perdidochas

I'm saying that a MB isn't a MB until the SM signs the card. If the SM has reason to think the MB was awarded incorrectly (which in this case it was), he can refuse to sign, and the MB is not complete. I do agree, this is an incomplete badge. I say this just because the cooking requirements for the cooking MB are the hardest part of the MB. If they are skipped, there is no reason for the Scout to have this MB.

Have you read over the requirements for Cooking merit badge? http://www.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Cooking_2016.pdf It requires making one breakfast, one lunch one dinner and one dessert at home (using at least 5 of 10 cooking methods); cooking two meals (using two different cooking methods) on stove/fire at camp, a dessert or snack; and one meal using either a Dutch oven or foilpack or kabobs for ; and cooking two mails and a snack on the trail. Those are important requirements, and are the hardest part of the badge. A Scout would remember doing that much cooking.

IMHO, getting knockoff green zip pants ($20-$25 at Academy sports) is the best solution. It looks uniform, but at prices that aren't much different from jeans. Levi 501 Jeans (mentioned in the article) are almost as expensive as Scout pants (street price for 501s is $40, Scout pants run $49).

Has the Scout earned the Badge? Did the SM approve of the badge work, which is part of the blue card. Has it been entered into Internet Advancement? I would say the Scout should be required to do the home, camp and trail cooking, but the SM needs to figure out a way to finesse it so it seems like it's the Scout's idea.

I disagree, as we expect most Boy Scout youth to behave civilly in their non-Scout lives (i.e. in the mostly coed world (for most scouts) of middle and high school). It is reasonable to not expect questionable behavior from Boy Scouts.

Exactly.

IMHO, unless it was a safety issue, a Scouter shouldn't be picking up a Scout without permission. I view what your son did as self defense. That said, I do think, that unless he told the SM about not feeling well, some kind of punishment is in order, but not a year of rank advancement.

Well, of course, we should all be teaching that. I think my Troop has been pretty good at that. As I said, we don't tend to have problems with theft when it's just our Troop, but when we are with other troops.

We have a mix. We have some Scouts who put off the project until they get the MBs done. Most of them are doing this because of procrastination. Most of the Scouts spend a few months at Life, maybe earning one or two MBS, then do the Eagle project, then complete the MBS.

Wow, the SMs in our troop have said the opposite--start on your Eagle project ASAP after getting Life. Why? Well, the project is the biggest visible hurdle in the Eagle rank. Also, after the project, a lot of Life Scouts see the light at the end of the tunnel. My oldest son didn't much like most non-active MBs (aka the Citizenship, Pers. Management, etc.), but after finishing his Eagle project he started working on them.

Same here. Both of my sons had completed their Eagle project months before completing all the MBs.

I always advise boys to start working on their Eagle Project when they get Life. My oldest son did that, but my youngest didn't, and most scouts don't. Nothing in this says that you have to do the MBs before doing the project. It says "9.0.2.2 "While a Life Scout ..." Work on a project, including planning, begins after the Life Scout board of review" http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/GuideToAdvancement/EagleScoutRank.aspx

I agree with you. That's the way it should be.

I'm sure homework is tracked that same way. The parent didn't just start that with Scouting.

In my 6 years actively being an adult leader with my boy's Troop, we never have an intra-Troop theft. The only time we had thefts were when we camped with other troops--summer camp, camporees and a local OA sponsored camp. One of our ASMs at that camp had his truck broken into at such an event (he was getting prepared for an upcoming backpacking trip, so he had his backpacking equipment in the truck). A few days later, some boys from another troop fessed up to it, but not sure the final outcome, as they were supposed to not only return all the equipment, but replace the tablet that they had stolen (and then destroyed when they saw he was starting to track it from his phone). The ASM quit scouting, because his basic trust of Scouts was violated. My sons had some problems at OA events, not with theft, but with unauthorized use of my son's equipment (equipment that was in my son's pack, not out in the open, IMHO, the only reason it wasn't stolen was that he came back to camp). As I often say in conversations about kids, my own two sons sometimes get on my nerves. However, when I'm around our Troop, I realize how good my sons are. Then, when around other Troops, I realize how good our Troop is. I do agree with you that I think some of the message is not being transmitted to the Scouts.

Our SE sent out a notice about a meeting to talk about girls in Boy Scouting, and the actual subject on the email line was "Girls as members of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts." The meeting was last week. Not sure what happened, as I didn't attend and don't know anybody that did. Strange that he held the meeting when our Jamboree contingent was out of town.

IMHO, permissible, but not recommended. Anybody that knows educational psychology realizes that achievements need to be awarded fairly close to the time of being completed in order for the achievement to be valued. My sons' troop gave out Rank Advancement patches ASAP after the BOR for the rank. MB patches (and the cards for Rank/MBs) were awarded at the COH, or the next meeting (if the scout didn't attend). The Scout part of the blue card was never taken from the Scout, except for while being signed/recorded.

I learned that, too, but broke it often enought that I realized it wasn't true. My kids have only heard about it in joking. I do realize why it was a popular myth. As an adult, it's nice to take a little while after eating.

My oldest has been BSA certified Life guard for 4 years (renewed once, and worked Summer Camp as a life guard). He just took an ARC Lifeguard course. He was disappointed, and wasn't impressed by the training.

We have 4 man cheap coleman tents that they generally sleep 3 to a tent. The more boys in a tent, the louder the campsite. We allow Star Scouts and above to tent alone. We allow all scouts to bring their own tents, but if they are below Star, they have to share with a buddy or two.

I find it hard to believe that a Scout BB gun could shatter a window. I don't doubt that one could chip a window.

My oldest son was part of the O-line in freshman and JV football. When they mess up, everybody yells at them. When they don't mess up, the quarterback is doing a great job. The O-line also never gets their names called, as do almost everybody else on the field. The D-line gets recognition for tackles. The receivers/running backs for moving the ball. The O-line is the ultimate team player.

At least in my Council, the council never sees the blue cards. All the council ever sees is the completed advancement reports. The only time blue cards are necessary is when a scout comes from a different district (or sometimes troop), and needs to prove they completed a merit badge.

No cut and dry rules on this. The general rule in my troop is that if there's another MBC available, don't teach your son However, if you're the only counselor who even has interest in a badge, then you have to be able to do it. Our rule is that if you're a MBC for your son, at least one other scout has to be involved. Your 10 scouts would qualify in your troop.

I agree. I think top people need to see what people "in the weeds" see. I also think that all school principals should have to teach one year in the classroom every 7 years, and that all people who work in central school offices should be required to eat school lunch at least once a week in a different school cafeteria, given the exact same amount of time that the students/teachers have to eat (i.e typically 25 minutes or less).