my current employer hand carried an offer to my door. It was acceptable and essentially locked down a new position about 10 days before I left PacBell. That was 1991.
Landing the first position before you have any track record or opportunity to network with people who know your skillset is difficult. Many students intern at my current company while they are in school. It gives them work experience, a chance to build a track record and a set of references with people who know what they can do. I've had an intern on my railcar project for 6 weeks each of the past two summers. A bright student from MIT. He worked on some signal processing algorithms to convert Matlab code and some numerical recipes algorithms into a first draft of C language versions.
Share the ones you remember now!
He is on a kick now where he says you can do older, retired merit badges. He wants to do one from the early 1900's! And find someone to make a badge for him to wear.
If you don't have anything around the house, a Ruger 10/22 is a great starting point. Leave the iron sights on it as the merit badge requires shooting with the stock open sights. A box of 500 rounds will cost you about $10 at most stores. Don't forget shooting glasses and ear protection. Even the lowly .22LR produces enough of a supersonic "crack" to damage hearing over a prolonged period.
See if you have an indoor range in your area. The required distance for the merit badget is 50 feet. Most indoor ranges are set up with 15 or 25 yard lanes with a target trolley to carry the target downrange. The 15 yard is just short of the requirement. Take a measuring tape and have the range officer call a halt so you can put some masking tape on the floor at the 50 foot point in the 25 yard lane.
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