Rayburn

Hi all. Sorry for the delayed follow up. I've had a lot of other matters to deal with lately, both in and out of scouting, and I didn't want to write again until I could give this the attention I think it deserves. The punch line is that the board advanced the young man to Eagle. The board included an Annapolis grad and Eagle Scout who's been with the troop over 20 years and who's sat on more EBORs than anyone else, the committee chair whose three sons are all Eagle Scouts here, and an Eagle Scout dad whose son is no longer in the troop but is the same age as the young man in question.

Ironic you would ask today. His BOR is tonight. The scout admitted to having the marijuana on the trip, although it took some coaxing to get him to do so. There was no evidence this was part of any pattern. In the end everything I could learn has me likening it to him finding a girlie mag in his dad's chest of drawers and bringing it on the trip, not knowing quite what to do with it. The CC decided on one month suspension and one month "probation." He turned 18 on the last day of the second month, April 30. I spoke with the DAC and the CAC early on, both of whom I knew reason

Thanks to all of you who have offered input. Here are a couple of clarifications. First, I said the other two witnesses didn't want to get involved. I didn't say they refused. I've since spoken with both of them and they shared what they witnessed without hesitation or reservation. I spoke with them individually and their reports were consistent. Second, I wrote that the scout in question was seen with "what appeared to be marijuana." We don't yet know for certain what the substance was. None of the three witnesses could identify beyond doubt that the material was marijuana. They lef

Today a scout reported that on our troop campout last weekend he and two other scouts stumbled onto another scout and his buddy with some sort of pipe and what appeared to be marijuana. While I applaud the first scout for reporting the incident I also want to respect that he doesn’t want to be found out as a snitch. We haven’t yet had an opportunity to talk with the other two witnesses so the allegation has not yet been corroborated, but I doubt the first scout made up this story. The other two witnesses reportedly don’t want to get involved. Our troop is made up of scouts who ar

Is there any good reason that a U.S. flag should not be raised on a flagpole indoors? One of our ASMs is trying to work with our scouts to put a little more "pomp & circumstance" and "ceremony" into our courts of honor that are currently very much boy-led, but candidly a little blah. One idea the boys liked was to have a flag raising ceremony indoors, using a flagpole lashed together and erected by the scouts rather than posting the colors in a flag stand. Another ASM has said that an outdoor-style flag ceremony where a flag is raised on a pole is not "allowed" or is at leas

Update - First of all, thanks to all of you for your replies to this thread. I decided to ask a good friend (another ASM and Arrowman) to feel out the Scoutmaster to find out whether or not the SM would be receptive to nominating me. I learned from that that the SM was thinking about it already, so I approached him by saying that I would like to help him (by helping with our scouts' OA events, etc.) but that to make that happen I needed his help first. Got it right out in the open. Not an honor; no need for secrecy. An announcement was made that if any adults were interested

Whether or not you are overreacting I can't say for sure, but as in so many other instances our society has surely overreacted. Nonetheless I think you are correct to raise this instance with your ASM, not because you believe he did or would do anything inappropriate but rather for HIS protection. My original YP trainer pointed out that YP rules are as much for the protection of the adults as for the youth. You should make this point with your ASM.

My response to this thread has to be, "So what?" As the previous poster notes, segregation was an accepted fact in most of the United States throughout first half of the 20th century. I have to wonder what purpose it serves to bring up the subject now, when the movement is clearly not racist today nor has it been in my lifetime. Most scout leaders I know would bend over backward to help out a minority troop, and minority scouts in our troops are treated the same as other scouts.

Is the adult nomination process for OA meant to be as secretive for adults as it is for youth? Or as secretive as it is for District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver and other honors? Ive read a lot about how adults may be nominated to OA, but what if the process is simply not working or used in a unit? It sounds like the process for adults is a little more transparent in other troops than in mine. The situation in my troop is a little different. We have just under 100 scouts and this year 6 were elected in January. That is about average for the last 4 years with which I am familiar