Lost book

[frankpalazzi]

At one time we had the boys going to the designated Troopmaster data-entry person (a committee member), who was present at every troop meeting with a computer, EVERY TIME they had a requirement signed off in their books. It should not surprise anyone that this system broke down after awhile (especially after that guy left the committee when his son Eagled/aged out of the troop, and the current holder of that position does not attend every troop meeting, but also because it is hopeless to expect every Scout to actually go see an adult each time a T-2-1 requirement is passed.) The system now is that one of the procedures to be followed when completing a rank, and before asking for a Scoutmaster's Conference, is to arrange with the current data-entry person to have the sign-offs entered into the computer. That also means that the Board of Review members have a mostly up-to-date report (printed from Troopmaster) of the Scout's advancement status, merit badges, POR if any, etc., for review at the BOR, plus there is usually a reasonably up-to-date backup available if the Scout loses his book. All that will have to be reconstructed are the requirements passed since the last BOR. (I actually have suggested to some Scouts that they also photocopy the requirements pages from their books every couple of months or so, especially those Scouts whose books look like they have been left out in the rain too many times, but I doubt that many photocopies have been made.)

Agree with Fred! Our AC does the same thing, tracks partials, and dates for every rank requirement. Completely unnecessary, as the only dates that are needed for the Eagle application are the COMPLETED (Board Of Review) dates!

[IM_Kathy]

if the scout can't tell me how he did something then he must not have done it well enough to have learned it and does it again. If he can tell me well enough then I'd sign it. The only boys that sign off in books for us are Junior Assistant Scoutmasters - scouts teach, scouts watch, scouts say go do it for "___adult or junior asm_____" While I would love to have patrol leaders or say a 1st class or above sign off, but that isn't the way the troop was when we joined and I can only see more headaches from it than benefits. I don't want a boy getting signed off that really doesn't know his stuff because he's good friends. I don't want a boy not getting signed off because a boy is being a jerk and going above requirements.

 

Our JASM are 16+, life scout, and sat down with SM or ASM to go over basic rules (same thing we sit in a room for hours for to get that "wonderful" trained strip)

[qwazse]

... I can only see more headaches from it than benefits. I don't want a boy getting signed off that really doesn't know his stuff because he's good friends. I don't want a boy not getting signed off because a boy is being a jerk and going above requirements. ...

 

You mean you can only "imagine". I have seen. And your worst-case scenarios are extremely rare and no less likely to happen with 16+ y.o. JASM than a 13+ y.o. PL or any 1st class scout (the concept not the patch). They are definitely more likely to happen with adults. That said, at some point in the year -- usually early spring -- we have all qualified scouts sit down in a big circle and go over the basic criteria for signing off on work.

 

Keep in mind, we don't usually have JASMs. Most of our boys achieve 1st Class around age 14. Patrol leaders are usually 13.

 

[Second Class]

LeCastor, I have done that same thing, collect "stuff" and hold it until somebody asks me for it. We write the names on the edge of the handbook as well. As an aside, the quality of these current handbooks is abysmal. By First Class the pages are falling out. We encourage our scouts to keep it in. A zip lock bag with pen and pad. Most do. I've met with this boy twice. He brought a printout of the T-1st Class requirements from MeritBadge dot org. No book. I told him he had to replace his book before we'd start the rebuild process. I asked him about a few of the requirements, and as expected he had clear memory of some and "I can't remember" on others. This is going to be a root canal process, I can see.