scoutldr

Another metric is the Quality Council award.

In my experience, it is left up to the Eagle Candidate if they want their SM/ASM in the room or not. Some do, some don't. If they do, the SM sits in the room, but does NOT sit on the board. They speak only if asked a question by a board member. It is also true that other board members can be selected by the Candidate, in addition to troop committee members. Frequently, we have the scout's Priest, neighbor, coach, teacher, or other significant adult in the scout's life also sit on the board. After a brief introduction on how a BOR works, they all do really well.

Maybe the guys in Irving DO read scouter.com...thanks!

Your best bet is to talk to your District Executive. It's my understanding that NESA chapters are attached to the Council. Not sure if you can have more than one per council. About 10 years ago, I went to an "organizational meeting" of our local NESA chapter, and that's the last I heard about it. Something else I didn't realize, apparently to be eligible for NESA membership, one must also be a member in good standing of the BSA. I think that's a change since I joined. www.nesa.org

Council checks everything...that's impressive! Just out of curiosity, what would be the fix for that? Take E Prep over again?

I appreciate your frustration, as it is well founded. Let me make some assumptions...if you are the SM, you are a member of the LDS stake. As I learned while on the training staff, your position was "assigned" to you and you don't have the option of resigningm since it is your assigned "mission"? LDS units are a separate breed...if the stake isn't large enough to supply you with a steady supply of 11 year olds, then this troop will never function properly. Does your stake also have a Pack/Team/Crew? What condition are they in?

At first I thought the same thing...recruit the girls for Venturing. But it specifically says "fifth through seventh grade". That's Boy Scout age, not Venturing. So what do they tell the girls? Had fun? Good, come back in 3 years and you can join. I agree, it's worth a try and certainly innovative. I'll bet the Girl Scout Council is ticked, though.

http://www.angelfire.com/wy/gilwell/plates.html

Our camp is another which registers all "youth" staff members as a Venturing Crew. The crew number is the Council number. Keeps the membership numbers up dont'cha know (although most are already registered in other units). They do wear the complete venturing uniform down to the overpriced shorts and socks, with silver tabs. Class "A" for flags and dinner, class "B" all other times.

Anyone else find this odd? We are beat over the heads to get application fees turned in as soon as they are received, "so they're covered by the insurance in case anything happens." Now we're running summer camps for non-members? And GIRLS, no less!!!

Odd that your council office is requiring a form, but can't provide you one or direct you where to find it online. What happened to customer service?

Agree. This amounts to sensationalism by an overzealous reporter. $6.50 per person for alcohol? I spent that for one beer at a ball game last week (and at that price, I only had one!). At my son's restaurant, one 3 oz. glass of wine will set you back $7-10. $20 for a prime rib dinner? A bargain. Our District dinners cost more than that, and the food is pretty bad. And since the alcohol was reimbursed, it's a non-issue.

In Virginia, groups interested in getting special plates must collect a minimum of 350 prepaid applications before a plate will be produced. A group has been trying for years to get a "BSA" plate, but cannot raise the required number of commitments. Sad, that we can get plates for "Tobacco Heritage" and "Parrotheads"...but not Scouting.

I believe the manual cited above is the "District Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures", which is available on the shelf of many Scout Shops. Boards of Review is a function of the Troop Committee...SM and ASM are not members of the Committee, and therefore should not participate actively. In our local council, Eagle boards are conducted by the troop committee with a District Rep present as a participating member of the board. If the Eagle is not awarded, the scout can appeal to the District Advancement Chair. That being said, it sounds like there's more information you're not telling us???

I sit on maybe 5-6 EBOR a year, and without fail, the Board Chair will pronounce, "Congratulations, you are now an Eagle Scout"...but technically, the above replies are correct. Perhaps a FAQ sheet should be presented to the scout and his parents outlining the procedure as to "what happens after the EBOR"...

And that would be up to the COR...no one else in the Troop can "fire" registered leaders.

Back to the Pokey!!! Woo Hoo!

What a travesty. I think I will boycott the Hilton family of hotels, and turn in my HiltonHonors card. To think that I am contributing to this spoiled brat's inheritance turns my stomach. At least the Marriott family is a big supporter of Scouting.

CC is Committee Chair. IN a perfect world, the Treasurer would take the input from the SM and PLC and draft a Unit Budget PLan, which would be submitted to the whole Troop Committee and COR for approval. The CC should not be making unilateral decisions about anything.

"When they say Scouts is a boy run program why are their so many limits of what the boys can do?" The only limits are what's in the Guide to Safe Scouting, and the controls that overbearing parents invent. In the example you cited, the yard sale, there is NO reason that the entire event could not have been handled by the boys - even handling and accounting for the money. In fact, in my opinion, sales would have been even better if the boys had been actively engaging the customers. Some people (me) will buy stuff they don't need or get their clean car washed again if the scouts are acting like they're interested.

Not knowing the terms of the lease, if the city evicts the scouts, do they have to reimburse the council for the fair market value of the building?

Ok, so the art museum is pretty good. And there was my nice young black friend who emerged out of the rain, quickly sized us up as lost tourists and turned us around and led us by the hand to the restaurant we were seeking. I felt like W.D. Boyce for a minute...until he gratefully accepted the dollar tip I offered.

The bottom line is how bad do you need this guy? Are his SM skills worth the committee and ASM's being "embarrassed"? This is probably a simple decision...no camper, no SM. Your choice. It's unfortunate that he has put the TC in this position...but he has.

Dizzy makes some good points. I have also scaled back...although it was for my own mental health. Perhaps I am morbid, but when I think that I lost my dad and mom at ages 69 and 70, respectively, and I am 53...I do the math. Life is too short to spend it doing things that vex the soul. I have decided that I will retire as soon as possible ... perhaps in 3 years. THen I will do what I want to do...no clue what that is yet, but I will not waste more time working for people who really don't care if I show up or not. I am working purely for the paycheck...and that's when it's time to quit. I have given up District activities...for much the same reason. We volunteers are just viewed as "tools" to achieve the Pros' critical goals. It's not for the boys...it's for their paychecks. When my parents were getting on in years and got ill, I gave up many opportunities to move and progress in my career....I also wanted my boys to know their grandparents...which I never did. I don't regret anything. Time with family is precious...don't waste a minute of it...driving 4 hours to an Area Meeting and back is time better spent. Do what your heart tells you, and don't second-guess it.

As it happens, I sit here in downtown Philadelphia writing this from a hotel next to City Hall. As I walk to my conference tomorrow morning, I may fling an un-Scoutlike gesture towards the Mayor's office. I had decided this afternoon that when I get home, I will fire off a letter to the Mayor and the Conference Organizers outlining the many negative observations since I got here Friday afternoon, and urging the organizers to scratch the "City of Brotherly Love" from their list of potential venues. This is one more point I will add to the letter. Although I was born in OGE's neighborhood a little north of here, and lived here in Navy housing as a 3 year old, this is undoubtedly one of the dirtiest, nastiest cities I have ever visited. We rode the subway to see the Phillies beat the Giants last night, and (in the City Hall station, no less) had to step over homeless people and piles of feces and puddles of urine. The station looked like it had not been cleaned since 1928. The cab drivers are crooked ("sorry I don't have change for a 20" and "no credit cards, cash only"), and we don't venture out after dark. And yes, I've been to many big cities...this one is about 40 years behind the others. To anyone planning a vacation here...don't bother. This city is old, filthy and dangerous. (Edited for typos)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)