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qwazse

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  1. qwazse
    Actually, the Scout Spirit doesn't have time specifications ... although one would think it's implicit. But, take 2nd class ... a scout describes how he followed 4 points of the scout law other than the ones he chose for tenderfoot. Suppose for one of those four, he gave an example of something he did before he earned tenderfoot. As written, he would still meet the requirement. By extension, a girl scout who shows multiple ways that she was following each point of the oath and law could meet the requirement. But, as I mentioned earlier, BSA-specific requirements (esp. those camping nights, and PoR and tenure) have no reasonable way of being fulfilled in GS/USA. The only practical way is if a troop of girls decide to pick up a bunch of old Boy's Life articles and form their own green bar patrol. But, that group of girls would be in the realm of rogue troop (as far as both organizations are concerned)!
  2. qwazse
    A scout is trustworthy. Ask the scout, can you tie those knots, swim those yards, and navigate that terrain? If the answer is "No sir," reply, "Come back when you can." To add to Flag's comment: if you've seen a scout struggling in an area, tell him that you're postponing his advancement SMC until he regains proficiency.
  3. qwazse
    That's not complicated. Ask the scout. If he/she cannot tell you how he/she lived by the Oath and Law before he/she knew it, suggest he/she come back in a couple of months now that he/she's recited it. For example, to my knowledge, Duty to God doesn't depend on one's ability to pronounce shibboleth.
  4. qwazse
    That's what I've been saying about what happens as long as rank advancement is muddled with identity as much as achievement. Thanks for making my point for me.
  5. qwazse
    By way of example ... Cooking: if a boy wants to rally his patrol and cook up supper during the meeting, I'm all for it. Did it before, tasted good, I'll gladly come back to the trough. The boys also did a great job cleaning up the kitchen. If somebody thinks the boys deserve some kind of teaching on all the ways they can poison their food, I'll spit nails and tell them to offer the lecture on another evening/weekend. Will put a sign-up list for it right next to the one for Klondike derby. I might change my tune if the session microscopes and specimens, or maybe a visit to the hospital to cheer up victims of an E. coli outbreak ...
  6. qwazse
    Back in the day, a buddy had to repeat 2nd grade, but he joined our den and moved up with us. His mom even took a turn as our den leader when we were Bears. I loved my 2nd mom!
  7. qwazse
    The ideal, IMHO, would be to reprint the GBB article in BL. An abstract about the article in Scouting. And a BL online comments section where PL's/SPL's could "sound off" if they've did what the article talked about and report their after action review.
  8. qwazse
    @Eagle94-A1, "recognition" remains the method of Venturing, in contrast to "rank advancement" as the method of Boy Scouting. Venturer-Summit are still described as awards, not ranks http://www.venturing.org/awards.html, and the specialty awards are still available and encouraged.
  9. qwazse
    Some honor. In a girls' mind, these statements say "your Silver will never be as polished as my Eagle." Then we wonder why directing a girl towards Venturing Silver comes off as hollow. We still haven't found the right balance with venturers. Activities are fine, but pulling off one event is a limited accomplishment. The requirements for the awards on paper make for a well-rounded individual, but there is no sense in most youths' minds that they need a badge for that. And certainly, if no investment is made in encourage the majority of scouters nation-wide to honor venturing's highest award, maybe crews are right to ignore Silver/Summit as well ... and instead push for girls to be recognized via boy scout rank advancement. It seems like I've had a higher percentage of dual-registered boys (about half) not earn Eagle. The Eagles tended to be the more active boys. I didn't prompt one way or the other ... there were plenty of other scouters doing that for me. I especially enjoyed when Life scouts made the effort to invite the young women in the crew to help with their service projects. I did prompt them about that, and it happened for 1/4 of the projects.
  10. qwazse
    But have you heard of any admissions office selecting those students over students with single activities over a wider diversity of categories? My kids got their first-choice college acceptance with one sport and some music (or five sports and no music), one scouting organization, religious life, and strong academics. The one who got a full scholarship did not earn a scouting award. The Eagles did not get a single scholarship. Colleges ain't stupid. They know how naked the emperor is.
  11. qwazse
    There's hope @ItsBrian! These guys would have earned Eagle under the old cooking MB requirements -- it might not have even been a required badge. The new requirements are a bit more stringent. That said, don't rush to judgement. It sounds like the twins loved being scouts, but are probably more about cheerfulness than spit-and-polish.
  12. qwazse
    The rank is a rare exception. The EBOR is a special consideration. What folks in this thread are talking about is trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. The rules have been written so that it cannot be done. Either chisel out the corners (i.e., change the rules) and welcome the peg, or go home. Cutting corners via GTA acrobatics won't hold.
  13. qwazse
    A good enough project for either award gets you 15 minutes of fame. And a military pay bump. There are already Venturers and Sea Scouts with a silver eagle at the end of their ribbon and a GS Gold award. NESA should shine the spotlight on these champions and give their Eagles something to aspire to.
  14. qwazse
    There's no college worth going to that would care about someone who has two of the same thing. Especially, if the effort in one could be used toward completing the other.
  15. qwazse
    Simple answer: over the years BSA has crafted its advancement requirements so that much of their completion is contingent on homage to the BSA. (E.g., Boy Scout camping nights.) So, no, transferring "credit" would be an exersize in futility. More complex answer (via rhetorical question): why would any Gold Award recipient want Eagle? Also, the Gold Award project may be for its own organization. (E.g., one of my Venturers organized and directed a GS camporee.)
  16. qwazse
    Rest in Peace, Captain Steve https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/01/12/steve-cansler-beloved-captain-of-sea-bases-bahamas-program-dies-at-65/ Not sure if anybody else on this forum got to sail with this fine scouter. But, maybe one of you upon retirement has dreams of cashing it all in for a sail boat. Steve's an example of one great way to do it.
  17. qwazse
    Again this is where we part ways. Firstly, I've never met a Venturer - at least one who was never a Boy Scout - who would want to work toward Eagle. The lion share don't want to work toward any recognition - a big problem with the program. The ones who do want to be recognized, want to be recognized for earning their award (be it Silver or Summit) that already has an Eagle on the device. IMHO, NESA needs to either broaden its scope or go away. We have created an class of boys who are actually deluded into thinking that their rank is better than Venturing and Sea Scout awards -- (pardon the report from boots on the ground). I would not ask anyone to join a troop merely for rank advancement. I certainly would not give any venturer of mine up to a troop so they can earn an award attained by 7% of Boy Scouts instead of an award attained by mere fractions of a percent of Venturers. And I certainly would not approve the application of any Venturing female who things that by signing on this year she may count it as tenure in a troop next year!
  18. qwazse
    @Eagle94-A1's #1 is almost my exclusive challenge to all adult leaders. Physical distance makes a patrol. It's implicit in a vision of the pinnacle scouting experience being hiking and camping independently with your mates. There's no point in a patrol flag if you can ask a boy standing at a few feet which patrol site that is. No point in a bugler, if an SPL can shout "assemble at the flag!" No point in a patrol yell if you are within talking distance. No point in planning the menu-to-win-all-cook-offs, if the other patrol is at an adjacent table and can overhear/see your menu. Can physical distance "break" a patrol? Sometimes, if the boys aren't really friends, or if they are thugs and bent on no good. But you will never know if you are working anything close to a patrol method until the patrol is in its own space.
  19. qwazse
    He will certainly have a reputation as a scoff-law. I have a reputation of letting youth hike on their own for hours and camp a ball-field's throw from me in wilderness recreation areas. Those things don't sit well with parents of younger scouts. It might mean that certain leaders won't be first on the list for certain activities. But, if those are honest appraisals, CCs, SMs, and parents may work with them going forward. Wanna know what's very hard to work with? Claims that @T2Eagle would sweep violations under the rug! Impossible to work with? Some scout needing to deflect his own mischief on to that scouter, and nothing on record from the scouter himself of what actually transpired. Tragic? Real abuse in a troop that had ignored warning signs.
  20. qwazse
    Not necessarily. A YPT violation is not a charge of abuse. It does not, in itself, constitute an actionable offense. Scouters have been retained after events like this.
  21. qwazse
    This is why I always bring my tent. And, yes, there have been sub-zero temps when I've set it up to avoid a cabin full of teen-scent and alcove of man-snore. (Or maybe I was the snore!) I'll sleep under a roof if there's only one other leader and he insists on staying in the cabin, or some base/hotel regulation insists adults be in the same quarters. Talk to your scout executive or director of field service. Generally, they are more respectful of this sort of thing than people give them credit. And, get the guy ear plugs as an early birthday present.
  22. qwazse
    I think teens are a vital part of our workforce. They are often able to work the hours that parents cannot. Young teens come with two uncertainties: - transportation - first time hire Both put them at a disadvantage relative to the rest of the employment pool.
  23. qwazse
    How will it work? By boots on the ground not caring about a rodent's mule, digging in and getting it done! This could have been done yesterday by saying "If a lady is knocking at the door, you may open it, we'll recognize her achievements." Then, they could get together with troops who've done so, and share the best practices with the rest of us. BSA breeds leaders. Maybe they should let them lead.
  24. qwazse
    My take? If the district/council thinks the boy did not complete the requirements (e.g., paperwork missing, the signature of a counselor or project beneficiary is invalid, etc...) they need to ask the scout to rectify those things before going forward. Once everything is in place on paper, start the board, soon. If anything is lacking, suspend the board with instructions in writing for what the scout should do before the board may reconvene.
  25. qwazse

    Howdy

    qwazse replied to cyphertext's topic in New to the Forum?

    Welcome to the forums! Don't let us distract you from your homework!
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