Dear Andy,
I’m a Patrol Advisor in my son’s
Troop. Recently, we’ve had a series of debates at our committee meetings
about who’s "qualified" to be on a Scout’s board of review (any rank).
We know that parents or guardians aren’t allowed, and neither is the
Scoutmaster. But we have parents who feel only parents who have taken
SM/ASM-specific training plus the “outdoor skills” workshop can be on a
board of review. Also, our Advancement Chairman won’t allow a Patrol
Advisor to be on a Board of Review if the Scout being reviewed is in
that parent’s/Patrol Advisor's patrol—even if he or she has the training
stipulated!. Can you shed light on this matter for us? (Deb Alarcon,
Troop 273, Union City, CA)
I don't think your Troop's gone far
enough here... Maybe parents of blue-eyed Scouts should be eliminated,
too! Or maybe folks who have two feet. Or maybe a parent of a former
Scout who has a younger brother still in Cub Scouts and has less than
ten arrow points and isn't named Bill... Well, you get the point. The
stuff that's being artificially imposed is silly, stupid, and
self-defeating, and it should be made to STOP! And, to make the
ridiculous sublime, this nonsense is coming from people claiming to be
"trained"! Maybe we should start using "trained" cards like Totin'
Chips, and start tearing off a couple of corners when you’re handed
nonsense like this!
Here's the deal, and it’s real
simple...
For the ranks Tenderfoot through
Life, and for Eagle Palms (there's no review for the rank of Scout, and
Eagle boards of review are altogether different), the composition of the
board of review is simple: A minimum of three to a maximum of six
MEMBERS OF THE TROOP COMMITTEE. That's it. And that does mean adults
REGISTERED as Committee Members—not unregistered volunteers or Assistant
Scoutmasters who really do the committee work but the Troop registers
them as ASMs anyway. And, yes, parents of the Scout being reviewed are
excluded from attending their own son's BOR (but they can sit on others
on the same evening, if they're for Scouts other than their own, and
they, themselves are registered Committee Members). Scoutmasters (and
ASMs) are NOT excluded from attending, so long as they are observers who
neither speak nor vote.
So, let's get real here. To put
up arbitrary roadblocks, as your Troop's been doing, defeats one of the
key purposes of Scouting, which is called INCLUSION. It also prevents
newer parents who serve on the Troop's Committee from "learning by
observing-and-doing." Case in point: If you, as Patrol Advisor, are
registered as a Troop Committee person, and the Scout being reviewed is
not your own son, you can absolutely participate as a member of a BOR.
This is decided in collaboration with the Troop Advancement Chair and
not with "parents in general." And, for any parents who want to dictate
arbitrary "rules" I'd suggest they get registered, get trained, and get
some dirt under their fingernails.
Most important, BORs are absolutely
not "tests" or "final exams." No Scout should be asked to show, tell,
or demonstrate any skill learned through the BSA advancement
process—that's not what BORs are for! (I'm mentioning this because of
that "must have outdoor skills training" malarkey.)
Dear Andy,
Our Troop had an Order of the Arrow
election about ten months ago, but the elected Scouts weren’t able to
attend the Ordeal that came a couple weeks later. Now, they’re saying
that, because of schoolwork and sports, they can’t attend the Ordeal
coming up in about two weeks. Can they wait till next year, and do it
then, or is there some kind of time limit? (B.S., Scoutmaster, West
Virginia)
The way it works is that, if a Scout
who's been elected to the OA by his Troop doesn't complete the Ordeal
within one year of when he was elected, his eligibility for the Ordeal
is terminated and he goes back "into the hopper" again. Yes, he can
certainly be elected again, at the next annual Troop election, but it's
not an "automatic" thing—he stands up right alongside all other
candidates for election at that time. So, although you didn’t ask me,
I’d sure suggest that your elected Scouts reconsider their decision and
figure out a way to attend.
Hi Andy,
I just went from being a Unit
Commissioner to ADC. I saw one of our other Commissioners wearing a
green tie, which looked good since we’re representing the District. So
now my problem comes that our Scout Shop doesn’t have them and aren’t
ordering them. Do you know any other place where I can buy one? (Paul
Callegari)
Have you tried "going direct"—to the
BSA Supply Division? Their URL is
www.scoutstuff.org and their phone number is 1-800-323-0732.
Dear Andy,
If a Boy Scout, whatever his rank,
transfers to a new Troop, should he expect his rank and all his
requirements to transfer with him, especially those requirements signed
off by his former Troop’s leaders toward future ranks? (Kim S.,
Saratoga, NY)
The answer's ABSOLUTELY! He retains
his present rank and all requirements completed toward the next rank,
and all Merit Badges and "partials," if any. He NEVER, EVER is expected
to "start over." It is, in fact, a BSA policy that a rank, Merit Badge,
or requirement, once earned, is NEVER "re-earned." The Scout himself is
a significant part of the records transfer process, by way of his having
kept his HANDBOOK containing all signatures and dates on the appropriate
advancement-related pages up to date, and having retained all signed and
dated rank cards, merit badge cards, and "blue card partials" that he's
received since becoming a Scout. When he shows these records to the
leaders of his new Troop, it's a simple matter for them to enter the
necessary information into their "Troopmaster" or other computer
software, or into their record book, as the case may be. This way, the
Scout simply continues from exactly where he was before transferring.
And Kim writes again...
Hi Andy,
I don't mean to be a pest but where
can I find this in print (either text or online) in order to print it
out or make a copy? I would like to be as specific as possible—National
Policy, source, etc. There's no doubt my Scouting will be much happier
when I have printed proof in my hand!! (Kim)
Hmmmmm. It sounds like you're facing
a problem of some sort, maybe with a new Troop? First off, print out my
first message back to you, and tell those guys to find written evidence
that refutes it (make THEM do the work!). Now, let's "do our
homework"...
Starting with the obvious, beginning
on page 438 of the current BOY SCOUT HANDBOOK, the ranks and their
requirements are listed, with places for the leader's initials and the
date of completion, and there's no place for a second set of initials
and dates. This makes it obvious that the requirements and ranks are
completed ONCE. In addition, the "rank cards" that are presented to the
Scout on completion of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and so on, also state a
specific date and are signed by a Troop leader (usually the
Scoutmaster). These are non-revocable, and this should be equally
obvious.
Now, let's look at Advancement Rules
and Regulations, as published in the book by the BSA National Council
titled ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (you can buy this
book yourself, at your local council's Scout Shop). Here, Clause 5 says
(in part): "There shall be four steps in Boy Scout advancement
procedure: learning, testing, reviewing, and recognition." Notice it
doesn't say either "re-testing" or "re-reviewing." Further on in this
same book, it states: "Each Troop is responsible for keeping its own
records and reporting advancement to the local council service center."
This means that, if a Scout has incomplete records, he can fall back on
his former Troop's records as well as the records retained at the
council service center, to verify what he has earned.
Remember this: You're not in this
pickle barrel alone. Call your council service center and get the name
of a Commissioner (this is a volunteer Scouter who is committed to unit
service) and also the name of your District's Advancement Chair.
Contact either or both of these good folks and tell them your problem.
They're there to help!
Oh, yeah...
One more thing that needs to be considered here, and that's the
possibility that this is one of those Troops that dishes out malarkey
like, "Well, the BSA has it's 'minimum standards,' but in OUR Troop..."
If this is the case, get outa that Troop fast as you can. Go find
another Troop that "gets it" and don't waste any more time than you have
to with a bunch of self-important, misguided fools.
Dear Andy,
Could you tell me the history of the
Arrow of Light from its beginning to the present? Was there anything
before the Arrow of Light?
(George Cooke)
Googling "arrow of light award"
slapped me with nearly 16 thousand Web-citations! But nothing about the
award's "history" showed up. So, back to my personal library and start
diggin' around... There they were: My own Cub Scout books -- Wolf, Bear,
and Lion -- from more than 50 years ago! They told me that, at that
time, the highest Cub Scout rank was WEBELOS (meaning "We'll Be Loyal
Scouts" or, alternatively, "Wolf-Bear-Lion-Scout"), and that the symbol
on the Webelos badge was that of an "arrow of light," as taken from an
American Indian sign. Since Cub Scouts was only about 20 years old at
the time, I imagine this hadn't changed much, if at all, from "day
one." Of course, over time, the Lion rank was eventually dropped, the
Webelos rank (with its own diamond-shaped badge) was added, and the
arrow of light symbol became the Arrow of Light rank and badge.
Dear Andy,
I’m looking for a “PowerPoint”
presentation on Advancement for Boy Scouts, for presentation to Troop
Committee members. Do you have any suggestions? (Chris Hopkins,
Revolutionary Trails Council)
Have you checked my sponsor's
site—the U.S. Scouting Service Project? Also, I'm sending you a "Word"
presentation on Boy Scout Advancement, and a "quiz" to go with
it, written by a Scouting friend. Convert it to PowerPoint if you like,
or make transparencies for an overhead projector.
Publisher's Note: Visit
http://google.com, enter the search
term "boy scout advancement filetype:ppt" in the search box, and then
click on search. You'll get about 98 results - all of them will be
PowerPoint presentations with some relationship to advancement. --
The NetCommish.
Hi Andy,
I’m a Den Leader in need of help at
Den and Pack meetings. I’m told there’s a Boy Scout leadership position
called “Den Chief.” How do I get a Den Chief? (S. Campbell, NNJ
Council)
What I'm about to share with you
ain't "in the book" -- It comes from my own experience on both sides of
the fence: As a former Den Leader and Webelos Den Leader, and as a
Scoutmaster...
Often, Den Chiefs are sorta like
"mail-order brides." They're "picked" by Scoutmasters, agreed to
(sometimes) by Cubmasters, and then just told to show up at some Den
meeting. So, they walk in, and there's the Den Leader, already coping
with maybe eight boisterous Cub or Webelos Scouts, and now they've got
some brand new "kid" to deal with, too. How do they get their Den
meeting going and keep it on track, and at the same time try to figure
out who this "kid" is, what he's good at (or not so good at), and how he
can best fit in. Ouch! Then, there's the Scout. He's going to some
strange home, meeting some adult he's never met before, and there's a
bunch of boys in blue uniforms runnin' around. He's supposed to "lead"
these? Ya gotta be kidding! ("Color me outa here," is what he's
thinking—and who can blame him!)
So, let's rewind and start over...
You're a Den Leader who wants a Den
Chief? Great, because if you do this right, you're gonna have yourself
a right-hand man who can help make your Scouting job easier and more
rewarding! Start out by finding out where a nearby Troop meets.
Arrange, through your Cubmaster or committee chair to visit a Troop
meeting. Then, get yourself a copy of the DEN CHIEF'S HANDBOOK, so that
you're very clear on just what kind of job this is, and what you'll be
looking for. Then, contact the Scoutmaster ahead of time, and let him
know you're coming, and what your goal is. Go in full and complete
uniform, BUT stay on the sidelines. Arrive on time, so you can see the
start of the meeting. Remember that, in Boy Scouts, it's not the adults
who run the meeting and lead the Scouts -- it's the Scouts themselves
who do this (in a well-run Troop, the adults are on the sidelines,
too). Stand to the side, and simply observe... keep watching... watch
the Scouts and not the adults... keep watching... pretty soon THERE HE
IS!
He's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
He may not be a leader in the Troop, but he has a sparkle about him that
doesn't fade. He's well-uniformed (he'll set a good example for your
Cubs), and he's at least Second Class rank. He's quick to respond,
carries himself well, is alert, and doesn't appear to be a cut-up. He's
the kind of young man you'd feel comfortable with, if he were with your
own son. Now that you've spotted him, what next?
Approach the Scoutmaster, quietly.
Point out the Scout and get his name. Ask about him...How long has he
been in the Troop? What kind of boy is he in the Scoutmaster's opinion?
Was he a Cub Scout? Is he advancing in rank? How well does he get
along with the other Scouts? Then, if you get the answers you're
looking for, ask to meet him. Right then, at the Troop meeting's end.
Introduce yourself, and get to know
the Scout a little bit... What Patrol is he in, what school does he go
to, and a couple of other questions (without making this sound like it's
a "third degree"). Then, ask him if he has time (and transportation!)
after school, to come and visit one of your Den meetings.
The Scout comes as a visitor, you
introduce him to your Den, and he participates (as a semi-leader) in
some of the Den meeting. If all goes well, after the Den meeting's
over, you ask him if he'd like to come again, regularly, as the Den's
Den Chief. Tell him it's an important leadership position, approved by
his Scoutmaster IF he wants the job. Tell him what's expected of him,
in terms of schedule and commitment (maybe he wants to talk this over
with his parents?) and tell him you'd like to have him as your Den
Chief, if he'd like to do this. Be sure he understands that he doesn't
have to say "Yes" -- This is at his option.
If he does say Yes, give him a
schedule of your Den and Pack meetings, their location, your name and
address and phone number (probably email address, too!), and then give
him that copy of the DEN CHIEF'S HANDBOOK that you already read! You're
on your way!
Contact his Scoutmaster, and tell him
of this mutual decision. Be sure the Scoutmaster knows that this Scout
is now eligible to wear the special den Chief's cord on his uniform, and
agree on how this will be presented to him.
At the next Den meeting, introduce
him to your Den as their Den Chief! At the very next Pack meeting, be
sure that you and the Cubmaster together introduce him to the whole
Pack! Then...HAVE FUN!
Dear Andy,
In our Troop, when a Scout needs a
leadership position (for advancement) but hasn’t been elected Patrol
Leader or SPL and hasn’t been appointed Historian or Quartermaster
because these positions are already filled, we often tell the Scout to
be a Den Chief. But, we’ve been telling them that so long as they go to
Den meetings, that’s enough—they don’t have to go to Pack meetings. In
talking about this with our Commissioner, he told us we’re missing the
boat—that Den Chiefs definitely do attend Pack meetings. Is this
right? Or is it optional? Or what? (P.W., Patriots’ Path Council)
Your Commissioner’s right on-target.
Going to Den meetings and not Pack meeting’s like wearing your shirt but
not your pants—and you know what hangs out! So, let’s begin at the
beginning...
The Den Chief is a Boy Scout selected
by the Scoutmaster in cooperation with the Den Leader and/or
Cubmaster. He can be any age or rank, but he can be the greatest help
if he’s been a Cub Scout himself and—regardless of his chronological
age—if he’s mature enough to assume this important responsibility. As
the selected leader of younger boys, he has the opportunity to help them
complete their Cub Scout and/or WEBELOS Scout advancement requirements
and live up to Cub Scouting's ideals. The Den Chief is a member of a
leadership team that also includes the Den Leader, Assistant Den Leader,
and the Denner (the latter a Cub Scout elected by his Den). The Den
Chief is already what every Cub Scout and WEBELOS Scout wants to be: a
Boy Scout. He’s the guy they’d like to follow and be like. When the Den
Leader uses a Den Chief’s talents properly, he can be a great influence
on the Den. The Den Chief's responsibilities include both Den and Pack
meetings – and attending Pack meetings isn't
just a "maybe I'll be there, maybe I won't" sort of thing.
Participating in Pack meetings is AN ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEN
CHIEF. Den Chiefs and their leaders in both the Pack
and the Troop need to understand that being a Den Chief, although an
important responsibility, won’t be so demanding on his time as to
interfere with his Patrol and Troop activities. Den and Pack meetings
are usually scheduled at times that don’t conflict with Troop meetings
and other activities. And, Den Chiefs should receive training at your
Council's Den Chief's Training Conference. Finally, the Den Chief's
shoulder cord is presented in front of his Troop, while the Pack may use
an appreciation certificate as a method of recognition.
Dear Andy,
In the LAW Merit Badge book, I see
that it makes no mention of how juvenile law differs from that in the
book. It seems it would be most appropriate for Boy Scouts to know the
differences. What e-mail address can I send suggested Merit Badge book
changes to? (Jack Boeldt, Crossroads of America Council, Indianapolis,
IN)
On the Law and any other Merit Badge,
for that matter, you do realize that it's perfectly OK for a Counselor
to go beyond what's in the pamphlet—and that would, of course, include
acquainting Scouts with issues related to juvenile law as well as any
other aspects the Counselor, through his or her knowledge and
experience, chooses to impart to the Scouts he or she counsels. The
only point to keep in mind is that additional learnings shouldn't turn
into "additional requirements"—you need to stick to the requirements,
exactly as written, without adding or subtracting. If you have specific
thoughts regarding improvement of this or any other Merit Badge, the
best thing to do, I'm guessing, is to write directly to the Boy Scout
Division-BSA, in Irving, Texas. Your Council service center can give
you the exact address.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for all the great information
and hard work it must take to keep "Ask Andy" going. It's a must read
for me every month.
I just read your April issue and saw
the question about Camporee and Jamboree. Last week on vacation I read
"Baden-Powell—The Two Lives of a Hero" by William Hillcourt. I had often
wondered where “Jamboree” came from. According to Mr. Hillcourt,
"Following the triumph of the Birmingham Exhibition in 1913...The term
‘rally’ or ‘exhibition’ no longer suited Baden-Powell. Something more
picturesque was required. From out of his subconscious, possibly placed
there on one of his trips to America, he pulled the word 'Jamboree.'
'But you can't possibly use that word for a Boy Scout event!' someone
told him. 'And why not,' B-P wanted to know. 'Have you looked it up in
the dictionary?' B-P hadn't. Now he did: ‘jamboree (jam-bo-re), n. [A
slang word, prob. arbitrary.] A carousal; a noisy drinking bout; a
spree; hence, any noisy merrymaking. [Slang]’ Although its dictionary
definition was not particularly dignified, B-P happened to like the
word, and with no better suggestions forthcoming, 'jamboree' it was."
You got to love it! A man who knew what he liked and was confident
enough to know he could change the definition of a word! From Webster
today (main Entry): “jam·bo·ree. Pronunciation: "jam-b&-'rE. Function:
noun Etymology: origin unknown 1 : a noisy or unrestrained carouse
2 a : a large festive gathering b : a national or international camping
assembly of Boy Scouts 3 : a long mixed program of entertainment.” (Bob
Carey)
Great information here, and too good
not to share! Thanks!
Dear Andy,
On May 22, members of our
Troop completed a five-and-a-half hour whitewater canoe trip on the
Chattooga River (on the SC-GA state line). We were in process of
landing the last of our canoes and kayaks when we heard cries for help
from the river’s opposite side, some 150 to 200 feet away. We responded
by immediately launching our canoes and kayaks, and some Troop members
began swimming across the river. First to the scene was one of our
adult leaders, who arrived by canoe and, with help, pulled a drowning
man from the river. Another adult leader, after swimming across the
river, performed CPR and revived the man. A third adult leader swam
across the river and retrieved a baby (maybe 18 or 24 months old), from
a man—a non-swimmer—who was standing on a rock in the middle of a deep
water hole in the river, with only his head above water. Once the first
subject calmed down, we placed him on an ocean kayak and transported him
to the river’s opposite side, where we covered him blankets (to avert or
reduce shock) and then we portaged him, still on the kayak, about a
quarter-mile uphill to where the our cars were parked, and transferred
him into the SUV of one of our leaders, who drove him to a general store
where an ambulance met him about five minutes later and EMT took over.
Although we had cell phones with us, none of them would pick up a
satellite signal—so we just continually dialed 9-1-1 until we finally
got a link. Practically every Scout in the Troop assisted with the
rescue in one way or another--responding to the immediate scene,
swimming with the victim on the kayak back across the river, running for
blankets to help warm him, ferrying the victim's family across the
river, helping carry the man-and-kayak up the hill (the most strenuous
task), staying with the victim in the SUV during transport). What
awards or recognitions can we put our leaders and Scouts in for?
Heroism? Medal of Merit? Any information on this would really help.
(Todd Biggs, Troop Committee Member, Troop 305, Sumter, SC, South
Carolina Council)
The folks who need to know about this
are your council, beginning with your Scout Executive, who will know
what to do, whom to interview and obtain testimony from, and so on. You
absolutely did the right thing in saving lives, and now you'll be doing
the right thing when you report this incident to your council service
center. They may even assign a special team to carry out the
investigation. When they're done, they'll make recommendations to the
BSA National Council Court of Honor, where the final decision rests.
This certainly appears to represent Scouting in action and Scout Spirit
at its very finest, and you certainly have my congratulations!
May God Bless us
all, and America, and...
Happy Scouting!
Andy
Got a question?
Send it to me at
AskAndyBSA@yahoo.com
-be sure to let me know your Scouting position, town, state, and
council!
