RememberSchiff

Plenty of bonding just not in scouting.

I would not "encourage" parents rather just inform them and their scouts. Leave it to the scout, if he is interested, to ask his parent to mentor a badge. Dad could we do Woodworking MB together? At the least, I think it will provide an easy, i.e. in their comfort zone, personal and tangible Me and My Dad/Mom memory from Boy Scouts. Maybe more will come from it. My $0.01

Torchwood: From http://www.scouting.org/BSAYouthProtection/Media_Center/KnowtheFacts.aspx Parents and youth are required to review Youth Protection materials as an advancement requirement. Every Cub Scout and Boy Scout handbook includes a separate pamphlet that helps parents speak to their children about youth protection issues. Parents and youth are required to review these materials together before the child can advance in Scouting. All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders. The BSA does not allow any secret organizations as part of its program nor does it condone physical hazing or initiations as part of any Scouting activity. Parents are encouraged to attend all Scouting activities. Our troop follows the above. Parents read and sign-off the YP foreword of their son's Scout Handbook. If they are not adult volunteers, they are not required to take the YP training course for our troop activities. Our troop activities are open for their observation. They can visit their scouts at summer camp, but if they want to stay overnight they must register as volunteers and hance would need YP. They understand the existing advancement method but they offered this suggestion which is the topic at hand. Selfish, unreasonable, misguided, innovative? I thought it was an interesting idea to discuss. Krampus: the BSA has contracted with LexisNexis. I think it is stated on the adult application. From the above link.: The BSA requires criminal background checks on all adult volunteers. The BSA grants membership to an adult volunteer only after a national criminal background check is performed. The background checks are administered by LexisNexis, a nationally respected third party that also provides this service to local, state, and federal governments; educational institutions; and other nonprofits.

Hedgehog: Our district EBOR committee nearly asks every scout, "Tell me about your MBC's. Who were they? Who was your favorite?... Their concerns with a scout who had his parent as MBC for more than 2 (their threshold number) Eagle MBC's: 1. the scout's troop might be an eagle mill for one or more scouts. 2. Lack of adult association in troop Sometimes a District person visits the troop or calls the SM as a follow-up. Is there any BSA rule broken? No. Does our district/council frown on this? Yes. Krampus: Well it is what it is here. In the scenario that these parents were requesting, a parent would complete a simple one page form and they were agreeable to adding a nominal administrative fee, say $5. New Thinking Council Parent One-Time Merit Badge Counselor Request Form Date: I, John J. J. Schmidt request to counsel my son Jacob and only my son in the following non-Eagle merit Badge: Woodworking My Experience/qualifications: Carpenter and General Contractor for 20 years. Owner of Schmidt Construction. I agree to following before signing my son's blue card. ( blah, blah, blah), Signed by parent, SM, and Council. DONE! Scout Jacob can now earn Woodworking MB with his Dad. No 524-501 BSA Adult Application. No registration $ No driver license or other sensitive ID information given to who knows who which may not be securely stored. No background check by state and council. No YP as he/she is the scout's parent for "crying out loud". No Essentials of MBC class Seemed an interesting idea to me.

All: Remember their viewpoint and expectations coming from Cub Scouts. They are seeing the same basic methods suddenly become more complicated. Add to that by this time, these parents have been exposed to other youth organizations - sports, church, schools (our competition) that are less complicated. Thanks for your feedback. hedgehog: Your son had you as his MBC for THREE Eagle required merit badges? That what be questioned at our district EBOR. perdidochos: Ok, you consider them selfish and unreasonable. Parents already read the YP in scout handbook with son and often see the YP course as redundant, and redoing YP every year even more so. From what I have seen in Boy Scouts, "pencilwhippers" become registered leaders from day one. These parents just asked why they could not counsel one, non-Eagle badge so they did not impress me as pencilwhippers. But maybe they were. The Adult Assocaition method is not required of a MBC, e.g., summer camp counselors . blw2: How successful have you been in registering talented MBC's from the outside (those who have no related boys in scouting)? scoutldr: Agreed, I have seen that happen in a previous troop. Four families ( 8 mom and dad MBC's) allied to offer 20+ mb's for their sons and friends in accelerated fashion. Neither SM nor Council blinked. I would like to see some constraints as to number of mb's and who placed upon MBC's. Some councils do. qwazse: Well, I listened to them. As said previously, their main issues were boy-run and fundraising. Their expectations were set long ago. This was just an addendum to those main issues, "And why can't we do one badge...we could all in Cubs." It seemed an interesting idea and who knows if I could have said yes, maybe I could have delayed their departure. Anyway I failed to change their expectations and decision, they left. I don't have firm data, but I think our troop's retention rate for scouts who were not Cubs is higher than for scouts who were Cubs, of course the vast majority recruited were Cubs. walk-in-the-woods: I tend to agree with you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

1, Agree as in I taught my son to swim, I taught him carpentry...My son and I worked on (earned) a arrow point/merit badge together. 2. No just a request/idea they had, More a point of pride in parenting. As stated above they were expecting a more adult-run (organized) and fewer (as in one) fundraiser that they had in Cubs, not being able to sign-off on anything, particularly in their area of expertise, was something they missed from Cub Scouts. Why can't I work (counsel) one badge with my own son. I've been a (whatever) for years . What is the problem? It was an idea I had not heard before and perhaps there are ideas to consider here. My $0.02

Paperwork which for some reason has to be redone from Cub Scout to Boy Scouts 1. Adult BSA application + $ 2. MBC application 3. An agreement contract 4. copy of drivers license 5. Criminal Offender Record Information (Mass) form. From personal experience, this can take a long time to process. Online 1. Youth Protection training Classroom 1. Essentials of Merit Badge Counseling . This gets pushed by Council every so often but then they realize no instructor and not much interest. I think that is all of it for our council. YMMV, particularly in PA.

Yes. These parents were heavily involved in Cubs, some as DL and assistants. All were burned-out from 4+ years of Cubbing and just wanted to work on one Boy Scout badge with their son. One of the things they enjoyed the most from Cub Scouts was working with their sons on advancement. They were willing to work with more scouts, but not willing to go through all the BSA steps to be MBC. Parents teaching their sons a set of skills. Anyway they left. They had also expected a more adult-run scout program with fewer fundraising as their Cub program was. They are good families and I expect they will all do well. I agree that expectations were not correctly set in Cub Scouts or cross-over but perhaps an argument could be made that Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts should be more consistent. The BSA has made a step in that direction with all scout programs now? using the same Oath and Law. Perhaps the Aims and Methods should be next. Here is the Cub Scout Advancement Method 3. Using Advancement Recognition is important to boys. The advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members and their den leader work with boys on advancement projects. Here is the Boy Scout Advancement Method Advancement Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others. http://www.scouting.org/Home/CubScouts/Parents/About/pandm.aspx http://www.nesa.org/methods.html It is interesting to note that the three Aims of Boy Scouts is a subset of the ten Purposes of Cub Scouts. Thanks for your thoughts.

We had a some families leave our troop at re-charter time last month. They had expected and wanted Boy Scouts to be similar to Cub Scouts but there was one particular complaint that has me thinking. Each of these parents missed signing off on THEIR son's advancement, in particular a merit badge which related to their work or hobby. They went from 100% signoff ability to 0%! They were NOT interested in the Boy Scout hassle of becoming a MBC. They just wanted that part of Cub Scouting that was lost - I want to work on a badge with MY son and just MY son...and don't lay a guilt trip on me. I want to work on Workworking/Gardening/Archery/Plumbing/Canoeing/Forestry.. MB with MY son and just MY son in my workshop/garden/outdoors. I don't want to fuss with youth protection, joining the BSA, background checks,...I just want that part of Cub Scouting that we both enjoyed to exist in some limited way in Boy Scouts. Just ME and MY son. I questioned these parents about ranks and Eagle required merit badges. They just wanted to easily work on ONE non-Eagle required badge with their son and just their son. Are they being selfish or unreasonable?

Our troop gifts just the Eagle Award Kit, the economy version. The scout's name is added to our Eagle Roster on our troop website.

Sad news "Robert Dick Douglas Jr., who joined the Boy Scouts on his 12th birthday in 1924 and by 17 had shot a lion on safari in Africa, hunted whales and grizzly bears in Alaska and written two books on his adventures, died on Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C. He was 103 and one of the nation’s oldest Eagle Scouts." http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/us/robert-d-douglas-jr-eagle-scout-elder-dies-at-103.html?_r=0

Merry Christmas (there should be a Boys Life cover image above, at least there is in editor.)

Can watch here http://www.nbc.com/running-wild-with-bear-grylls/episodes Available until Jan 12

LED lanterns and headlamps. You do not need to light up your campsite like Fenway Park, just your work area. Safer can carry in backpack and use in a tent. No asbestos mantles, no glass globes to break, no temp issues, no petrol, no fire/fume concerns, no propane tank issues. We intend to switch to rechargeable batteries when the original batteries die. This is their third winter and they are still bright, Streamlight Siege lanterns (come in different sizes). Multiple light modes including RED led (good night light). Brightest setting is 340 lumens is plenty. Each patrol has one 3D battery lantern and each scout has his own head lamp. Rayovac (honorable mention)

I thought it was an entertaining interview. Disappointed that there was no mention of scouting. Smores was a nice touch. I was surprised that the Secret Service allowed Bear to have that knife. Does the President carry anything - no smartphone, no canteen, no matches, ...wallet?

http://lagniappemobile.com/facing-budget-deficits-boy-scouts-prepare-land-sale/ The organization is selling two parcels Scouts executive Michael Hartigan said are located on the outskirts of the improved campgrounds, so the sale will not affect traditional scouting activities. Hartigan said families near the camp’s boundaries approached the council about purchasing the land for a yet-to-be-disclosed amount. “It is important to note we are not selling our Boy Scout camp,†Hartigan noted. “There are acres that we own which have not been used by the Scouts for decades and we have no plans to use those acres, and that’s why we are selling those acres. Our main camp that we use will be 450 acres and we use less than 200 of those acres for campsites, program areas and food service.†“Our program is still very strong,†Hartigan said. “Things are just changing for us on the fundraising front. Corporate dollars are a challenge for us because they just don’t seem to be giving as much as they used to, and that has hurt us.†But Gary Finch, an Eagle Scout and host of a regional outdoor TV show, is worried if the council’s financial difficulties don’t change it might fold or be absorbed by another council on the Gulf Coast. Finch said he has personally raised approximately $250,000 for the organization by promoting scouting on television for 28 years, hosting fundraisers and making personal and business donations. “The people who raise money, who volunteer their time to lead troops, the kids out selling popcorn have never stopped working,†Finch said. “I’m for the council and I’m for the Scouts. I want the council to succeed because without it we may not have Scouts. I am for keeping the council and our Scouts program healthy. We need to really examine where the money has gone and how we ended up in this situation.†Finch said his goal is to help save the council by advocating for improved financial practices. Eagle Scout and troop leader Taylor Wilkins said his son joined the Tiger Cubs two years ago and was directed to raise funds by selling popcorn. “I look at decisions that have been made and I question where this kind of debt load has come from,†Wilkins said. “I’ve been wondering for a few years where all the money went. When they asked us to sell this popcorn, I wondered if they are just trying to use us to make up the financial difference.†Hartigan said over the last few years the Mobile Area Council has made staffing and budget cuts to try to stem the tide of losses. In 2013, the most recent available figures showed the council paid $570,924 in salaries and benefits, including $116,098 to Hartigan. It represents a reduction from previous years, when the council paid $661,538 in salaries and benefits in 2012 and $728,534 in 2011. “Winds in the east, mist coming in. Like somethin’ is brewin’ and bout to begin. Can’t put me finger on what lies in store, But I fear what’s to happen all happened before.†Mary Poppins

REMINDER: Tonight Dec 17, 10pm ET on NBC.

My understanding - A subsequent law HB 1276 fixed some problems: how often to renew background checks would now be 5 years instead of 3, “direct volunteer contact" was better defined, and two of the background checks, PA State Police and Department of Human Services, would now be free. If a FBI background was required, the volunteer would still bear that cost. - Council and National will collect background checks only electronically, volunteer/unit/CO handle paper - Councils post updates and links, but make it clear each volunteer is responsible for whatever background checks needed. - No test case yet of some poor adult getting sandbagged. I found this Nov,2015 update from Five Rivers Council http://www.fiverivers.org/youth-protection/pennsylvania-act-153-background-checks-information/60618 After recharter, I would like to know each PA council adult headcount change. And during these past months, PA restored former Penn State coach and convicted pedofile Sandusky's state pension. PA Act 153 and HB 1276 were enacted largely due to Sandusky's acts of child molestation while a coach. My $0.01

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20151216_Ex-Boy_Scout_boss_to_lead_group_that_helps_gay_youths.html Thomas Harrington, Eagle Scout and former Cradle of Liberty Scout Executive, will be introduced Wednesday as the new CEO of Valley Youth House, an Allentown-based organization with offices and initiatives in Philadelphia. In an interview, Harrington said the policy that disallowed gay scouts was set by the national Boy Scouts of America and had no bearing on his new role at Youth House, which, among other programs, helps gay, lesbian, and transgender youths find jobs, housing, and comfort in their own identities. ... Valley Youth House, which raises and spends about $20 million a year, runs several programs to help vulnerable, abused, and homeless youth. Its Pride initiative aims to help gay youths "embrace their identity and overcome the obstacles presented by housing insecurities and homelessness," its website says. In October, Valley Youth House gained wide publicity for its "Sheltering Pride" effort, which sought to raise awareness and money to help youths forced from their homes because of their sexuality. Nonprofit leaders lugged a couch to prominent sites in Center City, declaring that "couches don't count" as reliable housing and asking passersby to discuss the issue. In Philadelphia about 40 percent of homeless youths are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual, studies say. National statistics mirror that - and show 40 percent ran away or were forced out of their homes because their families could not accept their sexual orientation or identity. "We have four pillars of Youth House, and the first one is, 'We are inclusive,' " Harrington said. During the battle over the Boy Scouts ban, Harrington told The Inquirer that his council had no membership test, but "there is a national policy we have to follow." He said this week, "The national policy was the national policy. There were many people who wanted to change it." Local scout leaders faced a choice, he said. They could comply with the policy, or "we could have chosen to not be a Boy Scout council anymore. But many of us, including me, felt the Boy Scouts served a lot of kids." Since starting at Youth House about 10 days ago, Harrington said, he has reached out to local leaders, including those in the gay community, "to let them know the mission and focus has not changed." Segal, the Gay News publisher, praised Youth House as passionate and committed to helping gay youths. Harrington "will be judged on his actions," Segal said. And, he added, people will be watching. An interesting article. I wish him success in his new position.

Could be deer eggs.

A 43 page guide for OA elections? Was this guide written in Florida? I did not see a step where the "eligible" scouts were asked if they were interested in joining. Back in the day, we (my troop) was courteous enough to ask scouts rather than pressure them in front of troop to join. And in this day and age, parent notification and permission should be obtained before the elections. My $0.02,

Enjoy your family vacation.

I understand your situation and concern. I wish misconceived traditions like this were uncommon. It is okay for you or your son to say "No thanks". As always talk the situation through with your son and do what you think is best for him. I'm hoping he says "I'm with you Dad."

The OA is suppose to help mentor scouts in camping and outdoor skills. Discuss outings ideas. The OA lodges around here used to publish an informative Where to Camp guide which was very helpful for yearly planning. I see little of this now. OA weekends are at council camp and why would any loyal scout want to camp elsewhere. There is also the free labor aspect for council camps and that is a major reason for drawing in dads who have and can use power tools. Some of our scouts join OA but within a year they usually fade away due to the time demands. Our SM has stated he has no use for OA as their campout weekends often conflict with ours. He wants his older, experienced scouts with the troop. When our troop camps at the council camp, we ask the ranger what work needs to be done and serve accordingly. My $0.02

Most useful a scout can earn: either Public Health or Safety. I recommend both to my scouts..."Safety First" particularly as the older teens become more carefree dudes. Most useful that I earned: Lifesaving (1968?). I earned Public Health and Safety as well, but I rescued 3 swimmers as a lifeguard later. Back then in my community, Lifesaving MB was earned by completing the Red Cross Senior Lifesaving course at the town pool. For me, it was also the hardest merit badge to earn though Personal Fitness with its pull-ups was close. First Merit badge while useful was mostly review. My $0.02