koolaidman

Finally we can create new topics?

Congratulations on starting a new topic! I'd just go to the scout shop, blue cards in hand and tell them you need replacements. I don't think it would cost much.

dedkad: Everyone is having the same problem since the site has been updated. I for one, am hoping the fix is not named Godot.

BD you have some excellent ideas there. I think I will have to borrow them. Only thing I can think to add may be a "best dressed" patrol. It could be uniforming, or simply best dressed (shirts tucked in, pants pulled up, general neatness). The "ribbon" could be a necktie.

My prayers go out for OGE's family and friends. I've only known of him from this forum, but I will miss him and his posts.

Is there a National document? You mean from the BSA? I don't know but I have heard from many folks that said that their DE's and other Council folks encourage Scout Accounts.

 

If, on the other hand, you mean Federal, then yes, there is a national document - it's called the US Tax Code.

 

Let's see what the IRS has to say about it:

 

A June 2011 directive to IRS field agents issued by Lois Lerner, the IRS director of exempt organizations, stated “if a booster club confers benefits on a participant in return for his/her fundraising activities, such as crediting amounts raised by a participant toward that participant’s dues requirement, or by crediting amounts raised against the cost of a trip, the booster club is providing a private benefit to that participant. Consequently, such practices could result in the organization failing to be described in § 501©(3).â€

 

The IRS has also rejected recent applications for tax-exemption of youth athletic organizations on this same premise. Will they come after Scout units? Do you want to risk it?

 

Solution? Collect spending deficits from current Scouts. Zero out all other accounts now. Hold a couple of fundraisers (car washes, bake sales, whatever it takes) between now and Summer Camp to cover the potential cost of your "moral obligations", then never, ever, have Individual Scout Accounts again.

As we have had a low participation scout for the past year, I can understand your feelings. It is sad when a boy is unable to participate due to lack of parental involvement, busy parents, or busy siblings.

There are no active attendance requirements until Webelos and Arrow of Light ranks.

If the boy complete requirements at home (and through Bear, parents can sign off), then he earns his rank.

If he earns his rank and is a no-show at B&G mention his name with the rest of the den. If he didn't earn it, he didn't. Don't call his name. T

here is nothing to explain to the other boys other than he didn't earn it.

If the family wishes to "go over your head", I guess that's between them and the Cubmaster. The Cubmaster is the final arbitor of achievement verification anyway. He should ask them to go through you first, but if they don't wish to, then that's the slippery slope for the Cubmaster eh?

Personally I would chalk it up to "can't please everyone". If you have more than one Bear den, let the family know that if they would feel more comfortable with another den that the option of switching is available.

I wouldn't weat it past that, unless you're his Webelos leader next year. If so, make sure the families know up front that only den leaders are to sign off on Webelos requirements (which doesn't mean they can't do something on their own time) and what the expectations are for active membership.

goo luck. I know it still stings, but you can only do so much.

Our pack has always had a sibling category and an adult category.

If anyone figures a workaround to get the equivelent of the old "Last 24 hrs" page, please share.

As ASM of a 6 mo old unit I agree with what everyone has said.

The only things I'd add are:

Having some cash on hand (donated) to purchase some items helps too.(ie: flags, troop gear that otherwise can not be scrounged or borrowed)

This is where the flexible parents help. If they "need" pretty flags like the school or previous troop had, then it will be couple hundred bucks. Those that can make due with a table top flag will have more flexibility with their budget.

When starting up a brand new PLC, it helps to have some limited ideas for the boys to choose from anytime a scout decision needs to be made until they learn group decision making skills and are better practiced with coming up with ideas of their own.

Twocubdad, the use of the word "approval" in your underlined section is precisely what will change in the new GTA per the January advancement newsletter.

The newsletter mentions that the new practices will be "mandated" when the new GTA is published, and until then conformance with the clarified procedure is "requested".

John-in-KC

Is this what you are looking for? (page 37 2011 GTA, second paragraph)

"Though it has not been clearly stated in the past,

units, districts, and local councils do not have the

authority to implement a different system for merit

badge approval and documentation. In any case,

through the years, many councils have created new

forms and approaches to the process, some including

IT components. In an effort to gather and consider

these potential best practices, councils are now asked

to submit descriptions and copies of their blue card

alternatives to the national Advancement Team."

BD: Yep. When a SM decides he doesn't want a boy to earn a MB, that's ego in my book.

SM would only hand out blank blue cards. After boys take class, signs all but "X". He didn't want that boy to have it.

(Now that troop doesn't have the boy)

bnelon44, thank you for the link.

I know this "development" may deflate some SM egos in my area.

On the digital/paper debate. I think having a card to give to the scout gives him some control over his destiny when all other controls fail. Adults lose paperwork, adults forget to enter items into database. Accidents happen. A signed card/handbook is very good evidence that requirements were met.

Call me crazy but, I like them. I find them very comfortable and often don't bother to change out of them when I get home from a meeting.

As far as mis-matching sizes. I little stitch with colored thread could help in matching them up. Just use a different color for each person.

OGE,

I understand the tramatic argument. I just trying to wrap my head around the "medically unneccessary" argument.

At some point (in the early phase) of pregnancy, the Dr. will need to verify for an abortion or prenatal care.

I do stipulate, that if confirmed pregnant via transvaginal probe on day one, then on day 15 the woman decides to get an abortion, it would be unnessesary to do it again, but...

As we found out after 2 miscarriages, the doctor will want to double-check before performing a D and C. I imagine the same would happen for an abortion (so they could call it a D and C, instead of abortion). The double-check was performed via transvaginal wand.

Based on my personal experiences, I have a hard time with the unneccessary argument.

I beleive it is invasive, but also neccessary.

Whether or not to show the picture to the mother?

I indeed understand that argument.

Calico-

Yes, that is what I was talking about when I said "wand".

Please correct me if technology has changed, the doctor said that up to a certain point (we saw the dr. at 5 weeks) you could only see the ovum with the probe, you had to be further along for the belly transducer (my own scientific description) to work.

That's why I have the question...

Eamonn,

We do drink tea in Texas, just over ice and often unbearably sweetened. (Well, I don't drink the sweet tea)

Hate discussing politics, but I've been wondering what the hubub is about number 4.

My wife goes to the OB/GYN says doc I think I'm pregnant. He says "What makes you think you're pregnant?", We'll I haven't had my period and the test from the drug store came back positive". He says "Well the best way to tell is" and breaks out his ultrasound wand.

Seems if we seeking an abortion, he'd make sure she was pregnant in the same fashion (because can you imagine the lawsuit stemming from performing an abortion on someone who isn't pregnant?).

So, if its going to be used anyway, how is it intrusive?

It's an honest question. Not taking a stance here...

Seattle,

They have a new treasurer, "old" treasurer is now CC.

SMT,

If the new treasurer has had no links to the funds in the past, I think he/she would be independent enough to be trusted with the reconciliation (not really an audit per se).

It sounds like a policy needs to be put in place on deficit spending by the scouts.

I wish you and your troop luck!

Bring it up in a committee meeting to see if they were "borrowing" against this year's troop allotment of popcorn money. If they were, address that issue and suggest a plan to avoid that in the future.

If there is no good explanation, suggest a third party (not a signor on the account, not the treasurer, or anyone who takes part in reporting cash balances) reconcile the accounts.

It could be that someone has been lax in accounting for scout purchases. Maybe the formula in splitting up the funds needs to be tweaked.

My apologies if my post seemed to come from left field.

My tired eyes and read the original post to ask if camping was required in IOLS training....I blame Halloween.

My council does not require IOLS for a tour plan...

I attended a 1 day (8 hrs or so) IOLS session and received my card without camping overnight. A neighboring district saw the need for the course as there are plenty of scouters that already have the outdoors skills and don't have the time to break away from families for training.

The "challenge" course, as they call it, focuses more on testing and not the introduction of skills. The trainer was flexible and would spend more time on areas that scouters may have been uncomfortable with.

So while I don't have official policy, I am proof that it's not techincally required.

Council is aware that it is a one day class, as it is advertised that way on the Council training schedule.

I agree with ParkMan and BDPT00 and BSA24's first sentence.

I would not bring it before the youth. Scouters need to lead by example and shouldn't need to ask the youth if it's OK for an unmarried couple to share a tent.

Definitely discuss with SM and CC.

Seems to me for both issues the following facts are stipulated:

1. Fraternization between "youth" & "adults" is/will be occuring.

2. BSA liturature characterizes this fraternaization as inappropriate. (per the link SMB gave).

3. You can't feign ignorance, you received the email.

4. Some folks don't agree with BSA literature.

What defense do you have if a third party decides to report it to the SE?

What would you do as SE, given the current climate and recent release of the perversion files?

What would you do as SE even if the COR, CO and IH thought it was OK?

How would you feel if a young scouter was banned from scouting because you didn't make sure things were OK with the SE?

I'm betting the SE will see it in more black and white than others.

Another small question/point to add fuel to the fire:

The last sentence of the first paragraph, the future scouter asks if he will have to either "end our relationship" or "have one of us leave Scouting for the next year-and-a-half"

Would this young man seriously end the relationship over this?

I'm not a brain scientist, but that seems to be a whole nother ball of worms that may need to be ironed out.