LifeScoutForEver

Scoutnut: I think that is what I will do instead. Just discuss with Scout #1 and see what he can relate about his observation. I need to avoid a confrontation with any of the parents. qwazse: I agree that rank, POR and age have no bearing on the evaluation of work completed for MBs, I was just providing background to set the stage. And I am very aware that each scout will complete the requirements in their own way, advanced or limited by their own skills/abilities and resources. I give more "respect", I guess, for the messy hand written (but showing effort/comprehension) work product verses the printed-from-the-internet glossy 8x10. Plus, I guess I am more upset with the father. I just want to say/ask "Really?!". I wouldn't characterize the fathers actions as "pushing" his son in an overbearing way. I would characterize it as more "meeting his needs (the father)" to ensure his son advances to Eagle. The SM is aware of the situation, and guess I will just review the work with each scout individually and not make a big stink. I guess it wouldn't help anyone anyway if I did.

What to do with a report of cheating on a Merit Badge requirement? Background Im a merit badge counselor working on Environmental Science with six scouts who are Star or Life and are 13 to 16 years old. Two of the Star Scouts (Scout #1 and Scout #2) are both 14 and are only one required MB away from completing their MB requirements for Life. Scout #1 Star, PL and 14 Scout #2 Star, ASPL and 14 Scout #3 Life, SPL and 13 Scout #4 Life, PL and 13 Scout #5 Life, ASPL and 13 Scout #6 Life, PL and 16 The father of Scout #1 (an active Asst. Scoutmaster) has explicitly stated, in confidence, that he thinks his son is falling behind and needs to find ways motivate him. Last Night So last night at the end of our Troop meeting, I received homework from four of the Scouts (Scout#1, Scout #2, Scout #3 and Scout #4) for one of the requirements (Requirement #4a/4b) that I had asked the scouts to complete the previous week. Scout #5, did not complete his homework and Scout #6 was absent from the meeting. I immediately packed their papers in my bag of scout stuff and havent read or reviewed the homework yet. About an hour after the end of the meeting, I received a text from the mother of Scout #3 (SPL). Apparently, both Scout #3 and Scout #2 (ASPL) related to her that Scout #1 stated that he copied his homework from notes that were completed by his father. The scouts were upset that Scout #1 had cheated. My Planned Response 1) Speak with Scout #2 and #3 to confirm their story, and see if there are any inconsistencies. 2) Speak with the Father and ask if he prepared notes for the homework assignment? 3) Speak with the Scout and ask if he personally completed the requirement as written in the MB book and/or did he copy the homework from someone elses notes? 4) Depending on my perception of the answers: a. Accept the homework as is, or b. Reject the homework and require all future requirements completed by Scout #1 to conducted with my direct supervision Opinions: Good Plan? Bad Plan? Constructive comments are welcome. Thanks, LSF

I'd like to thank everyone who provided helpful and constructive comments. Very much appreciated, LSF

I am responding to twocubdads (TCD) comments, since they seem to be the most comprehensive, so far: TCD - I think you're buying trouble. LSF Agreed. I intend to speak with the COR and expect to contact the former chair and inform him that we are pairing down our charter roll and he will be dropped unless there is an impelling reason for him to remain. If he intends to remain, then he will pay dues. TCD Let me see if I'm understanding things: Basically the two TCs don't like the old CC. Maybe he's a little egotistical (almost a requirement to be on council committees) and may spend time sawing on the troop's branch. But no real evidence LSF Generally correct, but I think there is evidence of sawing the Troops branch, just a lack of knowledge of intent. Decisions have been made by him that have resulted in negative impacts on the Troop. I have not heard his explanation for the reasons for his choices, so I do not know the nature of his intent. He may have meant well, but it still had a negative impact on the Troop. TCD Two committee members don't want the old CC to have copies of the financials, which really should be open to anyone who wants to see them anyway. Besides, all he would have to do would ask his wife, the IH, for a copy. LSF Actually, during my tenure as Treasurer, I only sent copies of my report to the COR, committee members and scoutmasters. I just want to be clear; maybe we have been incorrect in our procedures. Plus, Im not sure I would give them to anyone who wanted to see them. TCD You are trying to cut down on the number of inactive committee members in order to cut the adult registration cost to the troop, which is, I believe, still $15. You really have adults who can't afford $15? LSF We are in a very rural area that would not typically be described as wealthy, and some of the parents are struggling to pay for college tuition as well as typical day to day expenses. So, when I was treasurer and received an adult dues envelop with a payment with only $5, I made no comment and took it as an honest attempt to pay what could be afforded. TCD One thing you don't mention is how/how much the old CC contributes to the troop. Does he show up for TC meetings? Does he add to the troop, or is he just keeping his unit registration as primary for his council job? LSF He does not attend meetings and he does not contribute time to the Troop activities. He adds nothing constructive that I am aware of, but I must admit I do not know what occurs at the council level and I do not know if the Troop registration is required for his council position. TCD Other than several adults who seem to enjoy wizzin' on each other's pants, what's the point of all this? If the old CC doesn't contribute anything to the troop anymore, send him an email and let him know you're cleaning up the charter and are going to drop him and all the other inactive folks. If he wants to keep his registration, fine, but let him know the deadline for paying his dues. LSF In essence, this is what I expect to happen, after I speak with the COR. TCD Then have [to] invite the two loudmouths on the committee out for a cup of coffee. In a nice way, ask them to grow up. Causing a stink with someone who, A) is married to the president of your chartered organization, B) is an active and apparently influential member of the council, and, C) has given a lot to the unit over the years, is just childish. LSF Good advice and the points should be stated one by one explicitly. TCD You need this heartburn like you need a sucking chest wound. LSF Agreed, but I feel dealing with unreasonable (passionate?) adults is buried somewhere in the job description for chair. TCD One legitimate issue I think you have is in the way your run the committee. Sounds like you run is [it] as a democracy. It really shouldn't be. The committee should be more of a clearing house than a legislative body. Things should run on consensus rather than a vote. But if that's not how you handle things, having wild card committee members has the potential to be a problem. LSF Here I have to disagree. I take instruction from the BSA - Troop Committee Guidebook, which states that All issues should be discussed and resolved in an open dialogue, which to me is part and parcel with a democratic process, not a clearinghouse, which if I understand your meaning correctly, is not an open dialogue but works as a briefing where one point of view is disseminated until consensus is achieved. Plus, the guidebook explicitly discusses a vote; and while it is in an exclusionary statement, The Scoutmaster (or assistant Scoutmaster) is not a member of the troop committee, and has no vote it still seems to assume a democratic process (i.e. voting) for TC meetings. TCD Say the committee is faced with a controversial decision. The "regulars" work through a solution and have a handle on things, but then a bunch of inactive hot heads decides to show up and want a vote. If they all have BSA membership cards which say Troop Committee on them, it's hard to tell them they can't vote. LSF I guess a lot depends on the controversy. But, if they are on the charter, they should have a vote. However, I am aware that one of the duties explicitly reserved for the Chair is interpret national and local policies to the Troop, so it seems that ultimately what is decided is up to the Chair, with the consent/approval of the COR. For my part, I would seek input from the members of the committee, and I guess I do that by running it with a democratic process. Maybe, I am being contradictory but I would be loath to resolve any significant/controversial decision in a vacuum. TCD The key is consistency. If the committee is a voting body, then you need to consistently keep up with who is or isn't a voting member. Or consistently run the committee as a consultative group and don't go the voting route at all. LSF Agreed. I keep a good handle on who is on the committee and nothing will turn people off faster than rules/procedural changes that seem to occur at a whim. That is the reason; in essence, we selected a new Scoutmaster last year. The last one was making the rules up as he went, without consideration of the effect on individual Scouts or the Troop as a whole.

The reason the objection was raised was because as a TC member, he receives a copy of the monthly Treasurer Report (TR) and one of the vocal TC members does not want him to receive the reports. The last thing I want to do is create a list of which committee members do and dont receive a copy of the TR. To me it should be all or none. Otherwise, it will just create a mess and just be the wrong policy. I want to keep my helpful/active TC members happy, but Im also sensitive to the potential political issues. An objection was also raised due to our attempts to reduce our registrations of inactive members. For reasons similar to eisely, I have been working to establish an ability-to-pay rule for adults to try and off-set the cost of adult registrations and minimize the number of adult registrations paid by the Troop. It has work very well, and we now have only the active Scoutmasters (by TC policy) and a few (

Greetings, I am a newly elected Troop Committee (TC) Chair and I am looking for advice and information about TC membership and composition. In the process of doing our Charter membership review during our last TC meeting, vocal objections were raised in opposition to maintaining a long term TC member (8+ years) on the Charter. The person in question was a previous TC Chair, two Chairs ago, but has moved on and is now Chair of the Council Activities Committee. I have never seen him attend any of our TC meetings in the past three years (I was TC Treasurer before Chair). Our Chartered Organization (CO) is a local volunteer fire department (VFD) and the spouse of the person in question is the newly elected president of our CO. There are two members of my current TC who have very negative opinions of the person in question and they independently and publically voiced the desire to drop him from our Charter. There were no motions to that effect made to the TC during our meeting, just discussion. They believe, based on undisputed events but unknown intentions that he is working for the betterment of his image at council sometimes to the detriment of our Troop. My question is who decides who is on the TC? Can the TC decide, as a body, to exclude someone from the TC? Does the TC have the authority to self determine its own membership? That is, who to include, or by default not include, on the Charter? The TC guidebook doesnt seem to cover this issue; it is primarily concerned with TC recruitment and who can be a member. For background, I have a fairly decent TC, with approximately 4 very active members, 12 helpful members and about 4 members who, lets just say, like to show up. The members who voiced their opposition are in the active and helpful contingent. The TC is split about 50/50 between adults with current Scouts and adults with past Scouts. My relationship with the current Scoutmaster (SM) is excellent. He was my sons Den Chief from Bobcat/Tiger to Arrow of Light and helped recruit me to the Treasurer position while he was an Assistant SM. We see eye to eye on the means and methods of providing the best possible Scout lead program. Also, my relationship with our COR is very good as a consequence of our experiences in replacing the previous SM last year. My relationship with our Unit Commissioner is in repair mode since he was an advocate for the replaced SM to the bitter end. However, Ive been attending District Roundtables in an effort to get to know him better and repair any damage. I guess, after re-reading my note, that I am asking a political question as much as a procedural one. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance, LifeScoutForever