{"id":257,"date":"2006-03-06T20:46:11","date_gmt":"2006-03-07T01:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=257"},"modified":"2011-11-06T20:53:09","modified_gmt":"2011-11-07T01:53:09","slug":"issue-71-march-2006","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2006\/03\/issue-71-march-2006\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 72 – March 2006"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my last column, Scouter Rick Pixler of the Great Salt Lake Council was looking for a listing of our Chief Scout Executives, National Presidents, and Honorary Presidents. I could give him a partial list, and asked for some help. Almost simultaneously, two fine Scouters came to our rescue\u2014Michael Brown, fellow columnist and contributor to American Scouting Digest<\/em> magazine, and Dave Loomis, of the Daniel Webster Council. So, all together, here\u2019s what we have now: <\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>National Presidents<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Colin H. Livingston – 1910-24
\nJames J. Storrow – 1925-26
\nMilton A. McRae – 1926
\nWalter W. Head – 1926-46
\nMortimer L. Schiff – 1946
\nAmory Houghton – 1946-51
\nJohn M. Schiff – 1951-56
\nKenneth K. Bechtel – 1956-59
\nEllsworth H. Augustus – 1959-…<\/p>\n

Chief Scout Executives
\n<\/span>James E. West – 1911-43 (Became Chief Scout on retirement)
\nElbert K. Fretwell – 1943-48 (became Chief Scout on retirement)
\nArthur A. Schuck – 1948-59<\/span><\/p>\n

Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. \u2013 1960-66<\/span><\/p>\n

Aldon G. Barber \u2013 1967-76<\/span><\/p>\n

Harvey L. Price \u2013 1976-79<\/span><\/p>\n

James Tarr \u2013 1979-84<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Love \u2013 1985-93<\/span><\/p>\n

Jere B. Ratcliffe \u2013 1993-2000<\/span><\/p>\n

Roy Williams \u2013 2000-<\/span><\/p>\n


\nHonorary Presidents
\n<\/span>Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 held title of Chief Scout Citizen (predecessor to HP)
\nWilliam Howard Taft was first Honorary President under that title
\n(All successive US presidents have held this title)<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

If anyone else can add to this, send it in and we\u2019ll keep going, here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You recently mentioned that only one Jamboree patch can be worn. Actually, the INSIGNIA GUIDE authorizes two \u2013 <\/span>a National one over the right pocket, and a World one on the right pocket. (Dave Loomis, ADC, Daniel Webster Council, NH)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Actually, Mike Brown also mentioned this to me, too! I\u2019ll take 20 lashes with a wet lanyard! And thanks for keeping me straight! <\/span><\/pre>\n
Dear Andy, <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I remember reading somewhere that “term limits” were the preferred way to go, to avoid imprinting a program with one personality and to bring new ideas and plans and approaches to the table. In my troop, we\u2019re having some difficulty getting folks to step up to the plate. Do you have any suggestions on how to entice parents into taking a more active role in troop support? We have a great Scoutmaster and ASMs, but we seem to lack the next level of support, at the committee level.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Is it ever OK to split a troop into age groups for camping trips? Recently I told our uniformed leaders that I didn\u2019t think that this fit with BSA policy\u2014My understanding is that all members of a troop are encouraged to participate in troop activities and we should never restrict this based upon age (or any other factor, for that matter). This didn\u2019t exactly ring any chimes around here. The particular situation was that we\u2019re trying to foster Junior Leader Training and the idea was to take the older Scouts off on a special camping trip for that specific purpose. Can you help with this one, too?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Yours is the column I look to first, and in the past you\u2019ve been most helpful. (Jack, CC, Northern New Jersey Council, Wayne, NJ)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
You’ve asked two important questions, and I’m glad you did, because both of my answers can’t be said enough! Here we go…<\/span><\/p>\n
You’re dead on about tenure! If anyone stays in any one position too long, folks start thinking they \u201cown\u201d it, and a reign begins! I\u2019ve found that, at the troop level, it\u2019s best to transition after two years, three at the very most. (Even your Scoutmaster needs to consider this, by the way.) But, how to do it? Ahh, there\u2019s the rub! “Broadcasting” the need usually doesn’t work, thanks to the “let George do it” way of thinking, so don’t expect anyone to step up to an “open casting” situation\u2014ain’t gonna happen! Instead, identify just one or two top candidates for the job, then have a personal conversation with your first choice (include your Scoutmaster in this conversation, and clue him in on the plan). Tell your candidate the position you’d like them to take, that you think they’d do a great job, and that you’ll be right by their side to coach them through the first six months. Tell ’em it’s for two years\u2014it\u2019s not a “life sentence”! Then ask ’em, flat out, to take the job, beginning in 30 days. If you get a No, then you move to your second choice and repeat the process. One point: When you’re identifying candidates, never assume that “well, they’re already too busy…” because that’s up to them to decide; not you. Another point: Don’t automatically exclude ASMs from your committee position candidacy considerations.<\/span><\/p>\n
Next…Did you realize that, really, it’s not “troops” that go camping? That’s right\u2014It’s the patrols<\/em> that do this! The patrol is the fundamental and critical “unit” in Boy Scouting; the troop is merely the “umbrella” for the patrols! So, when you’re thinking about camping or other activities, think The Patrol Method, always!<\/span><\/p>\n
If you’re going to run a troop-level JLT (for which I absolutely commend you, by the way!), then the group that would take a special trip or go camping isn’t “older Scouts”\u2014It’s the Patrol Leaders Council! That’s right\u2014It’s the patrol leaders and the SPL, along with their Scoutmaster and maybe one or (at the most) two ASMs. If anyone tries to argue for including all the troop\u2019s Scouts on this one, they don\u2019t have a leg to stand on, because this is really a leadership training activity, and to participate, a Scout has to be elected Patrol leader or SPL first! (By the way, your Scouts do elect their own patrol leaders and SPL; they’re not appointed by adults, right?) At the troop\/patrol level, all activities are always inclusive\u2014This is what Scouting’s all about! If you do have a marked age separation, then you do what several troops I know do: You have a single outing, but two “degrees of difficulty.” For instance, patrols with younger Scouts might “car-camp” and tailgate their food and equipment, while your older-Scout patrols backpack it into the campsite and do a “wilderness survival” campout\u2014Right next door to the troop’s other patrols! (This instills a sense of awe and aspiration\u2014”Hey, look what THOSE SCOUTS get to do!”). Now go have some fun!<\/span><\/p>\n
Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I’ve been searching for an answer to Youth Protection requirements. My question is: How often do you need to take YP training? Originally, we were required to take it every two years, but then about a year ago we were told that once you take the class once, you\u2019re covered. Where can I find this in Black & White? (Deb, UC, Buckeye Council, Massillon, OH)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Although I can find no actual specification for when YPT becomes “outdated” or “expired,” various BSA sources (e.g., applications for adult Jamboree positions, council “campmaster” requirements, etc.) suggest renewals every three years. The cool thing is that, whether first-time or “renewal,” the online version of YPT (you can find it at  www.scouting.org\/pubs\/ypt\/ypt.jsp<\/span><\/a>) is fast, straightforward, interactive, fairly entertaining, detailed, and (no driving required!) pretty painless!<\/p>\n
<\/span> Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Over this past weekend, our troop went camping. The ASM in charge focused on Cub Scout-level games and ignored the severe weather warning of below zero temperatures (He didn\u2019t check that the Scouts had adequate sleeping bags or bed rolls). His main focus for this weekend was launching water bottle rockets and slingshot target shooting using paintballs. Well, none of the rockets worked because the water in the lines froze almost instantly. So, he turned to the slingshot paintballs instead. He stopped this game when the patrol he\u2019s responsible for lost. There were a handful of paintballs left over, and some of the Scouts took a few. Later that night this ASM accused the Scouts of \u201cstealing\u201d his paint balls and he threatened to relieve them of their patrol positions, and told them that this incident will be brought up at their boards of review, and that “In the past we\u2019d have just taken you out behind the woodpile and whipped you good!” I couldn’t believe what I heard, but just as he concluded with the Scouts, one of the other adults leaders was brought into the cabin in hypothermic shock, so I turned my attention to this more serious issue. But later, even though I was still mad, I didn’t want to get into an argument with that ASM because I was the only adult to have heard his conversation with the Scouts. Then, as the temperature continued to drop, he pack himself and his son into his car, ran the engine all night while they slept, and then left at daybreak, before the other adults were even out of their tents. I\u2019m curious. What do I do? (Name withheld)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
This needs to be brought into the open, because it\u2019s a combination of apparently poor judgment, bullying, and verbal abuse. Begin by alerting the Scoutmaster that you and the Scouts need to have a conference, and give him an idea of what to expect. Ask him to have the Troop’s committee chair present, as well. Then, assemble two or three (absolutely not just one) of the older Scouts who were on this trip and, in this meeting, ask them to describe briefly but exactly what they saw and\/or were subject to. (Let these Scouts know, in advance, that they are providing vital information and will not be challenged or put in a position of having to defend what they say\u2014That’s why you’re there: You saw it and heard it, too.) The SM and CC will need to counsel this ASM privately, telling him in no uncertain terms that such behaviors or language can never, ever be repeated under any circumstances. If he attempts to defend his actions, or tries to make light of them, or has even the slightest resistance to this, he must be asked to resign immediately; if he refuses, then he’s fired on the spot. The grounds are simple: He violated several basic tenets of both Safe Scouting and Youth Protection for which the BSA has no tolerance. <\/span><\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not the end of this story! Read on:<\/span><\/p>\n
Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I\u2019m just curious\u2026 When someone writes to you and describes a problem situation they\u2019re having, how do you determine your response? We all know that every story has two sides, so when you only hear one side, you\u2019re missing the other. It\u2019s come to my attention that a Scouter wrote to you about a winter campout involving paintballs. I don\u2019t know what advice you gave this person, but you should know some things about him. He\u2019s been involved with several units over his Scouting career and he\u2019s had problems everywhere he\u2019s been. He was asked to leave at least one of these units because of his questionable behavior and his inability to get along with others. He\u2019s never satisfied with the troop\u2019s program or their Scoutmasters and how they deal with his own misbehaving son. Rather than speak with the Scoutmaster, he constantly complains to the troop\u2019s committee chair. Among MANY other things, he\u2019s violated Youth Protection guidelines in various ways, including showering naked in the same facility and in the presence of Scouts. He\u2019s also been involved with Scouts \u201cskinny dipping\u201d wearing only PFDs as “diapers.” Recently, he failed to acknowledge a problem with some Scouts (including his own son) making inappropriate physical contact with the Senior Patrol Leader: They were thrusting their pelvises on the SPL in a sexual way (pardon me, but “humping”). When another adult expressed concern, this man merely laughed and called it “a matter of interpretation.” As it turned out, however, the SPL was VERY uncomfortable about having contact made with him in such a way. It strikes me that it\u2019s NOT a matter of \u201cinterpretation\u201d when a youth feels violated in any way. Our troop tried to reprimand or remove him, but his wife, a paralegal, threatened legal action. Nearly every adult involved in our troop feels threatened by both of them, and no one will discipline their misbehaving son because they\u2019re afraid of repercussions. He\u2019s now threatening to request ANOTHER meeting with district representatives because he feels his son was treated unfairly by adult leaders at that campout\u2014It was his own son, plus a few others, who took the paintballs after they\u2019d been told not to. (It might be worth mentioning that the patrol leaders council selected the paintball target-shooting game, and LOVED it. They also chose the water bottle rockets, which they found out didn\u2019t work too well in sub-freezing temperatures (We\u2019d warned them, but they had to find out for themselves!). Meanwhile, the Scouts who took the paintballs (one boy dumped 13 of them out of his coat pocket, after he was ratted out by a fellow patrol member who was concerned about safety) were throwing them at each other and into the campfire, then they lied about it. The man I am speaking about feels there was nothing wrong with this\u2014He doesn’t see that when a Scout came to adult leaders with concerns about the situation of others throwing paintballs around, that they needed to act. This man’s sense of right and wrong is drastically different from the other adults in the troop. As I said, I don’t know how you advised him, but I would caution that when you give advice you don’t always hear the full story. This man who twists the truth to serve his own purposes. He gets riled up to fight everyone very easily, and now it seems he wants to go into battle. There are quite a few parents who don\u2019t want this man anywhere near their sons because of his tactics, and now HE is threatening adult leaders for dealing with his son in a logical, non-threatening way. This is a shame because there are caring, dedicated, highly qualified and trained leaders (some are Wood Badge-trained) who have dedicated years to the Scouting movement and who are now considering quitting because of this man and his wife. These two play by their own rules. They\u2019ve caused more stress on our leaders than I can begin to express, and in the end it\u2019s the Scouts who\u2019ll pay the price. (Name withheld)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I take every letter I receive at face value unless my “baloney detector” goes off (this does happen, from time to time). I am neither an arbiter nor mediator, and I\u2019m certainly not \u201cDa Judge.\u201d That’s the job of someone who operates at ground level, like your troop’s Unit Commissioner, for instance. While all stories might have two sides, those sides can be (in simplest terms) right-right, right-wrong, or even wrong-wrong. With regard to people who write to me about problems such as the one you’ve described in your own letter to me, I rarely say, “You’re RIGHT!” I usually describe how this problem should be handled. Often, when folks follow what I’ve suggested, the “truth” emerges and the problem is resolved where it belongs\u2014at the unit level. Let’s take your own situation… Based on what you’ve told me, you have at least one but likely more than one leader who is repeatedly violating Youth Protection and Safe Scouting protocols, and a bunch of other leaders and parents who have consciously chosen to do nothing to protect the Scouts. Their rationale is that the wife “is a paralegal” and “has threatened a lawsuit,” to which I say, SO WHAT. If the Troop’s other leaders, in the firm and verifiable knowledge of the violations you’ve described, permit this person to continue violating stated procedures and policies, then shame on every one of \u2018em! It’s time to stop being bullied and grow some spines. It\u2019s time to stop walkin\u2019 small around the elephant in the campsite and go chin to chin if necessary. If you don’t, the lawsuit you’ll all be facing will be from the parent of a Scout who has been abused or injured, and you won’t have a leg to stand on. Is this where you want this to go? Because\u2014trust me on this\u2014this is where it’s going to go. It’s not “if”\u2014It’s only WHEN.<\/span><\/p>\n
And I received this response:<\/span><\/p>\n
Thanks so much for your informative reply. Glad to hear your stance on advising on how problems should be handled. Yes, we agree about the Youth Protection and Safe Scouting violations. Unfortunately, when our troop reported these to our district executive and commissioner, the person in question and his paralegal wife responded with a request for a district-level meeting with our SM, CC, DE, etc. The meeting was held and ended with a request (demand?) for our Scoutmaster to retract the charges against this person\u2014The SM complied because he apparently didn\u2019t have enough written documentation with him at this meeting to corroborate the charges. So what do we do now? By reporting the incidents to our district, I\u2019d thought we acted properly, according to Youth Protection Guidelines. You\u2019re so right about standing up to this “power couple.” I think we need to ask these folks to leave the troop\u2014and it won\u2019t be the first time they\u2019ve been asked to leave a troop. (NW)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
And so I replied\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n
Retraction? You cannot be serious! You folks need to find a spine store\u2014fast. I’m not joking around. To blazes with “written documentation” or \u201cdistrict representatives\u201d! Schedule a meeting with the ONE PERSON who can make expulsion happen instantly, and cannot be challenged: The head of your Chartered Organization. At that meeting, bring in the Scouts (like that SPL) who skinny-dipped, showered in the wet presence of an adult, and bring in the PARENTS of these Scouts. I\u2019ll guarantee you that you’ll be heard\u2014loud and clear. Get this over with. But, you\u2019d all better be walking into this with clean hands.<\/span><\/p>\n
One final word on this: This sort of stuff needs to be dealt with ON THE SPOT. Don\u2019t come back home whining and getting ready to play \u201cHe said-She said.\u201d Deal with it. Then and there.<\/span><\/p>\n
Netcommish comment:<\/strong> Experienced Commissioners know that any one person’s rendition of a conflict situation is colored by experience, perception, emotions, and sometimes other motivations. The letters above indicate two perceptions and different accounts of a number of situations. From reading emails it is difficult to know who is writing with good or bad intentions and so as Andy says, you can only take the messages at face value. It may be that there is some or a lot of truth in both, some misstatements in both, that one is absolutely correct, or that one is absolute baloney. We can’t tell and can only respond to what is presented with advice and not judgment. <\/span><\/p>\n
The information, as presented, could lead one to suppose that there is more than one leader that is off course. My concern, in writing this addendum, is not for the squabble between adults, but for the Scouts who are potentially subjected to abuse, the subject of inappropriate behavior, and whose Scouting experience has to be pretty sub-standard due to the problems, if the descriptions are accurate. In short regardless of who is right or wrong, the Scouts may be at risk and could be cheated out of a good experience. Neither is an acceptable outcome. <\/span><\/p>\n
The Chartering Organization is ultimately responsible for the selection of leaders for the Troop and assuring that the leaders carry out the program of the Scouting Movement according to the rules of Scouting, assuring Youth Protection, good moral leaders, and good examples of citizenship. The person registered as the Chartered Organization’s Head and a signatory on your charter can decide right now who is a leader and who is not. That same person can remove adult registrations at will and has the responsibility to act when it is needed to assure that proper leadership is supplied to the unit. This is the person who should be called upon to sort out matters. He\/she will have more knowledge of the local circumstances and the interests of the Chartered Organization to protect as well. No Chartered Organization will want to allow a risk situation to continue, especially, if it could subject them to liability for failing to act. <\/span><\/p>\n
This matter should also be presented to the Scout Executive of the Council and not the District Executive. The Scout Executive is responsible for enforcing Youth Protection and also has authority to revoke a registration. <\/span><\/p>\n
And while we’re at it, let’s open up the Guide to Safe Scouting and Youth Protection Guide, then read ’em. Each violation needs to be addressed and corrected. The safety of youth members is more important than the problems of the squabbling adults (I have to say that because we have he says, she says version and can’t know the whole story). Get this to the Chartered Organization Head and the Scout Executive who can take action, if it is warranted. <\/span><\/p>\n
Don’t be surprised if a house-cleaning takes place. I have worked with Chartered Organization Heads who, understandably, got tired of all the adult problems and started with a clean slate to avoid all the old grudges and recriminations. I’ve also seen a situation where a unit was simply disbanded as too much trouble, which in that case was better for the Scouts who joined units with good programs. <\/span><\/p>\n
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Baron Lytton, Richelieu<\/em> (act III, sc. 1, l. 49)<\/span><\/p>\n
Dear Andy, <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I have questions about the Tiger Cub Den Leader Award. First, where it talks about tenure, it says that you must complete one year as a registered leader\u2026 Does that mean twelve full months, or the date the pack recruited the new boys, to the date that the boys move up into the Wolf Den? Second, it says that you must graduate a Tiger Cub den into Cub Scouts with at least 60% of the Tiger Cubs becoming Cub Scouts\u2026 Does this include all the Tiger Cubs that filled out registration forms at the recruitment rally, or just those who didn\u2019t drop out of the pack? My problem is this: We had six Tiger Cubs register at our annual recruitment rally, but then, when the meetings began and I started calling the parents to inform them of the time and place and give them their Den information, they told me they weren\u2019t interested any longer, and requested that I drop them from the den and pack. (Missy, Capitol Area Council, TX)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Unfortunately, you can’t be a Den Leader unless you have a den of boys! If no den was ever formed, then tenure and continuation into Cub Scouting become sort of immaterial! Gotta have a den, first! Just having a title or position, but not doing anything, doesn’t count for much, despite your sincerity and good intentions.<\/span><\/p>\n
Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been looking for a list of all the councils in the United States along with their website information. I\u2019m wondering if you can help. (Brian Paisley, CM, Pack 935, Buckeye Council, North Canton, OH)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Try this:  http:\/\/usscouts.org\/aboutbsa\/bsa-map.html<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n
Dear Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Is there any BSA policy preventing a husband and wife from both being the signatories on a unit\u2019s checking account? I can\u2019t seem to find any information on the Web and, to me, it seems like a bad practice, but the committee of a troop I just got involved with doesn\u2019t see any problem. (Dale Mellor, Kickingbird District, Last Frontier Council, Altus, OK) <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Yup, there sure is… It’s called good sense. No one needs a “policy” to know that this is not a cool idea. And it doesn’t need a “vote” to fix it. The unit’s committee, as a whole, simply tells these folks, “One of you, but not both of you, and this is for your own protection.” Period. Then make it stick. <\/span><\/p>\n
Hello Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
In our pack, we have a leader who received the Emblem of Faith as a boy. What paperwork do we need to file, for him to get the Knot? The same applies for the Arrow of Light square knot. (Sammy Sparks, ADL and having a blast, West Tennessee Area Council, TN)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The badge representing a religious award for youth (No. 05007) is a silver square knot on a purple background, and is typically available for purchase at any council Scout Shop, without “paperwork.” The Arrow of Light (No. 05018) red and green square knot is typically also available without paperwork. In effect, they’re both in the category of “Scout’s Honor” — If a Scout or Scouter says he’s earned them, that’s sufficient. So, just go buy ’em, and then give them to the appropriate folks. Or, they can buy them for themselves. Keep havin’ a blast! It just keeps getting better and more fun!<\/span><\/p>\n
Hi Andy,<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
I just took over as the new Scoutmaster for our troop, and I have two questions\u2026 First, do we have to wait for a Court of Honor to advance a Scout to the next rank or to give him his earned merit badges? (In my last troop we advanced them after they completed their Board of Review and gave them their merit badges when they earned them, then at our Court of Honor, we presented the Scout in full uniform and formally recognized all of his accomplishment in that period\u2014This is where we gave them their pins to pin onto their mothers.) My second questions is this: Our Troop is in a small fishing village in Alaska and I\u2019m wondering what can I do as the Scoutmaster to help a Scout work on a merit badge that we don’t have a Counselor for\u2014We have Counselors for about 20 merit badges. There\u2019s no road access into our town, and we\u2019re isolated from other troops. I hope there\u2019s something I can do for these Scouts. (Kevin Kimber, SM, Troop 624, Western Alaska Council, Cordova, AK)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
With a population under 2,500, and pretty isolated, Cordova represents an interesting Scouting challenge, and I’m impressed to see you hard at work to make it work! Let’s see if I can help a little…<\/span><\/p>\n
No, you don’t have to wait till a court of honor; in fact, you shouldn’t\u2014that’s counter to the advancement process! As soon after the board of review as possible, the Scout should be presented with his rank or merit badge(s) in front of his fellow Scouts. Check your SCOUTMASTER HANDBOOK<\/span>\u2014The advancement process is: The Scout LEARNS, the Scout is TESTED, the Scout is REVIEWED, the Scout is RECOGNIZED. The recognition step happens as fast as possible. This way, the Scout can immediately continue on his advancement path!<\/span><\/p>\n
What you want to do, as Scoutmaster, is not <\/em>add to your already challenging job by taking on a bunch of merit badges! Instead, your troop needs to reach out to the community at large. There’s a high opportunity for success, because it a town of Cordova’s size, I’m going to guess that everyone pretty much knows everyone! So, ask your troop committee to find people in town who know something about the subject matter of the merit badges you’d like to add, to enrich your Scouts’ Scouting experience, and then recruit them to become registered counselors for the appropriate merit badge(s). Here are some folks to recruit, off the top of my head and not even thinking too far “out of the box”…<\/span><\/p>\n