Advancement Stuff

1) Scout who is behind in his dues: Assumption, that the youth is behind
in his troop/patrol dues and not national registration. If he is
currently registered with BSA, he cannot be denied advancement for that
reason. The troop cannot add to BSA advancement policy. The advancement
requirements do not say that you must be current in dues. If a
scoutmaster denies a scouta a board of review for that reason or a
committee will not advance him, the boy has the right to appeal to the
district/council and he will win.

2) Parents serving as their son's merit badge counselor: Advancement
standards are the responsibility of the District Advancement Chairman.
Approval of merit badge counselors is the major function of the District
Advancement Chariman to insure and maintain this standard. Once approval
is given by the district, a merit badge counselor may work with any
Scout, regardless of the relationship to the Scout.

With that said, the concept of merit badges-vocation/avocation
experiences-good sense must be used to help broaden the scope of the
Scout's experiences. There is no hard and fast rule other than the
approval of the counselor (by the district). From the viewpoint of the
District Advancement Chairman, eyebrows woud be raised 1) if the
counselor was not qualified 2) the counselor deviated from the
requirements or 3) "gave the badges away". Consequently, the counselor
should be removed from the approved list of merit badge counselors.
Scouting is a family event. The Scout Oath and Law are our guiding
principles--the rules that we know well.

Footnote--although I some about advancement, I called on two of my
friends who would be considered "experts" in advancement--this is the
area that they work in Scouting and between the two of them, they have
probably seen just about everything come down the pike.....

Cindy King

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