Grammy is coming to visit. She is not quite arriving in the way she envisioned. Grammy and her sister Andy drove all day yesterday and spent the night in Texarkana.  The left Texarkana early this morning, took a detour through Longview, and had an unexpected layover in Nacogdoches. The car broke down. So, they got to enjoy Nacogdoches and wait for their "knights" in shining armor. We sent Blarg and Fred to rescue them. They should arrive shortly. It just seems like yesterday Ross and Emily were toddling around, Ross willing to play just about anything if Emily would just play with him. They jumped in the car and drove off. Hopefully, this will develop into a great family story. I will let you know how that turns out!

Communication does not occur in one direction. In order for information dissemination to be considered communication it requires that a person gives information to a second person. That person must receive the information and either "hear" or "read" the information. If the second person acknowledges to the first person that he or she has received the information, then the two have really communicated.

This leads to the problem of communication with, within and to large groups. According to Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, the maximum and optimum group size for good communication is 150. This is the size of a group in which a person can have relationships and know everyone in the group. In his book, he cites the work of anthropologists who study ancient groups and sociologists and compare them to "modern" social groups. This optimally sized group of people can even communicate orally and get messages out to a whole group. This, in turn, could lead us to the theories behind small learning communities, but I will save that topic for a future blog.

Pearland ISD tries to communicate with the families of more than 17,000 students. The district has improved its modes of communication over the years. But meaningful communication in which people acknowledge that they have received a message cannot easily occur. Pearland ISD uses the following communication tools:

• Web site
• E-news letter subscription
• Quarterly print newsletters
• Monthly or every marking period (every six weeks) school newsletters
• Connect Ed – a phone message that can be sent to every child's home
• Parent Chat Nights

Even with all of these methods in use, certain information does not get disseminated to the parents. Some people will not read information that is sent home. My husband writes columns frequently for the Pearland Journal. Each time the paper publishes his work we wait for word to trickle down to us. Has anyone read the article? Did it cause anyone to pause and think? Typically, we hear directly back from a handful of friends. David often wonders if it is worth the effort and asks if he is succeeding in communicating. As a result, in our home we often joke that we should rent the plane that flies the banners across the sky above our town. But, I think even that would fail to reach everyone.

In the final analysis, what we need is for Pearland parents to participate in their child's education. If they are actively participating, they will receive school "communications" and communicate back. They will attend a PTA meeting, they will belong. I know that I sound like a broken record because I am back to parental involvement; almost every blog I write tends to get back to this topic. Parental involvement is the key to student success. The parents who are involved are the parents who know, they are in the know.

So, we are back to communication and parent involvement. I believe that we need to push hard to get our parents involved. Once they are involved, they will build relationships. Once they have these relationships, they will receive information in a true communication, in a dialogue with their "new" friends. My name is well known in my community, not because I know everyone, but because I have connections with multiple groups and send out a lot of information through e-mail. I encourage people to forward my e-mails and share information with their friends and acquaintances. I am an involved parent.

Thanksgiving was early this year. So early, that it made it too easy to put off the Christmas chores. I kept telling myself that we had 5 weeks. Well, two weekends of scouting activities and concerts and meetings and we are one week out from Christmas! One Week! I can't believe it. My friend, I will call her Edna Doubt, has just realized that Christmas is a week away. We have talked about Christmas over the past few weeks, but always in terms of it being far off in the future. Well, she is officially stressed out. But it will be ok, a few hours dedicated to shopping in the right stores and she can catch up! I am only a week ahead of her…but my house isn't decorated yet and hers has been for over a week.

One of my four children emphatically answers no to any requests a family member makes of him. It doesn't matter if it is something he normally doesn't mind doing or not. His first response is always NO. Now, if you ignore him and walk away he will almost always do what you requested. He almost always does it without complaining and he does a good job. The important part is to ignore his NO and wait for his real response (which in most cases is to finish the chore). This really gets to be an issue when an older sibling makes the request. They just can't let "NO" go; they get upset and start digging in and the fireworks erupt! It is my fervent wish that this winter break go smoothly without any such eruptions. We'll see, I asked Jon and Zack to wash some cups that Ross brought down from the music room. AND of course, what I heard was NO!

It shouldn't have irked me. It shouldn't get under my skin. But sometimes the annual planning of a scouting group is done without getting all their resources in place. It reminded me of the quote I often see posted in offices "the failure to plan on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine!"

Recently, I received an email requesting that the training chair especially arrange a BALOO training (one BALOO trained person in a pack is required to file a local tour permit, so that the pack can have a family campout). It isn't the first request that we have received for this training; my own pack has failed to send anyone to this training since spring of 2007. BALOO is all day training. It is offered at least 3 times a year across our council. Like other all day trainings it requires 3 to 4 trainers to present the syllabus. An ideal class size for BALOO is more than 16 so that you can break up into dens for the hands on sessions. This training requires that the trainers get together and plan. The syllabus is divided up amongst the trainers, an outdoor meal is planned and materials organized for handouts. So, even the trainings themselves have to be planned in order to be successful.

Training and planning are the two key stones of a successful scouting program. The more adults that attend and become fully trained the better off your scouting program. Planning is oft times discussed at our monthly district round table meetings, and is considered in Pack Committee Training.

But, I guess we need to give a specific training on annual planning.

The Bay Area Council has a training chair that is passionate about planning. The website has a good training page and the schedule has been on the website for more than a year. These trainings when first posted were set for the next two years. If this pack had consulted the training schedule they would have found several BALOO opportunities. Most packs do their annual planning in the summer before school starts. Some packs do their planning after their school district calendar is established in the spring; even so, the training information was there for them to reference. Before starting your annual planning, gather all reference materials together.

For a typical annual planning session this includes:

• the BSA publication Cub Scout Program Helps
• the Bay Area Council Calendar of Council and District Events
• the Bay Area Council Training Schedule
• the School District Calendar for the next year
• the most current copy of Guide to Safe Scouting
• a list of activities that the pack always puts on every year (e.g. rain gutter regatta, space derby, pinewood derby, Blue and Gold Banquet, Scout Sunday, campouts)
• a list of great places for field/day trips
• a list of places for overnight activities
• a list of places that are good for Cub Scout Family Camping
• an empty calendar AND a large piece of butcher block paper or a flip chart to keep track of activities (or if you have the technology, a computer and projector)

Include as many as your Cub Scout parents in your planning as possible. This really helps make everyone feel included and valued as a member of the pack. Start with your school calendar. Add all school vacations and state mandated testing dates to your calendar. Then add council and district level events and trainings that pertain to Cub Scouts. List your annual pack activities and assign priorities to these activities. Start chipping away and picking dates that the majority of those present can agree upon. Make sure that all your activities are appropriate and that they adhere to the current version of the Guide to Safe Scouting. Remember that the key to Cub Scout planning is to keep it simple make it fun!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most organizations that work with or advocate on behalf of our youth.  With this in mind, please be considerate of other volunteers.  Even the smallest contribution of time helps the youth.  If it is a parent who is volunteering, then *any* contribution of time is valuable--at least to his or her own child, and quite likely to others as well.  It is well known that there is a direct and very strong correlation between the level of parent involvement and the success of a child in school (it is in fact the *most* important component of student success). 

In scouting, it is only the most driven boy who will succeed without direct parent involvement. 

Some of the keys to boys staying in Boy Scouts are:

• Joining an active troop that is having fun!
• Having a parent involved
• Belonging to a group with friends
• Participating in as many troop and patrol activities as possible--especially any long term camps
• Advancing in rank (with a goal of First Class before the second summer camp)
• Possessing a level of self-motivation

So, to ensure that you have a successful Scouting Adventure: be a concerned parent, be an active parent, establish friendships within the troop and encourage friendships between your scout and his troop members when they are not at scout functions.  You should also read the purpose, aims and methods of scouting to get a better idea of what this program will do for your son.  I believe that my sons are gaining skills that they won't learn in any other program and are getting leadership opportunities that they could not get anywhere else.

Purpose of the BSA

The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to provide a program for community organizations that offers effective character, citizenship, and personal fitness training for youth.

Specifically, the BSA endeavors to develop American citizens who are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit; have a high degree of self-reliance as evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage, and resourcefulness; have personal values based on religious concepts; have the desire and skills to help others; understand the principles of the American social, economic, and governmental systems; are knowledgeable about and take pride in their American heritage and understand our nation's role in the world; have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people; and are prepared to participate in and give leadership to American society.

Aims and Methods of the Scouting Program

The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the "Aims of Scouting." They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.

The methods by which the aims are achieved are listed below in random order to emphasize the equal importance of each.

Ideals. The ideals of Boy Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Boy Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and as he reaches for them, he has some control over what and who he becomes.

Patrols. The patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to interact in small groups where members can easily relate to each other. These small groups determine troop activities through elected representatives.

Outdoor Programs. Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one another. In the outdoors the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Boy Scouts gain an appreciation for the beauty of the world around us. The outdoors is the laboratory in which Boy Scouts learn ecology and practice conservation of nature's resources.

Advancement. Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Associations With Adults. Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders can be positive role models for the members of the troop. In many cases a Scoutmaster who is willing to listen to boys, encourage them, and take a sincere interest in them can make a profound difference in their lives.

Personal Growth. As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is as successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.

Leadership Development. The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

Uniform. The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.