perdidochas

I would recommend against it. I agree the wording is strange, but it would be rare for a 9 year old to be able to physically and emotionally succeed as a Boy Scout. I would recommend a year at Webelos Scout (or Arrow of Light Scout) first.

He's a volunteer, and if he doesn't want to work with a particular boy he doesn't have to.

What? If it were up to me, I'd have all new scouts cook on their first camping trip.

First Aid and Swimming are good choices to begin with.

Well, there is no restriction per BSA, but if the counselor doesn't want to teach Cooking MB to younger boys he shouldn't have to. That said, as a Cooking MB counselor, I don't see what the problem would be.

My thoughts as well, the only individual rank requirements national or the council look at are the Eagle ones. The Life and before are all within the Troop, and the only thing sent to Council is rank advancement and merit badges.

I don't buy that. The completion of individual rank requirements are not sent to the Council. All that is sent is the record of rank completion.

If they have valid U.S. passports or foreign passports with green cards, you shouldn't have any problem.

As long as there is more than one scout in the car, it's ok on car trips. Not ok to have more scouts than seatbelts.

I wouldn't. The troop my boys are in is much more boy led than mine ever was.

Well, I don't believe that Bird Study should be an Eagle Requirement. It's too specialized. I do believe that Nature merit badge should be an Eagle Requirement for a similar reason you think Bird Study should be required. I also think the Sustainability merit badge should be immediately eliminated as an Eagle required badge--it's just too boring for the boys.

I'm an ASM, but if I were advising my SM, I would say no. Those aren't camping, they are sleeping indoors.

Volunteer to help. IMHO, (and I say this as somebody who has been a volunteer for over 10 years), the only complaint form is an adult leader form. Fill it out, and step up. I hope you have a receipt for the money. Sounds like ti got lost. Talk to the Cubmaster and the Committee chair. The Cubmaster is the one who runs the Pack meetings.

Sounds legal, although unethical. If she comes to the Den meeting on Wednesday, welcome her and her son. They obviously need to learn about ethics.

Locally, I know at least two boys that were in that situation (their Troop disbanded, right as they were at the cusp of Eagle). The Council let them finish what they needed to finish without a Troop.

The only problem with that is that backpacking tents are more fragile than general duty tents. That said, when I bought my own sons (both now Eagles) outdoor gear, I bought backpacking type gear--As I told them, you can use backpacking gear for all camping, you can't use most plop camping gear for backpacking. That, and backpacking gear fits under dorm room beds.

Duplicate post. Didn't realize this was a Lazarous thread that I had already commented on.

Here's what G2SS says about it: http://www.scouting.org/Home/HealthandSafety/GSS/gss08.aspx#m

We use Coleman retail. Ours are pretty cheap--about $50, and have lasted several years of monthly camping fairly well.

Well, the parents give consent on the Parts A and B of the medical form. Now, they can make exceptions, but it should be made explicit. We haven't had any problems, but if a parent requested, we would take their pictures down (or not put any up) of their Scout.

I like the above. As an ASM, I'd probably talk about knots and other First Class stuff with him.

Well, I assume that the person telling the tale to me is telling the truth, unless inconsistencies occur. I can easily imagine a misguided SM taking away rank. My point about the lying is if their signatures are in his handbook, then the BOR has been done. If they acknowledge something is their signature, then claim it didn't take place, then they are lying.

If they signed his book, it took place. Per BSA policy, the Scout's handbook is the official record. If they signed it, the signatures can't be invalid. They can only be invalid if they didn't actually sign it. If they signed it, and then act as if it was invalid, IMHO, they are lying, and should be immediately removed from the BSA. There is no provision for stripping earned rank. That alone is a major departure from BSA rules.

I agree with the above.

Scouting isn't a democracy in terms of how leaders are determined. The CC and the COR determine who the Cubmaster is. The question is, what is bothering you about them? Are they planning events you don't like? Ask the Council who the COR is. What den are you the DL of?