Robinton

Thanks for the advise! I now know the direction I need to take, that being putting the Troop rules in writing. This will best be done at our next PLC meeting.

After reading Bob White's post about BOR & SM & Uniforms I had a couple of questions that someone might get some help with. A new Scout joined our Troop in March. He went to summer camp and attended "1st Class Express". In July he wanted SM & BOR for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. I did not do the SM conference, another leader did and passed him. After the BOR rejected his First Class I asked why? The answer was he did not know anything about Scout Skills i.e. "What is a taught line hitch used for?" Answer...no idea."What is the first thing you do if you are the head cook for an upcoming campout?" Answer...Go to the local discount grocery store and buy the food. When asked about how many Scouts or how many meals, it didn't matter, just buy enough and if any is left over use it on the next campout. In short, his book had been signed off because he "attended" 1st Class Express not because he understood. This has been addressed Troop wide!! I know SM Conf. and BOR is not to be a "retest" but when the boy has no clue... All Leaders and Scouts have been told the activity only gets signed off after it is known well enough to teach or at least be demonstrated. A boy has a completed Merit Badge card and turns it in for his badge. Later, it is obvious the Scout has no idea what he did to get the badge(Mom or Dad was the Councilor). In one example, the boys did Weather in school. Since they passed, they did all the requirements and where signed off.It was never reviewed by the councilor just O.K.ed. Do I have authority to question Merit Badges? And if so, to what extent? Can a Merit Badge be started and sometimes completed before a Blue Card has been issued? Is this one of those grey areas that should be interperated by the Committee and added to Troop Policies? I have asked several Scouters and have gotten mixed replies though all are close. With me the boy comes first but passing him seemes to be a great injustice. Recite or do by memory letter perfect? NO! I tell my Scouts Scouting is an open book test, and some still cannot tie 2 half hitches but are 1st Class Scouts.

I WAS A SCOUT IN THE LATE 60'S. SCOUTING WAS DISCRIBED AS A PROGRAM THAT LET BOYS BE LED BY MEN. MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT IN MANNERISMS AND IN THE GENERAL WAY SITUATIONS ARE HANDLED. BOYS ARE GREATLY INFLUNCED BY MOM DURING EARLY GROWTH AND DON'T ALWAYS GET DAD'S SIDE OR POINT OF VIEW. SCOUTING PROVIDED THAT OPERTUNITY. DON'T READ BETWEEN THE LINES!! A SITUATION CAN BE HANDLED TWO DIFFERENT WAYS AND NEITHER WAY IS REALLY WRONG BUT IF A BOY IS GIVEN ONLY ONE POINT OF VIEW HIS CREATIVE MIND DOESN'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO GROW AS WELL. I WISH WOMEN WERE NOT ALLOWED AT CERTIAN LEVELS IN THE SCOUT PROGRAM i.e. SCOUTMASTERS OR ASSISTANTS AND CERTIANLY NOT ON CAMPOUTS. THE BOYS IN MY TROOP DO NOT WANT THEM ON CAMPOUTS EITHER. WHEN A MOM DOES ATTEND, THE BOYS ACT DIFFERENTLY AND EACH TIME I AM ASKED WHY WE HAVE TO ALLOW MOMS ON CAMPOUTS. I FOLLOW BSA RULES. I EXPLAIN TO A MOM WHO WANTS TO ATTEND AS I STATED ABOVE. THE PROGRAM IS FOR THE BOYS AND WHILE SHE WILL BE WELCOMED BY ALL LEADERS WE TRY TO GIVE THE BOYS A PROGRAM AS THEY WANT IT. THE BOYS CHOOSE THE CAMP SITES, THE DAY TRIPS, THE SUMMER CAMP, THE HIGH ADVENTURE CAMP, THE THEME FOR THE CAMPOUT OR THE ACTIVITY AT THE NEXT MEETING. IN SHORT, I THINK ALL BOYS NEED ADULT MALE INFLUENCE IN THIER GROWTH YEARS AS MUCH AS THEY NEED ADULT FEMALE INFLUENCE. IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO SEE THINGS FROM AS MANY ANGLES AS YOU CAN. WOMANS OUTLOOK IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT OR WRONG AND THE SAME APPLIES TO MEN. TO ME THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF RIGHT OR WRONG JUST THE OPPERTUNITY TO SEE LIFE AND ITS CHALLANGES FROM ANOTHER ANGLE. THE ONLY WOMAN I'VE EVER OBJECTED TO JOINING US ON A CAMPOUT WAS AN ATTRACTIVE MOM WHO WOULD WEAR SHORT SHORTS AND LEFT HER SCOUT SHIRT ONE BUTTON TO LOW AT SUMMER CAMP. I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO ENJOYED THE SENERY, THE BOYS ALWAYS HAD SOME EXCUSE ALL DAY LONG TO COME BACK TO OUR CAMPSITE WHILE SHE WAS THERE AND THEY NEVER MISSED SWIM THIE IF MRS.... WAS SWIMMING. WE DID HAVE A TALK.

Well here's what happened. My final decesion was to allow the elections to stand. Of course there was an indepth discussion about what was wrong... but after thinking about our last election, the boy in question recieved votes from the same boys but another boy won by 1 vote. We are a small troop, 10 boys, I'm not sure the election would change as these 5 are good friends. HOWEVER, we sat down with the SPL elect and set some rigid guide lines not only as SPL but as a scout. In brief, if he does not straighten his act out (we where specific) he would be removed. Prior to this action, I called a Scoutmasters meeting and laid everything on the table.The boys father/Asst Scoutmaster took it well and felt the bribe was S.O.P. in school for kids this age. He acknowledged, after a short discussion, that it is wrong at scouts. All 4 of us were in agreement. The interesting thing was that our SPL elect was at the meeting, properly dressed, and during a planning session for the campout this weekend I twice caught him telling several scouts to "quite fooling around, we have to get this done!" This boy had always been either the instigator or would try to disrupt further. When his voice was telling them to settle down, I kept a closer eye and ear and was schocked. As I entered the church before the meeting, I had fully come to the conclusion that the election would be nullified. I then had a vioce in my haed saying "Think about the boy". There is not enough time to bring you up to date on all the "challanges" this boy has given me since he was a Tiger Cub but I feel (not think) I did the right thing in this case. I don't feel this was an intentional breaking of the rules or it would be different. So, with fingers crossed... Have a great scouting day!

Thanks for the support! I had come to the same conclusion. Our Troop is small, 10 Scouts. Our Committee Chair also serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster and we are in agreement in this matter. The boy in question is the son of an Asst. Scoutmaster. I haven't talked this over with him yet but I expect great oppisition to the suggested action, which I have felt was nessessary from the start. The part that REALLY bothers me is that "eisely" is probibly right, the boy will most likely quit the Troop and most likely Scouts. Although this boy is a big problem at meetings, campouts, summer camp, and was almost sent home from Jamboree this year (the local Chaplain placed a call to our sponsering churches Pastor re his actions at Jamboree)and had we not been on an island last year at high adventure camp he would have been sent home, he needs to see that the Scout Laws have meaning for life and are not just memorized words recited at scout meetings. Our meetings are Monday night. I will be discussimg this in detail with the Committee Chair, Committee Members, and the boy's parents Sunday, then make the announcement Monday. Any further suggestions will be appreciated!!

At our last Troop meeting we had our elections for Troop Officers. After the election, I (the Scoutmaster) learned that our newly elected Senior Patrol Leader gave each Scout a bag of candy to vote for him. Aside from the candy is forbidden at meetings unless provided by the Troop, I have a problem with "Buying" votes. One of my Assistant Scoutmasters thinks it's not a big deal which prompted this message. As I have been a Scoutmaster for only 4 years I would appreciate any sage advice or opinions you may have. I did speak to 2 boys and they said they voted for him because of the candy. YES! At the next meeting we will be discussing each person's need to take his vote .... My question at this point is should the election stand? Should the vote be taken over and if so, should the offending Scout be allowed to remain in the election? He has been in the Troop for four years and is aware candy is not allowed and when asked if the candy for votes was the right thing to do, he acted only remorsefull that he was caught, not that the act was wrong.