Re: Can/Should the Advance Chair "refuse"?
Bob Myers (rmyers@ONE.NET)
Fri, 31 Jan 1997 09:56:34 -0500
On Thu, 30 Jan 1997, CzarCasm <stanleyb@CRL.COM> wrote:
>About 6 months ago we changed ScoutMasters and while it was the old SM's
>practice of having either himself and one of 4 other ASM's conduct
>ScoutMaster Conferences, the new SM choses to hold them all himself.
>
>While I myself (though some parents do) have no complaint that no Scout
>seems able to pass a SMC the first time, that they are sent home to
>re-study some section again .. I do wonder about the fact of his
>testing his own son.
The Scoutmaster's conference (SMC) is not a test, it is a simple discussion
and/or counselling session. The only reason I can see that a Scout could
possibly not "pass" is through some sort of Scout Oath or Law infraction.
This might include misrepresenting himself by saying he completed some
advancement items when he really did not (i.e. his paperwork was not in
order), but the Scout should not be retested. Sure, his record should be
reviewed to make sure he DID everything and as a source of discussion to get
to know the Scout better, but he should not be retested to see what he
KNOWS. Under the current advancement requirements, neither the SMC nor the
Board of Review is a final exam.
Your SM should read the SM Handbook on the subject. It has many pages on
the SMC. It even treats the SMC for each rank separately. I do not believe
it gives any instructions on how to "test" a Scout that has already
completed his requirements.
>My concern stem from the fact is that while his son is a very nice
>boy, though a bit on the quiet side, that though he did not achieve any
>rank advancement in his first year with the Troop , he has now attained
>1st Class in under two months. Granted he has participated in a number
>of events so that a good many itmes are rightfully signed off....
still.....
There is nothing wrong with this as long he fulfilled the requirements. A
year and two months to First Class is not too fast. All the requirements
can be completed in any order or all at once. Only a few take a specific
time period.
>I happen to think that he is doing a disservice to both the troop and
>more importantly to his son...... of course the other boys notice.....
>Can I ask Advancement Chair... and the person who sets up BoR's "strongly
>recommend" that he in the future have another qualified adult test his
son..?
No. NO ONE should formally test the Scout after he completes his
requirements. If your outdoor program is active and the patrol method is
used, he will be "tested" over and over again as his skills are used and as
he teaches them to others.
>BTW.. while I know that the next rank advancemt is Star.. this SM is
>one that feels that it is necessary to test all of the knowledge that a
>Scout has be exposed to up to that point....
Again, it sounds like the SM needs to get up to speed with the advancement
guidelines and policies which he is significantly violating.
YiS,
Bob Myers, Committee Member, Troop 3, Cincinnati, Ohio
rmyers@one.net
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