Andy’s Rule No. 14: The only kind of personal dignity that’s genuine is the kind that’s not made less by the foolishness, meanness, indifference, or invective of others. Dear Andy, Do any of the activity items such as earning the Astronomy pin, count towards an activity that helps toearn a Compass Point? Or do you […]

Andy’s Rule No. 14: The only kind of personal dignity that’s genuine is the kind that’s not made less by the foolishness, meanness, indifference, or invective of others. ERROR: In my May 19th column, I made the statement that the decisions of boards of review for ranks other than Eagle don’t need to be unanimous. […]

Andy’s Rule No. 13: Once you’ve hit “send” Mister Flame-Mail is no longer your friend; neither is he the missile you wrote him to be…He’s now a boomerang.  NetCommish Comment: Bad news travels like wildfire and can show up in unexpected place. The infographic below shows how a flame email can spread, but with a […]

Andy’s Rule No. 11: If you’ve molded yourself to have Command Presence you never need to announce who’s in charge and you’re never challenged. Andy’s Rule No. 12: Life is a series of lessons. Each lesson appears to us in different ways and forms until we learn it. Then the next lesson appears. Hi Andy, […]

Andy’s Rule No. 8: Scouting’s first “volunteers” are the Scouts themselves. Andy’s Rule No. 9: Program produces participants. Show me a dull, no-show troop or pack and I’ll show you dull programs. Andy’s Rule No. 10: Cleanliness is next to godliness; except at camp, where it’s next to impossible. Dear Andy, My son took the […]

Andy’s Rule No. 4: When in doubt, ask a Scout! Andy’s Rule No. 5: The apology you’re willing to make to your fellow Scouter causes you to grow, not shrink, in your own and everyone’s eyes. Andy’s Rule No. 6: Pray not so much to win but to do your level best. Andy’s Rule No. […]

Andy’s Rule No. 1: Stupid has no cure. Andy’s Rule No. 2: You show up at “troop volunteer night” and after ten minutes you still can’t figure out who the new Scoutmaster’s gonna be… It’s gonna be you. Andy’s Rule No. 3: Don’t try to teach pigs to fly… It wastes your time and annoys […]

Some leaders may be born, but STRONG leaders are MADE! So let’s get going and NAIL IT at NAYLE! NAYLE—the BSA’s premiere Leadership Training—is coming your way, so alert all your troops, crews, ships, and teams, all Scouts and Venturers, and Sea Scouts, too! NAYLE IS ON THE ROAD!   What’s ““NAYLE”? It’s the BSA’s […]

Dear Andy, I have a problem I could use some help with… We have a Life Scout who’s completed all of his requirements for Eagle except his conference with me. The problem: He seems simply unable to provide meaningful answers to “conventional” questions associated with the Eagle rank, like “Tell me about your leadership experiences,” […]

Heard ‘round the office water buffalo… Joining Geocaching, Robotics, and Inventing as new merit badges for the 21st Century, by the end of the year the BSA will be adding yet one more: Cryonics. Word has it that all former Counselors for Taxidermy (discontinued in 1952) will receive a bye for qualifying (if they’re still […]