saltheart

Your best bet is to call your council office and get your DE involved. Understand, though, that the official position may tend towards the troop taking all who want Scouting. That's not a bad POV, but it is undermined by the realities of available and participating adults. It also doesn't attend to the additional, and substantial cost of equipment to support a larger troop and program needs. And, it also does not attend to the possible limitations of space avaiable where the troop meets. That being said, your DE is in the best position to help you deal with these, and other issues, a

Yes, there will probably be contentious divisions on this one. In training, the words that are spoken are that Scouting should be 12 months a year. But in the very next sentence, we have always admitted to the realities. And those realities for most are that, other than summer camp or a monthly trip, the Scouting year runs concurrently with the school year. For those troops that maintain a 12 month trip schedule, opportunites to show and practice leadership area available for the whole year as long as the Scout is willing to participate on the level offered. For those troop that can't kee

On a slightly different note...but yet a pet peeve... It is beyond me how I can consistently play Powerball and come up empty each time. Not just empty. but EMPTY...as in not getting one number at all, anytime, at all...never. If the numbers run 2,4,6,8...be sure that I will have 3,5,7,9... There ought to be a prize for consistently nor getting any numbers. Oh...yeah, there is....the loss of yet another buck... ...dear me.

Ownership is a difficult enough notion for even many adults to understand in this regard, never mind the boys. But I suppose I would put it this way...two ways actually. The troop is "owned" by the Chartering Organization. They brought it into being by agreement with the BSA to follow a certain path. So, that's my take on the legal part...my limited knowledge of law and 'stuff like that'. The troop isn't "owned" by the boys. But it is, indeed, their troop to fashion into a creature of success or failure for themselves and those who will follow them. Volunteer adults take their place

Parents who think that BSA stands for Baby Sitters of America...

Go away....and take your questionable quest with you.

I think the thread author has just shown his/her true colors.....

"Obviously, you are not individual who we are seeking information from." Craneface...you won't find that person here. So as has been suggested, when you grow up, come back and join the discussions.

I don't know who you are. I know nothing about you. And I have no idea who and where you might use the information given here, if it's given at all. And because I don't know you, I don't know how information gleaned from this site might be used by you. You may be the nicest, most diligent, and upstanding type of person I might ever meet. But meet we must before I would divulge information of that sort to anyone asking. And meeting for the reasons put forth in the OP are not something I'd do. If I had a problem with the BSA that could be defined in any of the qualifications you put forth,

I had the opportunity this week to step out on one of the decks facing the southeastern sky, and I thought I could see Mars with the naked eye...a small star-like dot in the sky with a rather reddish tint, a long long way away. Too far to see it as anything but a red dot. So I dashed into the house to get my trusty binoculars (we were informed by the who's who of weathermen around here that one could see the planet with them rather well). And to my astonishment, there it was, in my binocular view..., a small star-like dot in the sky with a rather reddish tint, a long long way away. Too far to

In my experience, the only giving of gifts to the new Eagle, if and when it has occurred, was from parent to son. And that happened infrequently. The Mrs. and I did not give gifts to our own when they earned their Eagles. Nor did we expect anyone else to do so, and if asked we told folks that.

Absolutely..... Ask not what your troop can do for you.... Ask what you can do for your sons troop.

Perhaps it's just semantics, but 'punishment' should be left for Mams & Dads to dole out as they see fit. 'Discipline' is something that we may have to deal with in Scouting from time to time when necessary. I believe there is a difference. In Scouting we do not think in terms of 'punishment' for that is beyond our realm and station. We do, however, think in terms of discipline, for without it, it is not hard to see Camp Runamok coming to visit when groups of young men and boys get together.

A place I once lived on and near...the sea. Having some years ago taken the path to 'landlubber' I miss it dearly and will one day, I hope, dwell there again. Never would have thought of the name myself. Came upon it in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The character was a giant (I am not) whose kind were seafaring but had wandered far from home and lost their way back. That much, the latter part, we have in common...sorta...

Charity, With regard to parent involvement in advancement, here's a couple of thoughts. Make sure that parents understand that Boy Scout advancement is quite a bit different than Cub Scout advancement. In Cubs, parents were hands-on with the boys. In Boy Scouts, the aim is for the boy to learn how to work on his own, with adult support for those things he can't yet do...but support and guidance only, don't 'do it for him'. Make sure that parents understand that reading their sons handbook, just like you said, is the best way to develop an understanding of what their son is faced

Whooooaaaaaa.............. "...without it coming out as "well old mr. saltheart is just having a bad day, let's wait until he leaves" Sure didn't mean to sound like that...and if I did, I apologize. Rarely would I purposely attempt to come across that way. But if I did, I'd let you know without you having to guess.....:-)

"What gift ideas have you or your sons come up with to give to a special Scoutmaster?" lol...my sons never gave me anything but grief in Scouting...actually, they were perfect gentlemen...no, that's not true either...they just grew in a positive fashion, and that's pretty much all I could ask. As for gifts, that kind of giving was fairly unusual except at Eagle Ceremonies. A tradition was well established when I came along. And that tradition seemed to say that a gift for the SM from the new Eagle was appropriate. I cherished each one. But my favorite was one I couldn't really use. O

"making a promise to perform as a leader not a kind of bribe." Barry, do you honestly equate 'promise' with 'bribery'? That would be an interesting comparison to present to a youngster. "Our Troop has had tight SPL elections where the candidates where making promises of good leadership. Promises? Bribes?" If your boundaries for the Scout program are (correctly) the Oath and Law, where in either is 'bribery' and 'promise' equated at all? One of the definitions of the 'bribe' in my Websters is something along the lines of 'anything promised or given as illicit payment". Again, I m

Be that as it may, Bob, and you're probably correct, I wonder if the discussion here might be worthwhile considering that this scenario could occur with almost any election, in almost any troop, for almost any position. Kids will be kids, and for most young ones, the election is still only a game.

"Just what exactly did the scout do wrong?" I could start with 'bribery', Barry.

Well, you've recognized that the fault(s) lie in more than one place. But these are just kids we're dealing with here, and they're subject to that kind of thing. That's why we do what we do as leaders to help instill values that might eliminate the need to discuss these things with them as they grow. That having been said, I guess I'm kind of old school. I've had similar experiences, and have always felt that I'm not doing the kids a favor by leaving things alone. Those who bribe will definitely think they've gotten away with something. Not necessarily a good message to send or a good ton

Sheesh, even the rafters can screw things up to a fairtheewell....lol. It used to be so easy. I just took a gander at Google for DownEast Whitewater and got more hits with different addresses than I would have imagined. I don't believe it's the same group. The one we used to use seems to have (at least by the websites) joined somehow with Saco Bound, and they share a website. They were called DownEast Whitewater Rafting, Inc. The DownEast we used was at the Kelley Resort Campground (fancy name for a place that wasn't) on Rt 201 just south of the Forks, ME. Your place, judging by the website, i

DownEast Whitewater at The Forks, Maine. They have a campground across the street from their facility large enough to accomodate a whole lot of folks. Let them know you're a Scout Troop when making reservations or inquiries. The trips they offer (last time we went) were on the Kennebec from the dam at Indian Pond, the Penobscot, and the Dead River. The Dead only has sufficient water a few times a year when the hydro folks plan a significant release. And it can be a wild and wooly ride, one for whom the better companies like DownEast have some fairly stringent requirements for height, weight, e

Eamonn, A couple of scenarios to imagine, if you will. Having had the opportunity to serve more than once as course director (before the rules were changed) I can understand the sentiments. But the sword cuts both ways. Imagine yourself going through the effort to recognize the efforts of your staff by way of more than just a certificate, beads (because they get three), and a handshake and thanks, only to learn that the staff doesn't want anything and would rather the money and effort be directed elsewhere. You're seeking that something special, just from you, to say thank you to tho

As already mentioned, BOR's should not be used only for rank advancement when the Scout has completed requirements. They can be used as Bob indicated, although I believe the SM conference is a far more productive method of review, conversation, and encouragement for the Scout. After all, the BOR does not serve as mentor and guide for the Scout, only the SM can do that. Aside from that, one quote concerns me... "The committee questions him and although he knows the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, he doesn't have a clue how to find the north star nor can he think of any oth