________________________________________ Last week (Issue 516) District Training Chair Chris Way asked if being Wood Badge-trained supersedes the need to also get Scoutmaster-Specific and IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills) training. In Chris’s council, these two aren’t mandatory for Scoutmasters, and I offered that while it’s certainly true that this training isn’t mandatory, it’s certainly valuable. […]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, Can a young man who’s no longer in a Boy Scout troop but is now a member of a Venturing crew continue to earn merit badges? (Ben Hayes) If he reached First Class rank as a Boy Scout before becoming a Venturer and he’s working toward Eagle rank, then certainly! If he’s […]

________________________________________ Hello Andy, Our troop is looking to do a service project that will require using power tools, possibly including miter saw, table saw, electric drills, and maybe something else we haven’t thought of yet. I’m trying to find BSA information on whether Boy Scouts (ages 10-18) can use equipment like these with adult supervision, […]

________________________________________ Last week, Joe from Connecticut asked if I had any tips for a Philmont trek first-timer. Two readers reached out, one with and offer and the other with some great suggestions. Here they are… Hi Andy, Please share my e-mail address with Joe. Last summer I was lucky enough to accompany our crew on […]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, Any tips for a dad going on a Philmont trek? I know my son will have no problem this summer; it’s me I’m worried about! Unfortunately, so far I’ve taken “Be Prepared” to the extreme and I’ve wound up a “maximalist” when it comes to packing—right now my pack looks like the […]

________________________________________ Good Morning Andy, The charter- and JTE-year run from January 1st through December 31st but the actual, operational Scouting runs essentially from September through May (with a smattering of events plus summer camp during the summer). As the Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner for my district, I need contact information (e.g., email addresses) so I […]

________________________________________ (I first wrote this story—it’s a true one—in 2007. Today, nine years later, we have, in addition to long-time readers, a whole new generation of Scouters, Scouts, and parents reading. So it occurred to me that perhaps it’s time for our newest readers to see this particular tale…which I offer with very best wishes […]

________________________________________ Several regular readers wrote to me about the pack finances problem Kevin, in the Longhorn Council, was having. Check these out (they may help you, too!)… Hi Andy, This is for Kevin. Start with a pack budget; it can prevent the type of problem you’re having. If the pack’s committee does what it’s supposed […]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, About David Ball’s question (your November 11th Issue) about adult support on outings, let me share something our Senior Patrol Leader and his ASPL did a couple of years ago… They were having issues with outing preparations in general, so they asked our Scoutmaster if they could call a parents’ meeting. They […]

________________________________________ HOW WORDS CAN DIRECT—OR MISDIRECT—THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS The great semanticist, S.I. Hayakawa informs us that, “of all forms of symbolism, language is the most highly developed, most subtle, and most complicated.” He correspondingly advises that “there is no necessary connection between the symbol and that which is symbolized.” Wearing a Dodgers baseball cap, he […]