ghermanno

There are some "modifications" that are approved by BSA for disabilities. They are NOT posted and are only available from the Council/BSA HQ. National is the only entity that is allowed to change ANY requirement for a MB. If your Council does NOT have the documents, have them check with National Advancement team. My $0.02

Tahawk: First you must have a Program Chair. We have problems keeping them as District/Council require a profit from anything that is planned. The Units usually schedule/plan ALL District events, and supply the help. If you want to use Council facilities, that cost extra too and can not be included in the profit as it is a cost. I can't even remember the last calendar planning meeting. I think it was two or three years ago.

Scoutnut: Our Council gets at least %15 for ALL events (Klondike, Camporees, WeBELOS events, ...) It had nothing to do with inviting GSA or LFL. We just lost a great fundraising opportunity because the District Rep (DE/CFO/...) wanted at least $1000 donations where the people were willing to donate hundreds but not thousands. The last "District Dinner" that I executed, the District not only wanted their 15% but wanted the adults to pay for the awards that the District (not the District Dinner Committee) decided to give out. Would not have been so bad if they just took the money from the profits but they made sure to tell everyone that the profits were less because they had not deducted the awards before calculating (we did not have the amounts either).

Well, after reading all this, it seems we have missed a point. Is the other Districts event paying the Council? I scheduled an event, then had to find a new sponsor because my Council wanted at least 15% of the monies. This event was scheduled with BSA (including Cubs), GSA, and LFL as participants. Usually, to get District/Council to sign off, they have to be in on the Cash side. They do not have to provide anything for it, you provide all the volunteers, but they need the cash. My $0.02 p.s. This is also one of the reasons I am leaving Scouting after being an adult off and on since 1979.

Gives you a little insight to the meaning of 'On MY honor". If you put your name down and the youth did not and does not deserve it, Your name is worth what????? Excellent description gentlemen. Glad to hear some still doing it right. :-)

You are absolutely correct. It used to be FC w/Star, FC w/life, and FC w/Eagle. First Class was the highest award. It is supposed to be the point where the youth is self sufficient and could take a group of boys camping w/o adult supervision. Now that National expects them to learn within one year all that is required, a lot of Scouters have gone to the one-and-done method. I asked a First Class Scout to tie a square knot a couple of weeks ago and he could not. He did not remember what a bowline was for either..... Guess I'll wait for "EAGLE" the Wii game so National can ensure the numbers stay artificially high.

The emphasis is that the youth bring a buddy. Please CYA by ensuring that the YOUTH brings another person, be it his family, friend or whatever. If you provide the "other" person you still leave yourself open to accusations and YP problems. "A Scout first expresses an interest in a particular merit badge by letting his unit leader know. To get him started, the leader gives him a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card) along with the name and contact information for a district/council approved merit badge counselor. The Scout then contacts the merit badge counselor and makes an appointment. The merit badge counselor sets a date and time to meet with the Scout and his buddy, and may suggest the Scout bring the merit badge pamphlet along with the blue card." I added the emphasis from the BSA documentation and you can find it here: Download Guide for Merit Badge Counseling, No. 34532

If you decline, then you have NO right to complain about the new Eagle that can't tie a square knot or recite the 12 points of the Scout Law, or even state the Oath in his own words. Because NOT ONE cared enough to ensure that they could. Just like complaining about the elections if you don't vote.

Why don't YOU attend Roundtables? It is not a representation item it is a sharing/mentoring/learning time for ALL positions. Maybe you should help your Roundtable to figure out what they need to get you and ALL your Scouter friends attending.

Ooopps. Thanks Scouter99

AK, You are NOT telling us how many Scouts are attending this event. 6 - 8 or 30 - 50. The argument for "Patrol Activity" may be mute. If the "Troop" is going, the adults should be there. They are NOT required to follow each group, but if it is a long zip-line (like a canopy tour) you might want to have a couple of adults at the beginning and end for Safety sake. Those adults should have a working communications system (cell phone, walkie-talkies,...) to let the other group know of any problems (medical or otherwise). My $0.02 for what it is worth.

If it wasn't that I live here, I'd definitely agree with you KDD.

Packsaddle, Woodbadge 21st Century is in essence a "Leadership" course designed for business structures. The "Scouting" is crammed in between lessons on group dynamics and such. It used to be the "Pinnacle" of Scouting training but now you can be a first year Tiger Cub Leader and come out of the course with a GREAT desire and hardly any knowledge of the scouting program. I had looked forward to attending for decades. Once I attended the "New" WB, I was slightly disappointed, I had some good tickets but I would have done them anyhow. I thought maybe my 20+ years as adult scouting had caused me to see things differently so I volunteered to staff WB. No change, still have the same feeling about the course. ​It is a GREAT leadership/group dynamics course. I just wish BSA would bring us a course on SCOUTING, regs, requirements, where to find info, rather than leadership without guidance. Vague references to certain "rules" allowing different rules in different areas, allowing Councils/Districts to set rules and state they are BSA vice local regs.... Still leaves adult leaders questioning what they are doing vice what they should be doing or even where to find the information on it. My $0.02 Rick

Good thing we are non-political. (LOL) Unfortunately we have parents that think their boys should be 11 yr old eagles but that they should not have responsibility of 1st Class Scout due to them being only 12 and a 1st Class Scout.... My $0.02

I have seen the "Scouting" in various countries. Most allow female patrols & male patrols. They camp separated and have proper adult supervision. I have noticed that they do NOT seem near as awkward around females as the BSA does. (For example the Korean Girls loved to visit the BSA boys because they would run away or be shy around them.) I personally think the BSA should become the US Scouting Association. There is more to be learned from working together than there is by ignoring one another and treating one as a lesser deserving sex. Can it work? Yes. Will it work? Probably not with the helicopter parents and the naysayers trying to kill the thought before it becomes real. Just my $0.02

Welcome to both of you. Pull up a chair to the virtual campfire. We have had problems in the past with posting so my take some time for the rest of old-timers to return. Rick

Fair winds and following seas OGE. You will be missed. Rick

They sent me the poll also. One of the questions, and I am paraphrasing, was "What do worries do you have about changing the policy?" I answered that the BSA would take the money saved from litigation and add it to their salaries instead of putting the money in real program. Think they got the hint of what I think of most of National? My $0.02 Rick

dcsimmons, the male leader should NOT be in the shower, latrine, or tents with the boys unless there is a safety issue.

I remember back when the "Litmus test" for religion for Scouting was that they believe in a higher power. Does NOT have to be Christian. I would love to see more Jewish and Pagan Troops. I have noticed that we change the Scouting Program for certain religions. An example in my area is that the LDS Boy Scouts attend Cub Scout Day Camp because the Church will not allow boys to have multiple nights camping before a certain age. I do not want to change thier religion but I do NOT want the Cub Day Camp to be responsible for Boy Scout items either as they do not advertixe it's availability to non LDS Scouts. If you really want things to change in Scouting, we either have tostep up as volunteers or find an endless amount of money to make National change. My $0.02 Rick

Bartlettbear, You should wash your hands of it. There has NEVER been a time (in my recolection) that you could be a Boy Scout without joining. The leaders were being VERY dishonest, not only to themselves but to any "Scoutcamp" that he might have attended. Had the youth been hurt, he was not a member. The Blue cards have been required for a few decades. The Troop leaders MUST have known. You can not become a Catholic Priest and not be Catholic, as you can not become a Rabbi without being Jewish. How can he become an Eagle without being a Boy Scout? This is absurd. There is NO WAY he could have signed off on advancement without registering. He would have had to have been on the recharters. I again submit that this is bogus or that the DE/SE/UC/CC needs to be removed for incompetence. Rick

HUH???? Billy is eligable for SCOUT badge when and if he fills out an application. He can NOT have earned any merit badges as he did NOT have a Scoutmaster and all requirements after Tenderfoot say "Since joining..." The problem is that no one had the kid join so can NOT sign off on ANY merit badge or ANY advancement that states "Since joining..." This is a bogus posting as "Billy" could NOT have "earned" anything but SCOUT. Rick

Guys, Even though we are NOT a "Para-Military" orginazation, we must remember our roots. The uniform, regalia, ranks,... came from other orginizations. In the US military, gold comes before silver. As far as importance goes, in the BSA only, there is not SUPPOSED to be anyone more important than the volunteer. If we think about it a moment, what Program would any District or Council have if it were not for the dedicated volunteers? They are the most important and should be nurtured. Not the proffesionals. As far as patches and shoulder loops, the BSA can dictate to it's hearts content. The people I care about are the volunteers. My $0.02 Rick

Terry, Thank you for this site. I rarely acknowlege the I&P section and try to ignore the "gay" arguments. Most seem to be like the witch trials of the 1600's. Someday....maybe... My $0.02 Rick

Answer: All the above. We sometimes have the scouts plan a campfire program for camporees, scheduling a little time for awards regardless of if there is a fire or not (due to fire banning). We sometimes have adults plan a campfire program and give it to the scouts to execute. On normal campouts, when we have a fire, we do not do campfire "program" as boys will normally be playing around but they can practice skits or whatever if they like. My $0.02 Rick