“War has been, for almost all peoples and all times, the purest test of manhood,” stated Evan Thomas, editor at both Time and Newsweek and author of The War Lovers (Little Brown & Company, 2011).  Scouting, Boy Scouting specifically, has been accused for decades of being an organization invested particularly in preparing young men for […]

Rule No. 39: Knowledge and intelligent can be faked; clever and witty can’t. Rule No. 40: On any campout, the gadget most needed will be the one left in a trunk in the parking lot. First things first.  Let’s fix an error… Dear Andy, About those “pumpkin shooters” in your last column: I’m not aware […]

Rule No. 38: Wealth doesn’t assure happiness; neither does poverty. Dear Andy, Do you happen to know where I can find the requirements for the “Commissioner Excellence in Service to Units Award”? (We were told about it by De Nguyen, from the BSA National Council, when he came out to speak to us about the […]

Rule No. 36: Any Commissioner who believes Commissioners out-rank unit leaders should be immediately taken outside and shot. Rule No. 37: Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water; the remainder is covered by FOS chairs and Popcorn colonels. Dear Andy, On the subject of pets on a Scout camping trip I’d like to offer […]

Rule No. 30: The moment you decide to wear the medal you received for your modesty, you no longer qualify. Dear Andy, I’m a parent and troop committee member. Recently I’ve been engaged in a discussion with the troop’s Scoutmaster on a topic on which we have opposing views. In the exchange of ideas, I’ve […]

Rule No. 34: All blanket statements have exceptions, including this one. Rule No. 35: While on tour and staying in a hotel, the very first thing all Scouts will do upon entering their assigned rooms is check to see if there’s access to the TV’s “adult” channels. Dear Andy, For the Disability Awareness merit badge […]

Rule No. 31: Sometimes it’s OK to be average: It still means you’re ahead of almost half the group. Rule No. 32: There are five types of people in brainstorming sessions: Yes-But-ers, Not-Now-ers, It’ll Never-Work-ers, We Tried it Before and it Didn’t-Work-ers, and Why-Not-ers. Rally the Why-Not-ers; shoot the rest: The Why-Not-ers will get the […]

Andy’s Rule No. 28: Order of the Arrow elections are always “popularity contests.” Scouts who best live the Scout Law with their fellow Scouts will always be the most popular. Andy’s Rule No. 29: Things you never want to see being made: Sausages and Troop Bylaws. Dear Andy, About that conversion in your July 28th […]