Stosh

According to the Flag Code adopted June 14, 1923, males "salute" the flag by standing at attention. IF they are wearing a hat they remove the hat with their right hand and hold the hat over their heart (not their hand). IF it is inclement weather the man removes his hat and holds it above his head. Females stand at attention and hold their right hand over their heart. As long as everyone does their own thing, it really don't make much difference what the scouts do when not in uniform. Stosh

Any boy that has not advanced for a year, has sufficient partial merit badges that should have finished them and anyone who has been hit or miss with their attendance are all candidates for SM conferences. Some of them are also given a Board of Reviews and a little heart-to-heart with some of the adults does go a long way in resolving why the boys are acting the way they are. Sometimes what is said to BOR people is different than what is expressed to a SM. As the ASM in charge of advancement, I'm always monitoring the progress of the boys and not only address the issue with them, but wi

My troop has done high adventure activities with other troops that haven't and needed some help getting it going. My troop has "shared" leadership with another troop that was short leadership at summer camp. I have personally helped out with other units that needed that second person. I would think that a scout is a friend/brother to all other scouts and that wouldn't end once someone sewed a numeral on your shirt sleeve. John's right, if your troop as 8 adults going and this other troop can't go because they lack a second person, I'd excuse myself for the weekend and help

Stosh Does your woggle represent service with no end? >>>> Yep, pretty much that's what it means. To have skills and training and then not use them to the best of your ability runs pretty much against the principles of Scouting. I think "Do Your Best" from Cubbing pretty much sums it up. Of course the unit gets something for nothing! That's why you're called a volunteer. >>>> Unfortunately, that's not the definition of volunteerism. You're called a volunteer because you're not getting paid. Nothing more, nothing less. Of course the unit gets m

The old adage goes: "You get what you pay for." If the unit is going to derive benefit from sending their leaders to WB, they need to be paying for it. Otherwise the message is: we as a unit are getting something for nothing. The leadership of a troop already donates time and talent, the least the unit can do is cover their expenses. The money a unit invests in WB training for it's leadership is better spent than what they put into a nice paint job on their troop trailer. When I took WB I paid for it out of my own pocket, the troop reimbursed me when I completed it. I was not expecte

By definition, the Flag is a flag only when it is allowed to be as such. Anything else, any other representation, or even a facsimile are inappropriate. Abuse over the years has basically redefined the flag to mean anything. Remember that the next time your scout tosses his scout shirt with the "flag" on the ground changing into his class B's. We no longer have any definition of flag, thus it becomes less and less meaningful as time passes. At one time the US Postal Service petitioned Congress to allow them to put the flag on postage stamps. After much debate, it was allowed, but relucta

Ok, I'll be the wet blanket. Whenever we have an Eagle project, it is not required that all the boys from the troop be required to help on the workforce. Granted this is a noble project, but if people can't afford to go, they stay home. If I can't foot the bill for this year's vacation, I stay home. If I can't pay for gas to get to the grocery store, I walk. It's nice to have scouts thinking about the welfare of people far away, but one must remember there just might be eagle scouts there already that could help. Somehow I get the feeling this is more of a troop trip rather than an E

Had the first incident been reported to the authorities, I wonder if this behavior would have continued on into other situations. Sometimes we "protect" such people in the interest of getting them some help, but this boy was expelled from the Ship, the Troop and after another incident school. No one seems at all interested in getting this boy help and thus an official report to authorities would have curtailed the problem from the get-go and possibly forced some sort of counseling.

I like your approach, but there is one snag. Your Scouts that age up can only serve as ASM's until they turn 21 (MBC also). Then they can opt for a CM position. So what does the SM do when one of these Scouts wants to stay in the Troop? You can't necesarily make them adult chaperones, ie: leaders in training. >>> When I was responding, I was referring more to parents of Webelos cross-overs coming into the troop when we have no idea how these people work with the youth. In your scenerio of 18 year olds, having come up in the ranks we would have knowledge of the leadership

I am having difficulty in understanding the logic. Boys watch trick shooting and then emulate their behavior. Boys get the Whittlin' City and then..... ??? Boy learn fire building and then..... ??? We teach our boys dangerous activities. We teach them under the must safest of conditions with the highest level of precaution taken, showing the utmost responsibility that goes along with that knowledge. The trick shooters, if requested, will go to great lengths to emphasize this same respect for safety with young impressionable minds present. If we are worried about

If this group doing the demonstration are associated with the national organization for cowboy trick shooters you shouldn't have any problem. These people are highly trained, skilled and extremely!!! safety conscious. They put on a good program, and compete on their own when not in front of a crowd. I have attended many events where these people have been featured performers and have wowed the crowds. If they are all nationally registered trick shooters and they are offering to do this for free or a nominal fee, get them! The boys and adults will have a great time. These people do no

It is my opinion that size is relevant to program, area of serivce, and adult leadership. For many years we were considered a premier, high-adventure type of troop. We have our own canoes, and canoe trailers, we have a troop trailer, we take weekend trips that some other troops take all year to plan for, we take multiple teams to Philmont when we go, and when we go to BWCA we've always had to have multiple entry permits. This has always been what we do because it's what we know best how to do it. In the past couple of years we have had a large influx of Webelos cross-overs and our numb

I sure hope usetobeafox isn't my SM. :^) Anyway, if he's going to be replacing me, this is how he would do it: All of the leadership of our troop is first given a trial period as an adult chaperone, see if they hang around the troop meetings, offer to help with projects, etc. etc. for a number of months prior to being invited to sign up as a leader. This gives us an opportunity to see how the person works with the boys and other adults. Last year, for example, I took the boys to summer camp and I had two "parent chaperones" to "assist me". Since that time, one of their boys has q

If the program isn't working, one can have all the recruiting efforts they wish and as soon as the boys find out the program isn't there, they're gone. If one has a good program, the boys will seek the program out. I have a program where I presently have people from 3 different councils involved in. Our recruiting is minimal, but once the person checks us out, they generally will stick around. Adult leadership must support the program of the boys. It's the key to boy retention. If they find ownership in the program, they'll stick around, if they don't, they're gone. Stosh

Just because you put a uniform on doesn't mean you cease to be a caring human being. You put the uniform on because you ARE a caring human being. :^) Stosh

It may not be the answer one wishes to receive, but if the patrol method is being used, why not use it as it was intended. We've had support people, i.e. SM and SPL's interfere in the operations of the patrols when discipline is necessary and basically it always works out with one or more boy either being removed from scouting or they quit. Neither outcome all that efficient to the program. If left in the hands of the boys and then support their efforts, things have worked out better. "Empowering" the SPL seems to indicate he is powerless in the process. How about empowering the PL of

With this being an adult-led troop, I'm sure it was not appropriate for the SPL to comandeer the procedings and make changes unilaterally. However, had the patrol method been followed, the PL of the patrol would have had the opportunity to float by the supportive SPL and SM their ideas as to what they think might be a solution to the patrol's problem. The boys could then have taken these suggestions into their own discussion and possibly resolved the issue from within, with little or no problems bleeding over into the other patrols. However, this is pie-in-the-sky thinking for m

One must remember that not all registered members of BSA are Boy Scouts. I currently have registered crew members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of my boys has returned from Iraq 100% disabled. Our Crew has no Troop Flag to put any stars on, the young man didn't die, but come Memorial Day, I'll be thinking alot about him and his sacrifice and the other two crew members serving on active duty presently. Stosh

Barry: I didn't take it personal, I was just curious how one situation was worked one way and a similar situation differently. I must missed the connection, that's all. I didn't see the SPL's discussion for a change to be construed as the QM was being fired. The QM obviously was not fulfilling his obligations and a SM conference might be in order, or a change, whichever the SM and SPL deem as appropriate. I do not like, however, where a responsibility and authority is given to one boy and it's another boy's responsibility to insure his success. If a QM doesn't do his job, why is

"The SPL will be discussing a change of QM POR this Tuesday with the SM." "Very interesting. Does this mean the QM fired, or the SPL? Our Troop could not have even left the parking lot without the QM because he has the keys to the equipment and the trailer. I would be very disappointed if my SPL didnt know one of his officers wasnt going to show up and we are standing there waiting for equipment. And yes, this has happened." >> I do believe the comment said that the SPL will be discussing a change of QM. I don't believe that statement makes any jump to conclude someone is gett

"We are constantly asking our POR people questions as to how things are going. This is not a nice little fire-side chat, it is a flat out question relative to their POR." It seems to me that this approach, along with the idea that the boy is "in trouble" if his answers are "not acceptable," reflects too much adult involvement in the operation of boy leadership. I don't understand, for example, why an adult leader would be asking the QM where the dutch oven is. Perhaps I don't really understand the context. >> There's always the thin line of where teaching goes too far and

Just because one has been given the POR, they wear the patch and do the time, does not necessarily mean they get the credit. If one does not fulfill the responsibilities during the time period they will not get credit. If they do enough for a couple of weeks/months of work, they get credit, but if they do nothing, they get nothing. We are constantly asking our POR people questions as to how things are going. This is not a nice little fire-side chat, it is a flat out question relative to their POR. The only unacceptable answer to these kinds of questions is" "I don't know". If a PL is

Hey! Couple of researched posts! Love it. Thanks John and Scouter&Mom. And just when you think things are changing, I just got back from a camporee where the "color guard" was wearing blue jeans and sweatshirts, got the flag down off the staff and then proceeded to fold the blue into the middle before two adults came out and straightened them out. Members of my new scout patrol immediately asked where their uniforms were even before it could start and my SPL turned to him and said, "Don't worry about it, you have yours on." I surely don't want my boys growing up in scouti

As a historian, one must always be prepared to back up one's finding with at least 2 if not 3 sources of support. Unfortunately, most uniform police only back up their ideas in most cases. The policies of uniforms changes from one year to the next with all kinds of different ideas being set down. Like the headgear change in 2007, it often times catches us off-guard and we need to back track a bit to make sure we are compliant. With that being said, no scout in our troop ever bought scout pants unless they were going to national jamboree and were required in order to participate. T

"Official uniform police follow the current official uniform rules, which may be found in the current official Boy Scout Handbook, and current official Insignia Guide. Its not fair to blame the official uniform police for technically incorrect uniform practices one might hear about or read on an internet discussion forum. A few factoids (ref the Insignia Guide or Uniform Inspection Sheet): The only official uniform headgear is the BSA red visor cap or the BSA campaign hat." >> And yet the uniform inspection sheet states: "Headgear: All troop members must wear the headgear c