perdidochas

My thoughts exactly. We don't need to make things boring. In fact, for teaching boys, we need to make it the opposite. We need to make it exciting and real, not sterile and safe. IMHO, he needs to be allowed to use a small sheath knife (or a switchblade :-) )

I disagree totally, on pedagogical reasoning. A Cub Scout is much more likely to remember "blood circle" than "safety circle." The language is much more vivid, and will stay in their brains longer. We don't need to make Scouting sterile and boring.

They are taking away some of the fun and tradition for no good reason. That said, having been a Cub/Boy Scout leader for almost ten years, I never personally saw anything worth taking off Whittlin'/Totin' chip corners--the threat of it (which is now gone) was enough. There was a major incident in the Troop the year before my sons joined it, so that may have been part of it.

It's up to the pack to decide about cutting corners off the Whitlin' chip, per the Link to Scouting magazine. I think it's a good practice.

Get the SM to sign off on the requirement in November. The committee cannot vote to force the SM to do things that aren't according to BSA National.

I think that's not fair at all. That, and the troop is pretty pathetic if they don't meet in the summer. IMHO, summer is the best time for Scouting. The Scouts have time to work on merit badges, etc., without homework or athletics interfering.

Exactly.

I would amend what you said to: "I am a Scouting purist. Following the program is the best thing for the boys. Your son needs to learn to communicate with authority figures on his own. College professors will simply laugh at a parent who tries to intervene for their kids."

Wow, having the scout talk to you about it is about concern for the boy. Part of the process is getting the Scouts to do their own jobs and stand up and do for themselves.

Any more word from EagleMomnDad2be?

IMHO, anybody who thinks another volunteer isn't working hard enough, should be willing to take their place, or help them in their position.

Well, IMHO, in our troop, it's sort of comforting. We always begin meetings with the Oath and Law, and yes, it's from memory (albeit assisted by the crowd). Nothing about their character if they can't do it. Does give us a hint on their nervousness.

We do the same. It's just part of the custom of the BORs (which we extend to the EBOR). The Oath and Law, as you say, aren't pass/fail, but part of how we do things. We also do it at the beginning of every meeting. It's part of our culture. We also do the Pledge of Allegience at BORs and meetings. At one of the first EBORs I helped with, we had an Eagle Candidate who couldn't say the Pledge for the life of him. Yes, he still became an Eagle. It was just interesting to see what nerves can do.

Just talking about YPT.

I don't see the big deal. IMHO, all parents who go on campouts (even under 72 hrs) should take YPT for their own protection, and more importantly, so they know what's going on. It doesn't take that long.

I'm a former high/middle school science teacher. My sons always did miserably in science fair. Why? I did very little, and let them do it, while the other parents did the majority of their children's projects. That said, I'm happy that I did that, not because my sons lost, but but because they did it, not me. I have never liked Camporees, in general. Partly, it's because I hate watching how other Troops were not as Scout led as we are. One incident that really bothered me was a pumpkin chucking competition we had. The boys were supposed to build a pumpkin chucking catapult between 8 and noon, and then in the afternoon we would have the actual pumpking tossing competition using the catapults. Our boys managed to cobble together something that worked. Didn't toss the pumpkins far, but did toss them, and was built by the boys with no adult input (did have a couple older--17yr old scouts). They lost miserably in the competition, and it was to troops that pre-built their catapults carrying them on a trailer to the site, and with much adult input. No disqualification, nothing said to the cheating troops. Just turned me off more.

How old is your son? The minimum time your son can be a Life Scout working on Eagle Scout is 6 months. The maximum time is one day before his 18th birthday. Unless your son is 17 1/2, he has more than 6 months to complete his Eagle. If he advanced to Life, he has already met all Life Requirements. Theoretically, he can earn his Eagle requirements before January, and become an Eagle then, but unless he was 17 1/2 or close in July, I wouldn't recommend that.

The current requirements don't require adults to do. My two Eagle sons did it with minimal help from me (other than transportation, and doing things they were not allowed to do per the rules)

No, he's saying that we shouldn't add on unnecessary rules because of the parents that are doing things for their kids.

If that's the rationale, his troop is in trouble. I know with my boys at that level, they wouldn't have had a problem with it. They were camping frequently. However, a lot of our older Life Scouts who were gung ho (and had 6 months in a POR and a year as an active Life Scout), but then got into high school extracurriculars, it would have been hard.

If a boy is working on Eagle, unless they already have their POR time, I don't see how they can avoid campouts. The busy lives of older teens is why, given my druthers, I would recommend boys work to get their Eagle at 15 or 16, instead of waiting to be 17.5. Both of my boys got their Eagle at 15. The oldest had the time of his life as an Eagle Scout. The younger got too busy in high school stuff.

Actually, it does specify "while a Life Scout who has made rank by age 17.51." That's what 6 months as a Life Scout with a POR says.

Rules are rules. He was too old when he became a Life Scout--didn't have six months left. They should have told him at that time, and not have him waste his time and money on an Eagle Project.

The problem is that technically this is a YPT violation, and if another Scouter found out about it, the 18 year old could be banned from Scouting for the rest of his life for this. Yes, you were comfortable with it, but technically speaking you are also violating YPT.

If they have a rotation of duties, there's no reason that a scout who's not on duty should be working, unless there is a problem. The CM was out of line. Boy should be sleeping with his patrol.