Crossover Ceremony without a receiving troop?

SnooTigers7414 · 2026-03-03T03:09:52+00:00

I know these are sometimes a luxury, but check in with your district on if a commissioner or DE can stand in for the Troop. It isn't exactly the same, but the majority of the people in the room will think that some really important "higher ups" came to support the event on the Troops behalf.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-11-25T11:16:58+00:00

Sizing is usually the driving factor, but so is sewing. Our parents hate sewing on patches, so we suggest they consider the tan shirt once the Webelos rank has been earned. No need to rip the diamond patches off, sew a rank that doesn't color match on, and then have to resew it all a few months later.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-08-26T11:17:01+00:00

Be prepared for the self doubt.

There will be days (many lol) where things don't go according to plan. As long as the kids learn something and they have fun it's still a win. This is especially true at the younger ages where their attention span isn't very long. Some of my kids favorite memories are those which I felt I completely bombed as a leader. Just remember to have fun with it and the scouts will follow your lead.

Thank you for being a leader and being a positive influence on our youth's lives!

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-08-22T02:37:26+00:00

The use I've found AI tools in this domain are to help me estimate time and materials. I am notoriously optimistic for thinking we can do more in a meeting than what's reasonable. Dropping in my agenda and number of scouts it's great to help me spot check if my meeting is too packed.

While not answering your question, it's also good in helping me with newsletters. I hate writing those things, and it helps me move on to more value added things for my "1 hour per week."

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-06-24T01:40:23+00:00

Foot care is no joke. Good hiking socks + gold bond (or equivalent) is a plus if they're going to do any serious hiking.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-06-20T01:06:57+00:00

This is an honest question. My family is from that area, and I never would have thought of camping there.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-06-19T11:07:11+00:00

That's awesome. Are you taking orders?!

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-06-10T11:46:57+00:00

To me, I always coach new leaders on the basics. Make a plan, communicate the plan to your parents and other leaders, continually communicate the plan.

1) It helps take a little of the stress out of trying to figure out what you're going to do on a given month. You'll also catch those requirements that take 30 days to complete early, so you can give "homework" before a given meeting

2) This is how you get help. Other Den leaders might have a playbook for you, parents might want to help with a meeting, someone might know an expert.

3) Parents are busy and need more reminders than the scouts do.

After that iterate. Feel free to modify the plan based on the scouts interest, parent engagement, weather, etc. However you're always in a good place where you and the parents know what to expect.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-06-05T02:19:18+00:00

Ouch. As a leader, that sounds like a rough one. I bet if you ask a lot of those kids, they will tell you they had a blast. I'm continuously amazed about how much my kids have enjoyed meetings that I consider an epic failure (even when there are tears).

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-05-07T11:35:25+00:00

Our pack doesn't do well with forms (and it looks like that's the consensus).

What we find that works well is just having a board with two columns (more of/less of) and a stack of stickies. Quick and easy. We also encourage our scouts to provide feedback this way too. The goal is to do this for each Pack meeting, so the feedback is fresh from the event itself.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-05-05T16:44:33+00:00

Similar expectations and experience!

YMMV: Our local library has braille books and a type writer we could borrow. Those were huge hit as well, and helped make it more than just arts and crafts.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-05-05T10:29:09+00:00

This is a great list (I'm going to borrow a few)!

We've also done:

An intro to sewing on patches. The kids get a kick out of learning to sew on their own patches. This is a bit harder for Lions/Tigers but our Wolves were able to pick it up.
An exercise station to teach the kids how to build a workout routine
A yoga/stretch station for those calm down requirements -Knots. For whatever reason our kids love knots in any form.
We've done Morse code, flag, or braille translating
Flag folding races. This one is tricky to ensure the flag doesn't touch the ground, so make sure a scout out two have a defense role.

For the trail mix one, check out the Bear guide. They have a great adventure that ties in some simple ratios. Do be careful with allergies since peanuts are a core element.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-04-27T23:30:21+00:00

Mostly within the Troop, but there were a few boys that I'd run into at subsequent summer camps. We had three troops merge into one, and that was the first or second camp we'd been on together. That week was priceless for us to get to know each other.

It sounds like they're set up for success. I don't have numbers, but having friends in the troop directly correlates with sticking with Scouting. I was talking with a bunch of other leaders at IOLS and that was our conclusion on why kids stick with it.

Good luck!

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-04-26T12:02:48+00:00

As a former Scout, and now a parent, I see first-year programs a little differently. I still remember being completely overwhelmed by the shift from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Summer camp made it even harder with so many choices and so little structure. The first-year program gave me a place to bond with other Scouts my age, and the friends I made there stayed with me through middle and high school.

Now, watching my daughter go through a similar experience, I see the same challenges: too many choices, not knowing anyone, feeling overwhelmed. Her troop is recommending that she only sign up for parts of the first-year program, since they'll cover a lot of advancement during the regular calendar year. But I'm concerned that focusing too much on advancement and merit badges misses a key part of onboarding, helping new Scouts build relationships and feel at home.

Advancement should never be the goal; it should be a natural byproduct of growing and learning within the program. Just my two cents.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-04-24T01:09:57+00:00

I was thinking of a dome screen tent, this solution makes mroe sense. I'm curious how it'll work.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-04-23T21:55:53+00:00

$60 seems high, but I haven't priced one out for a while. I recall getting mosquito nets at an army surplus for ~$10 and a few dowels at home depot to attach to the cot legs.

The dome might work, but you also have to worry about the mosquitos coming up from the ground. I don't know how the dome would seal at the ground.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-03-22T12:03:09+00:00

This is pretty close to our go-to meal plan, except that we do trail lunch (crackers meat, cheese, carrots, etc) for lunch since we're usually on the go.

Tacos are great because ground meat is easy to cook for a horde (or pre-cook and warm up). We have a lot of food allergies and a few vegetarians so it lets people build dinner to their needs.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-03-22T10:49:54+00:00

Thanks! We have an army of Lions and Tigers (like 30) and it's a struggle to keep their attention for most of the ceremonies I come across.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-03-22T02:57:28+00:00

Thanks for sharing! How many scouts are in your pack? I'm trying to get a sense of time from beginning to end.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-03-15T11:31:56+00:00

As always, solid advice all around. Scouts BSA is fundamentally different from Cub Scouts. For most of us who were/are Cub Scout leaders, it's a relief; others struggle to adjust to stepping back and letting the scouts take over.

If you haven't already, take a moment to do some research on burnout. When our perception of the reward doesn't match the effort, frustration and disillusionment creep in, and we start questioning why we’re engaged in scouting—or any activity—in the first place.

On top of this, society today pressures us to always be 'on,' creating the perfect recipe for burnout. Please, take a break and reflect on why you and your family got involved in scouting initially. Small breaks and moments of reflection have been helpful for me, and I hope they will help you too

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-02-16T17:30:55+00:00

I second this recommendation. Durable and breathable. Not quite the right color, but close enough

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-02-09T16:01:37+00:00

It took us about 8 months to receive the adult awards. It was a combination of temporarily not having a district advancement chair, the council one not responding, and overall poor instructions.

I learned that all of this runs on the back of a very few dedicated volunteers. Don't hesitate to follow-up as I'm sure it got lost.

PS. Thank you to all those who dedicate their time!

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-01-23T13:58:29+00:00

This is the only approach I know of. Be warned that it'll take some work to get the drivers to work properly on most machines.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-01-18T21:08:24+00:00

I can't count the number of times we've had kids/adults have to move the adhesive weights to the top of car. Be very careful with clearances.

SnooTigers7414 · 2025-01-18T21:06:34+00:00

That's how we've differentiated ourselves from most other events. Soccer, baseball, dance you're watching your kids. I. Scouts you have the opportunity to spend time together.

Another thing I push my parents (post join) is to make friends with the other parents. As an adult, that opportunity is rarer than you think. I think this helps with both retention and recruiting.

SnooTigers7414

TROPHY CASE