FEBRUARY 2, 2021

[ISSUE 664 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS]

Hi Andy,

My son has been in our local Scouts BSA troop for almost a year (he joined just before the Covid-19 shut-downs began), but despite the troop quickly converting to a combination of outdoor meetings with facemasks and separation plus Zoom meetings as soon as a woman on our troop committee learned how, there’s been no planned advancement. My son (I’ll call him “Robby”) hasn’t even earned Scout rank yet. (I know this because Robby and I talk about Scouts and we review the rank requirements pages of his handbook together.)

Robby’s not some “super-achiever” but he is interested in lots of things and subjects, including many that Scouting offers through their merit badges—especially the ones he knows will never be subject-matter in school.

He picked three merit badges that looked interesting and looked up their requirements online. He liked what he found out! So, like the BSA REQUIREMENTS book says, he called up his Scoutmaster, told him about the three he wants to earn, and asked for the contact information for merit badge counselors that handle each of these. After the phone call, he came to me in tears—mostly frustration tears.

Instead of giving Robby what he needed to get started on these merit badges, this Scoutmaster told him that this troop only uses their own troop-affiliated counselors and there are no counselors right now for these three. Robby pressed a bit, and asked for counselors “outside” the troop, and that’s when the Scoutmaster told him that they don’t “trust” (yes, he used that word!) outside counselors, but maybe if the Covid situation clears up be the summer, Robby can do the merit badges if the troop goes to camp this year.

As a parent, I need to know what’s going on here. I wasn’t a Scout, so I only know what I’ve read. If this Scoutmaster’s answers to Robby are okay with the BSA, then that’s that. But I can’t help feeling there’s something wrong here. Can you help me and—by proxy—Robby? Thanks! (Puzzled & Frustrated Scout Dad)

Robby followed the BSA process perfectly: He went to his Scoutmaster, stated what merit badges he wants to start on, and asked how to contact local Merit Badge Counselors (all of whom would be council-certified, by the way).

By BSA policy, this Scoutmaster isn’t permitted to “unreasonably or arbitrarily withhold” giving your son the information he needs to get started. The Scoutmaster is also supposed to have given Robby a personally signed “blue card” for each merit badge he wants to start.

What’s supposed to happen next is Robby right away calls (yes, phone is always best for this – no texts or emails!) each counselor, introduces himself, and asks to go over the requirements and get started. Following this, he’s on his way! He’ll meet from time-to-time with his counselor as he completes the various requirements, then the counselor will also sign Robby’s Blue Card to certify completion.

This has been the standing procedure for earning merit badges for decade upon decade. This was the procedure when I was a Scout—and that was over 50 years ago! Nothing has changed.

If your son’s Scoutmaster refuses to follow this procedure, or attempts to alter it in any way—which he has done—this strongly suggests that Robby and his friends are in the wrong troop. Don’t even consider “changing the ways” of this Scoutmaster—that’s futile and will only further sour the whole situation.

I absolutely admire Robby’s gumption in speaking up! And I hate telling you he’s in a bum troop. But facts are facts.

If Robby joined this troop together with friends from a Webelos Den, then maybe they all should be changing right now, because if this is happening to your son, it’s going to happen to every other Scout.

Have a talk with the other new parents. Tell ’em what I’ve just told you, and see if you all can’t get your sons into a troop that gets it right!

As far as changing troops, there’s absolutely nothing that prohibits any Scout from being in any troop he wants! So even if Robby and his friends are all from the same Cub Scout pack, and this pack “always” joins this particular troop, that’s a tradition but it’s absolutely not a rule or policy, and don’t let anybody try to tell you different.
==========
Hi Andy,

Soon, as many as twenty fresh Webelos Scouts will be joining out troop of already over eighty. When they join, they’ll go on a short, one-night weekend campout—we use this campout as the venue for orienting these new Scouts to the Scouts BSA program and how it works, and can work for them. They’re oriented not by adults but by our older, experienced Scouts (all Star, Life, and Eagle rank).

We’ve heard that some of the incoming parents—all fathers, by the way—are expressing a desire to “come along” on this campout. Except for this particular campout, parents are always welcome; however, since this is a Scout run, Scout led troop, all adults except the Scoutmaster and one assistant camp, cook, and spend the weekend separately.

We’ve already told all incoming parents that attendance at this campout is for their sons, only, and that they need to let go of whatever “Cub Scout mindset” they may have—that Scouts is absolutely not “Cub Scouting-with-tan-shirts” or what you’ve called “Webelos III.”

But our problem is that we know that we can’t outright “ban” parents from being there. And besides, the practicality is that the fathers (or any parent) who attends will ultimately be replacing our current volunteers as their own sons begin aging out.

Moreover, this would allow new parents to actually see a Scout-run troop and The Patrol Method in action. They’d also get to see examples of adults not doing for a Scout what he’s capable of doing for himself (i.e., no “hovercrafts”).

So, as our troop’s Committee Chair, and without “pulling rank” (yes, I do know that, technically, the Scoutmaster does report to the Chair), I think I need to let everyone know that parents are always welcome—even for this particular weekend—so long as everyone knows and agrees to follow a set of clear guidelines and boundaries. That’s why I really need your perspective and thoughts on this situation and where to go with it. (Charlotte Ruiz, CC, Death Valley Area Council, CA)

The BSA is and always has been a completely open and transparent organization. In fact, there’s a longstanding BSA national policy that prohibits refusing any parent or guardian if he or she wants to be present at a Scouting event their son or daughter is attending. This includes boards of review and Order of the Arrow events, although for these instances parents are guardians are cautioned with full explanations. Consequently, this troop—no matter how well-intentioned—doesn’t have the authority to deny parents’ attendance at this or any other campout or event.

There are also excellent reasons for doing precisely as you’re planning. In fact, you might go so far as to invite all new parents to attend. If you do this, they can camp in a separate (out of sight and sound) campsite and you can capitalize on having a “captive audience” by having several experienced committee members camp with them and then, in daytime hours, hold parent orientation sessions. This way, both the parents and their sons get the same messages. Plus, this can be a wonderful beginning to bonding opportunities between the troop’s present volunteers and the troop’s future volunteers! Ultimately, your current Scoutmaster and other troop volunteers should be embracing these fathers’ interests! And don’t rule out mothers. They’re often the “glue” that keeps troops together!

To accomplish this successfully, and in the best interests of the Scouts, simply establish some ground rules—some of which you already have in place—in parent orientation sessions. So here are some more ideas for this kind of weekend…

All adults except the Scoutmaster and one Assistant Scoutmaster will camp separately from the Scouts, and all of their activities, including cooking and eating and using the facilities (no single adult and single minor in the toilet facilities simultaneously) will be separate from the Scouts.

For the new Scouts, just as you’ve been doing, instructions in Scout skills like campsite selection, pitching tents, cooking, clean-up, etc. will only be done Scout-to-Scout; the Scoutmaster and ASM look on only to assure BSA safety standards are met. Parents will not be present to “show” their sons “how to do things right”; this is the responsibility of the attending Patrol Leaders and Scout Instructors, plus Troop Guides who will coach the newly elected Patrol Leaders of the new-Scout patrols. And the Senior Patrol Leader runs the whole camp-out, with no direct interference by adults (coaching only, by the Scoutmaster only).

Every parent and every Scout must know that this is definitely not a “family camping opportunity.” (If families want to “go camping,” they should be encouraged to do so on weekends the troop isn’t camping.)

Establish these ground rules, use the “parent campsite” as an opportunity to bond and have some fun while you’re at it, enjoy some good meals and fellowship, and you’ll have accomplished a lot!

One exception: When it comes to the Saturday night troop campfire, the adults can be invited to attend and enjoy. (Ground rule: They sit in the back and don’t interfere with the Scouts’ songs, skits. run-ons, etc.) And finally, the only time an adult appears at the front of the campfire is when the Scoutmaster closes the campfire with a “Scoutmaster’s Minute” that he actually does in 60 seconds flat.

I think you’re going to be on your way to having a wonderful, fun, and productive weekend—and a new tradition to boot!!

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive!
Happy Scouting!

Andy

I personally answer every message I receive. There’s no “writing staff”—just me. When writing, please include your name & council. If you’d rather be anonymous—if published—just tell me and I’ll honor that. Although these columns are copyrighted, you have my okay to quote or reproduce any column or part, so long as it’s attributed: “Ask Andy” by Andy McCommish.

[No. 664 – 2/2/2021 – Copyright © 2021 Andy McCommish]