{"id":1082,"date":"2012-01-22T08:04:14","date_gmt":"2012-01-22T13:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=1082"},"modified":"2012-01-20T17:10:29","modified_gmt":"2012-01-20T22:10:29","slug":"issue-287-january-22-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2012\/01\/issue-287-january-22-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 287 &#8211; January 22, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rule No. 54:<\/span><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>The more logical and simple the Scouting procedure or policy, the more it will be ignored.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I\u2019m a pack Committee Chair struggling with the definition of an Arrow of Light Scout visiting \u201ca troop meeting with his den.\u201d\u00a0 Our Scouts are always invited to events with the troop we feed, such as Christmas and Halloween parties.\u00a0 Do these accomplish the goal of the requirement? (Brian Anders)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The elegant beauty of all BSA requirements, across all programs including Cub Scouting, is that they&#8217;re to be taken word-for-word without alteration or interpretation.\u00a0 So, when a requirement such as the one you&#8217;re referring to says, &#8220;&#8230;with your den&#8230;&#8221; it means exactly, precisely that: The Arrow of Light den (formerly Webelos II den), <em>as a den<\/em>, makes the visit.\u00a0 In fact, you&#8217;ll notice that indeed there&#8217;s another requirement that specifies, &#8220;Visit <em>with your parent or guardian<\/em>&#8230;&#8221; and further specifies that this second visit is to take place only <em>after <\/em>the two den-oriented visits have been accomplished.<\/p>\n<p>Please be sure that all of your Webelos Den Leaders understand exactly how these requirements are worded; the goal of these requirements should be quite obvious.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We&#8217;re a 50+ year-old troop that has traditionally had around 30-40 Scouts.\u00a0 Last year, we had a whole bunch of new Scouts join, and now we&#8217;ve got 54.\u00a0 Looking at our potential Patrol Leader inventory for next year (after accounting for those turning 18), the Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmasters, and committee felt that five patrols of 12 Scouts each (60 Scouts in total) is the limit, and we&#8217;re pondering what to do if more than six new Scouts want to join.\u00a0 Over time, we recognize that we could get bigger, but we just don&#8217;t feel comfortable doing it now because we\u2019re short &#8220;boy leadership.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Is there a best practice for dealing with the situation of more Scouts than spaces?\u00a0 We thought about &#8220;first come, first serve,&#8221; but were thinking about doing Scoutmaster conferences for prospective Scouts.\u00a0 We aren&#8217;t looking to exclude any boys, but rather are trying to optimize the few spaces available for those that will be compatible with our boy-led, very outdoor oriented troop. \u00a0Any suggestions? (Dave Baran, CC, Pacific Skyline Council, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My very first suggestion, with all due respect to your commitment to Scouting and desire to get it right, is that you all\u2014Scoutmaster, Assistants, Committee Chair, and committee members alike\u2014need to\u00a0 re-read the <em>SCOUTMASTER HANDBOOK<\/em> and the <em>BOY SCOUT HANDBOOK<\/em> and re-take your position-specific training. Yes, I&#8217;m deadly serious.<\/p>\n<p>Patrols are at their maximum when there are eight (8) Scouts in them.\u00a0 Six (6) is even better.\u00a0 In fact, Baden-Powell&#8217;s original structure called for no more than six Scouts&#8211;what we call &#8220;patrols&#8221; led by &#8220;Patrol Leaders&#8221; in the BSA are called &#8220;sixes&#8221; and led by &#8220;Sixers&#8221; in England.\u00a0 I&#8217;d actually recommend patrols of six, because (a) they have room to grow when Scouts recruit their non-Scout friends to join up and (b) managing five others is a lot easier than managing seven others.\u00a0 (Anyone ever taken Wood Badge training?\u00a0 If so, you&#8217;ll remember that, in Wood Badge, the groupings are by six; not eight, and certainly not ten or twelve!)<\/p>\n<p>So, with a troop of 60, not counting the Senior Patrol Leader (who&#8217;s not a patrol member while holding that position) and perhaps one or two Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (who aren&#8217;t patrol members, either), you&#8217;ll have nine to ten patrols, which means a manageable Patrol Leaders Council (for making program and activities decisions) of about ten or eleven (the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leaders, with the troop&#8217;s Scribe to take notes), and that&#8217;s just fine.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Short boy leadership&#8221;?\u00a0 Nonsense!\u00a0 Every one of those nine or ten patrols elects their own Patrol Leader, who in turn selects an Assistant Patrol Leader of his own choice.\u00a0 THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE TO PATROLS ELECTING THEIR OWN LEADERS.\u00a0 Do anything else, and you&#8217;ve utterly failed to deliver the Boy Scout program.\u00a0 This isn&#8217;t my &#8220;opinion,&#8221; by the way&#8230; Baden-Powell himself stated: &#8220;&#8216;The Patrol Method&#8217; is not &#8216;a&#8217; way to deliver Scouting; it is the ONLY way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Patrol Method is, therefore, not a &#8220;best practice;&#8221; it\u2019s the ONLY practice.\u00a0 Deliver this and you\u2019ll be delivering the finest Boy Scout program in the neighborhood!\u00a0 Trust me!\u00a0 And trust the handbooks!<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The church that sponsors our Scout troop asked if we would want to disassemble playground equipment that\u2019s made of metal piping.\u00a0 Do you think the Scouts could use reciprocating saws?\u00a0 We have a few older Scouts (one is 13 and five are sixth graders).\u00a0 We\u2019re wondering what you think of the reciprocating saws being used by the younger Scouts, with adult supervision. (Reciprocating saws seem to be in the chain saw \u201cfamily\u201d and not the electric screwdriver family to me.)\u00a0(Jane Hair)<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Scouts disassembling the playground stuff using hand tools should be just fine.\u00a0 Cutting the stuff up (so it can be discarded, I&#8217;m guessing) is better done by the church&#8217;s maintenance personnel, to my way of thinking.\u00a0 If that can&#8217;t happen, then non-electric hacksaws are the obvious way to go.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I\u2019ve been asked by a few families if they can come along on troop campouts.\u00a0 What guidance is given to us by the BSA regarding this question?\u00a0 We plan a troop campout every month and follow the principles of a boy-led troop.\u00a0 If we were to invite families at large to come along, to see what their sons are doing,\u00a0 I can foresee a possibility of tensions arising if the Scoutmaster has the Scout do something and the parent doesn&#8217;t agree.\u00a0 Also, in this day and age, Youth Protection policies must be followed at all troop events.\u00a0 My thought would be to plan a separate campout from the regular monthly campout, so the families could see what their sons are learning, but would a line be crossed if we called it a troop event?\u00a0 (David Purtee, CC, Simon Kenton Council, OH)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The way to handle this doesn&#8217;t come from a &#8220;rule book&#8221;&#8230; Describe to these well-intentioned parents that Boy Scouting is based on peer-to-peer relationships, which get sharply interfered with if troop campouts become &#8220;family camping trips.&#8221;\u00a0 Then tell these folks that they can take all the family camping trips they like, and when they do to be sure to ask their Boy Scout sons to &#8220;help&#8221; them figure out the best campsite, how and where to pitch the tent, and so on, so he gets to &#8220;show off&#8221; and use the new skills he&#8217;s learned when he goes camping with his fellow Scouts.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, Scoutmasters don\u2019t issue orders, instructions, or even requests to Scouts; this is done by the Scouts\u2019 Patrol Leaders, in a truly boy-led troop.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I was looking at the list of religious emblems at your website (<a href=\"http:\/\/usscouts.org\/advance\/cubscout\/religious.asp\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/usScouts.org\/advance\/CubScout\/religious.asp<\/a>). The list doesn\u2019t contain the emblem for Sikh religion. \u00a0The Sikh religion originated in India and is practiced by more than 25 million people worldwide. I and my family also follow this religion, and I\u2019d like my Webelos Scout son to earn the emblem for the Sikh religion.\u00a0 What is the process for adding emblems to this list? (Harpreet)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thanks for finding us, and for writing.\u00a0 First, we need to understand that the religious emblem programs, while recognized by the BSA, are distinctly not BSA programs (the BSA is non-sectarian); they&#8217;re programs provided by the world&#8217;s various religions and denominations.\u00a0 For deeper information, go to <a href=\"http:\/\/praypub.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">praypub.org<\/a>.\u00a0 If you don&#8217;t find anything fitting there (even when you employ your 5 K&#8217;s!), contact your own religious guide and see if, between the two of you, you can find a comparable program for your son.\u00a0 If you&#8217;re successful, please write to me again and I&#8217;d be delighted to publish what you&#8217;ve discovered in an upcoming column, for all to read about and gain from.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Hi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>My son is going for his \u201cheavy shoulder\u201d as a Webelo I and he\u2019s up to the Sportsman activity badge.\u00a0 We\u2019ve finished the first three requirements, but, as for requirement 4, my son\u2019s just not into sports.\u00a0 Joining two team sports is just not his thing.\u00a0 Is there anything else he can do besides, baseball, soccer, and the other sports listed?\u00a0 He\u2019s into archery and hunting, for instance. (Gina)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Of course, you do know that, in the Webelos\/Arrow of Light program for Cub Scouts, your son is supposed to be attending den meetings and working specifically with his Den Leader on activity badges\u2014not his parent(s).<\/p>\n<p>That point established, the purpose of the Sportsman activity badge is to help a Webelos\/Arrow of Light Scout become a well-rounded young athlete and team member.\u00a0 This is why there are two separate requirements\u20143 and 4\u2014involving sports activities.\u00a0 Req. 3 encourages individual sports, as described.\u00a0 Req. 4 encourages team sports, as described.\u00a0 A fundamental principle of <em>all <\/em>BSA advancement programs is that requirements are not alterable or subject to \u201cinterpretation.\u201d\u00a0 This means that if your son wishes to earn this particular activity badge, he will need to complete all four requirements as written, with no variations.\u00a0 Doing so always remains his own choice: If he chooses not to participate in at least two of the seven team sports listed, that&#8217;s his decision.\u00a0 There are, after all, 19 other activity badges he can earn, if he chooses.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, it&#8217;s \u201cWebelos\u201d\u2014Webelos is both singular and plural, like deer and deer, fish and fish.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>About a year ago, while at troop campout at a Scout camp, while having lunch I began choking.\u00a0 A Tenderfoot Scout saw me coughing, hunched over, and using the universal distress signal for choking.\u00a0 He recognized my signal and instantly yelled at the other adults there for help (they were all involved in conversations at another table and didn&#8217;t see me).\u00a0 He got their attention and one of them applied the Heimlich maneuver that rescued me.\u00a0 It was this Scout\u2019s paying attention to his &#8220;environment&#8221; and his yelling for help that truly saved my life.\u00a0 I gave the Scoutmaster of the troop about three or four months to recognize this Scout, and when nothing happened I wrote to the local Scout camp, asking that this Scout at least be recognized on \u201cparent&#8217;s night\u201d last summer, but this didn\u2019t happen, either.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who is allowed to recommend an award for actions like this?\u00a0 I want this young Scout to receive the recognition he deserves for helping me and saving my life.\u00a0 What do I do? (Fred Sayin)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The folks you need to contact are the advancement chair and committee of the council you and this Scout are in.\u00a0 Describe to them exactly what you&#8217;ve described to me.\u00a0 Add in names of witnesses, for corroboration.\u00a0 DON&#8217;T ask the Scout to pursue this\u2014This is for you to do!\u00a0 Such recognitions are presented by the BSA National Council, through the advancement committee channels.\u00a0 You can read up on these by going to <a href=\"http:\/\/usscouts.org\/advance\/heroism.asp\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/usScouts.org\/advance\/heroism.asp<\/a><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Are Order of the Arrow election procedures consistent across the board?\u00a0 I mean, are they the same in every lodge in the BSA?\u00a0 I\u2019ve read in several places online that a Scout must earn at least 50 percent of the votes of his fellow Scouts, and if every Scout candidate gets at least 50 percent, then they\u2019re all in.\u00a0 But our Scoutmaster is claiming that only the top two vote-getters are in.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The annual troop OA election is coming up soon, and I just want to make sure that the election is fair and being held per correct OA procedure. (Mike Kaferle)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, troop OA elections are conducted per national, not local council, district, or unit procedures and use a national form for reporting results.\u00a0 (I&#8217;ve been a member of four separate lodges, across four different councils from one coast to the other, so I can make this statement with complete confidence and assure you that what I&#8217;m saying isn&#8217;t my &#8220;opinion&#8221;\u2014it&#8217;s fact.)<\/p>\n<p>At troop OA elections, all qualified Scout candidates who receive 50% or more of the votes of their fellow Scouts (both Scout OA members as well as Scout non-OA members participate in the voting) are thereupon elected to participate in the OA Ordeal, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>This Scoutmaster is misinformed.\u00a0 The best ways to verify and demonstrate this are (1) confirm what I&#8217;ve just told you with your OA lodge&#8217;s advisor (a fellow volunteer) and concurrently (2) insist that this Scoutmaster verify his viewpoint by showing you an OA publication supporting his position (of course, he won&#8217;t be able to, and that should put that unfortunate myth to bed).<\/p>\n<p>By the way, it&#8217;s the lodge election team that ideally conducts the annual troop election, and the Scoutmaster is a bystander, as are all other troop Scouters.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I\u2019m an associate advisor of our Order of the Arrow lodge. \u00a0For the last couple of years, our lodge\u2019s executive committee has wanted to purchase some needed equipment for our local camp (e.g., a power washer for cleaning the camp\u2019s pool and bath house). \u00a0\u00a0For the last two years, however, our council\u2019s Scout Executive has vetoed these decisions, with no explanation. \u00a0The lodge has plenty of money, and would like to put it to use for better camping. \u00a0I\u2019ve read the OA Lodge Finance Manual and can\u2019t find anywhere that a Scout Executive even has a voice in matters like this. \u00a0I\u2019ve repeatedly tried to discuss this with him, and all I get is, &#8220;Resubmit it and I&#8217;ll take a look at it.&#8221; What should we do? (Jerry)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Assuming your council and lodge are following standard guidelines, unless he has assigned the position to an alternate, your council&#8217;s Scout Executive is your lodge&#8217;s Chief of the Fire, or staff adviser to the lodge.\u00a0 In this capacity, he provides guidance but is not himself a decision-maker.\u00a0 Your lodge&#8217;s advisor (a volunteer position) is concurrently a member of your council&#8217;s camping committee.\u00a0 Consequently, if the lodge&#8217;s executive committee wants to purchase equipment that will benefit the council&#8217;s camping program, the lodge advisor can present this to his fellow camping committee members and get their agreement, following which the donation can be carried out as intended.\u00a0 Should be a slam-dunk!<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ever heard the term: &#8220;a Scout&#8217;s handbook is his official advancement record&#8221;?\u00a0 I&#8217;ve got a case now where the Eagle Scout Rank Application, although supported by a \u201cScoutnet\u201d printout, is accompanied by a handbook that\u2019s blank on the rank and merit badge check-off\/sign-off pages in the back of the book. Whatcha think? (Matt Culbertson, Review Panel Member, &#8220;Guide to Advancement\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every couple of years, when I&#8217;m visiting the troops I serve as UC, I&#8217;ll ask the Scoutmaster and Senior Patrol Leader for 5 minutes with the Scouts&#8230; I announce that we&#8217;re going to have a &#8220;Best-Looking Handbook Contest&#8221; and ask the Scouts to get their and hold &#8217;em out so I can see &#8217;em. I&#8217;ll walk around the room till I find what I&#8217;m looking for: The most disheveled, beat-up, been through the mud and rain, dog-eared handbook in the lot, and announce: &#8220;We have a WINNER!&#8221;\u00a0 Of course, the Scouts (and sometimes the adults, too) are shocked.\u00a0 That&#8217;s when I give that Scout a prize of some sort (patch, candy bar, Philmont beener, whatever I\u2019ve brought with me that night) and hold the book up as a shining example of what a handbook that&#8217;s actually read and used looks like.\u00a0 Sometimes lots of light bulbs start glowing above their heads; sometimes the room stays pretty dark.\u00a0 Mostly, though, they do get the point.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to \u201cScoutnet,\u201d \u201cTroopmaster,\u201d and such, plus troop adults believing that &#8220;Scouts can&#8217;t be trusted to keep their own records,&#8221; coupled often with the paternalism that accompanies the &#8220;Webelos 3 mentality,&#8221; the Scouts themselves have no clue as to where they are in advancement until they&#8217;re told.\u00a0 Handbook records?\u00a0 Sometimes, but certainly not universal.\u00a0 So I think we need to cut individual Scouts some slack, understanding that many of them are doing what they&#8217;re told the troop does.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"2\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our Unit Commissioner is putting a lot of pressure on us to graduate our Arrow of Light (formerly Webelos II) Scouts in February at our pack\u2019s Blue &amp; Gold dinner.\u00a0 We do graduate our boys at the B&amp;G, which we hold in April.\u00a0 Why the pressure and rule-quoting?\u00a0 We\u2019ve been doing it this way for many years, and our pack likes it this way. (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, let\u2019s recognize that Commissioners have no business pressuring anyone, quoting rules to anyone, or in any other way attempting to plant their feet on the uplands of authority.\u00a0 They have no direct authority over your pack; they\u2019re supposed to be <em>serving<\/em> your pack.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s also acknowledge that, somewhere in the dim past, your pack ran off the track.\u00a0 The Blue &amp; Gold Banquet is intended to be a \u201cbirthday party\u201d for Scouting (founded <em>February<\/em> 8, 1910) and Scouting\u2019s founder, Robert S.S. Baden-Powell (born <em>February<\/em> 22, 1857); thus, holding this event in any month other than February is\u2026well\u2026sort of silly.<\/p>\n<p>Turning to graduation, the BSA states this: \u201cThe pack\u2019s annual Blue and Gold banquet in February should be the target date for Webelos Scouts (now Arrow of Light Scouts) to transition to Boy Scouting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although your Commissioner took a less-than-optimal approach to communicating, he did have his facts correctly, and concurrently, although your pack graduates its Scouts at the correct event, the timing of the event is patently incorrect.\u00a0 So, while your Commissioner might learn some better \u201cCommissioner manners,\u201d your pack might consider using a more accurate calendar.<\/p>\n<p><strong>HappY ScOuTing!<\/strong><\/p>\n<form>\n<h3>Andy<\/h3>\n<p>(No. 287 &#8211; 1\/22\/2012 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2012)<\/p>\n<\/form>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rule No. 54: The more logical and simple the Scouting procedure or policy, the more it will be ignored. Dear Andy, I\u2019m a pack Committee Chair struggling with the definition of an Arrow of Light Scout visiting \u201ca troop meeting with his den.\u201d\u00a0 Our Scouts are always invited to events with the troop we feed, [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-18"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1082"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1083,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions\/1083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}