on the topic of belt loops...

[EagerLeader]

How can I keep the Advancement Chair from purchasing belt loops for her son without telling the Den Leader (me) first? He was recently awarded 5 belt loops at one Pack Meeting, and they had "show your den" requirements that were never met. This was not the first time this has happened.

 

I don't want to rock the boat here, but has anyone else had to deal with this in the past?

 

EL

[Lisabob]

Yes, this comes up occasionally. Does your pack have a set procedure for getting advancement info to your advancement chair? Do you do any record keeping (pack master or other spreadsheets, for example)? Who is in charge, if you do?

 

We found it was helpful to have a set procedure - for example, den leaders need to turn in a written summary or report for awards to the adv. chair and if it isn't on there, the adv. chair doesn't buy it. If the adv. chair is aware that this is the policy for your pack, then you can start with hey, I don't recall requesting this award....there must be a mis-communication here.

 

Also: who is presenting awards at your pack meetings? If it is the CM or den leaders, that makes it harder for the adv. chair (or any other parent) to go behind your back.

 

Finally, procedural fixes aside, I'd just have a short heart to heart with this person. She probably means well and may not realize that this is a problem. Assuming you and she do not have other power struggle issues going on, you may be able to solve this problem just with a direct and caring approach.

 

Good luck.

 

Lisa'bob

[Newbie Den Leader]

Politely request the advancement chair (AC) to tell you when junior has completed a belt loop so you can update your progress record for your den. Tell all parents, including the AC, that they must turn in the achievement checklist to you before they are awarded a belt loop. This may not prevent this situation from happening again, but at least you have taken a step to make sure the AC understands proper protocol for acquiring badges and achievements.

 

If it happens again, I would not make a serious issue of it. At this level of Scouting, the achievements are signed off by the parents anyway and they are ultimately Akela.

 

One suggestion: Have junior demonstrate or talk to the den about what he learned about the belt loops he earned. This is not intended to embarrass, but to reinforce to the young lad that belt loops represent something he worked for. If he can do this, then he has earned his belt loops.

 

 

 

 

[EagerLeader]

Newbie, I did just that at the start of this year to try and head this off... everyone needs to turn in the checklist and I need to see the "show your den" items. She's told me once or twice "oh, he did the work, I didn't want to bother you with filling out another form." I think asking the cub a few questions would help me feel better about the work he has supposedly done.

 

Lisa'bob, we don't have any other problems. Her older son has been friends with mine for years, and we get along very well. I'm hoping I'm just being oversensitive about this... my kids tell me I have "control issues"! :-)

 

EL

[Lisabob]

OK then this is easy to solve. Tell her it is not about making you do more or less paperwork, but rather about teaching the boys that they have to fulfill the requirements AS WRITTEN (nothing added, nothing subtracted). It is as important for the other boys to see that her son has done everything "by the book" as it is for her own boy to learn this. Otherwise, among other places, they'll have a harder time when they become boy scouts and can no longer do things this way. I'm sure she has the best intentions and just isn't thinking about it this way.

 

And hey, the paperwork involved in recording a beltloop is practically nil, not a serious burden for you.