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No, you wouldn't. The sheet clearly states "if worn" what should be placed on it. You lose points only if inappropriate insignia are on the patch. If the sash is not worn (presumably because you haven't earned the badges), you get the full five points.

These days, all naturally formed patrols are non-BSA.

Boots on the ground tell me they would not get resupplied if it weren't for Marine pilots willing to fly craft where Army and Navy pilots won't. Maybe there is a way to consolidate, but there is no reason to suspect it will be budget reducing. @@Beavah, remember when Clinton was first running, he floated a BTU tax that would replace income? Couldn't convince middle America that it would save them money or paperwork. @@NJCubScouter -- fun with tangents.

Do any of you teach the caterpillar method of hiking? Scouts proceed on trail spreading out until the lead has covered about 1000 yards or is coming on a hill. The lead then stops. Second scout advances about 50 yards past the lead then stops, 3rd scout stops 50 yards past the second, etc ... (In tight country or very steep climbs that distance might be 50 or 25 feet.) The lead only starts hiking once the sweep has advanced past the 2nd. Everyone continues, stopping when he has hiked that distance past the scout in front of him and starting only once the scout behind him passes and moves past the scout in front of him. Swapping positions while you're moving is okay as long as you commit to stopping safely once you are ahead of everyone and only starting again once everyone is ahead of you. A party of 10 might get spread out about 500 yards ... each scout always in eyesight of the next. This sets up opportunities to spot game, calm the group, rely on hand signals, give everyone a rest, and keep your fast hikers accountable to the slow ones. I've found this works for city youth who hike infrequently and are more intimidated about the woods than it does with scouts who have a sense that their buddies will be fine no matter what.

I know that. We all do (although truth be told, yoga pants ain't making it easy in this town). But these guys don't know you we do (or, would rather believe that all of us don't) respect the people they are meant to protect. So somehow you got to convince them that you're being a good neighbor as well as protective dad. Bringing back to topic: you could open with a story about how folks with zero-tolerance policies are demonizing our school kids who would otherwise grow up strong and do good for our country.

Not disagreeing with the insanity of it all. We've got some adorable girls in hijabs around here, and I know that it does nothing to stop guys from being, well, guys. I'm sure having put your time in in-country, there's plenty more to go on about. Just suggesting some honey over vinegar. Telling him you'll treat his women with the utmost respect if he can see it in his heart to do the same for yours will get you more miles in the long run. Buying the ticket home ... well we've found that doesn't necessarily end well.

I don't know about other parts of the country, but of grateful beneficiaries, community garden folks around here seem to top the list. A lot of neighbors, in spite of relocating here because of new jobs/school opportunities, etc ..., have lost their sense of place, and find it in these gardens. But they are often overwhelmed with no time to seriously improve their patch of land to the point of sustainability. Our scouts come in and hack at one particular problem, or simply mobilize the community ... get the ball rolling ... then at CoH's the person who donated the land comes and tells the audience how he/she almost lost hope in grandpa's lot being anything but everyone else's dump or parking lot. ... Counts for WAY MORE than service hours.

Oh, in case you haven't already, call your local paper. Especially if there was a reporter who covered the incident. I'm sure he/she'd love to follow-up at the awards ceremony.

Probably the only thing my grandparents rued about immigrating was the havoc that they perceived the sexual revolution wreaked on their children. I've since talked to Syrians who lingered in country, and know the old folks' rant was pots calling kettles black. I'm just saying, keep in mind that he sees how "our" girls are abused, coerced into pseudo-consensual promiscuity, and trafficked in this country and wants that crappola to stop, and work from common ground that you both want the best for your kids. You just are pretty convinced that fiddling with dress codes doesn't even touch the margin of the problem.

As someone whose family endured countless "welcome to America" speeches, then watch those families devolve into debauchery ... just requesting you go easy on the guy.

I don't know how you guys teach classes, but we bring good snacks, and plenty of tea and coffee. Folks can reload or call for a break any time. (Helpful hint: when possible, choose the venue next to the dutch oven class!)

You know, some of this boils down to proper COR training ... convincing them that they actually are responsible to approve leadership who deliver that program, and failure to do so reflects on the CO, not the unit. Being the youngest kid in the family I grew up hearing criticism (good and bad) of other units. Never was a unit # mentioned, it was always "the troop at ___ church" or the "pack out of ___ hall". That still holds to this day. On occasion, a leader's name would be mentioned, but usually ... it's the CO.

Probably some kid in a rush to school, remembered it was in the glove compartment from the weekend camping, didn't want to get suspended, so he chucked it hoping that some kind soul would turn it in for him to claim at the end of the day.

I sat in on Pitt's freshman engineering seminars. Student teams research a future invention they have been thinking about (possibly since high school), and research its current feasibility, including energy efficiency, health and safety, and sustainability. One team presented a self-sustaining bio-fueled autonomous pond-scrubber bot. (Think water flea scaled-up to have ping-pong ball feet.) Quite impressive. If kids across the country come through on 1/10 of these designs, the future will be awesome. Son #2 and his buddy pitched invisibility cloaking. Don't expect to see a full-scale prototype any time soon.

Check with your DE. Sometimes council awards these at a coordinated meeting. Anyway, if it is a unit CoR that kind of decision is up to your SPL.

Well ... that and showing him a snow drift with the tracks of the boys coming in the night before, of the lead boys fresh tracks going out, and a bear's paw on top of them. That boy's been moving ever since!

Came on a trail as a guy completing an extended hike in Filas for the first time was coming off. He said he definitely felt lighter on his feet, but had to walk more gingerly than he would have in boots. That particular trail wasn't very rocky, but I got the impression that he'd continue wearing them in future hikes.

Instead of the cash, I would have asked if he could come visit the troop while setting up camp. It would be nice to have a hand pounding those steaks pounded into rocky ground.

Looks like you have a difficult family situation to sort through. But, a severely disabled person can participate as a scout. Get your DE to help you sort some of this out.

.... You must be in Hell. An espresso pot is my go-to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot What's nice about beans ground for stove top espresso, is that they pack tightly in a ziplock.

FWIW, one of our scouts was permanently suspended after being verbally and physically assaulted by an abusive team-mate during summer practice. I was dumbfounded ... Simply because this scout hardly needed anything besides his size to handle such individuals, But he drew a pen knife in an attempt to avoid the fight. But he brought it on school property ... In court, the aggressor was brought up on charges, and the scout was exonerated. The boy's grown up to be a fine young man ... Trump supporter. Dare I say unintended consequences?

For weekend activities, we assign the slower group the shorter route.

I have a pair of sandals as per your second link. (My crew president nick-named them "Man-dles",) They are basically my camp-relaxing/stream-crossing gear which my rated carabiner holds to my pack -- along with my tin cup -- when it's not holding a hammock. I do like them for fishing/swimming/kayaking in rocky areas. They don't leave smudges on boat hulls. They are passable walking shoes at our camp (which bans open toed shoes except in the showers) if you are going to the aquatics area and the slag/gravel hasn't worn off the path. Otherwise, they will snap your ankle in a second, allow creepers to snag your feet, and grind to shreds against central PA's highland granite. So if your son is doing the weight conditioning of a ballet dancer, flagellating his hide to build up callous, and you are happy to chuck those buggers after 30 miles of rocks and bogs, go right ahead.

One time for a college Sunday School class I attended, our teacher had different parishioners come in speak on various aspects of their careers and their spiritual walk. One county judge held a very interesting discussion about the focus of his career being the balance of justice and equity. I think his exposition of those two terms carried me through a lot of life. Zero-tolerance may provide a form of justice, but for it to be humane, it must provide equitable solutions. When a principle treats a role-model like a thug for the presence of a safely stowed tool, he/she has abdicated a responsibility to act equitably. Now, that abdication (even to a school board) may have come as a condition for the job, but then we must ask: is a job where one is barred from being equitable worth having?

Yep. Still have a collection of bumper stickers with the "Scouting USA" trade name. I trimmed them down to use for geocache swag. If Venturing becomes extremely successful (numerically), attitudes may change. Here's my reasoning: I'd estimate about 10% of venturing youth (especially females) have been snubbed by boy scouts because they can't: Wear an AoL knot. Earn merit badges. Be elected into O/A. Earn an award with the words "Star", "Life", or "Eagle" in its name. For most youth, this means nothing. But for that 10%, they (and some of their Boy Scout allies) either currently Envy Boy Scout awards and advancement in more-or-less closed circles. Belittle Boy Scout awards and advancement by more-or-less boasting about the rarefied air of Ranger, Trust, Quest, and Summit (erstwhile Silver) awards. Quietly go about amassing skills and certifications without giving one rip about awards in either program. This year's 10% of venturers amounts to 19,000 youth by current numbers -- hardly enough to disturb Boy Scout tradition unless they wind up being the folks who come back in 10 years to bring their kids up through the program. Their narrative may be compelling in some future context. That's a dark horse IMHO. However, if Venturing somehow amasses large numbers (say nearing a million), that 10% becomes 100,000 youth across the nation -- one for each current chartered organization -- some of whom may articulate their boots-on-the-ground stories, confront the primacy of male mystique, and ask "why?" to their CORs.