Just Asking

My son's Eagle project required skilled labor and thus he did not enlist the help of the troop in building it. Those who helped were his father (an engineer), an electrician, the town public works department, a fellow scout (also a friend) when non-skilled labor was needed, the scout's father (an assistant scoutmaster), and his younger brother. Is there any requirement that more members of the troop must help with the Eagle project? His scoutmaster seems upset that there was not more troop involvement. He wouldn't sign off on requirement 5 (service project) during the scoutmaster conference until my son updated his Service Project Workbook work log by updating specifically who helped during each work session rather than a count of how many people helped. The "who" was in his project plan. Once he updates who worked when, will there be any reason that the scoutmaster would have for failing requirement 5? I would think passing his Board of Review would meet requirement 5.

Is it required that the scout's Scout Master present the scout with his Eagle Scout award at a ceremony or can his father present it if he is an Assistant Scout Master? Also, can it be a small family ceremony or do other Troop leaders need to attend?

Eamonn, Great question. I had made assumptions about what the senior patrol was, but have just checked in our Troop handbook and found the following: The senior patrol is a group of youth that have met established expectations and are dedicated to preserving the ideals and values of Boy Scouting. The senior patrol is expected as older scouts to help and mentor the patrol leaders so that all scouts, no matter what position or rank, are able to achieve the fullest satisfaction from the patrol method and the Boy Scout Program. In the past, the next oldest scout entered the senior patrol to replace a scout that was leaving. The last two times it has been by the senior patrol leader picking scouts, and then the senior patrol interviewing and selecting scouts.

My son is a Life Scout and is working on his Eagle project. He is a good kid, always kind, a bit shy, very bright, does very well at school, but does not have strong leadership skills. I was hoping that he would gain his needed leadership skills in scouting. He has enjoyed scouting, particularly summer camp. He has earned about 40 badges either from summer camp or merit badge college. Unfortunately, I don't feel he is getting enough from the troop. The scoutmaster is running a boy led troop. Early this Spring, there were a couple of openings in the senior patrol and three scouts younger than my son and with a lower rank were picked. It was obvious that the senior patrol leader had picked friends, but the scoutmaster (his father), said it was because my son had not shown leadership in the troop. Last week at summer camp, the senior patrol picked two more scouts for senior patrol who were his age, but only one had an equivilent rank. He is the only older scout that is not in senior patrol. Since the senior patrol will most likely not bring in any new members until some turn 18, I don't expect him to get in within the next year. By that time he will have finished his Eagle project and be a Senior and may not continue to be in scouts. I feel that he will never learn any leadership skills with this troop. Is it expected that each scout should pass thru the senior patrol at some point to gain leadership skills? He was allowed to be a patrol leader when he was eleven, and it was so overwhelming for him at that age, that he has not allowed himself to be elected patrol leader since then. How can I help my son at this point?

We have a scout in our troop who was found to be selling and using drugs. His school wanted to expel him, but approved his appeal. This last week he tested positive for drugs at school. The scouts just went on a weekend camp-in and this scout was in attendance. His mother makes him attend scouts as a punishment. What is the policy of BSA when it comes to boys taking drugs? I am torn. As a mother, I do not want my child engaged in activities with other boys who are taking drugs. As a scout leader, I wonder if the scouting organization may help him to follow a better path in life.

What should be the response if the patrol plans an outing but when they get approval from the SM he says they need to include the whole troop? That makes for a whole lot more planning.

Our troop does not participate in very many fun and challenging activities causing my son to be bored with scouting. We would like him to be enjoying lots of fun activities such as hiking, boating, etc. Our scoutmaster is overweight (over 300 lbs) and I think this may be the reason why not enough of these activities are planned since he is unable to attend. Do you think it would be okay for our son to encourage his patrol to do some of these activities on thier own as long as they have two assistant scout masters come along? His patrol consists of physically active boys who would enjoy more challenging activities.

How do Webelos earn the "I did my Best" award?

To SM41 I would like to know more about the plaques you mentioned. Thanks

I am a second year Webelos Leader and my scouts will be getting their Arrow of Light in January and crossing over in February. Other leaders in our Pack have given the boys items, usually hand made things like plaques, for these occasions. I am not very crafty. What kinds of things do other leaders give the boys for these occasions and is that a tradition?

I wrote the original question and it was the first time I used the forum, so I was a bit worried about responses. The singing for forgotten items has been going on for some time in our troop, but an incident which was the "last staw" for me was when a 13 year old scout forgot his scout uniform on a camping weekend which was with the troop only. The troop policy is to not take him. The SM was not there, so the Asst Scout Master didn't have it in his heart to call his mother to come get him. The SM did arrive at the campsite later that evening. The next day, in order to make a point of the scout forgetting his uniform, he made him were his (the Scout Master's) size 3X Large scout shirt for pictures. Of course, all the other scouts were laughing. After the trip when the SM asked the Asst. Scout master to send him the picture to show it around, the Asst. would not. Just wanted your thoughts on this.

In the Guide to Safe Scoutig under Hazing and Initiations, it states "All forms of hazing, initiations, ridicule, or inappropriate teasing are phohibited and should not be allowed." Our troop requires scouts to sing a silly song such as "I'm a Little Teapot" if they have forgotten an item at a scouting event in order to get the item back. This has been done at a troop meeting and even a Court of Honor. Is this against the Hazing and Initiations policy?