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  • Can a Scout be a multiple member in two troops?

    #1
    I have recently been involved in a situation where one of my Scouts transferred to a different middle school this year.

    The middle school is a parochial school and it has its own Scout units: Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, and Girl Scout units. All the Students in this school are members of the school's units.

    This past summer one of my Scouts transferred to this school. Everything was fine until last Tuesday during our Troop meeting. He approached me and told me that he was also a member of the other Troop. That since he was a student there, he had to sign up with the other troop. I have looked into my Scout references and found nothing that can help me with preventing the other unit from doing what they are doing.

    I have since told the Scout that he needs to make a decision on what troop he wants to be a member of. He clearly stated that he prefers our troop due to our boy-led programs.

    I feel that the school should have made an exception to this Scout and his family but since I've tried talking to their Charter Representative they have stated their school policy that if he is a student in their school. He will be in their scout program.

    When this school started its Scouting program 4 years ago. I was then part of the District's Training Committee. I was asked by the DE then to please not actively recruit any potential Scouts from this School. (The School has a very small enrollement.) The Council is very interested in seeing this Charter Organization become a success story. I have agreed.

    Now with the commotion going on. I am starting to rethink my current position on this School regarding recruiting. Since they will not budge from their current policy on this one scout. I personally will call it open recruiting season on their potential scout candidates and current scout members.

    At this time, I have a scout who is a member of two troops. I know somewhere that they can not do this. I feel that it should be up to the Scout and his family to decide what unit they should belong to.

    I believe the current DE should get involved with this since it involves two Charter Organizations. Should all else fail, then I have no choice but to let this scout go so that he can concentrate his scout work in one unit.


    Matua
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Disregard.

    I found the answer in DS posts to "Dual Membership" in the Issues & Politics Area. Now I just need to find my copy of that reference and send a copy to thier Charter Representative.

    Thanks,

    Matua

    Comment

    • #3
      Boy that sounds like a quality program, "You will belong to our troop, no matter what." That violates one of my basic principles of life, you can't force people to have fun (Unless you are German, "Zee fun vill now commence. Eins und zwei . . . Eins und zwei")

      Comment

      • #4
        Matua, as you said, the answer to the "dual registration" question itself is clear. However, I don't know if that fully answers the question. The issue here is not really a Scouting question at all, so it is not really a question that you have to deal with. The policy in question is not a Scouting policy, it is a "policy" of that particular school. (Scout policy as far as I know, is that boys and parents get to choose what unit they are going to join, and while a unit can say that only members of a certain church or whatever may join, there is nothing that says that if you live in a particular area or go to a particular school, you have to join a particular unit.

        However, there are people who can, at least potentially, deal with this, and they are the boy's parents. Presumably they pay for their son to attend this parochial school and may be members of the church that runs it. They can go to whoever is in charge and tell them that they do not think the school should be dictating which troop boys should belong to. Or they could ask that an exception be made for their son since he started out in your troop. Or maybe they feel that they don't want to get into a disagreement with the school officials, either for educational or religious reasons, and are willing to live with this. But either way, it is their issue to deal with however they decide, not yours. (In my opinion.)

        Comment

        • #5
          Matua:

          I doubt very much that you have a Registration Procedures Manual. It's an internal resource for council registrars. It's not secret, and you can probably ask your registrar to see it.

          The registrar may or may not know where it is. A lot of the registration rules seem to pass from registrar to registrar almost in the manner of native American legends. The answer to your question lies in the section on multiple registration about 22-25 pages in.

          You might also want to examine closely the small type on the first two pages of an Application to Join a Troop. Most people ignore the information there, but most of the "cans" and "can'ts" are in those pages.

          Hope this helps.

          DS

          Comment

          • #6
            NJ,

            You are correct. The issue is really up to the parents. I have talked to the parents of the Scout in question last night during our troop meeting and suggested that they talk to the School Officials to let them know their feelings regarding their son's choice. I'll know more about it when they call me regarding their son's status.

            DS,

            I don't have an actual copy with me but I know I saw one in our district office. I hope it's still there and didn't become typhoon debris. Thanks for the info.

            - - - -

            I believe all extracurricular activities should be by choice and not forced on the students or thier families. I'm not sure when the school policy changed regarding their Scouting program but it wasn't like that when they first started it years ago. they must have a new sheriff in town.


            Matua

            Comment

            • #7
              Wow, that school sure is pretty full of itself. Our Catholic Church/School also has it's own Pack, Troop and Girl Scout Troops. The Pack and Girl Scouts tend to be 99% (we do have some homeschooled and "publics") from the grammer school just because it's easier for the parents, but our Webelos Scouts are encouraged to check out all of the surrounding Boy Scout Troops. Boy, if we ever told them that if they went to the school they had to be in our Troop we would get laughed out of town!

              I just don't see why the parents didn't just say no. What did the school say they would do to them? Kick them out of the school? Out of the church? Out of Scouts? Good grief! Did they make them pay another $10 registration fee? Sounds like a scam to me!

              Comment

              • #8
                I can't answer the question about multiple registrations, because I have no idea -- but regarding the question of a CO *requiring* membership in a Scout Troop: isn't this what LDS churches do?

                I am not LDS, so if I misunderstand, please forgive me. I was under the impression that Scouting *is* the youth program (at least for boys) in LDS churches. Does a boy in an LDS church have the option of joining a non-LDS Troop? I'm just asking because I honestly don't know.

                Fred Goodwin
                ACM, Pack 2003
                Alamo Area Council

                Comment

                • #9
                  Lets see, a Boy Scout can be a member of a Venturing Crew, a 19 year old female Venturing Crew Member can be an assistant scoutmaster in a troop, and a Venturing Crew member can be a memeber of a Sea Scout Ship,

                  No reason to beleive a boy scout cant be a member of multiple troops, although he is gonna have to keep kis advancements straight

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                  • #10
                    (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

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                    • #11
                      OGE, in the other examples you give (troop-crew, ASM-crew, crew-ship) there is a purpose to each registration. Either the programs are different or the person's role is different. I don't think that would be true if a boy were registered in two troops.

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                      • #12
                        I have heard of a scout being "multiple" beween a troop and crew or post, but not between two troops. I do no like this type of numbers game.

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                        • #13
                          The rule is clear. "A Scout may not multiple register in two troops." Registration Proceedures Manual.

                          DS

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                          • #14
                            I bring this thread back because I have a related question--a boy in my son's troop spends all summer with his father in another state. What kind of affiliation, if any, can he make with a troop there?

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Call your Scout office and secure the number of the council headquarters where the boy spends his summer. Call the appropriate DE in that council and have him help you by getting you the name of Scoutmaster's of troops near the boy's father's home.

                              Then call that Scoutmaster, or have your Scoutmaster call, and see if they'll recognize the boy's achievements in your troop and inform you of his achievements during the time he spends with that troop. Keep all records with your troop and report his advancement on the forms you submit to your council. This will avoid confusion in the future and keep his membership with your troop while he participates year round in the program.


                              DS

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