FScouter

The expedition hat (aka "indiana jones") is an approved activity hat. Don't confuse that as being approved as a uniform hat for the standard field uniform. It is not, no more so than the offical BSA boonie hat.

You cannot order merchandise from the Scoutstuff.org website despite the "shopping basket" feature. Use the website to see pictures, and learn about things that are available. There are lots of things available that are not listed in the printed catalog. When you know what it is you want, call (800) 323-0732 in North Carolina and place your order. With a credit card, they will ship direct to your house. Shipping is extra, but is not excessive. Your order will generally ship the same day, and I get my orders on the west coast in 5-6 days max. If you're in North Carolina, you may even get next-day delivery. The 800 number is the most reliable way to get absolutely every Scouting piece of merchandise available. I cannot tell you the number of times I've been told by the Scout Shop that an item is "discontinued", and then called the 800 number and been told, "sure, no problem, we can ship that out today!". In my experience, orders placed through the Scout Shop take at least 10-14 days longer to arrive, solely because the shop aggregates their orders. The only advantage is you avoid a shipping charge. I cannot recommend those people in North Carolina more highly. They are very customer oriented.

Lots of troops do "afloat" activities. BSA requires that leaders be certified in the "Safety Afloat" training, and tour permits are not issued for trips where the leaders do not have the required training. Most canoes and most small boats don't carry 6 people. What are the Coast Guard inspection requirements for vessels that carry 6 or more? Do the requirements apply to inland waters too?

If you know enough to use the term "dag nabbit", you're way up there on the life experience scale. That's a good thing. Really good.

You can be a contrarian and buck the system if you want, but the fact remains that a shirt and neckerchief is not a uniform.

I would interpret the notice on the label to mean that it is illegal for a person to give (transfer) his prescribed medicine to another person for the purpose of that person obtaining prescription drugs without a prescription. In other words you may not take your prescription to the drug store, obtain the drugs (legally), and give them to your neighbor. Letting the Scoutmaster hold the boy's pill bottle wouldn't seem to be illegal by any stretch. Still, that isn't really the point. If his parents have raised him well, a Boy Scout ought to be able to take his own pills when he is supposed to.

The expedition hat (aka indiana jones) is an activity hat and is not part of the standard uniform. The adult leader wears the same hat as the boys.

That's why there is a catalog. Scout shops cannot carry every item, so they choose. Call (800) 323-0732 and you can get everything in every size possible. And they will ship it out to you the same day. I usually get faster service that way than having the shop "special order" what I need.

The Scoutmaster Handbook has a chapter on troop program planning. The Scoutmaster guides planning through the Patrol Leaders' Council. What kind of planning are you interested in? Troop meeting, a specific outing or activity, the annual program plan?

Generally speaking, the Scoutmaster should be the one to do Scoutmaster conferences. Some Scoutmasters assign this duty to assistant Scoutmasters, though I don't see the point. In the case of a father/son relationship, it might make sense to have the boy do the conference with an assistant Scoutmaster. Whoever does it should be very active in the program and with the boy, not some outsider. The SM conference for the Eagle rank is no different than for any other rank.

An activity shirt by itself does not constitute a uniform. But if its worn with pants/shorts, belt, and socks, that makes an activity uniform. If in doubt, salute using the hand over the heart.

Its not a prayer unless you say "Amen" at the end.

Its unfortunate you have an autocratic and rigid Scoutmaster to deal with. Its sad too that by his own statement he has been this way for 20 years. I would absolutely meet with your district executive and district commissioner and advise them that the SM and CC are not following the advancement policies of BSA, and that it appears that your boy will either drop out or move to another troop. This is the time for them to get involved and pull the SM back into line, or advise the chartered organization that they need to find a SM that adheres to the BSA program.

Setting up a system of rules and restrictions such that only the best boys are permitted to be elected may indeed result in the best leaders holding the positions of responsibility. That may result in a more efficiently run troop. There may be fewer frustrations and headaches for the adults. And for the other boys too. But if an efficiently run troop was one of the objectives of Scouting, maybe we shouldnt have boy leaders at all. Adults can run things much more efficiently, because we have much more experience. How did we get that experience? As a manager in the corporate world for most my entire adult life, Im a whole lot better at managing than when I started out. The learning process involves a whole lot of mistakes and a lot of trying new approaches. Isnt Scouting a good place for boys to get their feet wet and make a lot of mistakes, in a safe environment? Boys cant learn from their mistakes if we dont allow them to make mistakes. If they elect a Tenderfoot with 30% attendance they may learn something. The elected boy may learn something too. And the Scoutmaster may learn that the boys arent as dumb as he thinks. Give it a shot!

Why don't you think the boys are capable of deciding how they should elect their own boy leaders?

The Scoutmaster could encourage the Patrol Leaders' Council consider the pros & cons of establishing restrictions. They may conclude that restrictions are restrictive. Whatever they decide, the SM should report at the committee meeting what the PLC decided. The committee can then fulfill their role by supporting the decision. For example, if the PLC wants to do a secret ballot, someone on the committee could volunteer to make up ballots. That BP guy was pretty smart.

Plaid pants and purple shirt isn't a uniform either, but we'll give you special dispensation to salute anyway just to avoid an argument.

I think committee members from the boy's troop would be better. It gives them a chance to get to better get to know the boys in the troop. Plus, they can get feedback from the boy regarding the Scoutmaster and about the troop's program that can be helpful. Disinterested camp staff could probably do a good BOR from the boy's perspective, but there would be no value coming to the other side of the table. Sometimes I forget that not everything offered through "official" scouting channels is correct, and boards of review with summer camp staff is one of them.

The camp our troop will be going to says they provide the necessary staff to do boards of review. All we have to do is ask.

What is a "class B" shirt?

I don't think it's fair to subject the boy to a two on one Scoutmaster conference. What's the point?

"SM said the Committee said he should not pass along boys to the BOR if he thinks they're not ready - behavior, scout spirit, etc. " I have to take issue with that attitude of the Scoutmaster and the committee. A boy is ready for a board of review when he has completed the requirements. There isn't anything for the SM to think about. Either the boy has satisfactorily completed the requirements listed in the book or he hasn't. If the SM is using the Scoutmaster conference as a roadblock, he is just plain wrong. The Scoutmaster conference is a only a discussion, an opportunity for the two of them to reflect upon the boy's accomplishments, and to look forward to the future. If he wants to encourage the boy to be more assertive, that is great, and a perfectly acceptable topic to be discussed at a Scoutmaster conference. Maybe the boy could use some encouragement. But it is absolutely wrong to hold that up as an additional requirement that must be completed to the satisfaction of the SM before advancement will be permitted. If he is going to be a stinker about this, I'd challenge him to point to the specific pages in the Scout Handbook that your boy needs to work on to meet the listed requirements. And challenge him to point to the pages that say the Scoutmaster conference is a subjective test that must be passed.

A Scoutmaster conference is not a pass/fail discussion. The Scoutmaster is out of line if has refused to sign the book indicating the SM conference took place. I'd suggest the boy call the committee chair and request a date for the board of review. He should make it clear that the Scoutmaster conference took place. If the CC refuses to schedule a date, call your unit commissioner and ask for help. Explain that the boy has met all the requirements, yet the committee refuses to schedule the board of review. If you don't have a unit commissioner, talk to the district commissioner or district executive.

He will surely fail if he believes his job is to handle problem Scoutmasters. His job is to help Scoutmasters and troops create a productive and enjoyable week.

I have to agree with Bob. The kit is designed so that first-timers can do it and be successful. Use the video, which you may not have received with the book. The number is AV-02V013, available from the Scout Shop or through the catalog 800 number. Our troop does it on a Saturday. It includes a service project for our chartered organization. I wouldn't order pizza for lunch. Lunch is not a break from the training. It's an important part of the training itself. The boys work together as a team to prepare lunch, and may discover something. There's no reason to re-invent the wheel. Follow the book.