BartlettBear

This has been an empowering thread. You're right, nothing was submitted to council, no name ever appeared on a charter. I'm letting the Scoutmaster know he can find someone else to take care of it if they think they've earned the Eagle and I will also be sending a complaint about the matter to the DE

ghermanno, hence my irritation. They've been going on those temporary advancement forms and other old documents for years. Nothing online at all. All the "since joining" dates are as of when this kid started attending the troop. I don't think the prior leaders thought they were being dishonest, but it's a mess. Frankly, I'm still trying to decide what counts, but I believe this boy has done all the work if not thorugh the right means with the right documentation other than blue cards, temporary advancement forms (that never made it to the computer) and all that. moosetracker, the Eagle secretary said he would be willing to accept documents and all the other paper forms of advancement and put them in the computer himself. Apparently he's seen degrees of this before (usually someone drops the ball and a boy misses a year of registration) but not this degree. Then again, he didn't seem pleased about it. I'm more and more inclined to tell these people I wash my hands of it. We all may hate beurocracy, but if it's required you can't just skip it and then complain. They need to make up their minds and this troop needs to do things right or not accept new members.

The Executive Officer is merely a figurehead. He doesn't want any power? Don't give him any. He will not get a background check, he will not pay any fees, he is pretty much a pen lord who gets to sign stuff, but can be as involved or uninvolved as he wants. Though I'd say that if it leans toward "involved" get him another position besides.

So I've recently joined a unit that has plenty of heart, but no organizational skills or planning whatsoever. "Billy", according to the random assortment of evidence I've seen, has earned his Eagle. There are dates for everything. However, Billy has never been registered in the troop. It's a religion-sponsored unit and while Mom didn't want him officially associated with the unit and church, she had no problem with him unofficially attending as long as Billy's name wasn't anywhere. Billy has never appeared on any roster I've seen, his dates are on a skimble-skamble collection of bluecards and papers and books, and the council has no record the kid has ever existed. Because this kid has never been registered. Well, Mom and Billy now want the Eagle, but I don't know how to go about it. Council has said they can back register him for all the years Billy's been attending, but Mom says no on that. I'm waiting to hear back on other options, but I get the BSA is going need proof of this kid before they print him up an Eagle certificate. I'm a little peeved at the whole situation, but I hate for a kid who as far as I can tell has done all the work for the Eagle being denied it. I don't him to suffer for the actions of his parents and the troop. Any ideas? Any loopholes anyone knows of? Or, any ideas on how to gently (or not) break the facts to Mom?