May and so far June have been crazy months! I’m way behind schedule. Thanks for your patience! Here’s the latest, and I’ll have another column out in about a week from now… Hello Andy, Reading the first question-and-answer in your Mid-May column I’m very disappointed with your attitude and name-calling. “Ask Smart Aleck” is more […]

Dear Andy, My son just completed his Arrow of Light and became a Boy Scout at age 10-½. He’s always set lofty goals for himself, and worked hard to achieve those goals. His current goal is to make Eagle Scout rank by the time he’s 13, so he can also work on Eagle Palms and […]

Dear Andy, In your mid-March column, Sharon from the Greater Alabama Council asked about the BSA Emergency Preparedness Award, and said that her local American Red Cross didn’t offer the Basic Aid Training (BAT) Course. I suspect that that chapter also doesn’t offer the First Aid for Children Today (FACT) course, which Tiger Cubs can […]

Hi Andy, I think your column is wonderful, but I disagree with you concerning the length of the wheelbase on a pinewood derby car. The rules are explicit concerning width, length, weight, and clearance, but there is no mention of wheelbase length. The assembly guide states to place the axle in the slot. I read […]

Dear Andy, Recently, a reader asked you what a Cub Scout Pack could do if their Red Cross chapter didn’t offer a Basic Aid Training class that can be used to satisfy one of the requirements for the Bear-level Emergency Preparedness Award. According to the ARC, this six-hour course may be led by any responsible […]

Dear Andy, A while back, you wrote about “fruit salad,” and I’d say you pretty much nailed it! Both boys and adults appreciate having leadership that has a clue. Since having a clue generally equates to having experience, the presence of several knots says that the wearer’s likely to know what he’s doing. The rest […]

In my last column, Scouter Rick Pixler of the Great Salt Lake Council was looking for a listing of our Chief Scout Executives, National Presidents, and Honorary Presidents. I could give him a partial list, and asked for some help. Almost simultaneously, two fine Scouters came to our rescue—Michael Brown, fellow columnist and contributor to […]

Dear Andy, In reply to your call for Monkey Bridge materials—our Troop uses a Monkey Bridge for the crossover ceremonies for incoming Webelos and, when the Pack asks, for their yearly advancement ceremonies. We found the best place to get a solid list is in the Pioneering Merit Badge book. Thanks for the great column! […]

Hi Andy, Saw your comments about Merit Badge Counselors not giving written tests. Just to let you know, USSSP website has a 15 page “worksheet” for the Cooking Merit Badge, and it sure looks a lot like a test to me! (Daniel Amyx, ADL, Pack 120 NetCommish Comment: Usually Andy answers the questions here, but […]

Several longstanding Scouting friends wear 15 or more “square knots”—all properly placed (even with the colors in the correct direction), with no duplicates where there should be none, and with no inappropriate embellishments or incorrectly placed badges anywhere else on their Scouters’ uniforms. No “parents pins” on their collars or pocket flaps; no “temporary patches” […]