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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

Author Archive | AskAndy
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Issue 12 – April 2003

Hi Andy! This is J.C. from Montague again. I want you to know we were able to find and contact our Commissioner, and he met with our Pack Committee. He’s going to help us iron out our Cubmaster problem, and we’re all working together now. I don’t think we would have called the Commissioner if […]

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Issue 11 – March 2003

Another month; a new set of good questions – About Packs and Troops, and Leaders and Scouts! Maybe one will prompt you to ask a question you had on your mind! Go ahead – shoot me an email, and you’ll get a personal answer in no more than 48 hours (you’ll probably see a slightly […]

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Issue 10 – February 2003

Want to breathe some new life into an opening ceremony for a Blue & Gold meeting, Court of Honor, or other special occasion? Here’s something a fellow Commissioner sent to me about our American Flag and how and why it’s folded the way it is, that you can convert into a “voice-over”… WHY THE FLAG […]

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Issue 9 – January 2003

Dear Andy, For Eagle Scouts, where can we get a list of people who write congratulatory letters? (M.J.K., SM, Garwood) You have any number of options here! Locally, be sure to contact Mr. John Lawson, of the Sons of the American Revolution, at jl07076@aol.com and he’ll prepare a special certificate and he’ll also check to […]

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Issue 8 – Christmas 2002

The Scout Who Saved Christmas Christmas Eve, 1992, wasn’t particularly cold, but after all, this was Southern California. It was early evening, and my son – a 12-year-old Boy Scout – and I were hunting for the last item we needed – a Christmas tree. Some lots had already sold all their trees and were […]

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Issue 7 – December 2002

Dear Andy, We have a Scout transferring from a Troop in a Virginia council to our council in New Jersey. I’m pretty sure he should fill out a standard application and indicate that this is a transfer from the other council, but how do his advancement records get transferred to the Scout’s new Troop and […]

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Issue 6 – November 2002

A Scout Salute to “The Other 98” My column in this issue is a little different from others. No questions or answers this time. Just a few thoughts about what it means to be an Eagle Scout, and what it means to not be. And this is really about the “not be’s.” You’ve probably heard […]

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Issue 5 – October 2002

Dear Andy, We used to have Order of the Arrow elections, but our old Scoutmaster stopped letting those OA guys in. He said those elections are just “popularity contests.” I’m a new Scoutmaster and don’t know what to do. Can you help me? (E.N., Morris Plains Scoutmaster) Sure! Hey, you bet OA elections are popularity […]

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Issue 4 – September 2002

Dear Andy, Just before each of our annual Courts of Honor, we go to our local Scout Shop to buy the rank and merit badges to award, and often there aren’t enough in the bins for all of our Scouts. Why can’t the Scout Shop stock more, so that we don’t have to disappoint the […]

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Issue 3 – August 2002

Dear Andy, Attendance in our Troop meetings, hikes, and campouts is getting lower and lower. We’re thinking about making a percentage of participation mandatory for advancement, in keeping with the “be active in your Troop and Patrol” requirement. What do you think? (Q.Y., Dunellen Advancement Chair) What do I think? I think you’d better re-read […]

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