Northbell

This scout is a badge or two away from life scout. He will be 17 soon. He says he is interested in making eagle and has thought of a project. I just wondered how much resonsibility the troop has in motivating him. He does sound like you did, Shortridge, more interested in other parts of scouting. I think scouts that have parents at home that help keep a boy moving forward have a better chance at eagle, is that your experience?

Yes, thank you, my question has been answered. I have spoken to our SM, and he does see the need for some changes. We have a boy led troop, but like many, parents tend to get in there and "make it better". I like that scouts can make their own decisions but I think the SM should be in on the decision of MB counselors. I do have another question. What do you recommend for this scout: Loves scouting, lives scouting but does not complete merit badges? Always involved in the patrol leadership but not advancing. He works at our district summer camps every year so does not go to summer camp to work on his merit badges. How would you motivate him to get to eagle?

All of our Merit badge counselors are registered through the district. If our troop does not have one listed, scouts go outside of the troop, usually to a near by troop. we have never used the district list but will get it right away. We have a large troop with past leaders still willing to counsel as well as many parents. Our SM does sign the card but has allowed the scouts to pick there own counselors. This situations shows that this needs to change. For the younger scouts, sometimes parents are the one's picking the counselors and making sure the cards get back to the SM to be signed. Parents are picking counselors that are easier to work with, which is fine as long as it isn't for every badge. I think a wide assortment of counselors benefits the scout the most. Even though the scout has completed the blue card, isn't it his obligation to make sure he has registered counselor (our troop uses the website to do this)? Because their parents just thought this person was approved would make the badge void, in my opinion. Ultimately, I will give all of this info to the SM and let him decide!

Good point about a merit badge cannot overturned. I like your suggestion of the SM meeting with the scout to apologize for the oversight and ask for it to be done over though. Is it not appropriate to use a merit badge counselor in the troop for it to be done over? One that is registered? I realize it is best for the scout to use as many different counselors as possible, but this is not usually the case when a scout finds one that is registered and works well with him. Can a SM actually appoint a counselor? I think that may be adding to the rules. ???

Thanks for the feedback. This counselor is a member of our troop, the parents are also in leadership. The counselor is not registered for these badges in question. Our district form allows us to designate if the counselor wants to counsel outside the troop for the district or just within the troop. Applications for a merit badge counselor are signed by the appropriate people and turned into the disrict office. Approval has never been given, just assumed when all paperwork goes in. Sounds like SM needs to get involved and this badge redirected to another counselor to be done again. At this time the SM does not know the situation even though he signed the card as finished.

The scouts and the counselor were the same in both cases. The counselor is signed up for several badges and the parents and counselor claimed they thought he was signed up for the badge. The first time (which obviously was a bad choice), we signed him up and allowed the scouts to earn the badge. The website list contains mostly counselors our unit only, not the district list.

Our troop is very active with scouts earning rank and merit badges steadily. We have many counselors available with several to chose from for each badge. Recently a group of scouts turned in cards signed by a counselor who was not on our website listed for that badge. The counselor apologized and offered to sign up with the council office. This was done and the scouts given the badge. Unfortunately, it has happened again. The SM in our troop does sign the cards before the scouts begin but no names are given for counselors because they are on the website. This person is willing to sign up for the badge after the fact.... but is this the right thing to do? The scouts should check the website and chose the counselor and we have spoken to the scouts about this.

Thanks, alot of wisdom here! I am not SM or ASM but trying to help out. The scouts punishment was to not talk during the next hour or two during the camporee bbq. How long is to long for a partrol or troop to be unsupervised? I personally think with supervision this would not have happened. Following that incident, one boy yelled at the SPL (no cussing) and the SPL voted to send him home in which his parent drove over an hour to get him.

What are some creative, constructive disciplines that we could use with our troop during summer camp? We have a young troop who last campout got into a "friendly" troop rock fight (unsupervised). We have come up with a behavior contract but would like to know some time tested ideas.

All good reasons. Since an assistant SM can also sign blue cards, is it possible that in a boy led troop, which ours strives to be, the SPL can also do this job?

Thanks for the great feedback. I am not the Scoutmaster but have observed boys being denied a blue card for various reasons. We have worked on badges, such as cooking, as a troop and not given scouts their partially done bluecard. In this situation, is it still the scouts responsibility to ask for one and if they don't, don't fill one out? Our scoutmaster encourages new scouts to work on Trail to First Class and will tell the scout that they can't work at camp on a badge because Trail to first class is an all day activity. The scouts end up coming back 6 months later remembering they started the badge but no proof. I guess this is a lesson learned but its frustrating when its over and over again. Is this a SM control issue or a lesson for the scout to not leave the meeting without the card.

We follow the guidelines that requires a scout to have the Scoutmaster sign his merit badge blue card when starting a badge. Is it ever reasonable for the scoutmaster to tell a scout (first class and above) that he can't begin yet (for a number of reasons like wait till camp, wait till we work on it as a troop)? What is the purpose for this step in the merit badge process?