Scout Parents

Scout advancement is not adults judging Scouts… … it’s Scouts meeting requirements with the support of adult volunteers – in Scout advancement we are all on the same side. We did not write the requirements. We don’t personally embroider patches to present to them. It’s tiresome and self-defeating to devise our own hoops for Scouts to jump through or impose our judgement on Scouts. Most advancement requirements are defined metrics, a few are judgement calls....

We encourage active Scouts a number of ways … … but at the heart of the matter there’s only two things that make a difference, and I’ll discuss those two key points in this week’s podcast. The same things that make active Scouts can help us increase activity at roundtables and other functions like courts of honor. We may be looking for answers in all the wrong places, or think low attendance or interest is caused by things beyond our control, I think it’s simpler than that....

How well do Parents understand Scouting? Should we expect them to? Most of us didn’t understand it either for our first two or three laps around the track. There’s an understanding that comes with having things explained, and an understanding that comes from experience – two entirely different things. This week I’ll discuss how authentic Scouting provides opportunities that most children cannot find anywhere else, and how this makes it both valuable and confusing at the same time....

Do you have quarterly Scout parent meetings? I’ll answer an email question about parent’s meetings in this podcast. On our quarterly Scout parent meetings that include a court of honor. Everyone arrives at about 7PM, the Scouts go outside to play a game and the committee chair and whomever needs to (depending on what is going on, if there’s a fundraiser it may be the person running that) talk to their parents for about 15-20 minutes about what is happening the next quarter....

21 boys boarded a boat in Poole Harbor… … they had no way of knowing they were pioneering a movement for millions of young people around the world. Several lived well into old age to vividly recount their experiences decades later. Scouting’s pathways are now worn by travel, but each new Scout today has a “Brownsea Island Moment” when they encounter a new and unexplored land, just those boys did over a century ago....

You probably can’t appreciate what your Scouting legacy will be a few years from now. Today you have your hands and your head full of getting things done; looking into the future may not be high priority. No matter how hopeful or difficult things may seem at the moment, no matter how well or poorly you imagine you are doing, how organized or chaotic things may seem, you are doing important work in the lives of your Scouts....

How about your Scouts? How about their parents? This podcast features advice for Scouters attending summer camp and parents who are staying home. I’ll discuss ten things that will make life at summer camp smooth sailing for you and your Scouts, and also share some things parents can do to prepare their Scouts and themselves for the best week for the year – Summer Camp! Parents of Scouts headed to camp for the first time may find the experience more difficult than their Scouts ever will....

We work with our Scouts as they come to us…. I’ll discuss two different parent-related issues in this third (and final) in a series of podcasts about Scout parents – First we’ll acknowledge getting parents to understand the way advancement works can be a big challenge. I’ve worked with many parents who I would consider to be overly involved in their son’s Scouting. They usually calm down a bit if I can talk to them about the nature of Scout advancement but sometimes I don’t get anywhere....

The single most important thing a Scout parents need to know is … This is the second of three podcasts about Scout parents. Scouting is not simply another activity on the schedule, it is a process. Once Scout parents understand the process they become allies, until they do we can find ourselves working at cross purposes. In Scouts there are at least two things happening at once. There’s the immediate practical goal (like getting a merit badge or going camping) and the much broader (and more important) goals of developing character, citizenship and physical, spiritual, and mental fitness....

What should Scout parents do if a child want’s to quit Scouts?… This is the first of three podcasts about Scout parents. Just about every child will reach some impasse along the way that will make them reluctant or downright adamant about participating. What Scout parents do next is important. It’s more than likely that this is going to happen to you; don’t be surprised. Your child is probably not much different than the millions of other Scouts all over the world....

A lot of our Scouts are subject to many demands on their time… .. and some are under extreme pressure from their parents. What if one of our Scouts wants to quit because they say they have no time for Scouts? Scouting ought to be challenging, but not impossible, nor should it become something stressful – Scouting is about adventure, fun and spending time with your friends! In this podcast I’ll talk about how we can help Scouts manage their commitments and figure out how to continue to have the adventure and fun Scouting offers....

Things can get tricky when you are both a Scouter and the parent of a Scout. In this week’s podcast I’ll answer email questions about occupying the role of parent and Scouter, how small troops work, and what qualifies as service for the ranks of Star and Life. The Big Three Resources every Scouter should read. Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS...

It’s catch-up time! In this week’s podcast I’ll catch up on email questions concerning approving requirements, relationships between Cub Packs and Troops, moving to a new Troop, unit policy manuals, how Scouts address Scouters, and determining what activities best achieve the aims of Scouting. Links in this podcastThe Big Three Resources every Scouter should read Music Chirstine Lavin – Camping Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Podcast: Play in new window | Download...

Who was the voice of Scouting? How did a Danish Scout become the voice of Scouting in the United States? He knew the source code! What must we have to have to call what we do “Scouting”? This podcast is the second installment of a great story that ought to inspire us all to think about what we are doing and why. I’ll also answer an email question about parents on camping trips....

Every so often I hear from a Scouter or parent about a Scout who has a problem with bedwetting. It goes without saying that I am not a medical expert, but I did a little research and several sources agree an estimated 3.75 -5.25 million boys (and a smaller number of girls) in the United States have a medical condition known as nocturnal enuresis (NE) or involuntary urination during sleep, commonly called bedwetting....

Once you become a Scouter, what’s next? What five things can you do to make the best of your opportunity as a Scouter? Whether you are just starting out, or have been around for awhile, let’s get the new year off on the right foot by thinking about making the best of our opportunities! This podcast also features answers to email questions about the difference between Venturing and other age divisions, addressing parent’s concerns about supervision on camping trips, and youth leader development....

When the Emperor has no new clothes… it’s sort of embarrassing for everyone isn’t it? Listen to my response to those (thankfully few) troops who decide to create their own requirements. Adding to the requirements is as misguided as subtracting from them, and sends a mixed message to the youth we serve. In the email segment of this podcast we answer questions about whether a Scoutmaster should step down if his son becomes the senior patrol leader, Scouting urban legends, resolving conflicts with parents, how much the Scoutmaster is involved in Eagle paperwork, disciplining Scouts, and more on the mechanics of patrol formation,...

Podcast Episode (00:33:20): Download MP3 Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 237 | What, exactly, is the Patrol Method? Why did our founder emphasize the importance of the patrol method over all else in Scouting? In this week’s podcast the third of four installments that discusses the typical objections raised when the patrol method is applied. Three different email questions on the theme of focusing on the individual Scout, one has an over ambitious parent and an attitude problem, one has special needs, and one is going through tough times....

Podcast Episode (00:26:23): Download MP3 Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 236 | What, exactly, is the Patrol Method? Why did our founder emphasize the importance of the patrol method over all else in Scouting? In this week’s podcast the second of four installments that describes te adult role in applying the patrol method. I also answer an email from a Cub Den Leader and parent who is concerned with about his son having the same great experience in Scouts he did as a youth and navigating all of the various activities available for children outside of Scouting....

Contributor Dave Klein lives in Southern California with his wife and two Boy Scout sons. He has been involved in numerous adult leader positions within both Cub and Boy Scouts for 11 years. Dave is Woodbadge trained and has served as Assistant Scoutmaster for eight years. He is also the Troop Activities Chair and Webmaster. Watching a Little League game I realized how much little league and Scouting have in common....