Unit College Scouter Reserve

[Ditro]

Hi all,

 

I'm in the process of being registered in Position 92U (Unit College Scouter Reserve), and I'd like to know if there is a patch that is worn for this position, or since it is a new position, if anyone knows if a new patch is in the works from National supply.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Ditro

[emb021]

Nope. No office patch for any of the scouter reserve position.

 

This is because you aren't expected to wear a uniform. Its to keep your registration while you are away at college or the like. If you were being active enough that you'd need to wear a uniform, you shouldn't be using that registration.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Most of the folks I know who would be in this POR wear an ASM patch.

 

My understanding is that this new position was created for those councils that have mandated training for unit leaders. This position only requires YPT to be considered "trained."

 

Now if you were in the College Scouter Reserve (92), then you could wear no numbers, silver loops, and a district committee patch . And if memory serves, its only 1 of 2 PORs that under 21yos can have and be on the district committee.

[Gunny2862]

You aren't expected/required to wear the uniform by the BSA, but your unit and yourself might decide the parents might feel more comfortable explaining your presence and acting as an ASM if you wore the standard uniform on the occasions you are able to attend. Standard patching if you exercise this option, no special uniform designators for 92U.

[jdbsa05]

If it helps you, the practice in my Council is to wear the designations of the position 92 CSR, even if you are UCSR.

 

However, an email to someone at the National Office yielded this response with regard to CSR designations on the uniform:

 

"The assumption, and intention, is that a College Scouter Reserve registrant takes on that status because they are not able to be active or do not have the time to be active in Scouting but want to maintain registration. There is intentionally no patch. If they have time to participate in Scouting they should register in an active position."

[Eagle92]

The comment above is obviously from someone at national who hasn't been in the field either in years or at all. I know many folks who only have the time to assist their units during their breaks. And these breaks may last as little as a week or as long as 2-3 months. And mandatory training in some areas, and coming to others, how do you expect someone to get trained when they are not around except those brief periods?

[Eagle707]

District/Council College Scouters do not have a patch either, unfortunately. We're district-level volunteers but we aren't allowed on the district committee (or so my DE told me). I went back and forth with National for several months over trying to get a College Scouter patch approved for 92 (before 92U was announced) and they didn't want it because they didn't think enough people would buy one. We just get to wear silver loops and look important.

 

As for the BSA official who didn't understand the position: My College Scouter group helped with the local Scouting for Food campaign. We just didn't have a lot of time to volunteer and our council only conducted training while we were gone. That precluded registering for ANY other position.

 

[Eagle92]

707,

 

92's are part of the district committee since it's a district level POR. So that emb is appropriate. Just like someone only registered as an MBC is a member of the district committee can wear it.

 

You just can't vote FWIW.

[Eagle707]

I wish I had gotten that answer from someone sooner since I'm registered as both. Thanks, 92!

[caltexross]

What is the annual registration fee for the 92u unit college scouter reserve? Someone said $1.

 

Is it the same for Venture Scouts?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

[Col. Flagg]

Nope. No office patch for any of the scouter reserve position. This is because you aren't expected to wear a uniform. Its to keep your registration while you are away at college or the like. If you were being active enough that you'd need to wear a uniform, you shouldn't be using that registration.

 

What? This registration code designation has NOTHING to do with whether someone wear or does not wear a uniform. ANY College Reserve Scout can wear the uniform.

 

The role was created so that former Scouts (just turned 18 and going off to college) did not have to register as adult Scouters (ASM or TC Member) and take the associated training. Many would do just that but fail to take the training, thus causing their unit to take a ding on training in the JTE. So in 2011 BSA created this registration code for college students to register with their unit but only have to take YPT.

 

Whether you are a SM, ASM, TC member or College Reserve Scout, you may wear the (adult) uniform. That means that if you are an Eagle Scout and you are part of a Boy Scout troop you must wear the Eagle knot and not the rank badge. You don't wear your MB sash either. If, however, you are in a Venturing Crew you can still wear your Eagle rank badge on your shirt until 21.

[Col. Flagg]

What is the annual registration fee for the 92u unit college scouter reserve? Someone said $1.

 

Is it the same for Venture Scouts?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

 

In our unit it is the same as the adult registration fee. The only time you'd pay $1 in our unit is if you were registered for a full year as a Scout, then turned 18 during that year. We would 'transfer" your registration from "Scout" to "College Reserve" for that $1 fee. That's a council fee in our area, not a unit fee.

 

Venturing is different. I am not aware of you needing to register as a College Reserve Scout if you are already part of a Venturing Crew and under 21. In our Crew the cost for a Venturing youth (14-21) is the same as the adult fee. The only difference is that adults (those over 21) are required to be fully trained.

 

When in doubt call your local district or council. They will have the most current information.

[curious_scouter]

Looking for actual experience from unit leaders on how they have let College Reserve Scouter scouters participate and especially any links to actual materials on the topic from Scouts BSA.

This year we'll have 7 Scouts who turn 18 between Jan 2023 and May 1, 2023.  They have not yet started college, but most will head that way in August/September 2023.  Several have asked me about registering as College Reserve.

I'm open to it.  They were all great leaders as Scouts, could certainly continue to be a value to our program.  I'm challenged because I can't find much guidance, outside of the obvious "must train and follow YPT as an adult", about how to set expectations about their future participation. 

I think the people asking me about this role are thinking this is a way to keep attending campouts and hanging out with their buddies who are still in the program.  For example I was asked by one "Could I still camp with them, just not share a tent."  So I want to be crystal clear with these newly minted adults about how it would work, right up front. 

I love Scouting.  I love that they love it and want to continue doing it.  I love the friendships they made as a youth are so strong they don't want to give it up yet.  I love that it kills them their just-recently-fellow-scouts are out camping this weekend and they can't be there with them.  So I really want to say "Sure!".

But I don't think that's the idea behind CSR, sadly.  I think by design scouting as a youth is a time-limited engagement and as depressing as it is, we all have to close that chapter when we turn 18.  If you want to keep hanging with your buddies and doing SCOUT stuff with them - a venture crew is how you do that and why we allow you there until you're 21 to operate as a "Scout" and not a "Scouter". 

If you want to assume the role of an adult leader but can only do it on occasion due to college responsibilities, CSR is here for you.  But when you participate in that role it's as an adult leader - not an extension of your youth experience.  You do what the other adults do on an outing in our unit:  Make yourself available, but scarce.  Cook, clean and camp with the adult patrol... not your former patrol across the way.  When your former Patrol goes out on some activity, you would not normally go with them "for fun" but only if your attending fulfilled some supervisory need for the activity. 

[InquisitiveScouter]

Your thinking is right on this...

And I am VERY glad you have a culture in your unit where this is the case.  (The youth wanting to continue to be part of the program.)

But, there are clear boundaries, as you point out.

What they want is not Venturing.  What they want is Rovering!!

http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/rovers.html