observed an EBoR, part 2

[bnelon44]

Eagle92,

 

Units cannot invent a merit badge application other than a blue card. The merit badge process is administered by the council (not the unit) and spelled out in the GTA. Everyone must use the process in the GTA. And the blue card is suppose to be the official national merit badge application. Councils are suppose to get permission from national to use something else (I know some do, but that is being rectified/clarified). It is all spelled out in the GTA(This message has been edited by bnelon44)(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

[Eagle92]

Bnelon,

 

I see where the new book now requires blue cards, thanks for the update. I am going to pass the word around at RT this week because we have many units using the worksheets from MacScouter.com.

 

But in the past, it was not stated that blue cards were mandatory. Heck even the new book references that "it has not been clearly stated in the past" in regards to blue cards. I did a quick search of the old one, and there is only 2 mentions of the "Application for Merit Badge (blue card)," and that is pages 31 where it states that "partials are recorded on it," and page 50 in the appendix where it gives the item number to buy the cards from national.

 

Again not trying to be a pain, but this is something that has occured several times in my area. IMHO, there are a variety of factors invovled, some unit based, others district/council based.

 

Once again Thanks.

[bnelon44]

"it has not been clearly stated in the past"

 

Could be said for most advancement policies. That is why I really like the new GTA.... and probably why many do not.

[Beavah]

Yah, forgive me, bnellon44, but I think you're missin' the point.

 

Da role of the district or council is one of service, not authority. We who work at that level are here to support da units and da Chartering Organization in their mission(s) and goals for youth. Advancement, as the new G2A says quite correctly, is just a method that units may use to help teach. And, as the Bylaws and Rules & Regulations state, all advancement regulations including the G2A must be interpreted in ways that harmonize with the goals and our proper role of service.

 

It's not a club by which we beat up poor unit scouters in order to get 'em to do paperwork. It's a set of resources that we offer to help 'em work with kids.

 

We forget that at our peril, because when we forget it we drive da best sort of scouters away, and our number of youth served continue to shrink.

 

Beavah

 

 

[bnelon44]

Beavah,

 

The council has authority in certain areas as well as the responsibility to administer certain advancement items and oversee others. The Eagle Rank and Merit Badges are to be administered by the Council following National policies.

 

The council can also remove any merit badge counselor or any other adult volunteer for any reason or no reason. I am pretty sure they can also revoke any unit charter (that is probably the ultimate in authority.)

[Beavah]

The council can also remove any merit badge counselor or any other adult volunteer for any reason or no reason. I am pretty sure they can also revoke any unit charter (that is probably the ultimate in authority.)

 

That would be completely incorrect.

 

The Scout Executive can revoke da membership of individuals, but only for cause, such causes being YP related or otherwise affecting da public reputation of the BSA, and subject to appeal and review by national.

 

Only da national council can revoke a unit charter.

 

And of course doin' anything like that over somethin' as trivial as a method of scouting or its paperwork would be ridiculous. Would we start revokin' charters over people not usin' da full Patrol Method, or not usin' da full outdoor method by goin' backpacking? Or perhaps by not being as good at Adult Association as we would like?

 

That's where your approach really demonstrates that yeh view Advancement as a goal, and not just da method that it is. Because only if an organization did not share our goals and values would we ever consider revoking a charter.

 

Advancement isn't a goal, and so da notion that advancement paperwork is a membership issue is just foolish. But da fact that so many folks treat it as a goal or a personal fiefdom is sad, particularly at da district and council level. While no doubt well-meaning, they have forgotten that the program is all about kids, and that da role of a council scouter is all about cheerful, friendly service to those front-line souls in units who do da real work with the lads.

 

Beavah

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

Actually upon reflection I realized this: how is anyone beyond the scout, the unit, and the MBC going to know if a blue cards was used or not? They are only used for record keeping purposes, and are not used at the BORs, turned into the council, or reviewed by national.

[BartHumphries]

Doesn't one of the three sections of the blue card say something about "for the council" or something?

[trainerlady]

Bart,

 

The 3 sections are candidate (scout), counselor, and unit. At no point do blue cards go to the council. They can be used as proof of earning a badge to get one from your local Scout Store if needed. But now the G2A is stating that badges and ranks can only be bought with proper advancement forms being turned in.

[Eagle92]

Proper advancement forms are the Advancement Reports, and that has been in effect since at least 1992, and probably a lot earlier. However not all places did that.

 

 

I know at the national store I worked at, we asked for some proof of earning whatever restricted award. Depending upon which award, proof could be a certificate, pocket certificate, blue card, photograph, newspaper article, ad nauseum. BUT no matter what award went out, an Advancement report was filled out for it, even the First Class Rank Pins that are allowed to be worn by all Scouts on campaign and expedition hats.

[KC9DDI]

trainerlady - this may have changed in the past couple years, but a few years ago I worked at a council Scout Shop, and we did in fact collect the "council portion" of the blue card before selling merit badges. I believe the instructions to the scout said "turn this part in to your unit leader," but the unit leader was then to turn it into the council when picking up the merit badges. One of the triplicate Advancement Record sheets was also required for merit badges (and, in fact, for nearly all Boy Scout, Venturing and Cub Scout rank and award patches).

 

Technically, we were supposed to ensure a 1-to-1 match between blue cards turned in, and merit badges sold. In practice, I would try to do that for a purchase of a few merit badges. But when the 80-scout Eagle Mill troop came in after summer camp with a wheelbarrow full of blue cards and an order for 300 merit badges, the checking was a bit more lax :-)

 

 

[Eagle92]

KC,

 

Not doubting you, but I've never expereince a council collecting the unit's copy of the blue cards before, and I've been in 5 so far. I think that is kinda extreme personally.

 

But as for MBs and Advacement reports, we had to count every single one of those. Worse though wasn't the MBs, but the Cub Scout arrowpoints and Webelos activity badges. For those units that used TROOPMASTER and PACKMASTER, a summery of the awards were given, and we used the summary sheet to count awards.

 

Some units had mercy on us poor clerks. Instead of listing a scout and then everything they earned, they listed the award, then everyone that earned it. Saved us so much time.

[Oak Tree]

This whole world is just so foreign. We can go buy any merit badges we want, and most all other awards, too.

 

Rank badges are restricted, but we can usually get them, too, without an advancement report. Typically we do have the advancement reports for ranks, but for everything else, really? Blue cards? Lists of who earned what?

 

Requiring blue cards? I'm pretty confident our summer camp isn't going to start using them.

 

I'm not going to start handing out completely unearned merit badges, and I'm not going to start questioning every last item a counselor may not have done right, either. Really, there's no change I can see here that's going to actually affect our troop.