________________________________________ Hi Andy, We have a three-way mini-controversy going on here that maybe you can help with. It’s about Commissioners-as-unit leaders. One of us is saying that A Unit Commissioner can also be a unit leader (i.e., direct leader), just not for his or her own unit. Another is saying that Commissioners can’t hold a […]

________________________________________ Last week, I answered a question from Doug Niebch about the Chartered Organization Representative (“CR”) position and searched for the CR position patch. I was pretty sure there was one, but when I checked the Index in the GUIDE TO AWARDS & INSIGNIA, I came up with nada. Oh well, I thought, I guess […]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, We have a serious situation brewing at our troop. Our Committee Chair, who took over at the beginning of the year, is verbally abusive toward other committee members, the Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, and—worst of all—Scouts. He has numerous medical issues, yet insists on going on troop outings. Several of these have devolved […]

________________________________________ These 407 (and counting) columns offer advice to Scouts and Scouters, parents and professional staffers, but sometimes—like now—I defer to others. This is one of those situations where, in response to carious questions about the American flag for which answers can’t be found in the handbook or U.S. Flag Code, I’ve reached out to […]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, Why is it that the Boy Scouts doesn’t have a “square knot” for our American military veterans? In thinking about the “do my duty…to my country” part of the Scout Oath, it just seems so natural, especially since the Scouts’ founder, Lt. Gen. Baden-Powell, wore his military ribbons on his Scout uniform. […]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, During our troop’s recent week-long summer camp in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, our Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster did something leaving me seeking advice. I’ll admit that the senior patrol, which I’m a member of, had been slacking a little in performance. Although we were still cooking all our meals, in the morning […]

________________________________________ Hi Andy, About those patriotic veterans who found fault with Cub Scouts carrying the American flag horizontally, yes, the US Flag Code does say it shouldn’t be carried flat. But it goes on to say that “This code is the guide for all handling and display of the Stars and Stripes. It does not […]

________________________________________ Independence Day is just three days away so let’s consider what Benjamin Franklin had to say about democracy and liberty… “DEMOCRACY is two wolves and a lamb deciding the lunch menu; LIBERTY is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” ========== Dear Andy, Can an Assistant Scoutmaster sign off on a merit badge requirement if […]

________________________________________ Dear Andy, Does a Boy Scout troop have to accept all boys who want to join? I’m asking because we’re a troop in a small town. There were a couple of parents who didn’t like the way the troop was being run, even though two Unit Commissioners and a council professional say we’re doing […]

________________________________________ Hello Andy, I’m the camping coordinator for a BSA troop based in England. We’d planned on attending British camp this summer, but the camp isn’t going to open this year due to low sign-ups and funding problems. Consequently, we and a neighboring troop have decided to put together a program for our Scouts as […]