Sometime I get it
right the first time; sometimes I need to get whacked upside the
head. Here’s a case where I really blew it first time out the
gate. Luckily, this parent-Scouter was pretty darned forgiving…
Dear Andy,
My question became
an issue last night, and our troop meeting is tonight, so I’m
trying to get answers as quickly as possible. My questions are
about Family Life merit badge-requirement 5:
-
Does the family project require the MBC’s pre-approval?
-
Does the Scout have to complete req. 4 before doing 5?
-
Are req’s 4 and 5 dependant upon each other in any way?
-
Would doing 5 before 4 change the badge’s core value?
-
Would a family working together to create a quail habitat on
their farm reflect the guidelines of this merit badge?
I used the
language of a MBC in my questions so that there is no "wiggle
room" when getting this matter resolved. (Chantal Doolin, ASM,
Ozark Trails Council, MO)
I have no idea
why you need this information before your troop meeting
tonight—Merit badges aren't done in troop meetings; they're done
by Scouts, as they choose to, on their own and outside of troop
meetings. Besides, what does an Assistant Scoutmaster need this
information for? These are issues that Scouts work out between
themselves and their Merit Badge Counselor(s). ASMs have
nothing to do with questions like these, UNLESS you're running a
merit badge "class" and this is your first time doing it, in
which case you're way off base! I strongly suspect that
someone's running a maverick merit badge class, and this isn't
the Scouting way. If I'm wrong, tell me, and I'll apologize
publicly and with total sincerity.
(And, guess
what… I was totally off-base!)
Dear Andy,
The fact is, I’m
an ASM who has a son who’s starting Family Life merit badge, and
all my questions were in reference to what his Merit Badge
Counselor has said about requirements 4 and 5.
You see, as a
family, we’re currently working on 40 of our farm’s
acres—turning them into a quail habitat. We’ve worked on this
as a family from Day One, choosing the kinds of trees and bushes
we’d plant, then planting them and cleaning fence rows, taking
soil samples and now buying seed, disking the land, and planting
the seeds. But my son’s MBC told him that this couldn’t be his
“family project” for req. 5 because she didn’t give him approval
on it before we started it, and she wasn't so sure that it was a
project that reflected the meaning of the merit badge.
She also told him
that req. 4 has to be done before 5, and this makes it
a pre-approval issue: Req. 4 must be completed before
5, otherwise that would change the badge’s “core value.”
For req. 4, my son
wanted to replace and add more smoke detectors in our house with
new and improved ones that he’d heard about, but his MBC keeps
saying that that would work for Personal Management merit badge
instead. We don't understand why he couldn't do it for his
"personal" project for Family Life.
My husband and I
read the Family Life requirements with our son, and couldn’t
determine how she came up with these issues or why she wouldn’t
accept the project. We’re trying to clarify the matter, so our
son can continue on and complete the merit badge that he wanted
to work on. It’s our understanding that if the requirement
doesn’t stipulate that approval is required, the Counselor can’t
just add that to the requirements on a whim. We are thinking
that the approval for req. 4 is to make sure that the Scout
doesn’t choose a project that could be dangerous to himself or
others… Do we have that right? We also understand that if a
Scout has completed a task and has proof of it, that task
shouldn’t be disqualified simply because it was done prior to
his starting the merit badge... Have we misunderstood this
aspect?
I’m not looking
for sugar-coating. We need to know what’s correct. Thanks for
your time and assistance. (Chantal Doolin)
Well, I guessed
wrong and messed up big time! This apology will definitely go
in my next column (so here it is), especially because you
overlooked my little rant and came back with good, solid
questions in the best interests of your son. As a former Family
Life MBC, let's see if I can actually help you out this time
instead of making wrong the assumption...
The intention of
req. 4 is for your son to be the initiator of an idea for a
family-benefiting project and then carry it out himself. The
quail habitat project might qualify if (a) your son came up with
the idea on his own and (b) did it on his own. If not both (a)
and (b), then he'll need to follow what req. 4 says. But if he
did do both (a) and (b) then he can ask that it qualify and the
decision's up to you and your husband and the MBC.
Alternatively,
your son's smoke detector replacement idea seems to me to be
perfectly appropriate for Family Life’s req. 4 and I'm at a loss
to understand his MBC's reluctance to approve this. In fact, I
really don't see where this idea fits any of the requirements
for Personal Management (which I've just read), but even if it
did, if it fits Family Life then if I were your son's MBC I'd
say go for it!
The intention of
req. 5 is for your son to do the planning of a project and then
involve his other family members. Again, if the quail habitat
project was (a) his idea and (b) he "recruited" you all to
participate in it (i.e., you didn't recruit him), then he can
and should ask that it qualify.
Although it
would be logical for req. 4 to be done before req. 5 (in point
of fact, all the requirements for this merit badge are laid out
in progressive order and it would make good sense and good
learning to do them in the order in which they're listed), this
isn't mandatory. The order in which merit badge requirements
are completed is decided on by the Scout, with the advice,
counsel, encouragement, and support of his MBC. If there are
sound reasons for doing them in a different order than listed,
then that should be OK.
In general,
"approval" (whether from a MBC for a merit badge like this or
from a Scoutmaster for a service project or community service
time) is best obtained in advance, so as to prevent unhappy
surprises later.
For merit badges
in general, the "rule of thumb" is that work on the requirements
formally begins when the Scout has begun the merit badge.
"Beginning" a merit badge is defined as: The Scout has (1)
obtained a signed application (aka "Blue Card") from his
Scoutmaster and (2) has had his first meeting with his Merit
Badge Counselor. Until both (1) and (2) have occurred, the
Scout is not considered to have started the merit badge.
Dear Andy,
Thank you for such
a thorough reply. Our son will need to pick another family
project, since we did kick the idea around with him prior to the
start of it and he did help plan the layout, but we can't say
that it was an original idea by him to create it. We
mistakenly thought the key to the requirement was that the
family would share a meaningful project, but overlooked who was
supposed to initiate it. Thank you for clarifying that. The
funny thing is that the MBC said the habitat was a fine project,
except that it had not been pre-approved (she never asking who
came up with the project to begin with), which led all of us to
believe this was a "power" issue. I hope we were mistaken about
that, tool!
We’ll have him
discuss his smoke detectors idea further, to see if the MBC will
accept it, since that was his own idea. Thanks for helping our
son on his Eagle trail! (Chantal Doolin)
Personally, I
really like that smoke detector idea... It's the sign of a
responsible young man and, who knows, it just might save a house
or a life! (Although, truthfully, I hope they never go off!)
Dear Andy,
About “going
backwards” and earning Cub Scout ranks missed because of not
joining as a Tiger…
My own son also
didn’t start until he was a Wolf because our school district
didn’t have a Cub Scout pack
until that year. What my son likes about NOT having earned the
Tiger badge is that now, as a Webelos Scout, he can wear all
four of the diamond-shaped Cub Scout rank badges together on his
shirt—Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos—along with the Arrow
Points he earned as a Wolf and Bear. If he had earned the Tiger
badge, there wouldn’t be a place for the diamond Webelos badge,
so he'd probably have to use the oval one and change uniforms
entirely. He worked hard to earn the other ranks when he was
younger, so he’s proud to show them off. I explained the two
options to all the boys in my den, and they all opted to wear
all four of the diamond badges instead of one oval badge. So I’d
suggest that the Bear Scout should focus on earning his Bear
rank and then work on his Arrow Points.
Thanks for writing
such a wonderful column. I’ve learned a lot that’s now helping
me to evaluate the various Boy Scout troops that my son might
cross over to in February. I’ve also enjoyed the emotional lift
that some of your heart-warming stories have given me. (Debbie
Burton, WDL, Northeast Illinois Council, IL)
Bingo! You've got it right on
the money, and so does your son!
Hello Andy,
Where can I find
information about the Scout symbol, with the two stars, band,
three points of the fleur-de-lis, and scroll? (Bill Taylor)
It's in any
edition of the Boy Scout Handbook or Handbook for Boys;
it's also in the Webelos Scout Book.
Hi Andy,
I’m a Tiger Cub
den Leader and was told at a leaders meeting that “snipe hunts”
are no longer allowed by the BSA. Despite this, snipe hunts
have been major events at our pack camp-outs. Could you please
advise me on. (Brandi Roberts, Cape Fear Counsel, NC)
Currently, snipe
hunts are considered a form of hazing if not abuse because the
snipe-hunting boy is made to be the fool by the boys and leaders
"in the know." The only "reward" to a snipe hunt comes later
when the previous flock of made-fools-of boys gets to inflict
this on the next flock of "newbies." That's why it's been
disallowed.
Hey Andy,
Your recent column
about Scouting volunteers who do things their own way instead of
using a hundred years of accumulated experience really hit home.
You've written many times that voting with one's feet is always
an option, and that there are other troops out there that do
things right. Perhaps. But what to do when the problem extends
through the district and even up to the council level? In recent
months, I've heard the following:
-
From a District Advancement Chair: The idea that the Scouts in
the troop elect their SPL is “merely a recommendation;" the
troop’s adults can appoint the SPL.
-
From a District Advancement Chair: After a Scout turns in a
merit badge blue card that’s been properly completed and signed
off by the Counselor, it's OK for the Scoutmaster to sit the
Scout down and quiz him to determine if he really earned the
badge.
-
From a council professional: Eagle Scout candidates are required
to arrange for letters of reference to be written and submitted
before their BOR.
-
From various district-level Scouters: A non-Eagle BOR can
include people who aren’t members of the unit committee.
-
From a Scoutmaster: Time served in a leadership position during
a month when there’s no planned troop activity doesn’t count
toward tenure for rank advancement.
Based upon what
I've seen in BSA literature and in your column, none of the
above is correct. Am I missing something, or are these people
off the mark? (Anonymous in New Jersey)
Yup, they're off
the mark on every point. Bloody scary!
Dear Andy,
I’d like to know
if the BSA has a required number of meetings or camp-outs a
Scout must attend in order to hold a leadership position in a
troop. (No name or council)
Nope! There's
no such stipulation by the BSA. If a local troop is insisting
on this sort of stuff, this suggests that there's an underlying
problem of participation, and this is often the result of boring
meetings and camp-outs. Neither participation nor enthusiasm
can be legislated.
Dear Andy,
In a recent
column, you mentioned that the Commissioner’s Arrowhead Honor
patch should be removed from your uniform if you’re no longer
serving as Commissioner. With all due respect, I disagree with
this. I recently traded hats from District Commissioner to
District Training Chair, and so sewed on the District Committee
Member patch but kept my Arrowhead on, because I view it much
like my Commissioner Key Distinguished Commissioner Service
Award square knots: My time, service, training, and
accomplishments don’t disappear when I change roles, plus it
serves as a way to get a "what's that cool patch?" question.
On another subject, I think the reason why the BSA experiences
the problem of very few adult volunteers in the 20-35 age range
is two-fold. One, the BSA does not have a strong relationship
with the college and university system nationwide (Venturing may
help solve this, and also the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity, but
more could be done). Two: Advancement. The youth for years have
a pretty clear "trail" of advancement to follow, but once they
hit the magic number of 18 or 21, the trail disappears, and
they’re left on their own to blaze their own trail. So who
wants to be 19, 22, or even 25, surrounded by (at least on the
district and council levels) a herd of—with all due
respect—silver hairs? (Kortney Jendro, Northern Star Council,
MN)
On the Arrowhead
honor, you can be as respectful as you care to, but the BSA
policy (not my opinion, or yours, either) is that it's worn with
and only with a Commissioner badge of office, period.
I agree with you
on the BSA losing touch with members who "age out." I've often
thought (and even written to Roy Williams about this) that at
least an "alumni association" of some sort might help keep guys
like you (or younger) more "in the loop," so that when you
consider volunteering for something you consider Scouting.
Maybe some day we'll see this happen. We have two pretty
terrific guys in Rick Cronk and Don Belcher, National President
and National Commissioner, respectively, and our new CSE looks
like a pretty sharp guy, too! I’d be shocked if we didn’t see
some significant positive changes very soon!
Dear Andy,
I’m a Webelos II
den Leader. Each of my boys has earned enough requirements to be
awarded the Arrow of Light. Would it be appropriate to conduct a
special Arrow of Light ceremony with the pack right now, and
then hold a separate bridging ceremony at the Blue & Gold
banquet in February? Could you suggest an Arrow of Light
ceremony? (Chris Hofmann, WDL, Dan Beard Council, OH)
It's totally
appropriate for there to be separate ceremonies, because each
has its own, unique meaning and purpose. Your Webelos can
definitely receive their AOL as soon as they've earned it, and
then bridge over to their chosen Boy Scout troop at the February
B&G.
The BSA
publishes a book on ceremonies (name escapes me at the moment)
and you can probably track it down at your local Scout Shop or
at
www.Scoutstuff.org And don't rule out getting
in touch with the ceremonies team of your council's Order of the
Arrow lodge for this!
Dear Andy,
Do you have any
ideas for games that Joeys (6-8 years old) can play? (Tracey
Moyle, Joey Scout Leader, Queensland,
Australia)
Try the BSA’s
Cub Scout Fun Book. It's available at
www.Scoutstuff.org and even sometimes at
amazon.com
!
Hi Andy,
What's the main
difference between Brownsea Training and NYLT? And, is it
unheard of to staff in another country? (In my case it may be
the Golden Falcons program in the Transatlantic Council, except
now that Camp Freedom’s destroyed, do you know where it's going
to be? (Yoni Miller, Brooklyn Council, NY)
"Brownsea" is a
term used by many councils for many different training course
configurations, so there's no possible way for me to compare it
to NYLT for you. NYLT is, of course, the updated version of
what had for many years been the council-level JLT training,
which itself goes by various other names throughout stateside
BSA councils.
No, it's
definitely not unheard of to staff (or attend!) a training
course in another country, be it a BSA course or a course
specific to that country's Scout program. To determine what
training will be offered by the Transatlantic Council, and
where, get in touch with that council at:
http://www.tac-bsa.org/
Hi Andy,
I’ve been a Cub
Scout parent for three years and have this year taken on the
role of Tiger Cub den Leader. I’m a little confused about the
requirements for the Outdoor Activity Award, which is in the
Tiger Books. The main requirement for all the ranks is "attend a
CS day or resident camp." If our Tiger program starts in
September with the first grade school year, and our Tigers
become Wolves in June, when are they supposed to attend the
camp? How could they earn this award as Tigers? If you say the
Tiger year should start in June, don't you think it would be a
little difficult to have one of their first activities to be a
Scout camp? I've seen some various "opinions" in the forum (http://usScouts.org/discuss/messages/2/1880.html),
but can you give me an "official" answer? (Greg Aker, Northern
New Jersey Council)
Let's first
agree that the Outdoor Activity Award is in the "optional"
category, as are all of the Sports and Academics awards. None of
these is a direct or fundamental part of the advancement program
for Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, or Webelos Scouts. One essential
requirement for the OAA regardless of rank is, as you've stated,
to attend a program-appropriate day or resident camp.
Consequently, as you've noted, if a boy becomes a Tiger Cub in
September, and Cub Scout day camp or resident camp for the
summer immediately past has concluded, then the OAA would not be
earned until the following summer. The same would hold true for
any boy, joining at any level, in September. While this might
be disappointing to some, it's hardly of major proportion in
light of all the other advancement options open to boys
throughout the Cub Scouting continuum.
Dear Andy,
I'm a Webelos
Scout Mom, and I’m looking for some ideas for a wood project.
(Maria Martinez, Dallas, TX)
Your son's Wolf
and Bear Cub Scout books contain a whole bunch of wood
projects. So does the Cub Scout
Leader How-To Book. Or, just go to your local
Michael's, Rag Shop, or A.C. Moore store—They have lots of wood
project stuff!
Dear Andy,
Which night of the
week is the best night for a troop meeting? Do you know if there
are any nationwide stats on this topic available from the
national office—for instance, do more troops have their meetings
on Wednesday or Thursday than
any other night? This question is raised because a few families
in our troop want to change from our current night (Sunday) to a
night during the regular work- and school-week. It’s unlikely
that we’ll make any changes until we’ve thought through the
ramifications of moving to a week night and the attendant impact
on the Scouts, many whom have a variety of week night
obligations. We’ve always strived to do what’s best for the
greatest portion of our membership base. (Tom McCandless, SM,
Westchester-Putnam Council, NY)
In my own
personal experience as a Commissioner for coming up on 20 years,
I've seen that Sunday night is a
terrific night for Scout meetings! I've seen several troops of
significant size do this and maintain their growth and program
delivery very successfully. There are no "national statistics"
of course, because every locale will have its own uniqueness.
But, let's think about it: Sunday has no "pop tests" the next
day, homework should be totally completed, it's not a "date
night," not a sports night (not even practices!), and it's
rarely if ever a "movie night" for boys and young men of Scout
age; it doesn't conflict with many if any religious observances
(LDS is an obvious exception), and it's rarely if ever a
"conflict of events night" for your sponsor. Moreover, it's not
a night that Mom or Dad can't drive their son to a troop meeting
and stick around! Can you think of any other night in a week
that has so many "not's"?
A reasonably
decent—but definitely not "clear"—alternative to
Sunday nights is Monday, and
often Tuesday, but there will be problems, that I can
guarantee! If Sunday night is
working or mostly working, stick with it! If some families have
a major problem, they always have the option of finding a troop
for their son that meets on some other night, and they should
consider this option before trying to mess with something that
works!
Dear Andy,
I'm in my sixth
year as Scoutmaster of my troop. We've done well, and have
around 25 active Scouts. We normally have four patrols. I make
a point of reading the Scoutmaster Handbook every year or
so, and I don't recall seeing any specific rules or directives
regarding troop elections. We probably do this differently from
every troop in the country, so bear with me as I explain it…
First, our SPL is
elected in January for a one-year term. He uses his first six
months to learn, then goes to NYLT on a 75% campership), and
then he returns to complete his final six months. This way, he
gets a chance to run things, then gets training, then applies
that training. This has been tried exactly once, and so far, so
good.
Patrol Leaders, on the other hand, are elected every six months,
and those Scouts who are eligible are asked to do a quick “Why I
should be a Patrol Leader” speech if they want. Then the troop
as a whole votes for any or all of those eligible. For example,
we have Tom, Pete, and Harry who are eligible. Scout Johnny can
vote for Tom and Pete, because he thinks they’d be good PL's, or
he would like to be in a patrol led by Pete.
If we have, let’s
say, five Scouts running for three PL slots, the three with the
most overall votes get the three slots. (Note that we haven't
assigned Scouts to patrols yet.)
So I have an SPL
(who chooses his ASPL), and three PLs.
Let me digress for
a moment… When you join a group, you want to be with your
friends, right? And I'm sure you've seen troops where they split
up friends intentionally into different patrols. Then, during
meetings, the friends abandon their patrols to hang. Or, on
campouts, they tent together even though they should be with
their patrols. My intent here is to avoid that problem.
So, after the SPL and PLs are elected, I make up a form that
lists the names of the PLs and gives the Scouts three choices:
(1) Put me in Pete's patrol, (2) Put me with my friend Harry,
(3) I don't care which patrol I'm in. I use this information to
create the patrols. Harry goes to Pete's patrol, Billy goes with
him, because that's what he wanted, and Tim didn't care, so he
goes over to Jake's patrol.
I've been doing it this way for about four years, and it's been
surprising how easy it is to create the patrols. Most guys know
who they want to be with, and that's fine with me.
What do you think?
(Ben Dibble, Daniel Webster Council, NH)
I’m OK on the
SPL election and his picking his ASPL. But I don't understand
why you keep reshuffling the Scouts into different patrols every
six months or so. The patrol is, after all, the fundamental and
essential unit of Boy Scouting. It would therefore make sense
for patrols, once formed, to stay together. Don’t you remember
your Wood Badge training? Didn't you all stay together in the
same patrols for the course’s entire duration? No one
reshuffled you, and no one asked you to reshuffle yourselves!
And, didn't you elect Patrol Leaders from within each patrol?
Do you know why it was done that way? It was done because
that's how Boy Scout troops and patrols work! So, my own bottom
line is that you've taken it upon yourself to "reinvent" the Boy
Scout program. Yes, you may find that what you've done
works—for you. But that doesn't make it correct. And it sure
doesn’t make it the Boy Scout program that you’re supposed to be
delivering. I urge you to consider what you learned in Wood
Badge and put it into practice. The patrol method, as written,
isn't some mere suggestion; it's the way things are supposed to
be done. And, as far as how elections are supposed to happen at
the troop level and at the patrol level, you may want to take a
crack at reading the Boy Scout Handbook.
Hi Andy,
My troop committee is considering
possibly establishing a ”scholarship to camp” program for our
troop, to enable some Scouts from less well-off families to go
to summer camp. We welcome any suggestions how to best
implement such a program. (Rolland Pfund, CC, Patriots’ Path
Council, NJ)
My hat's off to
your troop for considering a "campership" program—That's a
wonderful way to share the Scouting experience! So here’s a
question for this columns readers:
Scouters, please write to me with any suggestions for this troop
on how to implement a troop-specific “campership” financial aid
program. I’ll publish your suggestions in my very next column!
Meanwhile,
there's an excellent chance that your own council has a
campership program in place and it's probably administered by
either the camping committee or perhaps the finance committee.
You may want to reach out to one or both of these, to see what
sorts of guidelines/criteria/documentation they use—no sense
reinventing the wheel if you don't have to! Of course, you
don't have to match the council plan, lock-stock-and-barrel—You
can develop your own model based on what you learn from others
who have already traveled that path.
Dear Andy,
We have a nice
troop with a fun and growing youth leadership program. All of
our Scouts are 14 years old, or younger. We’re getting closer
to achieving boy-run status and want to maintain a positive
model for our Scouts. We need some help with two of our leaders,
who happen to be husband and wife. It seems that they usually
end up yelling, as their way to correct behavior or to motivate
action. They’re an integral part of the troop and I believe
that they just don’t know any better. However, it’s critical to
correct this issue for the sake of the Scouts and troop. What’s
the best way to approach them about their inappropriate methods
and where can we find help for them? Our troop would be willing
to help them improve. (No name in Pennsylvania)
Have the two
folks you're describing attended training for their positions?
Do they know that, unless they're either the Scoutmaster or
Assistant Scoutmaster, they have absolutely no business at all
interacting with the Scouts? Get them to training, but in the
meanwhile get them away from the Scouts immediately—and don’t
walk small around this: You have a responsibility to the Scouts
to protect them from inappropriate behavior like this.
On another
aspect, what's this stuff about "getting close" to having a
boy-run troop? You either do or your don't. If you do, you're
delivering the Boy Scout program as intended. If you don't,
it's not Boy Scouts. Period.
Hi Andy,
If an adult Scout
leader has multiple positions, including both troop and district
levels, what color shoulder loops should be worn, and which
patch should be on the uniform sleeve? (Beth Williams, District
Commissioner, Alabama-Florida Council)
The key is what you’re representing at the time you’re in
uniform. If you're in uniform while serving a troop, then you
wear the badge of office and shoulder loops matching that role.
If you're representing your district, as a Commissioner, then
you're wearing the badge of office and shoulder loops
corresponding to that position. If you’re wearing both hats,
then you definitely need two shirts, so that you don't confuse
people (or yourself!).
Hi Andy,
I have a Scout who
has a history of cardiac and renal conditions, including
open-heart surgery, and he’s taking medication for hypertension,
congestive heart failure, and kidney problems. His parents tell
us that their son can’t be involved with contact sports or
exercise to exhaustion. His dad was at first not going to have
his son join Scouts, but I told him that we’ll make it possible
and he should give it a try. For advancement, there are a few
physically demanding requirements that his dad said his son just
couldn't do, and he wouldn't be able to do any camping trips or
hikes. (I'm sure we can get him on an "easy trip.") I’m
wondering if this Scout would be eligible for the alternative
rank requirements. (Rick Jurgens, SM, Patriots' Path Council,
NJ)
Congratulations
to you and your troop for opening your doors and your hearts to
a boy who otherwise might not have been able to share the
Scouting experience! I also congratulate his dad and mom for
being willing to make this happen for their son!
Yes, alternate
requirements are where you want to go. Start by getting a
letter from the young man's licensed health care professional,
then go to "Alternate Requirements" in the BSA book, Boy
Scout Requirements. As you develop alternate requirements,
make this a collaborative effort between yourself and your
troop's advancement chair, for sure this Scout's parents, plus
any outside resource available to your troop who has advancement
procedures knowledge and experience! When you've assembled an
alternate program, you'll want to present it to your district's
or your council's advancement committee. Yes, it’s extra work
for you and a bunch of other folks, too, but you're doing a fine
thing for a brave young man!
Hi Andy,
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote to
you asking what to do about an Eagle candidate who’d asked me
via his new Scoutmaster to write a recommendation, and I was
concerned that his new Scoutmaster was doing more "assisting"
than was appropriate in my book). Well I did write the
recommendation, he had a successful board of review, and he’s
now getting ready to go off to college! I want to thank you for
your sound advice. Writing the recommendation for him not only
helped the Scout, but also seems to have helped mend some fences
over here in Berlin! So, even
from thousands of miles away, your column is making a positive
impact on Scouting and Scouts! Thanks!
On a different subject, I’m wondering
if I might "borrow" your "Happy Scouting!" sign-off, if you
don't mind. I believe that as Scoutmaster, one of my primary
jobs is to remind everyone to be positive and to enjoy Scouting,
and "Happy Scouting" would be a great way to do that! (Coleman
Cain, Transatlantic Council, Berlin, Germany)
I’m honored that
you’d want to borrow “Happy Scouting.” I encourage you and
anyone else who’d like to, to go right ahead – If we all
believed in HAPPY Scouting, I’m sure we can continue to make
this world a better place! So…
Happy Scouting!
Andy
Have
a question? Idea? Suggestion? Thought? Something that works? Just
write to me at
AskAndyBSA@yahoo.com.
(Please include your COUNCIL or your TOWN & STATE)
(November 12, 2007 – Copyright © Andy McCommish 2007)