for the scout leaders

**Spartan Tartan** · 9th August 11, 07:40 PM

Wow again! Thanks so much for the support. Last night I was feeling like I was kind of in it alone. Clearly that is not true. Wonderful advice and I'll be looking through all the resources. I have another month to get my ducks in a row...so again, I appreciate the positive response.

**Standard** · 9th August 11, 08:33 PM

Spartan, I've been in much the same position as what you describe. When my son started Cub Scouts no one would step up to be the leader. I said that with my work schedule I could not be the main leader, but would help as much as possible, I'm sure you can guess how that turned out. LOL I ended up being my son's den leader, webelos leader, assistant scoutmaster, and venture crew advisor. Remember that all of the other den leaders have started out just as you are. Even those of us who are Eagle Scouts had plenty of nervous thoughts when we actually took the reins and became a leader. Ask the other leaders of your pack what they have done, attend your troop committee meetings and the district round tables if available, they are all great resources. Also be sure to check out current issue of Scouter magazine, and the resources available at your local scout shop (ours is 1 1/2 hours from home, and it is sometimes easier to order off of the BSA website).

Remember that the boys will feel great that you are taking the time to care about them and help them. The more you do, the easier it will become. Soon you'll be the one giving the new leaders advice.

I've had the honour of seeing 8 of the 12 boys that I had as Cub Scouts become Eagles. That is definately a feeling that is impossible to match.

Remember to "Do Your Best", that will take you far.

**jgcunningham** · 9th August 11, 10:55 PM

"All it takes is one hour per week......per boy."

Seriously, you need to look at Baloo's Bugle. It's online, I think through MacScouter.com. It has a weekly schedule of what to cover for all the different achievements and guides for each week. Your other pack leaders should know where to get it and how to use it.

Get ready for a lot of fun. I started out as an "involved parent" and ended up being everything in the pack (den leader, pack committee, cubmaster, webelos DL, etc.). Along the way, I got to have a lot of fun with my son and wife. We sold, and delivered, a lot of popcorn, made and raced a lot of cars, planes, and boats, and earned a ton of badges. Now my son is an Eagle with 3 palms and is ready for job interviews because of his boards of review for all his ranks. He's on his way to manhood and a career thanks to Scouts. Can you tell how proud I am?

**jgcunningham** · 9th August 11, 10:59 PM

Double posting deleted!

**O'Callaghan** · 11th August 11, 12:31 AM

My wife was, or I suppose is, a Queen's Guide (equivalent to Girl Scout Gold Award here in the US, which in turn is equivalent to Eagle Scout for a guy). She is currently a Girl Scout troop leader as well as being on district committee in the Boy Scouts. She runs the annual Cub Scout day camp. She also has her Wood Badge, which is the highest award for Boy Scout leaders, and which is the same in every country.

I have to brag about her, because I was a cub in England, but never transferred to Boy Scouts when I aged out of cubs, and have never been a leader as such, although I have been a merit badge counsellor, but that doesn't involve wearing a uniform.

You know being in scouts entitles you to wear the Maclaren tartan, right? Not in uniform in the US, though. And of course to wear a patch of it on your scarf you have to get your wood badge, but you can wear a Maclaren kilt right now!

**Jock Scot** · 11th August 11, 12:44 AM

The Scout thing missed me somehow and I know some things are done differently in other countries, but I have a question. Can a scout in the USA(other countries?) wear the kilt of his own tartan when Scouting? I recall, well, being rather envious of the many youngsters wearing their own kilts whilst doing this and that when scouting.

**Spartan Tartan** · 11th August 11, 04:33 AM

Standard...the way you got started sounds EXACTLY like what got me started. I am excited, but also recognize the responsibility to the boys and just don't want to disappoint any of the boys.

O'Callaghan, I realize the Maclaren tartan is associated with Scouts, but I have NO idea how my pack/council/district feel about wearing kilts with the scouting uniform. If I decide to another kilt, I may wait until I've done the Wood Badge training it I decide to wear Maclaren.

Jock, I don't know about wearing one's own kilt. Given that the kilt itself is NOT really a part of the uniform (Maclaren or otherwise), I suppose if you are wearing a kilt at all then you are out of uniform by US Scouting uniform standards. In that case, I would just rather wear my own kilt too. I am sure others would have better formed opinions, but I'd go out and say itis likely up to the local scouting committee. I'd bet no one has even asked here in the middle of Oklahoma!

**eaglemo** · 11th August 11, 10:15 AM

Congrats! I have been in scouting for 50 years, a member of 3 different councils, and have held many positions on the unit, district and council level. I will be a scout until the day a die...and possibly after that! It is a great ride, get your leader training ASAP, because it will help you in many ways.
Yours in Scouting,
Eaglemo

**Cygnus** · 11th August 11, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

The Scout thing missed me somehow and I know some things are done differently in other countries, but I have a question. Can a scout in the USA(other countries?) wear the kilt of his own tartan when Scouting? I recall, well, being rather envious of the many youngsters wearing their own kilts whilst doing this and that when scouting.

By the official Boy Scouts of America uniform guidelines, no. I believe that kilts are (were?) only officially recognized as part of the uniform in the UK.

Having said that, the groups of older scouts (age 16+) in the US do have the flexibility of choosing the "lower part" of their uniform, and some do choose kilts. Combine that with the fact that there really aren't too many Boy Scout uniform police citing scouts and their leaders for not following the guidelines to a T, and I think you'll find that, to many, kilt-wearing with a Scout uniform is acceptable (at least in some circumstances), though certainly not "official".

**eaglemo** · 11th August 11, 11:42 AM

The Boy Scouts of America accept the MacLaren tartan kilt as uniform wear. Anyone wearing a different tartan does so at their own choosing and would not be considered in BSA Uniform. The MacLaren tartan is accepted mostly as a part of the Wood Badge uniform, but I doubt if anyone would police any scout or leader wearing this tartan kilt!