eisely

I too have wondered if councils would be better off with fewer, more capable, and better paid people. It is a harsh think to say, but there seems to be a pattern here.

As far as I know, both can, and should, be worn simultaneously. Some would say that you should wear a pocket flap only if you are active in that particular lodge (paid up).

We have many Brits and nationals of other countries here who are very active in BSA. I know of no citizenship requirement for BSA.

done

Reagan ranks as one of the greatest presidents we have had. Certainly in the 20th century, Reagan and FDR take the prize for the two best presidents of that time. He will be missed, remembered, and loved.

The only reason for building a large balance is for major expenditures for equipment. However, this should be planned and budgeted, just as BW suggests. The only difference would be that equipment acquisitions, whether for backpacking stoves for scouts or Pinewood Derby tracks for cubs, may be a multi year budgeting process.

Every den I have ever heard of tried to meet weekly. Some weeks were skipped such as during holiday seasons.

I believe that you can have non registered adults participate on boards of review. These people are considered to be "representatives of the community". Organizing the boards is still a committee function.

There is another context in which "active membership" comes up where no real guidance is provided. The OA election procedures which our lodge sends to every scoutmaster every year prescribes the necessary quorum for having an election as being 50% of the active youth present at the time of the election. Active is not defined. It is left to the scoutmaster to decide. My impression of this rule is that it wisely takes note of the fact that there may be scouts registered with a unit who have either moved away, dropped out, suspended from membership, or even removed from the unit. Nevertheless, it opens the door for judgment.

In retrospect it is kind of amusing to realize how much one thinks one knows turns out to be wrong. It is kind of like the sheath knife rule. One thing I have learned from this forum is not to assume that I know a particular policy, rule, or procedure unless I have heard it in a training session or seen it in writing. Even then, many volunteer trainers are ill informed or insert their personal biases, and publications are out of date or contradictory.

I am not aware of any legal limits, but I can see where such limits might exist under the Federal Tax Code and various state laws. The suggestion to talk to the finance director at the council is sound.

This is my first "spinoff" thread, so we will see how this works. If memory serves me correctly, I was told a long time ago that there was a national policy that merit badges had to be completed within six months of beginning them. More recently I have heard that this "statute of limitations", if it ever existed, no longer applied. A scout could now theoretically take years to finish a merit bade. Is this true? Was there ever a six month cutoff, and does it now not exist? Related to this question is the status of partials when MB requirements change. If a boy is working on an eagle required badge, and the requirments for the MB change, it is my understanding that the boy is "grandfathered" in to the old requirements. Is this correct?

This relates to other threads under active discussion. Am I to understand that BW endorses setting expectations ahead of time for what it means to "actively serve" in a POR? Can this be construed as adding to the requirements for rank advancement?

Air America also recently lost some senior excecutives. I don't know whether they quit or were fired. Not an auspicious beginning. As an aside, I found it amusing that the name they chose is the name of the controversial charter airline operated in Southeast Asia by the CIA during the last century. Somebody even made a potboiler movie about the airline titled simply "Air America." One of the main themes of the movie was that it (the airline) really was just a drug smuggling operation. More than a few people owe their lives and freedom to Air America. Their helicopters played an important, and largely unrecognized, role in the final evacuation of Saigon in 1975. The famous picture of people climbing up a ladder to a chopper on a roof pad was actually a photo of an Air America chopper. But I digress.... I don't plan to listen to Air America any more than I listen to any other talk radio. I wish them luck, but I am skeptical of their long term prospects.

An earlier post asserted that, "A boy who does not attend at least 50% should not be elected to a leadership position," or words to that effect. The problem is that boys who have no intention of really doing anything will seek election just to get their tickets punched, if they believe they can get away with it. This is human nature and not everybody, boy scouts and scouters too, always operates in good faith. I have to agree with FOG. While there is nothing that specifically authorizes units to define "active", there is nothing that prevents it either. There is a void here that units should not ignore.

This topic has been hashed before, but it is worth going over again. Count me among those who also had the mistaken belief early in my career as a scouter that sheath knives were prohibited by G2SS. They are not prohibited, but they are largely unnecessary and usually mean extra weight. A good folding multi tool with a good blade is a better choice. I also recall another regular poster, MatuaWarrior, describing hiking on Guam. There they go with machetes because they always have to clear their trail. So the size and type of blades to be used are also greatly influenced by the circumstances. In another thread at least two situations where sheath knives are essential safety tools were identified. These are kayaking and scuba diving. So, to repeat myself, for ordinary backpacking, day hiking, and general camp chores scouts should be encouraged and taught to make intelligent choices and avoid unnecessary bravado by carrying an unnecessarily large blade. Where large fixed blades are warranted in specific situations they should be used.

With all due respect to BW, his answer is perhaps a little too simple. In the particular case you describe, it sounds somewhat like an arbitrary rule that could be construed as adding a requirement. This has been hashed and rehashed on this forum at great length. I am among those who think that "active" should be more than just being registered. I also draw a distinction between scouts fulfilling leadership requirements and scouts who are not fulfilling leadership requirements. I think it is fair, and within the bounds of the rules, for troops to set expectations for youth leaders in particular. Fulfillling a leadership role for rank advancement purposes should be more than just filling a slot and never showing up. For one thing, absentee youth leaders are doing a tremendous disservice to the youth whom they are supposedly leading. Setting some kind of participation standard for youth leaders before they assume a position is, in my mind, the best way to deal with this. The standards should be developed by the youth themselves with the concurrence of the committee. In your next to last comment you state, "It's up to the scoutmaster to determine if a scout is 'active'." This is a fine sentiment, but it has the potential for setting up situations where scouts will feel they have not been dealt with fairly or consistently. Having a written policy setting expectations is a reasonable way to avoid these kinds of controversies. You will also have a better functioning unit if the youth leaders are actually showing up.

Here is an interesting twist on political correctness. The source for this is the Jerusalem Post. ________________________ Jewish Girl Scouts win right to march By LAUREN GELFOND Jewish Girl Scouts in New York, who were warned by the national Girl Scouts against marching in uniform at the annual Israel Day Parade because it would be "insensitive to Arab Scouts," have at the last minute received an okay, a troop leader told The Jerusalem Post. The troop of 11-13-year-old girls in Scarsdale, who recently launched a pen-pal project with Palestinians, was dumbfounded by the initial admonition. Uniformed Girl Scouts in the US, with the strong endorsement of Scout officials, join such festivals as Mexican pride, Hispanic heritage, and Asian New Year. They have also been encouraged to become "honorary Irish" for the St. Patrick's Day parade, which is overseen by clerics who prohibit the participation of Irish groups that do not observe Catholic ideology, including homosexuals and lesbians. Though the national Girl Scouts urge its scouts to join parades of other cultures as a gesture of solidarity, it has told Jewish troops in the past that a parade for Israel is different because it is political and other parades are ethnic. Critics argued that most parades have a political element, like the socialist affiliation of the Mexican celebration, and that the Girl Scouts do not consider the political issues of any other country before determining if Scouts should march in its parade. Two years ago the Girl Scouts back-pedaled on their edict, following strong public pressure. But the issue returned to the table because of safety fears and differences in how local and national councils interpret by-laws, said Mary Stroock, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Westchester Putnam: "Some people see it as a political parade." After intensive meetings, the local council, directed from national, gave approval for Scouts to march in the Israel Day Parade. Long before the parade became contentious this year, the Shabbat-observant troop had already launched a pen-pal project to get to know their Palestinian peers. "The girls are coming at it from a more innocent point of view [than adults]," says troop leader Judy Lederman. "They are learning that the Palestinian girls are people first they are just little girls, not terrorists, they have similar interests, want to know about [things like] Brittany spears." Since the writing started, dozens of Palestinian girls have signed on to correspond with their Jewish American counterparts, who are scurrying to answer the slew of letters. This week they are shipping off packages of candy, Cracker Jacks, stickers, hand-made signs in Arabic spelling 'hello' and of course, Girl Scout Cookies. _________________ Comment: The last three paragraphs describe something very positive that this girl scout troop is doing. However, the less than even handed attitude towards parades emanating from the national organization raises a question about that organization.

I think the correct answer is - both. Boys should be encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to earn eagle required badges when those opportunities present themselves, and such opportunities may be rare. Given the option of fulfilling an eagle required badge over a badge in which the boy is interested, I would most likely push the boy to work on the required badge, particularly if the opportunity to work on the required badge does not recur often, such as at summer camp. Having said that, a boy should work on at least one badge at summer camp just for fun.

Condolences.

Responding to BW's last response to me, I would agree that the SM should not withhold a signature, but should seek to counsel boys about finishing things up before taking on new tasks. Clearly if an opportunity such as you postulate presents itself, the boy should be encouraged to proceed.

The only real reason I can think of for a SM not signing a blue card, other than prerequisites not being met, would be if a scout has numerous "incompletes" in other MBs. As a SM I would want to ensure that scouts are finishing what they have already started before launching them into a lot of new directions.

Useful input. Thanx

A question has come up for which I do not have a ready answer. I don't even have any blue cards laying around to refer to. Someone correct me if I am wrong. If I recall correctly, there is a space on the blue card for the SM to sign indicating that the scout has the SM's permission to work on the merit badge. Theoretically getting the SM's permission is a prerequisite to even starting work on a merit badge. Am I right about this?

Congratulations on the unit's and your personal success. Proof positive that the scouting approach to unit management does work when it is tried.