FScouter

I'd say that doing three in one night is not really three. There may be more questions, more discussion, and may take longer. But he will sit in the same chair and talk to the same adults. I'd call that one board of review. He'd be shortchanged of his opportunities to talk about his troop experiences. On the other hand, it's not really fair to impose an artificial waiting period either. I think what I'd suggest is to schedule them a week apart, using a different mix of adults on the boards.

So ... if we all agree that adults should not smoke around kids, there should be no problem. Just don't do it. It doesn't seem like there should be any question about whether smoking is appropriate or not. I suppose BSA could hire a team of attorneys to write an iron-clad bullet proof document using arcane legalspeak and 100 word sentances. But what's the point? Anyone that decides to light up is going to do so regardless.

Isn't that spelled out in the Boy Scout Handbook?

"We don't have a current MB counselor list here either. Person responsible has 3 jobs; the other two are more important." You have to work with what you have, and it's understandable that the counselor program takes a back seat. The counselor management function is still there, but instead of having one person in charge, it's been divided up amongst all the Scoutmasters in the district. This is another reason why I believe one of the most important responsibilities of a district is to recruit qualified individuals for each district job, and only one job per person. How many districts out there have active functional nominating committees?

"MB counselors must teach to their audience and sometimes that's tough with a mixed age group." - Another good reason why group merit badge instruction isn't the best way.

If you cannot get a list of approved merit badge counselors, your district advancement chairman is not doing his job. If you're getting no response, take your request to the district program chairman, district chairman, district executive, and district commissioner. Troops have enough to do without having to recruit merit badge counselors.

G2SS: "... smoking areas located away from all participants." This sounds crystal clear to me, but I'm not a smoker looking for a loophole.

Badges of rank are for boys. We have a man in our district that wears his old Eagle badge. He insists he can wear it, and defiantly does so. Behind his back people comment about how silly it looks for a grown man to be wearing a boy rank patch.

By wearing a uniform to a troop meeting, he has made the statement that he intends to be involved. You can't ignore that and hope nothing will develop. I'd talk to him in person at the next meeting and ask him directly what his desire is. Thank him for offering to be involved. I don't think it would be appropriate to tell him to take a hike, but do make it clear that assistant Scoutmasters are appointed by the Scoutmaster. Then appoint him to a specific duty or duties as you see fit. Training is part of the gig.

Is this a great forum or what?

It sounds like your district is not following the suggested BSA process. There is a publication named something like "District Nominating Committee Worksheet" available that talks about the whole process and the district chair isn't involved in selection. Another publication "The District" has a section on the annual election process too. I can get the pub numbers for you if you like. Anyone may suggest candidates to the nominating committee, but it is the committee that comes up with the slate of nominees to be voted on by the district committee members and CORs at the annual election.

I'd have to say that a parent that would keep their boy out of Scouting because of the uniform cost isn't really interested in Scouting.

"... or is it acceptable for the scouts/adults to wear more comfortable BDUs or other clothing that matches the "official" uniform colors?". Street clothes that are the same color as the real thing does not a uniform make. I tell the boys in our troop that they're not fooling anyone by wearing green pants or a tan shirt. They may as well wear pink pajamas. And why would anyone wear pink pajamas to an event that calls for the Scout uniform?

Seems like I heard something somewhere about Scouts, tents, and flames?

You're lucky to be alive. Woolies or a sleeping bag work for me.

Suppose you live in an apartment building. How do you and your fellow tenants change the landlord?

BSAT17SPL - "...if the scout thought intuitively he would have gone out on the canon report and when he found out that it was a joke, turned it around on the SPL." How would the boy turn it around? Do you mean he should dump a bucket of water over the SPL's head, or push over the outhouse while he's riding the porcelain pony, or whack him with a 2x4 ? How would you suggest the butt of a hazing joke turn it around? Just looking for some good ideas I can pass on to the new kids.

I refer our boys to the checklists found in the Boy Scout handbook.

It's unfortunate that the council board sustained the Eagle board decision. That just reinforces incorrect and unfair practices. If the boy did not lead the project, who did the leadership for him? Or was the execution complete chaos?

"They looked for an excuse and came up with the unsufficient leadership rationale to back-justify." When the board failed the boy, what specific reasons did they give, and exactly what did they tell the boy (in writing) he needed to do to to meet the requirements and be passed? "Insufficient leadership" is much too vague. How can a boy fix that and come back next month?

I can think of 50 things BSA could better spend their time and money on rather than an internet ordering system. Call their (800) number and order that way. It's just as easy.

Post a duty roster at your campsite, with the names of the boys that are scheduled to cook the meals. At the start of your campout, make a point of announcing to the group that the duty roster is posted and to check it.

Hmmm... One thing I learned once (sometimes I learn this over and over) is that a volunteer doesn't have to do their job if someone else does it for them. They happily let that someone else continue to do it! The solution to being over-worked is to stop doing other people's jobs.

It seems like the problems are with the rest of the committee more than the chairman. They are the ones to handle the business end of things. However, the primary job of the chairman is to see to it that all of the jobs are being handled. If he is letting the rest of the committee slide by, then he is not doing his job. I'd suggest that at the next committee meeting you tell the entire committee what you need done. What happens (or doesn't) happen determines your next move.

Are these limits on parent counselors and number of badges per counselor written up anywhere in the Boy Scout Handbook or the Eagle workbook? How would the boy know about these rules, and why did BSA leave them out of the books?? What should the Eagle board do when the encounter a boy that has too many badges from one counselor??