Re: Serve Actively (Wordy, but Worthy)

-----Original Message-----SNIPPED------
From: Ronald W. Fox <ronfox@MINDSPRING.COM>
Date: Friday, May 29, 1998 01:19 AM
>I've noted in a number of discussions here, focusing on Eagle
>advancement, that if an advancment appeal gets up to
>National, they will accept mere registration in a Troop
>and in an office as acceptably fulfilling the requirements of:
>1) Be active in your Troop and Patrol for at least x months
>as a <current_rank> Scout.
>2) While a <current_rank> Scout, serve actively for x months
>in one or more of the following positions of responsibility:
><list_of_Troop_offices>.

To which one response was:
-----Original Message-----SNIPPED-------
From: Joseph Alessi <JosephAlessi@COMPUSERVE.COM>
Date: Friday, May 29, 1998 11:51 AM

>There is also an "associate" category, which is *NOT* considered
>active. This is for individuals who the unit committee feels
>do not meet their requirements of "active membership", but who
>wish to be associated with the unit, and agrees to attend at
>least one meeting/activity a year. "Associate" members are
>covered by insurance, etc., but do not accrue tenure for rank
>advancement, service stars, etc.


First, the requirements for advancement based on tenure in the unit and the
leadership position may be completed AT ANY TIME while holding the previous
rank. IT DOES NOT have to be the "last X months" immediately prior to the
advancement. This is why National tends to lean toward the Scout (you know,
the guys we are all here for to begin with) when it comes to units not
wanting to consider them "active" - I suspect in most cases the complaint is
that the Scouts were not "active" in the requisite months immediately prior
to the advancement.

Second, to Joseph's discussion of "associate". I wonder if he reads more
into the definition of associate, or perhaps his Council interprets this
way. Or maybe I've just interpreted it wrong for many years! (Hey, it
happens ;-).

Let's look at what the Rules and Regulations of the BSA (#57-492) says (and
these words are pretty much the same for more years than I can remember):

>From page 6, Article VII, Youth Members, Section 1, General Classifications:

Clause 1, Active: "An active youth member is one who, with the approval of
a parent or guardian if necessary, becomes a member of a unit; obligates
himself or herself to attend meetings regularly; fulfills a member's
obligation to the unit; subscribes to the Scout Oath or the code of his or
her respective program; and participates in an appropriate program based on
a member's age, as promulgated from time to time by the Boy Scouts of
America."

Clause 2, Associate: "Any youth member, who in the judgement of the unit
leader and the unit committee, is unable to meet the requirements of active
membership may be carried on the unit records as an associate, provided the
individual attends at least one meeting of the unit within the year and in
all other respects is guided by the obligations of an active member."

Now, my interpretation and thoughts on this (which may or may not be totally
correct - I may have missed something somewhere).

The associate's ONLY exception to the active definition looks to be in
attendance of unit activities and meetings. This means the associate must:
(1) Have a parent's or guardian's approval for membership (to be
registered);
(2) Fulfill his obligation as a member of the unit (which does not mean
ACTIVE obligation - I see this as an obligation agreed to by the Scout with
the unit leader as to what his or her situation allows that obligation to
be).
(3) Subscribe to the Oath (or program code).
(4) Participate in the program for their age (again, I see this as
participating as fully as possible in the advancement program and activities
based on the Scout's personal situation - remember, BSA says at least once a
year - maybe more, but no less).

So, if a LIFE Scout has performed the required tenure and leadership
"actively" and at some point becomes what we see defined as an "associate",
he meets the requirement. So, he makes life at say, 13 years of age. Does
six months of leadership. Becomes "associate" from age 14 to 17. Gets a
project approved and completed - at 17. Made the annual activities as
required. Maybe earned a merit badge or two during this "associate" time.
He has, in fact, met the BSA's requirements for advancement to Eagle.

Joseph states some things about not accruing tenure for rank, service stars,
etc. And that the "associate" cannot be counted in membership numbers.
While the tenure bit for advancement is technically true (based on my
thoughts above), I cannot see where service stars or membership numbers are
affected. Service stars are given for total registration time. Associate
service is still service. I find nothing that says the Scout cannot get
service time for a star while defined as an associate.

The associate IS a member, actively registered, just not actively
performing. Also, I know of no "code" for the roster that denotes associate
membership (there may be one, I've just never seen it; it certainly isn't on
the registration form, which is what the adults in the field use for the
codes). Therefore, how would one know who is and is not considered "active"
or "associate"? No, I think the associate tag is known only at the unit,
really, if used at all. I think most unit leaders refer to "associates" as
their "inactive" registered Scouts.

But, let's cut through all that stuff. The bottom line should be - does the
Scout possess and exhibit the skills and characteristics of a
Star/Life/Eagle Scout? If yes, and he meets the requirements as spelled
out, why quibble over what is and is not an "associate"?

POSITIVE motivation I say. And no, I do not advocate watering of quality.
Just giving the YOUTH the benefit of the doubt. It's only us adults that
caught up in this quagmire anyway. ;-)

(Hey, Joseph - Brother, I ain't shooting, just expressing another view on
the thing!!!)

HAND!

YIS, Jim Sheckels - I used to be a Bobwhite SE 308-7; 1SG,US Army(Retired)
sheckej@earthlink.net http://home.earthlink.net/~sheckej/
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