What are your Scouts working on? (Boys & Girls)

[wathe]

Scouts Canada had a national virtual campfire last night, broadcast on youtube.  Groups submitted songs, cheers, skits (mostly recorded from zoom meetings, some recorded at live campfires pre-COVID) and national pieced them all together, inter-cut with goofy campfire "hosts" antics.  It was really fun.  Our cubs did a skit - it was really cute.

[SKL]

I'm about back where I was last year ... really not sure about continuing next year.  And if I don't decide to remain active next year, then should we just drop the whole thing right now?  Or finish what we'd planned to do before crossover?

We've been on a hiatus since corona delayed the crossover.  We are still very close to finishing enough badges to get the level award.  We will have time this coming week to finish that.  But I'm not sure if it's worth the effort ... I think I have become lazy or something.  Motivation is at an all time low in all areas.  I think it's the inability to plan for the future that has muddled up our present.

So I haven't said anything to anyone about it yet.  Right now I'm leaning toward finishing those badges, and trying to get close to finishing badges for the next level too.  My youngest should easily have all the requirements for her 2021 level award, if she proceeds with the fall Operation Christmas Child project - though, who knows if that is even possible this year?  Then they could both reconsider whether to continue when they are a little more mature.

I had thought they were going to go to high school in the same city as the AHG meetings, which would make things a lot easier.  But now they are registered for a school that is still farther away.  I don't know what high school is going to be like - what the extracurricular schedule / homework demands will be.  So it's hard to say.  If I agree to continue, I'll probably have to be a leader, which is a real commitment for me ....

[mom2scouts]

DH tried to get together a bike ride last week with the troop, but only a couple of leaders and one Scout other than DS showed up. He's trying again tomorrow. As of now, summer camp is still on, but there are so many changes and new rules that interest is low. Sea Scouts have been having online meetings and did a workday in shifts so they could work in very small groups. We still haven't been able to have an Eagle Court of Honor and ds will probably age out of the troop before it's even possible.

[wathe]

All summer camps are cancelled and all Scouts Canada properties are closed to at least Aug 31 here. 

Our cub group has been doing a really good job with virtual meetings for our cubs.  We've done games (in-home scavenger hunt is very popular),  songs (make up a hand-washing song with actions, to help remember the steps for a proper hand-wash, present to the group the next week), cutting fabric for the local mask-sewing guild, making water filters (hosted by the local university STEM outreach group), a bead craft, making planters, guiding youth through badge requirements (it's the perfect time to work on the "home" badge), filming our skit for the virtual national campfire.  It's been surprisingly engaging and productive.

[City Mouse]

On 1/8/2020 at 8:43 PM, City Mouse said:

My DS just got the call today that he got the job he had applied for at Philmont .Now we just have to wait for the ground to dry enough to actually do the work day for his Eagle  Project. Unfortunately, with the winter we have had so far, that could be May.

Philmont just announced that it will not be opening this summer, so DS’s job and summer plans are gone. Just two years ago Philmont was closed due to wild fires. https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR1a5ll9qPMxHg7mXFw5-SZOGU-QqGUlMyZkQweoDmD_zjCbsUIldyP-Uc4
Many of the troops (Including my DSs troop)  that were to attend this summer had been rescheduled from 2018. 

[Sherry in OH]

My sons' troop met in person this week for the first time since early March.  Less than a third of the scouts attended.  Some families were out of town, others did not feel comfortable meeting in a group even though the meeting was outdoors and scouts were masked.  June summer camp has been cancelled.  Current plans are to attend a different camp in July, providing, of course, that that camp is not also cancelled. 

[wathe]

All in-person scouting activities have been suspended until August 31 in Canada.  That's camps, meetings, everything.  Only virtual meetings are allowed.

[mom2scouts]

We were all sitting around this morning, unshowered and scraggly looking, when a group of vehicles pulled up to our house beeping their horn. We went outside and found out they were here to award DH the District Scoutmaster of the Year award. He didn't feel he deserved it, especially this year which has been extra frustrating, but he's definitely put in years of hard work.

[ScoutTN]

7 hours ago, mom2scouts said:

We were all sitting around this morning, unshowered and scraggly looking, when a group of vehicles pulled up to our house beeping their horn. We went outside and found out they were here to award DH the District Scoutmaster of the Year award. He didn't feel he deserved it, especially this year which has been extra frustrating, but he's definitely put in years of hard work.

Congrats to your Dh!!

[ScoutTN]

Ds' troop is still not meeting in person, though it is ok with government, charter, and council. They have a good outdoor meeting place. 

There have been two service opportunities and ds got to do those. Those have been a lifesaver bc with only Zoom, his interest is low and falling. Socially motivated kid who isn't a diligent, self-starter type. Working on badges at home by himself seems more like school than Scouts, and he does not like school. 

COH at the end of June. In Zoom or irl? 

No word yet on camping or troop activities in the fall. No troop camping happening this summer. 🙁 

Summer camp is cancelled. But, the camp is having 8 badge days in July and August. Many badges offered. 8:00 am - 5:00 pm bring your lunch, each badge group (or green bar) is socially distanced from other groups but not necessarily within the group. Everything is outside.  Ds is signed up for 3: fishing, archery, green bar.

Ds is 4 weeks into the 12 of the Personal Fitness mb. He is very unmotivated, but swim practice and flag football practice are providing the structured exercise to get it done. 

[City Mouse]

My DS finally completed his project for Eagle and has his final board of review tomorrow. I am way more nervous about it than he is. 

 

[mom2scouts]

Not much is happening with our troop. We couldn't get the Scouts interested in Zoom meetings of any kind. DH has tried to arrange some hikes, bike rides, and fishing, but we were only able to get a few Scouts each time. DS never got to have his Eagle Court of Honor and he ages out of the troop this week. He finished Eagle 8 months ago. 😕We're talking about finding some way to have it outside or something. Our chartering organization is not allowing us to meet in their building and the weather starts getting worse in September. Camping is only allowed on Council properties in groups of 10 or less which requires more adults and doesn't allow new adventures for older scouts. Our troop was already in a vulnerable stage with no Webelos moving up, parents who weren't willing to help, and lots of older boys getting Eagle and/or turning 18.

Edited September 1, 2020 by mom2scouts

[wathe]

DS11 finished his Messengers of Peace project last month and received his award.  He worked very hard on it and is super excited and pleased about it.  Sadly, no ceremony (we aren't meeting regularly over the summer), but that didn't seem to bother him.

[ScoutTN]

Ds is working on the last few things for 2nd class. He's stalled out on the Personal Fitness mb.  Haven't heard what the PLC is planning for the fall yet. Ds will get to do the archery mb at a council day camp in a few weeks.

Dd, who is in AHG, has completed all but one Stars and Stripes required badge, and only has two things left to do on that. She is done with requirements for her level award, but has to wait til March for a BOR.  Dumb rule. She's the Patriot girl leader this year and is speaking to parents of prospective girls at a recruiting event Thursday evening. Her unit is working on My Style and US Military heroes badges. 

Edited September 1, 2020 by ScoutTN

[City Mouse]

On 8/31/2020 at 12:07 AM, Margaret in CO said:

 The EBoR will go great! Take lots of photos!

 No pictures. It was done over Google Meet, but it went well. Now we have to wait until probably winter break before the big “party” is held.  The troop had 4 kids earn Eagle this spring/summer after like 10 years of no Eagles, and our little town is full of retirees who are Eagle Scouts, so this is likely become a whole town event.

[felicity]

My boys are out of Scouts now, one earned his Eagle, one will not, which is fine. 

My girls are both working on the highest awards for their GS levels, dd12 her Silver and dd14 her Gold. My dd12's project deals with period poverty in our local schools while the schools themselves are closed. I'm so proud of her--she's let meetings with school district department heads and has organized everything on her own. DD14's project is a bigger deal because Gold is huge and she's stuck in the paperwork quagmire which is squashing her motivation so I'm trying to get her to finish everything as quickly as she can so she can actually work on her project. She's educating people about bats and why they need protection and how to build bat houses. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the basis. I was concerned about her finding a project she was excited about so I'm super proud of her for finding something and then actually starting the process. 

[felicity]

6 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

Oh help them keep pushing!

My DD11's troop was working on bronze when everything went down and the troop imploded through it.  So no one got bronze, but I am now in place as a co-leader and I am hoping that DD11 will be able to earn silver (not this year, but through the next couple) and that DD9 (in the same troop but the only young one) will be able to earn bronze though this.  

 

Gold is *SO* hard.  I have been a Girl Scout almost continuously since I was 7.  I wasn't able to finish out Gold.  Gold Award is *SO* hard.  

I'm so sorry about your troop. What was their plan? Didn't they extend the deadline for it? My dd12 barely got her Bronze and dd14 just squeaked the Silver paperwork in so I decided to have them start way early for their next awards. Plus sophomore year is the last year that they have any free time in high school so I wanted dd14 to work on it now. 

I'm also hoping that working on their Silvers will keep my Cadettes involved in GS. We've been meeting virtually since late May and through the summer but I figure with ongoing plans it'll be harder to just quit. I hope.

Gold is so intimidating in a way Eagle wasn't for my oldest son. It doesn't help that dd14 hates me telling her how to do things (there's a reason homeschooling didn't last with her). I'm trying to pass as much of the work to her leader but some has to just get done. I worry that if her proposal is denied for whatever reason she'll just give up. 

(Also I can't remember to save my live how to change my signature and it's been a while so everything is pretty outdated.)

[felicity]

13 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Council did extend but the original leaders imploded under the stress.  I had a thread last year, they were already not on fabulous ice.   One leader up and left, with apparently a lot of name calling up front, but a lot of behind the scenes ‘stuff’. 

I will say, the thing that kept me involved in Scouts as a cadette/senior was travel.  And though covid inhibits that, I think travel could really hook some girls in.  I travelled more with Scouts than with my own family.   

Oh sorry I missed that. And that the leaders imploded. 

I agree that travel is key. Before everything that was my goal, to get the girls out and about as much as we could. Now I'm not entirely sure what to do. We aren't allowed to meet in person yet and I doubt that we'll be able to before January. Even after that our options will be limited as well. Your troop is 1st year Cadettes, right? We're a tiny little troop of 5-6 girls but if your girls ever want penpals a little older, let me know. 🙂

[ScoutTN]

Ds passed his 2nd Class BOR tonight. 

He will spend half of Saturday and most of next Tuesday helping on Eagle projects. Woohoo for boys working hard outside and helping people!

The council is hopefully running day camp over the break for three days. If it happens, Ds will have a green bar day, Geocaching mb, and a high-adventure round-robin with archery, rifle shooting, climbing, and something else I can't remember.

 

Our AHG troop is meeting entirely outdoors this year and had a great fall. Super busy! Nice to have a break. We will start back in January. Dd is finishing up her Spiritual development stuff for her Dolley Madison BOR, which will be in March. She's coasting a bit right now. She has only two requirements in Our Flag left and then she's done all the Stars and Stripes required badges. Writing Christmas cards to her AHG pen pals is on her list for later this week.

[SKL]

We finally made the decision to drop out of AHG.  I had still wanted to finish the year-end BOR and crossover (which were postponed until fall), but the BOR and crossover both occurred at times when my kids had to play marching band gigs, so we had to miss them. 

My kids were kinda bummed that they didn't even receive patches / badges for the work that they did finish.  And after it was too late to change our minds, they started to talk about missing some of the people and activities.  Especially considering that most of the other things in life, that we thought were going to make AHG impossible, have been canceled.

I am still not sure whether or not I regret the decision(s) that we made this year.  I really don't think we were in our right minds, with all the crazy that was going on.

One thing I am still keeping as an option, should one or both kids desire it - BSA Venturing.  They are both just now old enough for that.  They have said many times that they prefer co-ed activities.  However, I won't push it.  The girls are past the age for that.  I push enough to make them do basic life necessities and TKD.  But I will do some research and see if there are any interesting opportunities here that I could introduce them to.

Edited December 16, 2020 by SKL

[vonfirmath]

35 minutes ago, SKL said:

We finally made the decision to drop out of AHG.  I had still wanted to finish the year-end BOR and crossover (which were postponed until fall), but the BOR and crossover both occurred at times when my kids had to play marching band gigs, so we had to miss them. 

My kids were kinda bummed that they didn't even receive patches / badges for the work that they did finish.  And after it was too late to change our minds, they started to talk about missing some of the people and activities.  Especially considering that most of the other things in life, that we thought were going to make AHG impossible, have been canceled.

I am still not sure whether or not I regret the decision(s) that we made this year.  I really don't think we were in our right minds, with all the crazy that was going on.

One thing I am still keeping as an option, should one or both kids desire it - BSA Venturing.  They are both just now old enough for that.  They have said many times that they prefer co-ed activities.  However, I won't push it.  The girls are past the age for that.  I push enough to make them do basic life necessities and TKD.  But I will do some research and see if there are any interesting opportunities here that I could introduce them to.

Contact the troop. You should be able to get the patches for the things finished.

We had half our troop not come back this year and we mailed them their badges earned. (It took some time but they did get mailed).

We were sad our crossover to Explorer did not look like it would have in other years. But we are marching forward not looking at the past. Hopefully we'll be able to hold Court of Awards in January.

ETA: And if you change your mind and want to go back, I'd ask. I know we'd welcome our missing troopmates back even with a late start to the year.  (And even with adding new members of the troop we'd still welcome back the girls from last year)

Edited December 16, 2020 by vonfirmath

[ScoutTN]

My Dd got to have her AHG Dolley Madison BOR tonight, in person. She has to get one more signature, then it can go to National for approval. And then... on to the Stars and Stripes! 
 

Meanwhile, she is finishing up her year as the Patriot girl leader. It has been challenging and she’s grown a lot in the role.

Lots of fun ahead this spring for our troop. A visit from Navy recruiters, a campout, a daddy-daughter picnic, a Stars &Stripes project, a big BOR night with 13 girls leveling, and 
a fun Crossover Ceremony.

[vonfirmath]

9 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

My Dd got to have her AHG Dolley Madison BOR tonight, in person. She has to get one more signature, then it can go to National for approval. And then... on to the Stars and Stripes! 
 

Meanwhile, she is finishing up her year as the Patriot girl leader. It has been challenging and she’s grown a lot in the role.

Lots of fun ahead this spring for our troop. A visit from Navy recruiters, a campout, a daddy-daughter picnic, a Stars &Stripes project, a big BOR night with 13 girls leveling, and 
a fun Crossover Ceremony.

YAY! That's a big step. We have a girl running the Camporee in March for her Dolly Madison and then will be doing board of review afterward and I'm eager to hear more about it.  And I got to be on a Stars and Stripes Board of Review at the beginning of the year. We're trying to find a way to hold hte Big Party somewhere for the recipient before the end of the year. Coronavirus again.

[ScoutTN]

My Dd is working on her Stars and Stripes. Waiting to hear back form a potential benefitting organization. We have heard that a solid troop has taken on the leadership of Camporee and that is exciting.  Our fall campout was lovely - nice balance of badgework with unstructured time. 

My Ds is quitting BSA. I am very, very sad about this. He has nothing to replace it with. Just watches tv. Such a waste. I think he will regret it one day, but I have zero influence or control over this. 

[ScoutTN]

Reviving an old thread! I wonder how Margaret in CO is?

Anyone with scouts (in any scouting organization) have fun things happening? Challenging things? Summer adventures planned? 
 

[vonfirmath]

2 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

Reviving an old thread! I wonder how Margaret in CO is?

Anyone with scouts (in any scouting organization) have fun things happening? Challenging things? Summer adventures planned? 
 

My daughter is going to TWO Scouting camps this summer. SHe is blessed to have a friend going to one in June in Arkansas that is willing to take her as well since I can only take one week off. This will be her first time going to scout camp without me there. (During the day she is pretty independent but at night she seems happier to have me around so I'm a little nervous). She'll be doing Kitchen Science, Rock Climbing, and one other class I'm unsure of (She was the last kid her age allowed to register so there was no choice of class for one of the sessions -- everything else was full)

 

The second camp will allow her to do some horse riding, working with leather, and canoeing. As well as being one of the "older" girls going as we have two little ones from our troop going to camp. I will be teaching Engineering information at that camp.

 

Next year she needs to do her level award project. Last we talked she wanted to run a night where everyone could play board games of various types together. So I just need to see if that is still her vision for her project or if she has changed it again.

 

[mom31257]

@ScoutTN, I miss her and pray she is okay! 

 

[ScoutTN]

My Ds did not end up quitting Scouts, but he just goes because it’s fun. No desire for achievement or leadership. Makes me sad, but on the other hand, it is still a healthy, fun, and educational activity with nice boys and dads and I am glad that he’s still in. COH tonight. Ds is only getting two badges. He is way behind other boys in rank, but he doesn’t seem to care. He will go to camp this summer with the troop.

Dd stalled out on her Stars and Stripes project this semester because she just could not make time for it. Her project will be her summer activity! 
 

[Xahm]

I've got Cub Scout Day camp coming up. It's my first time as program director and I'm trying not to have panic attacks. It's going to go at least ok. Everything is coming together well enough. But if we could just get about 5 more full week volunteers, we would have a good chance if it going very well. 

We've got lots of kids and some great leaders and activities, but some institutional knowledge has gotten lost along the way, so we're scrambling a bit more than I'd like. If they got through last year even more by the skin of their teeth, we'll make it this year. I've just got to take some deep breaths.

After that's done, I'll get to look forward to next year. I'll have 3 in the pack until March, when my daughter will join a new Girl's Troop. I'll be leading the Tigers, which I'm looking forward to. I feel like I learned and grew a lot laying then as Lions and this will be much easier in many ways.

[Loowit]

My youngest quit scouts.  He earned Life and was half way to Eagle but then the pandemic and his troop was not being safe and he didn't feel comfortable meeting with them.  So we left it up to him and he decided that earning Eagle wasn't worth the risk to him.

However, this summer he is going to be staffing at one of our BSA council's summer camps.  He is very excited about it.  He will be working on the coast all summer, and will be registered with the BSA again.  This is the first thing in a very long time he has been excited about, so I am being very supportive.  It doesn't pay well, but it will gain him a lot of experience and get him out in nature which will be very good for him.

It will be interesting to see if he comes back wanting to join his troop again or not.  The one big downer for him is that it would not be the same troop that his dad and brother earned Eagle in, because that troop was unable to recharter this year due to lack of scouts and adult leaders.

[Loowit]

2 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

My Ds did not end up quitting Scouts, but he just goes because it’s fun. No desire for achievement or leadership. Makes me sad, but on the other hand, it is still a healthy, fun, and educational activity with nice boys and dads and I am glad that he’s still in. COH tonight. Ds is only getting two badges. He is way behind other boys in rank, but he doesn’t seem to care. He will go to camp this summer with the troop.

Dd stalled out on her Stars and Stripes project this semester because she just could not make time for it. Her project will be her summer activity! 
 

If it helps, my dad has a lot of very good memories of scouts from when he was young.  He doesn't remember anything about what ranks, if any, he earned.  But he very much remembers the adventures he went on, the service projects they did, and the friends he made.

[ScoutTN]

14 minutes ago, Loowit said:

If it helps, my dad has a lot of very good memories of scouts from when he was young.  He doesn't remember anything about what ranks, if any, he earned.  But he very much remembers the adventures he went on, the service projects they did, and the friends he made.

Yes! This is what I love about Scouts. Outdoor andventure and service and learning together with nice friends and supportive adults.