Issue 627 – February 4, 2020

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Hi Andy,

My son has started his first year in Scouts. So far, four troop meetings have gone by and no requirements have been done yet for being a Scout in the troop. When he asked about doing merit badges—he had picked three pretty easy ones to start himself off with—he was told not to do those on his own because the whole troop does them in merit badge classes in troop meetings or he can do them when he gets to summer camp. Then we found out that two of the three aren’t offered at Scout camp. So I guess what I’m asking is why he’s not being allowed to start working on merit badges. Thanks for your time. (Rory D.)

Good for your son, that he’s interested in advancement and in merit badges—he’s definitely got the right idea! Unfortunately, his troop’s adult volunteers seem a bit mistaken about how this works.

Let’s start off with rank advancement—Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, and so on. In his first week, he should be Scout rank, if he crossed over from a Cub Scout pack; but if he didn’t, this should take an absolute maximum of two weeks (that is, two troop meetings). Tenderfoot rank should take no more than a month, once he gets started. But here’s the thing, and his Scout Handbook tells him this—advancement in rank is up to him, and not anyone else. His handbook is actually organized this way. The requirements for ranks are in the back of the book, and the chapters focus on the knowledge and skills involved with each requirement. Just follow the handbook and it’s a no-brainer!

For merit badges, the BSA has two rules. It’s a rule that any Scout can work on any merit badge anytime he wants to and it’s also a rule that nobody can tell him what to do or when to do it.

So have a chat with your son’s Scoutmaster. If he or she shows any resistance to these BSA policies, it may be time to look for a nearby troop that gets it right.
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Dear Andy,

You mentioned in another column that a Scout really can’t “fail” a board of review. But what about a troop’s committee chair refusing to hold a board of review for my son—even though he has all requirements for Life rank completed and his Scoutmaster has signed that my son is ready to advance—because, according to the committee chair, he “needs to go on more troop outings” first.

When I asked him about this, my son told me that his troop defines “active” as attending a specific outing each and every month, and even though his Scoutmaster has said he can advance, the committee chair says no. This somehow seems wrong. My son has been working on this rank for two years and everything was signed off over three months ago.

At 16 years old, my son is a high school senior who has been active in Scouting since he was a Tiger Cub ten years ago. Because of this new and arbitrary stone wall, he’s ready to quit Scouts. I’m going to talk with his Scoutmaster about this but if he doesn’t step up and get the committee chair to relent, do I go to the church that sponsors the troop, or do I go to someone in the Scout council? (R.A.)

Thanks for taking the time to write to me. I’m sorry this is happening to your son. It shouldn’t happen and it’s completely wrong.

This is a problem that’s internal to the troop, and this means that your local council is powerless to intervene. But it also means that you definitely have a resource for support and correction, and that’s the pastor of your church. Because the pastor, as head of staff at your church, is the highest-ranking person overseeing the troop the church sponsors, the pastor can actually order this wayward committee chair to immediately stop the nonsense that’s being foisted on these Scouts or be subject to immediate removal from his or her position.

While your council doesn’t have this kind of authority because the council doesn’t “own” this troop the way your church does, you can still get support for when you speak with the pastor. You can ask a commissioner or a member or chair of your district’s advancement committee to stand with you. It’s this person who can confirm what you’re going to tell the committee chair, so that it’s very clear this is more than just a rankled parent talking—we have actual violations of strict BSA policy here.

That’s right, there are actually two policy violations at work here. The first violation is withholding a board of review from a qualified Scout and the second is the committee chair’s adding to the requirements for a rank.

First, the BSA unequivocally states that a Scout cannot be refused a board of review for any reason, ever. It is the troop’s adult volunteers who are responsible for providing a board of review for any Scout who has completed all requirements for the next rank. Further, it is not required that the Scout ask for a board of review; it is to be made available to the Scout as soon as possible after all rank requirements are completed. No board of review may ever be unreasonably withheld from a Scout.

Second, the BSA states: “No council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to, or subtract from, advancement requirements.”

The committee chair you mention in your question is twice in violation: That chair (1) cannot refuse a qualified Scout a board of review and (2) cannot add to requirements (i.e., the “additional outings”).

In these regards, it is the responsibility of the Scoutmaster to step up on behalf of the Scout by (a) informing the committee chair that the actions taken are wrong and will not be permitted to stand and (b) assisting, as needed, the other members of the troop committee as they make every effort to schedule a board of review for this Scout as quickly as possible. These actions cannot be blocked by the committee chair, because the Scoutmaster is in charge of troop program, and troop program includes Scout advancement.

If the Scoutmaster shows even one iota of resistance to following through on his responsibilities, you will need to immediately inform the pastor (with shoulder-to-shoulder support from district-level Scouting volunteers) of what is transpiring and what needs to be done.

If I sound austere, it’s because what you described to me at the outset is one of the most noxious and intolerable actions any adult volunteer can take toward a Scout. This is anathema to the reason Scouting has adult volunteers in the first place.

In point of cold fact, if this committee chair is in any way reluctant to correct his or her actions, immediate removal of this volunteer by the troop’s chartered organization is the correct course of action.
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Hi Andy,

I have a question about transgender Scouts. If a biological female who identifies as a male, and is of the correct age and grade, or who crosses over from a Cub Scout pack, wishes to join your Scouts BSA troop for boys, is it okay to follow Youth Protection measures for male youth? Or does the troop need to have an adult female leader as well? Or not? (W.F.D.)

Interesting questions, but way above my pay-grade. Best to check with your home council’s legal counsel and risk management chair (often the same person, BTW), and maybe your council training chair, too.
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Hi Andy,

We’re looking forward to summer camp in just a few months, and I have an “early” question for you. What’s the best way to deal with possible bullying? (Joe)

The very best preventative measure you can instill in your Scouts, that will reduce or entirely eliminate bullying opportunities, is so incredibly simple it’s easy to overlook. It’s the BUDDY SYSTEM!

Make it a steadfast practice that your Scouts use the Buddy System for everything they do. In the campsite. On the trail. Even just “wandering around.” And yes, this does include going to the latrine!

Why does this work? Simple. Virtually all potential bullies look for “victims” and this is almost always a single Scout, all by himself. Double that number with two Scouts instead of just one, and—as a buddy pair—they’re no longer victims! Instead, they’re a TEAM! For bullies, this means they’ll be in a two-on-one situation, and they’ll be the “one.” Instantly outnumbered! End of story.

Happy Scouting!

Andy

Have a question? Facing a dilemma? Wondering where to find a BSA policy or guideline? Write to askandybsa@yahoo.com. Please include your name and council. (If you’d prefer to be anonymous, let me know and that’s what we’ll do.)