Cheerful

Can a scout have two boards of review in one night? Our troop has an older Tenderfoot boy who will be completing second and first class requirementments this week. He is asking if he can have two Scoutmaster Conferences on the same night - one for Second Class and one for First Class. Then he would like to have two Boards of Review on the same night - one for Second Class and one for First Class. Is this allowed? (This boy is 16 and has now decided that he would like to be an eagle scout. He is a great kid who has held many positions of responsibility. Our SM and Advancement Chair say he has to separate the SMCs and BORs and in our troop that could mean waiting more than a month and since he is 16+ that could prevent him from being eagle. While this kid is responsible for not getting to second and first class sooner we've had some troop problems and his parents were in a divorce and he has finally found his identity.} So can he do second and first class SMconferences in one night and both second and first class BORs in one night?

Your replies were very helpful. I realize, thanks to your replies, that the SM is frazzled and stressed and that comes out as him micromanaging and being critical. Parents get critized and then don't want to help anymore. The new parents do complain in the parking lot because the SM forgets or postpones SM conferences and getting merit badge cards is a struggle (out of stock, can't find, can't find counselor list), etc. SM and ASM do not get along - evidenced during campouts. SM wants to rotate off now that his son is almost Eagle. CC doesn't seem to respect SM. I overheard a discussion where she overruled him when he wanted to thank the retired SM for taking over the troop for him and she said the retired guy did not need any thanks. The last two events have been canceled and the next camping trip there aren't enough adults signed up. I think the SM is a great guy - very conscientious - he tries to do an awful lot on his own. Then he has 10 new guys and 18 new parents. No wonder he took time off. It's as though he knows things are not going well and instead of accepting newbie (probably not so capable) help he tries to do it all himself. Imagine having to do 20 SM conferences for Scout and Tenderfoot and some 2nd Class in a few months all yourself - plus the older guys' conferences, run the troop, help your son finish Eagle and do your big job in a bad economy. My son loves scouts. The adult Eagle scouts in the troop are really fine people (frazzled SM included). The sniping between the adult leaders combined with a frazzled SM is taking its toll. Your replies were the objective, wise voices of Scouting reason I needed. We will look for a new troop (there are 12 in within 5 miles). My husband says thanks too!!!!! Always Cheerful (courteous and kind)

Wow! Thanks you so much for all your thoughtful, wise comments and ideas. The consensus is that this is a "leadership" issue. I couldn't put my finger on what was going on. (I thought maybe it was a "values" issue or "favoritism".) We did not look at other troops before joining (didn't realize boys did that) but there are many troops in our area. My son has met some leaders from other troops who were his Merit Badge Counselors and at summer camp. He has had really positive experiences doing merit badge work. We know other leaders from business and social situations so a different troop is an easy option. My son is progressing. The Summer Camp program he was in was advancement oriented so that was a really good experience for him. Summer camp appears to have been very positive for all the boys who went. My son was told recently by the SPL that he was "not allowed" to advance to the next rank (2nd Class) until he was 12. (This is second hand info from my son.) Our troop had a retired? SM while our SM was off and that was a good experience. He had a lot started. He was a positive, constructive, can do guy (and he was cheerful too.) The transition after he left was pretty rocky. (I meant to say the two parents who sit in on meetings are told to sit in the kindergarden chairs - one dad weighs 240ish pounds.) Seems kind of mean to me. That was a good point about the CC not having to be friendly - just needs to run the troop. My father says our troop is Lord of the Flies. I think I will continue to do online Scout training to learn more about scouts and look at nearby troops so we have a better understanding of scouting in general. My son loves merit badges. (I'm surprised at all that he is interested in). My conclusion is: our experience with Cub Scouts was great, Merit Badge Counselors incredibly great, summer camp was really good, retired SM who took over was fun and forward moving, this forum (I assume you are all Scout veterans was really, really helpful) so it all contrasts with the troublesomeness in our troop leadership. Thank you!

My 11 year old son, and 9 other boys, joined the troop in Spring of 2010. There are no 12 year olds in the troop. I think the 11 year olds are being ignored. The Advancement Chair does Boards of Review only. The 16 year old Patrol Guide plays football and has not been to a meeting in months. The head SM took the spring off, looks worried all the time, doesn't seem to know the older boys' names all the time, introduced a 17 year old scout from our troop with wrong info (boys kept correcting him). (has been SM 4? years) The 13 year old SPL and ASPL are fighting all the time. I saw one punch the other in the head at a campout. SM says "we are trying to stop them from fighting but nothing works." The 11 year olds' parents are pretty much ignored. No one seems very friendly and no one is cheerful. Some parents of 11 year olds (two boys have ADD) attend meetings and are told which exact chairs to sit in (the kindergarden chairs). There are many boys who are 14 and 15 in the troop are who not at First Class yet and the SPL and ASPL, who are 13, are at Life (their parents are high in the troop). I'm more worried now that I write all this. Activities are hard for 11 year olds: 60 mile bike ride, white water rafting trip, factory tour with a minimum age of 13. Questions from newer parents are answered with "it's a boy run organization" with no real answers. Advancement is on the agenda about once a month (15 minutes). I only know Girl Scouts, not Boy Scouts, but something seems wrong. Should I be worried? What can I do to help? P.S. The Committee Chair I have met only twice. She is taking a graduate school class the night of the troop meetings. She is seriously not a friendly person. (Her son was the one who punched the other boy in the head). She told us newer parents not to talk to each other in the parking lot because we will give each other bad information. HELP!!!!! My son loves scouting especially summer camp and merit badges.