Requirement clarification

[WissX]

Our definition is high attendence at meetings. like 75% of the time they show up

[fred johnson]

Yah, I hear yeh, @@fred johnson.  I'm supportin' a lot of units with different adult vision, and turnover and all the rest.  Yeh have to sort of roll with these things and not take 'em too seriously...  while also keepin' the Vision of da program in mind.

 

To my way of thinkin' one of da sadnesses of the modern G2A is that da mandate from above was to reduce the number of complaints and appeals, eh?  That's the metric used for evaluation.   By that metric it's been quite successful.     So I get what you're sayin' about the way some of that document reads.   I fully admit to bein' a bit more of a traditionalist who cares for doin' right by the kids rather than helpin' lighten da staff load in Irving.

 

I don't think we should have to re-test a lad with a Swimming MB to see if he can swim.  I think if we need to do that we failed the boy, eh?  Worse, we set him up to get hurt because he thinks he can swim and might go out when we're not around and get himself into trouble.  High adventure bases require lads to be First Class scouts because at some level we expect First Class to mean something in terms of a boy's readiness for that sort of program.

 

Eagle is the biggie in this regard, eh?  We hold that rank out to da community as bein' deeply meaningful - meaningful enough to merit an advantage in college admissions and military pay grade and employment opportunities.  If at some level we're not a certification program, then we need to stop trumpeting the value of Eagle Scout as well.    

 

That's why Eagle is our most frequent conflict point with Advancement, eh?  Units follow da G2A and let kids slide by until they come up for Eagle, and then they realize that approach doesn't result in a boy who merits all those accolades and advantages.  It's not so much that they're tryin' to "change da rules" on the boy at the last minute.  It's that they were followin' da rules and didn't get the outcome they wanted, and they don't want to be dishonest with the broader community.  

 

What they need to do in such a case is go back and fix their approach to Advancement startin' with Scout, eh?  No way to fix an almost-18-year-old, and that's not fair to the lad.  But in fixin' their program, they should be makin' sure that Scout, and Tenderfoot, and First Aid MB and all the rest really mean somethin'.   That way a lad with an Eagle badge will really mean something too.

 

Beavah

 

Well said ... IMHO ... if we want them to really mean something, then it's at the teaching moments.  IMHO, that's where the issue is, the mentors.  Too many warm bodies signing without expertise in topic or mentoring.  Too many class based MBs.  Too many wildly different levels of expectations.  I'm not sure how to fix it.  I just don't think you fix it by gate keeping at the end.

 

It reminds me of taking my sons to two MB classes on one day.  If the right MB counselor was there or a good environment, it would have been meaningful and inspiring.  But the counselor had the MB book up and was essentially reading the MB and taking the scouts through the MB point by point in the book.  When that was done for the second MB, we left after 15 minutes.  My sons had wanted to go and then after seeing it would be another several hours of boredom, they just wanted to leave.  I can't blame them.

Edited July 26, 2016 by fred johnson

[qwazse]

I was curious if @@Bingo's scout got his act together.

 

Before I put my 9th Ed. BSHB on the shelf, I thought here would be a good place to outline Green Bar Bill's definition of scout participation.

 

He called it "Three A's":

 

Attendance "... there on the dot for all meetings hikes and events. When sickness or some other reason prevents ... you tell your PL in advance. Then he can announce 'All present or accounted for.' "

Appearance "... Always show up in your scout uniform ... You can hardly be taken for a scout unless you look like one."

Attitude "... Shows in everything you do ... Your SM gives his time and effort ... Back him up in what he's trying to do for the good of all of you."

[NJCubScouter]

Attendance "... there on the dot for all meetings hikes and events. When sickness or some other reason prevents ... you tell your PL in advance. Then he can announce 'All present or accounted for.' "

 

I remember making those calls to my PL and receiving those calls as a PL.  I think that is mostly a relic of the past unfortunately.

[qwazse]

I remember making those calls to my PL and receiving those calls as a PL.  I think that is mostly a relic of the past unfortunately.

I'm not sure my PL would call the house. Mom would talk his ear off!

He would knock at my door and catch up with me in school.

I don't recall any attendance problems with my patrol. Perhaps they were all new scouts, and I was working with them through their Jr. High years, before they would consider doing anything besides attending troop meetings and activities.

 

Do any of your troops do roll-call by patrol for your opening ceremony? We do at summer camp, but not at meetings. I'm trying to get that to change.

[NJCubScouter]

Do any of your troops do roll-call by patrol for your opening ceremony? We do at summer camp, but not at meetings. I'm trying to get that to change.

 

Yes, at every meeting, including the "Old Goat Patrol".