BDPT00

Bingo! I can't believe I just read this whole thread. I didn't realize how old it was. I found it totally useless to even consider. BDPT00

I get tired of hearing people refer to some obscure person out there as uniform police. I would much prefer that someone point out a mistake (my wife tonight pointed out to someone that their universal arrow ribbon with Vigil pin was on backward ... back of pin was showing). Is it better to let him walk around all night to discover later that it was wrong? There are some who would argue that it's not wrong. In this case, the individual was very pleased that he was able to fix it right away. Worse to me than pointing out that something is incorrect is someone who says, "Yes, I know, and I don't care. I like it this way." Thank you, WestCoastScouter for caring. Good luck in your future policing career. BDPT00

I'm finding this fascinating. Most of the time when the question of the Eagle rank comes up, the issue is based entirely on not adding requirements. The arguments here are adding the requirement that this young man needs to be a role model for other Scouts. That's not a requirement. Or is it? BDPT00

I'm sure it depends upon the context. Is the CC out of line? The kids might think it's a funny play on words. A Green Beret may not see humor in it. If your ASMs are TDY, why not ask them? They'd have opinions. Are the kids planning to wear green berets? How about green barrettes. Maybe that's funnier. Ask yourself this: Would there be an issue if they wanted to call themselves the Purple Hearts? Might that offend anyone? Does anybody care? BDPT00

I like your comment about "See me first." Another thing you might say is "Don't guess." I think it's good to warn people that they may make mistakes if they aren't careful. The trick is trying to figure out the best way to do it. Ultimately, you're doing them all a favor. BDPT00

Is having a clean record adding to the requirements? BDPT00

I hear ya loud and clear. It's just sloppy. If they cared, they'd do it right. (Or they copied a trainer who didn't care.) I'm also one who didn't appreciate the "you might be the uniform police if ..." I have high doubts regardng someone carrying a measuring tool in their pocket. Ever seen one? I do happen to use one when I'm putting my own uniform together, yes, but I don't carry one with me. BDPT00

Thank you for saying something. If nobody does, it'll never be fixed, and the bad example would continue. Clean up the kids (and adults) in your own unit. You shouldn't try to fix them all. One very significant service you can offer is to find a comfortable way to inform mom (or whomever) when you see a new sash worn over the left shoulder. Fixing 2 or 3 merit badges is a lot easier to deal with than a few dozen. Thank you for paying attention. I'm sure it's appreciated. BDPT00 (patch police)

"--- WTF? Never said anything about drugs and alcohol(and don't know for your kids, but i thing mine are intelligent enough to realize for them selfs thats bad...) And no, I would tech them about christianity and other religions and let them decide. Why wouldn't I give a 16 year old to get a tatoo?" So much for the intelligence argument. BDPT00

I'm curious. How are you defining Deist? Most of the founders were from organized religions. You'd be hard pressed to name some who were non-Christian. Your statement was "most of the founders were Deists." Care to offer a list? You have 56 from whom to choose. I'll wait here. BDPT00

Try this ... If some Scouts had a situation somewhat like this one, and they asked you what to do ... how would you consel them? Whatever your answer is, that's what you should do. That being said, if your charter partner chooses to conduct a raffle, and donate the proceeds to your unit, that's a different story. BDPT00

We teach our NYLT kids ethics. It's basically this: do what you know is right. Sometimes that's easy, and other times it's very difficult, but it's the same punchline... Do what's right. I would offer you the same advice. BDPT00

"It is a bobble for an adult shirt.......WHO CARES??? If it makes a volunteer feel better, bully for them. I will say that at one point having a bunch of knots was important to me, now not so much." I see this as a common theme regarding recognition. Our program has thrived for a hundred years, due in part to earning and receiving recognition (and yes, I do happen to know that it's for the boys). I see two kinds of people who are critical of wearing bobbles and beads: those who don't have them, and those who've become accustomed to them. People downplay them for numerous reasons (either false or real humilty mostly). To me, they're very important. We all like to hear our own name. We like to be recognized for what we do. We complain if we work for 10 years at a company, and nobody has ever bothere to say "thank you." True? Things are different in Scouts. When we do a good job (heck, change that to if we just show up!), we get thanked and recognized. To those who are critical of adult recognition (either real or fake humility), we hear that "a smile on a boy's face is all the thanks I need." Fine. Thank you. Yes, I see plenty of adults who overdo it (some kids too), but I consider it a matter of maturity. To those who don't wear all of the recognition, thank you. To those who do, thank you. BDPT00

It's OK for the patrol to think of it as competition, but it's not something they should hear from the facilitator. The objective of the game is to get everyone through. The purpose however is what happens after the game. The patrol should have a chance to do a reflection, so they can discover how they made decisions, how they felt when ideas were accepted or rejected, who was the leader, and how planning and working together they can accomplish something difficult. Skipping the reflection is wasting a growth opportunity. This is a game with a purpose. Don't just do the game. BDPT00

OK, that being said, what does the Insignia Guide mean when it says, "Female leaders wearing either the traditional yellow Cub Scout leader blouse, the optional tan leader blouse, or the Venturing blouse ... " What then are the optional tan leader blouse and the Venturing blouse? Would they not be what would commonly be referred to as Scout shirts?

It's an interesting question (to me anyway), and I agree that it's very poorly worded. If this has to do with perhaps the delicate issue of a woman wearing a patch on her pocket, then saying "Cub Leader" is irrelevant. Using the terms blouse and shirt also make it confusing. Are a shirt and a blouse two different things, and by whose definition? A female leader can obviously wear both a temp patch and a Jambo patch at the same time. It sounds to me as if the book is saying that they can wear one temp patch, and its location is optional. Doesn't matter if the leader is a Cubber or not. Part of the wording in the Insignia Guide is "optional tan leader blouse." Is that in reference to your basic Scout shirt, or is a bouse not the same as a shirt in this case? I've never noticed this before, and I'll see if I can shake the bushes a bit. BDPT00

Eagle92, You quoted: "Cub Scout leaders and female leaders [italics in original]wearing the official uniform shirt or blouse may wear one temporar insignia centered above the Boy Scouts of America strip." I can't find such a quote. The Cub Leaders' yellow blouse has no right pocket, and the proper position for their temporary patch is above the BSA strip. I would submit that any other interpretation or extrapolation of that is incorrect. BDPT00

Although I've never heard it before, it's a reasonable question. It's simple. Just read the book. It doesn't say "While a First Class Scout" for the merit badges. Yes, he needs a certain number for each rank, but it doesn't matter when they're earned (as long as they're earned before the next rank's board of review). BDPT00

Regarding the patch position above the right pocket, I disagree. That's for a blouse only. For Cubs, that's the yellow shirt. BDPT00

Thanks OGE. You're exactly right. EDGE isn't new, and it wasn't created by the BSA. It's simply a teaching method, and it's one that young Scouts can learn. We need to learn it, too, so we're on the same page, and so we can help teach it to our Scouts. Just because a kid wears a patrol leader patch (or and Eagle badge) doesn't mean he knows how to teach. We're here to guide them. What a concept! BDPT00

What goes on your right sleeve is very limited and very specific. Don't go by what you see on other people's uniforms, and don't guess. Yes, it does matter, and I'm glad you asked. BDPT00

sherminator wrote: "Even though the QM has no teaching responsibilities, he/she must have an appreciation of the logistical and material support that is necessary to run the course." Why not? Aren't the QMs part of the staff, and don't they participate in the training? Do they wear 3 beads? BDPT00

At a recent roundtable, two of our Scouters received a Certificate of Merit from the council for donating more than 20 gallons of blood. It occurs to me that that kind of very long-term dedicated giving deserves more than a certificate. I'm sure countless lives have been saved by their service. Would it not be reasonable to provide a Medal of Merit (at least) for donating 5, 10, 15, 20, or whatever is deemed a reasonable target? What would be the positive and negative arguments? I think a partnership with the BSA and the Red Cross (or the like) would be a win-win. Where's the negative side to that? Setting an example for our peers and our youth would be a plus. To me, saying "This knot is for donating 10 gallons of blood over a period of 17 years" means more than saying "I got this knot for calling 911 when I was 7 years old." Some may say this would open the flood gates for knots for any old thing. Others may say calling 911 is a form of heroism, and simply going to a donation center 6 times a year for 15 years is a way of punching a clock to buy a knot ... certainly not worthy of a heroism award. What do you say? BDPT00

Stand up and salute! Good for him. BDPT00

The work commemorates the ideals and 100th anniversary of Scouting. It does not benefit the BSA. What?? To me, the punchline is that fundraising is not an Eagle project. I haven't read anything to the contrary, but if some labor of some kind (other than knocking on doors) was done, let's hear it. Was there some kind of leaderhip involved? Who was lead, and how? What did anybody do besides raising mony to pay somebody else to do some work? I have no criticism for the boy. To him, this felt like an Eagle project. To me, it feels like a fundraiser. There's a lot of experience in here. Can anyone recall an Eagle project where the family paid $12,000 to have somebody build something? $5000? $2000? $1000 ... anybody? BDPT00