scoutldr

Be aware that some MB have a time element to them. While he may think he has until his 18th birthday, that's not true of some of the merit badges, which need to be started way ahead of time. Personal Fitness, for example, requires 12 weeks.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I don't see anything strange about a bank not accepting worthless IOUs...didn't they just get burned from questionable business practices and ordered by Obama to clean up their acts? Make up your mind...can't have it both ways. Would you accept an IOU from your neighbor, knowing full well he had no plan in place to pay it back? This country is about to implode...and I don't blame any particular party...I blame US and the "gotta have it all now" mentality. I feel sorry for our children and grandchildren who will be forced to clean up this mess. On Friday, I had to wait 3 hrs at the DMV to get my driver's license renewed. More than half of the 15 customer service windows were closed and the A/C was off due to budget cuts. Then, as I was finishing, the computer went down and I had to wait another 30 minutes for it to process. I would have done it online, but they required me to get a vision test (which was a joke).

I thought the hole was for drainage after you get dumped out of the canoe. Don't take offense, Eagle1987. Welcome to the campfire and keep your thick skin on! It can be brutal around here!

If he has been MIA for a year, how does he stay on the charter? Does he mail in his dues/registration fees?

If you can believe the radio pundits, 40% of the American populace do not pay taxes. If I didn't have to pay taxes, I too wouldn't care how Obama plans to pay for all this...just give me my tax "rebate" and free healthcare. I DESERVE it. I got a blinding glimpse of the obvious (BGO) when I recently traveled to Canada. We had to get a "briefing" before leaving the good ole USA. They said, "as a foreign visitor, do not try to go to a private MD...they will not see you if you are not part of the Govt health plan. If you DO need to go to the Emergency Room, you will need to pay CASH UP FRONT, or you will not be seen. Your health insurance is no good there." Perhaps there are several lessons to be had from that...

I last "visited" a Jambo in 1995, and it was just like that. About the only thing you could "participate" in as a visitor was the trading post and geedunk stands. Understandable, since we did not pay the registration fee and therefore have no right to "participate". Walk around and look. For this 2010 Jambo, I plan to stay away...thousands more people than normal, parking issues, tight security...no thanks. Others may have other opinions.

I liked the original Aviation MB with the Wright Flyer on it. I earned most of my MB in the 60's...the old style. Then my sash got stolen out of my tent and when i got them replaced, most of them were the new "technicolor" designs with the silver borders for Eagle MB. Boy was I disappointed. I bought a grab bag of patches at a patch auction and in the bag was a Fingerprinting MB. Only later did I realize it had a silver border...obviously a rare error. I also liked the old POR patches, without the position names on them. Just seemed more classy.

My personal philosophy is that I don't wear (or even seriously collect) patches of any kind if I personally didn't earn it by attending that function. I wore the OA flap I was issued as a young Ordeal member in 1968 until I made Brotherhood in 1991, then switched to the Brotherhood flap. Our Lodge has since gone back to "one flap for all", but I haven't replaced the flap yet. The Lodge once had an infamous policy of "one per lifetime", so the older flaps (like mine - pre FDL) are quite rare and valuable. To wear a NOAC flap that one didn't attend would be, in my mind, akin to wearing a Jamboree patch that one didn't attend. It simply not "proper".

That's been the recent pattern.

We provide the scout with the name of a counselor. Along with the names of all the other counselors on the list. Sometimes they have to call 2 or 3 people to get a positive response, and more frequently than not, the response is "sorry, I don't do that any more". Saves time. IMHO, the MB program is broken. But that's another thread for another day.

Since it was a youth, and recent, I would ask the SM to have an SM conference about the meaning of "Trustworthy" and ask the scout what should be done to "fix the error". Ideally, scout should contact the lodge chief and ask that the "administrative error" be corrected as he turns in his Brotherhood sash. As appropriate "fix"? Restart the clock and wait 10 more months, then reapply for Brotherhood Honor. Have to give the benefit of the doubt, since there were errors on all sides.

Was this a youth or an adult?

Looks like a cost-cutting measure as well...all the awards now use the same parts, which reduces manufacturing costs. I'll hold on to my original Pro Deo Et Patria, which was durn hard to earn back in 1969.

"Purview" People who can't spell really annoy me...especially when they try to correct the spelling of others.

Hmmmm...if the "King of Siam" is taboo, can we still do "Birds in the Wilderness"??? Singling out a scout for embarrassment and ridicule? Just asking. I love Birds in the Wilderness...and the King of Siam.

I don't think it's that rare. We had a guy who came up as a youth...SPL, Eagle, Vigil, Lodge Chief, JASM, ASM, Camp PD, Camp Director, SM, etc. Then he became active at the District level and within a year or two, had the DAM and SB. Not to imply it wasn't deserved...just fast.

THere are lots of examples of POWWOW books on the internet. That should give you lots of ideas. When I was a CS leader, the book was a treasured hand-out that everyone looked forward to. Examples of classes off the top of my head: Crafts (usually the most popular, so schedule more than one session) Uniforming Religious Awards (maybe separate sessions for Catholic/Protestant) Advancement Fund Raising Pack Management Pinewood Derby Management (how to run double elimination, rules, etc) Pack Camping (family camping) Webelos-Scout Transition

Herbie, welcome. What is your position in the troop? Has the SM been to training?

There are two rules of Nature...never buy v1.0 of anything and never go to Week 1 of camp :-)We always expect Week 1 to be a little bumpy...new staff who need to work out the wrinkles, menu adjustments, supply issues, etc.. But what you described is a nightmare and people who were clearly out of their league. It might be more effective if dissatisfied parents wrote the letters to the SE, mentioning the word "refund" (yeah, good luck with that). I agree with the comment...it's how the challenges were handled that is disturbing. Not running the "lost scout" drill and having an unsafe waterfront program is inexcusable...better to shut it down until adequate trained staff can be hired. At our camp, we pre-register for MB months in advance...that way there's no excuse for not having enough staff. Be Prepared!

Welcome to the forums and congratulations to your prospective Eagle! And kudos to him for wanting to be properly uniformed! To answer your questions: 1) Yes. 2) According to the BSA Insignia Guide, badges of office or rank are not considered "temporary insignia". Temporary insignia are defined as those representing "events" such as camporees, summer camps, etc. At the Eagle BOR that I am privileged to sit, the Scouts frequently have a "brag book", usually a 3-ring binder with plastic pages (like for baseball cards) that contains his Scouting history, cards, certificates, pathches, photos, etc. They are nice to look at and the Board can use it to generate discussion, but not mandatory. 3) Yes, those are acceptable. That being said, if son shows up without devices on his square knot or a Den Chief patch on his sash, I doubt anyone will mention it.

If it's THE Historic Trail Award patch, it doesn't go on the uniform or official jackets at all. If it's a patch he earned for a specific event, then it's OK. "Temporary" patches are as temporary as the wearer wants them to be. That being said, patches earned as a Cub are not usually worn as a Boy Scout. It shouldn't be too long before he earns another one to fill that space.

Part of growing and maturing to adulthood is realizing that the "ethical" choice is not always, indeed it's usually NOT...the easiest, most comfortable, fun, cool or popular choice.

My nephew, who is severely LD, is a "lazy toad", to borrow a phrase from Eamonn. I don't really think the two conditions are connected, however. He was in Scouts until his first campout, which he was very excited about...then he found out he had to actually cook, clean up and do his share of the work, rather than just sit around and poke sticks in the fire. Scouting was just not compatible with his lifestyle, and his dad didn't do anything to countermand that notion. He is no longer a Scout, which is a real pity. If you want to play ball, you eventually have to get off the bench.

Has anyone ever run into a Freemason dressed in full "regalia" at the grocery store or at work? Not being a mason, the only time I've ever seen one was at a funeral where they rendered Masonic "honors".

Been thinking on this some, as I hate to give up on a boy, even those who are pains. One thing you said keeps ringing in my brain, "This particular boy was our first SPL; he was very motivated and loved his position as SPL. Then came election time. Several boys expressed interest in becoming the next SPL, we put them all on the ballot, however, this scout no longer wanted to be SPL and did not want to run. That was the beginning of his down hill slide." Whenever someone's personality or behavior changes and we can point to the time it changed, we should ask ourselves, "Ok, what happened at that time in his life to cause the change?" Drugs, alcohol, depression, girl problems, problems at home, parent marital problems? All possibilities. Or maybe not. Maybe he's just a brat. In any event, it might be worth a SM conference with Mom and/or Dad to gently express concern. Has he lost interest in everything, or just Scouts? Maybe they are unaware...or maybe they are and might be grateful for the help. Just a thought. We are not shrinks and can only do what we can do. But maybe we shouldn't toss him to the curb quite yet. (I'm getting soft in my old age, I guess)