{"id":2202,"date":"2017-06-27T15:19:20","date_gmt":"2017-06-27T19:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=2202"},"modified":"2017-06-27T15:19:20","modified_gmt":"2017-06-27T19:19:20","slug":"issue-535-june-27-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2017\/06\/issue-535-june-27-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 535 \u2013 June 27, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

________________________________________
\nAn international convention of over 40 thousand Rotarians, a quick vacation at Oak Island, North Carolina, two major all-day in-town events, and now the dust has settled a bit, so I\u2019m finally back at this keyboard, with most of my fingers functional again. Here we go, with my thanks for your patience\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quick question… I use http:\/\/usscouts.org\/awards\/knots1.asp for my badges and awards information, but may have missed this one: When it comes to \u201csquare knots,\u201d is there an order of precedence above the left pocket of a Scouter\u2019s uniform shirt? (Rodney Honeycutt)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Good news! Order of preference is the wearer’s. He or she can arrange these\u2014bottom row to top\u2014in any order that they’d like.<\/p>\n

That said, let\u2019s also remember that \u201cGod is in the details\u201d\u2026 Square knot do have left and right sides! So be sure to do a little more homework, so that they\u2019re sewn on facing the correct direction. Seriously! Because I can promise you that some \u201cOCD\u201d Scouter (like me!) is gonna notice. (If they\u2019re the right kind of Scouter, they\u2019re not gonna say anything, but they\u2019ll still spot the glitch.)
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been working for the last several years as a member of my council’s program committee. I\u2019m charged with building council’s merit badge counselor corps and also to make sure our camps and merit badge events are staffed with approved and registered merit badge counselors for the badges they are signing off on. I just finished leading a special training session for our council’s camp staff, including getting all those age 18 and over registered for the badges they\u2019ll be handling at camp. As recommended by the BSA, we included all sub-18 staffers who\u2019ll be assisting as instructors in this training session.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, can these younger instructors get credit for having completed the training now, so that when they return to camp staff next year (or the year after) when they\u2019re 18, this year\u2019s training will satisfy the training specified for when they can become an \u201cofficial\u201d merit badge counselor? (Bill Cox)<\/strong><\/p>\n

A key element in approval of a merit badge counselor by your council’s advancement committee is subject matter proficiency. If this is in place, there should be no major problem in registering 18 year-olds as counselors for merit badges, especially if they’ve already participated in a council-sponsored orientation program. Merit badge counselor training has no “expiration date” (like YPT, which is to be refreshed at regular intervals), so it seems to me that the training they participated in as youth instructors should be acceptable and can carry forward.
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can a Scoutmaster require a Scout to cut his hair? What about insisting that a Scout get his hair cut short as a \u201crequirement\u201d for going on a canoe trek at the BSA\u2019s Northern Tier-Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base? One of the Scouts in this high adventure crew has a full head of hair, and now\u2014after all his payments have been made\u2014the troop\u2019s ex-Marine Scoutmaster, who likes running the troop \u201cmilitary-style,\u201d is insisting that he get his hair cut short or he\u2019s not going! (Name & Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let’s take the larger issue first… Scouting is absolutely not a military, paramilitary, or even military “prep” organization; it\u2019s an educational movement the mission of which is to instill positive character development, citizenship, and mental\/physical preparedness. If this former Marine thinks he’s still a master sergeant, he’s in the wrong job in the wrong organization.<\/p>\n

If this Scoutmaster can\u2019t or won\u2019t change his approach to the Scouts he serves (yes, I mean serves: He’s not “in charge” of the Scouts\u2014they’re in charge of themselves and the highest ranking leader of the troop is the Senior Patrol Leader, not the Scoutmaster), then he needs to be moved either to a different volunteer position in the troop or out of the troop entirely.<\/p>\n

As for haircuts, mandatory standards for this exist nowhere in BSA policies, rules, or procedures and it is completely inappropriate to attempt to enforce some arbitrary rule unless there\u2019s some significant safety issue involved, which is entirely unlikely (e.g., females typically have longer hair than males and this provides no restrictions to in- or on-water activities in Scouting).<\/p>\n

The committee needs to take charge here (don’t overlook the fact that the Scoutmaster reports to the committee and not the other way around) and tell the Scoutmaster he’s out of line. And, by the way, no Scoutmaster can “go around” a diligent and observant committee that has a spine.<\/p>\n

Thanks, Andy. If things don\u2019t improve with this Scoutmaster, is there any set procedure the committee must follow? I\u2019m asking because I\u2019m not confident of his fairness to the Scouts, either. He seems to be playing favorites with some, and at the same time making advancement more difficult for others. (N&CW)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bottom line: The Scoutmaster serves at the pleasure of the Committee Chair (CC) and Chartered Organization representative (CR). If the CC and CR agree that the wrong person is in this position, for whatever reason (which need not be explained or even described because this is not an “employer-employee” relationship; it’s purely volunteer and removal from same does not affect one’s livelihood, etc.), then all that needs to happen is a very brief in-person meeting between both the CC and CR, and the person to be removed, at which meeting the CC and CR say the following: “Thank you for your services to this troop; they will no longer be needed.”<\/p>\n

That’s what’s called the “hard-landing” approach. A softer landing would be to say, “Thank you for your services as Scoutmaster; it’s time for someone else to take the reins here, so if you would be interested in serving on the troop committee, we’d be happy to have you take on the job of…(non-youth-contact position).” If the response is along the lines of “I’ll think it over” or “You can’t do that,” the reply is either: “There’s nothing to think over; the decision’s been made and it’s final” or “Yes, we have the authority to do this and we’ve made the decision; it’s final.”<\/p>\n

One caution: Don\u2019t for one second think you’re going to “hurt his feelings.” The only feelings you need be concerned about are the Scouts themselves!
\n==========
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can a Scoutmaster refuse to sign off on a completed Eagle project that\u2019s been signed off by the beneficiary? My son, between himself and his helpers, has over 200 hours into this project and now the new Scoutmaster isn\u2019t sure what he\u2019s supposed to do with a completed project that\u2019s met all stated BSA requirements and has a beneficiary who\u2019s very happy with the end result. This probably sounds crazy, but we can\u2019t figure out why this Scoutmaster is delaying a simple sign-off signature, when the beneficiary\u2019s already done this. (Dan T.)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

There’s no reason for a Scoutmaster to withhold adding his or her signature to an Eagle project completion document if it’s already been signed by the project’s beneficiary. Only the beneficiary\u2014by signing\u2014can actually affirm that the project was completed as agreed upon with the Scout. The Scoutmaster’s signature is, in effect, perfunctory and need not be withheld for any reason.<\/p>\n

If the Scoutmaster, upon learning what I’ve just stated (which is not my “opinion,” by the way\u2014it’s standard BSA procedure), continues to refuse (or drag his heels for no reason, which is almost worse than actually refusing), then take this situation immediately to the troop’s Committee Chair AND Advancement Coordinator AND Eagle Project Coach. If they can’t properly educate the Scoutmaster, then you all need to go directly to your district’s or council’s Advancement Chair.
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have Scouts who have earned both the Firem’n Chit and the Totin’ Chip. Can they wear both of these flaps on their right pocket? I can’t find the answer anywhere! (Mike Grice, ASM, San Diego-Imperial Council, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Go to Scoutstuff.org and do a search for each of these. When you click on them you\u2019ll find this statement: \u201cNote: This item is not for uniform wear.\u201d Bingo!<\/p>\n

Happy Scouting, Folks \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andy<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/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. 535 \u2013 6\/22\/2017 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2017]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

________________________________________ An international convention of over 40 thousand Rotarians, a quick vacation at Oak Island, North Carolina, two major all-day in-town events, and now the dust has settled a bit, so I\u2019m finally back at this keyboard, with most of my fingers functional again. Here we go, with my thanks for your patience\u2026 Hi Andy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202","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=2202"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2205,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions\/2205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}