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Truth: I've never had to tell it to a scout. They generally are quite proud to brag about the shenanigans at our meetings. And, they are in uniform when working booths at community events and the like. They also teach survival skills to their classmates as part of the school curriculum. It seems to be the adults who often take the words/actions of the most negative scout to heart.

In normal years, January is our associated Pack's pinewood derby month. Also, like @mrjohns2's troop, we host Webelos/AoL's on a Cabin weekend. That got postponed to this past weekend, so they are now crossovers! Still, a lot of fun, and some pre-Easter weather made it feel quite like other weekends.

Um, I'm sorry (not sorry). But not wanting to publicly associate with scouting is a good reason to suspend advancement. If you're ashamed to be in my troop, it's all good, I'll just be ashamed to bling you. [Rant over.] I approach this from the perspective of leaving it up to a scout to implement, but providing ideas in case they aren't sure how to proceed. It's a big country, so each group of scouts will have a different "best strategy." Most of us are convinced that classroom settings work poorly. We're also fairly certain that mapping the order of MBs (except for those that explicitly require earning another MB) for a scout is more of an impediment than help. Most of us have seen scouts work on their other Citizenship MBs in pairs or fours and like it. I've seen them try classroom settings and hate it. So I think that will apply here. My general thinking is that by the time that you might be elected to O/A (not just camping nights and rank ... but your fellow scouts see something worth voting for) you've probably got what it takes to work on this MB. Note: that does not mean that you should ignore opportunities. E.g. ... if there's an interesting community leader who could give your troop an engaging presentation, strongly encourage your PLC to invite him/her.

First of all, the only older scouts needing to pick it up at all will be those interested in obtaining Eagle. Secondly, most will not need to do so all at once. How many 17.5 year old life scouts -- or more specifically, how many scouts dead set on earning their bird between June and September -- do you have in your troop? I am thinking 1st class as in the concept, not the patch. So, basically a mature scout that's getting out there in the world and meeting folks outside their usual spheres. It could be through other extra-curriculars ... in person or online. Those are the youth who would benefit most from this. I think.

This is why, on the other hand, I am considering counseling this MB. Part of learning to be a crew advisor was coaching youth on how to host an ethical controversy. Plus, as an Arab American, there were specific requirements for coming to dinner (or any gathering). Discussions on politics, religion or both were mandatory, so ... Come prepared to defend your opinion to someone on the opposite end of the table (room). If that person already has your opinion, defend the opposite. Do so simultaneously while other pairs/groups are discussing a different topic. So, I feel like I can bring something to the table ... even if I'm not a human resources type. My main concern about counseling is the desire for "high speed, low drag." Nothing about this badge would make me want to do this in a troop/classroom setting. ... Maybe in a patrol setting around a campfire or during a hike. An interesting approach would be getting scouts from different neighborhoods together. Also, a boy's patrol and girl's patrol might be able to hash some of this out. Best case scenario would be four First Class scouts from markedly different troops reflecting on this material. (In fact, that was the best thing about venturing ... when youth from different parts of the region got together and talked through life.)

Great, the guy who really likes co-Ed scouting gets to be devil's advocate. I’ve endured plenty of “boorish, uncouth behavior” among the male and female youth among the venturers who I supervise. It’s worse among the junior high church youth who I’ve had to chaperone. It takes a lot of determination (and, often, tact) on the direct contact leader’s part to keep it in check. I’ve come to conclude that it’s no different than a unisex group. Sometimes you draw a lot who is more noble than you ever were, while other times you’re constantly calling out one crass comment after another.

Here's an interesting mash-up of bird study and citizenship in society: https://www.alleghenyfront.org/how-the-birding-community-is-working-for-racial-and-environmental-justice/

It’s not a bad idea to master a skill in something you don’t like. I loath Kuerigs, etc … but I learned the order of operations of the beast that flagrantly defiles our counter top so that I could serve Mrs. Q her swill with scant milk and a dash of her God-awful vanilla flavored preference in creamer on days when I’m not making my espresso with (one of) my moka pot(s). Things we do for love. The truth is, if you’re doing it out of love, you need to ask the folks you’re doing it for how they’d like it. Otherwise, telling them you got your technique from strangers on the internet will just cheapen their experience.

It will take a unique American scout who understands what an SDG is. The odds favor someone who’s been to world Jambo, they could have met someone whose travels there helped them meet a school requirement regarding SDGs. However, even though they might not speak the lingo, they might be occupied in meeting an SDG. I think I’ll give Son #2 a nudge. He’s into next gen municipal water purification.

A lot of leaders don't realize how often they have to repeat, "We need you here. You're welcome. Get trained come camping with us. Sit and fish. The coffee will be strong and hot. Yes, we let scouts do their thing. No we don't want parents to badger kids about advancement. Yes we need you to encourage your scout. We also need you to enjoy watching him/her grow strong and good." If we don't do that enough, we will seem hostile.

@SiouxRanger, scouters have won long before they started typing. (Cash your deposit at @Oldscout448’s next camporee.) I bet that stipulation goes pretty far back. And, I’ve always treated it as a restriction on combat training, not parade drills. Scouting has always danced the line between trained and disciplined youth and fighting force of the future. As to why I prefer “insignia wonk…” I’ve never heard the Bar Association called “Lawyer Police” even though they can deliver far more severe consequences than any of us can when we point out uniform faux pas. The closest thing to actual insignia enforcers at National would be the folks who send cease and desists orders to media outlets who use BSA’s uniform without permission. And, IMHO, I think that has maintained the brand at the cost of hurting recruitment.

There are no uniform police, only insignia wonks. And with them, scouters chock full of snark. Given that, in reply to your questions … A scout is not required to wear a uniform to an EBoR. Jeans should be clean and neatly pressed. Who told you the kid had to get out of jail? Youth detention programs have at times found it helpful to have youth get along with their scouting advancement. Selling with red hair might postpone the EBoR for an additional week. Are these really bothering you? Or, are you just fishing around for the lowest bar to justify your preferred patch placement?

To add to @MYCVAStory's disclaimer ... this is not an analysis, but some descriptive statistics. Without going into details, criminology is hard work, and this is not such a work. But to address @fred8033's comment: It is true that sometimes abusers act in concert. Determined predators may look for co-conspirators as well as victims. A couple of my friends were abused in such a way by their families. With that in mind, we don't know how much prohibiting 1-on-1 contact prevents abuse. It's not 100%. We are hoping that it's some number much greater than zero.

There may indeed be mistakes in one’s past, but the most annoying thing is a friend who asks forgiveness for them. One owns errors, adjusts, and moves on. We need contrition from those who were malicious, avaricious, or haughty. From everyone else, we need them to do better the next time they step up to the bat.

@denibug72 in these conditions we'd simply schedule a day-hike through town or on a popular trail with full gear. It turns out that those generate some great moments. (I have vivid memories of our boys taking a wrong turn in a community park and finding themselves atop a snow-laden fifty foot cliff.) The point is to work your pack so you are making a meal, and switching out gear, and putting it all back together. It was on the aforementioned day-hike that I learned that I am not a camel-back drinker. (I suspect it's because I stopped nursing before my 1st birthday and never looked back.) Those repeated exercises keep everyone sharp. The more scouts and scouters do together, the better. Crews especially need to build a collective synergy for hiking.

Risk Zone training specifically taught not to caravan. I make sure parents know where they are going in advance. Still, I saw one parent rush a light and get t-boned. (Thankfully nobody was hurt except the parent's pride and her insurance premiums.) Now, that lecture is a little bit longer with new parents. I prefer to give it while watching the cars of seasoned parents leave. The only reason to caravan is if you want to make an A-10 Warthog pilot salivate. (Stolen from an airman's meme of the day.)

https://www.decathlon.sg/p/hiking-backpack-30l-nh-arpenaz-100-quechua-8583162.html

@69RoadRunner those Jambo Osprey Hikelitem26s were wierd. It wasn’t the width, but the height that I found problematic. A Smartwater bottle would be even more prone to rolling out, I think. Never experienced that with other packs.

One of those Eagle’s flew over the house today while we were out to walk to the shore. Looks like it might be fixing to build a nest. In other news, the ice melted just enough to blow south from Canada and pike up. Grandson #1 looked out from atop the glacial shoreline at the wrack and ruin and shouted “Oh no! Water all gone!”

World Jambo US contingent issued Osprey day packs. My scouts love them, and it seemed that half the scouts from the rest of the world did too and would try to broker trades for them. Me … not so much. The side pockets weren’t deep enough for a standard water bottle. I had to attach a shock chord to keep from losing mine. I eventually traded with a young Spanish staff (after making sure his pack’s side pockets were sufficiently deep). I don’t know the brand, but I have been using it for the past two years with absolutely no regrets.

@denibug72, the best way to increase your comfort level is backpacking every month before your trip. Every scout and scouter needs to be very comfortable with their gear. I keep my backpack at the end of my bed (much to Mrs. Q’s consternation), and I have no clue what’s in it after three months idle.

A bald eagle swooped in on our Lake Erie lawn. The 90 lb dog must have looked worth the challenge until the bird closed in. I was relieved that all parties involved thought better of tangling. I was less concerned about the vet bill and more about the legal ramifications of "finding" a feather in my pets' maw.

That was what the Cub Scout handbook was for me ... an outline of things to do that I had not tried before. I vividly remember: holding open the page about neckties in front of a mirror until I no longer needed a clip-on. learning referee/umpire signals. Although I wasn't athletic, I began to enjoy watching sports more because I could follow the adjudication as well as the action. model boats with rubber band motors. collections -- our DL had us bring what we were collecting to a Den meeting. Plus, the book served Bobcat, Wolf, and Bear, if I recall. The sons' handbooks were a little more structured, but not as navigable.

In terms of preference: it depends on the scout. A scout who finds road biking to be boring will find those extra miles to be sheer torture. A scout who finds rough terrain and close trails to detract from the scenery will think the opposite. My colleague calls this cognitive discounting. It’s not worth the extra X for the perceived effort of Y. So, you learn who values what based on what they’d choose for a given award.