bnelon44

There are some good training videos your unit may want to review here: http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/Resources/advancement_presentations.aspx

As was pointed out on a uniform: He should wear as much of it as he owns, and it should be as correct as possible, with the badges worn properly. If he doesn't own the patch (say he lost it) he cannot be denied a SMC or a BOR. The section of the Guide to Advancement quoted by Kristian applies. It is BSA policy, your unit can't ignore it. As for a book. If a Scout doesn't have his book the BOR should be held anyway and the Scout passed on the condition that the book still needs to be checked. The Scout will not be considered as passing the BOR until the book is checked.

"My son, brought up Unitarian Universalist, accepting and respectful of other's beliefs, may never pass muster if judgement in a Board of Review is coming from someone with a Fundamentalist Christian perspective." Current Eagle Boards of Review already pass many youth who are UU in belief and many youth who don't go to any Church.

Thanks, Lodge UMM onboard is a good sign the proposed changes will happen.

Lodge 489 do you have a link to that?

ghjim If the LDS, Catholic Church or UMC were threatening to pull units, we wouldn't be at this stage.

ghjim If the LDS, Catholic Church or UMC were threatening to pull units, we wouldn't be at this stage.

packsaddle Your local paper is wrong. The decision is left up to the Chartered organization.

dennis99ss, If your pastor wants to keep the ban on gays, you can keep the ban on gays. That is what the new policy says. I don't see it conflicting with the mission of the Church. Also all I found was one So. Baptist professor who made a comment. I don't know how centralized So. Baptist churches are (I gather not very) but I have not seen a comment from a central organization about this(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

>So will we need to re-charter a month after chartering to update the CO agreement? I don't think there is anything in the agreement that would need to be changed

5yearscouter, IMHO we would not be at this stage if the LDS did not agree to the change or agreed to not disagree with it. If the change comes, and we all need to realize it may not. We will probably lose some of the less active Scouters. But I can't believe someone who is really active would leave over this.(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

Horizon, IMHO we would not be at this stage if any of the major charter partners said they would remove their units because of the change.

>I'd like to know when this February meeting is? The Executive Board meets this weekend and into next week.

> So will Eagle candidates who admitted they were gay and are still under 18, get another shot at Eagle? Did they finish their requirements? If not, then they join a unit and get them done. If they did, or they don't have enough time now, it would undoubtedly have to be handled by the appeals process.

A little more information here http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/01/28/boy-scouts-of-america-to-reconsider-national-membership-policy/

> An atheist, likewise, could just say he doesn't believe gods exist so he has no duties to gods. I really can't see an Eagle Board accepting "I have no duty" to any of the Scout Oath duties. It would nullify the meaning of the oath as an oath.

packsaddle, This doesn't change rank requirements. A Scout would still have to live the Oath and Law in their daily life. I can see an atheist talk himself into believing they are still reverent (although that could be because the definition of the word has changed over the years; but I can't see a real atheist (agree, they are really rare in real life) able to discuss how he does his duty to God in his daily life (the Scout spirit requirement for every rank.)

just up at scouting.org MEDIA STATEMENT Boy Scouts of America Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations For more than 100 years, Scoutings focus has been on working together to deliver the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve. Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restrict

Merlyn, An atheist would have to still abide by the oath in his daily life. I can't see that happening if he really is an atheist, can you?

> Everywhere it says "No Retesting". It's the same thing. No, that doesn't necessarily mean they do it once and you sign them off. Signing the Scout off means you have tested them and they have done what the requirement said they must do, however it doesn't necessarily mean that the test you conduct is that they can barely tie a knot once and you sign them off. If that is what you are doing, you are doing the Scout a disservice.

Personally I think programs should retrain/retest the outdoor skills outside of advancement. And as the Scouts get older the tests/simulations/challenges should get tougher, with appropriate troop awards/privileges. The Outdoor Achievement Award would be one option to shoot for. (This message has been edited by bnelon44)

> Is an Eagle Scout supposed to be the "Ultimate Outdoorsman" or one who is proficient or above proficient at Outdoor skills? Just curious, where in any BSA literature does it say that?

> While doing it once and getting it signed off may be what National wants, Just curious, where in any advancement literature from national does it say that?

Clark & Lisa introduce themselves in the first video of the series. Clark is a Scoutmaster and Lisa is a committee member.

Would be interested in comments people have after watching this