{"id":2613,"date":"2020-04-22T15:50:27","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T19:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=2613"},"modified":"2020-04-22T15:50:29","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T19:50:29","slug":"issue-638-april-21-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2020\/04\/issue-638-april-21-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 638 \u2013 April 21, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

I\u2019m sure this has been asked before, but I just can\u2019t find the answer\u2026 We\u2019ve been told that a Scout can\u2019t ask for a board of review until after he or she has been active in current rank for six months. So, if that six months starts on, let\u2019s say April 20, is the six months completed at Midnight on October 19, or 12:00:01 a.m. on October 20? I\u2019m asking because our son\u2019s troop committee is telling us\u2014per these hypothetical dates\u2014that a Scout can\u2019t even request a board of review until 12:00:01 a.m. on October 21st!<\/strong><\/p>\n

We really need some help with this! Thank you. (Confused Scout Parents)<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might start by asking your son\u2019s Scoutmaster, committee chair, and advancement coordinator, \u201cHow many angels can dance on the head of a pin?\u201d Seriously, this is so nit-picking as to be categorized as absurd.<\/p>\n

In the first place, the BSA\u2019s GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT tells us (Section 8, Topic 8.0.0.2) that no Scout should ever be required to ask for a board of review: \u201cScoutmasters\u2026do not have the authority to expect a Scout to request (a board of review)\u2026\u201d This process is to begin with the Scoutmaster informing the appropriate troop committee member that a board of review is to be scheduled for the Scout.<\/p>\n

As for the \u201clength of a six-month period\u201d question, the answer isn\u2019t in any BSA writing that I\u2019ve found. So I went online to DATE CALENDAR (https:\/\/www.datecalculator.org\/months-from-today-calculator<\/span>), which calculates the exact date after a specified numbers of months. I entered \u201cApril 20\u201d for the start date and \u201c6\u201d for the number of elapsed months. The answer to the question of what date six months from April 20 will be is: OCTOBER 20<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This, by the way, isn\u2019t \u201cmath\u201d\u2026 It\u2019s basic arithmetic. So, if anyone\u2019s still questioning it, even after having read the GUIDE TO ADVANCEMENT-Topic 8.0.0.8 and gone to the DATE CALENDAR website, they can email me at ASKANDYBSA@YAHOO.COM
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just found a pretty good resource for Scouts interested in merit badges during this \u201cstay home\u201d period. It\u2019s by the Central Florida Council and it\u2019s open to all and can accommodate almost 1000 Scouts! (https:\/\/scoutingevent.com\/083-OnlineMB?fbclid=IwAR0Untsa7KVtfpMAGHV4TssXs4Fwnz58QKcyGjnc9Rh9SXNxGbgu2-2glAQ)<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

(Joe Sefcik)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks! Good stuff, especially in this new environment!
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just wanted to let you know that our troop just had a \u201ccampout\u201d! Each of our Scouts either pitched a tent or slept under the stars in their own back yards, and then we all \u201cmet\u201d on Zoom! We did a \u201croses-and-thorns\u201d on what was easier and harder about this sort of \u201cdistancing\u201d troop activity. The Scouts also shared their menus with each other, and several with back yard fire pits had put them to good use. The Scouts really enjoyed this and have already said they want to do it again next month! (Nancy P, SM, Scouts BSA Troop 309 for Girls, Flint River Council, GA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s a really cool idea! Great creativity! Thanks for sharing your story!
\n==========
\nHi Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always enjoy reading your articles and advice. A few weeks back, there was a question about Merit Badge Counselors and the Scuba merit badge, and I\u2019d like to add to your commentary on qualifications\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, the adult teaching \u201cScuba BSA\u201d must hold an instructor rating from an approved agency, but that\u2019s not true for Scuba merit badge. For this merit badge, while the person providing the certification for req. 4 must hold at least a basic instructor rating, the Merit Badge Counselor doesn\u2019t need to have this qualification. Of course, he or she must meet the usual BSA requirements for all Merit Badge Counselors, including being \u201cproficient in the merit badge subject by vocation or avocation.\u201d So, taking this further, ask a local dive shop instructor to become a counselor is a great idea! (Cory Buckalew, Michigan Crossroads Council)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks! This is important stuff and I’m really glad you’ve added your “two cents” to our knowledge!
\n==========
\nHello Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve stated that a Scout really doesn\u2019t ever \u201cfail\u201d a board of review, but I have a question that\u2019s sort of related to that\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

If a Scoutmaster has signed off on everything for a Scout\u2019s next rank, can the committee chair refuse that Scout, stating that the Scout needs to \u201cattend more troop outings\u201d first?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m asking because the troop my son (I\u2019ll call him John) is in defines \u201cactive\u201d as participating in a committee-designated specific outing each month, without regard for troop meetings or Patrol Leaders Council meetings, individual patrol meetings, or working on merit badges, or leading or helping out at troop or Eagle service projects (all of which John has been doing for two solid years). That\u2019s right, John has been working toward Life rank for two years, and his Scoutmaster signed him off on completing all requirements for this rank over two months ago! (Pretty frustrated Scout Dad, with a pretty depressed son)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Darn it! Not again!<\/em> Why does this nonsense keep coming up! Don\u2019t these people know that NOBODY CAN ADD TO REQUIREMENTS FOR ANYTHING!<\/em><\/p>\n

Okay\u2026 I\u2019m a bit settled down, so let\u2019s tackle the two most important points here. The first is about adding requirements and the second is about withholding boards of review.<\/p>\n

1: The BSA states all over the place that “No council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to, or subtract from, advancement requirements.”<\/p>\n

2: The BSA also and unequivocally states that a Scout cannot be refused a board of review for any reason, ever. The troop’s committee is responsible for providing a board of review for any Scout who has completed all requirements for his or her next rank, and it\u2019s the Scoutmaster\u2019s job to see that this happens. Further, no Scout is required to ask for a board of review; this is the job of the Scoutmaster and the review is to be made available to the Scout as soon as possible after all rank requirements are completed. No board of review may ever be unreasonably withheld from a Scout. (To be clear: None of this is my \u201copinion\u201d\u2014these are BSA policies.)<\/em><\/p>\n

So, the committee chair you mention is wrong twice: That chair [1] cannot refuse a Scout a board of review and [2] cannot add to requirements (i.e., the “additional outings”).<\/p>\n

Now more than ever, it\u2019s up to the Scoutmaster to lead the way on John’s behalf by (a) informing the committee chair that the actions taken are wrong and will not be permitted to stand and (b) assisting, as needed, the other members of the troop committee as they make every effort to schedule a board of review for this Scout as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

If I sound like my hair\u2019s caught fire, it’s because this mistreatment of your son (and who knows how many others!<\/em>) is one of the most noxious and intolerable actions any Scouting volunteer can take toward a Scout. This is anathema to the reason Scouting has adult volunteers in the first place. In point of cold fact, if this committee chair is in any way reluctant to correct his or her actions, immediate removal by the troop’s chartered organization is the correct course of action.<\/p>\n

Thanks, Andy. I needed to be sure I was on the right track before taking action on John\u2019s behalf. But I can tell you that he\u2019s sitting right on the edge of just walking away from Scouting entirely.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I should probably mention that John did have an earlier rank advancement delay because he \u201cdidn\u2019t smile enough,\u201d according to his Scoutmaster. Yes, John doesn\u2019t smile much\u2014this is a personal issue that John isn\u2019t comfortable sharing\u2014but what this has to do with \u201crequirements\u201d completely escapes me. Besides, he\u2019s been in Scouting for ten years and enjoyed it (up to now), and it seems to me that sticking with it trumps \u201csmiling.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

At any rate, he\u2019s striving for Eagle and even though he\u2019s just 16 years old, he\u2019s indeed under time pressure. That\u2019s because he\u2019ll be graduating from high school in just a few months and he has a four-year academic scholarship at his first-choice college. So this two-month delay in his review for Life definitely messes up any chance he might have had to complete his Eagle requirements before moving on to college in this coming mid-August.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If his Scoutmaster doesn\u2019t step up on John\u2019s behalf right away, do I go to our sponsoring church or to the council? (PFSD w\/a PDS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course we both know that John\u2019s Scoutmaster was full o\u2019 beans on that \u201csmile more\u201d nonsense, if it delayed advancement when all requirements had been completed! But if it was a suggestion to John because he held a leadership position that needed buy-in from other Scouts, then smiling more can definitely make a difference, especially when you think about “leadership” as explained to me by an Eagle Scout\u2026 “It’s the ability to convince others that they want to do what they wouldn’t do without your leading them!”<\/p>\n

Only you can decide which side of that equation this Scoutmaster sits on, but I\u2019d start with him anyway, if just to know that you started in the right place.<\/p>\n

Your next conversation\u2014with or without the Scoutmaster at your side\u2014will be with the committee chair. If you can turn this apparent stone wall into a green light, that\u2019s for the best!<\/p>\n

If a review for John isn\u2019t forthcoming, the ladder to go up is with your sponsor; not the council, and that\u2019s because the sponsor\/chartered organization quite literally owns the troop, so that\u2019s where the buck stops. But you can definitely get help from council-level volunteers.<\/p>\n

Before you contact the pastor of your sponsoring church, reach out and get the name and contact information for the commissioner responsible for John\u2019s troop. Get in touch and have a chat by phone or Zoom, Facetime, or other utility that you both have in common (in other words, not email!). Describe the situation as you\u2019ve done with me, including the time factor, and ask if that commissioner can help you when you speak with the pastor, or maybe he or she would be willing to have a strongly-worded conversation with the troop\u2019s chair and Scoutmaster.<\/p>\n

If you need more, let\u2019s hear from you. Meanwhile, here\u2019s a message for your son\u2026<\/p>\n

John, throughout life you\u2019re going to run into jerks who just don\u2019t get what\u2019s right. You\u2019ll find them in academics, in sports, in the workplace, and even in churches, sometimes. You\u2019ll find them in Scouting too, as you already know. But you need to know that Scouting doesn\u2019t have any \u201cexclusive\u201d here.<\/p>\n

Somebody much wiser than I am once said, \u201cIt\u2019s not what happens to you that matters; it\u2019s how you *respond* to what happens to you that really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

So make your decisions in life based on what\u2019s best for you and not what\u2019s best for the jerks you\u2019ll meet from time to time. And be thankful every day that good people outnumber jerks a hundred-to-one!<\/p>\n

Till next week, please stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive!<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nHappy Scouting!<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
\nAndy<\/em><\/strong><\/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.)<\/em><\/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.<\/em><\/p>\n

[No. 638 \u2013 4\/21\/2020 \u2013 Copyright \u00a9 Andy McCommish 2020]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

________________________________________ Hi Andy, I\u2019m sure this has been asked before, but I just can\u2019t find the answer\u2026 We\u2019ve been told that a Scout can\u2019t ask for a board of review until after he or she has been active in current rank for six months. So, if that six months starts on, let\u2019s say April 20, […]<\/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-2613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613","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=2613"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2618,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613\/revisions\/2618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}