Save the Date--and Time - Eagle Tip
This week, I received one of those “save the date” postcards that are increasingly popular for weddings these days. The wedding will be held next May 10 at … well, the card didn’t say.Given that May 10 is a Friday, I can assume an evening wedding, but it would have been nice if the time had been included on the postcard. I’m pretty sure the time has been set.Now, I don’t think “save the date”... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-30Stay out of the Risk Zone - smtip
How many people are killed each day by distracted drivers? What’s the most important factor in towing a trailer? How can drivers combat drowsy driving? Why are 15-passenger vans more susceptible to rollovers than other vehicles?Those are just some of the questions addressed in Transporting Scouts Safely, a supplemental training module that you can access at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/632-006_WB.pdf. If you don’t know the answers, you should review the syllabus. If other drivers in your troop don’t... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-23Choose Your Own Adventure - SMTip
When I first started in Scouting, troops figured out where to go camping based on word of mouth and the “where to go camping” directories that Order of the Arrow lodges occasionally published. These days, of course, camping information is as close as your web browser. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed; search for “camping in Kentucky” on Google, and you’ll get 11 million hits.Now, thanks to Circle 10 Council Scouter Anthony Morris, searching is... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-16A Salute from the Top - Eagle Tip
When it comes to congratulatory letters at Eagle courts of honor, I’ve long preferred quality over quantity. Rather than solicit 100 random letters, request a tenth that many that will really mean something to the honoree.If your next honoree is interested in the military, you’ll definitely want to include the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on your solicitation list. To receive a certificate from JCS, send a request letter to:Office of the Chairman of the... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-09A Lesson in Penmanship - eagle tip
One of my favorite court of honor moments is when a new Eagle Scout looks into the audience and challenges younger Scouts to follow in his footsteps. That moment is especially great when he’s not afraid to name names and offer a personal challenge to, say, his younger brother or a Scout who needs a little extra encouragement.Awhile back, tip subscriber Rita Guarino offered an idea for making this moment even better. The idea: have... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-02Getting Cub Scout Leaders to Serve Again
Hello Everyone,While I have been an Adult Leader I have served with many other Adult Leaders who have been asked to serve again and I have been able to introduce in being a Cub Scout Leader.At the last Blue and Gold Dinner my boys Bridged to Boy Scouts and I was able to have both of my other Den Leaders step up and and become Den Leaders again for their younger boys. All I had... [More]
By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-04-30A Video Letter to the Future - Eagle Tip
People planning Eagle courts of honor often include slide shows or videos during their ceremonies. Computer technology is making such presentations easier than ever.But what about a video that documents a court of honor for the future? I don’t mean a straightforward video of the ceremony—although that’s a great keepsake to have—but a short video that encapsulates the spirit of the ceremony.That’s what Troop 360 in Garland Texas did recently. You can see the result... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-04-25Starting a new Boy Scout Troop
Hello Everyone,I have been humbled. I have been asked by the local BSA District I am in to establish a Special Needs Youth Troop. I said yes and started to work on this project as my son's were in their last year of Cub Scouts.I have gone through many challenges starting this Troop and many around finding a Charter Organization. I was able to recruit my "Dream Team" of Adult Leaders and they are now... [More]
By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-04-23About Those Star and Life Leadership Projects, Part 2 - eagle tip
My last tip discussed the Star and Life option for counting a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project as a substitute for holding a position of responsibility. I asked you what sorts of projects you’ve used and quickly heard back from my friend James Spurgeon, who recently served as Scoutmaster of my home troop.James has used the provision a few times. The specific example he cited was when he named a Scout to be the troop’s Scout skills... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-04-18About Those Star and Life Leadership Projects, Part 1 - smtip
I traded emails last week with a Scouter who’d purchased The Scoutmaster’s Other Handbook. He and another adult in his unit were having a dispute about the option in Star and Life (but not Eagle) that lets the Scoutmaster assign a leadership project in lieu of a Scout serving in a position of responsibility. One of them thought a half-day project to clean out a storage shed would suffice; the other thought the project needed... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-04-16