Merit badge councelor

[bearshark]

Our previous SM left the troop on a realy bad note. His son stayed. A few months go by and he asks me, the current SM, if he can be a MB councelor for a particular badge. I resopded with, due to the bad fall out and without any prior attempt at reconciliation, I would like discuss it with the committee first (he and the Chair had personal attacks toward each other). I didn't want to bring him back in even as just a councelor if everyone still had a problem with him. If I say yes, and they do have a problem, I'll be stuck AGAIN between adults fighting. Being a previously trained leader and fully qualified for the badge he was seaking to teach, it would be a shame not to have him, however, I wanted things to go as soothly as possible. He took this the wrong way and things got out of hand again.

Did I tell him wrong? He doesn't need my permission to be a councelor, and their are other troops in the area he could file the application through, but decided to rekindle old drama.

[Buffalo Skipper]

If your old SM is qualified to be a MBC for a particular badge, then have him fill out an application to be an MBC. A Merit Badge Counselor is a DISTRICT position, and the application need not be signed, approved or even seen by anyone on the troop committee. Have him pick it up and return it directly to the council service center.

 

As SM it is your responsibility to match the scout and the counselor. The committee should not be a part of this process. If there are scouts (whose parents) would not want their son to work on the badge with your old SM, then assign them another counselor.

 

Very simple, by the book, and everyone is happy (or in some cases appropriately--and correctly so--ignorant).

[scoutldr]

Concur with what BS said. If he really wants to work with the boys, encourage him to sign up (with the District) and make himself available to ALL troops. You and your committee have no say in that process. The converse of that is, if you have MBC who are NOT registered with the district, then they are "illegitimate".

 

One of my pet peeves is our entire District MBC list is almost ALL "Troop XX only". So now if a troop wants their scouts to earn MB, they have to get their own counselors too.

[Twocubdad]

I think you did the right thing.

 

What BS post is correct, but as Scoutldr says, many MBC serve a particular troop. They may be registered to the district, but around here (and from what I read, most places) they are attached to one troop. If the old SM's intention was to register with the district, he should go through the district advancement chairman.

 

Let sleeping dogs lay -- especially the ones that bite.

[John-in-KC]

All MBC's are District positions. The differentiation comes when the Scouter signing up decides if he wants to counsel solely within or outside the Troop.

 

What you can do is say, "Sure, sign up. Please understand that I will not be assigning you any youth from our Troop at this time. Even so, others in the District can use your skills in this field. Please sign up that you will take on youth from throughout the District."

[ghermanno]

Wow. As many have stated, the MBC is a District Position. Most MBC's have, in the past, selected to provide services for one Troop only. Part of the problem there is MBC training.

 

Part of the Scout method is adult interaction. The boys interacting with the same parents that are in the Troop is NOT what was meant. Quite a few of the MBC's in my District thought that if they did not mark that selection that they may be assigned to a different Troop and not work with thier own boys. Here again, TRAINING.

 

If the old SM is qualified, let him apply at the District. If you (or another parent) have a personal problem with him, do not asign him to your Scouts (you select the MBC). If you think this is to "eavesdrop on the Unit" or to turn boys against the unit leaders then you should talk to the DAC/DE. Otherwie, use the skills avaiable. If he does not follow the Merit Badge requirements, District can remove him.

 

Let's stop having the adults ruin the boys program with grudges and predjudices.

 

 

my $0.02

 

Rick