{"id":2567,"date":"2020-02-11T13:47:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T18:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=2567"},"modified":"2020-02-11T13:47:30","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T18:47:30","slug":"issue-628-february-11-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2020\/02\/issue-628-february-11-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 628 \u2013 February 11, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

________________________________________
\nI\u2019ve been thrown a lot of curve-balls in the past 19 years, and this one sits pretty near the top\u2026 But it\u2019s sure a winner when it comes to the reply, which I usually omit but I\u2019m making an exception today. I think you\u2019ll enjoy it, too!<\/em><\/p>\n

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

I\u2019m one of the trainers for our council\u2019s NYLT staff. The NYLT staff includes both adults and youth. Based on my past training experience, I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s a safe bet that a particular question will come up again. It has to do with cellphones and cameras. Here it is:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if there\u2019s a question about someone taking an inappropriate picture? What should we do? What should we expect to see happen next? If those actions don\u2019t happen, what should we do next?<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Up to now, I\u2019ve tried to simply say, \u201cAsk our Scout Executive,” and I\u2019ve just never been able to come up with a clearer answer than that. I\u2019ve asked our SE myself, but this hasn\u2019t really helped\u2014it\u2019s still just as vague as it\u2019s always been. Do you have any ideas at all on how to handle this issue? (Troubled Trainer)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can tell you this as a former trainer of adults and youth, a former NYLT staffer, and a former Scoutmaster to boot… I’d NEVER answer a question like that. The reason’s simple: Someone may ask a “blanket” question, but it’s really not a question; it’s a trap\u2026.unless it’s just pure lame-brained.<\/p>\n

Anybody can ask a lame-brained question. If you’re teaching “woods tools,” for instance, what would you do with “What if somebody chops their arm off?” Nothing, I hope.<\/p>\n

These “What if…?” questions are designed not to get information but to do only one thing, and that’s to trip up the session leader. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap.<\/p>\n

To stay out of that trap, here’s your answer to that question, in the exact words to use:<\/p>\n

– Interesting question. Help me out here. What do you mean by “inappropriate”? (THEN DON’T SPEAK)<\/p>\n

After they’ve answered, here’s your second question if you need it):<\/p>\n

– Okay I understand. Well, what would YOU do? (THEN DON’T SPEAK)<\/p>\n

The follow-up to this is, “My agenda for this session says we have to move on. See me afterwards if you’d like to talk more about your question.”<\/p>\n

Bottom line: Stay focused on why you’re there and what your goal is; don’t allow anyone to replace your goal with theirs. Got it?<\/p>\n

FREAKING GOLD, ANDY — GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD! I should a started with you! Can\u2019t thank you enough!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have to tell you\u2026That reply sorta made my day.
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

My district has for years \u201coffered\u201d\u2014insisted on, actually\u2014district boards of review for the Star and Life ranks. I\u2019ve done some reading, and this seems to directly contradict the GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT, which states that all boards of review before Eagle should be done at the unit level.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I understand that this originally may have been done with good intentions, perhaps to assist committees that may not have had enough members handy to run a review, or to help Scouts feel more at ease when they have to go to the district level for their Eagle project or their Eagle board of review. But unfortunately, this has become a cumbersome and unpopular addition to what Scouts already need to do in order to advance in rank. Many of the troops in our district\u2014including mine\u2014conduct their own reviews for their Scouts, so that these district reviews become redundant\u2014effectively Scouts are subject to two reviews for their ranks from Tenderfoot through Life ranks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moreover, since the district reviews aren\u2019t as frequent as troop reviews, Scouts are getting delayed in their opportunities to work toward their next ranks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve reached out to our council staff about this issue, including our Field Director and Scout Executive, but these two don\u2019t seem to have any inclination to correct this. Where do I go, now, to get this fixed? (Scout-oriented Scoutmaster)<\/strong><\/p>\n

You’re right. Boards of review for all ranks from Tenderfoot through Life are to be conducted at the unit level. A council (but not an individual district) is allowed to deviate from this only for Eagle.<\/p>\n

This is described\u2014including the reasons why this is so\u2014in detail in Section 8 “Boards of Review: An Overview for All Ranks” of the BSA GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This means that you’re in a renegade district. If this were merely an artifice based on simply a false sense of self-importance, we probably wouldn’t worry too much about these district jerks. But, thanks to the double-reviews and unnecessary delays these chest-puffers are inflicting on Scouts, they’re actually damaging their advancement “careers.” Shame on them.<\/p>\n

Have you spoken with your council’s advancement chair? It strikes me that this may be your best resource. Please do this\u2014best with others who feel as you do\u2014and bring the GTE with you! (Let me know what happens. If further escalation is needed, I may be able to help you.)<\/p>\n

Bottom line: This is a bloody travesty!
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

On transgender Scouts\u2026 We have a Scout in our troop who identifies as a boy. The guidance on this from the BSA National Office\u2014which we checked with directly\u2014is simple and specific: This Scout is to be treated in all ways, including his sleeping arrangements, as a young man. No female leader is needed. (Connie, Michigan Crossroads Council)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks! That\u2019s excellent information for us all to have!
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the troops I serve as commissioner has had episodic disciplinary issues within it (who hasn’t?). For years, they\u2019ve had a written policy on discipline, and they\u2019re presently at work revising it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The proposed new policy has a four-tier escalating framework for addressing issues:<\/strong>
\nFirst: Patrol Leader<\/strong>
\nSecond: Senior Patrol Leader<\/strong>
\nThird: Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster(s)<\/strong>
\nFourth: \u201cTroop Discipline Committee.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The details discuss the various types of issues, the process for dealing with them, and the potential consequences (definitely not \u201cpunishment\u201d!).<\/strong><\/p>\n

They intend to make clear to everyone that this is not something invented by \u201csomeone\u201d in a back room, so the process will begin with presenting BSA policy and then explain how the troop’s policy is to implement the BSA policy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m currently assisting them with drafts, so I\u2019m wondering if there are any \u201cbest practice\u201d troop policies available. (Mitch Erickson, Commissioner, Patriots\u2019 Path Council, NJ)<\/strong><\/p>\n

On 9\/11, when all aircraft flying over or about to enter America had to be grounded, the ATCs across the country took immediate action and together made it happen virtually seamlessly. This is despite the fact that there was absolutely no written procedure for this!<\/p>\n

Later, when the FAA reviewed the ATC\u2019s actions on that fateful day, with an eye toward creating a procedure that could be used should something like this ever\u2014God forbid!\u2014be needed to be done again.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t do it. They created no special \u201cmanual\u201d or procedure. They wisely concluded that all a written procedure would do is require\u2014on the spot\u2014every ATC to find it and read it again, before employing it, and by then it would be too late!<\/p>\n

I happen feel the same way about the kind of \u201cguide\u201d and \u201cstep-wise\u201d procedure this troop is contemplating. Apparently, so does the BSA. The two volumes of the BSA\u2019s TROOP LEADER GUIDEBOOK contain a total of 368 pages; this guidebook has a couple of paragraphs on various pages but, if you add it all up, it\u2019s less than a single page on the combined subjects of \u201cdiscipline\u201d and \u201cconsequences.\u201d That\u2019s an important observation all by itself! Fundamentally, it tells us folks \u201cin the trenches\u201d how much time we should devote to \u201cdiscipline and consequences\u201d compared to the joy of guiding a bunch of enthusiastic young people!<\/p>\n

So what \u201ccreds\u201d do I have, to spout off about there being no need for a handbook-on-discipline? It goes all the way back to when I was a Scout and then a Patrol Leader and then a Senior Patrol Leader. I\u2019ll tell you that not once did I ever have to seek the wisdom of an adult in handling a patrol member who got himself a little bit off-center, or\u2014as Senior Patrol Leader\u2014helping a Patrol Leader with a Scout who needed a place to put his energy.<\/p>\n

I sure learned from adults, though! But don\u2019t misunderstand me\u2026I learned what NOT to do from adults…<\/p>\n

Danny, a Scout in my patrol, was deaf in one ear. We in the patrol all knew this. But our Scoutmaster didn\u2019t. Instead, he was constantly getting on Danny\u2019s case for not looking him \u201cstraight in the eye.\u201d That\u2019s right. Danny tilted his head to one side so he could better hear you. Duh!<\/p>\n

Or Billy, who couldn\u2019t find his buddy quickly enough at a summer camp general swim\u2019s \u201cbuddy-check.\u201d The Waterfront Director \u201cdocked\u201d Billy for the rest of the week\u2014He wasn\u2019t allowed in or near the waterfront for the next six days. Never mind that Billy (like the rest of us) was an inner city kid and this was his one and only time in the whole year he could go swimming. And so much for his wanting to earn Swimming and Rowing merit badges at camp!<\/p>\n

(There are more, but you get the point…)<\/p>\n

So my best recommendation to you is simple: Convince those well-meaning but misguided adults to throw out that book and start doing what Baden-Powell did when he was Scoutmaster\u2026 Look for the good in every youth, and bring it out. Yes, it\u2019s really that simple.<\/p>\n

Happy Scouting!<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/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

Although these columns are copyrighted, any reader has my permission to quote or reproduce any columns or column parts so long as you attribute authorship: \u201cAsk Andy\u201d by Andy McCommish.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[No. 628 \u2013 2\/11\/2020 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2020]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

________________________________________ I\u2019ve been thrown a lot of curve-balls in the past 19 years, and this one sits pretty near the top\u2026 But it\u2019s sure a winner when it comes to the reply, which I usually omit but I\u2019m making an exception today. I think you\u2019ll enjoy it, too! Hi Andy, I\u2019m one of the trainers […]<\/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-2567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567","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=2567"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567\/revisions\/2571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}