Part-Time Lone Scout

[swilliams]

I've looked online at how to get someone set up as a Lone Scout, and will call our Council for further info, but had a couple questions for anyone who may have had a scout in a similar situation as what we have.  This scout was part of our Troop last year, but moved back to Ecuador.  He will be returning/visiting from time to time and wants to be involved with the Troop as much as possible.  He's one of our older scouts and has always been a great help. He easily has one of the best attitudes and most positive outlooks I've seen in a young man.  Looking for suggestions as to what we can have him do, and whether he can have any type of POR with the Troop.  

He's currently in the States, and will be here until Feb. 18th, if that matters.  The scouts are reorganizing their Patrols tonight.  My thought is that it can't hurt to let him join a Patrol, even though he isn't formally a member of our Troop anymore.  There's not a lot of information I've found so far about what goes for this kind of situation.  

[Tron]

It's going to come down to is he a US citizen? While living here for school or such the registration guide book allows him to join SA; however, if he is a not a US citizen, his time abroad cannot count towards any SA requirements nor can he maintain membership.

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

To me, the natural solution is for him to join the scout corps in Ecuador since that's where he lives now (https://scoutsecuador.org/) and then just come visit your troop whenever he's around as a social and networking visit.

My troop had some foreign visitors like that, although mostly scouters. Some of my patrolmates had expatriated also, and joined in that case Scouts NZ while they were there. When they came back to Sweden, they brought scouting contacts with them. All part of the worldwide siblinghood of scouting.

Your troop would be in an excellent position to earn the International Spirit Award! You would have an old scouting friend to visit, perhaps at an Ecuadorean camporee. You would have a much easier time planning cool high adventure in Ecuador with a local scouting friend to help. Lots of cool possibilities there!

Edited January 23 by AwakeEnergyScouter
Thought of more upsides

[qwazse]

Definitely let him be a patrol member even if for a few weeks. If the patrol has a medallion, send him a care package with a few of them.

[swilliams]

On 1/23/2025 at 8:54 AM, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

To me, the natural solution is for him to join the scout corps in Ecuador since that's where he lives now (https://scoutsecuador.org/) and then just come visit your troop whenever he's around as a social and networking visit.

My troop had some foreign visitors like that, although mostly scouters. Some of my patrolmates had expatriated also, and joined in that case Scouts NZ while they were there. When they came back to Sweden, they brought scouting contacts with them. All part of the worldwide siblinghood of scouting.

Your troop would be in an excellent position to earn the International Spirit Award! You would have an old scouting friend to visit, perhaps at an Ecuadorean camporee. You would have a much easier time planning cool high adventure in Ecuador with a local scouting friend to help. Lots of cool possibilities there!

We had a scout come to us from Belgium years ago.  He made Eagle and is now doing a gap year back in Belguim. 

I didn't know there was such a thing as International Spirit Award.

[Eagle94-A1]

5 hours ago, swilliams said:

We had a scout come to us from Belgium years ago.  He made Eagle and is now doing a gap year back in Belguim. 

I didn't know there was such a thing as International Spirit Award.

Yeah, they keep changing the name of it. Originally the World Crest was an award for the BSA, then August 1, 1989,rules changed allowing everyone to wear it. Ticked me and the other Scouts on the bus in Canada earning off because that was one of the awards we were going to earn. Adults made it up by giving us the Canadian version of the emblem on a velvet background. They also had  international recognition set with necker and patch.

 

Sometime between 1989 and 1995, the International Youth Exchange Award was created. Don't remember the requirements, but i got it. 

Don't know when the current award came out. Requirements are https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/International-Spirit-Award-app.130-044-Rev.-June-2021.pdf  and the patch is below.

 

[DuctTape]

I remember earning the world crest patch by going to an international event in Canada too and IIRC there were a few other requirements?. Our troop participated in the event for years. It was great. Does that mean I earned the current rendition of the award? LOL

[Eagle94-A1]

On 1/25/2025 at 9:28 AM, DuctTape said:

I remember earning the world crest patch by going to an international event in Canada too and IIRC there were a few other requirements?. Our troop participated in the event for years. It was great. Does that mean I earned the current rendition of the award? LOL

I believe I eventually got the International Youth Exchange Award because of the Canada trip. I think the requirements for the WC and IYEA were identical.