Re: Advancement w/ no SM?
Settummanque, the blackeagle ("MAJ)
Fri, 30 Jul 1999 21:33:50 -0500
Auntie Beans (Wendy Howland) asked us all:
>As some of you may remember, we have no SM as of July 15 (the >middle of
camp week, which he did not attend). I was the SM pro >tempore for camp (and
we had a ***great*** week, thanks very much >for asking! <G>).
I'm really happy you had a great time at camp...I miss camp!!
>We had three kids finish reqs for advancement (two T'foot and 1 2nd >Class)
& I did SM conferences w/ them (smiling to myself at some of >the answers--
(boy, I love this stuff <G>) and then we had some TC >members camping w/ us
and did BoR's for 2 of them.
>
>Now we're all home and the questions are crowding my brain:
>1) Are these advancements "legal," since I am not the SM for real?
Are you acting as the Scoutmaster? If so, then they are "legal." To make
sure, you should call your Council's Registrar and have her to change your
position code from SA to SM. Tell her or him that's its temporary until
your Troop can find another Scoutmaster.
>2) Is my co-SA right when he says, "No problem, SM conferences can >be done
& signed for by any SA"? I can't find anything that says >anything other
than "Scoutmaster."
You won't find it anywhere, Auntie, but yeah, a Scoutmaster may delegate the
Scoutmaster's Conferences to his or her Assistants. As a matter of fact,
it's kinda recommended so that the Assistants would be able to know how to
conduct one. Remember the Youth Protection rules, though...
>3) Does this mean that no advancement happens until the TC gets us
>another SM?
Not at all. That's why we have the position called "Assistant Scoutmaster."
The Assistant Scoutmasters' MAIN JOB is to "take over the coaching and
management of the Troop in the physical absense of the Scoutmaster." Your
Scoutmaster's not there any more...that's the best example of "physical
absense" I know of!! *smiling*
To be on the safe side, follow the advice under #1 above.
>4) What about all the MB completions that need SM signatures now? >Them too?
Them too. The Assistant Scoutmaster -- if registered -- can sign for the
Scoutmaster. To be on the up and up, however, a simple change of the
position codes is all that's needed.
>I am hoping and praying that we get a SM REALLY soon, and do not >agree
with the rationalization that "since our program is all planned thru >Oct
with SA's for each activity we can afford to wait til then." If the
>advancement issues, above, are as I suspect, thatis, that we have to have
>a SM on the charter to sign for all of this stuff, then that may spur the
>committee into faster action. Citations from the official literature will
be >helpful (hey Mike, Mike, Paul, Steve, & Bruce, you're on!)
The only citation I can find is from the Scoutmasters' Handbook which
explains the role of the Assistant Scoutmaster...and part of that
responsibilty is to assume coaching and management of the Troop in the
absence of the Scoutmaster. One Scoutmaster should have been appointed as
the First Assistant Scoutmaster, and should have the same or close to the
same qualifications as the Scoutmaster. That person is the person that
assume the role of Scoutmaster if for any reason the Scoutmaster is gone.
Hope this helps out!
Settummanque!
-----
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (settummanque, the blackeagle)
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle
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