{"id":566,"date":"2008-08-30T10:28:11","date_gmt":"2008-08-30T14:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=566"},"modified":"2011-11-12T18:33:56","modified_gmt":"2011-11-12T23:33:56","slug":"issue-146-august-30-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2008\/08\/issue-146-august-30-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 146 – August 30, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, we must note the passing of a national icon\u2026 and a fine Scout and Scouter: Arthur Robert Hamilton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Arthur<\/a><\/p>\n

Arthur Robert \u201cBob\u201d Hamilton is best known as the steely-eyed saluting Scout in Norman Rockwell\u2019s 1944 painting, “We, Too, Have a Job to Do.” This painting helped rally Scouts and their families nationwide to collect tin cans and rubber anything, volunteer in their communities, and plant \u201cvictory gardens\u201d during World War II.<\/p>\n

But Hamilton, who died last month at age 82, was more than a young man in the right place at the right time, when Rockwell first dipped brush in paint. Bob Hamilton was himself a life-long Scout. “He was very much defined by being a Boy Scout,” said his daughter, Alison King. “I think he influenced us to be all individuals, do the right thing, go above and beyond, make the right choices and life will pay you back.”<\/p>\n

Born in 1926 and an Eagle Scout by the age of 15, Bob Hamilton was 18 when the painting was created. He served in the U.S. Navy, later graduated from the University of Maryland, and became an employee of the BSA, as a fund-raiser, retiring in 1989.<\/p>\n

In the early 1950s, when I was just a Cub Scout, my dad came across a reproduction of that painting in a magazine, cut it out, put it in a rude wooden frame and gave it to me to hang in my room. It hung there for the next 14 years and, when I moved out, it came with me. I was fortunate enough to spend several summers at Schiff Scout Reservation, where I got to see the original, hanging in an apse of the great hall. I almost lost it at several shaky periods of my life, but I still have it today\u2014it presides over a makeshift \u201cmemorabilia room\u201d in my home. Some day, my grandson will have it. Even though it\u2019s nothing more than an inexpensive copy from a magazine, it\u2019s nevertheless helped me keep aimed at True North at those times in my life when things sort of started to wander. All I had to do was look at it one more time, to try to see what the Scout in the painting saw. Thank you, Norman Rockwell, for painting that image, and thank you, Arthur Robert Hamilton, for being the Scout I\u2019ve never stopped trying to be.<\/p>\n

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

Where can I find a statement on troop neckerchiefs? Do the adults have to wear them if the Scouts adopt a certain one. I thought they told me at Wood Badge that it\u2019s optional for adults, but now I have two leaders who are taking Wood Badge and they\u2019re saying that everyone has to wear the troop neckerchief, if there is one. Please advise if this is true or not, and where BSA states this. (Harold David, <\/strong>Crossroads of America Council, IN)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first place to find a statement on neckerchiefs is in the Boy Scout Handbook<\/span>, pages 12-13: “A neckerchief and cap or campaign hat are optional.”<\/p>\n

The second place is the BSA Insignia Guide<\/span>, page 5: “Boy Scout neckerchiefs are optional…Troops choose their own official neckerchief…The troop decides by vote, and all members abide by the decision.”<\/p>\n

Finally, the Scoutmaster Handbook<\/span>, page 9: “Scoutmasters in full uniform set a good example for members of their troops…”<\/p>\n

So there you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth: Your troop can choose its own neckerchief and then everybody wears it; or if not, then nobody wears one. But I sure hope you all wear neckerchiefs! They\u2019re the one irreducible thing that says Scouts<\/span><\/em> world-wide is the neckerchief!<\/p>\n

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

Is there a special award or recognition for Scouts who have been to all three high adventures\u2014Northern Tier, Sea Base, and Philmont? (Kathleen Narayanan)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yup! It’s a special patch that shows a parent’s hip pocket with an empty wallet in it. In all seriousness, there actually is a patch that fits what you asked about. It’s called the “Triple Crown” and you’ll find it here: www.ntier.org\/Awards.html<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

NetCommish Comment<\/strong>:<\/strong> Even better news – there are two Triple Crown patches. The second is for Order of the Arrow members who attend the OA Wildnerness Voyage at Northern Tier, the OA Trail Crew at Philmont, and the OA Ocean Adventure at the Florida Sea Base. The order form for the OA Triple Crown Patch is at: www.oa-bsa<\/strong>.org\/resources\/forms\/TripleCrown<\/strong>Form.pdf<\/a>. <\/cite> The order form for Scouts who have been to all three high adventures is at <\/cite> www.ntier.org\/Adobe%20Documents\/TripleCrown<\/strong>AwardFAQ.pdf<\/a>. <\/cite><\/cite><\/p>\n

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

When should the “cloth” badge (for a rank or merit badge) be presented and when should the card be presented to a Boy Scout? Don Helton, COR, Lincoln Heritage Council, KY)<\/strong><\/p>\n

All ranks and merit badges should be presented to the Scout as quickly as the troop can turn around the paperwork! At the very next troop meeting would be absolutely appropriate, and that would include both the badge and<\/em> the card!<\/p>\n

Courts of honor are periodic gatherings to publicly recognize Scouts for their accomplishments since the last court of honor. It\u2019s not<\/em> intended that ranks and merit badges be “held back” until there’s a court of honor.<\/p>\n

Third thing: The date of the successful board of review is the date of the rank advancement — that’s the date that should be transmitted on the advancement report and written on the rank card. The date of merit badge completion is the final date written and signed by the Merit Badge Counselor\u2014It\u2019s not<\/em> the date that the Scoutmaster re-signs it to show that it’s been duly recorded by the troop.<\/p>\n

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

Whatever happened to the Boy Scout Skill Awards (belt loops) program we had in the 1970s? I see that Cub Scouts are using them now, but I\u2019m disappointed that the Boy Scouts abandoned this program\u2014I thought it was a great way to teach new Scouts their basic skills, and it kept the older Scouts involved as the mentors. (Bob Geiser, ASM, Golden Empire Council, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Boy Scouting\u2019s first 62 years there were no Skill Awards. Their history began in 1972, and lasted until 1989. They’ve now been gone for 19 years. They were not so much “new” skills or “extended” skills as they were a method of “instant recognition,” much along the lines of the “progress to rank” beads used in Cub Scouting. The skills remain in place: They’re still the requirements for the foundational three ranks of Boy Scouting. And older Scouts are still involved as mentors: They’re Patrol Leaders, Troop Guides, and Instructors.<\/p>\n

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

Our troop has about 40 members, nine of whom are in one patrol. The Scoutmaster and I are looking into changing the troop\u2019s meeting night, so that he and I can spend more time with the \u201cnewbies.\u201d The other night, this patrol helped out at a Cub Scout rally, and did a wonderful job. Any suggestions you might have would be welcome. (Keith Bass, District Program Chair, Evangeline Area Council, LA)
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\nThat’s a nice-sized troop! A new Scout patrol<\/span> needs a Troop Guide, who functions in the same way a Scoutmaster counsels the Senior Patrol Leader, and, if available, an Assistant Scoutmaster to back-stop the Troop Guide. What a new Scout patrol doesn’t<\/em> need is an “older” Scout who’s “imported” into the patrol to be the first Patrol Leader. The elected Patrol Leader of this patrol also doesn\u2019t need an adult \u201chelicopter\u201d hovering to make sure nothing ever goes wrong or pulling patrol members back in line when they get acting like normal 11-year-olds (in other words, this isn\u2019t \u201cWebelos III\u201d). (Now please trust that I don\u2019t think nor am I implying that you do either of these\u2014I’m commenting for “insurance”!)<\/p>\n

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

How many square knots can an adult leader wear? (I\u2019d thought that it was a maximum of 12 and recently I saw a couple of leaders wearing 15 and another with 18.) (Keith Westergaard, ADC, Bay-Lakes Council, WI)<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the answer is… However many a Scouter has earned or been awarded. Why did you “think” there was a maximum? Why would there be a maximum?<\/p>\n

That was the information that was given out at one of our district\u2019s Commissioners meeting. I didn’t think too much of it till I saw a couple of photos of Commissioners having more than 12 knots. I personally believe that if you earn it you should wear it. Thanks for confirming what I\u2019ve never found in writing. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I have earned or receive twelve square knots, but I\u2019ve been actually thinking of removing them because of some of the flack I\u2019m getting from our elder volunteers. (I was once referred to as \u201cThe District’s Knot Nazi\u201d) and was personally embarrassed at the thought that someone might think I\u2019m only in Scouting for the awards, and not for promoting a quality program for our Scouts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I realize how wrong that would be, because everything on my uniform represents hard work well-spent. Thanks for helping me realign my sights in Scouting and the unit leaders I serve. (Keith Westergaard)<\/strong><\/p>\n

For one Scouter to call another a “Knot Nazi” is absolutely reprehensible, on multiple levels. PLEASE go right now and read my column titled, “Fruit Salad, Christmas Trees, & Generals<\/a>” (it’s in-between February 2006 and Mid-January 2006).<\/p>\n

These insensitive boors don’t get it that when somebody’s truly, as you put it, “promoting a quality program for our Scouts,” recognitions happen. The fact that they themselves are either ineffective, lazy, or undeserving does not<\/em> give them the right to try to demean you or anyone else who’s a dedicated achiever.<\/p>\n

Yes, these are merely bits of cloth with some thread woven through them, but they say, “I’VE DONE IT.”<\/p>\n

I’d actually be tempted to take on somebody who made that comment with this: “Y’know, I had an uncle who was in a Nazi concentration camp, and I’m glad he’s not here to hear you talk that way.” I guarantee that that idiot will never make a crack like that again! To anyone!<\/p>\n

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

What\u2019s the proper Boy Scout troop meeting flag ceremony procedure\u2026 How many are in the color guard\u2026 What are the proper callouts\u2026 Who salutes and when\u2026 When do you say the pledge\u2026 How do you post the colors and retire the color guard\u2026 How do retire the colors at the end of the meeting and what are the callouts for that? What we would like to do is have a start-to-finish guide for all our future Senior Patrol Leaders to use. (Rich Loudon)<\/strong><\/p>\n

For this subject, I’ve found that the best online resource is The Girl Scouts! Check out www.mittenbay.org\/Interactive\/Flag.htm<\/a>, gsleaders.org\/files\/Flags.htm<\/a>, and www.girlscouts.org\/program\/gs_central\/ceremonies\/flag.asp<\/a>— If these don’t give you what you need, just Google<\/a> “flag ceremony” and follow the citations.<\/p>\n

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

I\u2019m transitioning my first group of Webelos II Scouts to Boy Scouts in just a few months and we\u2019re very blessed to have four to five troops in the area. I plan on visiting the troops individually with my son (a current WII) and as a group with our den over next few months. I\u2019ve asked locally what sort of questions should the boys ask and what should they look for in selecting a troop? So far, I just get the repeated phrase, \u201cFind one that fits…” While I agree with that, I\u2019d like to get a second opinion. What are your thoughts on some basic questions the boys can ask that can provide some direction in making that decision? (Kevin McKay, ACM, Cradle of Liberty Council, PA)<\/p>\n

I wrote about this a while back, and I\u2019m happy to repeat some of the ideas here for you:<\/p>\n

By observation…<\/p>\n