Task One: When you agree to take a leadership position, your first job is to find your replacement. “You must have someone that can take over when you go, or you can’t go!” Every unit needs to have succession plans in place for every position.

Parents MUST step up and pitch in as adult leaders. Reasons they don't...

Uninformed – Most parents are never asked to help as an adult leader. The only time they're asked for anything it's usually money. 

No Time – Some are under the misguided notion that they have no time. “What? You have no time for your kids? … And I do?” We must reevaluate our commitments to our children's education. Most of the time, this is just an excuse. There is always, available time that they could spend/donate to their own children's benefit. Sometimes parents need guidance on not trying to schedule every minute of every day for their children. 

Scared – Parents are just plain scared of messing up. Not acting on their fears create more of a problem than they know. Scout leadership training is included and expected! Not every position is “Scout Facing” in a unit. https://youtu.be/9DHD1zcdCH0

“It's only one hour a week?” – This was told to almost every new leader in the past. It has become ambiguous and laughable. Realistically it's 1 hour of training and/or preparation, and 2 hours for the unit meeting every week on average. That's only  3 hours a week or 156 hours a year. On average Americans spend 5-6 hours a day consuming entertainment (television, cable, Internet, etc.). That's on average 38 hours a week or over 2000 hours a year. Depending on your unit there's usually some big activity each month. Most of the time adult leaders are not “on stage” during the big activity.  During which, leaders have the opportunity for lots of quality time for themselves. 

🌐 Succession Planning for Volunteer Leaders (See Note):  https://training.scouting.org/learning-plans/1165

🌐 Training for Adults:  https://www.scouting.org/training/adult

📄 Leader Recruitment & Succession Planning Meeting:  https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Leader-Recruitment-and-Succession-Planning-2019.pdf

🎬 New Leaders – Understanding Scout Facing or Backstage:  https://youtu.be/9DHD1zcdCH0

⚠️ Note: The ScoutingU class link requires you to be logged in to My.Scouting.org on your account in order for it to work. After logging in you may need to reload the link.

In November of 2018, I finished posting my 3 Part Eagle Mentoring series. Here is the 4th part of that for leaders and mentors. Quite simply it's time to plan a celebration of your new Eagle Scouts achievement. There are many people to thank for helping the Scout along the trail to Eagle. This is completely optional, however not taking time to properly thank those involved, is contrary to the beliefs found in the Scout Law. 

Basic Eagle Court of Honor (ECOH) Outline

The ceremony can be as elaborate or simple as your family chooses.  There is a small amount of traditional structure to this event. The only part that is "set in stone" is the Eagle Charge wording. 

* The wording of the Eagle Charge may not be altered or changed in any way.

The ECOH is primarily for your family and friends. In many cultures, we celebrate the transition from boyhood to manhood with elaborate ceremonies. It is appropriate to use this achievement in this regard for our modern lifestyle. Keeping the ceremony’s events in a simple format will help you achieve a successful ECOH. The Eagle Scout’s parents are the primary organizers of the ECOH. The Eagle Scout is there as the focal point and may often feel he’s left out of the planning. This is a major photo opportunity for family and dear friends. It is appropriate to expect gifts and cards from attendees. Scouting displays and food/desserts/refreshments are completely optional. Some simple ECOH's are completed within a half-hour, however, most take an hour or more to complete. There are alternative ECOH scripts and themes available throughout the Internet (see links below) and in several books published on the subject. Most ECOH is conducted independently, however combining this with other Eagle Scouts ECOH is not uncommon. Keep in mind that location and the troop’s calendar should be referenced before committing to a date and place.

Check YouTube Channel for more links and information: https://youtube.com/c/scouterstan

I wonder how many Scouts and Scouters have thought about the motto “Be Prepared”? This includes unexpected service to the community. Often this is personal and close to home in many ways. Living your life by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law makes it easier to take on responsibilities. Here are two situations where it kicked in for scatter Stan. Feel free to put your unexpected service moments in the comments on this community channel.

🌐 Emergency Preparedness Award: https://www.scouting.org/awards/awards-central/emergency-preparedness

🌐 National Preparedness Month:  https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/alerts/national-preparedness-month

🎬 Leadership Development (Off-Channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=335lUYvacgs&list=PLlP1tCTA5P8ybglyIYiB_5IgaPwwk0uMy

Patch landing places on the uniform can be confusing. Sometimes it's easier to think of them as the four quadrants of the uniform shirt. Uniform inspections should always be constructive. Often the Cub Scout or the Scout has no say in where the patches wind up. Making sure that you hand out the inspection sheets to new Scout parents before they purchase uniforms will ensure proper placement. There are many ways to attach patches to a shirt. I recommend needle and thread sewing whenever possible. Some patches never change positions. Some change as often as the wind direction. Using “Patch Magic” or other adhesive type attaching materials can be tricky. Follow the instructions completely. You can ruin an expensive shirt or other clothing in the laundry. I believe that nothing is as good as the old-fashioned needle and thread. Time tested and easy to do and make changes. 

🌐 BSA Guide to Awards and Insignia:  https://www.scouting.org/resources/insignia-guide/

🌐 Venturing Crew Uniform Guide: https://www.scouting.org/programs/venturing/about-venturing/uniform-guide

Inspection sheets:

📄 Scouts BSA (Troops): https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/510784(19)_Scouts_Uniform_Inspection_Sheet_WEB.pdf

📄 BSA Adult Leader: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/510783(19)_CS_Scouts_BSA_Adult_Ldr_Uniform_Sht_WEB.pdf

📄 Tiger Scout, Wolf Scout, and Bear Scout: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/510783(19)_CS_Scouts_BSA_Adult_Ldr_Uniform_Sht_WEB.pdf

📄 Webelos Scout: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/510750(19)_Webelos_Inspection_WEB.pdf

⚜️ Note: Venturing has no “official” uniform. In the Venturing program, uniforms are approved by each crew.

Safety is job one for us adult leaders. A big part of safety is Youth Protection Training (YPT). This is done online and can be printed out from there. Committee Chairman, Scoutmasters, and cub Masters can also lookup other leaders' status and get printouts from the website.  Check your YPT status now. Do you remember “The Sweet Sixteen’s” of Scout Safety? Here is a quick reminder of safety concerns. 

🌐 Check your YPT status on your account:  https://my.scouting.org

🌐 Scouts BSA - The Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety:  https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/sweet16

Happy New Year! Let's make this year one of the best for Scouting. There are five ways to make sure that we start off the year in a good way. 

#1 is to make sure that your Youth Protection Training is up to date. It's OK to do it annually even though it's good for two years, and this will help avoid rechartering issues down the road. 

#2 Download and distribute the Journey To Excellence scorecard and distributed to all leaders in your unit. Commit to run your unit to achieve the gold level. 

#3 Crosstraining… All leaders should be cross-trained and have the skills needed for a different position. Learning what other leaders do will give you more enlightenment (Big Picture) about the scouting process.  

#4 get your Scouts BSA Health Form ABC Taking care of at your annual checkup. This will prevent any snags in going on adventures or camping. 

#5 Vaccinations. It seems to be the number one topic these days of post-pandemic Scouting. However, one vaccination is important to get every year and that is the flu vaccination. Remember that there is a 14 day period between vaccinations. 

⚜️ Note: This is the first show of the Commissioners' Weekly 4th season. We are looking forward to presenting subjects that you have requested like Order the Arrow and Wood Badge. In our community, we highly recommend using our comment section on any video. Since May of 2019, we have produced over 75 Commissioners Weekly episodes. Most of these are “Evergreen” and can be viewed anytime for information. Please let us know if you are looking for a subject that we have not covered or given enough information about. You can also contact ScouterStan directly by using the email address on the YouTube channel about tab.

🌐 Login to your account & check your YPT status or get Cross-trained:   https://my.scouting.org/

🌐 Download your unit's Journey to Excellence scorecard: https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to-excellence/unit/

📄 Download the Scouts BSA Health Form:  https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_ABC.pdf

🌐 CDC Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm

🎬 No Time For Flu:  https://youtu.be/cl7wNuU5IIU

What is the oldest leadership corps in Scouting? The oldest leadership role in Scouting is the Commissioner corps. “Gray Tabs” or I like to tell the story about the "duct tape tabs". There is a National shortage of Unit Commissioners in America. This is the adult leader, outside of the unit connecting it with the District and Council. They help the Key Three of the unit be successful. Ideally, a Unit Commissioner is designed for up to 3 units. Unfortunately, most units don’t have one or don’t know who is assigned to their unit. In my District, we have 73 units and only 11 Unit Commissioners. That’s 6 or more per Unit Commissioner. On average Cub Scouting represents 2/3 of all Scouting units. A Cub Master or Pack Committee Chairman’s next step is not always into a Troop leadership position. Many of the skills that they have would serve better as a Unit Commissioner with the District that they are in.

Excuses...     

1. I'm not an expert Scouter…

✔ Training is included and the job is not intended to be for only experts. 

2. I want to be with my youth...

✔ ScouterStan was a Unit Commissioner and Assistant Scoutmaster while his son was a Scout in a Troop.

3. I'm already over-committed to Scouts…

✔ You need to find a comfortable schedule. Units without a Unit Commissioner are more likely to fail and your schedule will have lots of free time then.

4. I don’t want to have multiple memberships…

✔ Your primary membership can be with a unit and District service is secondary at no additional charge. 

⚠️ Important:  Make your next step in Scouting count. Unit Commissioner service is incredibly necessary to the overall Scouting experience. Contact your District or Council Commissioner today for more information.  

🌐 BSA Commissioners:  https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/

🎬 Burnout Prevention and ScouterStan’s Rule of Five:  https://youtu.be/cJPfqkqMeg8 

⚜️ Note: When ScouterStan looked at his handwritten notes it looked like Season 4 would start in June 2021. The first episode of Season 4 will post on January 5, 2021. This mistake was noticed after editing so a written date was put on the video. ScouterStan promises to work on his handwriting in the future.

Adult leaders and parents are NOT exempt from the Scout Law. Have you ever really thought about it. Also the number one question we should ask all Scouts.

Definition as to there meaning:  

Friendly – A Scout is friends to all. Scouts are a brother to other Scouts. Scouts offer their friendship to people of all races, religions, and nations and respect them even if their beliefs and customs are different from their own.  B-P wrote about similar wording however he diverted into a social class. “No matter what Social Class the Other Belongs.” B-P was from the late 1800s and must think of his times and his revolutionary thinking. Today we would say he was “woke”.  

Courteous – A Scout is polite to people of all ages and positions. Scouts understand that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.  B-P had similar meanings in his writings however, he added the line “And he (the Scout) must not take any reward for being helpful or courteous.”  

Kind – A Scout treats others as they want to be treated. Scouts know there is strength in being gentle. Scouts do not harm or kill any living thing without good reason.  Originally, “Kind” was oriented only towards the treatment of animals. This has changed shortly after World War II to reflect kindness to all creatures including humans.   

History – The original writings of Baden Powell in the first Handbook are conveyed Similarly.  Historically there were only 9 scout laws outlined originally. However Later the British scouts added Reverent making it 10 scout laws. Do you know which ones were added to the 12 American Scout laws?   The scout law is an amazing principle for real Action in one's life. Putting each one of the scout law into a daily meaning can literally change the outlook of a young person. As scout leaders, we need to be the example, not the exception. Never forget that we are all obligated to abide by the scout law.   

The number one question that every Scout leader and parents should ask of their Scouts. “What do you think I most want you to be?” (A) Successful, (B) Good, (C) Smart, or (D) Happy.  The correct answer is “B” Good. You cannot achieve any of the others without being good. This question also helps calibrate how we are doing as leaders and parents.   

🌐 What are the Scout Oath and Scout Law?:  https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/

🌐 Teaching Cub Scouts the Scout Law:  https://scoutingmagazine.org/2012/02/tips-for-teaching-cub-scouts-the-scout-law/

📄 1910 Edition of the 'Boy Scouts of America Official Handbook' Pages 32-34 PDF:  http://scouterstan.com/storage/1910-BSA-Handbook-Scout-Law.pdf

🎬 Who Created The Scout Law?:  https://youtu.be/dqaKrXDnXSo

🎬 Dealing With Upset Parents:  https://youtu.be/0cOjHNCZkqw

Historically, a BSA service project is a special Good Turn that puts Scout spirit into action.  Good Turns take many forms such as 

• aid during emergencies and natural disasters 

• recycling • conservation projects 

• Scouting for Food

   ~~~ Possibilities are nearly unlimited. ~~~  

Significant and important enhancements have been made for JTE Service Hours entry to provide a new entry site, Internet Advancement, and change this site to allow appropriate entries to continue.  

⚠️ Important: Your unit’s service hours data has already been moved to the database for Internet Advancement.  

⚜️ Thank you and your unit for your service.  

🌐 The Internet Advancement platform is available at http://Scoutbook.scouting.org for all other project entries. This new site will use your my.Scouting.org username and password for access. 

🌐 Information on the new site is available at http://help.scoutbook.com. Please review the help to become familiar with the enhanced service hours entry. 

🎬 Scoutbook?: https://youtu.be/uMdqEVgH-cM

All troops should expect every adult to take on some kind of leadership role. One that’s often overlooked is Merit Badge Counselor (MBC). Merit Badge Counselor can be designated as troop only or open to the council use.  Adult Cub Scout leaders are also qualified to be Merit Badge Counselors. This is a good way to start the bridging process to a troop. 

Requirements:

⚠️ Important: It is recommended to focus on 3 to 8 Merit Badges. However, there is no limit set if you are qualified.  

As a merit badge counselor: 

Merit Badge Counselors can continue after their no longer with a unit. Merit Badge Counselors must register their Scouts BSA membership with the district/council. 

📄 Merit Badge Counselor Information Form:  https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34405.pdf

🎬 The Blue Card Process or Merit Badges Mania?:  https://youtu.be/h_iQSfcdj00