FScouter

If you quit, will that action help the new DE? Will the district be better off? Will youth be better served?

I'd be concerned about the unspoken messages received by the boys: "It's a stupid rule and we don't have to follow stupid rules." "We won't get caught, so its OK". "Another pack did it, so it must be OK." "We didn't know about the rule, so we're exempt." "Rules are for other people; we're above rules." BSA will not issue a tour permit for a laser tag event. Units that decide to proceed anyway do so at the sole risk of the unit leaders. BSA will not support or defend unit leaders that do not have an approved tour permit. Its more than liability from pointing a laser gun at someone. Its liability for the entire event. Mom/driver crashes her car in transit and sues. Billy Cubscout gets injured in the crash. Or eats a dirty hot dog and gets food poisoning. Or trips in the parking lot and breaks his arm. Or gets into a fight with another Cub and gets a tooth knocked out. If sued by a parent or anyone else, you are on your own.

Sounds like somebody wants to reinvent the wheel. Experience has demonstrated time and again that troops that meddle with the proven methods fail in their attempts. The methods outlined in the Scoutmaster handbook work. Why tinker with success?

What problem is your troop trying to solve, or what good do they hope to accomplish, by instituting a "peer review process"?

This prisoner abuse thing should come as no surprise. Its all a part of war. Enemies battle, one side is victorious. They then proceed to rape, plunder, torture, and destroy. War has been that way since the beginning of time. I think its a little bit naive to believe that in the year 2004, war is fundamentally any different than demonstrated for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. War is hell, and there are no winners.

Such gobbledygook! It would be refreshing to hear the council executive board explain in plain straightforward language the reasons for abandoning the old name. What problem are they trying to solve? What incidents led to their conclusion that the old name is no good? In the absence of compelling reasons, were left to speculate. The council website has a Q&A section discussing the change. Here's the reasoning they cite: - They want a name that is equally welcoming to the diverse population of families and youth who desire to participate in Scouting. - The Robert E. Lee Council name has emerged as a possible obstacle to serving all youth. "A name descriptive of the service area would enhance the ability of the council to capitalize on the Boy Scouts of America brand and to communicate the attractive features of its camps to Scout groups outside Virginia." It would be interesting to hear some concrete examples of how the name is an obstacle. Please explain how the council name hinders serving youth. Is there any evidence to support that statement? Any surveys or statistics? And explain how the name hinders their ability to communicate about their camps. What could that possibly mean? Surely the council decision-making board can communicate better than this. If they want to be politically correct, why not say so up front and skip the mumbo-jumbo? Personally, I'm offended when decision makers without backbone stumble for words to explain their decisions.

Bob - what are the positions the 5 adults are required to hold?

The misuse of the abbreviations for Cubmaster and committee member have confused the issue and led to some incorrect conclusions about some of the comments here. Let me state my views about registration and serving on a boards of review. - A Cubmaster (CM) may serve on a board of review, but only if also registered as a troop committee member (MC). - An assistant Scoutmaster (SA) may not serve. - A Scoutmaster may not serve. - An unregistered person may not serve. (Fill out and submit an application!) - Only one adult in a troop may be dual registered in that troop the chartered organization representative (CR). - A small troop without an assistant Scoutmaster may need some additional hands-on help from a committee member. If a specific individual is primarily working as an assistant Scoutmaster and secondarily as a committee member (MC), he should change his registration to reflect reality. Then recruit any adult to register as a committee member. That person's sole duty could be as little as serving of boards of review 4 times a year. - A small troop can legally operate with as few as four registered adults: 3 committee members and a Scoutmaster. The CR position would be dual registered.

ScouterPaul stated that it was not proper for an Assistant Scoutmaster to sit on a board of review, but that it would be OK if that individual merely performed the duties of an assistant Scoutmaster. Neither instance is proper. My main point was that it makes no sense to hold position "A" and additionally perform duties for postion "B". If one also wants to perform in postition "B", then fill out an application and register for that position too.

The same confusion seems to come up when a Cub earns the Arrow of Light award. Boy, parents, and den leader expect an automatic Scout badge when the boy joins the troop. I still want the boy to demonstrate the square knot, describe the Scout badge, etc. This should be easy, but the Scout requirements should still be demonstrated as a Scout.

What is a Cubmaster with Assistant Scoutmaster duties?? No matter, neither of those positions may serve on a board of review (other than Eagle). I am a firm believer that individuals that want to act in the role of an adult Scout leader need to take 2 minutes to fill out and submit their application to become a registered member. There is nothing in the Scout literature that supports the idea of any persons other than registered troop committee members serving on boards of review.

Webelos can never meet any requirements for the Tenderfoot rank. They may study similar material, and may learn some of the same things, but a Cub Scout cannot complete Boy Scout rank requirements. Whatever work a Cub Scout completes will make it easier for him to complete the Boy Scout requirements, but he must still do the work as a Boy Scout. For example, a Webelos Scout may learn how to raise, lower, and fold the American flag. He does not get an automatic sign-off for a Tenderfoot rank requirement when he joins a troop. He must demonstrate that requirement as a Boy Scout.

Make your speech to the boys so they fully understand that they have complete control on who will be their leader. They can elected a good leader, one that will be fair and help the patrol achieve its goals. Or they can elect a bad leader and a bully. Its totally up to them. Use a secret ballot too.

Secret balloting would help. Equally important here is why the boys in the patrol have elected a bully to be their leader?

Maybe she should offer to have her husband sign a permission slip. And she could sign a written promise that she won't do any hanky-panky. And will immediately scream at the top of her lungs if any of the male leaders on the campout make a move on her.

Our council considers the Scout badge to be "restricted" and will not sell them without a properly completed and executed advancement form. The rationale is that the badge has requirements that must be met, as for rank badges and merit badges, and thus an advancement form is required.

Only 12 of 30 boys joined after the being told they NEED a uniform? It's a good thing they weren't told they NEED a handbook, or they NEED to pay dues, or they NEED to attend meetings, and the parents NEED to participate. You'd have been lucky to get even one boy to sign up. Moral of the story is to ditch the uniform so more boys will sign up??

Any event, COPE, Camporee, training, or whatever absolutely must generate a surplus. The income from the event or program must exceed the expenses to produce the event. In addition, the surplus must be enough to pay the heat and light bill back at the council office. Our council requires a 15% surplus, or the event will not happen. Council overhead expenses are way over 15%, which is paid from other sources such as FOS. The bottom line is that the council will sink a little bit every time an event takes place that does not generate a surplus. I think sometimes there is an unreasonable hope or expectation that an event will still take place even if the expense budget for the event is cut. Somehow the volunteers will make it happen. (Read pay for it out of your own pocket.) I'd suggest you bolster your case for the income that COPE will generate. Part of your presentation should be that without the upgrades, there will be no income and no surplus to help pay the heat and light bill.

"The Magic Rope" http://www.macscouter.com/TrulyScouting/ThingsScouting.html#Magic%20Rope

Two more units added to the roster - mission accomplished.

He could go to summer camp for the purpose of having fun too.

I'd like to see the PLC discuss it, and have one or more of the patrol leaders step up and invite one or both of the boys to join his patrol. That, coupled with the desire of each boy should do it. I don't think boys should be "moved", as if they were names on a chart. Mom, the SM, and the PLC should not be dictating this. The primary question to be satisfied is "What do the Flaming Arrows want?"

A major function of the Committee Chair is to ensure that all of the functions of the committee are assigned to other committee members and are being accomplished correctly. That is enough to do and doesn't leave much time for direct interaction with boys. Get a copy of the Troop Committee Guidebook.

If your DL is as good as you say, her good qualities are surely apparent to the boys, the parents, the committee, and everyone else. One can never please everyone, so don't even try. You said she has been "forced" to walk on egg shells. Wrong. She has chosen to walk on egg shells. If egg shells get crushed, so be it.

Appointing boy leaders helps solve the "problem" of training boy leaders. It's a lot easier to select the best leader and direct his actions than it is to train some young kid that doesn't have a clue. Why should the SM make his life difficult?