The Practical Scouter

It was so nice, we had to do it twice.  Okay, maybe not twice, but the conversation just kept on going.  Part 2 of our discussion on a Troop open house.

After an extended intro discussing...well...pretty much nothing, we start a discussion about holding an open house event for your Troop.  Make sure you listen through the end for some words of wisdom from a special guest.

It's Pinewood season, so we tell stories of Derbies past, present and future.

Jay and Gregg have added to their hours a week!

Aside from required position training, how do you get leaders to attend next-level options such as Wood Badge, Powderhorn, University of Scouting and other opportunities?

Can you believe this is our 50th episode?  We reflect on what we've done so far and why we continue to give our hour a week to Scouting.

We are back and reflecting on the Wood Badge course that we all just finished staffing.

We've all seen Units dissolve, but have you been part of the process?  We have, and talk about the reasons, the process and what happened next.

For as long as we can remember, Jay has had a hand in bringing our local University of Scouting to life.  On this week's episode we talk about why you should host, attend and instruct at a UofS.

This week we welcome our special guest Steve, who will be one of the leaders for our Council's 2022 contingent at the Scottish Jamborette.

Also, who wants to help design the uniform knot presented to guests on the Practical Scouter?

We just had our annual Scouter Recognition Dinner.  How do you recognize and celebrate your leaders?

Our first big "getting the band back together" event was a huge success.  We talk about Camporees big and small, near and far.

This week we're talking about membership trends (they're not good).

Once you hit the Scouts BSA program, youth-led means hands-off for the adults.  That can be a big change for Cub leaders and new parents who aren't used to letting their youth fail safely.  How do you manage the adults who won't stand back?

We're getting back to a regular schedule soon, we promise!  This week we talk about the age of our Scouts and how that translates into positions of responsibility, leadership and mentoring.

Sorry it's been so long, but we are back!  Due to the nature of the position it often feels like Cub leaders are new trainees while BSA leaders stay for ages.  How do you create a culture of support from Troops to Packs that fosters building up our Cub leadership?

Bob's Back!  We continue to discuss the upcoming Wood Badge course and why YOU should attend, for yourself and for your unit.

We're back!  This week (and next week) we welcome Bob, upcoming Wood Badge Course Director, as we discuss the benefits of the WB curriculum and our respective journeys through the program.

We've pulled back from Covid for the last couple of weeks, but the impact is pervasive in the Scouting program and top of mind in everything we do.  This week we review the Model Covid 19 Pre Event Medical Screening Checklist (say that 3 times fast).

You've got an organizational structure, financials, multi-year plans, and so on.  Sounds like a business to us.  This week we talk about running the business side of the Scouting program.

What does your DE (District Executive) do?  This week we talk about the retirement of a 40-year career Scouter and how he made a difference in the lives of the youth and adults that he served.

This week Jeff interviews local Cubmaster Merredith, who shares her thoughts on leadership, recruiting and Troop coordination.

How do you recruit Cubs into your Troop?  As a Cub leader/parent, what are you looking for from a recruiting event?

We've been away for a few weeks, but we're back and look at the most recent changes to the COVID guidance and how it will impact Scouting going forward.

Chet is back for a discussion of how to fit the right Scouts with the right Positions of Responsibility.

Our conversation with Chet continues as we discuss the permanence of the Eagle rank, the Points of the Law and Woods Wisdom.

This week we speak to our local Advancement Chair and talk about Eagle extensions, rejected BORs and leadership positions.

This week we talk about advancement and merit badges when the Scout is working on their own.  Of course we Trust but what about when things are moving more quickly than leaders are comfortable with?

"It's the journey, not the destination", we've all said it.  Yet with so much focus on attaining Eagle it can be difficult to convince Scouts (and especially parents) that racing to Eagle at a young age doesn't provide the benefit of experiencing everything that Scouting has to offer.  What age is that?  It depends on a lot of things.

As Scouters we spend a lot of time working on Advancement and handing out patches to our youth.  Those patches are both symbols of their accomplishments and motivation to get the next thing done.  But what about us?  Don't the adults love their bling as well?

Don't let your Scouts fall into the "I can't complete this badge due to COVID" trap.  There's plenty that can, and should, still be done.  Plus we take the daily-holiday thing to another level.

The school year is starting and many of the usual activities are limited or on hold.  So why not use this opportunity to bring more youth into Scouting?

We've been gone for a few weeks, but the Practical Scouter is back.  Today's topic: school starts shortly, and we're still trying to have some "normal" Scouting to go along with it.  What do we expect?

This episode we start talking about Arbor Day, then get into Scouts who aren't happy in their current environment and how to work with them.  

Cubmasters and Scoutmasters move on; we've all been there, both as the one moving on and the one there to help the Unit continue.  How do you do it?

If you're listening to this you likely are (or were) both a Scouter and a Scout Parent.  How do you draw the line between the two?

Last week we hosted our first Council-wide Roundtable.  Did it work?  What did we learn?

So you have the opportunity to get your Scouts back into camp, either for the day or an overnight.  How do you cook? Sleep? Use the bathroom? We talk about our local guidance for Safe Scouting during these unique times. 

We continue to talk about returning to some semblance of normal Scouting, and this time Jay is back so you know it's going to be good!

This episode was recorded on June 11th, just as we were able to resume in-person Scouting activities here in Connecticut.  Jeff and Gregg talk through the plan, and on next week's episode we'll tell you how it actually went.

This week Jeff and Gregg talk about the Den Leader Experience and why it's the toughest job in Scouting.

Jay and Jeff sit down with our local Popcorn Kernel Dave to discuss not only the How but also the Why of popcorn sales.

Scout camps are cancelled across much of the US.  What does this mean for summer Scouting, recruiting and our personal vacation plans?

Time for another special guest: this time it's David, a local District Commissioner, who takes us through Unit Commissioner service.  How do you stop in to visit your units when they aren't meeting?

This week we bring our fellow Scouter John on the show.  Last week John put on a wonderful online STEM-themed camporee in place of a planned physical event.  We discuss how they made the change, what factors led to the success of the event and try to get him to sign up for more work!

This week we focus on the Cub program and how the virtual meeting world can be brought to them.  We also review the guidance on meeting recordings, two-deep leadership and youth protection which quickly gets complicated in the digital world.

Gregg, our resident ADC of Roundtables, takes us through the process and content for his initial Virtual RT.  We discuss what went right, what went wrong and where we all think the future is going for these meetings.