perdidochas

I don't see it as much of a problem. In Boy Scouting in our troop, Advancement is individual. The main problem, IMHO, will be how TroopWebhost handles this.

Well, if it's not a scout function, no worries about the legalities of YP. That said, sad to say, but it's just prudent in this world to never be one on one with any child that is not your own.

I agree with MattR. You are a fairly new father. Your oldest is still two years away from starting school. Your youngest isn't walking. I wouldn't sacrifice my time as a father of toddlers for being a Scoutmaster. Wait until your boy is a Tiger Cub--be a leader for him, and work your way up. Also, it's less than an ideal situation to carry small kids on Boy Scout campouts.

Why don't they also want to help other Scouts with those?

I agree, and that is why I thought the parents were being kind of selfish and unreasonable. I bond plenty with my boys outside of Scouting. As a Scout leader, when I interact with them, I do so, not as their parent, but as their Assistant Scoutmaster. Yes, I took that position partly to help them (as do the majority of leader/parents), but I make it a point that my main focus is the Troop and the Scouts, not my sons. I have been a MBC for my boys--in MBs that I'm well qualified for, and that I'm the sole MBC in the troop for (Environmental Science and Cooking, as well as most of the nature related badges). To do that, I conduct classes to benefit more than just my sons. To only counsel my sons in those badges would be selfish. I have counseled those same badges since then without my boys being involved. I will continue to do so. I personally feel it would be selfish for me to only counsel my sons in the non-Eagle required badges I counsel.

I pretty much agree with this. Troops capable of First Class, First year pretty much are highly active troops that do a range of different activities. I do agree that we lose most scouts in the First year in the troop (although our pack had a pretty big loss rate between sign up and the end of the first month--many boys that signed up and registered never even show up at the first den meeting (maybe 1/4 to 1/3).)

My best compliment from a youth this year was to get an Eagle mentor pin from one of my former Tiger Cubs. I was his Tiger Cub Den Leader, his Webelos Den leader, and a MBC and Assistant Scoutmaster.

The fieldbook cover is great for two reasons--protection, and if the boys write their names on it in Sharpie, it's much easier to figure out who's book it is.

Well, our council requires for MBCs that they fill out an adult application (no fee), and that they fill out the MBC form and take YPT. My concern with the parents is that they would help the boy "pencil whip" requirements. Also, part of the methods of BSA is Adult Association, meaning besides parents.

Yes. They can work on the MB with their son, but shouldn't sign off on it without the district approval of their application. They need to get MB counselor approved, or not sign off on MBs. All parents should take YPT anyway.

I think it's up to the Scout and his family. I think Eagle is a significant enough achievement to warrant it's own separate ECOH. Our Troop does both--separate ECOHs and ECOHs as part of the quarterly COH's. In general, the more motivated Scouts seem to have a separate ECOH, and the last minute Eagles tend to have their ECOH as part of the quarterly COHs.

We often salt with a $5 for camp policing. It's scary how often it's not found by Scouts.

Well, at least in my Council it is. Now, I don't think an election is necessary, but the camping nights (and the long term camp requirement) definitely are. When the previous SM tried to recruit me into OA, he mentioned that I would have to do a long term camp to qualify. I have since done that (I like the idea that I could be in OA, but I really don't have the time for playing Native American)). My boys love it (my oldest was vice chapter chief last year, and has some kind of position in the Lodge cabinet now) and it gives them a chance to Scout without me.

I disagree about Eagle not being as prestigious as it was, at least outside of scouting circles. When I'm talking about my sons having become Eagles (my youngest had his ECOH this past weekend), everybody outside of Scouting still sees it as a good thing, and a great honor. I also disagree that being a Boy Scout is less prestigious than it was--it used to be just something that everybody did for a few years, now it's a bit less common.

In our troop, probably about 3/4, depending on how you define regular.

If you're in Pensacola, PM me. We have a troop that is pretty close to boy-led, and we need more adults who are outdoorsmen. We also have need for an SM in a couple of months.

Simple motivation technique: Put up signs: The floggings will continue until morale improves.

I disagree. I think Scouting is more fun with effort, because the effort is the fun.

So they didn't want a Scout troop, they wanted Webelos III.... I do think that you need to go elsewhere, but if possible find another troop. Scouting needs men that are willing and able to backpack. Your current troop doesn't.

Locally, we have a few KoC groups that are multi-parish. We tend to have fairly small parishes here.

No big deal. They are simply asking the Knights to transfer the charters to the parishes. My troop is sponsored by a Catholic Parish already, so it's no big deal to me.

SMs and ASMs are not allowed to be part of ANY BOR, Eagle down to Tenderfoot. That's in GTA, and has been in effect as long as I've been an adult Boy Scout leader (almost 6 years). SMs (and ASMs) can be present, but just as observers and moral support. Troop Committee Members are the ideal members of the EBOR outside of the District reps. Our District started out doing the EBORs at Troop level (each Troop set it up), but they have changed it to the District level to centralize it.

The middle one. I think a patrol with mixed boys and girls at that age would be rough on the boys. 11 year old boys are much less capable in terms of interpersonal skills than 11 year old girls. A mixed gender/similar age patrol would not work well, IMHO.

Join is one thing, rejoin is another.

Talk to the scoutmaster of his current troop. He may be on the verge of being kicked out of it as well. I'd be very hesitant to take him back.