________________________________________ For the bunch of readers who reached out to Scouter Ray Acocella and gave him a line on several highly usable advancement-tracking spreadsheets, THANKS! It’s a wonderful thing when we can help each other succeed! And I’m also happy to report that, the day after he wrote to me, the 90 year-old Scouting veteran […]
About AskAndy
Andy is a Board Member of the U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc.Andy was recognized in 2017 as a National Distinguished Eagle Scout and Regent of the National Eagle Scout Association. He is currently serving as council member-at-large. His previous position, which he held for over 20 years (except for several years when he served as District Commissioner and Assistant Council Commissioner-Training), was Unit Commissioner. He has previously served as Den Leader, Webelos Den Leader, Cubmaster, Pack Committee Chair, Scoutmaster, International Representative, and--as a Scout--Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He is a charter member and founding director of his prior council's Alumni Association and Eagle Scout Alumni Association, both established in 2001. He earned Eagle Scout rank at age 15, in 1957; two years later, he earned the Explorer Silver Award--at that time referred to as the "Double-Eagle." At age 16, he served on the National Junior Leader Training Camp Staff at Schiff Scout Reservation (at that time this was a salaried position). He also served on the Philmont NJLIC Staff in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and, later, on two Pilot Regional NAYLE Staffs. His recognitions include: Kashafa Iraqi Scouting Service Award, Distinguished Commissioner, Doctor of Commissioner Science, International Scouter Award, District Award of Merit (2), Scoutmaster Award of Merit, Scouter's Key (3), Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award, Cliff Dochterman Rotarian Scouter Award, James E. West Fellow (3), Wood Badge & Sea Badge. He has attended four National Scout Jamborees: Scout in 1957, First Assistant Scoutmaster in 1993, National Staff in 2001, and NESA Featured Speaker in 2014 and 2017. The BSA included his article titled "Frictionless Scouting Events" was incorporated into the BSA National Training Video, "Meetings of the District" for ten years. He is a charter member of the BSA National Advancement Advisory Board and has written multiple technical articles for the BSA Advancement Team's "Advancement News" since 2012. Read Andy's full biography
Issue 581 – January 08, 2019
_______________________________________ Resolution for 2019: As a boots-on-the-ground commissioner, I’m going to do my level best, when I mentor the units I serve, to present ideas that’ll improve a unit’s program delivery methods in a way that they believe it’s their idea that just slipped their mind for a moment. (I’ve found that hollering Hey, that’s […]
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Issue 580 – December 18, 2018
________________________________________ Hello Andy, My 11 year-old grandson wants to be an Eagle Scout, but he’s never been a Cub Scout. Can you guide me so I can help him figure out how to accomplish this goal? Thanks. (Sharon Saunders, Orange County Council, CA) Good news! Your grandson doesn’t need to have been a Cub Scout […]
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Issue 579 – December 11, 2018
________________________________________ Hi Andy, Our troop is going to have a court of honor for our newest Eagle… He just turned 18 and earned, in total, 33 merit badges. As I understand it now, he can receive “palms” for the merit badges earned beyond the 21 required for Eagle rank at this court of honor (he […]
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Issue 578 – December 4, 2018
________________________________________ Hi! Thanks for your patience – It’s been exactly two months (my longest hiatus ever!) since my last column. I’m back and online now, so let’s get started… Hi Andy, Our troop is at work recruiting Webelos. At one of the packs we visited, one of their Webelos dens has a girl in it, […]
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Issue 577 – October 4, 2018
________________________________________ The BSA has just published a statement related to new members of SCOUTS BSA and how this will relate to rank advancement. You may already have been alerted to this via direct contact or through your local council, so consider this “back-up” to that notification. Here it is, in full, from the BSA. Please […]
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Issue 576 – October 2, 2018
________________________________________ Hi Andy, I just read the very upsetting September 18 (Issue 575) letter from a parent about the off-the-reservation Scoutmaster and his assistants, and it caused me to wonder how many stories like this out there. But your response was right on, and I agree that these adults need to be gone. But […]
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Issue 575 – September 18, 2018
CORRECTION On August 2nd (Issue 572), I responded to Tom DiGuido’s letter that said, in part, “I’ve discovered in an article that the camping nights from Cub Scouts are to be counted in the National Outdoor Camping segment. I can’t see why this would be accurate. Why would a Boy Scout award count Cub Scout […]
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Issue 574 – September 12, 2018
________________________________________ I’ve just read a cautionary tale of—yes!—a misguided Commissioner! Seems the Scoutmasters and other volunteers of troops he’s assigned to can’t stand the guy. He’s taken it upon himself to dictate to these troops, giving orders instead of suggestions, telling Scoutmasters they have to “toe-the-line” or they’re out, stepping “inside” troops to reorganize their […]
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Issue 573 – August 14, 2018
________________________________________ Hi Andy, I’m Scoutmaster of a small (11 Scouts) troop. My biggest problem is getting our meetings more interesting and exciting for our Scouts—they’re bored! How can I keep them more engaged and excited about our meetings? (Steve Kopezna, SM, Suffolk County Council, NY) “I feel your pain”… seriously. Been there more than once. […]
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Scouting Cartoons
Scouting Cartoons by Rich Diesslin - Click to visit the cartoon gallery at usscouts.org. 
Internet Scout Patch
Missing Kids
The NetCommish web site was selected by Scouting Magazine in 1998 as one of ten "Quality Scouting Web Sites." The article, entitled "
