LDS-BSA Newsletter

The latest LDS-BSA newsletter is now online. I encourage you to read it and share it with your wards and stakes.

Ministering to Youth

The Church held another Worldwide Leader Training Meeting yesterday. Some of you may have attended. If you didn't, you can find the broadcast in streaming video, streaming audio and mp3 formats here on the Church website.

I think the segment most relevant to Scout, Young Men and Primary leaders is the second to last, "Ministering to Youth." It gives specific guidelines, an outline, for recognizing and helping the youth under our stewardship who need help. I know this is something I have found difficult in my Primary callings, and I suspect there are others who find it difficult as well. You should find watching or listening to the segment to be helpful.

Scouting and Family History

An unexpected side effect of the Year of Celebration last year for me was family history research. I already knew that my dad was an Eagle Scout and that his dad earned the Silver Beaver, but as I worked on some of the requirements for my ribbons, I ended up learning quite a bit more, which led me to asking more questions and learning even more about the history of Scouting and how it related to my family and the Church.

One of the requirements I chose to do was to write an article about a Scouting leader who made a positive difference in my life. I decided to write about my granddad, because, even though he was not my Scouting leader, he was a Scouting leader, and he definitely had a big impact on my life. I asked my dad some questions, and in the course of writing the article, learned not only some fun things about both my dad and granddad, I realized a few things about leadership that I had not thought about before. You can read the full article here.

I also made a Scouting Family Tree. This involved asking my brothers and dad for a few details so that I could fill out the chart. Through this I learned things I didn't know about my brothers' differing exeriences and opinions about Scouting.

I even came across, through chance, some interesting information about the history of Scouting in the Church. You may know that the Church became the first official chartered organization of the BSA three years after Scouting came to the US. But did you know that the Church actually implemented Scouting as part of the YMMIA two years before that, and that it was Gordon B. Hinkley's father who made the motion to make the affiliation official? (source) I thought that was an interesting bit of trivia.

Scouting can provide a similar opportunity to open up some family history conversations with your relations. It might give you some common ground you never knew you had with fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, etc. One leader I know has been enthusiastic and done great things ever since she was called. I was not surprised to learn that it was due in large part to her dad being an avid Scouter. It is certainly a worthy legacy to live up to.

I look forward to being able to pass on the things I learned to my boys, to be able to share with them their Scouting family history.

Supplemental Training

Church leaders have made many statements over the years regarding the importance of Scout leaders receiving training as soon as possible for their positions. Charles Dahlquist likened not getting training to having a pair of expensive running shoes, then deciding to run a marathon in flip-flops: "To even think that someone would compete in such an event or in an Olympic event in flip-flops is unthinkable. Yet sometimes I think that in the Aaronic Priesthood it is as if we have purchased a $200 pair of running shoes that we then place on a shelf and then try running the marathon in flip-flops. Wouldn't it make more sense to use the wonderful, tried, and tested program in the way it was intended? I challenge each of us in these next six months to get with the program. Get those $200 running shoes down from the shelf, get trained, and then apply the program in the right way." (source)

The first training you need to get is Youth Protection. The Church has said that every Scout leader should be registered with the BSA before working with the youth. It is now mandatory for Scout leaders to take Youth Protection before registering. It is an easy online training that will give you the basic guidelines of the BSA that help protect the youth as well as limiting liability for leaders and chartering organizations. To take the training, you need to create an account on MyScouting.org, then go to the E-learning section. After you take the training, you need to print out the certificate and attach it (or a copy of it) to your registration. Your ward leaders should be able to provide you with a registration form, and they will probably be the ones to submit the form to the council for you.

All Cub Scout basic leader training is now available online. This is nice, because it give everyone an opportunity to receive training for their positions right away. I encourage all Cub Scout leaders to take full advantage of this.

However, there is something you miss out on by not receiving the training in person. President Dahlquist said, "For me, my Woodbadge experience was life changing and has affected each calling I have had since. With few exceptions, where leaders are well trained and Scouting is strong, so is the Aaronic Priesthood and Duty to God. Your training will also give you an ideal opportunity to rub shoulders with members of other faiths who are devoted youth leaders." (source) There are intangible benefits to attending District training and "rubbing shoulders" with other Scouters.

That is why I recommend, after taking the online training, taking advantage of available supplemental trainings. They may seem unnecessary in the beginning, but I think in the end you will find yourself glad you took the time to attend.

My personal favorite supplemental training opportunity is University of Scouting. You should have one in your area at least once a year. It probably seems like a lot to ask to take an entire Saturday just to attend classes about Scouting, but I have never talked to anyone who was sorry they went. University of Scouting is a great way to charge your enthusiasm for the program, meet lots of Scouters and glean a lot of tips to improve your program that you would have missed otherwise.

Some areas also hold an annual Pow Wow. This is University of Scouting geared specifically toward Cub Scout leaders. Some Councils aim the classes at University of Scouting specifically toward Boy Scout stuff because the Pow Wow covers Cub Scout topics. You should be able to find out what is available in your area on your Council's website and when classes are held.

Another great opportunity are monthly roundtables. These are evening time meetings each District holds which give you an opportunity to learn from other Scout leaders. Leaders share tips with each other, things they have learned, what has worked for them, and ideas for upcoming themes. This can be an especially good opportunity if you are feeling discouraged or burned out to receive some support and help.

Wood Badge is part of the required training for Boy Scout leaders and optional for Cub Scout leaders. At Wood Badge, leaders learn about the patrol method through firsthand participation. It is such a powerful leadership training tool that many businesses take advantage of it and use it as leadership training for their employees.

Wood Badge is a six day training that takes place either over the course of a week or two consecutive three-day weekends. Often the weekend training is on Friday-Sunday, but if you live in or near Utah, the Councils there (Great Salt Lake, Utah National Parks and Trapper Trails) hold their weekend Wood Badges on Thursday-Saturday.

As a mother of small children, I know that leaving family for that many days can be a challenge, often impossible. The Trapper Trails Council (and possibly others I don't know about) offer a solution with a special Family Wood Badge. This is a little bit more expensive option, of course, but you can think of it as combining Wood Badge with a family vacation, turning it into yet another way to strengthen your family and share the Scout experience with each other. There are activities available for different age groups, and youth have the opportunity to take NYLT, an invaluable leadership opportunity for them. You can find out more about Trapper Trails Wood Badge opportunities here.

There are even more training opportunities available, but these are a good place to start. One of these best things our family has done is get involved in Scouting on the District level. It is a growing opportunity, which is something we all need. Like President Dahlquist, you may even find it to be life changing.

Training

Going to training is like going to church. There are three kinds of people; 1) those that simply don’t want to go and don’t make excuses; 2) those that don’t want to go because they think they don’t need to; 3) those that go and are edified by the experience. There’s not much you can do with the first group. In the second group, there are those that say they don’t need to go to church because they’re already well in tune with the Spirit and have no need of lectures from the pulpit to help them be closer to God. There are also those that say they already know enough and they are doing what they need to do to attain fulfillment in the hereafter. All the people in that second category need to go to church to help the rest of us poor souls who aren’t firmly on the path to Celestial Glory.

In Scouting you find the same groups; there are those that just don’t want to go to training; those that don’t think they need to go to training because they’ve “been in Scouts since I was 8-years-old” or that figure “the program is running smoothly enough, so why bother with training?” And there are those that go to training, become better leaders and guide young men to Celestial Glory. Again, there’s not much you can do with the first group. As to the second group, if those people are so good at what they are doing, they have a duty to share their secrets to success with other leaders. And the third group is stuck carrying the water.

The truth is, in most cases, things are not going as smoothly as they think and in all likelihood a person’s experience in scouts as a scout is entirely different from what is expected as an adult leader. And further, times have changed; things that were acceptable when I was a scout are now frowned upon and I’m positive there has got to be more paperwork involved than there ever was when I was a kid.

Training offers opportunities to reinvigorate yourself, to share success stories (and failures - it’s always easier to learn from someone else’s mistakes), and to enjoy the company of other adults. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on training!

Is Scouting a personal financial burden?

As a leader, scouting can be expensive. You should set a good example for the boys, which means purchasing a uniform. You can skimp and buy just a shirt, with a few patches, but that could still set you back $50 (adult shirts start at $29.99 on Scoutstuff.org). If you opt to go in for a belt, pants, socks, hat and the whole ball of wax you could be into it well over $120. The first time I was called to be an Assistant Scout Master I decided to ramp things up a bit for myself and went in for the shirt, belt, and pants. The pants snagged on something the first time I wore them and I shredded my nifty $60 pants. I swore off Scout pants then and there. (I’ve since found that olive-colored Levi’s are far superior in longevity and they go well enough with the uniform).

Then there’s camping equipment, if you’re in with the older boys, or crafts, games and snacks for younger scouts. When I was a scout my family was not in the money. Our camping equipment was generally sub-standard. I still enjoyed camping, but there were a few times when not having the right equipment made our excursions miserable. (Imagine 13-year-old me wearing cotton gloves and tennis shoes the morning after a sleepless winter night in a summer-weight sleeping bag; I couldn’t move my fingers; the tears were freezing on my cheeks; I couldn’t fix my breakfast. I was not a happy camper. Fortunately, I had an advisor that eventually realized I was going into the early (or middle) stages of hypothermia). As a result, I hate winter camping. After having nearly frozen to death on several Klondikes and snow cave events, I swore off winter camping and avoided it studiously for years. I want nothing less than insulated 2x4 walls between me and a cold winter night. So when I was called to scouting as an adult, I started collecting (as I could afford it) equipment suited for winter camping. It’s not cheap, but I’ve learned that sleeping on the cold ground isn’t so bad if you have a good 2” sleeping mat ($80) and a winter-weight sleeping bag ($50 on clearance, good to -20°F). The only thing keeping you up at night is the Scouts complaining that their tent ($20, end of season clearance) is blowing away.

The second time I was called to be an Assistant Scout Master I was in a rather well-to-do ward. I was excited about the prospects and asked where the scout closet was so I could inventory equipment. I was told, somewhat sheepishly, that the “scout cupboard” was in one of the church house classrooms. When I finally tracked down someone with a key, I found about 135 merit badge books (133 of which were outdated), two or three seriously dented pans, a ball of twine and a bunch of junk. I asked where the camping equipment was. They told me most of the kids supplied their own tents and sleeping bags. I asked about cooking gear and my jaw dropped when they told me the boys “usually bring pans from their mother’s kitchens.” At that point, I’d been involved with scouting for well over 20 years. I knew how those pans in the cupboard got dented. I knew how my mother would react if I said I was going to take her pans on a camp out. We eventually got organized enough to actually go on a campout in the high Sierra’s. (By “high” I mean nearly a mile and a half elevation). Someone had rounded up a gas camp stove to cook breakfast on; no campfires permitted in that area. That’s when I learned that not all camp stoves are created equally. It took an hour and a half to cook a half dozen eggs. When I got home from that trip, I logged onto eBay and found a high altitude cook stove ($100 plus shipping, used).

By now you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. Yes, Scouting can be expensive. But as a calling in the church, it shouldn’t have to be. In my opinion, a calling to scouting shouldn’t cost you anything more than the bare minimum. You shouldn’t need to buy much more than your uniform shirt; everything else should be provided. All training costs (and you really do need to go to training) should be covered by the troop or pack. As President Monson stated in this April 1990 talk, “many costs heretofore borne by individual Church members now being covered through their tithes” and “The budget allowance program was created to reduce financial burdens on members” and “Members should not pay fees or be assessed to participate in Church programs.” In short, to fully participate in the Scouting programs, you should be registered and trained and the costs should be borne by your local Church unit. It is my contention that the boys we are responsible for deserve well-training leadership. That being said, however, if you happen to be financially well-off enough to cover some of your own expenses, funds may be used for activities or equipment that would also benefit the boys.

The last time I went to training, a faithful brother, who has been unemployed for some time now, told me that he has been saving for over a year so that he can afford to attend Wood Badge. It is my personal belief that he will likely get a lot more out of Wood Badge for his efforts in getting there. However, it concerns me that his unit leadership is so uninvolved in the Scout programs that they are unaware of his desire to get the training he is supposed to have. If they are aware, why have they done nothing to resolve the situation?

I find nothing in the new Administering the Church handbook that contradicts what President Monson stated in 1990. I encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunities in the Scouting program without letting it become a personal financial burden to you. Speak with your leaders if you find that you’re spending an inordinate amount of money on your activities. There are options other than doing without or going into debt.

Fundraising

In recent years, fundraising has not been encouraged by Church leaders. However, they do understand the need for youth programs to sometimes raise money to pay for expensive annual camps. They have left it up to each ward to decide whether each youth group in the ward needs to hold a fundraiser or if expenses can be covered by the ward budget or the families of the youth. This decision is ultimately up to the bishop.

Church policy allows one fundraiser a year per group for the purpose of paying for one camp or needed equipment. The fundraiser must fit within the following guidelines (from the most recent version of the Church Handbook):

If a fund-raising activity is held, it should provide a meaningful value or service. It should be a positive experience that builds unity.

Contributions to fund-raising activities are voluntary. Priesthood leaders should take special care to ensure that members do not feel obligated to contribute.

Stakes and wards that sponsor fund-raising activities should not advertise or solicit beyond their boundaries. Nor should they sell products or services door to door.

Examples of fund-raising activities that are not approved include:

1. Activities that would be taxable.
2. Activities completed with paid labor, either by employees or by contract.
3. Entertainment for which the stake or ward pays performers for their services, when admission is charged, and when the intent of the activity is to raise funds.
4. The sale of commercial goods or services, including food storage items.
5. Games of chance, such as raffles, lotteries, and bingo.

Any exceptions to these instructions must be approved by a member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area Presidency.

The Friends of Scouting fund drive in the United States will continue as a separate, voluntary solicitation.

In the past, popcorn sales has been an approved method of fundraising for Scouts, but a statement has not been made by Church leaders as to whether that is still the case with the newest fundraising guidelines.

Here is an article where several people contributed ideas of fundraisers that had been successful in their wards. Some of the ideas in the article specifically mention ways to overcome awkwardness in ward dinners with suggested donations as well as inherent problems in service and cake auctions. This article gives some ideas for services that could be offered for auction. Here is the story of a ward that used an auction for its Cub Scout Pack and did it in such a way that the ward as a whole was strengthened by it.

It is my opinion that when the ward is the main audience for the fund-raiser that it is best when the fundraiser somehow brings the ward together like in the story. Another example is a pack I participated in where a pancake breakfast was held in conjunction with the pinewood derby on a Saturday morning. This not only raised money for the Cub Scouts, it encouraged support for the program by turning the derby into a ward activity to be shared by everyone. There were extra races held after the boys' cars were raced that anyone who wanted to could enter a car. This gave siblings, those who had never had the opportunity to be Cub Scouts, as well as dads who might otherwise be tempted to more than "help" with their sons' cars an opportunity to build and race their own cars. These "leader and family races" were very informal and fun for everyone. I have heard of some packs having similar races and charging a small admission fee for entering a car in the extra races as part of the fundraiser. Pancake breakfasts are low cost and easy to do, and the suggested donation price does not need to be very high. In addition, if you look on the back of the large Krusteaz bags, you will find information about how to receive some money back from the company if you use the product as part of a fundraiser (remember to save a copy of your receipt).

Not selling products door-to-door does not mean that the ward has to be the main source of funds. Look for opportunities for meaningful ways to help the community as whole. Car washes are a classic way for youth to raise money. You may find that there is a need in your community that is not being met that is also a way for your Scouts to earn money. For example, our community has a Fourth of July celebration that is relatively new. There are activities in the park in the morning before the parade, including a breakfast. The event has only been going on for a few years, so there isn't a particular group established to run the breakfast every year. Last year the committee had to look for a group willing to do it. This would be a great opportunity for a troop to provide a service that benefits the community and raises funds for their camp at the same time.

Remember that any fundraising activity needs to be approved by your bishop. He is the one who is appointed to receive revelation in this area. Follow the Spirit, and good luck finding ways to fund your program.

The final post in this series tomorrow will cover some additional thoughts on expenses associated with Scouting.