Parents Acting as Merit Badge Counselors

[Laurie]

Not having much experience with this particular issue (yet ), what comes to mind as I follow this thread is the relationship the Scout has with the SM. Nothing I read indicated to me that a SM was trying to control the decision a boy made; I was reading that their are SMs who have a relationship with the Scouts and are giving them info to make decisions. Hunt's description of "this one's an Eagle", "this one's a teacher", "this one's your mom" did not indicate control on his part but rather very general info. Not a criticism of a counselor, nor an endorsement of a counselor, it made sense to me that he said that. As a mom, I am delighted to see my sons building relationships with their SM and SAs, but it isn't always easy to do (they don't ask questions even when they have them), so it seems the offer of some general info would be kind and helpful. Where am I wrong in this please? Though I don't need to know, I care about the program and want to understand it better.

[FScouter]

Laurie -

 

I think the acrimonious portions of this debate are reactions to several comments made by several people:

 

he needs his SM to sign his blue card & assign a merit badge counselor.

 

A normal reading of this would suggest that Scoutmaster has discretion to decide which name to give the Scout.

 

If there is a choice of sending a boy to a stranger or someone I know will do a good job, I'm going to "assign" that counselor.

 

The SM is the one who determines which merit badge counselor the Scout will use!

 

That means the SM picks one counselor for the Scout.

 

Well, if you read that LITERALLY then it means the Scout has to go to the Scoutmaster and the Scoutmaster is the one who gives the boy ONE counselor's name.

 

I also see no problem with the Scoutmaster giving the name of the counselor to the boy.

 

it seems to be clear that the Scoutmaster gives the name of ONE counselor to the Scout.

 

Im with you on this one. Discuss it with the boy and give him info, and let the boy make his own decision. Dictating is not productive.