Programming
Incident Reporting Video
The video is only about 8 minutes, so it is worth a brief review from committee members and unit leaders (e.g., Scoutmasters, Cubmasters, and Venturing Advisors).
We Don’t Know — What We Think We Know
In scouting, we spend an inordinate time dealing with the unknown:
- Will it rain?
- Are the boys ready for the backpacking trip?
- Is the Senior Patrol Leader-elect ready for his job?
- Am I ready to be the Cubmaster, when everyone else tells me I would be great?
One of the best reasons that scouting works is that it teaches scouts (and adults) humility in the face of the natural elements and adversity in scout meetings. Why is humility important?
Humility is the personal characteristic that a psychologically balanced person has. Humility is not self-deprecation nor self-doubt. Humility is the desire to self-critique that leads to a more thorough and thoughtful response.
To get a sense about how important a dose of humility is, consider the impact of a lack of humility in introducing problems. This is the Dunning Kruger Effect.
So from this video we see that lacking humility to question preparation and understanding leads to hubris and Greek tragedies (and miserable camping trips).
Estimation error is a huge problem in self-assessment. A scout filled with hubris and self-confidence with not a trace of humility estimates that all of his plans are perfect. “I know it won’t rain, so we don’t need the dining flies.”
The estimation error of a humble scout is smaller. “I don’t think it will rain, but, if I am wrong, we will pack dining flies. Maybe we will just take two rather than three.”
One of the best lessons a scoutmaster or cubmaster can teach a scout is how his decision fits in larger patterns of human nature and behavior. Since scouting is learning through experience, it is important to allow safe failures. But it is even better to reflect on how those failures occurred and how to “fail more successfully” next time. To me a more successful failure is one that avoids the errors made last time. “I am not error free, but I work to only make an error once. The next time, I will inadvertently find a new error, hopefully of a smaller magnitude.”
Does your troop or pack take the time to reflect on its successes and failures before going to bed or departing a meeting, when the reflections and lessons are more profound? A scoutmaster or cubmaster suggesting the power of humility during these timely reflections is one of the greatest character building lessons we can offer, that are hard to duplicate anywhere else.
Long-Range Planning: an Alternate Proposal
Traditionally in BSA units, National recommends that units do an annual planning conference one time per year. This is designed to discuss the budget, annual calendar, and longer-term projects, like high adventure outings. The idea is that at least once per year that the unit makes sure that it is staying on course. This is usually done concurrently with the annual program calendar.
The result is that the unit has a full agenda to talk about the calendar. Dealing with other long range issues gets varying discussion and analysis. For units that do the planning as part of an evening meeting, they run out of time quickly. For units that have a full retreat, they have plenty of time, but may have different items on their agenda.
Compounding the problem, most officers of the unit only plan to be with the unit until their son (and soon to be, daughters) leave the unit. This makes planning a much shorter term vision than the unit probably needs. But in terms of prioritzation, it allows the players to focus on what affects them and shorten the agenda.
Scouting already has a tendency to “meeting” our volunteers to death. We tend to have too many short meetings rather than taking the time to do a retreat once.
November Boy Scout Roundtable: Life to Eagle in North Star
We will have the members of the North Star District Advancement Committee, 
specializing in Eagle issues lead a discussion. The roundtable will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at Luke’s Lodge, the outbuilding on the campus of St Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Specifically, Eagle Project Coordinators Rick Aker and Bill Cherry will talk about how boy scouts go about getting their Eagle Projects approved in the District.
Eagle Board of Review Coordinator Jerry Simon will talk about how boards are scheduled, run, and successfully completed.
This topic is ideal for Eagle Candidates, their parents, Troop Key 3 members, Troop Advancement Chairs, Troop Eagle Mentors (scout and scouter), new and old Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, and anyone interested in serving on Eagle Boards of Review. Oh, forget it; just anyone.
Come with your questions!
Unique opportunity for Indiana residents
Scouting is about citizenship. It is about citizenship in the Community, Nation, and World.
One of the requirements for citizenship in the world includes trying to speak to people from other countries. This is often hard for people in America because, especially in Indiana, we live so far from any borders. With one in five people now an immigrant to our land, it is becoming easier than ever before.
Even so, one of the best skills that a good scout can develop is the ability to communicate in more than one language. For residents of Indiana, we have a unique opportunity for incoming juniors, seniors, and recent graduates from high school. (The main target audience is incoming seniors). It is the Indiana University honors program in foreign languages.
My son and I are both alumni of the program. I studied in France and he studied in Spain. District Chair John Wiebke’s son also participated in Chile at the same time my son was in Spain. As a result we are highly conversant in our second languages.
They are preparing to close out their application season for the Summer 2018 trips. They travel to France, Spain, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Chile, China, and Japan. The students are required to speak exclusively in the host language for six weeks. This is a wonderful opportunity for a complete immersion experience.
Scouts make great candidates for this program because they must undergo an in person interview and demonstrate that they would be good ambassadors for America to the host country. Often this program is dominated by girls. There always eager to get good male applicants.
Well the program is expensive, there are ways to find financial help. Even if you doubt that financial ability will be possible, I still encourage students to apply. Being accepted into the program is an honor in and of itself. It helps raise the applicant’s self assuredness because they are capable of qualifying for such a respectable program.
If your child or a scout in your troop or crew is interested at all in international issues, I would commend this program to your attention.
More Info on Retroactive Eagle Palms
For those who saw the previous announcement that retroactive Eagle Palms now exist, there were questions about why the rules were written they were.
Now the new rules have been revised.
See this article for more information
.
Essentially, more merit badges before Eagle gives more palms.
Information for this Weekend’s IOLS at Belzer
This weekend, North Star in cooperation with Del-Mi, is running the only in-person, required training for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters. It will be at Camp Belzer.
For attendees, please plan on bringing the following items
Watch this page for updates on any last minute updates.
Invitation to Pack 358’s Hayride
Pack 358 from Zionsville Christian Church is again opening its annual hayride and bonfire to other packs in the North Star District. To participate, simply visit this link.
For troops this is a wonderful opportunity to get to know parents and cubs from various packs and to help serve cub scout packs.
Trained Den Leaders Required for Rechartering
Den Leaders, like all registered leaders in North Star, must be trained in order to allow them to be registered with their pack at rechartering. This is one of the largest training deficiencies that we have in the district.
That means that they need to take the online training under My Profile at my.scouting.org.
The biggest obstacle to get people trained online is that do not have a working my.scouting.org account.
At the next meeting, have a listed of people who need training. Pull each one aside and have them login to their my.scouting.org account. Have them go to the Training section and make sure that they can start the online training by picking the right course. You will identify problems quickly this way. Then let them finish at home.
We will also be offering a Den Leader Training in person at the next Cub Scout Roundtable, Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 7:00 pm at Luke’s Lodge, on the campus of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46260. This will be the last live offering in calendar year 2017 for North Star District (and third roundtable offering of the same). You can register here.
Scout troops should follow the same pattern.
All training is available online this year, except Scoutmasters’ and Assistant Scoutmasters’ class Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills which will be offered at Belzer October 27-29, 2017. Click here to register. (The one on the training hub is out-of-date, and has been replaced with this one.)
YPT Update
Thank you to all the scouters who have been updating their Youth Protection Training. Your efforts are paying off. In 2018 we are running ahead of 2017.
We still have a bunch more to go, the trends are excellent.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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