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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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August 17, 2021

[NO. 675 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] April to August is a pretty long break, and I apologize to all my loyal readers. As best as we can figure out, my “WORDPRESS” account was somehow corrupted. I wasn’t able to fix it, despite many intermittent attempts. Yes, I did sit back […]

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APRIL 20, 2021

[NO. 674 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Thiago, with his sister Julieta and younger brother Santiago, and their parents had just moved to our Southern California town from Guadalajara, Mexico. One of his plans in his new home and country was to be a Boy Scout. When they first moved here […]

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APRIL 13, 2021

[NO. 673 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, I’ve recently been hearing about the BSA changing its national structure from four regions, each with six to nine “areas” within them (totaling 28), to a bunch of areas smaller than regions but larger than their former “areas” and called “National Service […]

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APRIL 1, 2021

[20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] I’ve usually published a humorous “April Fool’s Day” issue, but I’m going to make an exception this year. Honestly, with all that’s been going on this past year—world pandemic and isolation, contested elections, “cancel culture,” kids not attending classes and teachers not teaching, stuff at our southern […]

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MARCH 30, 2021

[NO. 672 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] A while ago, I had the opportunity to chat informally with four highly successful high school principals, two of whom had also been award-winning football coaches of state- and regionally-titled teams. All had been Scouts. The highest rank among them was Life. As we […]

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MARCH 23, 2021

[NO. 671 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, A local troop has invited me—their Unit Commissioner—to sit on a board of review for a young man destined to be their newest Eagle Scout. Is there any protocol issue with someone in my position (i.e., UC) to do this? I figure […]

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MARCH 16, 2021

[NO. 670 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] To reach the Eagle rank, a Scout will have learned dozens of new skills and completed hundreds of specific requirements through the seven ranks and no less than 21 merit badges. Although the Scout’s Eagle Scout Service Project is just one of these hundreds, […]

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MARCH 10, 2021

[NO. 669 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, Looks like I only write you when things are going seriously awry, but thanks to your personal mission, I do know who to turn to when things aren’t right. I’m a 20+ year volunteer and presently an Assistant District Commissioner (“ADC”) for […]

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March 3, 2021

[NO. 668 – MY 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] We’ve been looking at various viewpoints on uniforms in the past several weeks. Here are some more that just came in. We also have some further comments about parent-drivers staying at a troop’s campouts, sometimes with dining provided by the Scouts… Hi Andy, […]

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FEBRUARY 16, 2021

[ISSUE 667 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Last week and the week before, I handled some letters about uniforms and flag details. Turns out we have a couple more points to cover, so here we go— Hi Andy, A “uniform” might even be uniform. But as it is, there’s actually no […]

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