In my December 18th column, I made the comment, in response to a question on whether or not a Doctor of Commissioner Science candidate writes a thesis or carries out a project, and under what circumstances, that there’s no national standard on this particular issue. I might have chosen less comprehensive terminology than “national standard,” […]

Dear Andy, Have you read this? It’s from the new Advancement Policies & Procedures book, page 27: “The Scout should be neat in his appearance; however, a uniform is not required. Local boards of review may not make up their own rules about wearing a uniform.” What happened to the 8th Method of Scouting? And […]

Hi Andy, What do you do when the temperature’s minus 30! (Yeah, that’s 62 degrees Fahrenheit below freezing!) Well, while you Scouts in the upper stretches of the “Lower 48” are hopin’ for flurries so you can do your Klondike Derby, here at our Alaska Troop 230 (outside Anchorage), we load up our sleds with […]

Dear Andy, About not making Eagle, no question here, but a comment on your answer to that gal whose friend regrets not making Eagle. Many of the guys I know in Scouting are in that same category, including myself. Serving as Advancement Coordinator for my troop, I sometimes point out to our Scouts that I […]

My November 21st column on Eagle rank and Parkinson’s Law struck some chords—not all the same, either. Here’s a sampling of letters in response… Dear Andy, I just want to say well done and thanks! This is a subject several Scoutmasters and I have butted heads over. Thanks for setting the record straight. (Jack Mitchell, […]

EAGLES and PARKINSON’S LAW Writing for The Economist in 1955, Cyril Northcote Parkinson began a semi-humorous essay with this statement: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. This has become famous as “Parkinson’s Law,” mostly because it’s pretty accurate! It’s high time we recognize that in vastly too many instances […]

October 2010 was unique – Try as I might, I just couldn’t get a column up and running, for the entire month! The two you see now, that have October dates, were indeed written that month, but we couldn’t get them on-line till November. I apologize to the many readers who asked what had happened, […]

Dear Andy, How does a Boy Scout wear his merit badge sash and his Order of the Arrow sash at formal events like courts of honor? Does one of them go on the belt and, if so, which one? (Byron Bifford, Alhambra Council, CA) Thanks for asking—I see far too many instances when the Arrowman […]

Victory Base Council Enters Third Year Going Strong!   Baghdad, Iraq: A dedicated group of American volunteers in the middle of a junk-filled field kicked off the first troop meeting of an effort to help Iraqis bring Scouting back to Baghdad. That was June 2008. Based on the highly successful model of the ground-breaking Green […]

Dear Andy, Where do I find the rules and guidelines for how a troop should operate and the official duties of the troop committee? (Nancy Brunskole) In the Scoutmaster Handbook, the Troop Committee Guidebook, and any fundamental training course, and for more help, call your local council service center, speak with for your District Executive, […]