How’s that for “Scout spirit”! (I immediately passed this message over to Rick.)

The absolute very best source for recruiting ideas and materials is your District Executive!  DEs are actually trained in recruiting techniques, so reach out!  DEs don't bite! <just kidding>

BSA Advancement Rules and Regulations, Article X, Section 1, Clause 13: "The responsibility for merit badges shall rest with the merit badge counselor...The merit badge counselor shall prepare and qualify youth members."  (Source: Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, BSA No. 33088C.)  Note that it doesn't say "...or Scoutmaster," or "...or troop committee member," or "...or Assistant Scoutmaster," or anything else along those lines, and it also doesn't say, "...in the winter months," or "in the autumn months," or any other such malarkey.  It says Merit Badge Counselor.  Period.  End of story.

More: Go to page 187 of the Boy Scout Handbook.  The process for earning merit badges is right there.  Note that it doesn't say, "...or have your Scoutmaster (or CC or ASM, etc.) be your counselor."

"Blue Cards" are the usual form of the Merit Badge Application, but despite their almost universal use across the BSA's more than 300 councils, they're not "mandatory" or "official;" they're simply the going practice for more than a half-century.  If a council or council camp eschews their use, they're running against an overwhelming tide, but they're entitled to do this if they so choose.

For "supplemental training," start by reading the Boy Scout Handbook, then the Scoutmaster Handbook, and then Boy Scout Requirements (front sections)—99.99% of what you need to know is right there!

Having been involved in similar events, I do know there are any number of single-session merit badges available, including  Metalworking, Wood Carving, Fingerprinting, Truck Transportation, and Computers, and I know there are others (I've written about them in earlier columns).  A reading through the various requirements will, I'm sure, reveal others.

Although I'm not personally in love with Merit Badge Pow-Wows, Fairs, etc. (largely because one of the goals of the Merit Badge Program is to imbue and encourage individual initiative in our Scouts and events like this have a tendency to diminish that goal), I do understand that Scouts like them and they're relatively harmless in a broad sense.  I would, however, recommend against "partials" unless the MB Counselors giving their time on a particular day are equally willing to work further, and individually as necessary, with those Scouts who don't complete all requirements on the spot.  I'd also recommend against pre-Blue Card pursuit of prerequisites for certain Merit Badges, because these run the risk of being done willy-nilly rather than under the direct guidance of a MBC, as they're intended to be.  In a different but related arena, let's also please remember that a "partial" is good right up until the Scout's 18th birthday—There's no such thing as "good for one year" or some such arbitrary stipulation that conflicts with BSA advancement policy. Finally, let's also be sure everyone understand that no merit badge requirement can be "adjusted" to "accommodate" the event—This would constitute a serious violation of BSA advancement policy.  These aspects considered, best wishes for successful events.

Thanks for finding me, and enjoy the reading -- But don't try to absorb everything at once!  With over 100 columns, there's just too much to absorb rapidly.  Take your time!

Congratulations on making a new pack work!  You and your fellow volunteers are truly making a permanent difference in the lives of these boys and their families!

The BSA recommendation for dens of between six to eight boys is well-founded.  It largely has to do with practicality and to assure that every boy in the den gets hands-on guidance from his Den Leader.  When dens are "super-sized," ultimately Den Leaders breathe sighs of relief when not every boy shows up, and so ultimately dens of larger size tend to dwindle in size over time, meaning that boys become lost to the Scouting program and its learning opportunities... Usually permanently. Luckily, it is not your own ultimate responsibility to provide leadership for the boys... This is the responsibility of the parents.  Parents can be problematic at times.  If their son is in a den, and there's adult leadership already (even if the den numbers 15!), they think that that's OK (mostly because they don't understand the depth of the Scouting program and, sometimes, simply because they don't wish to commit their own personal time).

Yes, dens of 12 and 15 need to be divided into dens of six or seven or eight each, and not more than this.  This is the responsibility of every parent.  There needs to be a "den parent meeting" in which the parents are told that the den will be divided into two groups, each to become its own den (give them brand-new den numbers, rather than preserving the "old" number and creating just one new one--This way, no one becomes an "outcast").  Let the boys themselves decide (Yes, they're fully capable of this) by writing down their best den friend's name and their second-best den friend's name on a piece of paper (privately, of course), and then the parents with the assistance of the current Den Leader review the papers and decide what the best combinations will be to form two separate dens. 

They need to understand, of course, that not every boy and family may be 100% happy with this division, but that it must be carried out, regardless.  Then, the parents of each new den are told that, between them, they need to come up with two volunteers--one to be Den Leader and the other to be Assistant Den Leader--who will commit to registering, getting trained, getting a uniform, and leading weekly den meetings.  (CAUTION: "Co"-leaders doesn't work!  Never has; never will!)  If the parents refuse to reach agreement on this point, then they need to be told in absolutely crystal-clear terms that if they aren't willing to provide the Cub Scouting program for their own sons, there's no "Plan B"—Their sons will simply not be able to enjoy the Cub Scouting program ("BSA" does NOT stand for "Baby-Sitters of America" and no one is obliged in any way to come to the rescue of parents who are unwilling to stand up for their sons).  Moreover, "The Pack" is not obliged in any way to provide leadership; nor is anyone else besides these parents themselves, so don't get pressured by this argument.

As for the Den Leaders who are saying, "It's fine the way it is," they need to be brought up to speed on the cold fact that this rarely if ever works out!  Case in point:  I remember a second-grade class of 24 boys... One parent said she'd take her son and seven other boys; another parent (bowing to the pressure of a group of less-than-willing-to-commit parents) offered to take the remaining 16 boys, if she could have a Co-Den Leader (which she got).  Four years later, all of the eight boys in the first den earned their Arrow of Light and shortly afterward all eight graduated into Boy Scouting (six went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout).  Meanwhile, the other den had dwindled to about seven (the other nine had simply dropped along the wayside over time), two of whom earned AoL but only one of whom went on to Boy Scouting. (Yes, of course I chose a distinctly polarized example—How better to make the point!)

I'm very sorry that this sort of stuff has happened to your son.  There are many errors here, beginning with the high-handedness of the Scoutmaster when your son was absent from the leadership meeting due to circumstances totally beyond his control (i.e., he was with his family—as he should be—on a family vacation), the rather arbitrary act of replacing him by making the patrol hold another election, his lack of understanding that the APL position is absolutely not a qualifying leadership position for rank advancement (or the lack of understanding that no one can override a BSA-stipulated requirement), and on and on...

My best recommendation to you, given the plethora of errors being made in your son's present troop, is that you and your son go and check out nearby troops, look for a correctly run troop, and go join it. If your son has friends in his present troop that he's reluctant to move on from, a move may be difficult.  But, who knows?... It might turn out that his friends may want to join him, in a troop that delivers the Scouting program the way it's intended to be delivered!  Besides, this sure beats trying to shovel water upstream, or—worse—having your son drop out in frustration!

Why am I not saying, “stand up and fight”?  Simple: The only way to correct a corrupted organization is from the top.  Attempting this “from within” is invariably a useless effort in futility.

This is a brand-new question and I really appreciate your asking it!  One of the three ways to be eligible to be a Boy Scout is to be 11 years old. The other two ways, each independent of the others, is to (a) complete 5th grade and (b) earn the Arrow of Light.  OK, with that out of the way, there is nothing that prohibits a Webelos Scout who has had his 11th birthday from completing the requirements for Arrow of Light. You're not going to find a "rule" or "policy" on this, however, because it's an inside-out situation.  What you need to do if you choose to confront the person who told you that 11 year old Webelos Scouts can't complete the requirements for AoL is to insist that he or she show you the written policy that specifically prohibits this.  But don't wait... While they're searching, make sure the boy in question is working on his requirements and not sitting idle waiting for a reply.

The alternative, of course, is for him to simply go and join a Boy Scout troop.  Although it would be nice to have, I can assure you that his Scouting "career" will not be irrevocably damaged by not having completed the AoL  He'll have bigger fish to fry as a Boy Scout!

Suggestion: If you don't care for my point of view, stop reading my columns.

Scoutmasters aren't elected; they're appointed by the head of the troop's chartered organization (or designate: The troop's Chartered Organization Representative) and Committee Chair working in concert with one another.

As Scoutmaster, your primary, top, foremost, and ultimate job in your Troop is to TRAIN YOUR YOUTH LEADERS. 

If a PL, APL, SPL, ASPL, QM, or whatever isn't "getting it," it's your job to fix it, get it right, help the Scout see the light, train him, coach him, counsel him, mentor him, model for him, and aim him toward True North.  You have the distinct advantage of being neither a parent nor teacher nor pastor, priest or rabbi, but, instead, the BIG BROTHER to your Scouts.  If you were, in fact, the big brother of a boy who needed some course correction, what would you do to help him?  Answer that and you're on the right track to solving your Troop's problems.

No one gets credit for a poorly performed job, and so it's your singular responsibility to make sure that your Scouts' performances in their elected (e.g., PL, SPL) and appointed (e.g., ASPL, QM, Scribe) positions are successful.  Do YOUR job to the very best of your abilities and I personally guarantee that your Scouts will be successful in THEIRS!

Good question, and here's the answer: No.

Now I'll bet you'd like a little more than that, so I'll tell you that it's in writing, by the BSA, and it's a very simple statement that no requirement can be changed in any way by anyone.  This means no "substitutions," too. And that's the story.

The answer, I think, is along the lines of maybe yes, maybe no, but definitely not a cool idea.  It’s BSA policy that one can't be both a unit leader and Commissioner concurrently, but since "unit leader" usually means Scoutmaster or Cubmaster, being an ASM probably will let one get away with it, although technically this shouldn’t happen. (It has nothing to do with how many councils you're registered in, by the way). 

A bit of ancient history:  I made Eagle at 15; my brother at 14; both of us stayed active in our Troop and in Scouting right up to 18, and then became ASMs (I went on to become Scoutmaster of the same Troop I'd earned my Tenderfoot badge in!).  More recently, I've sat on Eagle boards for 17 years olds who drop out right after their Court of Honor, and 13 year olds who stay in and active for the next 4 or more years, and everything in between.  In other words, something other than merely earning Eagle is operating here, and I'll tell you from experience exactly what it is:  It's the myth that "Eagle is the 'end of the trail'." 

Too many of us who should know better are out there telling Scouts (and their parents) that Eagle is "The Ultimate," that "Making Eagle is a Life Goal," that "This is the PINNACLE of Scouting."  Horsepucky.  Eagle is a rank, pure and simple.  Yes, it's the highest (we're not counting "Palms" here because Palms aren't ranks), but advancement is just one of eight methods of Scouting.

Now I'll go further... To artificially and arbitrarily hold a Scout back from his own advancement goals is a form of hostage-taking.  In doing this, in purposefully delaying a Scout by throwing up roadblocks, so that he "stays in the troop longer" is a complete and total miscarriage of the Scouting program itself, to say nothing of the advancement plan. 

Want Scouts to stay active in your troop?  Simple: Give 'em a program that enriches their lives, turns 'em on, and is fun.  When it works, it works magic.  I've seen troops that "get it."  There's one, in particular, that I have in mind:  It's older Scouts drive to their troop meetings! Got that?  Drove!  THAT is what you call a troop program that's a MAGNET. That's what Scouting's supposed to be.

To anyone harboring the misguided notion of holding a Scout hostage by stalling his advancement in order to keep him in the troop, I have but one response: SHAME ON YOU!

Of course you're right on the money: Green shoulder loops aren't worn on a Scout shirt.

The first thing I have to say is that I'm a little confused about something... The names of the people listed on the Eagle rank application are people who, according to the usual procedure, have been contacted by the Scout himself and asked if they would be willing to provide a letter of reference for him, and when they reply in the affirmative their names are thereupon entered on the application.  Do we actually have a person, here, who told the Scout that she's write a letter of recommendation for him and then two-facedly wrote a letter unsupportive of his candidacy for Eagle?  Or did something else happen, was some alternate procedure carried out?  If the stated process wasn't followed, then I heartily recommend that you and your advancement chair get on track with proper process, so that this sort of thing doesn't happen again. 

That said, if, in point of cold fact, this teacher pulled a turn-around on the candidate, then that should definitely be pointed out to the members of the Board of Review, and you're precisely the guy to do it!

Yes, that letter should absolutely not be withheld.  It should accompany all other letters, the members of the BoR should read them all, and then of course they're all destroyed immediately upon conclusion of the BoR.

Although, as Scoutmaster, you cannot be a member of any BoR for any rank, you always have the right to address the BoR members regarding any Scout about to advance.  When the BoR is convened, but before the Scout is introduced, would be a perfect time for you to describe to the members exactly what you've stated here, with neither embellishment nor holding anything back.  The BoR's members should be fully capable of separating wheat from chaff and horses from horsepucky.

There's a very fine book you can buy at your local Scout Shop that has a whole bunch of ceremonies in it, made-to-order for Cub Scout leaders like you!  You can also find a bunch right here:

http://usscouts.org/usscouts/ceremony.asp  

It doesn’t go on the right sleeve, or anywhere else!  Per BSA policy, there's not supposed to be any district patches for uniform wear.

No Scouting unit is permitted to apply or enforce a percentage or other metric to the “active” requirement.  This is a BSA policy; it is not my opinion.  It is not subject to discussion or debate.  End of story. 

Good question!  And the answer’s Yup, AoL req. 4 means doing exactly what’s stated: “With your den, visit at least one Troop meeting and one Boy Scout-oriented outdoor event.”  No way around that.  However, there's a third visit – for requirement 6 – that involves visiting a troop meeting (separate from the meeting visited with the den) with one's parents and having a conversation with the troop's Scoutmaster.  This requirement certainly allows for the boy to choose the troop he'd like to visit—Heck, that's the purpose of this requirement!

Congratulations!  Yes, I think you can be justifiably proud of having earned the Arrow of Light award—There's no way your mother would have had that pin if you hadn't!  Wear that knot with humble pride, my Scouting friend!  And keep on enjoying being a part of the greatest youth movement the world's ever known!

Happy Scouting!