rmiessler

I agree, the merit badge requirements have an intent. and the Eagle Required were not made to be easy. Brings up various other situations, can you get the astronomy merit badge viewing the stars by going to a planetarium? in my eye, sort of like getting the Swimming merit badge without getting in the water. Various others I have encountered where camps and MBCs shortcut the badge requirements and lose the intent. My favorite that sort of sits on the line is Snow Sports, where scouts can get this on a astroturf slope without ever seeing snow.

Thanks for all the replies. What I have heard is what I read it to be. 8 hours of service to THE org that was picked in req. 7. also, true, once signed by the MBC, it is a done deal. I will have a quiet chat. I cannot seem to stress enough, do what the requirement says. If it says for the scout to demonstrate, then they perform the task, not the MBC show them.

I need some feedback. When you read the requirement on Cit in the Comm on the 8 hours of service, sounds to me like it is 8 hours of service to the organization identified in the merit badge. I have counselors allowing any 8 hours of service to count. Is this really correct?? Any suggestions?

Sorry Bob, I was given the document number. emb021 "The BSA Rules and Regulations ARE in one place. The document is #57-492. The last version I have is dated July 2003. You can get it and the BSA Charter and Bylaws (#57-491) for about $5 from National. There used to be an address you could request it from." Can you help me find these. I searched www.scout.org and www.scoutstuff.org and could not find these to order. Can someone lead me by the hand to right website and process for ordering these? I see Gold Winger gave me a thread to get the info, but it is not on the website?? and the thread is 3 years old and I'd rather confirm the ordering with someone.

Wow, many responses. Well, we have many adults involved, infact, we have more adults registered than scouts. We have BORs when scouts request them and do them in a formal controlled setting to give them meaning and so that the advancement chair and assistant can monitor. Also trying to teach the scouts some responsibility versus spoon fed. At least our committee is really trying to get a boy-lead troop using the patrol method with adult "GUIDANCE". Funny part is scoutmaster is the one that will not delegate, has gotten better, but we still have problems with the SM and ASMs giving the older Life scouts a responsible role in the troop. Will have to address the committee meeting same time as troop meetings. Anyway, my exiting comment is I don't understand the continuing resistance to giving access to ALL the rules and regulation in one place. Starts sounding sort of suspicious or that someone has something to hide. Next recharter, since adults do sign that they will abide to the R&Rs, I plan to have them in presence. I'm sure someone has had to deal with an adult that is a Lawyer.

Well, never thought of it that way. Been with this troop for 9 years and it has always done it that way so that there would be good attendance at the meeting. WIll look in to it.

Thanks FireKat If it were not for the fact that I am computer savy, I would not have gotten around the problem. Agree, this is not a user friendly application. I've been working computer software projects for 20 years and user interface is most of the work. Anyway, thanks, I'm gonna call monday on the 800 number to see if someone can correct this problem.

Well Bob, I can see we are not gonna see eye to eye on this one. but the screen says "Congratulations! Your Advancement Report has been submitted successfully. The advancement process is not complete until you complete the following: 1. Print the Advancement Report (which includes the Unit Award Summary). 2. Obtain the appropriate signature(s) for this Advancement Report. 3. Deliver the Advancement Report and your insignia purchase order to the council. Check with your council service center for the current stock numbers and prices and ordering procedures. Thank you for using Internet Advancement from the Boy Scouts of America." I click on the Print Advancement Report button and get an Dialog box that says I have to print it before I log out, the report will not be available when you log in again. After I select "OK" , nothing happens. So the app is not working correctly. I'll try the 800 number because nobody else has been able to help me.

We hold the committee meeting at the same time as one of the troop meetings. He sends an assistant scoutmaster and says he does not have time to attend? Definitely is a friction within the committee. Previous scoutmaster always attended.

Ouch Bob, First of all the program does not say you MUST print the advancement report for the application to let you continue on. I know I must of gotten you folks steamed when I submitted the Rules and Regulations question, but there was not ill intentions meant. All I am saying is the program needs some work and actually, you were the first person to make me think of a way around the problem. The part you missed was when I said I had to go get the link properties and cut and paste them in to make it work. Selecting the print advancement widget did not work. So ending question, who do I contact in the future on questions and suggestion enhancements to the Internet Advancement?

I really appreciate all the responses. I have read the Guide to safe scouting, but apparently need to read it again. One more question then on the way policies are ingrained into the materials. In Fast Start, it says the Scoutmaster is a member of the Committee Meeting. Does this mean the Scoutmaster is required to attend Committee meetings?

Well, the problem here is I always sign and turn in the Troopmaster copy. THe advancement report I submit is a direct import from troopmaster. I have never printed the advancment report off the internet submittal and really, the program should not lock me up because I failed to. But, while typing this up, I went back on site and tried to do the advancement report print again and I get an OK dialog box, so I copied the properties of the link into the browser bar and executed that,finally got the pdf file to come up. Now I am cleared out. Again, this application needs some work.

I don't always print a hard report after I submit. I went on last night and tried selecting that option but nothing happens.

THanks Bob, I'll go look over the Guide to safe scouting again.

Who do you call to get problems addressed on the internet advancement site. You would think there would be a link somewhere, but it eludes me. My problem is after I submit advancement on the internet, it remains locked up on the last page which is step 3, for weeks. In fact, mine is still locked there, so I cannot do advancements on the internet. Nobody has been able to help me at council except a toll free number I've had no success with. The internet advancement is nice, but needs drastic interface improvements.