scoutldr

"A foul-mouthed bully, with a habit of stealing...Dismissed from NYLT.." No sign of changing. No. Just no. You don't need any more justification than that.

Your quote from the GTA seems to indicate two options. Unit run, or District/Council run. Am I missing something?

I imagine a similar discussion was held back in the 50s when they first proposed allowing women to become leaders other than Den Mothers. Back then, the arguments were obvious, too. Now, we don't give it a second thought when we see female Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and Vigil Arrow"men". Just like in the rest of the civilized world, no one gives it a second thought to see co-ed "Scouts" at all age groups. Do they still have a viable Girl Guides program? Wonder what the differences are?

The SM or his designee may "observe" the EBOR, but may not participate (speak) other than to introduce the candidate. There are two methods of conducting EBORs. Some councils delegate it to the units, to be conducted by the unit Committee Chair and committee members, with a rep from the District Advancement Committee (who must sign the Eagle Applcation). Some councils conduct all EBOR at the District or Council level. The post from John in KC is news to me ... is that a change? I think in the past, the Eagle candidate could request a member of the community (teacher, Pastor, etc) to participate.

There are a minimum of 5 other opportunities (10 if you count SM conferences) for the boy's commitment to the Scout Oath and Law to be discussed. Presumably the boy successfully accomplished Boards of Review for Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life, did he not? When he joined, he and his parents agreed to the Declaration of Religious Principles by signing the application. By the time he gets to the EBOR, there should be no surprises regarding advancements, merit badges, and character. So yes, in effect it is a "rubber stamp". The many EBORS I have chaired and/or sat on as the District Rep have just been a friendly discussion of the young man's goals and aspirations and to plant the seed that the opportunities provided to him must now be "repaid" in kind when his circumstances allow. By that time, his commitment to the Scout Oath and Law have been firmly established. Yes, they can deny the rank, but they have to tell the scout (in writing, I think) exactly why. And in my experience, he will appeal to the District or Council and win. Every time.

There is also another option open to girls now...American Heritage Girls. Are Campfire Girls still around? I think it is a common theme running rampant through society now...the entitlement attitude of "I want what you have and you need to accommodate me." There is no prohibition on forming your own organization like Baden Powell, Lady B-P, Ernest Thompson-Seton and Juliette Low did back in the day. It's hard. It's a lot of work. Just like it always has been.

If a Scout has no belief in a "higher power" or whatever the politically correct terminology du jour is that satisfies "A Scout is Reverent", the Eagle board is not the place to be questioning it for the first time. Likewise, if he had blue cards that had not been properly approved, the troop committee did not do its job when awarding the merit badge. Once the badge is awarded, it cannot be nullified. As the current SM, your job is to work with your Committee to fix the process.

I have sat on EBOR as the District rep. At the conclusion of each one, the Committee Chair, almost without exception, calls the young man back in the room and says "Congratulations, you are now an Eagle Scout." In one case, he was going to Philmont within a week or two, and wanted to wear the Eagle patch on his uniform. I see nothing wrong with that. It's not like he will be hauled up before the "Stolen valor" inquisition.

Thank you Terry, for your efforts!

What is your age and location (city, state)?

I've read in this forum before, from those who know much more about it than I, that all Councils are independent corporations. Seems like that water is sure muddy. I'm guessing it's so they can sheild National from liability when it's convenient to do so.

A troop that's organized into patrols of about 8 boys, who elect their own PL. The PLs comprise the PLC, led by the SPL. The SM's main function is to train and mentor the SPL. The SPL trains and mentors the PLs. The PLC develops the annual plan and the SPL presents it to the Troop Committee for approval. Upon approval, the PLC executes the plan.

Welcome!

When our Pack was meeting at the local elementary school, as Cubmaster, I made sure the school library had a current BL subscription and copies of all the BSA handbooks in the library. Most of the time, I paid for it myself. My dentist's office also has BL in the waiting room.

I'm just guessing here, but the Unit Accident insurance covers individual registered MEMBERS and is always secondary to their own health insurance. The insurance charged for events (even training sessions I put on) is liability insurance for the council. For instance, if the custodian trips over the pinewood derby track on Saturday morning and breaks a leg and they sue the Council. When you use a venue that is not Council property, you usually have to show proof of insurance for the event.

When in doubt, I always would ask the Scout. "It says 'do X, Y, Z. Did you do that'" "Could you do it with a little more effort"? Usually, they could...and did.

But we did a good job of beating it to death, didn't we?

Sounds like donors didn't make good on their pledges.

Thanks, Eagle94-A1. That's exactly what I meant. If a scout has special needs that affect his ability to advance, that needs to be brought up to the Council Advancement Committee. In my own troop, we had a scout who was 16 before he passed the Swimmer's test at camp. His handicap? He just "didn't like" the water. We would not bend and he eventually made it. Boy was he proud of himself. He is now an Eagle Scout.

They can only play games from that day's "approved list". OMG.

I respect anyone who spent 5 years as a DL. Toughest job in Scouting, IMHO.

Most people I know are put off by the fact that it's not been shifted to a Monday like all the other holidays to enable a long weekend.

"An advancement example is jumping feet 1st into water over your head and swimming 25 feet, it does not say you can't have a flotation device on." Oh, come on, seriously? I am a former aquatics instructor and WSI certified. The intent of the requirement is to determine who can SAFELY participate in aquatics activities. This particular requirement demonstrates that IF a scout falls into the water, he can safely come back to the surface and make it to safety WITHOUT having to wear a PFD all the time. WHen you start parsing the requirements that affect health and safety, I have to object.

So sorry for your loss...and our loss. Scout Salute for her service to youth.

I have to disagree with Fred. "Do Your Best" is the Cub scout motto. In Boy Scouting it is "do the requirement"...no more, no less.