Limit Number of Mbs with One Counselor?

[shortridge]

But seriously, if you've discovered a counselor is "pencil-whipping" the cards, you should bring it up to council immediately. Getting a reputation among boys as an "easy badge" could be a lure by a molester.

 

But seriously - I hope you weren't serious when you wrote this.

 

If that's the case, then let's kick out all the lazy teachers and professors who have a reputation as easy graders!

 

Sometimes incompetence ... is just incompetence.

[JMBadger]

Venividi I don't think I've changed my attitude or opinion, just become clearer and more selective in expressing my views. Yes, the vast majority of the time things will happen the way you say; boy wants badge, boy talks to SM for help setting it up, SM provides counselor info, boy earns badge. And yes, 99.99% of SMs are doing their best to provide the best program they can. And my examples of the evil SM are extreme indeed. But I have personal knowledge of troops that help a boy hustle through to Life, then actively prevent him from getting Eagle until they decide he's mature enough. I'm not joking about this, so my notions aren't all that far fetched.

 

Shortridge More serious than you suspect. Your example of lazy teachers or professors grading easy are oranges to my apples.

 

A scout is supposed to bring a buddy, so a counselor who has a "thing" for 12-year-old boys now has two of them in his home. Or a trusting Mom is going to be the buddy, but, gee, would you mind if I just popped over to the store while you're working with my son? I shouldn't be more than 30 minutes or so....

 

Think I'm stretching?

 

I was the Webelos den leader, and had gotten to our meeting room early to get the A/C turned on. A few minutes later one of the new Webelos walked in all alone and sat down. When his Mom didn't pop in after a few seconds, I asked where she was, and he said when she saw my car was already here she just let him go in and said she'd be back in 45 minutes. Luckily he knew her cell number and I told her she absolutely had to come back RIGHT NOW. We had a long talk. Seems she felt his scout time was her "free" time. When I told her she had to remain in the room with us during the meeting, she thought I was kidding. She pulled her boy out of the pack 2 weeks later.

 

Background checks turn up only those who've already been caught once.

[shortridge]

JMBadger,

 

Your example from your parent situation is apples and oranges.

 

Yes, it's easy for a parent to accidentally create a one-on-on situation. But you forget that parents don't automatically know the YP rules. And in Cubs, not all dens or packs require parent attendance (in fact, some don't, calling it a distraction - see below). I'm kind of surprised that you did at the Webelos level, where the boys are supposed to be more independent.

 

Teachers, coaches, principals and athletic trainers get far more one-on-one contact with kids than do MBCs. In Scouting, the buddy system is drilled into the kids' heads. If you're that worried about easy graders being molesters, take your concerns and line of "reasoning" to your local school board. They'll laugh you out of town.

 

-----------

 

Cub Scout den meetings are intended to be an activity for the individual boys. They are not a family activity, and the presence of parents can be a distraction. However, parental involvement is not forbidden and all meetings should be open to your participation. If you would like to be present at a den meeting, ask the den leader in advance so that the leader can plan a way for you to observe or participate in an unobtrusive manner. - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/FAQS/program.aspx

[MDScoutMom]

"A few minutes later one of the new Webelos walked in all alone and sat down. When his Mom didn't pop in after a few seconds, I asked where she was, and he said when she saw my car was already here she just let him go in and said she'd be back in 45 minutes."

 

--- I did that ONCE and promptly had a "talking to" when we picked up my son. Now that I am an adult leader as well for my son's troop and had to take the YP, I know why.

 

"Cub Scout den meetings are intended to be an activity for the individual boys. They are not a family activity, and the presence of parents can be a distraction. However, parental involvement is not forbidden and all meetings should be open to your participation. If you would like to be present at a den meeting, ask the den leader in advance so that the leader can plan a way for you to observe or participate in an unobtrusive manner."

 

--- They should post this or hand it out to all new Cub parents. I remember when my son was a Cub I was always at his meetings because I don't drive and was dropped off. But more than one parent in the den would do the son's project of the week for him. Pack meetings? Yeesh, they were parental competitions!

[JMBadger]

Yes, it's easy to forget parents don't know the rules. I had no AWL. Since I never knew how many or which boys would show up, parents needed to remain there. If plenty of parents showed up and a couple needed to run an errand, fine, but the whole group couldn't up and go. Our meeting area was big enough the adults could remain at one end while we were at the other and not be a distraction.

 

I don't have concerns about "easy graders" Shortridge brought that up, not me. But school employees are also trained in various YP courses (even my wife, a "cafeteria lady"), and are also trained to avoid 1 on 1 situations. Churches require the Sunday school and vacation bible school instructors to go through the same thing, and our local church requires it yearly. While occurrences are rare, every year or two you hear about a priest accused of something, or a teacher caught with a 14-year-old boy. YP concerns are something no school board should laugh at.

 

My example is spot on with what I was saying a parent dropping off a boy and leaving him alone with a registered adult. Apples and apples all the way. My example illustrated a parent's willingness to leave a kid alone with a stranger simply because he is a member of the BSA. And drill it in all you want, the buddy system is harder to maintain with boy scouts because, as shortridge pointed out, the older the boy the more he tends to be independent. That is why it is the adults who are required to take YP every 2 years because we are the ones who have to make it happen.

[John-in-KC]

JMBadger:

 

The merit badge program is not part of the Adult Association or the Advancement Methods. It is outside the province of the youth.

 

The reason for the assignment of Scout to Counselor is to assure the Scout has a quality experience. I'm the Merit Badge Counselor trainer, reporting to the DAC, for my District. I train 120 new MBCs each year, easy. Not all of them are going to be fantastic Counselors. My role is to give the SM a pool of resources to draw from.

 

I very definitely tell SMs to get to know the people of the District, and to select people they know will adhere to Scoutings MB program.

[sbemis1]

As an ASM in my son's troop I signed off on 1 MB (and his mother did 2), they always do a group MB owing to the logistics of semi-rural life. I did not sign off any requirements (ok, the service since I have the pc with the records). I'd let him show me, agree that it was good, then tell him to ask Mr Tom or a PL to review and sign if he approved. After the first couple times he learned to omit the middleman. His Eagle BOR was 1 week ago. He is one of only 2 sixteen year old eagles the troop has produced since I've been associated with them. Most wander in at about 17.999

[moosetracker]

shebmis - congradts on the new Eagle son!!! Don't knock the 17.9999 Eagles though, if the troop retains them for that long, they are finding enjoyment in the program in other ways then just knocking of requirements for Eagle.. Causing parents heartfailure maybe..

 

My son was soon-to-be 16 when he got his, my psuedo son was the 17.99999 scout.. Both stayed in and are still in at 21 and 20 and are still enjoying the program. My son wanted Eagle over and done with so that he could just kick back and enjoy the program, the other enjoyed the program, then dug in his heels at the last minute to earn his Eagle.

[JMBadger]

sbemis1, moosetracker: Congratulations on your Eagles!

 

We have a 16-year-old about to make Eagle this spring, and I asked him if he's thought about joining the Venturing Crew. He grinned at me and said he wants to stay with the troop where he'll no longer have people (like his SM Father) expecting him to be constantly working toward advancement.

 

Our venturing crew just formed this Fall and would really benefit from an experienced scout joining them.

[acco40]

As a Scoutmaster, I've had this happen to me; a Scout comes up and tells me he has completed a merit badge and shows me the completed "blue card" signed by everyone - but me! What are my actions now?

 

I had the assigning of MBCs become a control issue with parents. I may be sterotyping but I've had a group of mothers teach a group of scouts - all in the same troop - merit badges. Yes, they were registered MBCs but as part of the "quality control group" (as a SM) I don't think they do a good job? Do I owe an explanation to the Scout? No.

 

When I was a Scoutmaster, I would give a Scout two names and let him pick from them. I was aware of the "good" MBCs, "so-so" MBCs and "bad" MBCs. My job was to provide quality control for the boys in our troop, not necessarily provide feedback to council.