{"id":20,"date":"2011-10-28T12:14:07","date_gmt":"2011-10-28T16:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=20"},"modified":"2011-11-08T17:07:26","modified_gmt":"2011-11-08T22:07:26","slug":"october-28-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2011\/10\/october-28-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 274 &#8211; October 28, 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #003300; font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rule No. 38<\/span>:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul type=\"DISC\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: medium;\"><em>Wealth doesn\u2019t assure happiness; neither does poverty.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Do you happen to know where I can find the requirements for the \u201cCommissioner Excellence in Service to Units Award\u201d? (We were told about it by De Nguyen, from the BSA National Council, when he came out to speak to us about the New Unit Retention Program.) (Bob Mayhew, ADC, Denver Area Council, CO)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Sure do&#8230; Go here and read all about it:<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scouting.org\/filestore\/commissioner\/pdf\/522-975_Summer2011_WB.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">www.scouting.org\/filestore\/<wbr>commissioner\/pdf\/522-975_<wbr>Summer2011_WB.pdf<\/wbr><\/wbr><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>At our troop meeting this week, plans sort of collapsed due to abnormally low attendance, so the Scout did what they could from the plans, then fell out for free time (Scouts who wanted to work on advancement did that, while others were just playing a game on the field outside the building where our troop meets). I went up to the field to more or less keep an eye on things, and while there I overheard something that was pretty disturbing to me. (I\u2019m younger than most of the other adult volunteers with the troop, so the Scouts will often say things around me that they wouldn&#8217;t around the others. Sometimes I have to correct them, and sometimes I have to hold my breath and keep in mind that they&#8217;re teenagers.) On this occasion they were talking about whether anyone\u2019s seen a video available at one of the online video sites. I could tell from the tone that it was pretty unlikely that this was something they should be viewing, so I told them to find something else to talk about.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>When I got home later, I found it via a search engine, and I have to say it was disgusting. I\u2019ve read and even conducted any number of research studies on teens and the Internet, so I know that unfortunately in this digital age the boy who hasn\u2019t seen vulgarity or porn is a rarity; but the gross nature of this one shook me up quite a bit and I feel that I need to do something\u2026 but I don&#8217;t know what. I&#8217;m not about to speak to the Scouts directly about this because I\u2019d need another leader or adult present and I don&#8217;t want to put the Scouts in an uncomfortable position, plus this really isn\u2019t within the scope of what we\u2019re here for to talk with Scouts about that stuff at all. Then, if I talk to with their parents, they might freak out, and I don&#8217;t want to put myself in their crosshairs (at least half of these parents are more likely to shoot the messenger rather than thinking their own precious son may have been out of line); however, I don&#8217;t want these Scouts to get sucked down the black hole of more than questionable Internet videos. I really just don&#8217;t know if I should do or say anything or not. Do you have any advice on this? I&#8217;d really appreciate it. (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">First, we do agree that Scouting volunteers are just that\u2014volunteers; not professionals. We&#8217;re not licensed counselors or therapists, and we\u2019re sure not sworn peace officers trained to deal directly with situations like this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">What you&#8217;ve described seems to be a singular incident that has broader implications. Consequently, rather than culling specific Scouts or dealing with specific parents, it strikes me that a broader approach is likely the better course of action here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The current <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Boy Scout Handbook<\/span><\/em> (see pages 51 and 61) contains two specific sections on Internet safety. So, for all of the Scouts in the troop, consider a special full-attendance session on the subject of Internet use, good judgment, etc. Slot it into a troop meeting, keep it short, and keep it to-the-point. Make it informational, educational, and non-accusatory. Consider making it interactive, with a Q&amp;A segment too. Consider that this might actually be led by the troop&#8217;s pre-coached Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders, with the Scoutmaster and ASMs observing from the sidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Also in that same handbook is &#8220;A Parent&#8217;s Guide,&#8221; where you\u2019ll find the personal protection rules on page 16. So also consider a special all-troop parents&#8217; gathering to review these rules in particular. Here, the session would be delivered by the Scoutmaster and ASMs, with the Committee Chair there for support and to respond to any parents\u2019 questions or comments. Again make it informational and educational, with no singling out or accusations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Third, consider bringing in a member of the local police department, for a talk to both Scouts and parents. (Many police departments have officers specially trained in Internet-related subject matter, and I\u2019m sure they&#8217;d welcome the opportunity to have an audience like this.) In the possible absence of this resource, consider the local school system&#8217;s guidance counselors\u2014I&#8217;m positive one or more of these would equally welcome this opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Meanwhile, I strongly urge you all to hit a search engine and get yourselves a copy of the BSA\u2019s \u201cTroop Meeting Plan,\u201d and then start using it. This will help your Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders Council avoid &#8220;free time&#8221; and stay constructive and on-plan. Use the precise seven segments, just as described, and you&#8217;ll all be fine. (With boys this age, if you don&#8217;t give them something to do, they&#8217;ll obviously <em>find <\/em>something to do!)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Hi Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Our troop\u2019s new Committee Chair has what I think is a good idea. To cut down on the amount of paperwork involved with each troop camping trip, he\u2019s proposed using a blanket parental permission slip for the entire year. Is this permissible, or should we continue to collect one permission slip per Scout per trip? (Bill Andrews, Atlanta Area Council, GA)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The BSA-designed consent, approval, and hold harmless agreement form can be found online at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scouting.org\/filestore\/pdf\/19-673.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">www.scouting.org\/filestore\/<wbr>pdf\/19-673.pdf<\/wbr><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"> It can be filled in online and then printed. This is obviously the best and easiest form to use, and also means that the troop doesn&#8217;t have to &#8220;invent&#8221; one. I&#8217;m no legal expert, so I can&#8217;t say for certain whether or not this can be filled out using a &#8220;From&#8221; beginning on January 1 of the current year and a &#8220;to&#8221; of December 31st, so check with your District Executive on this. If this can be done, then simply inserting &#8220;all troop and patrol activities&#8221; on the line that says &#8220;Has approval to participate in&#8230;&#8221; makes this a no-brainer!<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">What&#8217;s definitely important, of course, is that\u2014whether event-specific or more broad\u2014the <em>original<\/em> and not a copy be kept in the activity leader&#8217;s file, folder, or binder while at the activity, because in the event of needing medical treatment, some medical providers will only accept original documents with original signatures; not copies.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Can an Explorer square knot award be worn on a Boy Scout uniform\u2014youth or adult? (Jack Hickey)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Far as I&#8217;m aware, there are no &#8220;square knots&#8221; associated with today&#8217;s Explorer program, so that eliminates the question about &#8220;youth.&#8221; However, back in the 40\u2019s and 50&#8217;s, a youth at that time may have earned the Silver Award associated with the original &#8220;forest green uniform&#8221; Explorer program, or the Ace Award associated with the Air Explorer program, or the Quartermaster Award associated with what was at that time called \u201cSea Explorers\u201d (later, the original Sea Scout name was reestablished and has been used ever since) and that person, now an adult, is certainly eligible to wear square knots representing any of the ranks he earned at that time.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Can a Scout use the hours he worked on an Eagle project as service hours for rank advancement? (Mike, Des Plaines Valley Council, IL)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">I&#8217;m guessing you&#8217;re talking about the Eagle candidate&#8217;s helpers, yes? If I&#8217;ve got that right, then absolutely yes!<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>As a long-time Scouter I\u2019ve had considerable experience with fund-raisers. Our troop is in the middle of our council\u2019s annual popcorn sale and I must admit I\u2019m not very enamored of either the product or the price. One of my concerns about the popcorn is it seems to be very expensive and not a good value, which is contrary to official BSA policy. Who should I contact at the Scout headquarters who would be receptive to suggestions about better fund-raising ideas?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Instead of selling fattening popcorn, why couldn&#8217;t our Scouts be known for selling American-made products that would be useful in a time of trouble, like safety whistles, light sticks, flashlights, first-aid kits, and so on? Any ideas or thoughts? (Mark Houston, ASM, Oregon Trail Council)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Regarding Trails End Popcorn, you can definitely express your views to your council&#8217;s &#8220;Popcorn Colonel (Kernel),&#8221; your local Scout Executive or council finance chair, or even Bob Mazzuca, our Chief Scout Executive. But do keep in mind that, some time around two decades ago, after extensive research and evaluations, Trails End Popcorn was selected as the chief fundraising vehicle by the BSA, for every one of the 300 plus local councils in the U.S., and it&#8217;s been that way ever since, to the benefit of the councils, the units that promote the product, and the Scouts who sell it as well. And do keep in mind that there&#8217;s very little in the consumable arena that&#8217;s actually &#8220;fattening,&#8221; so long as it&#8217;s not eaten to excess&#8230; The whole &#8220;super-sized&#8221; concept, IMHO, isn&#8217;t so much a fault of the producers as it is that of people unable or unwilling to manage their predilections in the appetite department.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">BTW, in addition to popcorn, many Scouting units have supplementary product sales as well, for when &#8220;popcorn season&#8221; is over&#8230; selling light bulbs (Egad! They&#8217;re not CFLs!), first aid kits, American flags, Mother&#8217;s Day flowers, holiday wreaths, and the list goes on and on&#8230; Those products, or course, don&#8217;t carry the BSA name, can&#8217;t be sold while in uniform, and require special fund-raising permits from the local council. Trails End Popcorn, on the other hand, doesn&#8217;t require special permits and can indeed be sold wearing one&#8217;s full Scout uniform!<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Hi Andy, <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>I&#8217;ve seen photos of Scouts whose merit badge sashes have rank badges sewn on near the bottom, below the merit badge field. Is this authorized or permitted? (Ben Ward)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Earlier rank badges, says the BSA, do not get sewn anywhere on a merit badge sash; however, it&#8217;s OK to place badges that are in the &#8220;temporary&#8221; category (e.g., summer camp patches, world conservation award, etc.) on the back (but not the front) of the sash, according to the BSA <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Insignia Guide<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Hello Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>When a Scout earns enough merit badges to cover the front of his sash, how are the remaining merit badges handled? I\u2019ve seen a Scout with a double-length sash that stretches almost to the ground, and I\u2019ve also seen one sash over another. I\u2019ve even thought of putting merit badges on the back of the sash. Just how are these merit badges supposed to be officially handled? (Greg Kimball, SM, Central Georgia Council)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The front of a standard-sized merit badge sash is sufficiently long and wide enough to easily accommodate up to 60 or so merit badges\u2014that\u2019s the virtual equivalent of Eagle plus one gold and three silver palms. When the front&#8217;s filled, the merit badges can be continued on the back, says the BSA, and it&#8217;s unlikely that they all won&#8217;t fit, even if every single merit badge is earned (a pretty rare occurrence, wouldn&#8217;t you think?). So, neither extensions nor &#8220;bandoleers&#8221; should be necessary. For the unfortunate Scout who wears two sashes, or a super-elongated one, one can only smile bemusedly and move on&#8230; I sure wouldn&#8217;t want to be the one to tell him (or his parents) how many need to be removed and re-sewn!<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>I am the Committee Chair of our troop. A parent complained to me recently that it\u2019s not fair that one Scout was getting lots of merit badges because his father was facilitating them. Does this complaint have any validity? I\u2019ve looked through the rules for Merit Badge Counselors and the only rule he might be violating is working solo with his son on merit badge activities (i.e., no Buddy System).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>So my question is: Are there any BSA rules related to parents teaching merit badges to their own sons independently? And, if so, do we take away merit badges? This boy joined our troop just eight months ago and he already has more than 25 merit badges completed\u2014this is two times the next nearest number of merit badges earned by other Scouts who joined at the same time. (Name Withheld, National Capital Area Council, VA)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Frankly, the troop&#8217;s situation sounds pretty weird&#8230; Are you indeed telling me that one individual parent is a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">registered Merit Badge Counselor<\/span> and has <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> received council approval to counsel on over two dozen different merit badges<\/span>? Because if he&#8217;s not, then every single one of the merit badges he&#8217;s &#8220;facilitating&#8221; is invalid. If he&#8217;s indeed not registered and approved for every single merit badge, then it&#8217;s up to him to tell his son and every other Scout he&#8217;s &#8220;facilitated&#8221; that he&#8217;s been doing things wrong, apologize, and make things right. Meanwhile, what&#8217;s the Scoutmaster been doing all this time? (You all do know that the very first thing a Scout does when he wants to work on a merit badge is speak with his Scoutmaster and obtain a Merit Badge Application\u2014aka &#8220;blue card&#8221;\u2014and the name of a council-provided and duly registered MBC for that particular badge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">(I have the very uncomfortable feeling that this parent\u2014and maybe the Scoutmaster and others, too\u2014think that Boy Scouts is &#8220;Webelos 3,&#8221; and that merit badges are just like Webelos activity badges that any parent can &#8220;help out&#8221; with and then &#8220;sign off on.&#8221; Wrong. Big time WRONG.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>In our troop, when our Scoutmaster receives a request for a particular merit badge from a Scout, he seeks out a parent to act as the Merit Badge Counselor. This one parent regularly volunteers, and then registers with the council office to be the counselor for that merit badge. He then announces at a troop meeting that he\u2019s offering the merit badge, but no one except his son signs up. That week, the merit badge work is completed by the Scout son, under the supervision of his father, and at the following week\u2019s troop meeting the Scout turns in his signed \u201cblue card\u201d to the advancement coordinator. This same father offers two to three different merit badges a month, every month, and only about a third of the time does get more than one Scout to sign up. So his son is earning two to three merit badges a month, every month, plus about a dozen more at summer camp.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Your comment that this arrangement looked a lot like \u201cWebelos 3,\u201d is beside the point, and you really didn\u2019t answer my question: \u201cIs a parent allowed to act as merit badge counselor for his\/her son?\u201d I couldn\u2019t find anything in BSA polices that said no, hence my question. What I got from you seemed to be all opinion.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>My troop can use all the parent participation it can get (which is never enough), and I don\u2019t want to discourage a willing parent volunteer. What I want to do is make sure I understand the rules, so I can give advice to the Scoutmaster. (NW)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Yes, I definitely did express concern, because the procedure this troop is following\u2014as you\u2019ve described it to me\u2014is completely counter to both of the two aims of the BSA Merit Badge Program. However, to confirm the facts of the matter\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The BSA states that a registered MBC may counsel a relative (e.g., son, nephew). The BSA further recommends that when a relative is being counseled, that at least one other Scout (i.e., a &#8220;buddy,&#8221; per The Buddy System&#8221;) be included.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The council provides to every Scoutmaster a list of registered Merit Badge Counselors, including the merit badges they are authorized to counsel and their contact information. It is from this list that the council expects the Scoutmaster to provide any Scout expressing interest in a merit badge the necessary information to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Merit badges are intended to be self-directed by the Scout, at the Scout&#8217;s discretion, says the BSA. The objective is for the Scout to be counseled by an expert in the subject matter by way of education, career, or longstanding hobby; it is not intended that a Scout be guided by some sort of \u201cuniversal counselor,\u201d who uses merit badge pamphlets as a way of staying a page or two ahead of the Scout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>OK. Thanks. It then seems reasonable to me that we tell this parent that he needs to wait until he has at least two Scouts. (NW)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The point that&#8217;s being consistently overlooked here is that merit badges are <em>not<\/em> adult-directed, no matter how sincere that adult may be. Merit badges are intended to be selected by the Scouts themselves, not by signing up for some adult&#8217;s merit badge \u201cclasses.\u201d Moreover, fully half of the intent of the merit badge program is that Scouts collaborate and work with <em>an adult they do not know<\/em>; not somebody associated with the troop who does merit badges with the Scouts in the troop again and again. In addition, it is the <em>Scoutmaster<\/em> who is supposed to be using the counselor list the council provides him with, and he is <em>not<\/em> supposed to be asking troop parents to do merit badges. Finally, it is expected that the counselor who registers for a particular merit badge have some specific expertise in the subject matter by way of his or her own vocation or hobby\u2014to simply &#8220;stay a page or two ahead of the Scouts&#8221; is absolutely <em>not<\/em> the way merit badges are to be counseled. The BSA tells you all of this; it simply requires doing the necessary reading at the BSA website and via all of the publications the BSA has provided for adult volunteers. (Yes, I understand that I\u2019ve been repetitive here. These points need to sink in or this borderline travesty will continue.)<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>What\u2019s the correct procedure for submitting a suggestion for a new merit badge?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>I applaud the BSA&#8217;s recent changes to reflect new and changing technology, such as the \u201cSTEM\u201d initiative, but there have been other, more basic, changes in society that seem to have been overlooked by the BSA. For example, household chores, which once were the exclusive domain of women, are now shared between men and women. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>As a single parent, I\u2019ve acquired considerable skill in sewing (among other household responsibilities), especially since my two sons now routinely receive handfuls of merit badges at each court of honor. While sewing on their last batch of badges, the thought occurred to me, &#8220;Why don&#8217;t I teach my sons to sew their own badges on their uniforms and sashes?\u201d So, beginning with the next batch of merit badges and ranks, my sons will start along the path of becoming proficient in sewing. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>But here&#8217;s my point: If a Scout had to sew all his own badges, from the time he\u2019s a Tenderfoot, then by the time he reaches Star he\u2019d probably be pretty good at sewing\u2026 maybe even good enough to earn\u2026wait for it\u2026a SEWING MERIT BADGE! (Tom Carignan, Tukabatchee Area Council, AL)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">At the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/usssp.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">usssp.org<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"> website, inside advancement-merit badges, you&#8217;ll find some suggestions and insights on how to go about what you have in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Personal tale: When I was a Cub Scout, my Mom sewed on all the stuff, including those nasty little Arrow Points. But when I hit age 11 and became a Boy Scout, the very first thing she did was sit me down and teach me where the various badges go, and how to sew them on. I can still do this, and do! My own suggestion would be: \u201cBadge Placement Merit Badge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Our Scoutmaster taken to the notion of fault-finding with our troop\u2019s Assistant Scoutmasters\u2026always in front of the Scouts. He also seems to enjoy demeaning Scouts while carrying out Scoutmaster\u2019s conferences, while on hikes and camp-outs, and generally in troop meetings, too. Although several of us ASMs have approached the Committee Chair with this problem, the CC sees it as \u201ca personal quirk,\u201d which suggests to me that he\u2019s just as intimidated by this Scoutmaster as the rest of us and the Scouts. Is there any hope here that somebody can convince this individual to change his ways and stop the general badgering? (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Nor a chance in the world. This troop doesn&#8217;t have a Scoutmaster; it has a nasty sergeant. If this is what you want for yourself, your son, and his friends, stay. If not, and you&#8217;d like your son and his friends to enjoy a true Scouting experience, you have two choices\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">&#8211; Engineer yourself into the Chartered Organization Representative slot and then fire his sorry butt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">&#8211; Find a troop that gets it right and transfer your son, his friends, and yourself (costs $1 each).<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>What the blazes is the BSA thinking?! I\u2019m a Cubmaster (I was a Den Leader before this) and we work hard to convince parents that Cub Scouts are in blue from head to toe and leave the jeans, khakis, and other non-navy blue pants in the bureau when they bring their sons to den and pack meetings. So then I open up the Scout Stuff winter catalog that arrived in the mail today and right there, on page 35, and \u201cReal Jeans\u201d for Cubs! Yeah, I can read the fine print, where it says \u201cNon-uniform apparel,\u201d but isn\u2019t it asking a bit much of us here in the trenches who are trying to dispel the almost universal notion that \u201cjeans are OK\u201d when now the BSA is <em>selling<\/em> the darned things?! What gives, anyway?! (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">I can only surmise that the merchandisers in Charlotte and the program folks in Irving may not get much face time with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>You commented on pets along on Scout camping trips\u2026 Please be sure to make the distinction between pets (only) and service animals. We\u2019ve got a Scout with a service animal, and while you may think is a pet, the dog has a very important job and does it quite well. Without it, the boy probably wouldn\u2019t be involved in Scouting at all. Though I\u2019d agree that this service dog may not be up for camping, he remains amazingly calm at our other very high-energy events. (Carl Sommer, Occoneechee Council, NC)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">I did, and thanks for reemphasizing this point.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>I\u2019m a third year Den Leader now with a Bear den. One of the Cubs in our den is very disrespectful. He refuses to participate, won\u2019t listen to or follow directions, talks incessantly during den and pack meetings, and shows blatant disregard for authority figures. My husband, an Eagle scout, helps lead the den. This boy\u2019s stepfather signed up to be an Assistant Den Leader, yet is no help when we ask &#8220;Ralphie&#8221; (not his real name) to stop talking, pay attention, etc. The stepfather &#8220;Walter&#8221; (also not his real name) uses the excuse that \u201cI\u2019m just the stepdad; Ralphie always acts this way.\u201d Here\u2019s an example\u2026 At a recent pack meeting, Ralphie sprawled out on the floor while the other Cubs sat cross-legged on the floor, so I asked him to please sit up the right way, but, instead, he slung himself backwards, hitting his head on the floor and proceeded to pitch a fit like a toddler going through \u201cthe terrible twos.\u201d He refused to stop, even when it became his time to receive his Bobcat pin, and proceeded to wail and cry. I do understand that Ralphie is only eight years old, but it shocks me that his stepfather allows him to act this way with no form of punishment. It isn\u2019t fair to the other Cubs in the den and pack to have this sort of interruption and it\u2019s frustrating to us as Den Leaders that his stepfather is registered as an Assistant Den Leader and doesn\u2019t discipline his stepson or remove him from the area when he acts out. (I\u2019d be more understanding if Ralphie had a disability, or was overly tired, but this has happened at every meeting and two of our pack\u2019s outings. It seems like Ralphie rules the house and has no respect for others. He misbehaves at every meeting and, quite frankly, several parents including my husband and myself are very frustrated and irritated that he\u2019s allowed to act this way and disrespect his Den Leaders and the other Cubs. As long as Ralphie gets his way, he\u2019s OK, but when it\u2019s time to change activities, stop goofing off, or be quiet he becomes ridiculous.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>How can we handle Ralphie and show him that his lack of respect for others is not acceptable Scout behavior? (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">First, let&#8217;s agree that a Den Leader really isn&#8217;t a \u201cleader\u201d in the sense of being the kind of authority figure that, say, a classroom teacher is, and he or she sure isn&#8217;t a leader in any military sense. In reality, you&#8217;re much more like the lovable Aunt Bea, whom your nephews enjoy visiting each week &#8217;cause you&#8217;re cool, you have good games to play, there are always special treats, and you never ever scold or even get your feathers ruffled. Aunt Bea never loses it, and she doesn&#8217;t &#8220;correct&#8221; or give orders\u2014She rolls with the situation and stays ahead of it, and always creates a happy outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Let&#8217;s also agree that, being a parent yourself, and having a couple of years of den leading under your belt, you&#8217;re smarter and more clever than any boy in your den.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Next, let&#8217;s understand that every human being, regardless of age, wants attention, and will do his or her best to figure out how to get it&#8230; Just as little Ralphie has. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Finally, let&#8217;s agree that we all have emotional &#8220;buttons.&#8221; In this case, yours seems to be the need for respect. Ralphie has likely figured this out, and guess what button of yours he&#8217;s pushing, so that he gets the attention his little soul wants and needs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">(Stepdad Walter, meanwhile, is doing his best to help, but he&#8217;s also coping with the difficulties associated with trying to handle the male parent role when he&#8217;s not the biological father. Moreover, even as an Assistant Den Leader, he\u2019s not the local constabulary; he\u2019s another parent helping out.) <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">So, what to do&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Two things. The first is to reward good behavior by acknowledging it (meaning, focusing on the Cubs who reflect good behavior) and the second is to ignore (yes, ignore) those who don&#8217;t. That&#8217;s right: When Ralphie starts acting out, he gets ignored; when he gets over his fits you smile and praise him, and include him in your &#8220;attention circle&#8221; along with the other Cubs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Ralphie is new to the den (otherwise, he\u2019d have received his Bobcat pin last year, as a Wolf), and he&#8217;s trying to figure out where he fits in. He wants your attention, and he&#8217;s discovered how to get it, which means that this is your very best tool\u2014not to be used as a sledge hammer but always as a huggy blanket that he can wrap himself in when he&#8217;s calmed down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Understand that the very next time he acts out and gets ignored instead of &#8220;rewarded&#8221; by your own frustration (and simultaneous attention), his natural tendency will be to escalate (&#8220;Hey, it&#8217;s not working this time,&#8221; he&#8217;s thinking. &#8220;It&#8217;d better up the ante&#8230;That&#8217;ll get me what I want!&#8221;). But you&#8217;re smarter and more clever than he, so you&#8217;re not going to rise to the bait; instead, you&#8217;re going to continue to ignore it until he settles down. Then, instead of praising his calmness, you&#8217;re simply going to bring him back into the fold and give him the same attention you give the other boys in the den. In other words, you&#8217;re going to level the playing field and at the same time take his \u201cpower\u201d away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">I assure you, it may take a few attempts on his part for him to decode the message, but he&#8217;ll get it. And when he does (by discovering that you&#8217;ve disconnected your &#8220;respect button&#8221;) he&#8217;ll think to himself, &#8220;Well, that doesn&#8217;t work anymore, but being calm and cooperative does, so that&#8217;s my new way to get attention,&#8221; and now you&#8217;ve got a nice boy who fits in with his new den and pack!<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">One further thought, from Yoda (of &#8220;Star Wars&#8221;): &#8220;Do, or do not&#8230; There is no &#8216;try&#8217;.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Who picks the Scoutmaster to run a troop\u2019s program? (Richard Sanderson)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">This is the responsibility of the chartered organization, usually done through the efforts of the Chartered Organization Representative and\/or Committee Chair. This, by the way, is true of <em>all<\/em> adult volunteers associated with a Scouting unit.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Hi Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Our troop has been invited by the owner of a local shooting range to have our Scouts come over and shoot at rotten pumpkins. What&#8217;s the BSA policy about Scouts shooting outside of a council camp? (Name &amp; Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">The policy&#8217;s a simple one: No. But double-check this with your council&#8217;s risk management committee or health and safety committee.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Our troop has started performing flag retirement ceremonies, and we\u2019ve been told to retrieve from the fire the metal rings or grommets that remain after the flag is burned. What\u2019s supposed to happen with these? (Greg Bourke, ASM, Lincoln Heritage Council, KY)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Who\u2019s the self-appointed know-it-all telling you this without offering any help? Anyway, it&#8217;s \u201clegal\u201d to toss them, because they&#8217;re not the actual flags, but instead of doing that, consider cooling them off and giving them as mementos to the participants and attendees of the ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Dear Andy,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>The BSA\u2019s new <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guide To Advancement<\/span><\/em> just came out. Wow! Many surprising changes: Scoutmaster conferences don\u2019t have to be the last requirement for a rank, the Scoutmaster approves whether or not a Scout can work on a merit badge (not just saying that he\u2019s a registered scout), Eagle projects need to have their fund-raisers approved by the council, Eagle projects are considered unit activities and have to follow the \u201ctwo-deep leadership\u201d rule, and\u2014one of the biggest changes\u2014it\u2019s now left up to troop to decide on reasonable expectations for \u201cactive.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>That last one surprised me most of all. It seems to open the door for attendance metrics. Plus, many troops already consider their percentage-style participation requirements &#8220;reasonable,&#8221; and the only thing they have to do now is make sure that their requirements are stated up front\u2014and if a Scout doesn\u2019t meet the troop&#8217;s attendance requirements, the troop is simply instructed to consider whether or not the Scout&#8217;s reasons for less-than-troop-required participation is &#8220;reasonable.&#8221; It seems to me that this puts a lot of requirement control in the hands of the troop. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>I\u2019ll be interesting to hear your thoughts on these changes. While this new book works to clarify vague or often-disputed points, it also seems to give troops authority to do whatever they want. This is paradise for tin gods, bullies, and gatekeepers. (Name Withheld, Three Fires Council, IL)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">Yes, I&#8217;ve reviewed the BSA&#8217;s new <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guide To Advancement<\/span><\/em> as well. With regard to your thoughts on the potential &#8220;paradise for tin gods, bullies, and gatekeepers,&#8221; I share the concern you and other readers have expressed. However, as a working Commissioner I&#8217;m obligated and honor-bound to fully support the BSA&#8217;s policies, regulations, and procedures without prejudice, equivocation, or reservation. In fact, it\u2019s more than an obligation; its a covenant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\"><strong>Being closely associated with a local council, I understand the obligation to BSA policies. I just sometimes question just how well the national staff had \u201con-the-ground\u201d people review the new ways of handling critical requirements before going to print. (A policy&#8217;s intent can often be twisted in surprising ways.) We\u2019ll have to wait and see how it goes, of course, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if you receive a number of letters expressing confusion or concern in regard to the new policy guide-especially the new position on \u201cactive.\u201d (NW)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">&#8220;Boots on the ground&#8221; is certainly more than a military expression&#8230; It sure applies to Scouting at the unit level! I&#8217;d like to believe that considerable ground-level research was conducted and insights gathered before taking a critical requirement and turning it over to the unit to decide on criteria\u2014the only requirement in all of Scouting that isn&#8217;t managed according to a national standard. (If you\u2019re a regular reader of my columns, you already know that over no less than the past ten years, troop leaders have played fast and loose with \u201cactive,\u201d with particular attention to ambushing and sand-bagging Eagle candidates.) <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;\">I&#8217;ve already received any number of letters from readers about this one requirement&#8230; I&#8217;m still waiting for an optimistic one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000080; font-family: Kristen ITC; font-size: x-large;\"><strong>HappY ScOuTing!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000080; font-family: Mistral; font-size: xx-large;\">Andy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Harlow Solid Italic; font-size: medium;\">(October 28, 2011 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2011)<\/span><\/p>\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. 38: Wealth doesn\u2019t assure happiness; neither does poverty. Dear Andy, Do you happen to know where I can find the requirements for the \u201cCommissioner Excellence in Service to Units Award\u201d? (We were told about it by De Nguyen, from the BSA National Council, when he came out to speak to us about the [&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":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20","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=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":449,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions\/449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}