________________________________________ Gonna be at the NATIONAL JAMBOREE? Be sure to stop by the NESA exhibit tent at the Summit Center’s LEGACY VILLAGE on Monday or Tuesday, July 22-23. I’ll be there both days for a couple of short talks each day and some quality Q&A time with you! ________________________________________ Hi Andy, I have question about [...]

________________________________________ Want to visit the 2013 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE at Bechtel Summit in July with a group of other fine Scouters? Long-time Scouter David Cooper, of the Cradle of Liberty Council, PA, has put together a wonderful four-day special trip and tour that may be just what you’re looking for! For the brochure and registration [...]

________________________________________ Want to visit the 2013 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE at Bechtel Summit in July with a group of other fine Scouters? Long-time Scouter David Cooper, of the Cradle of Liberty Council, PA, has put together a wonderful four-day special trip and tour that may be just what you’re looking for! For the brochure and registration [...]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, Tonight we had a troop meeting. The Scoutmaster does shift work and his wife, the Assistant Scoutmaster, attended their son’s band concert. So they asked a parent—who doesn’t know much about Scouting—to run the meeting. Can you actually have a troop meeting without either the Scoutmaster or ASM being there, or should [...]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, In your last column, you mentioned, “…By the way, your son gets to wear the God and Family religious “square knot” badge on his Boy Scout uniform.” I’ve never seen a Scout with a square knot. Fer real? (Mitch Erickson, Commissioner, Patriots’ Path Council, NJ) Absolutely! The religious emblem has had its [...]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, I’m a Cubmaster. Our pack is planning a camping trip for our Cub Scouts and one of the Webelos Den Leader who’s also an Assistant Scoutmaster, wants the Boy Scouts of the troop he’s associated with to come camping with the pack. We brought this up at our pack leaders meeting and [...]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, How do I get my den’s parents to understand the importance of turning in a Health & Medical Form for themselves and their sons for den and pack outings? I’ve stopped planning outings because I’m not sure who would pay if somebody got hurt or forgot their medicine, or needed away-from-home treatment. [...]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, Does a Scoutmaster appoint the Assistant Scoutmaster, or does the troop committee do this? Related to that, can a Scoutmaster refuse to accept a new ASM? (Jerry Kazanjian, UC, Old Colony Council, MA) Ultimately, of course, the head of the chartered organization, or designee, the Chartered Organization Representative, has final authority over [...]

________________________________________ THIS JUST IN: SCOUTMASTERS ELIGIBLE FOR THE SENIOR PATROL LEADER POSITION—FOR LIFE! The BSA has just announced that Scoutmasters are eligible to appoint themselves Senior Patrol Leader, thus acknowledging the superior leadership that comes with age and experience. Concurrent with this acknowledgement, the Scoutmaster-as-Senior Patrol leader position can be held for life, instead of [...]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, I’ll be going to camp this summer with my son and his troop. The camp offers the Mile Swim award. According to both the BSA’s “Scout Stuff” (www.scoutstuff.org) and “advancement” section of the U.S. Scouting Service Project (usssp.org) the Mile Swim is for both youth and adults. At scoutstuff.org, the Mile Swim [...]