FScouter

The outgoing CM can recommend a candidate for his replacement, but it is not his decision. It is the committee and COR that SELECT the best candidate for the position. Had the committee made the final selection, perhaps his attitude towards the committee might be different. I'd suggest that the you and the committee familiarize yourselves as to exactly what the Cubmaster's job is. Does your committee have copies of the Cub Leader Handbook? He could make life miserable for den leaders too.

One difference is that a council wine-tasting event does not raise money for a troop. Boys have no involvement or connection at all to the council wine-tasting. They don't plan it, promote it, work at it, attend it, or receive any cash benefit from it. On the other hand boys are directly involved in a troop money-earning event. The boys are the ones that should be planning, organizing, managing, promoting, and working their money-earning activity. If the boys are doing these things as they should, they are directly involved in planning, organizing, and managing an event centered around selling beer, and selling beer is not an activity we should be encouraging boys to be involved in. If instead the adults are doing all the work, then the event is wrong for the reason that the boys are NOT involved in it. There are really two purposes for a troop money-earning event. One is the obvious need for money to required to finance the boys troop program. The other purpose is to help achieve the aims of Scouting through the ideals found in the Scout Law. A Scout is Thrifty, and works to pay his own way. When we do the money-earning event for him, he is freed from earning his own way. He is cheated out of this opportunity to pay his own way, to practice the 9th point of the Scout Law, to grow in character, and to achieve ideals of Scouting. Weve robbed him of an opportunity to learn a life lesson. Selling popcorn and washing cars is more work for less money. But in the long run the boys get so much more. Is top-quality equipment and a portable climbing wall really a better goal than developing boys character?

Previous experience is not necessary for a new SM; an enthusiasm and willingness to learn is. If the SM won't buy and read the SM Handbook (several times) and won't go to training for his position, the troop is doomed. SELECT another SM.

I always tell the boys to look at the little page numbers written next to the requirement in their book. Those pages give more information. In this case, page 173 of the Handbook says "The requirements for the ranks of Star and Life call upon you to give at least 6 hours of service to others. You may complete this requirement on your own or do it along with other members of your patrol, squad, troop, or team. The project must be approved by your Scoutmaster." I've not heard of any requirment that the work be approved in advance. But it would make sense to run the idea by the SM first to make sure that what the boy has in mind makes sense and to avoid disappointment from doing work that might not be considered service. Id recommend the boy take his book to the SM, open to page 173, and say it says here and heres what I have in mind. If he says no, Id ask him to please explain why those hours would not really be service to others, and to make some suggestions of service that is acceptable.

It'll burn itself out soon enuf.

"I was told by a lawyer that her apperance could be construed as exposure which could lead to a law suit." "I think you'd better get a second legal opinion before you drop her on those grounds--she might sue you for slander." Forget legal opinons. You don't need any defensible grounds to replace a leader. The CO can replace leaders at will. You want the BEST possible leaders. Select a replacement, this woman will just be 2nd best. The only explanation you need to offer anyone is that the CO and committee feels the new leader is a better fit for the position.

Look in the "Unit Fundraising" forum.

"which uniform does he get to wear?" If a boy was earning the Costa Rican equivalent of the Eagle award, being presented by the Costa Rican Scouts organization, in Costa Rica, would it be proper to wear a uniform from the United States Scout organization (BSA)?

lasteagle83 - Thanks for that wake-up, and I'll take back my comment about a fat, slovenly, smelly woman not being appropriate for a Cub leader. Fat is irrelevant. Cleanliness in body and dress is something we all have control over regardless of body characteristics.

"Friends of the troop" is silly. Nobody is fooled by that. The boys know the troop is selling beer, the parents know, the fair people know, the CO knows, adult leaders know. Anybody that knows anything at all about the troop money-earning practices knows they sell beer to finance the troop. What is the purpose in phony-ing up a fictitious "friends of" group if this kind of event is completely above-board and above reproach? Selling beer to finance the operation of a Boy Scout troop is wrong. Attempts to cover up that fact are wrong too. Selling beer is not an "ethical choice" for Boy Scouts. Come on people, use common sense.

"Our scoutmaster has told me that officially, this is not a troop event, but merely a fundraiser conducted by 'friends of the troop.'" So the SM doesn't want this to be called a Scout money-earning event? Why would that be? I'd bet he doesn't have an approved money-earning event permit. Why can't he get one? That kind of attitude is not good in a SM. We're teaching boys to make ethical choices and the SM is circumventing the rules? If it smells like a duck, it's an unapproved troop money-earning event regardless of what you call it.

Thanks be to Goodness we don't do that here!

The Cooking chapter of the Boy Scout handbook includes a 1-page chart of portion sizes.

A Boy Scout Eagle Court of Honor hardly seems the proper place to celebrate one's ethnic heritage.

Just a clarification. Choice Point was not "hacked". None of the security systems they had in place were breeched. There was no back-door break-in. Rather, the bad guys devised a plan to go in the front door. They set up a new company, established a normal business relationship with Choice Point, then purchased reports. It was then discovered this company had no legitimate purpose for buying reports, and that the company had been set up for the sole purpose of fraudulently obtaining Choice Point reports.

"... the packs are responsible for providing the staff for camp. (No paid staff) Each pack is supposed to supply 2 leaders for camp staff ...". There is your problem. The pack is not going to promote day camp if you have a requirement that they supply two leaders. Mandating that pack leaders serve on staff is a sure way to turn them off. The implication is that they may not send boys to camp unless they supply two leaders. Cub Scout day camp is the responsibility of the district Camp Promotion and Outdoor committee. It is up to that committee to to select and recruit the staff. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

The Eagle court of honor is a ceremony honoring the boy that has earned the Eagle rank. The only rule about holding an Eagle COH is that the award presentation may not take place until the award credentials has been received from the national council. There are no rules or regulations about the format or agenda of the court of honor nor any rule about a council rep being present to make it "official". The Troop Program Resources book has several suggested formats for courts of honor, including the Eagle court of honor, plus a checklist of points to consider.

A Scout is courteous - even to those that camp in motor homes.

Are we talking about "the diversity of the human form", or a fat, smelly, slovenly woman working with our Cub Scouts? One is acceptable, the other is not.

"According to BSA legal ..." Do you know where I could read more about that?

Sounds like a very enthusiastic leader. We need enthusiastic leaders. The challenge is to keep him enthusiastic in his CM responsibilities. I'd look at those non-CM things he is doing and delegate them to others. If the CC is upset about turning in new apps, why did the CC not take charge of that? Why was the CC not at the recruitment collecting apps? Is there a fundraising person on the committee? If not, then it's not surprising the CM has stepped in to plan those events. Rather than talk about replacing the CM, perhaps the CC and committee should take a more active role in delegating the non-CM work the CM has assumed.

Learning early that the award comes after completion of requirements will help the boy all through Scouting. Immediate recognition is important to boys. I would do these awards at the very next den meeting, or the same meeting if it could be arranged. Even if the pack meeting is only 2 weeks or a month away, that is a very long time for a Tiger. He will have forgotten what he did by then. But he will remember that when he completed the requirements all he got was a promise for an award to come.

Item # 1 is straight out of the Cub Scout Leader book.

If the meeting is for Cub Scout pack leaders, maybe the Cub Scout Promise would be more appropriate than the Boy Scout Oath and Law.

Refer to the Mission. His choice is to work within the confines of the organization bestowing the honor, or indulge his personal wants.