John-in-KC

I'm curious. Long, long ago, several of us in our Troop took 1st Aid MB together. An area dentist was our Counselor. We did a "spiral" method of learning... learn a little, test a little, learn a little more ... until we finally got to the point of being evaluated. We met with him weekly after his business day for two months. We EARNED that MB To teach the skills of First Aid so they aren't "learned and quickly lost", what do you think the 80% solution for training time is in the current world???

What Lisa said. I do think Districts should explain, almost annually, the Life---> Eagle process. Ours does. It's a hugely popular RT event, it's been known to fill a 200 seat church sanctuary with Scouts, parents, and Scouters. As others have said, that may be an indication of the "arcane knowledge, Indian Lore, and Lean-Six-Sigma" processes needed to get through the last mile. Even so, it's there, and our chosen method to deal with it is to educate. As a side note, I've learned, the hard way, that parent letters are a point of risk in and of themselves. I've seen letters from divorced couples that describe the candidate in opposite terms: It's pretty clear one parent is using the Eagle Candidacy to get at the other parent. For those who are SM/CC, that's not a "be prepared" issue, that's a "be wary" issue. Finally, to answer the question of whether letters are even required: As I read ACP&P #33088, that's a Council Advancement Committee discretionary item. My Council's Advancement Committee's interpretation is: - Districts have discretion about whether to use unit boards/District Guest, or District Boards, unit participation. - Letters are required. - The Scout delivers letter shells to references. - The unit CC is the recipient as an agent of the District Advancement Committee. - The letters are opened and read at the EBOR before the candidate arrives.

My two cents: - There are clear signs this unit has Advancement Method problems when the SM does not perform one of his basic duties: Mentoring the Life Scout who brings an ELSP forward. It's not for an ASM to sign, it's not for a Committee member to sign. The Scoutmaster block belongs to the Unit Serving Scouter in the principal Direct Contact position. Ms Summer... fyi, we are migrating away from your sons' issue to some broader discussion do not be afraid

What Lisa said. Our Council does call bank nights ... a lot of them. If you have a kid in the program, you will be assimilated contacted.

ASM411, Problem is, those switchbacks got dropped from the BSA Supply Corporation inventory. We have something else now, and at least one version is water-retaining, not moisture-wicking.

This is one place where I agree with Daddy_O. Once upon a time (1964-67), I wore one neckerchief from Bobcat until I joine a Boy Scout Troop. I wore one uniform, in fact. Now, Supply Corporation has this pipe dream that our youth are going to wear 4 caps, 3 neckerchiefs, 2 shirts and 2 pair of pants during their Cub experience. That doesn't count the Webelos doo-dad, which needs just one more color to be LGBT friendly. Supply Corporation is on drugs. That's all I can think. Of course, they have the missin of funding the BSA retirement plan to boot. Money talks.

BACK IN THE DAY!!!! This was 1968, long before WB21C Managerial Art 225 Yes, in 1968-73 or so, rank was truly sequential. Skills learned were truly sequential. Now, Tenderfoot, 2d Class, and 1st Class skills may be learned concurrently. That said, the only thing I know of that closes the loop instantly is if a young man completes the BSA Swim Test for First Class, he has instantly (if not already done so) completed the 2d Class swimming requirement. There, B... that's as Rick-like as I can get.

99.8% of the time, no. It's supposed to be a private communication between you and them.

That is the basic concept. Ours varies a bit year to year, but the youth have been getting more insightful questions as we go. Stop 1: We say the Obligation, and reflect on its/Scout Oath/Scout Law commitments. Stop 2: We reflect on Cheerful Service. Stop 3: We reflect on the greater community beyond Troops. Stop 4: SANITY CHECK. We make sure everyone can do the Handshake, and that they know the Admonition. What I'm wondering is are there still Lodges doing stump-the-chump Interviews?

Rural HS? EagleSon went to a suburban, near urban core HS, and his Principal was finding ways to leverage VTC technology for a wider offering of "explore" classes. We have a couple Nisei kids in that building. Japanese is kinda sorta rarely taught out here in flyover country. VTC got them a source. I do agree with Lisa: When Mr Smith is the only MBC for Composites in the council, Billy Smith his Star son doesn't have a choice... he sees Mr Smith/Dad as his MBC. The goal for Advancement Committees is to make Mr Smith more than 1 deep on the depth chart.

Granted I was elected under the 1:10 rules in 1970... but in 1969 I wasn't elected... Fred, IMO the time to talk with the youth is before election. Have SM conferences with the eligible. Talk about Oath, Law, and camping. Is it an ethic... and then some ? The other thing, and I've seen my SM do this, is talk with the youth in groups. Make sure the body politic understands what the Order means ... that it's an Obligation to service beyond self if they get elected. It's not another pretty doo-dad and a "Gee, look at me." Then, yes, have the after talks too...

I earned my Brotherhood waaaay back in 1971. For many years I had the little "Brotherhood Questionaire" booklet published by National. I've also seen more recently the same questions wiht the MGM Indian on a single 8 1/2 x 11. Way back in 2003, our officers came back from NOAC (as I recall, might have been some other training workshop) and told us old farts the Brotherhood Interview was DEAD. We were to use the Nemat Hike. The reason I asked is in the other thread, the poster commented about Brotherhood Interviews. I thought they were all gone throughout the Order. So.... We've been using the hike for a while now. What are your Lodges using?

You're still doing the Brotherhood Interviews? We were told by our youth officers and the advisers who went to NOAC way back in the 2003 timeframe that Brotherhood interview was not to happen, and the Nemat hike was to be in its place...

Your day is coming

Even then, when I'm invited to do an inspection, I'm probably going to say something nice to the Scout ... and leave the comment for the scoresheet

The letter to the Secretary of the Lodge is still a requirement.

Gern, We don't know the rest of the story here ... and we don't need to know. If I knew my DAC at all, if I knew an appeal was on its way to him, he'd be working the Commish service, the COR, other SMs, folks who know this troop. He may be wanting to make a point in the District. I'd hope this DAC, knowing well something was coming, has been doing his homework. Ms Summer, A quiet comment for your son ... nobody likes a wise ###. I hope he's seen that mature, friendly conduct will get him an awful long way in this life ... but pushing the envelope will catch up with him. Frankly, I'd rather have a good name than a gazillion bucks. I'm sad it had to happen this way. I'm glad we are at endgame.

This is why I asked for current youth officers to write and weigh in. BTW, Kosher while at its simplest means no pork, really means an entire style of kitchen management, conforming to OT dietary law. While there are many institutional foods which have some Kosher certification on them, there are lots of others which do not.

Even if you think Rush is Right, Sean is a nutjob. For that matter, so is Mark Levin. Of course, they're entertainers/celebrities. What would 100 celebrities chained to the bottom of the ocean be? Company for the lawyers.

You mean William Ayers, friend, neighbor, fund raiser and fellow board member of Barack Obama? I listened to "On Point" from NPR this morning. There was some George Washington University Law Professor claiming that because the CIA officers listened to Justice Department advice, they were guilty of war crimes not for what they did necessarily, but because they associated with bureaucrats who should have known better. If it works for them, it works for him too.

Pack, As in Mr Daddy_O ... he of the desire to have his boy in an Eagle Mill...

To heck with the rules, I wear my Ordeal/Brotherhood lodge flap on my Venturing shirt. Walika #228 has been defunct for going on 40 years. Someone has to keep its memory alive. I wear various versions of my current Lodges' flap on other uniforms.

Blue cards aren't required in fact. What's required is: Scoutmaster assigns Billy a MB Counselor. Billy and the Counselor visit once to several times. I used to like a starting session and an evaluation session. Coaching sessions should be available as needed. The Counselor, having been shown the work as appropriate, approves that Billy knows his stuff. The Scoutmaster receives completion and the adult side of the paperwork gets underway. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My personal opinion is the SM shouldn't under most cases counsel the Scouts of his own Troop. They are already getting Adult Association from him. They need the chance to meet other people and learn to work with them. My firmly held belief is that if a Scoutmaster has not cross-registered as a MB Counselor, he has not business doing anything with a MB other than "I approve, and here's your Counselor", and "Thank you, I'll give this to Mr/Ms Advancement person." My thoughts.

The biggest reason I like on request boards is the effort it takes for me to have my head in the game. Someone coming to a BOR deserves my undivided attention. I start to drift around the 3d setting... Fewer and more often keeps me fresher

And I apologize if I was inflammatory. Our difference is "most official" v "primary." Compared to Ms Summer's SM and Committee, we're in the small potatoes department