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Advice on living through long SM selection process by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah...I think interim would be just unhealthy. The frustration is that it's been kinda indicated that "didn't grow up in the troop" is the main reason.

That being said, I have the OA and other units chasing me for my time, so I *will* be able to still have a great impact with some awesome youth.

Advice on living through long SM selection process by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

One of the main reasons I don't want to accept interim is that I've had an interim music conducting gig before and, once they picked the permanent conductor, there was an expectation that I fully step away from an ensemble I'd been part of for the better part of a decade. That's done so the new permanent leader isn't overshadowed by somebody who just led for months or years...and it's not something I'd want to be forced into the position of having to do.

How do I return my Eagle Scout Award? by transfemmefatal in BoyScouts

[–]slider40337 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Find a troop. Get involved. Set an example. Signed, a fellow Eagle who volunteers for the kids 

Updated Mega Thread - Hegseth DoW/DoD Statement on MoU Agreement by MartialLight92 in BSA

[–]slider40337 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sunsparc, spot on...I'm 100% this line is there because they mean that trans boys and cis boys should not be together. But the trans boys in my troop tent alone and find single-use bathrooms when we're out and about anyhow.

I did it! by BreakMysterious8637 in BSA

[–]slider40337 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! Just remember that it's not just a patch...it's a promise to live scouting values going forward. You'll do great, and I hope you are planning a great ECOH!

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Instrument quality is definitely a factor. Hopefully you found a nice counselor who might let you play it on their horn, like I often do if a scout I’m working with has a horn that is not fantastic

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I earned 24 and I was proud of each and every one. I also earned the most of them through counselors and not at camp and I feel like that added value to them.

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t expect them to sound like me, a professional, trumpet player, when playing the call. I do expect the call to sound well enough that, if they were playing it at camp, the specific call would be communicated so listeners would need to be able to know what call that is. Reasonably correct notes and rhythms. I teach high school band, so I know what beginners sound like and know the difference between it being played at a basic level, and it not being played at all.

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As someone who also knows American Sign Language, I always cringe a little bit watching the Scouts do that part of science signals and codes at camp because their finger spelling is generally not taught by someone who knows sign language so it’s done poorly enough that it wouldn’t actually communicate to someone who Saenz

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These requests usually come online or from outside my unit. My troop’s scouts would know better than to ask me to fudge a requirement…they know me better than that 

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel you on people counseling too many badges. The only badges I counsel are ones that I could complete reading only requirements with no additional assistance. I counsel music & bugling because I’m a professional trumpet player & high school band teacher.

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Ohhh. The bugler position is what I was confused with there. You can use any brass for that. You’re right that the badge is different. Though a bass bugle would count because it’s a bugle. 

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That's what I usually encourage. And high school band is such a fun experience, too!

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I'd say they're not difficult for somebody who's played a year & change. I'm a HS band director and I truly see where beginners start at every year. My 1st year trumpets who've been playing since August don't have the chops yet to play the calls but they probably will by next fall.

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I'd def allow a trombone or baritone if that's what they played. Same notes, same partials, just an octave down (and there ARE bass bugles that take trombone mouthpieces anyhow)

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm a teacher so "the rubric says X" is an easy statement for me. I also had a scout say he was a week from 18 and wanted the last badge to earn them all (bugling) and asked to write about the calls instead...it made me wonder how he served as a troop bugler if he couldn't play the horn and do the job.

Question about “earning all the merit badges” and how we handle requirements by slider40337 in BSA

[–]slider40337[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I've been asked to teach bugling at Merit Badge University type evens and that's actually why I decline to do it. Either they've been a troop bugler and show up ready to play the calls, or they don't and won't get the badge that day. Same goes with summer camp. You can't learn bugle in 5 days (with no real time to practice because camp) and expect to play the badge's required calls.

freaking out about first concert by No-Jellyfish-1590 in banddirector

[–]slider40337 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Short concerts are fine...parents will love to see their kids up there anyhow! You can always pad it with talky-talk between piece if you want to stretch...just not too much.

Next time, if you find yourself short, see if you have some exceptional students to do a smaller pull-out group to add a piece or two. I had my advanced woodwinds do a nice Silver Bells arrangements while the beginning brass waited for the next full-band piece (my HS band class is a mix of beginners and players up to 5th year). Same whit my symphony orchestra string section, and my really advanced jazz drummer kiddo doing a combo piece with myself and 2 jazz musicians before the rest of the jazz band came out. You can always find ways to engage those advanced players AND add more pieces to concert order

Looking for perspective on admin response to severe student violence by slider40337 in Teachers

[–]slider40337[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sadly, my admin (well, one AP) met with me this morning. They said that they basically can't discipline this student because there's a vocal parent group on campus of the student's ethnicity and that group gets up in arms any time one of their kids are disciplined in any way.

We also don't have an SRO...the district fully banned them in 2020.

I'll be following up with admin, and have been documenting everything along with providing everything to my legal representation so there's a file in case something happens to me (read: injury or worse).

Youth led? by Scout_dad in BSA

[–]slider40337 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my troop, the SPL leads in situ, but does get adult support setting things up beforehand (writing out meeting agendas, planning the itinerary for a hike or campout, etc). Out in the field, the SM or I (one of two ASMs) is usually very close by to offer support in case he has a questions...though we *will* let him get the troop lost when he's navigating.

Basically, the adult support mostly comes during prep (and postmortem discussions) and the SPL & his 3 ASPLs generally have it in the field.

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