Time between rank

[Vintage1]

So after having my son in a troop for four years i just came to learn that they do not count the summer as time for advancement. So him receiving the rank of star scout in May he is not allowed advancement until February. It doesn’t seem right that they would not count the summer even though he was active with the troop with summer camp and other activities. Just curious if any other troops do this. 

Edited September 25, 2018 by Vintage1
Left out some content

[awanatech]

I have never heard of a Troop that does not count the summer towards time for advancement. I'm not sure how they would justify eliminating a whole season from the calendar.

[Chadamus]

@Vintage1, welcome to the forum.

My son's Troop is active year-round. I have heard of Troops that take the summer off, but from my experience those are in the minority.

[Vintage1]

We are active year round as well with summer camps, activities,  different programs throughout the community we actually cleaned out and reorganized our storage sheds. We do not have our weekly meetings for two months.

[qwazse]

If this matters to your son, he should ask for a scoutmaster conference and go over the ways in which he was active and carried out his position of responsibility throughout the summer.

[Chisos]

Asked and answered...

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/09/21/yes-summer-months-count-toward-advancement/

[Vintage1]

The current scoutmaster is in agreement that the summer can count but this is a rule by an old regime where one parent who was a former scoutmaster is still active in the troop even though his son has long left. It doesn’t come up all the time but it has where several kids over the years we’re a couple days or weeks shy of advancement because they weren’t counting two summer months as time for advancement. We voted on it last night and the only one who voted against it was a parent who went through the same thing and whose son has made Eagle Scout as well. I do not believe their intentions are bad but it seems like a ridiculous rule that should have never been placed.   

[Eagle94-A1]

1) Is the troop meeting and doing activities? If no, WHY NOT? Summer is when Scouting is best because of no School activities interfeering.

 

2)  https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/09/21/yes-summer-months-count-toward-advancement/ as @Chisos posted ( you beat me to it  ) states whether or not they meet, it counts.

[Vintage1]

They aren’t doing weekly meetings but they are doing events, summer camp, we did a clean up at the shed my son in particular almost  did a month of CIT in a camp and spent a week with the troop during their week.

[ValleyBoy]

Our unit counts time in rank year round.  Most years we have one weekly meeting after summer camp which is usually near the middle of July then do not start meeting again until school starts back which is usually the 2nd week in August. then we do not meet from the middle of December until the first of January.  Added together we takeoff 6-7 weeks a year just depending how the dates fall on the calendar.

[Jameson76]

Who has time for all the record keeping and math?  

[Vintage1]

Exactly 

[qwazse]

(Caveat: My rule #1 is don't ask for a rule. You'll eventually live to regret it.)

4 hours ago, Vintage1 said:

The current scoutmaster is in agreement that the summer can count but this is a rule by an old regime where one parent who was a former scoutmaster is still active in the troop even though his son has long left. It doesn’t come up all the time but it has where several kids over the years we’re a couple days or weeks shy of advancement because they weren’t counting two summer months as time for advancement. We voted on it last night and the only one who voted against it was a parent who went through the same thing and whose son has made Eagle Scout as well. I do not believe their intentions are bad but it seems like a ridiculous rule that should have never been placed.   

Wait? What vote? There's no vote! The SM agrees (not with you or your son, with the letter of the requirements). He signs the book. Worst case: the TC holds its BoR, declares that your son was a total slug over the summer and puts in writing what they expect from him and when they will hold the next board.

My SM and I are fine with the TC being obstinate ... on their own time, according to national standards, not according to an erstwhile SM's caprice.

[MattR]

We do mostly outdoor meetings in the summer. It's light enough we can do most anything. Those meetings are the most fun. So, from my viewpoint not counting that time is really odd.

[perdidochas]

14 hours ago, Vintage1 said:

So after having my son in a troop for four years i just came to learn that they do not count the summer as time for advancement. So him receiving the rank of star scout in May he is not allowed advancement until February. It doesn’t seem right that they would not count the summer even though he was active with the troop with summer camp and other activities. Just curious if any other troops do this. 

I think that's not fair at all.  That, and the troop is pretty pathetic if they don't meet in the summer.  IMHO, summer is the best time for Scouting.  The Scouts have time to work on merit badges, etc., without homework or athletics interfering.