TAHAWK

Just one of the reason adults find it hard to allow Scouts to set the Scouting schedule. Making what they want to do fit what else is going on in the world is good experience for life.

There is no need to be crude, even when factually correct. Private groups, as groups, have the constitutional right to include and exclude whomever they wish. OT but related I think, I think I saw on the Internet (with all attendant risks) that judges in California, and other states, cannot belong to BSA because it discriminates against atheists. and GLBT folk. By parity of reasoning, how can they belong to the Catholic Church - or to any church except the Buddhists?

My former troop is in a suburb known for its political leanings, commonly called "liberal." Nevertheless, the SM was the president of the NEA local, and got us into schools for recruiting. We did get accosted on the street more than once when doing service projects in uniform by people accusing us of being fascists or, at least, paramilitary. It was a great learning experience for the Scouts about hostility towards diversity.

Obviously, BSA does not speak with one voice, on this or many other topics. There seems to be no person or committee whose job it is to insure a consistent message. Also, most of the bans are written by folks who are obviously not very knowledgeable about knives or the outdoor program - or possibly the language. (Those who know what a 'compensator" is vs. a "flash-suppressor" know the humor of the "assault weapons" total ban on the second that simultaneously allowed the first.) What do they know of the health issues of using folding knives to butcher meat or the safety issues of what sort

I gather you are speaking of "blue card" is the sense of proof that your son earned a particular merit badge. As you may know, the "blue card" ("Application for Merit Badge") has three parts, any one of which is the proof you seem to seek. Your son and the Merit Badge Counselor should each have a part, unless the Scoutmaster did not return your son's part ("Applicant's Record") after signing it, which may be what you are saying. Also, if procedure was followed, an Advancement Report should have been filed that shows that your son earned the Merit Badge. Without such a report, n

We enter the realm of legend. The official pronouncement regarding not encouraging "large" sheath knives has been noted above. Also noted is that many councils - and units - have a zero tolerance policy for sheath knives, with all that zero tolerance implies. As pointed out, the National Council has recognized its "duty to instill in our members, youth and adult, the knowledge of how to use, handle, and store legally owned knives with the highest concern for safety and responsibility" A zero tolerance policy frustrates the performance of that duty as to sheath knives where they

You are obviously distressed with the logical conclusion that comes from comparing what BSA has said for over 80 years to what adults often do. The logical conclusion from your words is that the words are meaningless and adults can do whatever they want with the boys and call it "Scouting." I have more distressing words for you: " “It has been said that 'the Patrol System is not one method in which Scouting for boys can be carried out, but it is the only method. . . . [T]he essential thing is that there should be small permanent groups, each under responsible control of a leadi

There is no controversy about the basics. While BSA has failed in recent decades to publish a clear, comprehensive statement, the words are still all there if you recognize them for what they are.. "The boys themselves develop . . . program, then take responsibility for figuring out how they will achieve their goals.†"The formalized proposed annual troop program is presented to the Troop Committee by the Senior Patrol Leader, accompanied by the Scoutmaster, who asks them to support the program. The Committee considers that question in light of the policy of the Boy Scouts of

WARNING !! HIGHLY FLAMMABLE!

Well, that wasn't so tough I wasn't looking closely enough. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/...lformfaqs.aspx "Following are some of the best practices for using and storing the records: The Annual Health and Medical Record is secured to maintain the confidentiality of the information, yet at the same time, the forms should be accessible by adult leaders in an emergency. The following guidance will assist leaders in achieving this goal: Leaders are encouraged to maintain the original AHMR forms in a safe location in a binder or file that protects the documents entrusted to t

I gather that a directive directive has been issued by BSA Corporate. I even have some idea that it, at least in part, covers "digitizing the information." But I don;t get there from the OP or the link in the OP or the link in post 5. How about a link to the actual decree? Meanwhile, I will use Googlefu to try to find it. Oh, by the way, "unit leader" as used by BSA means, as to troops, the Scoutmaster. In the troop I work with no, one of the dads keeps the medical records.

I came across Tom Slade on a Transport and The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol. Reading those books got me interested in the Boy Scouts and motivated me to pester my Mom until she drove me to the Jamboree in 1953 and dropped me off for the day (another age). I was crushed to learn I was almost a year too young to join. Being a kid, I had forgotten Scouts when my neighbor came over to recruit me the following Summer. Many of these books are now available on line. Example: https://archive.org/details/boyscoutsofeagle00pays OR http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12112

NYLT was designed by a national committee but also, to my own personal knowledge, by input from adult staff I participated in counseling the paid Scouter in charge to: 1) allow the staff to prepare their own slides for their sessions; and 2) allow female participates a year before originally planned. Both of these suggestions were accepted during the initial telephone conversation. I hope for more attention to dealing with adult resistance to the Patrol Method. We'll see.

The general rule throughout the U.S. is that the party in legal possession of the realty has the authority to determine what other persons may enter the property and under what circumstances unless the discrimination is unlawful, such as on the basis of national origin. Legal possession includes gratuitous possession by consent of the owner.

Has the Committee taken training? Newly trained Committee members sometimes notice the troop is not offering a Scouting program and pressure for change. I assume the unit has no or useless Unit Commissioner. Try approaching the District Commissioner to see if he/she is supportive of Scouting. Have any of the Scouts taken NYLT? "Mr. Scoutmaster, I have an idea about something I would like to try - taking more responsibility." Still, it can be frustrating. I am going through it now with a new-to-me adult-run seldom camping club for boys. 0___0

For the Uniform Police "The Cub Scout uniform has the following parts: Shirtâ€â€The official uniform shirt is available with long or short sleeves and has button-flap pockets and "Boy Scouts of America" lettered in gold above the right pocket. Trousers or shortsâ€â€Official blue. Beltâ€â€Official navy-blue web belt with metal buckle and Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, or Webelos Scout emblem. Socksâ€â€Official socks are available in three lengths: ankle, crew, and knee. Tiger Cubs' socks are navy blue with orange tops. Cub Scouts' socks are navy blue with gold tops. Ca

No, I am not implying that Scouts cannot - or should not - be tested. I was asking a question.

It would be nice if the objective was knowledge and skills being learned as opposed to a check mark next to "Trained." I have staffed SM Specific sessions where participants who arrived after lunch or left before lunch were "Trained." Heck, all the staff were "Trained" to puff up the numbers. Metrics uber trustworthy.

Steve "Skip" Locke was very involved in international Scouting. I suspect that he still is. http://skiplockescouting.com/

According to Googlefu, you have coined an original. Congrats!

Out of my WB patrol from 1984, two are dead and five are very active in Scouting (one in Mexico. He was an "undocumented alien" and went home. Running a troop in the middle of drug wars is challenging.). Out of my WB patrol in 2008, all six are very active, but one (single mother of two sons) sounds like a candidate from burn-out from too much Scouting. (Every year, more people go into wilderness. We are just not recruiting enough of them due to a variety of factors -- some beyond BSA 's control, some beyond Scouting's control, and some self-inflicted wounds by BSA and Scouting.

When we do IOLS, it takes from Friday dinner time to Sunday afternoon, and all the staff feels really pushed to cover most of the the topics. I have done three previous versions of Scoutmaster training as a learner and staff, and the outdoor part always filled a weekend. Hopefully, the new SM/SA Specific syllabus will not be so deadly.

Our esteemed District Advancement Chairman said one-on-one contact by e-mail or telephone to arrange for Merit Badge counseling is perfectly acceptable. Then he got back to me and said hold on; he could not find language that said it was acceptable. "One-on-one contact between adults and Scouts prohibited. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster’s conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths." "Contact" seems broader than "meeting," but who kno