ASM father signing off on rank advancement?
Sarah Nunez (trinoaks@FLASH.NET)
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 15:06:16 -0500
I've gotten lots of good replies from everyone on this subject--thanks
to you all! The general consensus is that there is no BSA prohibition
against an ASM signing off on a son's rank advancement, which is the
information I was after.
Several other points have been brought up, all of which are good. First
of all, our troop is small (18 boys), and until recently, we had only
the SM and one ASM. The ASM in question stepped down last month as CC
to become the second ASM. He completed SMF this last spring and will be
attending Wood Badge this fall. My husband has just joined the team as
the third ASM.
This ASM is the one who is responsible for the newer scouts, and signed
his son off on some things that were done at the troop meeting along
with other newer scouts who were also signed of on what they completed.
The SM and I were working with the PLC on our upcoming Court of Honor,
my husband was not yet an ASM, and the other ASM was absent.
The boys in our troop are all young (oldest just turned 14, and none are
higher than 1st Class), so while the idea of having the older ones sign
off the younger is something I'd like to see us try in the future, I
don't think our troop has the experience level necessary to do it right
now.
We may institute some sort of troop policy addressing this issue, but I
don't see it as a serious problem. The ASM and the BOR member are both
very conscientious men, and the point was brought up not because of a
lack of trust or trustworthiness but in an effort to do the right thing.
It seems to me that if the SM is reviewing everything at the SM
conference and is willing to accept the ASM's signoff, it shouldn't be
an issue.
Sarah Nunez
trinoaks@flash.net
