Is it double counting?

[thoover]

I just finished my Masters a week or so ago (yeah me)...36 hours of coursework on top of scouts, baseball, family (4 great kiddos and a wonderful wife), work, etc. The crazy thing is, in addition to getting the Master degree, I will also be allowed to use 30 of those (accounting) hours to qualify to sit for the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) examination. OH MY...never once did I hear that since those courses were being used for the degree, I couldn't use them for the exam.

 

Lighten up...as John-in-KC said, take a deep breath. Feel free to provide feedback and opinions, but don't belittle or berate someone or their program. Anyone trying to be lazy would have never asked the question to begin with...they would have just double-, triple-, or quadruple-dipped to their hearts desire and never given it a second thought...

 

Terry

[rollie67]

Nicely said thoover, and congratulations by the way. I basically had the same question back in April as AKdenldr has, concerning the Craftsman badge for my 11 Webelo scouts. In my posting I asked if there is a clear cut answer if certain projects done for 1 badge can be counted for the Craftsman badge. Personally, I don't like counting a project for more than 1 achievement, and I don't allow my son to do it. He is fine with that as he enjoys working on the different things with me. Because of whatever reasons, some of the boys have missed various projects, therefore are behind the rest of the boys, so I now have parents asking me if the catapult or pinewood derby car, or whatever can be used for the badge requirement. Instead of just giving them my opinion, I would like to give them an answer based on a written down rule. Adding to the confusion is some of the badges like the Scholar badge specifically says if the Mathematics belt loop satisfied a requirement for another badge, it can not be used for the Scholar badge. I have not seen the same statement made for other badge requirements such as the Craftsman badge, which would lead me to believe you possibly could...if you can't, then every badge should state so or there should be one encompassing rule at the start of the book saying so. In my example with the catapult, I could argue that it could be....for the engineering badge, the boys are learning the skill of physics and motion, no matter if they made it out of metal, wood or plastic. For the Craftsman badge, since they made the project out of wood, that could count because it really doesn't matter if it was a catapult or bird house...they made a project out of wood, instead of the plastic or metal. I had already planned out projects for this badge and communicated the plans to my scout's parents, including a visit to the Home Depot Saturday morning craft clinic, which I mentioned in my posting. By no way do I believe I was LAZY in any of my efforts. I would just like to find an answer that is concrete to give to my parents, beside my opinion....but in response to my April posting, the 1st 2 responders offered more project ideas, and the last 3 gave me various forms of their opinion or the way they do it, which I appreciate and will consider in my decision making, but it's still not the concrete, clear cut answer I was looking for.

 

For responders to posts, please answer the question that is asked....if I would be looking for project ideas, I would state so. If I would like to be berated as some of you think some posters of questions are looking for, I don't need to come here for that....I have enough cub parents for that, so keep your personal opinions to yourself. Learning how you do things is okay, but I don't need to be accused of 'double dipping' or taking short cuts....I don't do that, and that's why I (and others like AKdenldr) come here looking for answers, so I don't give a "short cut" answer to my parents.

[AlFansome]

 

At the Webelos level, as you've seen, there are a few places where you can't use X for requirement Y if you've already used it for Z. Those are clear.

 

For other things you mention, I have never seen or heard of a written anything that would prohibit using a project for 2 badges. Nor anything written about using something for both a belt loop requirement and also a badge requirement.

 

Whether you (as Webelos den leader) will allow X, Y, or Z is up to you. Your decision could be different depending upon family circumstances, the exact situation presented, or a variety of other things.

 

BSA documents don't spell out everything in black and white (and even if they do, we still "discuss" them anyway!). You have to do what you feel is right and appropriate and go from there.

 

[rollie67]

AIFansome, thank you for the response....you pretty much nailed the situations with the family circumstance part....a couple of families that are asking about other projects counting are the same families that consistantly "forget" about our standing meetings, so thier sons are the ones consistantly behind. While I do my best to keep those boys on pace by working on requirements at camps and before or after meetings, it's tough. Then I have a 3rd family that outright told me that they don't do anything at home for scouts with their son....that makes passing off requirements like tracking a chore chart or logging what he eats for a week difficult to complete.

[thoover]

Bottom line, if the rules prohibit double counting, don't do it. Beyond that, run the best program you can, use your best intentions, ask others to get perspective, and mix in a healthy dose of common sense and you'll be just fine. KISMIF

[lagosscouter]

How about if you plan one event that covers 3 requierments?

 

I am a Tiger Scout leader - I planed a hike to a 120 year old lighthouse and we had a picnic lunch before returning. On our way back we picked up trash along the way.

 

we hit 3 requierments and a couple of electives in this one trip....would you call that double dipping?

[John-in-KC]

No, that's called managing your program.

 

Again... these are 8-10 year olds. We give out AOLs by the bushel basket every year. We don't have District/Council events honoring AOLs graduating to Tenderfeet... they bridge, or whatever folks local ceremony is.

 

Do your best, have fun, and think about the boys' needs first. If they need some reinforcing... give it to them in the form of more program