Krampus

We ask them every year to make the presentation under 10 mins, we give them a table outside the hall to conduct their business, and we used to always meet our previous year's contribution or more. One year they took 45 mins and sat in the COH in the back disrupting the service. After that we stopped inviting them. They invite themselves. We give them five mins and they're lucky to get $200. Then they want *US* to follow up on the cards handed out. Even when we contributed well the district was unresponsive to our requests. No reasons to contribute.

Received an interesting email from our District Chairman. It basically said "Every Unit, no matter the size, is expected to participate in this year’s FOS campaign...". This pretty much turned off our whole TC and adult leadership, so much so we are going to forego FoS this year. Has anyone else had this sort of strong-arm statement from their district essentially dictating whether they will or won't participate in FoS?

Figured talking to the DE might 1) uncover if any problems had risen to the district level with this scout, 2) put the DE on notice what the unit may be considering if the family of the boy decided to complain.

Have you talked to your DE or the other troop? Maybe they have more information for you.

Thankfully we have never had a totally disruptive scout. We have had the odd issues over the years but, after counselling, they typically drop or don't recharter. Most change or grow up. Those with severe issues (not due to mental, physical or emotional issues) usually just leave. Those with the issues I mention usually get better. One boy took two years to get over his issues. We were patient, had a plan and he kept to it. Never had safety issues.

Case in point: The guys used water balloons at summer camp. Never thought BSA would be so obtuse as to deny the guys a chance to have fun using those unless they were s prescribed size and no bigger. Found out we were in violation of BSA rules. My fault. I take the blame. Did not do it intentionally, but geesh, who would have ever thought that was "illegal" for Boy Scouts. It's not like we violated two-deep, make up our own requirements, policies or rules. So you can be snarky if you like, but when you look at the "rules" that we may violate unintentionally they are the more inane and obsc

To be honest, I doubt my boys would pick a camp like that. They had the chance to do a camp back east that had cool cabins and they picked normal tents. I *do* think any type of open cabin or shelter should still count, but we follow the rules regardless of what I think. I've found that the boys will usually pick being outdoors than being in cabins when they have the chance. The only exception was winter camping when they did not have the option of snow shelters; only tents or cabins....they elected the latter.

In case you have not read the special needs accommodations from BSA, they are the ONLY group for which you CAN change requirements. Let's make sure that when you are trying to make a point you stick to the topic. We are talking about applying the STANDARD REQUIREMENTS to the AVERAGE SCOUT, and NOT special needs scouts. There is a mountain of difference there. BSA supports making accommodations for special needs scouts. They DO NOT support making changes for your average scout. Hope that's clear. ...and yes, I read "the book" (and all other documentation) and try to live by the lett

So flexibility is okay if it violates BSA requirements or policy? Please. This is nothing more than an adult trying to step in and put his stamp on things rather than to follow what is written in plain English. BSA is clear on the subject of what constitutes camping. If we cheat and allow two summer camps we are breaking the rules. Period! Once you put yourself in the role of picking and choosing which rules or requirements you will or won't follow you are guilty of being part of the problem. Camp the days, outside, in a tent or shelter you built or put up, one one of these camp can be

Exactly!!! Why not make accommodations for the non-swimmer? Let him swim in the shallow end to earn the swimming MB? Eagle is supposed to be an ACHIEVEMENT, not something we go around BSA policy to accommodate non-disabled scouts.

BSA allows SOME flexibility in things, but only where allowed. When you start picking and choosing what you want to apply and what you want to ignore it becomes a slippery slope. I prefer to follow the letter of the law. Sometimes the law isn't fair, but when applied to everyone equally and uniformally then at least there's equality.

All changes to membership policy.

18 hours is great than the current 11 hours, but not by much. One would think BSA would require a bit more for ranks. You need 18 for ranks now, 8 for CCC, x amount for your conservation project for camping and I think that is it, no?

First Aid. I have had to use it to save a life (my own son), as well as to save a life as a scout. I have used it on countless occasions and it was all due to my initial training as a scout. Second would be orienteering or astronomy. Being able to navigate keeps you safe. Third would be cooking. I developed my love for cooking as a scout. Got me my wife and the skill has been passed on to my kids.

I was in a similar situation when I took over. We have a few inactive guys who I had never seen come for their Life or EBORs. I had been in the troop nearly 18 months and they wanted me to give them their SMC. I asked the previous SM (still an ASM at the time) to run the SMC. They knew the kid, I didn't know them nor had I seen them before. I figured the kid would get more out of the SMC with someone he'd at least seen before. None of our Scoutmasters (SM or ASM) sit in on BORs of any kind. As the GTA says, the SM and ASMs can sit in on an BOR (unless they are the parent of the Scout)

It is hard because when you set your own arbitrary level of what "active" means you are establishing your own definition and now using what national gives you. The GTA does not give you any specific level to determine what active means, they simply say: A Scout is Registered: That means as long as he pays his dues he's active. Does not mean he has to attend ANYTHING! A Scout is in Good Standing: As long as he has not violated any BSA rules or been dismissed for behavior he's considered active. This good standing is in all scouting activities whether local, regional, national or internation

How do you measure "regularly active" against the definition of "active" in the GTA? Since there's not BSA standard that defines "active" in terms of % of events attended, etc., I am curious how you measure that given no measurement standard.

Good point. I usually think of shelters as Adirondacks or other such pre-built shelters. Survival and snow shelters count.

Another bug I just saw. Some posts I can "thank" while others (just above or below the ones I can thank) I cannot.

Curious, but how are there just two methods? The GTA says, "Council advancement committees must determine— and make known—method(s) for conducting Eagle Scout boards of review: whether unit committees or the council or district advancement committees administer them, and also how board chairpersons are selected." I have seen a few different methods (unit, group of units, district, cross-district, council, etc.) used. I think there may be more than two official methods.

Devil's Advocate here, but we had rules of membership before. They were tossed away because we've "progressed" as a society as to not discriminate on any basis....supposedly. So how can the organization justify discriminating against girls when: 1) They let in women, 2) they have girls in crews now, and 3) we are supposed to be eliminating barriers. Slippery slope the BSA has created.

Everyone has posted the party line: Only one long-term camp counts, ever. Camping must be outdoors. Nothing indoors counts, ever. Must be under the stars, tent you pitch or tent pitched for you (e.g., summer camp). Shelters of any kind do not count. Must be scouting events. Cannot be dad/son camping unless it is part of a unit, district, council, national, international or other formal scouting event. Clock starts when they become a scout and ends when they turn 18. Camping done for scouts what meets the above restrictions during that time counts. Note said, but you CAN apply the nights used

Box checking? In Boy Scouts? Naw! If BSA really wanted to hammer the point home, wouldn't they focus their dollars on outdoor programs rather than cannibalize their program and create a STEM offering? Can't be much exercise using a beaker.

those folks clearly have never used a BSA computer system.

Why shouldn't we let in girls? We cannot discriminate based on any other reason. Why discriminate based on sex?