perdidochas

As long as he does the minimum meals needed for cooking merit badge, it's fine.

Each school system is different. Just relating what the local school system does. My wife used to be an assistant principal, and she actually had to use the rule.

I'm noticing the above in my son's old troop (they have aged out/lost interest). They seem to be watering down some of what I and the SM when I was ASM had built up. IMHO, if you have the leadership numbers, a good way to do it would be to have two troop backpacking trips--an easier one, and your normal one. We had an annual backpacking trip on the same weekend as the district camporee, and it worked well. Our older boys were burnt out on camporees, and our younger boys weren't ready for backpacking (didn't have the size, strength or gear for it).

I would say the first thing is to try to remember the Scout Law when dealing with her. I would guess that the best way to do it is when she drops off/picks up the boy. Have the COR, CC and CM do it. It's not worth risking losing other cubs over one disgruntled parent.

How depressing. I though Camporees were bad in my district a few years ago.

Locally, the schools have a rule about such situations--it's called safe harbor, and basically, if a child realizes that they accidentally have a knife or lighter on them, if they turn it into the teacher as soon as they realize it, it will simply be confiscated until a parent can come pick it up. However, if they show it off to another child, or if it slips out of their pocket, then punishments will be enacted for the contraband. It's a pretty reasonable rule.

Speaking as a former advancement chair, I would say that blue cards aren't necessary. All national needs is the online records, and I believe those have to be checked before the EBOR is scheduled. I think it would be a good idea to ask the council for a copy of your advancement records, if you don't have the blue cards or the MB cards (which, IMHO are more important anyway). That, and honestly, an EBOR is too late of a time to protect the validity of the Eagle Rank.

I believe that's adding to the requirements, which simply say that you have to have the names of references. Strictly speaking, there is no requirement to have letters of recommendation returned at all, much less the extra hassle of getting two people that have recommended you to show up. Check with your SM or Advancement chair, not "someone in your troop."

Our district does the same. The difference being that we allow the SM to be an escort (don't let parents, just like you). We have the letters of recommendation sent to the SM by mail, and he (or his designate) brings the unopened letters to the EBOR. They get shredded afterwards.

Yup, that's quite a bit of work to do correctly.

In terms of the MB colleges, etc., I just can't understand how anybody can sign off Camping merit badge without the 9b being fulfilled correctly. 9b. On any of these camping experiences, you must do TWO of the following, only with proper preparation and under qualified supervision: 1. Hike up a mountain where, at some point, you are at least 1,000 feet higher in elevation from where you started. ** **The wording in the merit badge pamphlet (as shown above) is different than the wording in Boy Scout Requirements 2017, which reads: "Hike up a mountain, gaining at least 1,000 vertical feet." 2. Backpack, snowshoe, or cross-country ski for at least 4 miles. 3. Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours. 4. Take a nonmotorized trip on the water of at least four hours or 5 miles. 5. Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience. 6. Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more.

Don't understand how a troop that isn't a backpacking/camping troop can develop Eagles. I know until my boys' troop upped their game and started camping in a wider variety of ways and places, it was hard to get the Camping Merit badge. Once we added higher adventure to our campouts, Camping merit badge became easily attainable.

Well, we had one boy who's family bought a lizard, and after watching it for the time period, they sold it (at a slight loss) to another scout. My son had this requirement to finish, and he lucked out, and we had frog eggs in our fish pond. He observed them weekly until they became frogs.

I think that's an improper attitude for a judge. His job was to rule based on the law/constitution as written, not on his conscience. For the rest of us, it's a great idea.

My son's former troop (they have aged out) had dues of $124. That included membership in BSA and all awards.

What level are you planning to lead at? First, Woodbadge is never necessary for unit leadership. Second, not every leader in the unit needs BALOO.

The Troop is out of line. Parents should be allowed to observe any activity without YPT and being a registered adult. IMHO, that contravenes YPT. Can the boy come to the campout as a day trip? Their is no requirement that he camp. I'd pick b or a modified b--day tripper to the campout. That said, if the parents can't get out of the helicopter parent mindset, the boy misses out. I would also recomend that you ask the mother to take YPT. Not so much for her becoming a leader, but so she understands the rules and precautions that BSA leaders have to take.

That's what my point has been to the other adults in the troop who insist that the Scout have a copy of all MB cards and blue cards for the EBOR. It's all in the internet records, and by the time they get to the EBOR, all has been worked out. We did have an almost Eagle that had some problems getting that approval, because he had been a Scout/Tenderfoot in a different council, and was missing Swimming Merit badge on his internet records. He had his MB card, and we got that straightened out. That was weeks before his EBOR>

Well, not sure how your district works, but in mine, that is unnecessary. If the MBs are recorded on Internet Advancement at the Council, there is no need for them. IMHO, this is one of those cases of adding to requirements. That said, we have some troop level folks that are convinced that is necessary, to the point that they recreate blue cards for the Life Scouts about to go to EBOR.

I view a facemask or nose plug as an accomodation. Goggles, not so much. Why? There is no difference in terms of breathing, etc. with or without goggles. There is a difference between swimming with a mask/nose plugs than without.

A dive mask is a different thing than goggles. A dive mask covers the nose. The goggles don't.

I'm not a rules lawyer. Common sense tells me that a swim test should be without aids. I'm not going to sign anybody off as a swimmer who can't swim without aids. that said, I don't view goggles as an aid. I do view a mask as an aid. the difference--whether or not the nose is covered. There is no essential difference between swimming with goggles and swimming without. Swimming with a mask is easier, due to the mask closing the nose off.

That is the exact text of the BSA swim test. Here is the rank requirement: 6a. Successfully complete the BSA swimmer test. https://www.scouting.org/filestore/boyscouts/pdf/First_Class_rank_2016.pdf I quoted the Safe Swimmer requirements for the BSA swimmer test.

1. Jump feet first into water over the head in depth, level off, and begin swimming..." The swimmer must be able to make an abrupt entry into deep water and begin swimming without any aids. Walking in from shallow water, easing in from the edge or down a ladder, pushing off from side or bottom, or gaining forward momentum by diving do not satisfy this requirement." BSA, Safe Swim Defense (2017) A facemask is a swimming aid.

We let different troops or the OA volunteer to run Camporees. We have the adults just doing logistics, and have the boys create/run the events.