perdidochas

Well, per this 2015 article, the above (t-shirt with tied necker) was totally acceptable per official BSA guidelines. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/08/21/scout-neckerchiefs-now-approved-wear-nonuniform-clothing/ Previously, according to an earlier version of the Guide, the Scout neckerchief was “worn only with the official uniform and never with T-shirts or civilian clothing.”

I think I would discuss it with his ScoutMaster, but would mainly do it to make sure the boy isn't being punished by the old troop, and he's reaching out to a new troop as the easy way out (we've had that happen in my boy's troop--a boy was being punished for an incident involving a knife, and he quit our troop and joined another.).

I raised my sons to be that way. They had no problems telling adults if they were wrong. They were also pretty good about knowing when not to do so, albeit my oldest not so much as my youngest.

It is the simplest way to do it.

I've heard both of those as well--that SMs are automatically MBCs for everything, and that MBCs shouldn't counsel their own children. Neither, of course, are real policies, although the second is a good idea, in most cases. I was an MBC for most of the Eagle Required (except First Aid, Swimming, and Lifesaving) Merit badges as well as an ASM. I would not counsel my sons on a MB if there were anybody else in the Troop that I thought could do a good job of it. I was their MBC for Cooking and for Environmental science for that reason. We didn't have other MBCs for those, and I was tougher on my sons than on another scout. I also wouldn't sign off on any rank advancement that they had that wasn't recorded elsewhere. I would sign off, for example, requirements of number of outings, etc. for them, but that's because we had that recorded in the advancement record system we were using at the time. Our SM had two sons in the Unit. He never signed off anything for them, and had others do the SM conferences with them.

Most of the SM's I've met wouldn't want to be MBC. They have enough to do as it is.

I don't see the big deal. When I signed up as a district level MBC and did it for about 5 years, I had two Scouts from outside of my troop request for my services as a MBC.

I've always thought the purpose of YPT was as a CYA for those of us who don't violate children. I've been YPT certified for most of the time since 2006 or so. Besides the "rules" of interacting with youth, I've never thought it was a good training in recognizing the predators (the training I've had to do because our Troop is chartered by a Catholic Church is much better at that part, although not as clear about specific rules for interacting with youth. Having both the BSA and the diocesan trainings has been a good combination for me). That said, the situation outline by the OP is troubling. My first YPT training was in September, and by the end of my time as a leader it was in June (did it early a few times, to make sure I had it for summer camp or some other situation).

Well, outlaws and narwhals.....

In Alabama, it's never too cold for manhunt. It can be too warm for it, though.

Don't quite understand this sentence "the rule in our troops on normal campouts is that if it's not warm enough to play manhunt in the evening or at night near our campsite, then I’ll show a movie instead…" It's never too cold to play manhunt. It can be too warm to play manhunt. I will admit, we have watched a movie as a troop at a campout. It was a hot, rainy night (84 degrees or so with 95% humidity at 8 at night), and was actually too hot to play manhunt or almost any other outdoor game.

I have to admit, I would feel uncomfortable with a scout leader who wanted to meet me in my home shortly after meeting him. The above wouldn't be welcoming in my book, but nosy.

Wow, we just always told the parents that rank advancement in Boy Scouts was an individual thing, and that there was no plan. Yes, the ASMs would individually talk to scouts, and might even help them plan out their next rank, but there was no overall plan, other than a campout every month, and a meeting every week (at the time, we met every Monday except for the Monday between Christmas and New years (or both if those holidays occurred on Monday) and the week of summer camp. Rank requirements were done at every campout, the Scouts are responsible for doing them. Scouts could ask an ASM to sign off on requirements on the great majority of meetings. I would have reassured her that we don't kick out Scouts for non-advancement, so we allow them to go for as long as they want without rank advancement.

I thought the above as well, until I saw my oldest son check them out from the library.

We are dying, slowly but surely, and have been dying for at least 20 years. I don't understand why. I personally still think that Boy Scouting is the best youth program developed in the United States. (that said, all youth activities are dying. The number of youth athletes is also down).

Sons' troop is very middle to middle upper class.

Actually, the only flair I have is the two Eagle Dad pins, and the three Eagle Mentor pins (and sometimes a temporary patch, usually a Camporee patch).

They still need to do this by comparison shopping. I don't see it as a real big difference. I'd much rather have the Scout use online grocery delivery than to have his mother do all the shopping.

I've always worn my Eagle Dad (and Eagle Mentor) pins on my uniform. I don't care about the regulations, it just seems like the right thing to do. That said, in Cub Scouts, the Cub leaders all had leather name badges, and we would put our sons' pins on it. https://www.scoutshop.org/leather-name-tag-kit-17451.html

I have a Thermacell. My problem with it is that it doesn't work well in a breeze, which is pretty common around here (Pensacola, FL). That said, my brother-in-law, who lives in central Florida, and is a major naturalist (and one of his hobbies is collecting bugs at night), and he swears by the Thermacell.

In the old Troop, we had three types of Scouts that were MCing. The first was those working on Communications MB. They were usually the worst. Second was the SPLs and ASPLs. They varied, but were usually better than the Comm. MB Scouts. The third was the kids with the gift of gab. (Often they were the older scouts who were former SPLs). They were good, otherwise they wouldn't just volunteer for it.

Not sure if it's in the literature, but I know in my sons' old troop, the Scouts (the SPL/ASPL and anybody working on Communications MB) rant the COH, just like they ran the regular Troop meetings. I believe in the general rule of "Don't have an adult do what Scouts can do." That said, the Advancement Chair of the Committee assembled all the awards before the COH.

Exactly.

Exactly. The Scouts should do most of the work for the COH, but should inform the adults of plans beforehand.

The Scouts should be conducting the COH. They should work with the SM and other adults in determining the specifics, but they should be doing it. They should be making the awards, etc. Both of my sons were Eagles, so I attended my share of COHs. Every one was done by the Scouts. Yes, the Advancement Chair prepared the actual awards, but the presentation was up to the Scouts.