FScouter

All together now - "Young folks, old folks, everybody come Join the Boy Scout Sunday School and have a lot of fun...

There have been hundreds of opinions dancing all around the issue of military clothes and equipment in Scouting. KoreaScouter summarized it best, "What it's really about is wanting to wear/carry military stuff outdoors." Kids think it is cool to dress up and play "Army". It's a respected occupation that kids want to emulate. I don't buy the adult arguments about quality, functionality, and cost. Even grown up kids like to play "Army". They just won't admit it.

Do a presentation on some of the lesser known recognitions, such as: Den Chief Service Award National Camping Award National Honor Patrol Recruiter Advancement Trail beads Conservation Good Turn Hornaday awards Leave No Trace World Conservation Award Interpreter Paul Bunyan Woodsman Historic Trails

See page 23 of the Boy Scout Handbook. No need for judges.

In our troop we have some adults that actually enjoy the fundraising dinner thing. They like the organizing, cooking, serving, and socializing. I tell them to go for it! (As long as they can make a profit.) The boys that choose to sell tickets get a cut, and the boys that work get a cut. If the dinner location is too far away for some boys, they can sell the pizzas. It's part of the "earn your own way" idea.

It sounds like you don't want to be dragged into a big fundraising effort, which is very understandable. Ideas are cheap, but who's going to do the work? A spaghetti dinner can work, and be a good thing. Is the mom with the idea willing to head up the Spaghetti Dinner committee? There's the answer.

NJ - there is no policy that everyone who is known to have committed adultery is automatically banned from leadership positions, nor is there a policy that everyone who had fathered a child out of wedlock is automatically banned. When an adulterers or males fathering children out of wedlock start to demand their rights to be Scout leaders, and sue, then BSA will once again have to exercise their right to automatically exclude them too. Until then it is a non-issue, and there is no need to post a position statement on the website.

I consider the requirements for the Scout badge to be separate from the Arrow of Light. The fact that he earned AOL doesn't mean he is immediately presented with the Scout badge. I want to see him run through those requirements as soon as he joins the troop. Surprisingly (or not) I've had new boys with the AOL on their shirt that can't tie a square knot or recite the pledge of allegiance.

Chartered organizations use Scouting as a method to attack homosexuality??? Which CO would that be?

An extra clevis pin or two, with a split ring has been known to be useful. A Thermarest repair kit with patchs and urethane glue might be needed. Six feet of baling wire, along with the duct tape will fix almost anything.

Im kind of nave sometimes. Could someone give a fictitious example of what could happen if a picture of a Boy Scout appeared on a troop website?

EagleInKY - There may be different reasons why a unit ceases to exist. The boys and adult leaders may pull up stakes and move across town. Or, the boys and adult leaders may drift away until there is nothing left except the chartered organization. I take that passage to mean that if the unit has possession of the money or equipment, they must turn it over to the council. If the chartered organization has possession of the money or equipment, they must hold on to it until they organize another unit, or otherwise use it for the benefit of Scouting. The unit is the boys, adult leaders, and committee. The chartered organization is the church or community group that has a charter agreement with BSA to operate a unit as part of their youth program. I suspect that the big reason that the official rules and regulations are not widely distributed is because they are not easy to read. And because most of the material in them has already been re-written into other commonly available publications.

From that point, if he went downstream he'd hit the ocean and Pacific Coast Highway in a lot less that 5 days.

There is no BSA reference that will support what you were told. Likewise, you won't find a reference that states position patches may be worn without being trained. The literature speaks only of the conditions under which the "Trained" patch may be worn. (As BobWhite related). There is no need to defend yourself about this. If your trainer person mentions it again, politely ask him for a written BSA resource so you can read up on it. Since there is no support for his statement, that leaves the ball permanently in his court, end of discussion.

The American Legion is a fine organization and may have a good relationship with BSA, but that good relationship doesn't extend to insignia design and placement on the BSA uniform without approval. The Boy Scout uniform, insignia, and insignia placement are controlled by BSA. There is no provision for a unit, or a chartered organization to design patches and decide placement without approval from BSA.

And neither does the charter state that boys in the Scout program own any funds. The charter agreement is a simple document that basically says BSA will provide a program, training, and support for the chartered organization to conduct a Scouting program within their organization. There is no provision at all to support a position that the boys own anything at all. I cannot imagine any court of law ever ruling that the chartered organization absconded with funds owned by the boys in their program. As NJ suggested, a subtle hint that a discussion with the local newspaper reporter might be in order would very likely prompt the CO to give the boys a going-away present. This kind of hassle is the price paid for ignoring the basic principles of the charter agreement.

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. The Boy Scouts of Americas policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life. Only persons willing to subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of leadership. - (quote from the adult leader application) The religious aspects of Scouting are certainly not overwhelming. Part of the Scouting program includes the religious element. It seems strange that anyone could think that too much focus on religion is hurting the scouting program.

I just want to clarify the statements made about the Arrow of Light award and age 10 1/2. Reaching the age of 10 1/2 is NOT a requirement for the award. The requirement is to be ACTIVE AS A WEBELOS FOR 6 MONTHS. The 6 months of activity must occur anytime after reaching age 10, or after completing the 4th grade. It is entirely conceivable that a boy could earn AOL before age 10 1/2, or not earn it until after age 10 1/2, depending on his period of activity and when he completed the 4th grade. There is nothing magical about age 10 1/2.

Memo to other units: Avoid this hassle. Keep on good terms with your chartered organization.

Once upon a time our chartered organization had a discussion about charging rent to outside groups that use the facilities. Of course our troop was considered to be an outside group. They wanted us to pay $25 per meeting. About the same time, some members complained at a meeting that we (the CO) should get a youth group going, because theres nothing to do for the kids in this town. Why did our CO feel this way? Where was their head? Simple. They felt no connection at all with the troop they chartered. They simply did not understand the relationship between BSA and the chartered organization. Many of the membership had no idea that their group chartered a Boy Scout troop. The relationship doesnt work well if the Scout people dont communicate with the chartered organization people. To resolve the rent issue, our troop adult leadership took some simple steps. We began attending the monthly meetings of our chartered organization. We got on the agenda and made a brief report each month about the doings of the troop. We personally invited members to attend courts of honor. We asked what kinds of service projects we could do to their benefit. We asked for their help in selecting adult leaders, and made it clear that the approval was in their hands. We decided our chartered organization rep was totally ineffective because that person was a Scout committee person doing double duty as COR. We decided it would be better to have a chartered organization rep that was more involved in the CO than in the troop, and that person would not be double registered. In short, we began treating our chartered organization like they owned the troop. Guess what? After a while they took us under their wing and started acting like we were their troop. We get priority use of the facilities now, and dont pay rent.

Any type of camping is allowed for the troop award, for both the yearly and the cumulative awards. For the troop ribbon, the troop must attend a long term resident camp. At least 50% of the boys must attend. Other campouts require at least 33% attendance. Lesser attendance will not qualify the camping as a troop camping day. The requirements for the individual award are different than for the troop award. Individual Scouts and Scouters qualify for the cumulative patch for any camping including campouts with their families or other groups. The details are printed on the award application #33690A. If 33% or more of your troop attended an OA ordeal, that would count as a troop camping day and individual days for the boys attending. If it was less than 33%, the boys attending would each earn an individual day. If your troop has earned 8 ribbons, you could say the troop has earned 80 days towards the 100 day cumlative award. (8 ribbons * 10 days per ribbon). You may actually have more days, but without the troop camping records to support more days, it would not be right to claim more than 80 days.

Quoting from the Insignia Guide: "This insignia is reserved for regional officers, regional committee members, local council professional Scouters, and national staff with a regional responsibility and is worn on the right sleeve in position 2. As NWScouter pointed out, the patrol patch is in the same position, which is position 2, immediately under and touching the flag patch. Boys would not be authorized to wear a regional patch, and adults don't wear patrol patches. Touching the flag is correct.

The Insignia Guide says it goes on the right sleeve, in position 2. That is where troop numerals would go, just below the council shoulder patch.

Our district awards dinner will take place this month. The committee is in the process of selecting recipients for the District Award of Merit, Cubmaster of the Year, etc. They are being tight-lipped about the particulars. The identity of the recipients will not be known until the envelopes are opened. Some like the element of surprise. Others want to know in advance. They want to be able to invite the close friends of the recipient, which cannot be done unless the identities are known in advance. In the past, some recipients a have lamented that they wished that spouses, relatives, or other unit members could have been there when their award was presented. Others have lamented that they would have attended the event if they had only known their friend was going to be formally recognized. So, what is the rationale for keeping award presentations secret until the moment? Is the surprise factor a critical element of the award presentation?

Oh boy, Eamonn, you sure have made my day. I have not laughed so hard in a month of Sundays. I guess Scouting is the same everywhere! Don't feel alone. At least you had an agenda! Don't need 3 guesses as to where you went next. Love that Guinness!