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THE NAME’S
NOT EAGLE RIVER FER NUTHIN’!
Eagles Gather
at Eagle River, Alaska
These 13 Eagle Scouts, all members of the same troop, received
their rank at the same Court of Honor, presented by
Brigadier
General (Ret.) George Cannelos, former Commander of the
Alaska Air National Guard. Troop 230 is in Eagle River,
Alaska, a town of about 22 thousand just a stone’s throw
from Anchorage and home of
the
first Iditarod Sled Dog Race checkpoint. Their Scoutmaster
is
John Diffenderfer. This wonderful photo was sent to me by
Bill Casler, a dedicated Alaskan Scouter whom I’ve come to
know and respect through our “Ask Andy” correspondence
back-and-forth.
These Scouts range in age from 15 through 17. One has received
a BSA Heroism Medal for saving life. Another, with Asperger’s
Disorder, earned 50 merit badges on his way to Eagle.
I’ve personally participated in 181 Eagle boards of review (182
if I count my own) and I’ve attended many Courts of Honor, some
for as many as five and seven Eagles at the same time. But I’ve
never had the honor of witnessing 13 all at once, so this one
I’m sharing with you because, in my book at least, it’s pretty
unique and pretty darned exceptional!
Before moving on, take a good look at their eyes… Do you see
something special there—in all of them—that transcends being
“just” a young man, “just” a Scout? I sure do. What an
exceptional group of young men! Bravo!
Hi Andy,
Can a Scoutmaster
make rules about hair? Our Scoutmaster wants every Scout in our
troop to have a military-style buzz. My own hair isn’t long or
anything, but I don’t want to get a buzz cut, and neither do a
lot of other guys in the troop. Does the Scoutmaster really
have the privilege to make a rule like that? (Name Withheld, Los
Angeles Area Council, CA)
Thanks for finding
me and asking. I'll bet you already know the answer: No way,
Jose! Neither Scoutmasters nor anyone else in Scouting has
either the right or the authority to tell any Scout or anyone
else how to wear their hair. Tell this to every Scout in the
troop, and alert your parents, too!
Thank
you for the answer, but how do I stop this, because he told all
of us that he has power to do that, and if we don’t like it we
should get out, and I think people will believe his word over
mine. Is there any way to prove this isn’t authorized, like
maybe a list of BSA rules or something? Or is there any website
that will help me with this? (NW)
If you want to be
a bit on the gentle side, start by putting the responsibility on
him, not you. Before anyone hits the local barber shop, insist
that he show you all, in writing by the BSA, that the
Scoutmaster has the authority to dictate hairstyle/length of
hair/etc. When he can't do this (and I personally guarantee
you, he can't), his game's over.
If he refuses to
do this, or just starts making an even bigger power play, then
here’s exactly what to do: WALK OUT. That's right, walk out and
go join another troop—one that doesn’t have a jerk for a
Scoutmaster. Don’t threaten. Don’t try to reason with him.
Just DO IT. When you do, that ends his game, right then and
there. (Remember this: The true "volunteers" in Scouting
are you Scouts, and you have the right to have adult
leaders who follow the rules)
Dear Andy,
During a recent
committee meeting, we were discussing the leadership
requirements to take Webelos Scouts on an overnight campout. I
mentioned that a leader trained in Youth Protection and Outdoor
Leader or BALOO is required, along with another leader or an
over-21-year-old parent with their child at the outing.
To make it easier in the future, is there a manual or handbook
available that has all the required guidelines, rules, and
policies to refer to when questions about different actives come
up? I have taken quite a few training classes that covered
particular events, but a one-manual source would be very
beneficial. (Bill Yoder, UC, Mason-Dixon Council, MD)
You bet there is!
It's titled, Guide to Safe Scouting, and it's available
at your local Scout shop for a few bucks or online at the BSA
website for free (except it’s your paper when you download and
print it, of course—the Scout shop version may actually be
cheaper!).
Dear Andy,
Please settle an
argument for me on Camping Merit Badge. Requirement 9 says, “Show
experience in camping by doing the following: a. Camp a total of
at least 20 days and 20 nights. Sleep each night under the sky
or in a tent you have pitched. The 20 days and 20 nights must be
at a designated Scouting activity or event. You may use a week
of long-term camp toward this requirement…”
So, if
a Scout has attended two long-term Scout camps that total ten
days/nights altogether (five days/nights at each), can he count
those as one week (that is, seven days/night) of long-term camp
for this requirement? My wife, who is a stickler for
regulations, says that he can only count the five nights camped
during a “week” of Scout camp. (Ken Reynolds, SM, Mt. Baker
Council, WA)
This is the
province of a MBC for Camping merit badge, and it's an easy one:
The requirement says "a week," and, last time I checked my
calendar, "a week" is seven days/nights. So, adding together
two sojourns that total seven days would certainly be
appropriate. Five days isn't a week; it's two days short of a
week, and, besides, we’re not in the business of finding ways to
artificially "penalize" Scouts.
Hi Andy,
We live in Oregon and my son is participating in a high
adventure trip to the BSA Florida Sea Base this summer. Because
of an early school start, my son will need to return home three
days earlier than the group. Can he fly home alone/unescorted,
so long as he has the proper notifications and paperwork done?
He’d be placed in the care of the airline in Miami by the group
leaders, and then met by me on arrival. (Bruce Wallace CC,
Cascade Pacific Council, OR)
If you have folks
at Sea Base or from his group who’ll get your son to the airport
for his flight home, then the further arrangements are made
directly with the airline, and you can definitely do this in
advance. Here's a wish for him to have a blast!
Dear Andy,
Does the BSA have
an EMT badge, or one for a camp health officer? (Jim Akin, Lead
Campmaster, Last Frontier Council, OK)
Other than a
Physician badge (No.00441), there doesn't appear to be anything
along the lines of what you’re looking for. In fact, there are
no badges of office for any camp staffers except Ranger,
Assistant Ranger, and Employee.
Dear Andy,
I’m a 36 year-old
Eagle Scout who’s blessed with two great sons of my own. My
older entered first grade this year and we’re actively involved
with Scouts. Our pack has about 30 Cubs. I’m a Tiger Den
Leader and so is another adult Eagle Scout, and we both want to
impress upon the boys Scout spirit. Thus, one of the things
we feel is important is wearing our full uniforms to all
Scouting events. My question may seem a little trivial but I’m
wondering if I can wear my 1985 National Jamboree patch on my
uniform. The boys are very interested in our Scout memorabilia
(red vest, etc.) and I thought it would "dress it up" a little
more. Any thought? (Dave Juelfs, TCDL, Okaw Valley Council, IL)
The BSA says that
"old" Jamboree patches have to be removed from above the right
pocket and, if you still want to wear one, placed on the right
pocket itself (in what's called the "temporary" position, which
really means "at the wearer's discretion"). So, since you were
actually there, you can legitimately wear that '85 Jamboree
patch on the right pocket of your uniform shirt.
Dear Andy,
I’ve received a
recommendation letter for a Wolf Den Leader who saved a young
(ten year old) girl’s life. Apparently, the girl was swimming in
a pool during a party and something happen where she went to the
bottom of the pool and wasn’t coming up. Someone spotted her
and jumped into the pool to pull her out, whereupon the Den
Leader (who had First Aid skills) began to perform CPR until the
EMTs arrived. During that time, he was able to get the girl to
cough up the water and she started breathing on her own. What I
need to know is what type of Heroism award would this be and is
there a form that needs filling out? Is their a certificate that
the BSA issues in cases like this? If you can help me I’d
appreciate it. (Bill Mollica, Advancement Committee Chair,
Monmouth Council, NJ)
Thanks for
writing, and what an outstanding demonstration of the power of
Scouting skills and Scout Spirit! Yes, there’s a fairly
elaborate process for having this person recognized for his act
and Yes, there's definitely a fair amount of paperwork that's
going to be involved here, including testimony from all
available witnesses and with the saved girl herself! The place
to start is with your council's Scout Executive, who has been
taught the process in his regular professional training.
Dear
Andy,
I’m
the activities chair for my district, and also Scoutmaster of a
year-and-a-half old troop. We’ve received many awards for
uniforming and Scout spirit, and much recognition for following
the BSA program. A few other Scoutmasters have asked me how I
get the Scouts to do what they do, to which I typically reply:
We follow the program. We have training in Scout skills, a good
Senior Patrol Leader, and we use the new Troop leadership
Training.
Despite all this, I’ve just been “fired” by the troop committee
and not told why, and then the entire troop was taken to form
another Troop. I’m in the process of re-forming now, but I’m
getting no assistance from my district or council (they can’t
supersede a troop committee) and I’m frustrated. This troop was
a jewel, and there’s been nothing but astonishment from other
Scouters when they found out what happened. Maybe I set the bar
too high? There was no abuse, or mandating anything other than
follow the program as written, which everyone started out
on-board with. Any thoughts? (Name & Council Withheld)
It’s a mystery. I
have no idea why the events you've described happened. Maybe
it's worth trying to find out what was going on, but maybe not.
Maybe it's better in the long run to devote your time to your
district activities chair responsibilities and simply let the
past be the past, especially since a reversal of the events is
pretty much unlikely. Focus on the fun stuff that's rewarding
and let the bad stuff go.
Hello Andy!
Not too long ago a Scouting friend looked at my uniform
shirt—above the left pocket—and asked when I received the
William T. Hornaday award. I was surprised, because this award
is not well-known. Our conversation continued, and he
encouraged me to obtain a certificate from the BSA national
council showing that I’d earned this award. I did this, but now
more questions are raised, about the types of awards that were
in place at the time I earned mine and why one type is listed on
the certificate.
I completed the work for this in 1970 and had the honor to be
presented it by William T. Hornaday’s great nephew, Attorney
Gregg W. Hornaday (since deceased). Were there different levels
(Bronze, Silver, etc.) of the award in 1970, as there are
today? My certificate states that I received the Bronze award
and that’s completely fine with me—I’m still in a nest of very
rare birds. (In fact, I’ve never met another Hornaday recipient
and it would be great to do so.) It would be good to help my
friend solve this mystery over a very mysterious award. What
light can you shed on this matter? (Rev. Dr. Michael Brady, ASM,
Los Angeles Area Council, CA)
First, congratulations on having achieved arguably the most
rigorous of all Scout awards (save, arguably, the Sea Scout
Quartermaster rank) My hat's off to you!
As for you and your confused friend, I'm somehow getting the
impression that you're the one doing all the work here. And now
you're asking me to go to work for him or her, too! How
about just telling ‘em, "Hey, I earned it, and that's that, and
if you really want to learn more about it, for your own personal
edification, or whatever, try going online and Googling it."
End of story.
NETCOMMISH
Comment: We have additional information on the current
award at
http://www.usscouts.org/advance/Hornaday.asp and historical
information at
http://www.usscouts.org/history/hornaday.asp (this page
shows all of the medals and certificates issued over time and
provides additional information about each.
Dear Andy,
Our troop has been
caught up in a very nasty situation and hopefully our stance in
the matter is the right one… We have a Scout who waited right to
the last minute to try to complete his Eagle Scout rank
requirements. He knew that his 18th birthday was the
cutoff date (that’s something we have pointed out over and over
again to our Scouts, because they seem to have built a tradition
of waiting till just before their 18th birthday to
finish their Eagle). This Scout, when faced with a
fast-approaching deadline, called the council office and told
them that because his troop was gone to Philmont, there was no
one to help him with his Eagle project (this wasn’t entirely
accurate, since only six of the 18 Scouts in our troop were on
that trip). Next, just a day or two before his birthday, he
contacted our council’s Field Director and a District Executive
in a district other than ours for an extension, and they advised
him that, with the approval of his Scoutmaster, he could amend
his project—in effect, shorten it—in order to complete it before
his birthday. His proposition to our Scoutmaster was that he’d
abbreviate his project: He’d do part of it prior to his 18th
birthday, then the troop would take over the rest of the
project—this would satisfy the service project requirement, he
claimed. The Scoutmaster, however, refused to approve this
change, stating that the requirement and the project plan as
originally approved does not accommodate such an amendment. The
Scoutmaster noted that, if there is a change to the project,
it’s described in the Project Workbook, and changing it before
it’s even begun would require complete approval from all four
signatories (himself, the unit committee, the recipient of the
service, and of course the district or council advancement
committee). Moreover, he observed, truncating a project merely
so it can be squeezed in before an 18th birthday
isn’t an acceptable reason. The council’s Field Director
supported this position, and told our Scoutmaster this.
Well, the parents
went ballistic. They became very belligerent towards our
Scoutmaster, claiming that it was his fault their son was in
this situation and that they, themselves, knew nothing about
this age 18 cut-off. So, the Scout and his father worked on and
completed the Eagle Project on the young man’s 18th
birthday (according to the father’s later written statement) and
then continued working on it a few days later. He then
petitioned the National Council and convinced our own council to
write a letter on his behalf, requesting a two-day extension. No
special circumstances other than the fact that this Scout waited
too long to start his project was offered. Amazingly, at least
in our minds, the National Council approved the petition.
As a direct result
of this incident, our Scoutmaster resigned, refusing to take
further part in what he considered a total miscarriage. To
finish up, one of the troop’s Assistant Scoutmasters conducted
the Scoutmaster Conference, after a representative of our
council said that is authorized in the absence of a Scoutmaster.
But then our
District Eagle Board Chair refused to grant the board of review,
stating that the work, although carried out, was carried out
improperly. Our council people then pressured her to give the
Scout his board of review, on the grounds that he’d completed
the requirements. Her response to this pressure was to state
that the candidate could appear her decision to the national
council. He did, the appeal was accepted, and the board of
review was carried out. He ostensibly passed the review, even
though one member of the board refused to sign.
Per standard
procedure, the Eagle Scout rank application was sent to the
national office. It was returned, however, because the date
shown for the Scoutmaster Conference was post-18th
birthday. Our local council then told the District Eagle Board
Chair to change that date, so that the application could be
resubmitted. She refused.
Now my own
understanding is that the Scoutmaster Conference is held upon
completion of all rank requirements—it’s the very last
requirement, in fact. For Eagle rank, this is when the
Scoutmaster goes over all of the requirements, including the
project workbook, etc., to make sure that everything’s in order
for the board of review, and so to do it beforehand just isn’t
done.
Are we correct in
our thinking that this Scout simply waited too long? He, his
parents, and even our local council seem determined to push this
through. Might the council representative(s) have told him that
he’d waited too long and, with 18th his birthday just a day or
two away, it’s simply too late. In the final analysis, it was
the Scout himself who set his own schedule, including deciding
to hold off till the last moment. It strikes us that he’d be
learning a valuable lesson on making choices and the
consequences of making those choices, good or bad.
Unfortunately, both his parents and the council aren’t allowing
him to learn that lesson, and he’s not accepting any
responsibility for this mess. How do you see it? (Name &
Council Withheld)
Egad what a mess!
First off, that Scoutmaster needs to "un-resign." He's leaving
too many good Scouts and other volunteers behind, based on only
one "problem child" and some misguided parents and council
folks. That's giving these people much too much power! Is that
Scoutmaster really sure this is the final message he wants to
deliver to the boys in the troop—That, in the face of adversity
and even injustice, we walk away?
Next, maybe nobody
knows this but a Field Director has absolutely no say-so when it
comes to agreeing with or overriding the decision of a
Scoutmaster or Eagle Board Chair.
Third, your
District Eagle Board Chair had it almost right: It's OK to grant
a board of review in a situation like this, because the board of
review has final say-so regarding whether or not the candidate
becomes an Eagle or not. The members of the board could have
simply stated that they were not satisfied with the way in which
the service project was carried out, and that's the end of
that. It’s over, because past his 18th birthday a
Scout can’t “go back” and re-do a requirement!
However, the
decision of a board of review for any rank must be
unanimous; this young man's was not, creating, in effect, a
"non-passing" situation. Again, end of story.
Meanwhile, that
District Eagle Board Chair was dead right that the Scoutmaster's
Conference is indeed a requirement and as such must have been
completed before this young man's 18th birthday.
But here’s the
bottom line: It's done. It's wrong, but it’s done. And you all
have preserved your own integrity. Now it's time to move on.
Yes, this one may slip through the cracks. But the one who has
to live with this for the rest of his natural life is that young
man. Not you. Not that Scoutmaster.
Not your District
Eagle Board Chair. For you all, there's a lesson here: Know
your stuff. Promise yourselves that this won't happen like this
again. Learn what the policies and procedures are, right down
to the fine print. Then, as a team, work together to make
certain everything from here on out is 100% per policy and
stated procedure.
Is this something that should be brooded over, or brought to the
attention of "national," or something that you’ll all hold a
grudge about forever? I sure hope not. There are much more
important things to do for the youth of your community. You
have the dedication, the spirit, and the devotion to excellence.
Now, you just need a little chrome-polishing on the details.
Then roll up your sleeves and put your hearts back into the
movement. That's where you're needed most.
Right now, that young man's application seems to be in "Limbo."
Leave it there. You've said your piece and you're right, but
now it's not your "fight" any longer. Move on.
Hi Andy,
Our district is
having a Pow Wow and I’ve been asked to teach a class on Webelos
Activity Badges and local resources. I’m wondering if there’s a
timeline/schedule available on the path a leader should take to
help the Webelos Scouts earn all 20 badges. (Vicky Goldberg, ASM)
What you're
looking for is outlined very well in the WEBELOS LEADER BOOK.
In fact, three different plans, geared to when Webelos I is
started, are provided.
Hi Andy,
I've been reading your columns for some time now and always find
them interesting, informative, and insightful. After reading a
couple of them from back in November 2006, there were a couple
of points in your replies that kept nagging at me and which
might possibly be the same with other readers.
I don't think any of us ever want to see a Scout awarded a rank,
merit badge, or other award that he hasn’t earned; yet mistakes
certainly can and will be made. On one hand I understand where
the Scouter was coming from who was trying to make sure that the
Scout had "properly earned" some merit badges, albeit
Eagle-required merit badges. At the same time, I, and I'm sure
many others, have heard in our training that once earned,
something can't be taken away and if there is a dispute between
adults over right versus wrong, any error should always be in
favor of the Scout. I’ve always taken these statements to mean
that we should learn from the mistakes we have identified and
work to not repeat these same mistakes with other Scouts, but
not to retroactively penalize a Scout by attempting to take away
something he thought he’d earned or completed.
The one part of your response that I wished more advice had been
given was on the question of who can sign-off on merit
badges. Clearly, if you’re a registered Merit Badge Counselor
and work with a Scout from beginning to end, it’s pretty
cut-and-dried. It’s the “partials” where the problems seem to
come creeping in. With the growing trend toward more and more
troop and district "merit badge clinics," I think a lot of
leaders are going to be facing more of these issues.
Frankly, I’ve come across a lot of mixed thoughts among fellow
Scouters on this subject. Some feel that any registered MBC can
sign-off on any MB or MB partial; but I’ve heard others say that
a Scoutmaster can initial any MB requirement and sign-off on any
“Blue Card.” In my own troop, I’ve seen Scouts, unregistered
parents, and even Assistant Scoutmasters who aren’t Merit Badge
Counselors initial “partial” to complete remaining requirements.
For partials, the most frequent problems we seem to wrestle with
are…
1 - Who can
initial a MB requirement to indicate that it’s been completed?
2 - Who can sign a Blue Card to indicate that all requirements
have been completed?
3 - What do we do when a Scout has a partial and there’s no
registered MBC for the subject available locally to help him
complete the remaining requirements?
4 - What do we do when the MBC’s contact information section on
the Blue Card is filled-in by the person who started working
with the Scout but isn’t the one who’s going to sign and date
it, maybe months later when, the last requirement is completed?
(Larry Gallagher, Three Fires Council, IL)
Let's see if I can
help with those questions of yours...
1&2 - These are the responsibility of the selected Merit Badge
Counselor; no one else. No one but a registered MBC is
authorized to sign off on a requirement or a merit badge. Let’s
say that again: NO ONE BUT A REGISTERED MERIT BADGE COUNSELOR
CAN SIGN A MERIT BADGE APPLICATION AS COMPLETED. EVER.
3 – Go find and recruit one. (But how did this Scout get a
"partial" in the first place?) Anyway, if finding and
recruiting a new MBC proves particularly difficult, it's
possible to reach out to a neighboring council (or district) for
help. There's no BSA "rule" that says the MBC has to be
registered in the Scout's home council; only that he or she be
duly registered.
4 – Whoever’s is the final signature is the one who provides his
or her address and phone number. But, this is not a troop
responsibility. Good MBCs already know exactly how to handle
this.
With your questions answered, here's my own "two cents" on
partials... I think they're baloney. There's hardly any reason
why a Scout should be given a "partial." Even at a Jamboree
Merit Badge Midway, all MBs are set up to be COMPLETED. When
councils or districts run their own MB fairs, clinics, colleges,
or whatever they're called, shame on them if their objective is
to give out a bunch of partials. This is a pointless waste of
Scouts’ valuable time.
Merit badges themselves are "toe-in-the-water" affairs. Even
merit badges like Lifesaving are meant to provide a taste of the
subject—They're absolutely not designed to make any Scout any
kind of expert in any subject. They were first designed—and
this hasn't changed one iota since Day One—to stimulate interest
in a subject, with the goal that a Scout may choose to pursue it
further, vocationally or avocationally. So, that would make a
"partial" a half-toe in the water, and that just doesn't
hack it, to my way of thinking. Sorta like digging "half a
hole." Besides, there are so many MBs that can be done in a
couple of hours that there's just no rationale I can think of
that justifies partials.
"Even Lifesaving is a 'toe-in-the-water' merit badge?" you might
ask. Sure it is, and I'll use my own experiences as an
example... I earned Lifesaving at Scout camp when I was maybe 12
or 13. But, when I was 19, I really got serious about it.
Earned ARC Senior Lifesaving, then WSI, went on to be a Scout
Camp Aquatics Director (went to National Aquatic School at
Schiff—Course Directed by Al Cahill, who’s still around, I’m
told—and was the youngest in my class), and then taught
beginning swimming while in college, where I also was a swim
meet “starter,” and later gave private lessons through most of
my 20s. Then, at age 50, I got myself certified as a BSA Life
Guard COUNSELOR (on a lake at 7,200 ft. elevation that at its
warmest never hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit), and I'm still a MBC
for Swimming, Lifesaving, Rowing, Canoeing, and Small Boat
Sailing! All because, as a young Boy Scout, I earned Swimming
and Lifesaving. Hoo-Hah!
Hello Andy,
When
were the square knots developed for adult recognition? (Kevin
Smith, ADC, Sam Houston Area Council, TX)
Go
here:
www.nationalventuringyouthcabinet.org/files/SquareKnotHistory.pdf
Hi
Andy,
First, who’s the “NetCommish” who answers some of the questions
along with you?
Next, here’s the hard question…
I
recently received a call from the new Scoutmaster of a troop I’m
the Unit Commissioner for. The troop itself is
long-established, with about 50 or so Scouts, and he, himself,
is upbeat and shows enthusiasm. The troop’s done a lot of fun
things in the past: canoeing, climbing, winter camping, Philmont
treks, plus local camps and summer camp for all. They do
training to prepare for their trips, and the committee’s helped
organize fundraising events. In addition to active, I’d have
said they’re a happy troop, too…until I got this call.
Apparently, the older Scouts recently “loaded the ballot box” to
get a new Senior Patrol Leader elected who does exactly what
they want, which is nothing. This same group of Scouts has
turned troop meetings into mere “social events.” They
apparently want nothing to do with mentoring the younger Scouts.
They show a total lack of respect toward the adult leaders,
including the Scoutmaster. The new SPL is saying that adults
can't do anything about this stuff—“We’re a Scout-run troop,
right? So this is what we want.” The Scoutmaster’s talked about
respect in his Minutes, and he’s held conferences with all the
Scouts, but these have changed nothing and now the younger
Scouts are beginning to get “infected.” I should also mention
that these same older Scouts went to the troop committee a while
back and convinced them to remove the prior Scoutmaster because,
they claimed, he was "taking over" and that it was no longer a
boy-led troop, and the committee did this. Now, they don’t know
which way to turn, and the Scoutmaster’s at his wit’s end. To
overcome these problems, here are some of the things the troop
is considering…
-
Start a Venturing Patrol within the troop, to "isolate" the
older Scouts, and so that the younger ones can move back to the
right direction.
-
Encourage the older Scouts to join a Venturing Crew (there are
several in our area) in addition to being in the troop.
-
Organize patrol campouts (essentially bypassing the PLC) and
make them fun enough so that other patrols want to join in (in
effect, reverse engineering).
-
Send the older Scouts to NYLT training.
-
Wait the SPL out, then move on. (This is a not-good bad option
in the Scoutmaster’s mind, as there's too much time for the
younger Scouts to begin to go down the same path before the next
election and, after all, he’s the one who has to put up with
this do-nothing SPL!).
-
Find out the dynamic between the Scouts, leaders, parents, and
the committee (to reveal the underlying problem).
Then, there’s the issue of "Scout spirit" that the Scoutmaster
and Committee Chair have to sign off on for boards of review –
This might be used to warn these older Scouts that advancement
isn’t assured. They’ve tried Troop Guides, but this hasn’t
worked out, at least recently. Maybe there’s a way to inspire
them in some way, but how? Are there any resources you can
point us to, for working these issues? What do you think of the
list so far? Can you elaborate on pitfalls they may encounter?
(Holly Pierson, UC, Northern Star Council, MN)
The
easy one: Our NetCommish is the USSSP webmaster. He’s a former
Scouting Commissioner and has successfully and honorably held a
bunch of other Scouting volunteer positions. I immensely value
his occasional forays into my columns and commentary.
The hard one may not be so hard after all. I like quite a few
of your ideas; just not the "wait it out" one. This troop needs
fixing immediately, or there’s gonna be no troop left to fix!
So here's one of my own...
The Scoutmaster's most important job is to train the youth
leaders of the troop so that they run PROGRAM (and only
program!) correctly, meaning by the Patrol Method and through
the Patrol Leaders Council. If these young (and highly
impressionable) boys and young men don't "get it," then it's
time to train ‘em. There's a troop-level Youth Leader Training
Course that should be available at your council's Scout Shop.
Your Scoutmaster needs to pick up a copy, schedule a weekend day
for it, and then make it happen (maybe he can reach out to some
members of the district training team to help staff the day).
He can definitely insist that ALL youth leaders—SPL, ASPL, and
Patrol Leaders—attend this event or lose their positions (I
normally don’t take things that far, but this appears to be a
triage situation, and in triage the rules change). Don't
overlook the fact that The Scoutmaster Handbook
specifically states that "the troop determines the
requirements...for patrol leaders" and the SPL and ASPL, too!
This means that you all—the troop's adult leaders—can set
standards of age, rank, and BEHAVIOR and ATTITUDE if you so
wish, and you can MAKE THE TRAINING MANDATORY if you wish to.
The (unspoken but very present) consequence of not meeting the
troop's standards is that a qualified "position of leadership"
won't be happening, and rank advancement comes to a screeching
halt! "No training, no position, and no Eagle medal in your
future, my young friend," is the clear message you're sending,
and you have every right to send it. Time to kick some butt
here and let these juveniles know that if they're gonna be
Scouts they're gonna do what Scouts do, and no two ways about
it!
Now this probably sounds a bit over the top, and it is. Most
troops never have to take these sorts of measures. However, I’m
not a believer in fighting fire with fire—I fight fire with
water. The water is this case is simple: The games stop.
The Scoutmaster’s going to have to lead the way on this, because
that one example you gave me about dumping a Scoutmaster tells
me the troop committee has the spine of an éclair.
NETCOMMISH
Comment: Hi Holly! You can find out more about
The NetCommish at
http://usscouts.org/bowman.asp.
Your situation is
not unique and this isn't the first time it has happened.
I've seen similar things both as a Commissioner and in many
years working with hundreds of Troops in a camp environment.
This is where you earn your pay as the Unit Commissioner by
helping to educate the Troop Committee and supporting the
Scoutmaster in trying to turn things around.
Your Scoutmaster
is going to need the support of the committee and to have the
confidence that he is not going to have the rug pulled out from
under his feet. As the "outsider" coach, you are in a
great position to talk with the committee about the difference
between youth leadership led program and adult supervision of
the operation of the Troop to assure that it is using Scouting
methods. Coming to a meeting room to shoot the breeze and
goof off before or after a meeting may be fine, but for meetings
and outings the committee needs to understand that the methods
of Scouting need to be employed and by coincidence two of them
are adult association and leadership development.
In coaching the
Scoutmaster, I'll share with you some advice that I gave many
years ago to a Scoutmaster with similar challenges and some very
bright young leaders that had him backed into a corner with the
idea he couldn't interfere with a "Boy-led program."
There is a difference between talk at or even to a person and
trying to understand a person. Behaviors require
understanding and a good "talking to" is not going to work when
the other person has already decided to reject your leadership.
You need to get out of the cycle of conflict over who is going
to win the argument and it starts with the adult. Instead
of telling or suggesting, ask for an evaluation of the Troop's
program. Ask hard questions that can't be answered with a
yes/no. What do you want to get out of Scouting?
What things are fun? What things don't you like?
What do the younger guys like/dislike? What can we
do to have more fun things? How would you change the
program so that it better meets your needs? What kinds of
things do you think the younger guys would like to do?
What did you like to do when you were a younger Scout? How
can we make that happen for the younger Scouts? You may
get the brush off, but ignore it. Shrug it off and don't
get rattled or irritated. Try again later. You are
going to have to earn some trust and come to be seen more as a
partner/coach/counselor/friend and not as the director/straw
boss/etc. The conversation has to be two way and it may
take time.
As Andy has
advised, serious thought needs to be given to youth leadership
training. Remember one of the methods of Scouting is
Leadership Development and this needs to be given special
attention in this case.
Dear
Andy,
About Webelos activity pins, can you use, for instance, making a
wood item, if there are two pins that ask for the same thing,
can you count one item for both pins? (Rhonda Hitt, Pack
Advancement Coordinator)
Advancement, in Scouting, Cub Scouting included, isn't about
"earning pins and badges;" it's about trying new things, and
gaining competence and personal confidence. The pin or badge
isn't the goal; the boy's sense of personal accomplishment is.
Using that principle as your guide, what would you do?
I’d
personally say do two different activities, so the boys have
more experiences. But we have some leaders saying, “See how many
pins this can count towards!” (Rhonda Hitt)
Stick to your guns—You've got it right! Get those leaders to
understand the philosophy underpinning advancement, and
that "how many" stuff will go away!
Dear Andy,
Can
a troop committee bar a parent from attending troop meetings or
from participating in troop camping, etc.? Related to that, can
a troop committee ask a Scout to leave the troop? There’s lots
of baggage here that I won’t go into. I’m told that since
Scouting is a “private organization” these types of decisions
can be made by a committee. Is this accurate? (Guy Wills)
Sorry... Not enough information for me to be able to comment. I
suggest you re-read the section in the Scoutmaster Handbook
section on behavioral issues. That said, I'll offer this
thought: How much time have you all devoted to counseling the
Scout? Counseling the parent?
It's a parent issue. We've constantly talked with this
particular dad, even to the point of removing him from the troop
committee six months ago, because of his personal conflicts with
both Scouts and other adults. The problem stems from what
appears to be his personal goal for his son to earn Eagle before
he's 13 years old. (The boy made Star in his first six
months!) This father looks for every possible advancement
opportunity and then directs his son to do these activities,
events, and requirements. Then, he stands in the background to
make sure his son does them, and that he gets credit, or a
signature in his handbook. If his son doesn't do it, the father
sends him back to talk to the adult and/or accomplish it. He
also writes intricate emails to adults and then signs his son's
name to them (we call it “Webelos III Syndrome”).
The boy’s a good kid, but he still just 11! He doesn’t even
know he’s allowed to mess up occasionally, dust himself off, and
try again, for himself. Our Scoutmaster, all our ASMs, and even
our advancement chair have taken the time to explain to this
father how things should work for his son, but he continues to
ride herd on all of his son's efforts.
Summer camp is just around the corner, and we're going to tell
this dad that he can't come. I'm expecting major
explosions. Any thoughts? (Guy Wills)
Yes, the troop absolutely does have the authority to
determine which adults go to summer camp, and which do not. So,
in light of what you've described, I'd sure do everything in my
power to keep this father from totally dominating (and
ultimately ruining) his son's summer camp experience.
In Scouting, we can save kids from gangs, drugs, crime, lives of
listlessness, and on and on, but we can't save them from their
own parents. Pity. This is sure a case where I wish we could!
Try hard not to punish the boy for the sins of the father, even
indirectly. I know that that's no easy task, but I'm hoping
you’ll give it your best shot!
I've known at least three others who, as grown men, remember how
their parents pushed them to earn Eagle by age 13 (or sooner)
and every one of them reflected back on how much they resented
the fact that that Eagle wasn't really their own—it "belonged"
to the pushy parent (whom they profoundly resented, even many
years later) and these men didn't really consider themselves
Eagle Scouts; just victims of parents (usually fathers) who used
their sons in this way to compensate for whatever they perceived
to be their own shortcomings. Here's an actual quote:
"I
earned Eagle rank at 13. I wish I could honestly say I was
self-directed and motivated. My father made it to Life Scout—he
was ‘one merit badge away from Eagle.’ He always regretted
failing to make Eagle, and I’m sure he lived it vicariously
through me. My father introduced me to Scouting from infancy. I
was a Cub Scout, and had arrow points running to the tail of my
shirt. We worked on my Boy Scout advancement plan well before I
was even 11 years old. The ‘youngest’ idea was often talked
about. It was important to my father, and I focused on that goal
to please him, but the Eagle really belongs to him, not me. I
guess he got what he wanted, after all. I sure didn’t.”
Maybe you can show this to that dad?
Dear
Andy,
When is a Scout considered an Eagle… When he completes his board
of review at the troop level, or when he completes his board of
review at the council level, or when he gets his letter from
national?
We have a Scout who’d like to have his Eagle badge to wear by
the time we go to summer camp in a few weeks. He’ll have his
troop board of review the week before we go to camp. (Maggie
Guglielmo, CC, Buckeye Council, OH)
I'm
compelled to say that your board of review procedure for Eagle
rank is unusual. The two usual modes for Eagle-level board of
review are: (1) it's done at the troop level with a council
representative attending, or (2) it's done by the district or
council. In other words, it's done only once; not twice.
At any rate, if the final determiner, in your council, is the
council-level board of review, then that will be the date
that’ll be printed on his rank certificate by the national
council, so that's the key date. Some folks wait till they're
sure that the national council has stamped approval before
acknowledging that the candidate is indeed an Eagle Scout.
Others permit the oval badge to be worn sooner than that—often
right after the board of review’s been conducted, regardless of
when the court of honor is held (a court of honor is, after all,
not a "confirmation" but, rather, simply a public ceremony
acknowledging the earning of the rank).
So here's the bottom line: Because your situation regarding
boards of review is outside my own experience and is not
consistent with any of the research I've done on this subject
(which is a great deal), I really don't think I can give you a
100% clear answer here. Talk with your council’s Advancement
Chair and see what he or she has to say—I think that’s going to
be your best option.
Hey
Andy,
Do
you have anything on the TLT for Scouts? It used to be JLT.
I’m looking for training aids. (Erick Hudson, SM, Gulf Coast
Council, FL)
There used to be a three-ring packet of materials called
"Scoutmaster's Junior Leader Training Kit" (Catalog No. 34306).
I don't know if it's still available or not. If not, check to
see when your council is offering the new NYLT (National Youth
Leader Training—replaced Council JLT) course and send as many
Scouts as you can to it—It's a good course!
One
step further: If you have Scouts who have already completed
Council JLT or NYLT, consider sending them to YSDC (Youth Staff
Development Course). This is a regional-level course for
superior youth leaders. It’s the successor to NJLIC.
Dear Andy,
If a
Scout is working on a merit badge and the requirements are
modified while he is working on it, does he complete the new
requirement(s), or does he stay with the one(s) he started with?
(John Froio, CC, Yankee Clipper Council, MA)
The
2008 Boy Scout REQUIREMENTS book describes all merit
badge requirements as of January 1 of this year. If a
requirement or set of same has changed since that book was
published, the Scout has the option of using either the original
requirement(s) that he started with, or the new requirement(s),
but not a blend of the two (it's either-or; not
cherry-picking).
Now
my question: Why is a Committee Chair (who is, presumably, not a
Merit Badge Counselor, or you would have identified yourself as
one, instead of as a CC) interested in this? This is the
exclusive province of Merit Badge Counselors.
Hello Andy,
Our
troop is having a situation with a parent. It’s become
problematic. Originally, this man was quite involved in troop
activities. He was an ASM, a Merit Badge Counselor on dozens of
merit badges, and even set up our troop’s website and then
hosted it on his home computer network. But some stuff started
to not go well for him at the district level—someone got a
position that he’d had his hat in the ring on—and things
changed. He resigned as ASM and also discontinued hosting our
troop’s website. (Meanwhile, his son earned Eagle rank.) Then,
he organized a Venturing Crew, chartered by another organization
in town. No problem so far—but then our Scoutmaster noticed
that this man was accessing the troop website and entering merit
badge completions into his son's advancement records. The
family then shows up at the troop's court of honor, expecting
that the newly completed merit badges, and their accompanying
Eagle Palms, will be presented to their son.
Several things annoy us about this. In the first place, this
Scout seldom shows up at troop meetings and activities now,
since he became a Venturer. Further, he’s being awarded Boy
Scout merit badges and ranks (the Palms) through the troop, even
though he’s in a Venturing crew.
In
our troop, we don’t issue “Blue Cards” for merit badge
documentation, and our troop's merit badge counselors aren’t
involved in signing off on completions (this father claims that
that’s not how it’s done in Venturing —He’s the crew’s Advisor
and he apparently signs off on his son's merit badge
completions).
We tried to stop this by canceling this man’s access to the
advancement sections of our “Troopmaster” software. Now he’s
screaming bloody murder that it makes no sense to have separate
Troopmaster accounts, since his son is registered in the troop
as well as the crew. He’s also complaining that he, as
Venturing Advisor, should have complete access to all
advancement records in Troopmaster.
We have no way of verifying his son’s completion of merit badges
other than this father’s “word.” The Scout has proudly stated
that he plans to earn every merit badge offered by the Boy
Scouts before he turns 18. And our troop has to pay for them?
Isn't there a way for Venturers, if they certify completion of
merit badge requirements, to award the badges and ranks
themselves? Is he doing anything against the rules? (Name
Withheld, CC, Chief Seattle Council, WA)
Let's review a couple of "reality check" items here...
- If this gentleman resigned as a volunteer with the troop, he
should not have access to the inner workings of the troop
website or Troopmaster software, for any reason, because he's,
in effect, and outsider. Even if you have to go so far as to
shut down that site entirely, do it. A good computer resource
(even if you all have to pay for the services) can show you how
to remove all of the pertinent data and files and then install
them in a new url.
- A troop website is not the place to keep Scouts' advancement
records. The BSA's "Scoutnet" program does this, and so does
the independently produced "Troopmaster" software, which you’re
already using, and these can be managed off-line.
- Using Merit Badge Applications (aka "Blue Cards") is critical,
otherwise, how do you know what Scouts are working on what merit
badges? These have been around for over a half-century. High
time you all got with the program here.
- What is this absolute nonsense about Merit Badge Counselors
not signing off on completions? What sort of lame-brained
program are you folks running? Time to start doing things the
right way instead of "the troop way."
- No Venturing Advisor is automatically a Merit Badge Counselor
(with signing authority) any more than a Scoutmaster is a de
facto Merit Badge Counselor.
- A Venturer (youth) can earn merit badges as a Venturer, so
long as he earned the rank of at least First Class Scout before
joining the Venturing crew. It is not necessary for the young
man in question to return to the troop for merit badge credit.
Sounds like you've got some folks who need to get themselves
trained, or re-trained.
- Two separate and distinct Scouting units (e.g., a troop and a
crew) do not share advancement records or any other records.
They are separate entities.
- Stop allowing yourselves to get pushed around by a bully. You
wouldn't allow your sons to take this nonsense. Think of the
example you're all setting.
Let's wake up and smell the caffeine, shall we?
Hi
Andy,
I
just got done reading you June 1 column and the question about
mixing old and new uniform parts set me on edge. Great answer
you gave. It never ceases to amaze me why adults want to find
ways to take the fun out of it for the Scouts. We’ve been using
older rank and position patches since we started the troop four
years ago. The whole thing got started because I wear the old
green Scoutmaster patch that just has the BSA emblem and “Boy
Scouts of America” around the outside edge. I put it on my
uniform for two reasons. The first is that it gets Scouts to
ask me what it is, so I can talk about Scouting and
“Scout-run.” The second is to tell them that I’m not crazy
about the term, Scoutmaster, even though it’s the proper term
for the position I hold—I don’t feel I’m a “master” of them
because, ultimately, they’re in charge of their own program.
From this, the Scouts started looking for old position patches
because they liked the look and then they found the old rank
badges, too. They just love the old patches, hats, and gear.
Not a big surprise: We don’t have any issues at all about them
not wanting to wear uniforms.
The
best story I have on this is this: We have a Scout in the troop
who saw a Star, Life and Eagle patch at a Trade-O-Ree, and he
asked me if he could borrow some money to buy them. Knowing he
comes from a single -parent family where money is a bit tight, I
told him I’d be happy to buy them for him if he’ll commit to
earning them. We shook hands on it and so far he’s earned both
Star and Life, and I’m looking forward to his earning the Eagle
in the coming year. I don’t think for a second that buying the
patches had a large impact on his advancement enthusiasm,
because he was moving in the right direction already, when he
asked. In fact, if you could have seen the smile on his face
and light in his eyes as he received the patches, you might say
I was being downright selfish because it made me feel so good!
You
do a great job and how you keep your blood pressure in check
sometime is beyond me. Thanks for all your hard work! (Bob
Carey, SM, Central New Jersey Council)
I love your story,
Bob -- Thanks for sharing it! THAT’S SCOUTING!
Happy Scouting!
Send your
questions and comments to:
AskAndyBSA@Yahoo.Com
(June
9, 2008 – Copyright © Andy McCommish 2008)
Letters to AskAndy may be published at
the discretion of the columnist and the editor. If you
prefer to have your name or affiliation withheld from
publication, please advise in your letter.
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