FScouter

Application: "Tiger Cub Must be under the age of 8, have completed kindergarten OR be in the first grade, OR be age 7." Seems clear enough. What's to interpret? "Interpretations" arise when we want to slip a kid in that doesn't meet the requirement, or keep some other kid out, or maybe we just want to re-write the rule using different wording like age-based / grade-based. BSA already covered that.

Ahhh, so if the merit badge dean declines to remove him, you'll just cross the counselor off your copy of the approved list. As you're fond of saying, isn't that "adding to the requirements"?

If the counselor is truly a "rubber stamp" counselor, or otherwise unqualified to serve, you would be doing all boys in the district a favor by notifying the district merit badge dean of the problem so the offending counselor may be either trained or removed. It's a little selfish to circumvent bad counselors only for the benefit of the select few boys in a particular troop.

Its sad to see that a topic open for discussion by 10,000 forum members has been locked by a handful of folks that refuse to let one another hold a differing opinion.

"He has the same right to produce that knot as the guys who make the Untrainable patches or any other patch." Not that GW is endorsing the practice, but we see that a lot in society. The other guy is doing the wrong thing, thus it's OK for me to do the wrong thing too! Even worse is the creeping attitude that if everyone is doing the wrong thing, that makes it the "right" thing.

I suspect that most of the training status discrepancies in ScoutNet records is a direct result of the course director and district training chair failing to submit a training attendance report. I don't mean a lined sheet of paper ripped out of a notebook and passed around the room. I mean the BSA form #34413, completed and signed by the course director. BSA provides a number of forms and tools to help the district training committee keep track of training: Unit Inventory of Training District Summary of Training Leaders Traing Status of Top Leaders Training Status Change Fast Start Completion Report If the records are wrong, I'd go first to the district training chair and ask if they're using the tools provided.

The "bleeding red" worry seems to be holdover from the olden days. Anyone have any current experience with bleeding?

So, what was the response you got from your letter to the national office inquiring about a recognition award?

The old version of the Leadership Training Committee Guide says "In 1996, 59.7 percent of top unit leaders in the Boy Scouts of America were reported to be trainined".

I'd ask the complainer for the reference.

I'm still waiting for the report where folks by the dozens take a sip and drop dead on the spot. Why is that news being suppressed??

What do they say about circumcision?

Save the needle and thread; get the women's shirt instead of the men's. It's already tailored.

There is a picture with 1 knot in the center. No picture with 2 knots centered. The book says NOTHING about centering. The book does not say "follow the picture" or anything similiar. The book doesn't even reference the picture at all; it's just there as an illustration depicting medals and knots above the pocket. My guess is that centering is such a picayune detail it isn't even worth 3 words, which is why there is nothing written about it. I have no issue at all about how folks want to wear their knots, left, right, or centered. My only issue being "corrected" and told that knots MUST be centered, with reference to a non-existent statement in the book to support the claim. Why not just say something like "My opinion is that knots look better when they are centered on the uniform."

Insignia Guide: Knots are worn above the left pocket in rows of three. The order of wearing of medals and knots is at the discretion of the wearer. Nothing is said about centering, though it makes sense that the first one in a row be centered. If the first knot was placed to the right or left instead of being centered, that would not be incorrect given there is no centering instruction in the Guide. Certainly nothing there about removing and re-sewing the entire row when the second and third knots are added. http://www.scouting.org/media/insigniaguide/10K.aspx

" ... he has done it for years ..." Sad to say, but if that is the best reason we can come up with for what we do, we're finished.

The inside front cover of the Guide to Safe Scouting has a clear statement about liaibility insurance. I believe all councils use the same BSA G2SS.

The workbook is a booklet, stapled in the middle. How does one run that through a printer or typewriter?

You're welcome.

Im only responding to what emb021 said in his posts: Those boys who choice to be involved in the Venture Patrol can (and should) remain in their regular patrols. They only form up with the VP for planning/carrying out the Venture Patrol activities Boys stay in their regular mixed age patrol and the Venture Patrol exist only until the activity is done, then are re-orged/reformed. If all that is true, where can one learn more about how it works? Its not fair to throw out ideas and imply theyre part of a BSA program without pointing to a BSA guide or discussion about it. So to quote Barry, Just give us the quote from the SM Handbook. We can go from there, thanks."

They did a lot of stuff different in the olden days. Nowadays, a BSA venture patrol is a permanent patrol for boys aged 13-17. Surely folks here can offer plenty of ideas about doing a super-activity. But let's not describe a 2008 "venture patrol" as a loose temporary collection of boys from other patrols. Call it something else, like "super patrol". Using terms with different common meanings is just going to be confusing to the rest of us that use the Scoutmaster Handbook for guidance.

I won't comment on the workability of a single-activity "patrol" except to say you cannot find any guidance on how to work the concept in any BSA publication.

"... it was stressful being the contact person at the Den meeting (all the dens meet in one location so the adults look for answers at the meeting)..." As you have discovered, running simultaneous den meeting in one location is chaotic and not recommended. Try holding your den meeting in a separate location at a separate time. The Cub Scout Leader book gives guidance that if followed will solve every problem you've presented.

"One line of thought is that the individuals who plan to use it should buy it, ..." That approach would likely lead to the Venture patrol doing its own money-earning event with little or no participation from the rest of the troop. Then when the troop money-earning event comes around, guess who won't want to participate? It may also lead to the I, Me, Mine phenomenon Eamonn talked about awhile back. No, you can't use that stove, it's OUR stove.

Suggest that the SPL appoint an Instructor or two, or a Troop Guide. Those would be older experienced boys whose responsibility is to work with the newer less experienced boys. If the instructors are charged with signing the books of the younger Scouts for their area of expertise, you will find more interaction.