firecrafter

Lisa'bob, Great idea! I think I'll pass that one along! Thanks. firecrafter

When our son was 7 he asked to play the violin. We arranged for lessons. When he was 13 he asked to play the guitar. We arranged for lessons again. We never nagged him to practice but he understood that we would not waste family income or time on the lessons if he did not practice. We listened to him play, attended concerts, and encouraged him as he improved. Today he is a professional musician and composer. A person has to want something for themselves. By the way, he also wanted to be an Eagle Scout. Same philosophy, same result. firecrafter

KSscoutmom, How I wish there were more parents like you! We have a similar situation in our troop with some of the older scouts. When the SM tries to hold boys to standards of good behavior he gets cries of "not fair" from some of the adult leaders! Thankfully he doesn't back down, but still, takes much abuse for his efforts. Ideally, Scouts EARN advancement & respect in a troop by working with their fellow scouts & leaders, by showing leadership, and by exibiting good behavior/character. I hate the excuses made, and the fear of losing scouts if you make them behave. Everyone seems very concerned that the troublemakers aren't getting a fair shake. We had one scout who chose to leave rather than go with the program. I say "oh well". I know that's perhaps not a popular attitude, but not every young man will rise to the challenge. I have seen adults ask leaders to dumb down the standard too many times. We had a boy join who smoked at his first three scout activities. Some of the adults thought this was no big deal. When he was told that he couldn't smoke, he left. It's sad that the adults don't instead encourage the boy/s to rise to the BSA standard. It's as if the adults have no confidence in the boy's ability to learn and change his behavior. How does dumbing things down help these scouts? And what about those scouts who do a good job? They are fully aware of the apathy of their adult leaders. They see their fellow scouts receiving awards/advancement they didn't earn. They see other boys ignore the rules or try to squirm around them. What does this say to them? Often the "good scout's" needs are overlooked because the squeaky wheel needs grease. I'm all for second and even third chances for a boy, but if the behavior is taking the entire group down it needs to be addressed, pronto. You say there are a few bright spots in your troop. Great! Glad you recognize that! I'm glad to hear you are getting training and being involved on campouts! Both are steps in the right direction. I'd also advise you to read all the BSA literature you can get your hands on. I will tell you that being "armed" with the right information is really a good thing when you need it! Others here have advised me to be on the offence-be informed. It's not always popular when you stand up for doing things the right way, but it is worth it for the boys! Another thing I strongly encourage is that you support your SM and other leadership. They work hard for your son's troop! When the hard calls are made it's the SM who takes the heat. Stand along side of them and absorb some of that heat! Offer to help out where you can, ask what you can do. From time to time, tell the SM & ASMs you appreciate them, it does wonders for their morale! I've heard our SM tell how much this has meant to him. Heck, bake him cookies, buy him a tie at Christmas, rub his feet... OK, maybe not the latter. You sound like the kind of parent I would relish in our troop. Hang in there, educate yourself & contribute to help make your son's scout experience a great one! Good Luck! firecrafter

So any ideas for a group of parents who ignore the requests of the SPL & SM to please retire to the ajoining room? We have a few in the group who consistently refuse to leave the room or get quiet. We've tried the lead by example, and the keep 'em busy tactics. Short of wrestling them to the ground anyone have any other ideas? They seem to have no shame. Thanks! firecrafter

One of the best Scoutmaster's I've ever met was a woman. She was tough but fair, loved kids, loved camping and had outdoor skills to rival any man. She was a single Mom with one son. As I recall she stepped in when there were no qualified men in the troop. My boys loved her. firecrafter

I read everyone's responses with interest as this is a current concern in our TC. When our troop started TC was made up of folks who were friends and worked together for the good of the scouts. They knew the scout program, and had integrity. No problems. As time went on, we encouraged any parent to join the committee upon their son joining the troop. After all, it was their son's troop, right? Wrong! We have about 6 real workers and about 15 CMs. Most of these admittedly signed up so they would "have a vote" if push comes to shove on anything they see as irregular. Who gave them the idea we GET a vote anyway? We have three people who have been almost constant troublemakers. At committee meetings, they debate every small detail, demand explanations for every SM decision, & make snide remarks, while the rest of us watch the clock tick towards the 3 hour mark! One CM serves at district level-but has violated YPT guidelines and this person's behavior discouraged half of the scouts from returning to summer camp (according to the scouts). He rarely camps or attends meetings. Another member TRAINS (!!!) new adult scouters, but has never been camping and has been known to badger scouts during BOR about their religious beliefs. He also brings pets & his younnger children to BORs! The third...well, he has more training than anyone I have met in ten years of scouting. He gave permission for scouts to smoke on outings, carry sheath knives (and twice a switchbade), and has the worst behaved boy in the troop.(This latter CM was recently removed by the CC/IH) Keep in mind these are a fraction of the problems these three CMs have caused, and would be laughable if they were, well... funny! I cannot fathom HOW these folks sat through the BSA training and yet DO NOT know the program! More training does not always = qualified. We, as a committee, were too eager to sign up help in the beginning, too eager to please, too trusting. We were acting in good faith & assumed others were too. (That little "Never Assume" saying echos in my head here) After this experience I agree that allowing parents to hang around the first year, giving everyone a chance to get to know each other, is the way to go. Only after seeing how a person operates within the group should they be put on the committee, IMHO. I agree with the way EagleinKY explains it. "The troop must have a committee, they are the "ways and means" of the troop. They provide us with what we need to run the program. However, they in no way "run the troop". They enable the Scoutmasters who oversee the program and the PLC who runs the program." The committee is important to the troop, no question. But, being selective about it's members is equally as important. firecrafter

Thanks for you quick responses Anne & Ma! No offense taken at all! I understand you have only my posts to go on-so much to explain, so much to type! To clarify, yes, I am currently a member of the troop committee. I want you to understand that I come here asking questions about "how things are done" because I respect the years of scouting these forums represent. I am learning that things that have been presented in our troop as set in stone are, in actuality not. I know that things don't change overnight, nor would I expect them to. Understand that some of these things have been dragging on for years. Mostly I am here gathing information, to be as Ma suggested, on the offence. I'd like to be able to intelligently defend the SM, CC and others when they come under attack. Our troop began as a small group of families who were disatisfied with the behavior allowed in our previous troop. We all had similar goals and an understanding that we would be respectful and upfront with each other. Those were the glory days with the new troop! Most of those parents are retired now, as their boys reached Eagle rank (4 to date!). What we have now is an entirely new set of parents/Committee Members, and of course the demographics have changed. I believe what we ae experiencing are growing pains. Our current CC is a good man. He & I have an excellent relationship and I respect his judgement. He also has great repoire with the scouts and SM. He has complained many times about the micro-managing of our Committee (to them). Although he is in agreement with the SM, the CC is a person who hates conflict. When he took the position we were in those glory days , thus little conflict. He has sadly been worn down by the constant bickering that has gone on since. They are frankly driving him crazy! He plans to retire. The IH has approached me about filling the CC postion. Now...you see why my interest. The committee has been given a wide berth over the last year or so. SM is trying to close, or at least reduce the gap. I'm trying to understand where the lines are drawn between the SM/Committee. We seem to have a group of folks who want to add a lot of arbitrary rules to those already in place by BSA. Some CMs want every decision disscussed then brought to a vote, no matter how small. I feel like time constraints make this unrealistic. How much imput should the Committee expect? It seems to me that they are limited in some ways, such as "final answer" senarios. If I am mistaken I want to be corrected. This is why I ask how other units operate. It's my understanding that we serve our CO, and adhere to their standards, and that the SM is to run the program under their direction and BSA guidelines. Am I correct? Often times I notice that BSA literature is, intentionally I think, very generic. It seems to go on the assumption that CO, SM, CC, and other leaders are honorable people-and leaves much up to their discretion as far as individual unit organization goes. I think that's great-as the folks getting their hands dirty, IMHO, are the ones who should run the unit. In our case, we have a lot of uninvolved committee members who only show up when the proverbial poo is ready to hit the fan. And too often, they are the ones slingin' da poo! ;)This really needs to stop. I do think the committee needs to be pared down. If I take the position, I intend to do so-which I'm sure will be popular! I currently do several job on the committee involving record keeping, etc. I feel that I do my job well and am positive in meetings. I'm a "calls it like I sees it" guy too, so I don't have any trouble speaking up. I also understand how to present things tactfully. I am one of those trying to keep things moving in a positive direction. I know from their comments that the SM/CC appreciate my help & support. The ASM was taken off the charter (IH requested this) at the beginning of the year. ASM has since lurked behind the scenes making phone calls & causing division. Nothing we can really do about that. It does amaze me that the same people who complained about him seem to relish his gossip. It's sad when dealing with adults takes center stage in a program for boys. We are constantly striving to do a better job. I think it's time for the parents to take a seat and allow the leaders to focus on the scouts, rather than wasting time defending their every decision. That is only IMHO. I welcome your thoughts on this matter. Thanks for reading! firecrafter

In reading these forums I've observed that a number of members are current Scoutmasters, or have served as such in the past. I would very much appreciate your imput on our situation. Other's thoughts are of course welcome. I have been fortunate enough to work with two very fine Scoutmasters in the past ten years. I watched as one stood their ground for years and finally resigned because of bickering committee members. Now, I see the second SM continually criticized and undermined by committee members. Is this something that just goes with the SM territory? It's my understanding that the SM is in charge of the program, the Committee Chairman is in charge of the Committee, and the COR/IH oversees everyone. Some members (certainly not all) of this committee gossip, backbite, and question most decisions the SM makes. I thought the Committee was there to support the SM, give guidance, and facilitate the scout program. I'd like to see us stick to the business at hand. Our current SM is a good man. The scouts love him. He has the approval & support of the CO and most of the parents. The conflicts seem to mainly fall into the area of dicipline. There are a few adults who want the SM to ignore-even reward bad behavior. He refuses to advance scouts who don't meet the requirements. There was the same conflict between the last SM & committee. SM would make a decision-committee/parents would pressure the SM to change it. Some, it seems, would like to ignore the requirements for scout spirit/living the scout oath & law/leadership...Those ARE requirements, are they not? In my experience a SM is always the one to make the hard calls. At the end of the day it's his/her name, his/her butt on the line. Seems they are usually pulling more than their share of the load too. These folks are volunteers, giving up many, many hours for our kids. I see it as a trust issue. You have to trust the SM. The SM from time to time will need to make judgement calls. Isn't that their job? If his/her judgement is sound, I don't need to know the "dirt" on every scout. I personally think it's inappropriate to discuss a scouts shortcomings in a room full of adults. Although some adults, sickeningly so, seem to relish that kind of talk. I don't see the need for the entire committee to assemble and debate johnny scouts lack of advancement or click off a list of his misdeeds. The exception is a serious health or safety issue that affects the entire troop. Of course in that case the committee needs to be aware. A little background:We have always encouraged all parents to join the committee (maybe not the best idea in all cases). The CC, a good guy, is very "diplomatic" and seems to have a hard time reining certain members in. The SM typically handles any discipline problem between a scout and his partents, then makes a brief, confidental report during committee meetings. And yes, committee members have been trained. As always, there is that one disgruntled past leader behind the scenes stirring the pot... So... my question is, how do we get beyond micro managing committee members? Does the SM just get tough & tell them "who's boss"? How much explaining does the SM need to do? What exactly does the SM/Committee relationship look like in reality? Where are the lines drawn here? Is this all just par for the course? Help us! I have visions of six hour long committee meetings! firecrafter

Our council does put a limit on the number of boys as well. Four older Scouts from our Troop were approved to go this year. After the deadline for signup had passed, we had two additional Scouts ask to attend. Both left without signatures when the SM mentioned that he wanted to talk with them before signing. I was under the impression that it is a privilege to be chosen to represent your troop at NYLT. The Scouts in question show no interest in leading and it may well be a "feather in the cap" situation. Should SM check with council to see if these boys registered without his approval? One Dad has been known to sign things without SM knowledge in the past... As always, I appreciate your thoughts. firecrafter

Reading the application for NYLT, it appears that a Scout must be approved by his Scoutmaster to attend training(a signature is required). Is this a national standard or a council decision? Also, when would it be appropriate for a SM to refuse his approval for sending a Scout to NYLT? On reading the application, the Scout states he will bring honor to his troop & share what he learns when he returns. Are there other requirements as well? firecrafter(This message has been edited by firecrafter)

Thanks for the sage advice! Sometimes I feel like I'm second guessing myself. It sure helps to hear everyones thoughts on these things! firecrafter

There is a listing of the official parts of the uniform listed in the Scout handbook. If memory serves me right, they are... tan scout shirt (long or short sleeve), Scout pants or shorts, Scout socks, Scout belt with buckle. Hats and neckerchiefs are optional. I recently read somewhere that having a uniform is not a requirement for being a Scout. Now, what does our troop do? Scout shirt tucked into clean pants or jeans. In May we switch to a more comfortable polo shirt. I notice most boys add parts of the uniform as they advance in age & rank. By the time they are attending BOR for Star Scout they are proudly wearing the entire uniform with sash & numerous badges. A percentage of the money our Scouts earn from popcorn sales and other fundraisers is put into a personal account for each Scout. He may choose to use his funds at the Scout Shop, a local camping store, or to help pay for summer camp. It was alway understood that the Scouts could use this money for any Scout related purpose, including uniforms. firecrafter

I have three sons in scouting (one eagle) and every MB card they completed was filled out front & back. As a counselor myself, I typically list the requirements on the back side, including any where the scout must "choose one". Upon completion, I sign the card & write "complete", initial & date the back. Also, I will not start a MB with a scout unless his card is filled out. I have had scouts hand me a blue card with just the SM's signature on the front. I make it a practice to never put my initials or signature on a blank card. I will, however, sit patiently and wait for him to fill it out before we begin. Maybe that seems hard to some, but I am under the impression that the scout is supposed to be learning responsibility along with the skills the MB teaches. It stinks that you had to make a special trip, but I'll bet the next time a counselor hands your son a blue card he will look it over pretty well before he pockets it! No offence meant. In our troop we show the new guys completed blue cards every time we talk MB's. That way they get used to seeing what they need. By the way, when I've sat on Eagle BOR's those cards were pretty well scrutinized. I'm sure it's not the same everywhere, but that has been my experience. firecrafter

Venividi, Believe it or not you advice comes as quite an eye opener to me. I appreciate it. I think our SM has had so many conflicts with this family that he is pretty weary. They push the envelope on EVERYTHING. As I stated, the boy doesn't participate (doesn't camp or even come to meetings) but the parents fight like mad if anyone questions his behavior or actions. Problem is, the parents have no standards, so it's pretty hard to communicate what the boy needs to do. And for the record, they have been told, many, many times. FScounter, I agree that the District Advancement Chair needs to be made aware of the situation. I am hoping the SM can be convinced to speak to him. It was interesting to see the other ideas on how to handle this. We just seem to trust that "this is how it's done", because it has always been done that way. We've always been told A Scout can choose any MB counselor in his district. Also, this boy's dad was an ASM for a time. His dad signed MB cards for him (even though the SM asked dad not to). CO asked that the dad be removed as ASM, and he was. So that was a move in the right direction. I've honestly never dealt with people like this in Scouting. firecrafter

In our group the only the SMs sons go to other leaders for sign offs. He does things that way so his boys will have a chance to talk with adults other than himself. We have avoided making a policy about this, as we like to think "a scout is trustworthy" covers it. In most cases it does. There is only one family in our group who are related. This is the scout who ONLY has his relatives sign things off. He seems to receive 3-4 merit badges a month. Just seems funny to everyone else, since he barely participates otherwise and certainly can't be considered a go getter. Mom & all 4 grandparents signed up to be MB counselors, but we never see them, and they only work with the one scout. The situation doesn't go unoticed by the other scouts either! Everyone has been told we can't question it-after all, an approved MB councelor signed off on his cards. I do know that it is perfectly within BSA policy for a relative to sign things off. As a MB counselor myself, I checked with our council to be sure I could work with my own sons. I think I'm fair with everyone, but probably tougher on my own. The problem comes when you have adults who are less than scrupulous. Just burns me up to see adults willing to "cheat" to move a scout through the program. Yeah I know, they are cheating him... How hard is it for them to understand that the advancements & badges are the means to an end-good character. These folks sadly see only the "prize" at the end. firecrafter

Just for the sake of discussion...what happens when you have an older Scout, Star or Life rank, who have merit badges that you know they did not complete. Example: they were to "report to their troop or patrol", yet no one has ever seen them do this or remembers them doing so. The Scout is vauge at best when asked. As an added kick, the merit badges were done with relatives (not a problem-unless there's a problem). CM were told that BOR cannot question things after the requirement/badge is signed off. You guessed it AC, also a relative. LOL Wondered what you think? Thanks. firecrafter

We split off from the towns oldest troop about three years ago. It was at one time a large vital troop with an excellent SM (a female). Because adults allowed personality conflicts to overide concern for the boys the exhausted SM eventually resigned. The CC brought in a new SM that no one in the community knew. Uncomfortable with that, about half of us left the Troop and started over asking the retired SM to go with us. We secured a CO & they agreed to take us on, along with the former SM. She graciously served a year to get us started and until a new SM could be trained. We started with just the 7 boys required to have a troop, with only 5 active. To our suprise & delight, our scouts won first prize at a district event just a month after the troop was formed! Small groups CAN do big things! It's three years later and we are up to 30 Scouts with 10 boys expressing interest in crossing over into our troop in the next few weeks. Sadly, the troop we left behind declined rapidly after we left and did not recharter this year. We made it our practice to never speak badly of the other group or discourage any scout from joining them. We felt like we would be judged on our merit and they on theirs. I recall when my oldest son was recruited that the former group never mentioned that other troops existed. We were never encouraged to shop around and were and rushed us into signing the scout application. Later we heard the other troop (a great troop!) continually bashed! Most people will shop around and go for the best deal in town, be it car dealers or boyscouts. If a troop is doimg what they should be doing they need not worry about having their membership raided! I agree that you should welcome the boys who wish to transfer. If you are on good terms, perhaps a friendly chat with the SM of the other group is in order. firecrafter

Good insight Lisabob! I think having one ASM or other contact person dedicated to new scouts is vital! A good Troop Guide can also be a great assent. Our group does not "actively" recruit and is the fastest growing Troop in our district. We do however maintain an ongoing relationship with cubscout groups in our area by helping with events like Pinewood Derby, uniform inspections, and the Yukon, to name a few. Due to poor organization by Den Leaders, our Scouts have been reluctant to serve as Den Chiefs. In the past we had several Den Leaders who would frequently cancel meetings without informing the Den Chief. This happened repeatedly until the Scouts gave up in frustration. With new Cubscout leaders in place, we are trying to generate interest in this area again. Sharing schedule information is another important area. Both sides could do better at this. We plan for new Scouts to come into the troop in Feb. but sometimes are invited to attend a Blue & Gold Banquet the day before! We scramble to attend because it's important to the boys. This year we sent Leaders and Scouts to attend 10 crossover ceremonies, and those boys have yet to commit to a specific troop. Is that typical? Giving advance notice is a problem that affects both Boyscouts & Cubscouts. I'd like to see everyone do better in that area. Again, communication between the groups is so important. Overall, I think our group has done well in not getting involved in the politics of Scouting (believe me, some have tried). I credit the CC and SM with this. They seem to be concerned with running a quality program and not so much with adding to our numbers. The attitude is if we do things with excellence people will notice. So far it seems to be working. firecrafter

Venividi, Great advise! As a MB counselor myself, I feel the point you made about being trustworthy is really important! When I put my signature on the line I want to know the scout got something out of the time he spent working on the badge. The boys know I'm tough, but fair. They also know I really enjoy working with them. A total of 5 or 6 badges were lost by two scouts this year. Last year we had three scouts who had incomplete records from camp. They had been marked absent from sessions when we knew they had attended. We asked those boys go to counselors in our district to get things sorted out. It wasn't presented as a "do-over", more of a "how can we fix this?". I agree that how this is presented to the scout is everything. I really appreciate your insight on this, thanks! firecrafter

Generally speaking, our SPL does not attend committee meetings as the SM relays the PLC's wishes & concerns to the adult leaders. Any scout is welcome to address the committee by requesting to the CC that he be put on the agenda. The SPL or Guide typically asks to sit in several times a year for various reasons. We also exclude scouts from any sensitive or personal discussion. firecrafter

We have always encouraged every cub scout (& parent) who approaches us to visit each troop in the area. We feel strongly that each family should choose together which group they feel will best serve their son. The troops in our area are all very different and each has it's strengths & weaknesses. I haven't seen anyone in our group offended by the choices the boys make. We know that not every cubscout will choose our troop, but still do whatever we can do to help with their events. We do invite them to join us camping several times a year and help them meet their requirements when we can. Congratulations on doing things the scout way no matter what the "payoff" is! firecrafter

First, the MBs were done at a camp out of council. The camp and council were called & they state that they do not keep records after the camp session ends. Maybe they just don't want to deal with it...I don't know. What our AC was given is a printout (from camp) of each scouts daily attendance & which requirements were met each day. This looks more like a schedule than anything, and there is no signature from a MB counselor anywhere on it. I'm not even sure the counselors name is listed. The only actual record was the blue cards which have unfortunately been lost. As I understand it, the cards were complete but had not been signed off by the SM or recorded with the AC. I am not at all suggesting that the scout(s) redo his work, only that he takes his records to an approved counselor to have the MB cards replaced. Sorry if I was not clear on this point. The AC in our Troop would like the SM to sign off new cards where the MB counselor is to sign. SM is opposed to doing that, not opposed to helping the boys replace their cards. He seems quite willing to issue new cards, help the boys find counselors and provide their records. I think he is concerned about the validity of the MB being questioned at the counsil level, because he is not an approved MB counselor. Is the blue card only an "in troop" record, and as such, not that important once it has been recorded with council? As I stated, I have seen the blue cards carefully looked over during Eagle BORs. It might be a better practice not to return blue cards to the scouts after camp. I'm still out on that. When a scout sees a MBC on their own, they carry the completed card back to SM & then to AC. Our SM likes to have the boys be responsible for getting the signatures they need. He also gets a chance to talk to scouts as they finish.I believe this is why the cards get returned to scouts after camp. I need to ask about that. Not trying to punish or penalize boys here, just wondering how everyone else does things. I appreciate hearing your replies!! firecrafter(This message has been edited by firecrafter)

At the camp our scouts attend, blue cards are computer generated. They are given to scouts on the last day of camp to review with an adult to make sure everything is correct. If there is a problem this gives the scout an opportuntiy to speak to his MBC before he leaves camp. The camp does not maintain individual records after a scout leaves camp (we asked). Our AC does keep a record for each scout, but in this case the MB cards were lost before they could be recorded by the AC. I like the idea of a "good talking to" about taking care of your stuff along with taking MB records to a REGISTERED counselor to sign off. I don't think it's right to ask the SM to sign off on something that he isn't supposed to, just because a scout was careless. I guess I'm old school, it's not the end of the world, but the methods we use are in place to teach responsibility, no? firecrafter

What happens in this situation? Completed blue cards are handed to scouts after summer camp. Scouts lose blue cards before they are registered with council. The Advancement Chair in our group has records that say MBs were completed at summer camp (computer print out), so it's not a question IF scouts completed the MB. SM wants scouts to take their records to an approved MB councelor and have then sign off. He feels that since the cards were lost, it is up to the scout to make sure they are replaced (boy run and all that). AC says blue cards are not important and that he & SM can just sign new cards. Neither are MB councelors. I'm a MB councelor myself & have always told scouts to keep blue cards in a safe place. It's my understanding that this is the scouts record of work completed. I have sat in on several Eagle BORs where the blue cards were included in the Eagle canidates folder for the BOR to view. I've always thought the cards were important, as my boys were told to keep careful track of them. Does a scout need to keep his blue cards in careful order? firecrafter

This is BOY SCOUTS for cryin'out loud!!! How sad that the victim is the one who left his troop (although he is probably better off)! As a parent I would say either the offender goes, or my boys go! I count on the leaders in my sons' troop to keep them as safe as possible. Allowing a scout who has behaved in such a way to remain would not be my idea of safety. Seems the adults often worry about the one boy who "has problems" at the expense of all the other boys in the troop. Why do the scouts that behave themselves deserve any less than the best we have to offer? We had an incident where a long time scout, a good kid, never a problem, was being harrassed by a new scout. Found out the new guy has a history of harrassing this scout at school as well. Long time scout wanted to quit the troop because it meant more of what he got at school. SM told new guy he had to behave and he hasn't been back. Personally I think it's for the best. We have another scout who has been a continual behavior problem, once deliberately hitting an ASM in the face with a ball. He was put on 6 months probation for that incident. It made no difference whatsoever in his attitude. I have been active in BSA for 10 years. I've seen it do a lot of good, but never, have I seen scouting turn a boy around who had serious problems. I agree with EagleinKY "But, it's as simple as this. We're volunteers. We're not psychiatrists, police officers or wardens. We are out there to have fun and help kids grow and succeed." We need to do what we can for boys who need/want help, but remember the other boys in the troop as well. It's their troop too! firecrafter