In early November, Rolland Pfund, Committee Chair of a troop in the Patriots’ Path Council, NJ, asked: “My troop committee is considering possibly establishing a scholarship to camp program for our troop, to enable Scouts from less well-off families to go to summer camp. We’d welcome any suggestions how to best implement such a program.” […]

Sometime I get it right the first time; sometimes I need to get whacked upside the head. Here’s a case where I really blew it first time out the gate. Luckily, this parent-Scouter was pretty darned forgiving… Dear Andy, My question became an issue last night, and our troop meeting is tonight, so I’m trying […]

Hey Andy, Where can I get a “bill of materials” for a Monkey Bridge… That is, a list of poles (including length and diameter), ropes (same measurements) and any other items needed to complete the bridge? (Bob Schatke, ASM, Grand Canyon Council, AZ) Right here: http://www.netwoods.com/monkeybr/monkeybr.html— It’s written by none other than “Green Bar Bill” […]

Hi Andy, I’m working with TroopMaster, trying to get the 2005 version to work in the MS Windows emulator, WINE, so it can be used on a Linux platform. If any of your readers can help, they can check out http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=7757– We can use all the help we can get! The TroopMaster owners have given […]

First, some thoughts… Over the past six years of writing this column, including the more than one hundred columns containing many thousands of questions, one thing has become painfully apparent: A unit’s woes are almost always caused by usually well-meaning but unfortunately misguided adults who, without proper training (some without even fundamental insights into what […]

Hey Andy, It’s been forever since your last column! What’s the story? Are you OK? Have you given up on us? (John E. Walker, Black Hills Council, Scotchwood, SD) Thanks for asking! This has been an immensely and intensively crowded, busy summer. I’m still feeling sorta like a puppy at a kids’ picnic! One daughter […]

Y’all have inundated me with questions about “How’s our July 9th Eagle Scout candidate doing?” and the news, I’m happy to report to you, is excellent! Here’s a letter from the Scoutmaster of his former troop… Hi Andy, I’m the current Scoutmaster of this young man’s original troop. Having known him for over five years, […]

Dear Andy, I recently found out that because I’m a recipient of the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service medal I’m allowed to wear the BSA Community Organization Award square knot (gold on purple) on my Scouter uniform. I asked my local council how to obtain it but they haven’t responded in a month. I’ve also received […]

Dear Andy, Several months ago, I sent you an e-mail message regarding an issue my son, Michael, was having with our troop—they wanted to stop him from achieving the rank of Eagle because he didn’t actively participate in his troop, according to their “guidelines.” (Michael was heavily involved in many things other than Scouts, including […]

The letter you’re about to read is true. I’ve deleted some minor details and all names in order to protect the parties to this, but everything you’re about to read happened… Dear Andy, I’m a Life Scout, age 17 (I’ll be 18 in seven months). I earned Life rank in the troop I was in […]