qwazse

I take the description to be more of a suggestion than a requirement. Most times, the Chaplain's Aide would need a "go to" adult. I had a religiously diverse family -- and no small amount of arrogance -- so I had no problem with the position on my own as a youth. I've seen other youth manage well without adult support. But, by and large, most boys will need guidance picking a reading and setting up a time for vespers, promoting religious awards, etc ... It's definitely one that if you don't have the right boy or a willing adult capable of helping a less-than-prepared boy, you're better off going without the position.

The decisions on cannon are a study in itself. But protestants and catholics work from the same OT and NT. They dispute the importance of apocrypha ... which basically cover the period between Israel's return from exile, the wars of Maccabees, and the rise of Roman occupation -- most devout protestants (and, obviously, Jews) read it sooner or later. There is nothing from those books that couldn't be inferred from agreed-upon cannon, and therefore the extra narrative does not explain any schism. The one distinction between Jewish and Christian cannon, is the ordering of the books. The Jewish Bible has books in Chronological order, while the Christian Old Testament is ordered (crudely) by style of writing (Law, History, Poetry, Major (i.e. prolific) Prophecy, and Minor (i.e. brief) Prophecy). Obviously, the NT sets the tone for divergence in Jewish and Christian thought. But, even there, the writing seems to reflect on why there is a division, not drive people to be divisive. If you have a bookish scout who wants to discuss these things (at least from a Christian perspective), here is a source of public-domain material that a friend started back when everyone was asking what the "www" on his buisness card meant: http://www.ccel.org/search/books/apocrypha. The Vatican library produces similar resources online. (I'm sure there are comparable Jewish sites. And, at last look, the Islamic schools are getting there.) (And yes, CCEL comes with an app.)

What, you don't? Sorry you're missing out. I once explained orthodoxy (to a zealous protestant friend who was a little in denial about being protestant) as the doctrine that we choose to hand down to our children because we have found it to be of lasting value. The trick is making sure that "we" includes the carnival of souls who've come before and gone ahead.

The "seat of the pants" thing isn't all that bad. But, people need an anchor. Let that anchor be the handbook. It is easy to get cheezed at boys not following your spoken order. (And yes, in my familiy if you asked Dad a question that Mom had already answered in a way you didn't like, it was grounds for severe negative reinforcement.) But take it down a peg and make sure you get to the heart of the issue. Ask them why they went to the ASM instead of the SM. If it was because they knew that the SM would be critical of their performance, then ask them why they thought that. If it was because they hadn't perfomed their duties as layed out in their handbook, ask them what they should do with that signature. If they come clean, get with the SPL and see what kind of project would make up for the last six months slacking. But, it could be that, early on, they started to do stuff in their position and something someone said led them to shut down. Maybe the SM came off like he wasn't available to talk over their attempts. This does happen with "seat of your pants" organizations. Recognition goes by the wayside and boys fall through the cracks. In this scenario, ask the boys what they learned from this, and if they'd like an opportunity to do something differently. I wouldn't make this about Scout Spirit. I'd make it about fullfillnig the requirement.

Zero sleeping quarters. 8x8 tarps for each person. On the ground around your respective fires. Fold the tarp over your sorry hide if the weather turns foul. Stow bedrolls under one fly in the morning. Combine the remaining tarps for fly's during the day. One single-person camp shower per patrol, set up in a different location each day, with two fly's for privacy. Unisex latrine with "occupied" sign on the door.

Step 1: Abandon sub-par teaching methods, such as EDGE. Step 2: Adopt a method that actually brought the West out of the darkages. The first step of which should include "Reference." Step 3: Refer to the handbook, or to a mobile app (in this case meritbadge.org): The historian preserves troop photographs, news stories, trophies, flags, scrapbooks, awards, and other memorabilia. The chaplain aide works with the troop chaplain to meet the religious needs of Scouts in the troop. He also works to promote the religious emblems program. Step 4: Do what's written, on a monthly basis, check in with your PL or SPL for after action review, improve. Or, Step 4b: Ignore what's written for six months, return to step 1. Whose fault is it? Who cares? Since when is a star scout's advancement supposed to be dependent on anybody but his own. Either he did what was layed out for him in the handbook and six well-chosen merit badge pamphlets or he did not. If he did not, he is not, by definition, a life scout. In fact, if a boy comes to me and says, "Sir, I have been waiting to be assigned a position for 6 months, meanwhile the QM was a jaggoff, so I inventoried the gear and got everyone to clean it all after the fall camporee, I went to my younger brother's den meetings because their chief was all about the basketball this winter, and I a got Jamila (this girl in another crew) to check out In the Name of God. You're welcome." Guess who's getting his book signed on the spot, in bold, with no apologies to how much of a headache it will give the andvancement chair with the Troopmaster? Let me ask again, how is this complicated?

After I read your post yesterday, there was a "server driver error" ... The first one with this new software ... Just sayin'

In what world does something signed under false pretenses constitute fulfillment of requirements? None in which I want our youth to grow.

How is this complicated? If the boys did not fulfill the requirements, scratch the signature. The whole thing could be easily remedied if the Historian produces his summary of troop events over the last six months (a poster of photos and captions maybe) and the Chaplain's aid produces his "order of service" (e.g., the scriptures he chose to read for each campout) or list the homesick boys he helped at camp. Really NYC, you should have written in their books "POR unmet as of April 2015." Betcha they would have gone straight to the SM then!

Actually, a 1st year scout in my Sunday school class (troop on opposite side of town) noted that his older brother was going to "have to take" Cit. Nation at MbU, These boys are rather bookish -- good fits for digital technology, but even they caught on the the ridiculousness of it all. Oh, and E94-A1, only 3/4 of "scouting" is "outing." The other 1/4 is "sc".

Sorry, spent the weekend talking to folks who remembered when youth Explorers could join O/A, then it went co-ed, then the brotherhood became a "Boy Scouts only" kind of thing. What I am saying is that these inclusive programs will generate first class scouts (i.e., kids with skills, frequent campers, admired by their peers) who will see themselves as excluded and those "joining requirements" as little more than "whites only" bathroom signs in their furtive little minds. A little issue, to be sure. Unless arrowmen and eagles are picked for jobs for which these high ranking (in their respective domain) scouts are passed over. Then the nominal rank can no longer be a hallmark of excellence, and it loses value.

Keep in mind it's not just science. Technology and engineering involve a lot of button pushing. Animation and web graphics involve beaucoup math. And, why scouting? Well, there is a sense that all of these fields need leadership and ethics. Not just in our nation, but worldwide. Why the cross-talk about inclusiveness? Location. Most lab facilities are in schools or with companies that hold non-discrimination agreements. Why the tricked-out mobile lab? Advertising. No different than those mobile climbing walls are pine wood derby tents.

What this boils down to: if the boy has an opportunity to work on a badge but no chance to get the SM's signature, he can get started and catch up with signatures later. And, it discourages micro-managing a kid's advancement. "Question no further on how well he learned ..." is in the context of determining if the boy deserved the badge. I freely ask boys what they learned from counselors by way of evaluating the counselor. If, for example, you counsel astronomy, and my guy can't point out Casseopia in the night sky, explaining that he never really had to do so, you'll get a call from me. Furthermore, it does not state that you can't question if the boy did the requirements. I do just that if there's any hint that shortcuts were taken. If the boy will admit that a corner was cut, he can do-over ... everybody gets to grow a little.

Yeah, maybe if they left more of a trace. There is room for all kinds, ppl. If you want to throw a stone, make sure it's through the open door of your glass house. My boys are the 'ruck it' types, but they also don't mind setting up a camp kitchen from time to time in an easy place for lots of folks to bring a nice camera. So, you'll see more pictures of them at family night with the DO's and large chow line and everyone lined up for flags or in front of the trailer, etc ... Makes momma happy. What seems to make them happy is their "Hoover towns" improvised by a couple of tarps at streams edge with a fire-circle they built on-site ... and the occasional young ladies who are willing to hike a ways (and be escorted back to their site later in the evening) to enjoy their company! They do more of those. But, when they are doing the 2000 yards uphill both ways (sometimes they insert at a creek mouth and extract at a plateau upstream), they are more likely to carry a nce stake than a fancy camera. (Those mult-magapixel phones have changed that a little.)

Well, thanks to these mobile devices. We're all thumbs. But, I think there is this misconception that patrols are only relieve to to the outdoors. I honestly don't see why STEM labs wouldn't apply the patrol method. A small cohesive group dedicated to uncovering the laws that govern the universe ... sounds like. Arrest way to learn.

Rick, thanks for the informative additional data and excellent analysis. Let's suppose some of these STEM scouts do develop outdoor skills so they can construct outdoor field labs. Especially, let's say that lab work involves hiking and camping independently in labs of 8, including the occasional week at a BSA camp, and some natural leaders among the girls in the lab rise to the fore, becoming effectively 1st class scouts (the concept not the patch). Where does this leave the O/A in the context of its exclusion of girls for membership?

That's what I miss about a big troop. Watching how different styles play out. The good news is that one of our "spin-off" troops has decided to merge back with ours. And they are on the younger side, so we get the "crazy" back. Better yet, I've become one of those adults with no sons of my own to fret about.

I aggree with Stosh, they can all be open to intrusion. Take it from the folks who make the news for being up in arms because the school nurse sent a letter home about little (?) Johnny's body mass index. I disagree with Skeptic's view that this does not have to be any more than the leader makes of it. SMs have dozens of folks telling them how they should do thier job. This is one more way someone can poke the bear. Welcome: Suggestions for ideas of how to probe for scout spirit during an SMC. Unwelcome: Required one-size-fits-all script for every SMC.

I think it is in the SM's purview to discuss matters of religion with a boy, but I think it's an intrusion on the SM to require it of every SMC. Simple example: what if a fella does whatever religious duties his family expects of him, but the boy's a pushover and won't stand up to his peers? I want my SMC to focus on bravery and true friendship. And, if it's obvious that religion is gonna derail the discussion (maybe by giving the kid the impression that he's at least doing the "important" thing right), there's no way I'm gonna throw that into the mix. Sure maybe there's some aspect of the kids faith that may help address the issue, but I'm inclined to let him say that in the context of deciding if he can commit to being more courageous in the ensuing months. Any bean-counting MC who'd try to correct me after overhearing our discussion had better brace for a little brimstone!

One other thing to do is train an ASM to greet your boys who've advanced beyond First Class from time-to-time and ask "What's the plan?" The boy is then expected to reply with the rank that he's working on, the number of merit badges he still needs to earn, the badge he is currently working on, and the counselor he is working with. Or, if the boy is not interested in advancement anymore, he is to say so plainly, and then explain what other good he's doing in the world. Conversation ends with ASM saying, "If you need help with anything, let us know." This should get a boy comfortable with thinking about (and hopefully making) his next move.

We have an awesome set of neighboring councils not yet absorbed by Laurel Highlands. I doubt this is a boy-driven decision. Does somebody think they can build their little feifdom in the other council? Do they feel that because they camp out of council their FOS collection should go in that direction? Suppose a patrol likes their CO's facilities and meeting night, but they would like to camp with a different troop and have their popcorn sells go to that troop's treasury. Would this discruntled troop be okay with a set of boys behaving that way?

Boy Scouts ... love ... paperwork!

We do nudge boys a little. If they are first class (the concept not the patch) we want them to seek recognition for their accomplishments. However, earned = signed off = the boy demonstrated his skill before a qualified youth. (Adults are last ditch.) You've already recognized that your boys aren't taking care of each other as well as they should in this area. So, you need to get your older boys together and positively reinforce the good behavior of your troop guide.