evry

The major new one that affects many of the existing Scouts (almost all have attained 1st Class by Dec 31) is the new Life requirement 6. The one that requires them to teach a Scout one of the 2nd/1st class skills. For this new requirement, we printed the text onto Avery stickers and stuck them into any affected Scouts' Handbook.

"Yeah Brent the little guys think the Cub uniform is cool at their age and the congregants at church like to see the boys in the uniform. But what about the 13 & 14 & 15 year old guys. Do you think they like to wear it or because of peer pressure, do they shy away from it. And remember, those positive comments are coming mostly from people who are not involved in the BSA." Exactly my experience. We as adults may think that the kids like wearing the uniform, but ask any of the older Scouts and you'll hear comments like..."I don't want to be made fun of"...."I don't want my friends to think I'm a nerd"...."it's not cool".

I realize that this topic has probably been discussed many times and Scouters have differing views on it, but I hope that with further discussion I (we) could learn more about the Scouting program and how it deals with these types of awkward situations. After our troop's weekly meeting, we had scheduled several BORs for rank. One of the BORs was for our SPL to attain the rank of Life Scout. Our Advancement Committee Chairman has instructed the Scouts, on many occasions, that they should be in full Class A uniforms during BORs, inclusive of sashes. Unfortunately, the SPL comes to the BOR with only his Scout shirt and blue jeans. The shirt is lacking the proper insignia for his Star Rank and his SPL patch and he was not wearing his sash. Before the BOR can even start, the Chairman tells the SPL that he is not in proper uniform and that the BOR will need to be rescheduled for the following week. The SPL's mother was very upset and demanded to see the bylaws of the troop that specify the troop's proper uniform. She was shown the bylaws that state that for Class A uniforms, the Scout should wear the official BSA pants or other similar olive green pants (camouflage pants are not acceptable). BTW, this was my first time that I has seen the bylaws! I should not have become involved, but I decided to play devil's advocate and told some senior leaders that requiring Scouts to wear a uniform at BOR is actually adding to the requirements. Needless to say, they gave me a scornful look .... more or less saying "who do you think you are Mr. know it all?" I'm confused....I would like the Scouts to have respect for themselves and for the Troop by wearing their uniforms at the BOR, (especially when you are SPL!) but at the same time, I feel that the BOR is not evaluating what needs to be evaluated, which is the Scout himself, as well as how the Troop is doing in getting these Scouts ready for leadership. I feel that we need to make major progress in the second area since we are lacking big time in the patrol method / leadership skills / boy led troop. Somehow, I feel the proper wearing of a uniform during BORs is secondary, albeit important. Of interest....the Scoutmaster, who is a very nice man but getting detached from the everyday working of the Troop, was also wearing jeans with his Class A shirt. He is also the founder of the CO and is an Eagle Scout from this Troop in the 1950's. Been thinking that perhaps this isn't the right Troop for my son and maybe look for another one, but at the same time, we (son and I) like the Scouts in this Troop and we want to make the Troop better. I just don't know whether it is possible to change a Troop that has some strong adults that have been there many years and have a sense of ownership!

Can I ask the two ex-IRS agents how they view the "qualified" language in 501©(3). In my interpretation, an organization does not need to have received approval from the IRS to be qualified, but if an organization does have such approval, then it is deemed to be qualified. Granted that some organizations (ie. evry's charity) will receive scrutiny and should apply for qualification, but others, like recognized churches will be looked at as qualified under the tax code whether or not they have applied for qualification. I place any Boy Scout Troop in this second category. What say you?

As several previously stated, money and the Fair Market Value of any goods donated is tax deductible, but your time, services, advice etc. is NOT tax deductible. I believe that mileage is also tax deductible. This brings me to my question....and sorry if I'm hijacking the OP's thread. This past summer, I was one of our Troop's leaders at the Summer Camp where my son also attended. His fee was $200...my fee was $100. I drove out to the camp (appx. 70miles). I'm wondering if I am correct in saying that my fee ($100) plus the mileage (round trip 140 x $0.55 = $77) are deductible contributions, while my son's $200 fee is not. Does anybody else concur with this...or disagree?

Please comment on the following: The MBC for the First Aid Merit Badge (who is also the Committee Chairman) requires all of the Scouts taking the merit badge to get certified in CPR before he will sign off on the requirement to "demonstrate proper CPR". His reasoning is that someone that is not certified cannot possibly demonstrate proper CPR. During Summer Camp, there is a 10 minute demonstration of CPR by the Scouts and they get the requirement signed off for various merit badges (ie. Swimming, First Aid, emergency Preparedness). It's called CPR for Merit Badges. The Scouts that went to Summer Camp and saw all the other Scouts from other Troops doing this 10 minute demonstation are not too happy that they are required to take a CPR class (which costs appx. $40) for 4-5 hours in order to get the requirement signed off by the MBC for their First Aid MB. Some of them actually did the demonstration at Summer Camp and have asked the MBC to sign off, but he doesn't accept it. Personally, I think it's good that the Scouts are being asked to get certified in CPR, but when there is a disparity in the requirements from troop to troop, then there is something wrong with the system, and it creates a feeling of unfairness in the Scouts. Also, bad feelings arise against someone (the MBC) who might also sit on their BOR for advancing to the next rank. Not Good!

At Woodruff Camp in north Georgia where my son did the mile swim, there are 4 practice sessions on 4 different days, and the Scout must complete 3 out of the 4. These are done as laps in a roped off area in the lake. 1st day: 3 laps, 2nd day: 6 laps, 3rd day: 10 laps, 4th day: 14 laps. I think the 14 laps are about 2/3 mile. My son did the Day 1, 2 and 4 to qualify. On Friday, the actual mile swim is held for all Scouts (and Scouters) that have qualified during the previous 4 days. The staff told me that it is actually a little bit more than 1 mile (I think they said 1.1 mile). The swim starts from the boat dock and you must swim out to Buoy 1 and then circle an island three times around two other buoys before returning to Buoy 1 and then heading back to the Boat Dock. Much less tedious swimming in a lake than in a swimming pool with laps IMHO.

I am proud of my 1st year boy scout and wanted to relay the choice he made while at Woodruff Camp. I was at Camp as an adult leader with our troop. He was signed up for Fingerprinting MB, a 1 hour class, but I saw him at our campsite with tears coming out of his eyes. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he had just gotten back from the Fingerprinting MB Class and he had asked the Counselor how long it would take to complete. Since it would take at least 30 minutes, he had decided to cancel the class and instead, go on his 3rd practice for the mile swim (his last chance to qualify). He was saddened because he thought I wanted him to get the MB. I reassured him that his decision was the right one and he would be proud when he completed the mile swim and earned the coveted in our troop "One Miler." His face lit up and he said, "yeah, besides, the Fingerprinting MB is an easy one and I could get it anytime." He eventually qualified for the mile swim and earned it the following day in 1 hour 5 minutes.....the only one in our Troop from the Scouts that earned it this year. This summer, my son learned how to make a choice between two alternatives and I think he made the right one. Makes me proud!

Narraticong, As I stated, I don't have a problem with having the patrol "make" a patrol flag, but I don't think that it should be an additional requirement for Tenderfoot. "Describe" means describe. If you were asked to describe the American flag, you would say it has 13 stripes (7 red and 6 white) and on the top left corner, it has a blue field with 50 stars on it. You would not have to actually reproduce the flag and state what material it is made of. I've looked at the other patrol flags in the troop, and without any hesitation, I could assert that they were not made by 11 year olds all by themselves. They are made of leather tied very neatly with leather strips to wooden staves that are joined together with timber hitch lashings. I wonder what Scout got these requirements signed off for 1st Class! Thanks Dad! This new patrol has already done more by themselves without any assistance (or counsel for that matter) by a Troop Guide or an ASM and to require them to actually make a flag in order to meet the requirements would only lead to frustration. Again, once they have collectively agreed on the flag design and can describe it, they have fulfilled the requirements. They can then ask for the assistance they need to make a flag.

Unfortunately, there is no Troop Guide designated to assist the new Scouts and the troop's policy is for the ASM or SM to sign off on all rank requirements. One troop leader actually said that the ASM or SM must also be "Trained" to sign off. Some of the new Scouts are not even getting their Scout Badge at the next COH since they don't know that they have to go to the SM or an ASM to get the requirements checked off.

My son just crossed over into a troop where each new group of boys becomes their own patrol. That was strange for me, but they've been doing it for some years in the troop and it seems to be working. The SPL met the new boys (5 of them) and told them that they would have to come up with a Patrol Name, Yell and Flag. The boys immediately decided on "Flaming Arrow" for the patrol name and were left to come up with a yell and a flag. Although the boys don't meet but once a week at the troop meeting (and then not everyone is there all the time), they came up with a yell (Flaming Arrow soaring high, Flaming Arrow light the sky) and one of the boys drew a flaming arrow on a piece of paper and they accepted that as the design of their flag. The troop is going to have a COH and one of the boys had all the requirements of Tenderfoot completed except the Patrol Name, Yell and Flag. During this last weekend, during a troop activity, this young Scout went to an Assistant Scoutmaster and asked him to sign off on the requirement. My son who is in the same patrol was also with him. The AS asked them both what the yell was and they told him the yell. He then told them that they would need to make a patrol flag before he can sign off on the requirement. My son said that they already had a flag, at which point the AS showed the other patrols' flags that are made of leather or other material and cross hatched on branches etc., and asked them what material their patrol's flag is. My son (bless his heart) said "paper." I realized where this was headed and I told the AS that the requirements are only to "describe" the patrol's flag and not to actually make one. He seemed to accept the reasoning and begrudginly signed off on the requirement. I don't have an issue with the patrol making a flag, but I don't believe it should be a stmbling block in getting the tenderfoot rank since it adds to the requirements. I have the feeling that the signing off of this requirement will come up again during the young Scout's Scoutmaster Conference and/or BOR for his tenderfoot rank and I wanted to get other scouters' opinions. My son is not having his BOR yet, so the patrol will probably have made a flag by then, but I don't want some other young Scout being denied a rank because of local practice.