Trying out a new template

Please tell me what you think of the new template. I think that after 1.5 years of blogging a new blog template was in order. I still have not decided to create my own template but sometime sooner rather than later I will work on creating a new template for upload to the site.

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

BSA Handbook Review

I know that many different bloggers have already written about the new 12th edition of the BOy Scout Handbook but I would like to say a few things about the handbook.

First off lets take about the organization of the handbook. The organization is much better it is not based on advancement which I believe is important because in the old handbook it said its primary purpose was to be used for Rank Advancement. If you are a true Scout you bring your handbook on every Scout Outing, I know that is a high expectation but you just never know when you are going to need a new skill, brush up on a old skill, have something to read (Sounds boring but it really isn't as bad as a textbook, trust me I know what dry textbooks are all about), or work on advancement. Notice I listed advancement last, this is because advancement has two different purposes depending on who you are. Lets talk about the adult reason first, it one of eight methods the Boy Scouts of America Uses. The method's purpose isn't to cram the advancement information down scouts throats, its purpose is to allow Scouts to grow and learn more and more challenging skills that can be used throughout the rest of your life. If you are adult and think that requirements should be signed off just to keep scouts advancing, then you need to either repeat your basic training or really examine the real purpose. Next lets look at it from the youth perspective, youth first off don't need scouting to be treated like school and the old handbook to me at least made it feel like it was a textbook of sorts.

Now lets look at what type of material and information is in the handbook. In many ways in brought back many of the traditional Scout skills but added a 21st century flare to them which to me is very important especially in a world that moves at light speed.

Finally I have heard from multiple posters that there are a few errors in the book which need to be corrected, I hope that if this is the case, the BSA National Council has come up with a plan, if not then it should be a just fine situation.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 Bulletin

June-July 2009 Bulletin

Should Be Done:

• Start monthly committee meetings.
• Complete selection of troop leaders (include in monthly committee meetings).
• Confirm transportation and tour arrangements.
• Jamboree troop leaders promote and conduct district jamboree promotion rallies.
• Design council shoulder insignia.
• Develop promotion for summer camp.
• Ensure all council participants (youth, adult leaders, and staff) have completed an online registration application.

In Progress:

• Promote jamboree at summer camps.
• Promote jamboree at all district and council events, including Scout roundtables.
• Promote jamboree at troop meetings.
• Make individual calls to Scouts who indicate an interest in attending.
• Monthly committee meetings.
• Follow up on Scouts not adhering to council’s fee schedule.
• Send July 31 council payment ($400 per person; $16,000 per troop).

Lower prices from BSA Supply—There are lower prices on some items in the 2010 Jamboree package plans. The new prices are located on www.MyBSA.org. Council professionals responsible for jamboree will have access to the new prices.

Jamboree patches—All council contingents that have paid the first $100 per person have received or should soon receive their adult leader and youth Scout patches. These are being sent directly to councils to the attention of the council jamboree contact.

Come to the jamboree—There is still room for participants to attend the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Check with your local council for details. Regions still have troop allocations that have not been fulfilled.

Second jamboree payment—The second payment of $400 per person is due to the National Council on or before July 31, 2009. Participant and adult leaders make payments directly to their council; staff must make their payment online. Late fees of $50 per person ($2,000 per troop) will be applied to those who do not make the payment on time. Don’t forget! Pay by July 31.

Council contingent coordinators—Councils with three or more contingent troops must appoint a council contingent coordinator. This person must submit an adult leader application. Once the council has approved the adult leader application, send that person’s name and contact information to 2010jamboree@scouting.org.

Troop numbers—Jamboree troop numbers are being assigned to councils by Boy Scouts of America regions. Councils have been instructed how to assign Scouts and leaders to troops and submit the troop number assignments, as well as the leadership assignments, to the Jamboree Department.

Approve leaders—If councils have not done so, now is the time to approve youth and adult leaders through the jamboree registration system.

Gateways—Jamborees are full of color and excitement, something in which troop gateways have always played a big part. Showing Scouts from other parts of the country what’s unique or interesting about a troop’s home area is a time-honored jamboree tradition. Troops usually design their gateways to reflect the most notable aspects of their home area—history, geography, industry, etc. This is often done in very creative and novel ways.

It’s important to plan ahead when designing and building the troop gateway. To ensure that all materials, tools, and equipment will be available, it is vital that plans be made early to transport everything that’s needed with the council contingent. The jamboree site is relatively remote. Once there, obtaining the simplest of tools or materials could be a real headache. Due to the lack of facilities or personnel to receive them, shipping separate materials or equipment to the jamboree is not an option. Everything must be transported with the council contingent. Troop gateways must not exceed 10 feet in height and must be of non-conductive material.

No holes—Federal authorities have prohibited the digging of holes of any kind, for any purpose, anywhere on the jamboree site. Applications for permits to dig holes for gateways will not be considered. This rule will be strictly enforced. All gateways must be designed with supports on the ground surface and must be secured by weights, staked guy lines, or other means not requiring holes in the ground. Storms are common at jamborees, and gateways should be designed to accommodate winds of up to 70 miles per hour. It is highly recommended that troops design, fabricate, erect, and test gateways prior to transporting them to the jamboree site.

• Troop gateways—The height of troop gateways will be limited to a maximum of 10 feet and can have no electrical components. The 10-foot height restriction includes flagpoles, which must be of nonconductive material (wood, PVC, etc). There will be NO climbing allowed in the erection of the unit gateways. No tents or other unit components will be allowed within the "fall zone," the height of the gateway itself.
• Metal poles for troop tents are permissible; however, no troop tents may exceed 10 feet in height.
• Subcamp and regional gateways may not exceed 16 feet in height (including attached flagpoles or other amenities) and 20 feet in width, which is the existing design of the jamboree-installed wooden gateway structures. These are to be decorated per the site plans. Each subcamp and region must develop a detailed erection and demolition plan for decorating the provided gateway. No climbing on the gateway will be allowed, and no modifications to the structure are allowed.

Visitors—From Wednesday, July 28, through Tuesday, August 3, the jamboree will be open to visitors from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., with the following exceptions:

• Wednesday, July 28: 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.
• Saturday, July 31: 9 A.M. to 11 P.M. (to allow for arena show attendance only)

There are no accommodations on site for visitors, including RV, tentage, or fixed housing. Upon entering the jamboree site, guests will be directed to the visitors information tent in the main parking lot, where they will receive directions to regions, subcamps, or activity areas. Visiting Scouts will not be able to participate in action center and/or program activities.

Still have questions about jamboree? Check the jamboree Web site, www.bsajamboree.org or send an e-mail to 2010jamboree@scouting.org. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

WSJ 2011 Update 4

Here is a update from the Boy Scouts of America, this information only pertains to Western Region. The Information came to me in a e-mail. The information was about interviews for staff and adult leadership for the Western Region. Here is the e-mail:

Thank you for your interest in serving in a staff or leadership role in the 2011 World Scout Jamboree!

Bob Russell (our Western Region WSJ Chair) and I will be scheduling opportunities for you to interview with us in the coming months. Between now and December, we plan to be in a number of locations around Western Region and hope that one of these date / locations will be convenient for you. I tentatively plan to set up an opportunity in the Denver, CO area on Saturday, October 10 and one in the Portland, OR area on November 21. and we'll be passing along a number of additional dates and locations shortly.

The first opportunity happens in Seattle, WA on Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. They will take place at the offices of the Chief Seattle Council located at 3120 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98114. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please contact my assistant, Elizabeth Vargas, at Elizabeth.Vargas@Scouting.org to set up a 30 minute interview.

Please monitor your email for postings of additional times and locations.

Thank you,
John
John Van Dreese
Associate Regional Director / Program
Western Region, BSA
john.vandreese@scouting.org

If you have not received this e-mail and applied for the 2011 World Scout Jamboree IST or adult leadership positions at least 1 month ago, please contact Elizabeth or your local council to see if they have processed your application. Your council must approve your application just like the 2010 National Jamboree online application process, this is likely where the hold up is.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Quote of the Week- LeadershipFaye Wattleton: The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

Faye Wattleton: The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

James Callaghan: A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner: There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing.

John Gardner: Most important, leaders can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.

Margaret Chase Smith: Leadership is not manifested by coercion, even against the resented. Greatness is not manifested by unlimited pragmatism, which places such a high premium on the end justifying any means and any measures.

Peter Drucker: The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think "we"; they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.

Rosalynn Carter: A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be.

Tony Blair: The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.

Warren Bennis: The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Warren G. Bennis: The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08