John-in-KC

Blancmange, I remember reading about Buddhist religious emblems when I was a youth member (that would be the late 60s). That dog does not hunt, at least to me. Buddhism as part of Scouting is a settled matter. Heck, their emblem looks far harder, age for age, than anything PRAY puts on the street.

studentscout: NO. Buddhism (as I posted earlier) is a settled matter: It's a faith community. Scouting recognizes it. There are authorized religious emblems and adult awards: National Buddhist Committee on Scouting: http://bcascout.webs.com/index.html * Metta Religious Award Requirements (Cubs) http://bcascout.webs.com/info/MettaAwardRequirements.pdf * Sangha Religious Award Requirements (Boys/Venturers) http://bcascout.webs.com/info/SanghaAwardRequirements.pdf Adult Religious Award * Bodhi Award Overview/Requirements http://bcascout.webs.com/info/BodhiAwardOverviewReq.pdf If I were sitting your Eagle Board, I'd be asking you to explain your understanding of Buddhism and how it helps form the man you are That's pretty similar to the question I ask for other faith groups.

Most of what you call shades of gray are in my zone clear: - I will accept a youth member seeking. - I will accept a youth member claiming polytheism. If I sat an EBOR and a Scout claimed a-theism, I would not vote to advance. Adults are a different story. I expect them to have a faith, and that faith cannot be a faith without a godhead (mono or poly). Period. As Kahuna has noted so often, Buddhism is a faith family, and fully accepted/embraced by Scouting.

In an adult, a-theism is not gray. It's black and white. If I'm a COR, I will not sign the app. That simple. If I'm a CC, and someone registered tells me they are atheist, I will instruct the recharter person not to renew them. That simple. If I'm a program guy, and someone registered tells me they are atheist, I call the COR and suspend that person from duties immediately. That is a line in the sand.

OK, moose: Time to drop the bombshell: http://www.bsalegal.org/duty-to-god-cases-224.asp Declaration of Religious Principle, Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, 1, cl. 1 The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law. The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life. (emphasis added) ● Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, 1, cls. 2-4. The activities of the members of the Boy Scouts of America shall be carried on under conditions which show respect to the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion, as required by the twelfth point of the Scout Law, reading Reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others. In no case where a unit is connected with a church or other distinctively religious organization shall members of other denominations or faith be required, because of their membership in the unit, to take part in or observe a religious ceremony distinctly unique to that organization or church. Only persons willing to subscribe to these declarations of principles shall be entitled to certificates of leadership in carrying out the Scouting program.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

83Eagle, There is nothing I know of that prohibits someone who believes in polytheism from being a member of Scouting. The last time I checked, Hindu was at its source, polytheistic, and we have Hindi religous emblems. The last time I checked, Shinto is, for our purposes, polytheistic. In my role as a Scouter, I'm not going to fight to die on the hill over the matter of monotheism v polytheism.

The Judge is upset. Actually, so am I. I'll leave the gay issue on the table. I'm far more upset that you admitted you shallowly went through the program in walking the trail. Scouters are men and women who have chosen to equip the generations behind them to take their station in life. We do that accepting full-well the elements of the Scout Oath and Law in our own lives. No point is more or less important than any other, but our role is to live up to all 12. Scouting is not a values buffet. IMO, accept the full ethic of Scouting, and join us on the trail, or refuse the ethic ... and walk your own trail. Godspeed.

As an adult, you subscribe to the Scout Law every bit as much as a youth member. It's a proactive and descriptive, not reactive and prescriptive. A Scout is Reverent. If you cannot honor that point of the Scout Law, you do not belong as a registered volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America. That's my opinion. Godspeed to you, may He show you that He exists and loves you.

My two cents: If the requirement in a MB is TEACH, I would tell the Scouts I counsel that I will directly observe their performance, or they may find another Counselor. Learning to teach is full of mentoring moments.

As usual, National has not caught up with the data on the webpage. Still a-f there. Sigh. Even so, I would trust usscouts.org far, far more than I would ever again trust meritbadge.org. I tell that to folks in the units I serve, too.

Oh. Dear. Lord. It's the Arrow of Light. It's not a Nobel Prize. Give the kid his patch and card and the parents Doo-dad. Make a tiny fuss over them, and move along. Even for a youth joining Cub Scouts at the beginning of summer entering the transition year, it's not a difficult award to earn. BTW, in practicing what I preach: This is how I got my AOL in 1967, and how my son got his AOL in 2001.

ApacheBob, Thank you for the datum

Entirely your call.

Calico, ApacheBob has posted often enough here that I inferred alcohol. OK, I'll ask: HEY APACHE BOB!!! Do you know if the substance the Scout was accused of being DUI under is a prescribed medication or an extra-legal or illegal substance (for his age or any age)??? I will say this: If it's a DUI for a prescribed medication, I would assume the Scout quickly learns his lesson, and matters can be moved along with. Otherwise, I stick to my advice already given. Now, to CalicoPenn: NoLesRule said: You have to know the youth that you are dealing with and figure out which direction will work best for that particular scout. Isn't this why we serve as direct contact leaders and other positions in Scouting? To get to know these young men, to give them adults to role model on and ask questions to?? I think Beavah has a right of it. The youth who gets it when he's told his Scouting career is on hold while his personal life sorts out probably has the value set we're aspiring to. This is a speed bump in the road. The Scout who punches out, well, you can draw your own conclusions...

CT Bailey, I just looked at the "Coming up in Boy's Life" in the E-edition of Scouting. There's a valid suggestion. Giving unit serving leaders a heads up on the thematic articles makes sense, rather than the slick "c'mon subscribe" blather there now. There's a blog, run by one of the editorial staff of Scouting. I'll suggest just that! In fact, I just did email Bryan Wendell, the associate editor of Scouting, at National. You can too, his blog (and email addy) is at: http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

dlearlyous, Yes, I'm serious. I've served RT staff since the fall of 2002 in my District. I invite you to the North Star District, Heart of America Council Roundtable. We hold it the first Thursday of the month at Cerner Riverport Training Center (once known as Sam's Town Casino), generally at I-435 and Missouri 210 in Kansas City (North of the River). We don't read flyers. If your RT is not delivering the promise, you need to engage your COR with your District Key 3. Of course, being part of the solution is always a help as well!

Take training! Attend your District Roundtable. The major purpose of Roundtable is to support the unit serving Scouter by introducing him to the monthly theme "next up." It is one of the tools of the local Council to provide support to the Chartered Partner ... which is part of the Charter Agreement.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

The annual Roundtable Guide has the themes in it: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/511-942.pdf It's issued on a 3 year cycle. Troop Program Features may or may not have the monthly themes in them, but have a wealth of other resources. Most every theme will be supported in some form or other. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33110.pdf http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33111.pdf http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33112.pdf Finally, here is Scouting Magazine online (and you can e-read): http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/ Does this help?

I've sent this to my DD, DC, RT Commish and our District Committee H&S/RM Operating Committee chair. It'd sure be nice if National would account for time to train the operating committee folk and the UCs, so they can train units, before the go live date... we volunteers do have day jobs. Sigh.

Yeah, I goofed. 4 of 9 kids 1 of 8 4 leadership outside patrols.

OK. This is not the cited content on the page. Where did the information you posted come from? It's not exactly a lot of time to get set for this. March RTs are just one (for the most part) District/Council operating committee meeting away... We're strawmanning a plan, but the more credible info we have the better off we will be.

Oh. Dear. Lord. At least we haven't descended to the Godwin's Law level yet

Ours does what OGE says too.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/01/21/hospital_giffords_moves_to_rehab_facility_friday/ I want to know more about the political positions of her. She may be the true centrist most of us can live with. If she can recover to a baseline of at least a college undergrad, she might be a decent candidate for President. Mind, I think I've established myself as being fairly right of center in saying that.

There's a commissioner's college study out in the interwebs. While I generally believe what Beavah said (the unit will size itself to the SM's comfort level), the optimum size for a Troop is about 48 youth: 9 patrols of 9, 1 of 8. Chap Aide Scribe Librarian TG while all Troop warrant offices, lived within Patrols when not directly doing Troop duties. SPL ASPL x 2 QM were general support of the Troop. In this model, I was led to understand that Instructors and Den Chiefs were still organic to their home Patrols.