Chess Merit Badge Class

[SR540Beaver]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

 

[JoeBob]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

In defense of some posters, it's not immediately apparent that 441 is a youth. Some of his other posts on other topics imply an adult perspective.

 

BUT, once he revealed his age, we should have been more sensitive to his position. Thank you SR540Beaver.

[Basementdweller]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

Since I received a personal message titled behavior

. I guess I am the bad guy....... for the record I tried to receive my warning PM but it says I am not authorized to view it

[EagleScout441]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

Thanks SR540, and thanks for the advice everybody, I think I have all the information I need.

Basementdweller, while your comments have been a little harsh, I realize that you are simply wondering why my troop doesn't do MBCs the way instructed by National. They have been doing MBs/MBCs that way since I joined the troop, I don't know whether or not they ever did it "correctly." I am almost positive that qwazse is right about my why my troop does it this way:

"Now an MBC has to fill out paperwork, take YPT, jump through lots of hoops just to be a name on the list that might only get one call a year, if that! Your SMs thought that was stupid, they probably weren't getting help from their district (why? Because for the same amount of result, they push ten times the paper!) And, they decided to go it on their own."

 

"In defense of some posters, it's not immediately apparent that 441 is a youth. Some of his other posts on other topics imply an adult perspective."

I tend to look at the big picture. I am very serious about scouting, in fact I have even looked into careers in Scouting(although, in the end, a career in veterinary medicine came out and is on top right now). But I think that my opening post in this thread makes it clear that I am a youth:

"I'm not the first youth in my troop to teach a merit badge..."

[SR540Beaver]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

JoeBob, you are correct regarding it not being immediately apparent that 441 is a youth. However, simply because a fellow member is 51 instead of 15, that doesn't give us license to suspend applying the oath and law in our dealings with them. A little latitude is afforded in the Issues & Politics forum. This ain't it. We have a youth with questions who needs help. Lets give it in a polite manner.

[Sentinel947]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

[EagleScout441]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

If you had read the entire thread you would know that I am not the one signing off requirements for the MB.

ES441 8/24/13 2:58PM comment on ScoutNut's reply:

"I'm the "middle man," Scouts give me the requirements that they have completed and I report to the adult(counselor) who signs them off."

 

And I am teaching the class for the Chess MB

[Sentinel947]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

I often find myself without the time to entirely dissect and read word for word each and every word typed into a thread. I'm not afraid to admit that.

 

 

 

Have fun teaching the game of kings to other Scouts in your unit. (I counsel for Chess MB myself). Help them learn the deep strategy of the game, help the Scouts love the game, and the requirements will come as they progress through the game. The benefits of playing game are not obvious (Kinda like Scouting!) but they are there.

 

 

 

How long have you been playing Chess EagleScout411?

[eaglewolfdad]

Putting on my moderator hat here. I am at work and I don't have the time or the inclination to read thru this whole thread as I've already seen enough unscoutlike behavior in the first few posts to warrant a comment. Eagle is a youth. The rest of you are adults. Do you talk to your youth the way you are talking to Eagle? I certainly hope not. Constructive criticism is exactly that.....constructive. Boorish behavior is not constructive. Here is the deal. EDIT your posts to make them more helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and cheerful. I'm a big believer in free speech and I am loathe to delete, censor or modify anyone's posts. But posting here is a privilege and not a right. Members of this community will abide by the oath and law or they can find a different forum to post in. Like grandma used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

SR540 perhaps in this day and age some consideration could be give to creating a forum for scouts. I am sure that there are quite a few scouts in search of information much like our Eagle. Having their own forum would allow them to strut their stuff without the fear of them alienating anyone due to a different communication style. I would assign a mentor or two that the group could reach out to if they could not solve the issue using their collective genius.

Just a thought

[packsaddle]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

I will add that it was in chess (and marksmanship) that I discovered and developed the ability to focus with great intensity, in spite of being surrounded by chaos.

[EagleScout441]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

"I often find myself without the time to entirely dissect and read word for word each and every word typed into a thread. I'm not afraid to admit that."

Being 15 3/4, I've got all the time in the world. I meant no disrespect in my comment, I apologize if it came across that way.

"How long have you been playing Chess EagleScout411?"

I'm not sure. I don't remember my Dad teaching me how to play, it was about 8-10 years ago. I used to play chess with my brother, he's 2 1/2 years older than I am, but he's in college now. Now I play with fellow scouts or on a computer version.

[JoeBob]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

Won the Governor's Honors chess tournament in 1971.

It wasn't because I was smart; it was because I was sneaky!

I really enjoyed deflating those perfect SAT scores.

[King Ding Dong]

In conclusion:

 

 

 

EagleScout411- you signing off merit badges for other scouts in a no go. If you want to teach your fellow Scouts about chess, go for it. It's a wonderful game (I play regularly) and many of the Scouts in your unit could benefit from playing the game. But rules are rules, you are forbidden from being a merit badge counselor at the age of 15. Your Troop has committed an error, and are fortunate that there hasn't been any advancement issues arising from such.

 

 

 

I apologize for some of the belligerence Scouters here have shown you.

 

 

 

Thanks SR540Beaver for having to be the mean moderator! =P

" If you had read the entire thread you would know that I am not the one signing off requirements for the MB.

ES441 8/24/13 2:58PM comment on ScoutNut's reply:

"I'm the "middle man," Scouts give me the requirements that they have completed and I report to the adult(counselor) who signs them off."

 

And I am teaching the class for the Chess MB "

 

441 do you understand why some of us have a problem with this ? The problem is that you are a middle man. There is no adult association, whoever signs the blue card is just robo signing. There is not supposed to be a middleman in the merit badge program.

[EagleScout441]

"I'm the "middle man," Scouts give me the requirements that they have completed and I report to the adult(counselor) who signs them off."

"441 do you understand why some of us have a problem with this ? The problem is that you are a middle man. There is no adult association, whoever signs the blue card is just robo signing. There is not supposed to be a middleman in the merit badge program."

The scouts have the option of not using the worksheet, no paperwork from them means no MB. I will be taking the paperwork and notes/reminders of scouts that have completed certain requirements(i.e. the tournament) to the counselor, who will sign them off.

[JoeBob]

"I'm the "middle man," Scouts give me the requirements that they have completed and I report to the adult(counselor) who signs them off."

"441 do you understand why some of us have a problem with this ? The problem is that you are a middle man. There is no adult association, whoever signs the blue card is just robo signing. There is not supposed to be a middleman in the merit badge program."

The scouts have the option of not using the worksheet, no paperwork from them means no MB. I will be taking the paperwork and notes/reminders of scouts that have completed certain requirements(i.e. the tournament) to the counselor, who will sign them off.

KDD's point is that YOU will be the adult they associate with. Despite your ability to observe the 'big picture', those scouts will not benefit from association with a seasoned chess master.