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Here is a link to a couple of  versions of the troop’s “Blue Card” sheet.   Starting August 1st, 2009, this must be filled out and signed by the merit badge counselor for every merit badge submitted as completed.

Scouts are responsible for keeping up with these sheets while their merit badges are in “partial” status.

Troop 108 “Blue Card” Sheet in Word format

Troop 108 “Blue Card”  Sheet in PDF format

The annual Beach Sweep is coming up on September 11-13th at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach. The cost is $60 which includes the Dixie Stampede Show on Saturday evening. Payment is due at the August 31st troop meeting.

Below is a PDF of the permission slip for the event which should be filled out and signed and then accompany your payment.

2009 Beach Sweep Permission Form

EDGE (Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable) is simply an acronym for the common-sense way humans have been teaching skills for tens of thousands of years.   Many of us refer to this method as the “See One, Do One, Teach One” or the SODOTO method.

This method is the basis for skills instruction in scouting and in many other areas of life.   Here are the steps of the EDGE or SODOTO Method:

Explain — Tell the learners about the skill and talk about how it is done.

Demonstrate — Explain again how to do it, while demonstrating it slowly, step-by-step, then putting it all together.

Guide — Have the learner go through it slowly step-by-step; observe him/her closely while you explain it again and help the learner correct any errors.

Enable — Have the learner practice it on his/her own, but check on progress and be available to answer questions, fine-tune learner’s actions, or help when the learner gets stuck.   Review the learner’s ability and let the learner know when you think he/she has become competent.

It is this method (and the scout oath and law) that allow a scout who has earned the rank of First Class and above to work with scouts who are working on the requirements of ranks lower than Star to sign completed requirements off in those scout’s books when the scouts successfully complete a requirement.   These requirements don’t always have to be checked off by a Scoutmaster or his assistants.

So go forth and SODOTO!

EDGE (Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable)

The Howard Hunter award is designed to recognize those scouts and scouters that have met a certain set of requirements that have been established to ensure that they have been active in scouting throughout the year.

The award, originally called the “Year-Rounder Award”, was developed in the 1970’s by a York District Executive by the name of Howard Hunter in hopes of encouraging scouts and scouters to participate in scouting activities throughout the year.   The award was renamed in his honor following his death.

The requirements have changed several times over the years, but as of August 2009, these are current requirements for the award:

• Sell at least $100 of popcorn.
• Participate in Scouting for Food.
• Participate in a cold weather camping (Polar Bear or Unit camping) where the temperature reaches 32 degrees or lower.
• Participate in the Scout Shot / Scout-A-Rama
• Have a minimum of 15 nights camping with your Unit.
• Unit service project/conservation project at Palmetto Council Camps of 6 hours or more.
• District/Council/Regional/National Event (Camporee/Winterfest/National Jamboree)
• Complete a Good Turn Project to share scouting in your community.

The award year starts on November 1st and runs through October 31st of the following year.

The Scoutmaster will verify eligibility and completion of the requirements and submit the qualifying scouts and scouters names by November 15th of each year.

Because many of our members will be attending open house events at their schools on the third Monday of the month, the regular monthly troop board of review has been moved to August 24th for this month only.