{"id":1746,"date":"2014-10-08T15:27:26","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T19:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=1746"},"modified":"2014-10-08T15:27:26","modified_gmt":"2014-10-08T19:27:26","slug":"issue-416-october-8-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2014\/10\/issue-416-october-8-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 416 \u2013 October 8, 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

________________________________________
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re in a pickle\u2026 We have two early high school-age Scouts: \u201cZack\u201d and \u201cZeke.\u201d Recently, one of their classmates at school posted a Facebook photo of Zack and, seeing it, Zeke posted a comment that Zack \u201clooked like a faggot.\u201d Zack\u2019s parents obviously got upset about this, and it got worse after Zeke wrote \u201cfaggot\u201d on Zack\u2019s school locker. They called it \u201cbullying\u201d and have contacted the high school principal demanding a face-to-face. Meanwhile, the school\u2019s swim team coach has confided to me that Zeke is often \u201cdisruptive” (the coach\u2019s term) at team practices. For myself, I\u2019ve noticed a less-than-positive attitude, but no actual negative behaviors by Zeke at troop meeting or outings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zeke and I just had a Scoutmaster conference preparatory to his moving up to Life rank. But now I\u2019m having second thoughts. I’m leaning toward telling him his six months of \u201cdemonstrating Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Law in your everyday life\u201d has been re-set to zero, with the assurance that if he straightens out for the next six months he’ll move forward to Life as planned. Before I do this, I\u2019d appreciate your thoughts\u2014a \u201csecond opinion,\u201d if you would. Thanks! (Name & Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, I definitely think you’ve got the right idea on conferencing\u2014probably with both Scouts, but separately. For Zack, maybe some coaching on how to deal with guys like Zeke (they\u2019re not going to go away, let\u2019s remember\u2026we run into them from time to time throughout our lives). For Zeke, it\u2019s worthwhile to have a conversation with him about how he\u2019s been treating Zack (and possibly others as well) and discussing that \u201cScout spirit\u201d requirement with him, along the lines of \u201cHere\u2019s what the requirement says\u2026 How well do you think you\u2019ve lived up to it?\u201d (Keep in mind that your “hole card”\u2014one you hope to never have to put on the table\u2014is that a Scout can be dismissed from the troop if he displays behavior that can potentially bring harm to others, and bullying including harassment in any form or venue definitely counts as harm.) And don\u2019t let anyone try to pull a \u201cboys-will-be-boys\u201d snow job here! Further for Zeke, I think he needs more that merely This Stops Now. I\u2019d say he needs to come up with what’s he going to \u201cshow real Scout spirit\u201d by making amends with Zack. Coach him, but let him come up with his own ideas\u2014he created the problem, so it’s up to him to find a way fix it.
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our pack needs to figure out how to run our own fund-raisers. We do our council\u2019s annual popcorn program and we know a portion of what\u2019s raised goes to the council, but we\u2019re in a very small (less than 1,000 population) isolated rural town, so the popcorn revenues just aren\u2019t enough. Our sponsor is a church. Can we hold a bake sale, for instance, or a pancake breakfast? I\u2019m thinking these could be done in combination with our church\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s groups, with our Scouts helping out. The largest business in the area is a grain company. Most all of their employees come from either here in town or the surrounding townships. Since we\u2019re a registered non-profit organization, can ask that company for donations? (Laurence Johnson, W. D. Boyce Council, IL)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bake sales, pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, and the like are great ideas and no problem at all. You can also sell “ads” in a program book, or sell space on “placemats” to generate revenues (your local printer can tell you how to make this work). But do this on a pack-wide basis; avoid having individual dens do this. And connecting the pack with your church\u2019s congregational groups is a wonderful bridge-building idea. But as far as asking for donations, there are a couple of wrinkles you need to be aware of. First, understand that your pack isn\u2019t automatically a 501(c)(3) charitable organization just because it\u2019s a BSA unit. The good news is that your church most likely is (I\u2019d be shocked if it\u2019s not). So, while Scouting units are strictly prohibited from asking anyone\u2014individuals, groups, corporations, etc.\u2014for direct donations, your church might be able to pursue this avenue. An interesting secondary wrinkle in all of this is that, although you can\u2019t ask, an unsolicited donation voluntarily offered can be graciously accepted! Consult with your council’s finance chair and take a look at the BSA fundraising guidelines and form (both available online at scouting.org).
\n=========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

My son went through similar situation to the parent who wrote to you about a troop\u2019s Committee Chair stalling his son on his journey to Eagle. There is absolutely no reason to get in the way of a 14 year-old who\u2019s going for Eagle. In fact, this is how my son showed his Scoutmaster that Scouting meant the world to him and that nothing was going to stop his adventure. His Eagle board of review was in December 2008 and he\u2019s never looked back. He attended the last National Jamboree as an Eagle, and he now works at a resident Scout camp as an area director and STEM director. He\u2019s never looked back at the time his Scoutmaster left him off the OA ballot because that Scoutmaster mistakenly thought that Scouting \u201cdidn\u2019t matter\u201d to my son. I applaud these parents and the Scout himself for standing up for his desire to advance and become an Eagle Scout. He\u2019s in that tiny percent of Scouts who take it all the way because of his personal tenacity. No one has the right to road-block a Scout. Some, whose parents may be pushing them forward, might not be as solid as others, but that\u2019s that family\u2019s issue. Even this doesn\u2019t give anybody the right to force a Scout to slow down. (Holly Geier)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I couldn’t have said it better! Congratulations to your son! (If truth be told\u2014which it always is in the column\u2014I was an Eagle before my 16th birthday, and my younger brother was Eagle while still 14!)
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

The BSA Annual Health and Medical Record is printed side-by-side in English and Spanish. Our families find it confusing and health care professionals equally find it aggravatingly hard to read, but I\u2019m not writing to debate the BSA decision. What I\u2019m curious about is a rumor that the form is actually available in an English-only version; it\u2019s just not readily available or easy to find. Is this true? Is there an English-only version and, if so, how and where can I obtain it? (Bob Fales, ASM, Patriots\u2019 Path Council, NJ)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I guess beauty (or not) is still in the eye of the beholder… I just looked at the form and noticed that, on the main page, most all categories are in English and BOLD, while the Spanish-language equivalents are below the English in a non-bold and smaller font. Moreover, the Spanish cognates (Name-Nombre, Asthma-Asma, Surgery-Cirugia, Other-Otro) are often pretty transparent. Frankly, I found this to be one of the easiest dual-language forms I’ve ever seen, but of course I have a bias: I’m an English language speaker and not in any way multilingual. As for an “English-only” form, you might want to check with your local council.
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a first year Tiger Cub Den Leader and I am just so excited and involved with researching advancement and awards for my boys to earn as well as myself. I have more than a few questions when it comes to a lot of processes to going about earning, and the involvement needed to earn these awards. If the requirements are fulfilled by my boys, do I also earn the award, or are there different sets of requirements for leaders? (Name & Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cub Scout (and Boy Scout) ranks and awards are for the Cub Scouts (and Boy Scouts); adults don’t receive them. Adult leaders like you are there to help boys achieve them. However, various other recognitions for adult service to Scouting are definitely available, and for these you’d go here:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.scouting.org\/scoutsource\/cubscouts\/leaders\/awards\/adultawards.aspx<\/em>
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

After having been a Scoutmaster for a bunch of years I\u2019ve stumbled on a situation that brand-new to me, that I\u2019m not quite certain how to handle\u2026 We have a Scout in our troop who attends another troop\u2019s meetings too. Now just hanging out with two troops I have no problem with\u2014I\u2019m all for young men getting as much good out of Scouting as they can and want. I encourage Scouts going for merit badges to work with the best counselors available, even if they\u2019re associated with other troops\u2026doesn\u2019t matter at all! But what about rank advancement? Can a Scout earn ranks across multiple troops? In this instance, the Scout is First Class our troop and just advanced to Star in the other troop, which filed an advancement report stating that. Is this OK? Or should he stick to earning ranks in just one of the two troops? If both, which one keeps the records? Or are duplicate records kept? (Mike Murphy, SM, Daniel Boone Council, NC)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a bit weird, but it’s not the first time I’ve encountered the situation you’re describing. The key question, of course, is this: Is he (a) registered and active in one and hangs out in the other, or is he (b) a registered member of both troops?<\/p>\n

If it’s \u201ca\u201d the answer on ranks and merit badges is easy: All advancement recording is handled by the troop in which he’s registered, because this is the only way is BSA membership ID number is going to be able to correctly track his advancement records in the council service center’s data base.<\/p>\n

If it’s \u201cb\u201d\u2014he’s actually a dues-paying registered member of two troops\u2014then you and the other Scoutmaster and the advancement coordinators of both troops are going to need to put their heads together and decide on a standard procedure they’re going to put in place and then stick to, for the duration of this young man’s Boy Scouting life. In this regard, it would seem to me that all advancement through just one of the two troops is the way to go…unless we’re enamored of mayhem, of course.<\/p>\n

But here’s the thing: All Scouts, first and foremost, are members of their patrol. So, are we saying that this Scout is a member of two patrols\u2026that he can stand up for election in both patrols\u2026that he has a responsibility on the duty rosters of both patrols\u2026that he hikes and camps with both patrols\u2026that he attends all meetings\u2014week in, week out\u2014of both troops with his patrol(s)\u2026that he goes on weekend camp-outs with both troops\u2026that he attends summer camp with both troops\u2026and, finally, that he and his parents are willing to fork up two annual registration fees and two troop dues (I assume he’d have a “Boys’ Life” subscription through one troop, but be a non-subscriber for the other, thus keeping the second troop from ever earning the annual “100% Boys’ Life” ribbon)?<\/p>\n

As for Merit Badge Counselors, they’re independent of troops\u2014they’re their own cadre unto themselves, and registered as such. Yes, some MBCs elect to counsel Scouts from only one troop, while other enjoy counseling any Scout from any troop, but that’s their personal decision; not the troop’s. So hanging out with a second troop to capitalize on the MBCs there seems a bit out of whack, especially since working on merit badges is a clearly inappropriate “troop activity.”!
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

When did professional Scouting come about? Surely when the program started there weren’t District Executives whose main focus is hitting their Friends of Scouting fundraising quotas! I believe in Scouting and understand that the organization needs some sort of funding, but I get the distinct impression that many of the district- and council-level workers are more focused on collecting funds for funds\u2019 sake instead of focusing on bettering Scouting in their area. What\u2019s the story? (Scouter in Last Frontier Council, OK)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The movement started with volunteers. At the beginning, Commissioners were the highest-level volunteers in American Scouting. The movement grew rapidly. Troops were springing up all over the place, and within the BSA’s first decade formal “councils” (each a not-for-profit corporation) began to emerge. With this emergence and fantastic growth, volunteers could no longer handle the work-load. This led to the birth of professional Scouters. These Scouters managed the myriad “back room” details, purchasing land for camps, running a “Scout store” (or “Trading Post” as they were called), organizing new units, lining up sponsors, maintaining advancement records, accounting for health and safety, establishing training programs for the influx of new volunteers, etc., etc., etc… Scouting ultimately evolved as a legitimate profession and has now been around for many, many decades.<\/p>\n

It’s a tough profession, at best. And any Scouting professional will tell you: It\u2019s not \u201cfamily-friendly\u201d for their own personal lives, to those whose calling is a Scouting career. More wash out than stay on, in fact. It requires full-time day-work plus night after night of meetings with volunteers.<\/p>\n

Our professionals have an entirely different mission from us volunteers. While our job is to deliver the program at grass-roots level, theirs is to provide the overarching infrastructure of committees and Commissioner cadres to support unit efforts and provide for units and their youth members what they can’t provide for themselves, like Camporees, Cub day camps, Klondike Derbies, area-wide service projects (e.g., Scouting For Food), etc., etc., etc….<\/p>\n

The evaluative metrics for professionals are different from us volunteers. Fund-raising, which is actually a district- and council-function carried out by volunteers, is important because annual membership fees don’t stay in the council\u2014they go straight to the national office. So, unless they can convince and support volunteers in fund-raising efforts, there’s simply no money to pay their salaries (and, if you think teachers are at the fuzzy end of the lollipop stick when it comes to salaries, you’ve never had to live on a D.E.’s salary!). So cut ’em some slack. Here are a few unvarnished facts\u2026<\/p>\n

They put in 40 hours “on the job” and then another 40 hours on evenings and weekends, to support us!<\/p>\n

They put up with our grumbling and griping about what “the council” and “national” are doing to “mess up” the program, and how \u201cWe tried it that way once but it didn\u2019t work,\u201d and \u201cThat\u2019ll never work\u2026\u201d and the list is endless.<\/p>\n

They take up the slack when a volunteer who promised to do something walks away from the responsibility or, worse, just doesn’t deliver.<\/p>\n

They effectively have no life! Give ’em a break! And, when you get a really good D.E., the way to keep him or her is by supporting FOS, Popcorn, special fund-raisers and the like. Fail at this and the D.E. you love so much but fail to support will be gone in a heartbeat!<\/p>\n

Last point: I’m a volunteer, just like you\u2026and I have immeasurable respect for anyone who chooses the professional life in Scouting.<\/p>\n

Happy Scouting!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Have a question? Facing a dilemma? Wondering where to find a BSA policy or guideline? Write to askandybsa@yahoo.com. Please include your name and council. (If you\u2019d prefer to be anonymous, if published, let me know and that\u2019s what we\u2019ll do.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

[No. 416 \u2013 10\/08\/2014 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2014]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

________________________________________ Dear Andy, We\u2019re in a pickle\u2026 We have two early high school-age Scouts: \u201cZack\u201d and \u201cZeke.\u201d Recently, one of their classmates at school posted a Facebook photo of Zack and, seeing it, Zeke posted a comment that Zack \u201clooked like a faggot.\u201d Zack\u2019s parents obviously got upset about this, and it got worse after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-22"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1746","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=1746"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1749,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1746\/revisions\/1749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}