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OGE: I've been the Scoutmaster for 18 months now. It wasn't until last summer at PTC that I realized there was a problem and I've been trying to correct it ever since. But the veterans don't see it as an issue. They look at our Eagle rate and ask why should we mess with what is working. FScouter: Well thanks, that was helpful. Good to know that I'm derelict because I didn't personally conduct all 64 conferences in the last year. I'll certainly make a point to handle the 80-100 that should occur this next year. Considering that the Committee will insist that I continue to do them the same

I'm looking over the advancement report and I have about 20 scouts needing scoutmaster conferences (not counting two Eagle SMCs I need to do by the 28th). The problem is the way our troop does SMC. Keep in mind I've tried to change this, but they've been doing this for years and are not willing to change. Somewhere in troop history it was decided that the SM would only do the Eagle conference, other conferences are done by ASMs (And ASMs cannot do two conferences with the same scout). They also make the SMC a big production. Despite my continued objections, they retest the scouts. They call it

There is a proper position for that patch but most don't read the Insignia Guide. Midway between the top of the shoulder and the top of the pocket or the top row of knots.That said, in ten years, I've never worn the purple patch. I've never understood why they can pre-sew the flag, Boy Scout of America strip but not the purple patch.

My problem has been just the opposite. I've only been a scoutmaster for 18 months. I still get scouts coming to me to sign a card after they have finished the merit badge. I've spoken to various MB counselors about not starting without it, but so far with mixed results. There is a part of me that wants to tell the scout, "I'm sorry, you needed this signature before you started. You will have to do it over again." But then why punish the boy for the failings of the adults. I do encourage the scouts to finish their T-2-1 first aid requirements before they do the First Aid MB. I know many al

Things I would have taken if I had only known: A phone card. Unless Verizon has added a tower, diving to the top of the hill to get a weak signal gets old. A fan. That tent can sure get hot. A bit of carpet for the floor. More field uniforms. I was clueless and only had one An extra book. After spending all day talking scouting it was nice to read something that had nothing to do with scouts. Unfortunately I finished, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on Tuesday and I ended up driving to Taos on Wednesday afternoon to get another book to read. But then my fa

Of course the girl in the Scout office insists that one be turned in "or else", but what does she know? If only is was the girl. At the last Eagle Packet training we had at Roundtable we were told the scout would need to file a tour permit for the project.

I'm not disagreeing with you about the project not being a scout event. What I am saying is that it does expose the scout to a level of liability that he is likely unaware of. Based in this, the scout should be instructed not to wear his uniform. There may be some other implications as well. It certainly changes the way the project is handled. For example, some businesses require a letter before they donate materials. The letter should be from the organization and not the troop. Although this is implied by "Donors to projects must be made aware of what entity is benefiting from the project, an

Why do you feel it is your responsibility to do anything at all on this? Certainly the benefiting organization has enough intelligent adults on its board to know that accidents that take place on their property falls under their insurance? Heck every home owner should know that. This is not news to anyone. This is not always the case. For starters, not all projects that benefit an organization take place on their property. Or in the project I mentioned, the scout will be renting a booth at a parade and festival hosted by the city (which is the benefiting organization). Now I'll be very surp

fgoodwin: The job has become so popular that the SM unilaterally changed the requirement so that Scouts had to be Star working on Life to serve as a DC (i.e., First Class Scouts who needed a POR to make Star weren't allowed to serve as a DC). I guess that is a good problem to have. If I have to make such a choice I think I would tend to go the other way. I figure a 12 year old First Class Scout may be with those cubs/first years for 2-3 years. A Star or Life less than that and perhaps with less dedication.

This was posted earlier. It is from FAQ. http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/FAQ.aspx Question: Can merit badge counselors coach their own sons or close relatives (for instance, a nephew)? Answer: Yes, but only if the young man is part of a group of Scouts who are all working on the same merit badge. Approved counselors may coach any Boy Scout who contacts them through the proper procedures. The way this is worded this would seem to explain how parents are discouraged from being their son's counselor. BW, you seem to dismiss this. Why is that?

Well this is interesting. If what BW says is true, and I have to believe it is until there is evidence to the contrary, I'm going to have to get a lawyer to write an understanding of liability for the scouts to have the organizations sign so that they are fully aware of their exposure. I'm guessing this will reduce the number of organizations willing to have scouts do an ELSP for them. I'm certainly going to have to kill the McGruff Safe Kids ID project that one scout is working on. The good news is there is not need for the scouts to get a tour permit, which will make life much easi

Thank you all for your replies. Especially getting scouts involved in individual events to remind them that they enjoy working with younger scouts. Our troop OA ceremony and dance teams do 6 to 8 pack events each year and some of our scouts work Tigeree and District Pinewood Derby. We also host a camp out that we invite the cubs to and we are considering hosting an "Activity Pin Roundup" this Fall. If we watch for scouts that do well at these events we should have a good idea who to work with. We also starting a unit team of adults whose primary responsibilities are being liaisons with the pac

Our troop has not done a very good job of providing Den Chiefs to our area packs. I find it difficult to motivate a scout to be a Den Chief. They tend to want to do something requiring less effort like Chaplain's Aide or Librarian. We are a large troop with 60 scouts, about half of which are First Class and above, so we should be able to supply 4 or 5 Den Chiefs. Right now we have one. We've changed our first year program this year and it looks like we will get about 80% to First Class by next year's Crossover. That should put more pressure on scouts to do this as there are only a limite