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Dear Andy,
I’ve searched for,
but not found a syllabus for “MCS 312”: “How NYLT Can Save Our Troops.”
Can you help me out here? (Chuck Porter, ADC, Mississippi Valley
Council)
Start by reading my
special column, “ NJLIC
to YSDC”!
Hi, Andy!
A Scouter recently
asked about different Eagle Mentor pins for youth and adults. National
Supply DOES manufacture both a gold tone AND a Sterling silver mentor
pin. There is no distinction as to whom the pin is intended for. The
recipient must simply be a mentor. Some mentors may prefer the
appearance of the sterling silver version (Item 14127, $14.49) versus
the gold tone (Item 14123, $3.59). Mom and Dad pins are also available
in pewter and Sterling silver. Our council presents the Eagle Award kit
(Item 14124, $24.25) at no charge to all our new Eagles. This kit
contains the gold tone Mentor pin, in addition to the pewter Mom and Dad
pins, the oval patch, and the Eagle medal. More detail than anyone
wanted to know! (Steve Hanson, Scout Shop Manager, Capitol Area Council,
Austin, TX)
Thanks, Steve!
Dear Andy,
What’s the BSA
policy on the wearing of uniforms by Scouts who are working a
Fund-raising event where alcohol is being served? Our troop had a
fund-raising dinner a few years ago at a restaurant, and our council
told us at that time that the Scouts couldn’t wear dress uniforms while
working the event, since alcohol was present. Instead, they had to wear
their field uniforms, which was fine with us.
This past weekend,
our Venturers were asked to wait tables at a large Crab Feed with an
open bar. The Scouts were specifically asked by the head of Venturing
locally to wear class A or dress uniforms. She had never heard of the
policy regarding uniforms at functions with alcohol. Personnel at
council have changed over since our first function. The new folks are
looking into this for us, but there seems to be confusion. I’d
appreciate hearing what you know about the national policy or
guidelines. (Terry Odneal, DC, Chief Solano District, Mt. Diablo
Silverado Council, CA)
The BSA has very
specific policies regarding the wearing of uniforms—when, where, and
how—and your Scout Executive can advise you on these. As for alcohol,
the BSA book, GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING, says this: "The Boy
Scouts of America prohibits...alcoholic beverages...at any activity
involving participation of youth members."
Dear Andy,
I started a Cub Scout pack four years ago;
I now have a situation that has not before arisen. Our pack has always
determined a boy’s rank by his grade level (e.g., first grade=Tiger Cub,
etc.). A parent of a Webelos I Scout recently told me that his son will
be crossing over into Boy Scouts at our pack’s annual advancement
campout this April. I explained to him that although his son has
completed all the requirements for Arrow of Light, the boy’s is still in
fourth grade and so isn’t eligible for Boy Scouts. The dad then told me
that his son is going to be 12 years old next month and he must be in a
Boy Scout troop with his older brother. Have any suggestions? (Geno
Iorio, CM, Pack 16, Old North State Council)
A boy is eligible to
become a Boy Scout...
...On his 11th birthday,
OR
...On completing 5th
grade, OR
...On earning the Arrow
of Light.
Any one of these ways,
regardless of either of the other two, makes a boy eligible to become a
Boy Scout. (This is per the BSA; not ol’ Andy here.) If this boy has
completed all requirements for Arrow of Light, AND he's already past his
11th birthday, he should become a Boy Scout IMMEDIATELY! He should run,
don't walk, to the troop of his choice RIGHT NOW!
Dear Andy,
I’ve been asked to
introduce an Eagle candidate at his Board of Review. This will be my
first Eagle board and I'm not sure how much or little to say during this
introduction. I’m the Chair of his troop and have only known him for
two years. His dad is his Scoutmaster, so he picked me to do this. I
don't want to overdo it, but I do want it to be a proper introduction.
(Ray Butler, CC, Troop 35, Hudson, MA)
Just in case this may
have slipped through the cracks, did you know it's totally appropriate
for this young man's father, as Scoutmaster, to introduce him to the
members of the BoR. Of course, the father can't stay in the room during
the BoR, but there's no policy or even rule-of-thumb that prohibits him,
as Scoutmaster, from doing what he would otherwise do for any other
Eagle candidate.
That said, how about
asking the young man what he'd like you to highlight? There's no reason
why the two of you can't collaborate on this. Just ask him, "Since I'll
be introducing you, what would you like me to say?" Then, add your own,
personal observations. Go with your heart on this and you can't be
wrong! Enjoy the experience – You're a lucky man!
Dear Andy,
I’m a Webelos II
Den Leader, and with their second year about to end we’ve begun talking
about visiting and camping with different troops. Recently, a committee
member told me that once we fulfill the Arrow of Light requirements, the
boys will go in front of a Board of Review before they’re able to cross
over. Is this true, and what/who is on a Board of Review? (I’ve heard of
Boards of Review for Boys Scouts; but not for Cub Scouts.
Also, once we have
achieved the requirements to move on to Boy Scouts, should we focus more
on camping, survival skills or more on the other Webelos pins? (Laura
Guthrie, WDL, Northeast Georgia Council, Stone Mountain, GA)
HORSEPUCKY! There is
absolutely, positively, unassailably, NO BOARD OF REVIEW FOR ANY NON-BOY
SCOUT RANK! End of story! (Where people like these get this sort of
nonsense in their heads is beyond my comprehension!)
As for what to do next, stay with the Webelos activity badges. They're
age-appropriate, and good stuff to have when entering Boy Scouting. The
boys will pick up the other stuff as Boy Scouts.
Dear Andy,
What are the
achievements and the beads each Cub Scout has to earn? (Mary Jo Gomez)
These are described in
detail in each Cub Scout book (Tiger, Wolf, etc.). For a good overview,
just go to the USSSP website and click on "Cub Scout-advancement."
Hi Andy,
In your response about on
volunteer terms, you said (in part): "The usual ‘term’ for volunteer
leaders, particularly in Cub Scouting, is start-of-year (usually
September) to end-of-year."
If the pack's charter year
were from September to August, then I’d agree with you. I've always
understood that the term for a volunteer leader was from beginning of
charter year to end of charter year. With the renewal of the charter
each year, the IH or COR's signature is for the adult registration
renewal, and the unit leader's signature is for the youth registration
renewal, and the UC or other representative from the council as the
third signature, just as with the adult leader and youth applications.
I also understood that the
unit leadership, committee and program, serve at the pleasure of the
chartered organization. Of course, it is in the CO's best interest to
select quality leaders and using "Green Bar" Bill's adage, "Train 'em,
Trust 'em, Let 'em lead." When a leader is no longer effective in their
service to the unit, isn't it for the COR or IH to remove them, based on
the unit committee's recommendation? (Lou Leopold, COR, St.
Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Camarillo District, Ventura County
Council, CA)
Yup. But before you
decide to dump an "ineffective volunteer," you might want to have a
conversation with him or her first, so that if there's a problem it can
get laid out on the table, or if this volunteer would rather have a
different job, or none at all, there's an opportunity to express this?
Just a thought...
Dear Andy,
Our Assistant Senior Patrol Leader (ASPL)
has now missed his last three Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meetings.
Should the Senior Patrol Leader and I (as Scoutmaster) replace him? Our
elections won’t be until the end of May. We’ve meanwhile assigned one
of the Patrol Leaders month to take this spot, because the present ASPL
isn’t making an effort to come. If he should be replaced, who do we
break the news to? (Parents are the ones I’m worried about; not the
boys). How do we address this problem? (SM)
If
your troop's being run the Scouting way, your ASPL was hand-picked by
your SPL, and so it would be up to your SPL to have a talk with his
friend and find out what's going on and what kind of a problem the ASPL
is having. This can be done in your presence or not, depending on the
comfort level of the SPL. But, even if your ASPL got into that position
some other way, it's still the SPL's responsibility to find out what
kind of a problem his second-in-command is having. Provide guidance as
necessary, but don't do his job for him. Don't involve the ASPL's
parent, either, because this is (at least initially) a SPL-ASPL
conversation. Once the problem's been voiced, then you and the SPL and
the ASPL can put your heads together to develop a solution. The
solution is NOT to replace the ASPL but to help him through whatever
problem he may be having.
Hi Andy,
I recently took over as our Den Leader and
have updated most of the information for our den. However, I’m having
trouble locating an “Excel” document that helps track what each Cub
Scout has done, and whether he’s received the appropriate bead or
patch. Please help! Thanks! (Lisa Harvey)
Scout Shops used to sell a very nice POSTER that you could mount on
foam-core board and display at Den meetings, so that the boys would know
what they've completed. Then, of course, there's also the places for
their parents and you (both of you as "Akela") to sign off in their
books. Anyway, I'd go for those instead of a spread-sheet because,
first off, your Den isn't so large that this is a horribly cumbersome
job, and second, because it strikes me as way too businesslike for a
bunch of first-graders! But, hey, that's just me!
Hi Andy,
We’ve started a
newly formed Boy Scout troop and I’m the Training Coordinator for it.
My question is this: When is a Boy Scout Leader considered “trained”?
That is, when does he or she receive the “trained” patch that’s placed
on the sleeve of the uniform shirt? (Patty White, Training Coordinator,
Troop/Pack 73, Daniel Boone Council, Arden, NC)
Double-check with your
district's training chair, but the usual way is when he or she has
completed both New Leader Essentials AND the training for his or her
specific position (e.g., Scoutmaster, Troop Committee, etc.). Best
wishes with your new troop! Be sure EVERYONE in it reads my column: "Are
We Really That Smart?"
Hi Andy,
I’m a Bear
(soon-to-be-Webelos) Den Leader. I’d like to take Wood Badge this fall
and, as my Pack pays for all other training, I asked my Cubmaster if
they paid for Wood Badge, too. At first, he told me that WB was really
for Scout Leaders, not Cub Leaders. When I told him the brochure was
inviting Cub Scout Leaders to also take the training, he asked me to put
together a proposal showing how the Pack would benefit from me taking
this training. Reasonable enough. To gather more information, I
contacted the person organizing the course, who sent me a copy of the
brochure. It has some useful information but not enough, and since I
don't have a more complete understanding of how my Pack will benefit, I
don't feel competent to present a proposal to them. I'm also wondering
what a "ticket" might look like for a Webelos Leader, and in what other
ways a Pack might benefit from having a Wood Badge-trained leader, if
indeed they would? Thanks! (Joanna, Simon Kenton Council, OH)
Wood Badge is a training course. It's an advanced level of training
available to ALL BSA adult volunteers, regardless of position.
It's best appreciated by those who have already experienced New Leader
Essentials training, plus "position-specific" training (e.g., Den
Leader, Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, committee member, and so on). Wood
Badge is for both Cub Scout and Boy Scout volunteer leaders. 21st
Century Wood Badge combines both the Cub Scout and the Boy Scout
programs and provides a broader, more "universal" perspective than the
predecessor WB courses, which were two separate courses, one for Cub
Scout and one for Boy Scout leaders.
Even though Wood Badge isn’t mandatory, absolutely everyone associated
with the Pack would do themselves, and the youth you all are there to
grow, a big service by considering attending your local WB course.
Think of it this way: If you sent your kid to school, would you like to
know that his teacher had advanced training not only in curriculum but
also in the "why" and "how" of the educational process? Or are you
content in knowing that the teacher got a college degree in subject
matter and now they can teach as best they know how (or figure out along
the way)? If you're content with the second idea, then forget Wood
Badge, it's not for you. But if you believe that the adults who come in
contact with your kid should have as much training and education as is
available, then Wood Badge is something you'll definitely want to plan
on.
Wood Badge used to have more of a "mystique" than it does nowadays, but
that mystique wasn't always helpful to the kids we serve. Wood Badge,
years ago, was a pretty much "closed fraternity," although I've never
understood why. It was treated as almost a "secret," and one had to be
"invited" to attend, and then there were the private "beading
ceremonies" and such. All of which was nonsense, of course, because
it's simply an advanced training course for Scouters like you.
The
subjects covered are extensive, and will give you an excellent overview
of how the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs work together to "grow" our
boys into responsible, happy, team-oriented leaders and citizens. The
Wood Badge course will give you insights you can bring back to your
Pack, and help others "see the big picture"—the picture beyond making
pot-holders for Mommy or learning where your town's fire department is,
or selling popcorn once a year.
Wood Badge is a big commitment of personal time. It doesn't happen in a
day, or even just one weekend! And it takes on a unique "life" when you
"write your ticket" (which is a set of voluntary commitments you make
for yourself, that you endeavor to accomplish after completing the
"training" portion of the WB course).
If
your Pack is willing to pick up all or even part of the cost of the
course, that's wonderful, but it in no way compensates for the many
hours you'll be personally committing to the training and "ticket"
portions of Wood Badge! Actually, I'd encourage your Pack to send TWO
of you—a "Buddy Pair"—to Wood Badge. No, you won't be side by side in
the same group, but you'll be able to share and compare experiences
along the way and then serve as a "training team" for the other adults
in the Pack who weren't able to attend. In fact, you two will be your
Pack's very best resources for what Scouting's really all about and
you'll have in-depth knowledge of why the program does things
they way it does (this helps keep the Pack from wandering off the path
to True North—for more on this, read my column titled "Are We Really
That Smart?").
The
importance of attending Wood Badge training can be emphasized too much.
The value to a unit in having Wood Badge-trained leaders can’t be
praised too highly!
Dear Andy,
In an earlier column,
Michael Kerrigan, out of the Revolutionary Trails Council, asked you,
“Some years ago I had a copy of ‘Deliver The Promise’ (BSA No. 18-251)
and I’m wondering if this is still available and where I might get it.”
I’ve done some checking and
this
doesn't appear in the current list of Bin Resource items. Sometimes
there may be a bit of back stock, so calling your local Scout Shop and
asking them to call National Supply doesn't hurt, but it looks like it's
out of print. (Steve Hanson, Scout Shop Manager, Capitol
Area Council, Austin, TX)
Thanks again, Steve!
Dear Andy,
My son Matt has
his Eagle Board of Review in a few days. So far, he’s earned 52 merit
badges. The requirements for Palms say he needs to continue with the
troop for three months and complete other requirements to apply for his
first Palm. Can his first Palm be a silver Palm, since he has the 15
merit badges required? His second Palm could then be another silver Palm
after three more months. Or does he need to first get a bronze, then a
gold, and then a silver? There seems to be an assumption in the way the
requirements are written that a Scout would get his Eagle with the first
21 merit badges he earned and then start earning his Palms. With the
split between the required and non-required, Matt kept earning
non-required, since they were fun, he was on camp staff, and he may have
used some of the merit badge subjects as curriculum for his home
schooling. When he finally got his project and the remaining required
merit badges done, he’d earned a bunch of extra merit badges. (Rusty
Rodke, Santa Fe, NM)
Eagle palms are earned
in order: Bronze (5 + 3 months), Gold (5 more + 3 months more), Silver
(5 more + 3 more months), then Bronze again (5 more + 3 more months),
etc. Merit badges earned "pre-eagle" absolutely count toward palms; but
each palm requires 3 months active participation. (BTW, there’s no such
thing as “extra” merit badges… Each one teaches something new.)
Dear Andy,
This is for me:
The American Indian Scout Association (AISA) has a website at
www.aisa.scoutreachbsa.org but no contact information. It says to
contact your local council for forms, but my council doesn’t have any
information on it. The web address suggests that it’s part of Scout
Reach. The annual seminar scheduled for July 7-11, 2007 in Ada, Oklahoma
looks like a great time, but I’d like to join the organization first!
Can you help? (Rusty Rodke, Great Southwest Council, NM)
You local council is
supposed to know how to put you in touch with the AISA directly. Since
they apparently don't know how to go about doing this, you may want to
call the AISA's Western Region contact directly: Everett Sumner
(602-752-7000). If this doesn't work out, then try the BSA's National
ScoutReach Director, George Randall (972-580-2037).
Dear Andy,
I’ve just been asked to serve as a
District Commissioner. I will also continue to serve as an Assistant
Scoutmaster. I’ve read in your columns that a Commissioner should not
hold another position, and I agree; however, my ASM position is with an
LDS troop, and that’s a church calling and not really a “volunteer”
position. On a related subject, if I take the Commissioner position, do
I continue to wear the troop numerals above the DC patch, or do I need
to get another uniform specific to the DC position? (Troy
Dunow, Great Southwest Council, Albuquerque, NM)
I
appreciate your situation. I've worked alongside many LDS Scouters and
have always observed immense dedication to faith, family, helping
others, and Scouting. About your situation, let's first be clear on
this: That Commissioners are not to hold unit leadership positions is
not some opinion of mine; it's a BSA stipulation. I understand that
your Commissioner role is one you, personally, selected for yourself and
that your role as an ASM is a calling by your stake, ward, or church.
However, whether you consider yourself a volunteer or "volunteered" is
not the point. The point is that you are holding two simultaneous
positions that the BSA considers incompatible, simultaneously. That
said, here's my own stand on this: So long as you're not a Scoutmaster,
Cubmaster, or Den Leader, but instead hold an "assistant" position, I'd
probably not blow the whistle on you! As for Commissioner emblem and
unit numerals on the same sleeve, nope! Spring for a second shirt.
Dear Andy,
I know this topic
has probably been covered in one of your previous columns, and I know
I’ve read this somewhere, too, but I can’t quite put my hand on it. Our
troop has a new Chartered Organization Representative (COR) who used to
be one of our Assistant Scoutmasters. If I’m not mistaken, can’t the
COR actually dual-register as an ASM? My committee chair seems to think
otherwise, and I’ve not been able to nail down the answer in writing.
Can you help? (Edward [Welilissit], SM, Troop 402, Northeast Georgia
Council, GA)
Technically, it's not
"illegal;" but it is darned confusing! Usually, the dual role that
includes the COR position is that of unit committee chair; not ASM or
other uniformed position. This is because of the "who 'reports' to
whom?" question. Since the COR is the interface between the unit's
committee and the CO itself, how can anyone know when an ASM, who
technically reports to the Scoutmaster, also be the CO-unit committee
interface (even though the COR position is typically not a heavy
decision-making one)? But, is this a "lethal" situation? Probably not,
unless that ASM/COR or COR/ASM (you see the problem?) starts to get too
big for his britches! If you have a choice here, I'd suggest you choose
against this, because of its potential for getting messy.
Dear Andy,
What are your
thoughts on Cub Scout fire safety? Our Pack recently had a twilight
cookout/campfire and we were confronted with the age-old question of
what do we allow the boys to do with the fire? I don’t want to take it
to the draconian extreme that a Cub can do absolutely nothing with the
campfire (no s’mores then, and that would be a bad thing!) and the
opposite extreme of letting the Cubs do anything they want with the
fire, which inevitably results in someone getting hurt when a flaming
stick is removed from the fire and waved around or something. I know
there are programs for the Boy Scouts that promote knife (plus saw and
axe) and fire safety (the Totin’ Chip and Firem’n Chit of course) and
the Cubs have the Whittlin’ Chip. Is there any corresponding fire
safety card for Cub Scouts? Certainly no card is going to prevent an
accident with playing with fire, but perhaps it might help.
On another
subject, our pack has two boys who just cannot make the den meetings due
to other conflicts in their families’ schedules. One parent asked me if
they could continue with the program and participate in whatever they
could. While I think that being a part of the den is a key aspect of
the Cub Scout program, I really have to think about this one, because if
you really think about it, the majority (if not vast majority) of time a
boy spends on Cub Scout activities will be at home, and if a parent and
boy have the commitment to do a program (in this case, Wolf) at home,
then why not? Any thoughts? (John Woughter, Transatlantic Council, Bonn,
Germany)
Good questions, and
they’re both judgment calls—the BSA provides no specific rules on these
(and that's probably a good thing -- we don't want to be entirely
subject to rule-itis!) I think the answer to both will be found in...
not common sense, but one rung above that: GOOD sense.
Good sense tells us how
close Cubs should get to an open fire, and how much adult supervision
there should be. S'mores? You bet! Toasting marshmallows? No doubt
about it! Poking each other or Fido with hot sticks? I don't think
so! Like many things when dealing with kids -- If it somehow doesn't
feel right, it's probably not a great idea. Listen to your inner
voice—always!
If you have open fires
frequently enough to need Pack or Den rules, have the Cubs themselves
construct the rules (under the guidance but not specific directions of
their DLs). Aren't we all much more prone to observe rules we've
developed for ourselves, rather than those imposed upon us?
Cub Scouting, as you've
sensitively and sensibly observed, is a boy-and-family strengthening
program in its early years and it's not until the Webelos level that
separation begins to take some baby steps. I'm going to assume, here,
that the reasons why these two Cubs can't attend their den meetings are
legitimate and significant, and not merely matters of parental
inconvenience, and that the activities that conflict with the Den
meeting schedule are formal activities of a school, club, or other bona
fide organization, and not "malling" or something along those lines.
I'm also going to assume that you've already attempted to shift the
Den's meeting schedule to better accommodate all boys in the Den (while
simultaneously making sure that whatever new schedule that might be
adopted is not a severe inconvenience for you). With these two
considerations already in place, I'd agree with you that staying in Cub
Scouting, even if not all Den meetings can be attended, is probably a
good thing, especially since in a few months or perhaps by next year, a
more compatible schedule for everyone might well emerge. So, assuming
they can attend Pack meetings as well as Den outings, I'd augur for
their staying in Cub Scouting, even if they can't be 100% involved in
all gatherings. That said, I'd also be sure to keep in touch with these
boys' parents, so that advancement continues apace.
Hi Andy,
My son was named
Troop Historian and voted Patrol Leader at the same troop meeting.
Which patch should he wear on his sleeve? Can he wear both? Thanks.
(Ray Butler, CC, Troop 235, Hudson, MA)
Congratulations to your
son! Now, for your questions... No, he shouldn't wear both, and he has
the option of choosing which one he'd rather place on his left sleeve
(and, just in case he's wondering, No, he doesn't put the other one
somewhere else on his uniform!). If he's having a tough time making up
his mind, he might want to think about the honor he received by having
been elected to the Patrol Leader position by his fellow Scouts,
and also that he'll probably be more "visible" in this role than as
Historian. But, whichever is chosen, it’s his call and his alone.
Dear Andy,
I’m a current
Cubmaster as well as a committee member of the Troop that our Cub Scout
pack feeds into. I’ve had this role for the past seven years. My
questions concern popcorn sales and why we as leaders continue to sell
this product. I have the following issues with this fundraising
activity that I’d like your comments on:
1- Why can’t we
have the fundraiser at a time of our choosing? Each year when we sell
popcorn in the Fall we’re up against public school fundraisers, sports
teams, etc. It’s long been our pack’s feeling that if we could sell in
the spring we’d generate much higher sales.
2- Why do the
packs get so little of the percentage of each sale? Our council (Blue
Ridge) currently offers between 33% and 35% for each dollar sold. My
wife, who is a PTA president, and the PTA sells wrapping paper and gets
55% of each sale. My real question is why is the council getting an
equal share of the sale as the packs and troops? Why is the council
making their budgets off the backs of our scouts when the funds are
really needed on the local level by the packs and troops? We need
equipment, need to update our building, etc.
3- Why does the
council require that we purchase popcorn in full cases? By doing so, it
drastically cuts into our already low percentage of 33% to 35%. The
council’s answer is that we should go make deals with other units to
make full cases. What they don’t realize is that we’re volunteers, not
full-time Scouters like they are, and to find the time to wheel and deal
with other packs and troops is not acceptable. In real numbers, last
year, after we sold the popcorn and because of the full case requirement
we only made 18% on each dollar sold and then we gave the balance of
what couldn’t be sold to a local Salvation Army.
4- Why is the
pricing so high for the products. I know we can sell the fact that the
persons buying are supporting Scouting. However, they are so high that
this clearly discourages persons from buying the popcorn.
5- Why can’t the
council schedule more than one day per year to pick up the popcorn? Last
year I informed the council that our Pack wouldn’t be available the day
of the pickup due to a college football game in the area, that all of
the leaders have families and season tickets and would not be there to
get it. After trying to work with the council for over three months, I
personally missed a day with my family to pick up popcorn, due to a lack
of flexibility. In any case, our pack and troop will NO LONGER be
selling popcorn and be doing alternative fundraisers until such time the
following will happen: (a) We only receive what we purchase and pay for
what we purchase, and (b) the amount going to the local units increases
to a minimum of 50%. I do value your thoughts on this subject. Thanks.
(Dave
McMann, CM, Blue Ridge Council)
Wow! That's quite a
laundry list of questions! They're all good ones, too. But, underneath
them I'm sensing a bit of...well, maybe not hostility, but sure a little
frustration if not rancor. So, while I usually tackle a long series of
questions on any Scouting subject and have no trouble being long-winded
myself sometimes, I'm going to do something different here… I'm going to
suggest that you arrange an in-person informal meeting (not on the phone
and absolutely not by email!) with either your district or your
council's popcorn chair (another volunteer like yourself) or, if that's
not possible, your District Executive. Get together over a cup of
coffee or something like that and ask your questions, being sure to
listen to the answers without making "Yeah, but..."-type interruptions.
The answers you'll get will, I'm very sure, make sense, once you get to
hear them. And I'm very sorry that you haven't reached out for answers
before now—thank goodness that's absolutely fixable by just picking up
the phone and then getting eyeball-to-eyeball!
I can assure you, from personal experience as a volunteer, that the
popcorn fundraiser that virtually every one of our 300+ councils has
each year helps Scouts, helps their units, and helps their councils, in
no small ways! Several of the packs I serve as Commissioner earn so
many thousands of dollars each year that they make cash donations to
their PTAs, the Red Cross, the town’s volunteer fire department, and
other local beneficiaries! And that's over and above what they keep for
themselves to buy every Cub a pinewood derby car, a regatta sailboat,
all advancement patches, and a catered Blue & Gold dinner! So I
do think you could be making a huge long-term mistake by opting out of
this program.
Lastly, do keep in mind
a couple of things… Your wife’s PTA doesn’t have to support, maintain or
develop multi-acre camping facilities, and doesn’t have a central
brick-and-mortar facility to maintain and keep up-to-date, nor does the
PTA run special events for thousands of youth. Moreover, the PTA
doesn’t have to support Scouting wage-earners at a service center set up
for us volunteers, with people who make even less than we nationally pay
our teachers, on a dollars-per hour basis.
Dear Andy,
I’m an ADC for District Roundtables and I’m
having a problem with both our Cub and Scout Roundtables. We have
program set for the year, with units and speakers making presentations,
but both our District Executive and our District Commissioner will, at
will and without prior notification (much less, just asking), change
things by adding lots of unwanted announcements, adding to the program
session that they want covered, but conflict in time and theme with the
established program. Is there any advice, or documentation, that I can
use to address this problem? (Name Withheld, ADC-Roundtables)
I
don't know that there's anything formally published that will help you
with the mayhem your DE and DC are creating for you. But there is a way
you can approach the situation that may help. Put together an agenda
for the evening—with TIME next to each line item. For example:
7:15 - 7:29 Gathering
7:30 - 7:34 Opening
ceremony
7:35 - 7:44
Announcements
7:45 - 8:29
Presentation by...
8:30 - 8:49 Open forum
(Q&A)
8:50 - 8:54 Closing/SM's
Minute
8:55 - -----
“Afterglow”
When you do this, and
you show it to your key players IN ADVANCE, they've now been informed as
to exactly when they're "up" and exactly how much time they
have. This way, at 7:44, if they're still yakking away, you can step up
and say, "The agenda tells us we have to move on, now." Notice
what's happened: It's the agenda that's the "bad guy"—Not you!
You're still the good guy! Then, just go ahead with the next segment of
your evening, and if anyone feels "unfulfilled," you can simply say,
"See (John, Bill, whomever) after the meeting's over..."
But, be fair. If you've
allowed four minutes and they tell you they need ten, let 'em have ten
(but not more than that), and then make sure they stick with it.
Hey Andy,
It’s the ADC-Roundtables again. We tried
the agenda method, and it was rejected. We asked who can make a meeting
and when. All RT staff picked a date and time, then suggested it to
District Commissioner. He agreed, but then said he couldn’t make the
time we’d chosen, so we pushed it back a half-hour so he could. He then
came back and refused to meet at all. Now, our district’s “Key 3” wants
(no, they demand!) to meet with the Cub Scout RT Commissioner alone, and
she refuses because one woman and three men is unfair odds, at best.
(We’re now waiting for them to use this as their rationale for “firing”
her...) (ADC-Roundtables)
It's time for your RTCs—both CS and BS, but particularly the CS side—to
get up off the floor and stand up straight. Ghandi said it: "No one can
treat you like a doormat if you don't lie down." That's number one.
Next, they need to create and state the year's meeting dates,
month-for-month. Third, they need to create a standard meeting program
(combine the agenda I gave you earlier with the standard Troop Meeting
Plan, and it'll be near-perfect). Fourth, announcements happen at a
specific set time at each roundtable and this time is never changed,
ever. Fifth, the DE and DC need to be told that their "allotted time"
is either the first two minutes after the opening ceremony or the last
two minutes before the formal closing, and that's it.
These five points need to be put in place all at once and immediately.
They must not be presented as "subject to discussion," or "open to other
opinions," or as “suggestions.” They're the way things will be,
period. Don't walk small on this. If you do, you'll get trampled. And
if this happens, you'll never, ever get it right, because too many
people will now know you have no spine.
"Well, what if we're overruled?" someone might ask. Here's the answer:
These five points cannot be overruled. If someone decides to
"pull rank" or other such nonsense, tell 'em this: "You have a choice,
and here it is: Either all future roundtables are run this way or you
can get yourself a new RT Commissioner and staff, and I'll tell you
why... It's because this is my volunteer time, and it's either
used effectively here or I'll find some other venue for contributing."
Then stick to your guns.
Finally, put and end to
this "trying" stuff. Burn the words of Star Wars’ Yoda into your
brains: "Do, or Do Not. There is no 'try'."
Dear Andy,
I just found your
column and you may have already addressed this problem previously. If
you have, please direct me to your answer. Here's the situation: We
have several scouts who are concurrently registered with our troop and
also with the council's Sea Scout ship. The situation involved concerns
the advancement of the Scouts as they participate with the ship.
Our Scouts will
attend a ship’s meeting and then show up at our troop meeting with one
or more fully completed and signed merit badge cards—signed off by the
Skipper of the Sea Scout ship. Most recently, one Scout returned
wearing his new Star rank on his Boy Scout uniform and stated that he’d
earned the rank, had his Board of Review, and his Court of Honor over at
the ship. He wants to continue to advance toward his Eagle, earning
what he can in both the troop and the ship, completing Eagle at
whichever is quickest.
Communication and
courtesy have broken down between the adult leaders of the two units.
Our Scoutmaster feels shorted that the Scout did not request that the
merit badge cards be signed by him first, before completing the badges
and rank through the ship. He asked for the Scout to have a second set
of cards completed with his own name on them first, so the troop records
would be completed. An adult leader from the ship directed the
Scoutmaster to ask the council to provide the necessary copies instead,
stating that the ship can help the Scout advance without the prior
approval of the Scoutmaster.
The Scoutmaster
has visited with our District Executive, who mentioned primary and
secondary membership, directing the Scoutmaster to seek the completed
cards and possibly withhold advancement of this Scout through the troop
until he has conducted the Scoutmaster's Conference.
What guidance can
you provide on this sticky situation? We have lost an Assistant
Scoutmaster over this issue already, and the present Scoutmaster is
ready to throw in the towel, too. Our troop’s Committee Chair has yet
to lead a committee meeting on the subject, although the Scoutmaster has
requested one. I want to be informed of the correct BSA policy, so the
committee can lead the troop in the right direction for the Scouts.
(Karen Rowe, MC, Quivira Council)
I get the feeling that
these Scouts may be "playing both ends against the middle." While what
they’re doing is probably "legal," this doesn't mean it's the right and
proper thing to do.
When the BSA established
the Venturing program (of which Sea Scouting is a part) in the late
90's, an advancement policy was established that permitted any young man
who had earned the rank of First Class as a Boy Scout to continue on the
trail to Eagle, if he chose to, through his Venturing Crew or Sea Scout
Ship. However, the implied assumption here was that the young man would
be registered only as a Venturer or Sea Scout only, and not be
"double-registered" as a Boy Scout as well (in which case, this policy
would not be needed, since he could continue his Star-Life-Eagle
advancement in his Troop, as a Boy Scout).
This begs the question:
Are these young men working only on their Boy Scout ranks while members
of a Sea Scout Ship, or are they also working on the Sea Scout ranks of
Apprentice, Able, Ordinary, and Quartermaster? Here's the conundrum:
If they are indeed working on their Sea Scout ranks, then in good faith
they should be working on their Boy Scout ranks in their Troop, and if
they're not working on Sea Scout ranks, then they're taking perhaps
unfair advantage of a "loophole" in BSA policy, and their SS Skipper
seems to be encouraging this.
So, if you're asking me
for a recommendation, here it is: Cut 'em loose. That's right—If they're
using the Ship to advance in Boy Scout ranks, they sure don't need to be
Troop members, so drop them from your Troop's rolls. Here's what not
to do: Don't "withhold advancement," or attempt to achieve
"rapprochement" with the Skipper, because he's made it crystal clear
that he's equally willing to circumvent the Troop, and don't try to get
the DE to step into the middle of this mess, because the DE as no
authority over what's happening, anyway. Just cut 'em loose. They've
made it clear, by their actions, that they hold the Troop in slight
regard. Honor that. Terminate their membership as Boy Scouts; they can
finish what they've started as members of the Ship.
Dear Andy,
I know that a
parent can be his or her son’s Merit Badge Counselor (MBC). But I also
know that I read somewhere in some Scout literature that to be your
son’s MBC, it must be in a class of at least three Scouts. It sounded
like a good idea to me at the time I read it, since I knew some parents
who’d sign off on a Blue Card whether their child earned it or not, just
so their Scout would get the badge. But now it’s come up as an issue,
and I can’t find that rule in any literature in which I’ve looked.
(Claudia, Sam Houston Area Council, TX)
The BSA book, Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures,
states that "An approved merit badge counselor may counsel any youth
member, including his or her own son, ward, or relative." This book
goes on to state that "A Scout must have a buddy with him at each
meeting with a merit badge counselor. A Scout's buddy can be another
Scout, a parent or guardian, a brother or sister, or a relative or
friend." There is no BSA policy that stipulates that a merit badge
counselor must counsel more than one Scout at a time, whether or not
they—the MBC and the Scout—are related. Yes, there are lots of
unsubstantiated myths out there about how long a "partial" is good for,
how many Scouts must simultaneously take a merit badge, whether "troop
MBCs" are "legal" or not, and on and on. But these are just that:
myths. So, the reason you can't find the rule you're looking for is
that there isn't one.
Since you're apparently
dealing with some sort of issue, maybe I'd better mention one more thing
that definitely is a BSA policy: Once a merit badge is earned, it
cannot be taken away so long as the merit badge counselor is
registered as such.
Dear Andy,
Can a Scoutmaster
refuse a promotion to a Scout? I’m asking because Scoutmaster has told
one of our Scouts that he would not let him go up for a Board of Review
because of the way he acted at summer camp. This Scout needs medication
for hyperactivity but doesn’t take it. To make matters worse, the
Scoutmaster doesn’t know how to talk to the Scouts in a civil way;
instead, he yells and threatens, with no good results. (Jim Flanagan,
Allohak Council)
Boy Scouts don't get "promoted." They earn ranks and merit
badges by completing requirements for them (which in the case of ranks
are "signed off" by an adult leader in the troop, or by another Scout,
and in the case of merit badges are signed off by an independent Merit
Badge Counselor), then having a conference with their Scoutmaster (the
Scoutmaster's Conference is always the very last of the requirements),
and then they have a Board of Review (by members of the troop committee,
not including the Scoutmaster), which is not among the requirements but
is the very final mandatory step before receiving the rank.
So, yes, a Scoutmaster
can advise a Scout that he's not ready to advance quite yet, based on
recent behavior of the Scout. But the Scoutmaster also has a very
specific obligation to that Scout if this happens, and I'll tell you
about that a little further along.
Here's the funny thing
about what you've told me... Scoutmasters are supposed to be a Scout's
primary "role model." This makes me wonder if the summer camp situation
with the Scout you're talking about had nothing to do with his
medications and everything to do with his emulating that Scoutmaster
he's got! Anyway, it's sort of a strange situation, because medications
are supposed to be shown on every camper's medical form when they go to
camp and check in, and the health lodge is supposed to make sure they
take whatever medications they've brought with them (and if they didn't
bring the stuff, then that complication is dealt with by the camp's
health officer).
That said, let's see if
we can help this Scout advance...
Here's the deal: If, in
his Scoutmaster's Conference, a Scout is told he's got to live up to the
Scout Oath and Law a bit better before he can be eligible for a Board of
Review, that Scout is entitled to being told exactly what he's expected
to do, and for how long. Something like this: "Johnny, you will need
to teach four Scouts how to (fill in the blank) and also help your
Patrol by (fill in the blank), in the next two weeks. If you do these
things, I'll be happy to have another Scoutmaster's Conference with you,
that will be successful." If Johnny then does as he's been advised,
he'll get his SM Conference and be eligible for a Board of Review in two
weeks, as assured.
So, what this Scout needs to do is to go back to the Scoutmaster and ask
for some tasks and a specific timetable, plus the assurance that if he
does what he's asked he'll be OK for a Board of Review.
If the Scoutmaster's as
gruff as you say, maybe this Scout will need a little support from a
fellow Scout, or his Patrol Leader, or his SPL, or maybe an Assistant
Scoutmaster. But the Scout himself will have to step up and be the
initiator of the action here, or I have a feeling nothing's gonna happen
till the Scoutmaster's whim changes, and that could be quite a while!
Dear Andy,
I have a question regarding the religious
component of the Eagle Scout requirements. We have a Scout who, in his
younger years, attended church regularly with his family, but recently
they’ve done so less and less. They don’t know the local priest, so a
reference letter from him would not be realistic. There is no
requirement for a Scout to attend church, but to live the Scout Oath
daily, and to be reverent.
Scout Oath: Do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those
teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others
to practice their own beliefs.
Reverent: A Scout is reverent toward God.
He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of
others.
From whom could he obtain a reference
letter to satisfy the religious
aspect of Requirement No. 2? Thanks for your help. (Chris Adams, Troop
16, Ledyard, CT)
A "religious" letter of recommendation is
not mandatory and the absence of same in no way impinges on a
candidate's ability to achieve the Eagle rank. That said, anyone who can
comment on this Scout's religious daily life is appropriate; ordination
is not required. This could be a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle,
neighbor, or friend—Anyone who can and is willing to attest to this
young man's convictions and how he lives his life. This is, of course,
for the Scout to identify. Give him some guidance and I'm sure he'll
give you a name! And what if he doesn’t? Then that line stays blank,
but be sure to cover the subject in his Board of Review.
Dear Andy,
What’s the significance of the "heart"
shaped badge for the BSA rank of Life? (Jim Dorrance, Troop 28, Rice
Lake, WI)
The Life Scout badge, as described by
Wikipedia, "...has the Boy Scout emblem superimposed on a red heart,
signifying that the ideals of Scouting have become a part of the Scout's
life and character."
Dear Andy,
In a recent troop committee meeting, our
Scoutmaster reported something that I have a hard time believing. His
report came from his participation in Basic Training, with
Scoutmaster-specific training. He says he was told that if the unit
benefits from a fund-raising project, no service hours can be used for
rank advancement. This is problematic because for the past five years
our troop has expanded a combination fund-raising/service project from
just our members to include the whole community, at the community’s
request. Our project involves posting flags on our city's main street
on patriotic holidays. Annually, we solicit businesses and citizens to
sponsor one or more, of the 100 flags that we post. We promote this as
a service project for the community, and excess funds (less flag
project maintenance costs, etc.) support unit functions. We also use
this as an opportunity for our Scouts to earn the Salesmanship merit
badge. So, does the advancement policy of the BSA prohibit use of these
service hours to the community for rank advancement, and if so, where
can this policy be found? (Jeff Hall, MC, Chief Seattle Council, WA)
Baloney! You won't find such a policy
written anywhere, because there is no such policy! Scouts get "credit"
for service hours, whether the troop receives revenue or not. Whoever
put this lame idea in your Scoutmaster's head deserves 20 lashes with a
wet lanyard!
Dear Andy,
I see that a movie-viewing-and-discussion
requirement is included for the Citizenship in the Community merit
badge. I’ve looked for a good idea or two and I’m not having any luck.
Do you have any suggestions? (Andy Schmidt, Wausau, WI)
Check out "Pay It Forward," with Haley Joel
Osment, Kevin Spacey, and Helen Hunt. Here's the précis...
“Pay It Forward” is a book written by Catherine
Ryan Hyde that became a Warner Bros. movie. Reuben St. Clair, the
teacher and protagonist in the book “Pay It Forward,” starts a movement
with this voluntary, extra-credit assignment: THINK OF AN IDEA FOR WORLD
CHANGE, AND PUT IT INTO ACTION. Trevor, the 12-year-old hero of “Pay It
Forward,” thinks of quite an idea. He describes it to his mother and
teacher this way: "You see, I do something real good for three people.
And then when they ask how they can pay it back, I say they have to Pay
It Forward. To three more people. Each. So nine people get helped. Then
those people have to do twenty-seven." He turned on the calculator,
punched in a few numbers. "Then it sort of spreads out, see. To
eighty-one. Then two hundred forty-three. Then seven hundred
twenty-nine. Then two thousand, one hundred eighty-seven. See how big it
gets?"
And the website:
http://payitforward.warnerbros.com/Pay_It_Forward/
Dear Andy,
I have a question about my Webelos II son
joining a Boy Scout troop. Our local scoutmaster would like our Webelos
II Scouts to start meeting with the troop right now, before they have
their crossover at our Blue & Gold banquet in a month. If we do this,
can these boys actually join the troop before they’ve received the Arrow
of Light? And, if so, can they still receive their Arrow of Light
after they’ve joined the troop? (Bob Snider, ACM, Tuscola, IL)
Sure they can, if they’ve turned age 11, or
completed fifth grade, they can join Boy Scouts on the spot! Those are
two of the three ways, the third being: Earn the Arrow of Light Award.
This might sorta blow a big hole right through your second question, but
just in case you're still wondering, the AoL is an award for Webelos
Scouts and not BOY Scouts. Technically, of course, a boy can ‘receive"
the AoL after he's joined a Boy Scout troop, if "receive" means it's
mailed to him, or handed to him sometime so he can sew it on his Boy
Scout uniform shirt. But if you're talking about a pack ceremony,
sorry, Charlie, that show's over if they’ve already made the transition.
Dear Andy,
I’ve searched the Internet and BSA
publication no. 33088C isn’t on-line, so I'll have to pick it up from my
council’s Scout Shop. Unfortunately, to convince our district’s
trainers, I have to reproduce the page and highlight the section. There
are conflicts:
1- A “university” training session states
that a Scoutmaster can attend but not participate in a Board of Review,
BUT…
2- The district trainers say the
Scoutmaster can't attend, THEN…
3- YOU say the Scoutmaster CAN attend, SO…
4- What does the actual policy say?
(Bob Moravsik, Patriots’ Path Council,
Parsippany, NJ)
The book's only a couple of bucks... Worth
springing for! Meanwhile, here are your answers:
1: Correct.
2: Wrong.
3: Correct.
4: Worth buying and reading—Everything
you'd ever want to know about advancement!
Dear Andy,
Where can I find a chart to track
progression from Tenderfoot through Eagle for an individual Scout? (Dale
Denny)
In the back pages of the BOY SCOUT
HANDBOOK.
Dear Andy,
Here’s a question about sheath knifes in Scouting. What’s the BSA
policy? I’m getting two different answers. Some Scouters say it’s
OK but others say No Way. What do you have to say on the matter? (Tim
English, ASM & BSRTC, Cradle of Liberty Council, PA)
I still have my old
Scout sheath knife, and I sure wish I could wear and use it around camp
again. But that's simply not likely to be happening anytime soon.
Sheath knives brought to camp and on campouts got bigger and bigger (Ahhhh,
boys... Always "measuring"...) until they became, if not ludicrous,
dangerous. That's when the BSA stopped making 'em and began
discouraging their use in camp/on campouts. There's no official policy
prohibiting them (at least none in the BSA's GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING),
but folding knives ("pocket knives"—even if many are still worn in
holders on one's belt) are definitely encouraged. The most the BSA says
about sheath knives (fixed blade is what we're really talking about
here) is this: "Avoid large sheath knives."
So, what's "large"? My
50-year-old fixed-blade Scout sheath knife measures 8-1/2" overall, with
a 4-1/4" blade. Too dangerous to be toted around today, right? Well,
my year-old BSA pocket knife (with a folding, but lock-back blade,
thereby making it just as rigid as my old fixed-blade knife) measures
8-1/2" overall, with a 3-3/4" blade. Does that half-inch blade length
differential make one safer than the other? You tell 'em, Tenderfoot;
you're a Scout!
Happy Scouting!
Andy
Got a question?
Have an idea? Found something that works? Send it to me at
AskAndyBSA@yahoo.com.
(Please include your Council name
or your town & state)
(March 2007 - Copyright © 2007 Andy McCommish)
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