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I agree. I think we should try to avoid labeling a behavior as "bullying". It is far better to identify the actual behavior.

Metaphorically taking off the uniform and putting on the "dad hat" my hoodlums made me a number of years ago. Oldest is 95% completed with his Eagle Project. All that remains is to do is get it inspected and approved, present it to the hospital, and the give a presentation on the project to the foundation that is giving him the grant. Basically stuff he needs to do himself. Project was building 2 mobile gaming stations and a mobile gaming library cart with storage for some of the accessories. While not as major as some projects of late, with the exception of dealing with beuracracy,

It feel great doesn't it? But, I'm not giving up my Eagledad name. Barry

On the occasions when I've had to address these kinds of situations, I do my best to steer the conversation away from the semantics of whether or not the behavior should be labeled as "bullying" or "hazing" or similar. Instead, I try to focus on identifying that the actual behavior that occurred is not acceptable in Scouting, and focus on tangible actions that need to take place to discourage the behavior from happening again. How we label the behavior is less important than recognizing that it is inappropriate and that action needs to be taken to correct it.

We do ZERO fundraisers. Scouts pay annual dues for registration. We charge a nominal fee for monthly outings, basically break even to cover campsite expenses, etc. For summer camp and high adventure that is funded by the Scouts attending. Works for us. In my limited experience the time and commitment to a sales effort is not well spent for the return

Wow, this thread is OLD - I was barely out of high school when this conversation began (it's funny to think that this site is old enough that I could have joined as a youth member had I been more internet savvy then!). Anyway, as long as it's been resuscitated ... 1) Yes, we have a troop neckerchief 2) It's the stock black neckerchief with silver trim 3) It's worn by all the boys under the collar, except for one boy who wears a vintage uniform and so prefers to wear his over the collar to better fit the era of his attire 4) The black and silver go with their patrol emblem, which is a silv

That's right. It's not just a scout not wanting to hang out with another scout. Bullying is intended to inflict emotional harm, or to make someone feel less-than or inadequate. So instead it would be something like a scout telling another scout that they don't belong in the troop, they should leave, "this troop is for xyz, not you," etc.

Social exclusion and choosing not to be a friend are two completely different things. Social exclusion in the context of bullying refers to an action that is designed to repress or abuse another. The bully will isolate as punishment or simply to control the victim. The distinction is also found in the severity and frequency. Is it a constant action or a once off? Are there other examples where the scout is being picked on by the same scout? In the case of my son, the negative actions have been consistent over a long period of time. This isn't an isolated incidence of rudeness, b

Don't be ashamed. Be proud. Each scout has his own journey. Own yours. ... From what I've read above, I'd be proud to have a scout like you in my troop and I'd be glad to support you in your advancement. If you want Eagle, go for it. ... BUT ... don't stress over Eagle. It's just a rank. The journey is much more important. Building friendships and memories. Having adventures. Learning new things. Also, you have time. My recommendation ... Talk with your scoutmaster or another adult. Get a scout leader on your side who will support your journey. Let them know you nee

Yeah. This is a relatively new meaning that has been applied to the word "bullying". We never considered social exclusion to be a form of bullying. We felt that people had a right to be friends with, or not be friends with, whoever they pleased. If you don't like someone, just leave them alone. Today it is called bullying. I don't get it.

There are 4 relatively recent optional YPT modules, one of which specifically addresses bullying. All 4 are good, the bullying segment should be mandatory.

Congrats to him, and that's a great project! My son has his EBoR a week from today, and I couldn't be more proud of him if I tried. Every time I hear about a Scout's Eagle Project, it reminds me that there is no one type. Every one is vastly different. My son's was doing trail clean up and definition (lining the edges of the trails with downed branches) plus mulching of nine stations on a ropes course at a local religious summer camp. It doesn't sound like a tough project, but the course was spread out over several acres, so management of the work was very hard. The course had gotte

Your missing the key part, harm. The first three acts on that list could be, and many times would be, "kids' being kids". Someone who just happen walk by a group of boys calling each other names might assume the worst when in reality it is nothing more than kids trying to outwit the others, play. So, BEFORE anyone is accused of anything, a CLARIFICATION should be determined of the situation. I can also think of two situations where scouts were taken to the emergency room for an injury cause during play. No foul intentions, just play that went too far. We were taught back in the day that

The thing that people tend to get caught up arguing about lately is that bullying isn't any of those things happening once or twice. (some people think it differently) Any of those things needs to be stopped immediately, but they aren't "Bullying" until someone is doing whatever it is deliberately and repeatedly.

Well said. I will say that there is a step below even the consensus level, what happened? Anytime a scout feels harm, there has to be concern. But, reflecting on my wonderful marriage, sometimes it's just a simple matter of communication and expectation. My kids will tell you that they heard very little yelling in our family while growing up. They found themselves very uncomfortable in situations where yelling was the form of communication. The SM should be able to learn what exactly caused the harm. THEN, determine the reactions for changing the environment to be safe. Barry

One big challenge you may face is getting agreement on what bullying is. Too often resolving situations like these is hard because of differing perspectives and opinions. I'd work to build consensus and understanding. If you can't do that, all the rules and procedures won't help.

That's what we do as well. We make popcorn optional for those Scouts that want to sell it to help offset the price of big ticket trips. We fund normal troop activities through annual dues and trip fees. However, I've come to appreciate that when we don't sell popcorn we're also removing a source of funding for Council level efforts. While I wish there was another way for Councils to get money (without passing on fees to Scouts), I've accepted the current model for what it is. As a result, we do thy to hit the FOS goals from the council. The model here of course is Girl Scout c

@MarkBrownsky welcome to scouter.com

There's always been a lot of discussion about offering lower cost items. Marketing and sales people have looked into it; it's a losing proposition though. In our council, we offer two $10 options., which is perfect. If people want to support Scouts, they will. We market it as making a $10 donation and you get a free bag of popcorn. Not a $10 bag of popcorn. If $10 is too much, many people just drop $5 in the bucket, even just a few dollars nets us the same as selling a $10 bag. We're just as happy with that. My son has routinely been among the highest sellers in his council (last y

My son and daughter at there, in Delta 3. My son had the Francesinha and really wants to make it at home. Both are having a great time meeting peoplpe, trying new food and taking it all in.

Visiting WSJ was a great time! It was the first time I've visited the Summit, and I was able to forget about the debt and it being a financial albatross for a few hours. As a visitor to WSJ it's hard to meet any of the foreign scouts/scouters because they all have activities and such to do. Still the international exhibits were really cool. I had some Francesinha from the Portuguese food tent. It was fattening and so tasty. Met a few scouts and scouters from my council, a few on purpose and a few on accident! Met with @qwazse which as he told his scouts: "I'm off to go meet some stranger from

The most surprising thing out of all of this is that a unit actually followed the correct procedure and submitted a fundraising application

Based on what your saying, this guy is not conforming to the program leadership protocols. People who try to create their own program in lieu of what the BSA mandates should be not wearing the uniform. I would call your district scout exec and district commissioner about the whole key 3 issue. The SE should have the courage to have a conversation with both the CO and SM.

In my opinion, there's no need for a specific "bullying" statement when we already have - "On my Honor, I will do my best to ... obey the Scout Law", and - "A Scout is ... Loyal, ... Friendly, Courteous, Kind, ..." That pretty much covers it.

Read a thread from a decade ago. It was called "How To Fire a Scoutmaster". The responses were...interesting. Many questioned the loyalty of the poster, who came to the forum seeking advice. A quick tour of the forum (I'm new here, but not to Scouting) shows me that the situation that particular ASM faced isn't, unfortunately, uncommon. I've learned that there are bad situations. Sometimes things don't work out. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made. Nothing always runs as planned, or as hoped, despite good intentions. I'm among a group of volunteers, ASMs, with a troop. I joined two