No Recognition for Merit Badge Councelors

[Eamonn]

We have collected money from District Members to reach the $1000. Needed for a James E.West. As a District we have a committee who decides who they want to honor and they go about raising the money. Normally this just entails sending out a letter. We have seen as much as $6000. Come in. We also take $1000 from our District golf outing for the endowment fund. We do this in the name of a Scouter or person who has done great work for the district.

Eamonn.

[Its Me]

Scoutingus, you write like a troll just trying to stir things up.

 

 

[Scoutingus]

Well ITS ME ...

 

With NO DUE RESPECT you are the kind of person I would never want ANY of my Cubs or Scouts to grow up to be like ... RUDE.

 

If you cannot converse in a constructive manner as the others here have I suggest you LEAVE SCOUTING and NOT pass on the mannerisms displayed by your disrespectful and negative tone.

 

No one here is "Stirring up trouble".

 

I merely posed a sincere and WELL MANNERED observation and the feedback I have gotten has been VERY CONSTRUCTIVE and even a learning experience for me.

 

To call someone Names, and suggest something that is absurd (Stirring up trouble?) is not in the scouting spirit nor is it conducive to the scouting way of communicating with a fellow bretheren.

 

SHAME ON YOU and I hope you don't talk or behave this way in front of our young people.

 

I find you a disgrace to ALL that scouting stands for.

 

To the OTHERS I have taken much of your thoughts into consideration and THANK YOU ALL for your DECENT and KIND responses.

 

Thank God I live in America where freedom of speech is allowed, although SOME PEOPLE still have not learned that opinions can be expressed without the necessity of RUDENESS or ignorance.

 

[Its Me]

Just yesterday my compassion and desire to see good in people got the better of me. On my way into a restaurant for a lunch a man approached me with a story of a man in need. I felt sympathetic towards his plight with wife and kids in despair. I gave him $3.00 and went to lunch feeling as though I had helped a guy out.

 

Later I learned that although the area where I went for lunch is a well-to-do, there are many pan handlers in that particular parking lot. The story I repeated was a common approach used by other pan handlers. Evidently, the main bus line that runs along the road provides public access to all who seek to be there.

 

So instead of helping a man in despair, I most likely just contributed to his addictions and social disorder.

 

Scoutingus, please move to another corner.(This message has been edited by Its Me)

[scoutldr]

(trying to get the thread back on track)

 

Thanks for the explanation, Eammonn. It's a nice idea that I will take back to the District Committee.

[SWScouter]

I suppose this is sort of on topic or not, but it's been discussed to some exent here.

 

I have one knot on my uniform representing the Den Leader Award. I am currently working on earning another knot for the Webelos Den Leader Award. It's one of my goals to accomplish by the end of this coming May.

 

Why am I aiming to earn this award? Is it for vanity or a self pat on the back? Maybe, I suppose, to some extent. But the driving force behind this goal is that if I accomplish the requirements for the award, I will be providing a better program for my den. Or, maybe the converse states it better. If I don't complete the requirements for the award, I will not provide as good a program to the boys as I should have.

 

The requirements aren't really that difficult. One years tenure, training, and several performance items such as 3 meetings per month for 9 months, meeting with an Assistant, having a den chief, etc. But they all deal with providing program for the boys, and that's why it's my goal to earn this award.

 

Are the cub scouter knots a joke? I don't think so. I think it's more of a joke for a cub scouter not to make the effort to do the things needed to earn the awards. Are they easier to get than, for example, the Scouter Training Awards? I've looked at the requirements for both and I really don't think so. They do take less time, one year instead of two, but I don't really think that makes them easier to earn.

 

SWScouter

[blade1158]

SWScouter,

Perhaps my use of the word "joke" was a bit too strident. Please allow me to clarify. I believe that the structure of the Cub Scouter training knot insignia should reflect that of the Boy Scouter's, one for Cubmasters and one for the other Cub positions with different requirements for each respective position. More than one of the awards could be earned, but only one knot would be worn, using devices to denote multiple awards. I refer, of course, to the Scouter's Key and the Scouter's Training Award. What I think is silly is having a separate award and knot insignia for so many different positions.

 

I agree that every Cub Scouter should make every effort to fulfill the requirements to earn the awards. Every unit would get better trained, more active and more effective Scouters

[Bob White]

Perhaps the gracious thing to do would be to allow the people giving the award (in this case the BSA) the freedom to decide who and what will be recognized, and in what way. I don't see how it is anyone's place to tell others what awards they should develop and distribute and what they shouldn't.

 

It's the BSA's award, can't they decide who gets them and for what?

[Twocubdad]

1) Most of the adult knots we are talking about are awarded for having met certain standards for the position. Most called Training Awards and are earned by jumping through a series of hoops related to tenure in position, completion of training and objective performance criteria. Anyone and everyone holding a given position can earn them. This is different from awards like the District Award of Merit or the various Silver Critter Awards which are given for a substantial body of work over an extended time and judged by somewhat subjective criteria.

 

2) All the position specific training awards are self-nominated. Not only does the recipient have to track his or her own progress toward the award, they have to complete and sign an application. Given that, I don't understand all the angst concerning the proper level of humility in accepting the award. If you think nominating your self or wearing a knot shows a lack of humility, don't turn in the dang application!

 

3) There is nothing in the world wrong with Scoutingus pointing out that with the pile of knots available to Scouters of every stripe, there is no corresponding knot for MBC. For everyone else to jump on him and assume that he is volunteering for the wrong reason is out of line. Based on a seven sentence post, you have no clue what his motives are. And frankly, I agree that the lack of recognition for MBC is an omission in the program.

 

4) All the pompus indignation that Scoutingus trying to dictate to BSA what awards they should present is bull. How has his making a suggestion on a Internet bulletin board infringed on BSA's freedom to choose what awards they present?

 

By the way, welcome to the forum Gus. I hope you will stick around despite the unfriendly reception you have received thus far. Over the past couple years I have learned much here. Unfortunately you have to learn to wade through the chaff to get to the wheat.

[Bob White]

In response to Twocubs last post.

 

1) That is incorrect. less than 1/3 of all knots are related to training and meeting standards of the position, not most as was stated.

 

2)Training awards are not nominated by yourself or any one else. They are fixed requirements and while often tracked by the individual in many councils, there arte other councils that track the requirements for the individual.

 

3)Not all merit badge counselors are full members of the BSA, not all have uniforms, many go all year never seeing a single scout. A thank you from the scout would seem appropriate.

 

4) No matter how you cut it the original post is summarized by...'I volunteered my time to do this, I should be rewarded and this is what I want to be given.' It is an unseemly way to volunteer ones services.

 

4a) Just as scoutingus is free to voice his opinion on the topic, so are others free to voice theirs. Are they not?

 

Welcome scoutingus, as you separate chaff from wheat understand that most the farmers here are trying to cultivate the character of scouts, and not rewards for themselves.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[scoutldr]

Well said, twocub.

 

WE are the BSA. If I ever felt that, as a volunteer, my suggestions to improve the program were either unwelcomed or ignored, I would walk. Without the volunteers, there would be no BSA and "they" would be unemployed.

[Bob White]

Without volunteers scouting would continue as it did in the beginning, through the adventure and imagination of boys. Volunteers help to lead and share scouting, but make no mistake they are not "scouting" itself. We are fortunate to be allowed to play this game with them, and we have the responsibility to do it well without expectation for reward.

[OldGreyEagle]

Mr BobWhite, I couldn't agree with your last post more than if I had written it myself. The only problem I see is why is there the Silver Beaver, Antelope and Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle, and the legion of all the other Adult recognitions. If none existed, maybe there wouldn't be such an old boys network and we could all could just work on serving the youth,,,(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Bob White]

What I see as the biggest difference OGE is 'being recognized by others', and 'telling others that they should recognize you'.

 

People who fish for compliments rarely have adequate bait.

[LovetoCamp]

OGE, did you get my PM?