[NO. 676]==================================================================================== Hi Andy, As a sort of “free-ranging” commissioner, I get invited to lots of courts of honor and I’m always happy to attend. But I’ve noticed two general habits that, when I stop to think about them, puzzle me. The first one is about the two kinds of courts of honor (aka “COH”). […]

[NO. 675 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] April to August is a pretty long break, and I apologize to all my loyal readers. As best as we can figure out, my “WORDPRESS” account was somehow corrupted. I wasn’t able to fix it, despite many intermittent attempts. Yes, I did sit back […]

[NO. 674 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Thiago, with his sister Julieta and younger brother Santiago, and their parents had just moved to our Southern California town from Guadalajara, Mexico. One of his plans in his new home and country was to be a Boy Scout. When they first moved here […]

[NO. 673 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, I’ve recently been hearing about the BSA changing its national structure from four regions, each with six to nine “areas” within them (totaling 28), to a bunch of areas smaller than regions but larger than their former “areas” and called “National Service […]

[20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] I’ve usually published a humorous “April Fool’s Day” issue, but I’m going to make an exception this year. Honestly, with all that’s been going on this past year—world pandemic and isolation, contested elections, “cancel culture,” kids not attending classes and teachers not teaching, stuff at our southern […]

[NO. 672 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] A while ago, I had the opportunity to chat informally with four highly successful high school principals, two of whom had also been award-winning football coaches of state- and regionally-titled teams. All had been Scouts. The highest rank among them was Life. As we […]

[NO. 671 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, A local troop has invited me—their Unit Commissioner—to sit on a board of review for a young man destined to be their newest Eagle Scout. Is there any protocol issue with someone in my position (i.e., UC) to do this? I figure […]

[NO. 670 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] To reach the Eagle rank, a Scout will have learned dozens of new skills and completed hundreds of specific requirements through the seven ranks and no less than 21 merit badges. Although the Scout’s Eagle Scout Service Project is just one of these hundreds, […]

[NO. 669 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] Hi Andy, Looks like I only write you when things are going seriously awry, but thanks to your personal mission, I do know who to turn to when things aren’t right. I’m a 20+ year volunteer and presently an Assistant District Commissioner (“ADC”) for […]

[NO. 668 – MY 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, & PARENTS] We’ve been looking at various viewpoints on uniforms in the past several weeks. Here are some more that just came in. We also have some further comments about parent-drivers staying at a troop’s campouts, sometimes with dining provided by the Scouts… Hi Andy, […]