http:\/\/scouting.org\/filestore\/pdf\/14-550.pdf<\/a><\/p>\nThis works pretty much like a “progress record”\u2014When a Commissioner has fulfilled the requirements, he’s recognized.<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m following up on a recent comment by you regarding whether or not a Scoutmaster can stop a Scout from working on a merit badge. I understand the position that the Boy Scout Handbook supports is that any Scout can begin working on any merit badge at any time; however, when looking at the front of the \u201cApplication for Merit Badge\u201d (aka \u201cblue card\u201d), above the signature of unit leader, the card says \u201cName, Address, City\u2026is a registered\u2026Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Venturer\u2026of \u201cDistrict\/Council\u2026and is qualified to begin working for merit badge noted on the reverse side.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nDoesn\u2019t this imply that the unit leader is signing off that the Scout is \u201cqualified\u201d to begin working on the badge? What if the unit leader believes that the Scout isn\u2019t qualified to work on the badge? Does the unit leader still have to provide a blue card? <\/strong><\/p>\nIt does appear that there are contradictory signals here. One appears to say, \u201cgo forth and earn merit badges,\u201d and the other says, \u201cearn merit badges when you\u2019re qualified.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nYour thoughts on this contradiction are much appreciated. (Karie Gillen, Orange County Council, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\nThe young man is automatically \u201cqualified\u201d by way of being a registered member of a Boy Scout troop, Boy Scout team, Venturing crew, Sea Scout ship, or Explorer post. So, that language is a little nicety that reinforces to the young man what he’s about to embark upon. It absolutely does not<\/em> mean that a Scoutmaster or anyone else has the authority to withhold a “blue card” from a Scout who declares that he’s interested in earning whatever merit badge he names. That any Scout can work toward any merit badge at any time is a BSA policy, and BSA policies supersede everything, including a Scoutmaster’s perhaps well-meaning withholding of a blue card.<\/p>\nAs a Merit Badge Counselor for merit badges that require significant physical strength and kinetic coordination, I\u2019ve had Scouts of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities, and a part of my responsibilities is to help each Scout succeed\u2014this is one of the challenges, and one of the great joys of being a Merit Badge Counselor! For a fair number of the Scouts I\u2019ve counseled, completing all requirements has been a stretch\u2014and isn\u2019t that part of what this is all about!<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nI always find your Q&A’s encouraging and informative. Over the past few months, I\u2019ve been approached by Scout parents as well as adult leaders concerning our troop’s Scoutmaster. He\u2019s routinely late for troop meetings, seldom prepared, generally unorganized, and almost always unwilling to delegate. Having had discussions over the past several weeks with both leaders and parents, they\u2019ve expressed their desire for him to step aside, so that the committee can appoint another. I, having been the first Scoutmaster of this now seven-year-old troop and presently Assistant Scoutmaster, I\u2019m the only leader with experience in Scouting as a boy. I\u2019ve been asked to make a recommendation to our troop committee on this, and herein lies the dilemma\u2026 The current Scoutmaster is doing his very best so far, in the first two years of a three-year tenure. He\u2019s had some turbulent times recently, at a personal level, but he\u2019s overall a nice guy. <\/strong><\/p>\nIn our short existence we have grown from seven to 42 Scouts, and from three adult leaders to nine, all trained. But since the current Scoutmaster’s been in place, our troop for the first time didn\u2019t get any Webelos from our \u201cfeeder\u201d pack, retention of existing Scouts is slipping, and the troop\u2019s growth has slowed to almost nothing.<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m fully aware of what will happen when I make a recommendation to the troop committee, and it\u2019s a heavy burden because I\u2019ll be recommending that he relinquish this position, yet of the two who might step into this role, one is willing but unable and the other is able but unwilling. Your insight will be appreciated. (Name & Council Withheld)<\/p>\n<\/strong>This coin has two sides…<\/p>\n
The first side is that, when we sign on to take a position of responsibility inany <\/em>volunteer organization, we’ve made a commitment to carry it out to the extent of being successful. It might be nice to say, “to the best of our abilities,” but it goes beyond this: In the case of Scouting, we owe it to the youth we serve to deliver to them the promise of Scouting described in their handbooks, and nothing less. If we’re incapable of doing this\u2014for whatever reason, be it temporary or not, personal or not\u2014we need to face that fact and either ask for help or ask to be replaced. Anything less than this does a disservice to the very people we took on a covenant to serve.<\/p>\nThe second side is that it\u2019s the responsibility of the sponsor (aka “chartered organization”) to provide the very best volunteers possible to deliver the Scouting program we committed to ourselves and to the Boy Scouts of America to deliver. This responsibility starts with the executive officer or head of the chartered organization, and flows through to the designated Chartered Organization Representative (“COR”). It’s the COR’s specific responsibility to see that the youth of the Scouting unit receive the very best service from the most qualified adult volunteers. The COR collaborates with the Committee Chair to assure the youth that this is what’s happening. The COR, with the CC, has total “hire-fire authority” and needs to exercise this as situations dictate.<\/p>\n
With these two facts in place, your own responsibility, it seems to me, is to collaborate not with “parents” or “the committee” but directly with the COR and CC, to assure that the troop remains at its healthiest and most vibrant, so that it will continue on its established successful path of growth and youth development. Anything other than this short-circuits the process the BSA has laid out clearly and without equivocation. In this regard, the youth always, always come first\u2014what your personal feelings toward an under-performing individual might be are absolutely secondary, regardless of personal circumstances, duress, etc. You must act in the best interests of the Scouts, first and always first.<\/p>\n
You know what you must do, or you wouldn’t have written. So follow your heart, put the Scouts first, and you won\u2019t be wrong.<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nDo you know of any BSA resources were we could find very specific information about emotional abuse by leaders on Boy Scouts, such as what actually constitutes abuse? We’ve had some questions come up and would like some documentation to help us understand the policies. (Name & Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\nFor this one, I’m going to defer to your local council’s Scout Executive\u2014Your very best resource for this type of question. Don’t email. Pick up the phone and schedule an in-person meeting. This is why we have Scout Executives!<\/p>\n
\nD<\/strong>ear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nMy Star Scout son’s Scoutmaster has held him back from advancing to Life by refusing to provide a Scoutmaster conference and board of review. My son completed Life rank requirements 1-5 six months ago, but the Scoutmaster\u2019s said that even though he completed his tenure as the troop\u2019s Quartermaster, he hadn\u2019t performed the job to the Scoutmaster\u2019s satisfaction (even though he\u2019d signed my son off on this requirement), and claimed that he\u2019d \u201cfired\u201d my son from the position. We\u2019ve since spoken with the Committee Chair about this, and my son was reinstated in another leadership position.<\/strong><\/p>\n(This same Scoutmaster has blocked another Scout who was going for Eagle because, in the Scoutmaster\u2019s words, \u201cHe\u2019s not \u2018Eagle material\u2019\u201d\u2014he refused to sign off on this Scout\u2019s Eagle project.)<\/strong><\/p>\nWe have a new Committee Chair now, and his advice to my son was to wait till he completes another six months in his newly-assigned leadership position, and then he can advance to Life, and this way the Scoutmaster\u2019s feelings won\u2019t be hurt.<\/strong><\/p>\nMy son and the Scout being denied the opportunity to start his Eagle project went over to the Scoutmaster\u2019s house a few days ago, to see if they couldn\u2019t get past these roadblocks, but the Scoutmaster started yelling at them. To protect himself, my son put his cell phone on \u201crecord\u201d and captured the Scoutmaster\u2019s tirade. When the Scoutmaster discovered that my son had done this, he became even angrier and suspended my son from the troop for two weeks and threatened to report him to the police for an \u201cillegal recording.\u201d My son was next told that he could return to the troop so long as he made a formal, public apology to the Scoutmaster. My son did this, but this apparently wasn\u2019t enough, because the following week, after a Court of Honor, the Scoutmaster and several ASMs pulled my son into a room, where they told him that he must personally apologize to the Scoutmaster, then and there.<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat do we do? (Name & Council Withheld)<\/strong><\/p>\nShort of shooting that Scoutmaster, his assistants, and that spineless Committee Chair, there’s no “fixing” that’s going to happen here. Get your son out of that troop and into one that gets it right. It’s impossible to argue with self-righteous little tin gods who use guerrilla tactics on minors. GET OUT OF THAT TROOP. And, yes, your son should definitely take his friends with him. There\u2019s absolutely no need to tolerate this sort of behavior by adults who are supposed to be serving youth (not the other way around).<\/p>\n
If you truly want to try to “fix” this troop, the position you want is Chartered Organization Representative, because this position has total, complete, and unassailable “hire-fire authority” over every adult volunteer in it. But, do be prepared for a huge energy outlay, rancor, discord, back-stabbing, and whisper-campaigning, and do not even begin to delude yourself into thinking that this won’t affect your family and family life in ways you can\u2019t even begin to imagine.<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nAbout merit badge blue cards, is it mandatory that the Scoutmaster sign, or can the troop\u2019s advancement coordinator or an ASM sign, as well? I\u2019m asking because I\u2019m trying to “value engineer” my time better at functions, to spend more one-on-one focusing on needs versus wants. Being that we have a large troop, it\u2019s difficult at times to conduct Scoutmaster conferences, deal with leadership issues, leader training, etc., at troop meetings. Therefore, I\u2019m trying to see what I can delegate to my ASM more. The blue card issuing and signing is valuable time, but it appears to be a function that could be delegated and save me time for what appears to be more pressing matters. I\u2019ve discussed this at length with our advancement coordinator, so that he\u2019s copy me with all new merit badge issuances when sending to our records-keeper, so I can keep an eye on who\u2019s working on what. I\u2019d appreciate your input. (Steve Smith, SM, San Francisco Bay Area Council, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen the Scoutmaster signs the blue card, he knows what Scouts are doing what merit badges, and when they started. If you want to delegate this to an ASM, that’s OK, so long as that ASM writes down who asked for what, and when, so that he can keep you abreast of what your Scouts are interested in, and working on. It’s probably best to delegate to just one person; if more than one is doing this, there’s a significant risk of mayhem!<\/p>\n
That said, if I were Scoutmaster, I’d be incredibly reluctant to delegate this… After all, a Scoutmaster has more free time in troop meetings–when the Senior Patrol Leader and his Patrol Leaders are running the meeting, in charge of the games and competitions, conducting the opening and closing ceremonies, and instructing the Scouts in skill development–than at any other time! This is simply a perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, and let the Scouts come to you! Heck, you’re almost not visible until the end of the meeting, when it’s time for your “minute.”<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019ve searched but can\u2019t find either in the book or on-line where a Cub Scout must earn his Bobcat badge before he can earn belt loops. Can you help me out? (Ray Cradit, Lake Huron Area Council, MI)<\/strong><\/p>\nHappy to help! <\/strong>All of the Cub Scout handbooks note that the very first thing earned\u2014regardless of what level the boy joins Cub Scouting\u2014is Bobcat.<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nWe\u2019re experiencing some confusion on the updates to merit badge requirements. On Camping merit badge, which requirements do we follow: The ones in place when the Scout started the merit badge, or the requirements in place as he\u2019s finishing up?<\/strong><\/p>\nBasically, we\u2019re having difficulty with getting the requirement of a high adventure event in a camp-out. Our troop is lax in scheduling events in campouts, to fulfill Camping req\u2019s. 9b and 9c. Can we contact other troops to ask if they have any of these events going, and then join them for the special activities? If so, then who signs off on the requirements? (Laura Hannan, Jayhawk Area Council, KS)<\/strong><\/p>\nThese questions are for the Scout and his Merit Badge Counselor to work through. Are you a registered Camping MBC?<\/p>\n
Camping merit badge hasn’t had any revisions to it since January 1, 2007\u2014that’s nearly two years ago! Are you telling me that there are Scouts who have been working on this merit badge for longer than that? Ouch! Anyway, the “in-between time” is long passed, so any Scout completing this merit badge now will be obliged to meet the current, and not any older, expired requirements.<\/p>\n
The “20 days and nights requirement” should be a no-brainer. Six or seven of those can be from summer camp (the troop does go to camp, yes?) leaving 13-14 days and nights to be completed on troop overnights, Camporees, and so on. That’s just six overnights a year, for two years\u2014just one every other month. Troops are supposed to be camping or hiking at least once a month, for at least ten months out of the year, and then, in the summer months, it can even be more (not less) frequent. If you all aren’t getting out there every month, you really need to encourage your PLC to schedule more outings!<\/p>\n
If, by “high adventure,” you’re referring to the canoeing, bike riding, mountain-climbing, etc., these can be knocked off in a day, so that they hardly constitute “high adventure”–they’re pretty normal stuff, especially for Scouts! (“High Adventure” is a week or more on the trail or on water!)<\/p>\n
(Now someone might rib you about mountain-climbing in Kansas, so let\u2019s just point out right now that Mt. Sunflower is over 4,000 feet elevation!)<\/p>\n
Scouts still working on Camping, after two years, should definitely seek their MBC’s advice on how to wrap this up, before they start looking like those old photos of John Muir!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nHey Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nI’m the Chartered Organization Representative for a new Venturing crew sponsored by an American Legion post. The crew\u2019s focus is on military careers. We\u2019re considering adopting a BDU-type uniform, to be more in line with the military career aspect as well as with the American Legion\u2019s traditions. This is turning out to be a tool for recruiting, but my question is: Can BSA patches (e.g., badges of office, square knots, etc.) be put on a non-BSA uniform? I checked the Insignia Guide<\/em> and the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America<\/em> and can’t find anything stipulating that BSA patches can’t be used on a non-BSA uniform. I just want to check before we act. (Don Sheen, Buckeye Council, OH)<\/strong><\/p>\nIt’s strictly forbidden for any member of the BSA\u2014including Venturers\u2014to wear a uniform that is in imitation of a military uniform, so it’s plain as day that an actual “battle dress uniform” (that\u2019s what \u201cBDU\u201d stands for, I\u2019ve just found out) would be a huge no-no! (I’m sorry to have to point out that, despite whatever “enthusiasm” you may have engendered, this is against BSA policy.) This is what the forest green shirts and steel gray pants and shorts are for, and I recommend you switch over to them right away! When you do this, all BSA patches and badges immediately become “legal.”<\/p>\n
The only possible alternative that I can think of may be to form an Explorer post instead of a Venturing crew. Explorers are in the Learning for Life Division of the BSA, and are subject to different stipulations. For instance, there are many, many law enforcement Explorer posts, and they wear, for all intents and purposes, police uniforms.<\/p>\n
Talk with your council\u2019s Scout Executive some more on the best way to make this work.<\/p>\n
Thanks. Actually, no harm was done as I hadn\u2019t yet ordered the BDUs (the black, grey and white urban type\u2014not the usual woodland camo). The crew currently wears grey polo shirts. Anyhow, no problem. What prompted me to write to you was that I\u2019ve received conflicting information as to what a Venturing crew can wear as a uniform. One misunderstanding some people have about the language in the BSA\u2019s Insignia Guide<\/em>, Clause 4 (b), where it says, “Imitation of United States Army, Navy, or Marine Corps uniforms is prohibited…” refers to trying to make the official scout uniform look military. Couple that with what is stated on most Venturing information sheets and in the Insignia Guide<\/em>, page 33, Venturing Insignia, “The recommended uniform is the spruce green Venturing shirt with green epaulette tabs…However, the uniform, if any, is the choice of the crew.” That\u2019s where I got the OK to use “urban” BDUs. There are crews out there wearing all kinds of stuff. I ran into one woodland BDU crew a few years back, and they were about as military as you can get. Maybe the national council or national executive board should rewrite or update the wording to reflect federal laws concerning military uniforms. Like I said in my original message, I wanted to check before I acted. After 26 years in the Air Force and 16 in Scouting, I want to get it right, so I checked with you. We like the official Venturing uniform anyhow, so we\u2019ll go with that. (Don Sheen) <\/strong><\/p>\nWhile all\u2019s well that ends well, it may be worth mentioning that I\u2019m personally not in line with the cited interpretation of Clause 4 (b)\u2026 This clause doesn\u2019t refer to \u201cmaking the BSA uniform look military;\u201d it refers to the concept of imitating military uniforming, which can definitely include the actual wearing of military garb in imitation of actual personnel. More important, I personally believe, is what a military-type uniform implies. For this, let\u2019s go back to \u201cday one\u201d and Baden-Powell himself, who stated, \u201cThe military trains men for war; Scouting educates boys for peace.\u201d That said, I\u2019m in 100% agreement with you that the BSA would help us all by re-working the language of the uniforming clauses so that it\u2019s crystal clear that military-type garb or accessories are not a part of any Scouting program.<\/p>\n
\nDear Andy,<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m just curious\u2026 How often does the “I don’t believe this Scout actually did the merit badge at summer camp”-sort of question come up? (I\u2019m noticing it in both your August 3rd<\/sup> and 19th<\/sup> columns.)<\/strong><\/p>\nWe’ve had the same issue this summer and, as Committee Chair, my answer has exactly mirrored yours: If it\u2019s signed off, then it\u2019s done. But, clearly, this must happen distressingly often. What I\u2019m thinking of doing is to send a letter to the council that ran the camp, giving them feedback about quality.<\/strong><\/p>\nI’m also a little worried about those “merit badge universities” and the like, because they seem to undermine the ideal of a small group of Scouts working with a Merit Badge Counselor. While I can’t in good faith stop Scouts from going to these, I do notice that neither of my sons (Star and Life ranks) have little use for them. (Robert Harrison, CC, Atlanta Area Council, GA)<\/strong><\/p>\nI’m not sure there’s really much “I don’t believe…” stuff going on, but without doubt, Scouts do come home from camp, merit badge fairs, and so forth with “partials,” in which case their Scoutmaster can direct them to local Merit Badge Counselors who can help them wrap up their merit badges. In the cases of Scouts coming home with completed merit badges, you’re absolutely right that these can\u2019t and shouldn\u2019t be questioned or challenged: If the MBC has signed and said they’ve earned them, the party’s over.<\/p>\n
That said, there are definitely areas in the overall merit badge counseling arena that could use some cleanup, or at least tightening up. Your council’s training committee might want to weigh in on this, by providing training for merit badge counselor, or at least “refreshers” that help MBCs better understand their role and goal. Consider getting involved in this area\u2014If Scouting has one pervading weakness, it’s that it’s not mandatory to be trained to do what you’ve volunteered to do.<\/p>\n
Sure, I could share “war stories” with you about MBCs who call themselves “examiners” and act accordingly, or who pride themselves on “being tough,” or who don’t get it that requirements are to be completed exactly as written, without exception. Then there are those who take inappropriate license\u2014I recall when my own son was a Tenderfoot, some yahoo of a MBC for Wood Carving told him, “Carve me a ball-in-box with a three-link chain, and I’ll give you the badge.” Yup, like it was a candy bar. And carving what he’d suggested is nowhere to be found in any of this merit badge’s requirements! (Needless to say, when I became Scoutmaster a little later on, I made sure none of my Scouts ever went to this self-important jerk!) There’s more, of course, but you know ’em, too, just as well as I do.<\/p>\n
What can we do about it? Well, maybe, someday, the BSA will stipulate that training for a volunteer position is mandatory, instead of making the qualification to be a Grand Poobah little more than being able to fog a mirror.<\/p>\n
On the subject of merit badge fairs and such, while many are far from perfect and some digress from the fundamentals of the merit badge program (i.e., a Scout and his buddy sitting down and learning from a guy or gal who loves the subject area and imbues that in the boys, along with guiding them toward completing the requirements without either spoon-feeding them or making a “classroom” out of it), we also need to keep in mind that merit badges aren’t intended to make “experts” out of our Scouts! Merit badges introduce a wide range of subjects and activities, with the goal that perhaps the enthusiasm and boy-spirit of the Counselor will entice the boy to learn more, and to even, perhaps, choose this as a life-work or life-hobby.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: I’d say that the way you’re handling things is just fine, and my hat’s off to you for that!<\/p>\n
Happy Scouting!<\/p>\n