Krampus

All good ideas. Keep 'em coming.

Done it. Easy. Dutch ovens do the work and also keep everything warm, so timing is a non issue. I challenge you to do the same with just a scout mess kitcand an open fire, no charcoal.

Advanced SERE training. Done!

If you think DO cooking is easy, I invite you to try cooking an entree, 2 sides and dessert -- all at the same time -- so they are perfectly cooked and timed to be ready at the same time. If you find that easy, cook using the stacking method and try to get the same results. Last weekend was Chicken Kiev, steamed veggies, sauteed green beans and garlic with a Texas peach and whiskey (cooked out) cobbler. 

Our local scout camps want you out by 2pm. State parks are by noon but you can negotiate later departures. We cannot arrive before 12 noon at our church (to let church traffic leave) and there is pressure from parents to get kids home before 2pm to get homework done. We usually do a hike or play patrol games if done early. Sometime we just let them "chill". They usually don't get much down time from mom and dad.

I am the cooking merit badge counselor. Nothing in the rules that says the boy had to do it, but I challenged him for his "family meal" to think outside the box; pick something his family love and learn how to make it. It was pulled pork. Lent him my smoker, my thermometer, gave him Alton Brown's recipe book on BBQ and sent him on his way. That Saturday he emailed me a picture of his family sitting on their deck eating pulled pork sandwiches. Brought the leftovers by. Heaven!

Have tried the scoutmaster minute route. Fell on deaf ears. My predecessors tried that at least once a month. Beef smokies and pop tarts were the haute cuisine of choice. Tried the parent route. That got no where. Many parents were fast-food junkies themselves. We found out the hard way one time when a scout brought individually packaged microwave burgers for a camp out.
 

After years of trying (literally 5 years of one scoutmaster's reign) the suggestion route, the scoutmaster "encouraged" the PLC to adopt cooking competitions, drawing recipes from a hat and other such methods to steer the patrols away from cheap eats. Did the same for the adults (no pre-cooked bacon, etc.). Fixed the problem inside a year.

Five years later the guys are now dutch oven gurus. Haven't seen pop tarts in years. No one eats beef smokies anymore unless it is a canoe trip. Noodles ramen make it out on hiking trips.

Nothing wrong with adult pearls of wisdom being drooped backed up by a carefully steered PLC. That's the adult function.

Let's face it most kids if left to their own devices would not cook over a dutch oven when a packet of pop tarts, Gatorade and noodles ramen were the quicker option. There are occasions where adults need to challenge the boy-led model with our insight. We do it when it comes to health and safety all the time. Given that poor nutrition may impact a scout during the various outdoor activities I have no issue with adding a few guidelines around cooking. If anything it will prepare them for their work on the merit badge.

@, just curious...but do you think the scoutmaster is dragging his feet because your son is 14 and ready for Eagle? I bring this up only because I have seen a few people in the past not be responsive to younger Life scouts because they don't see the urgency or because they feel that if they process the Eagle paperwork too fast they will lose the scout. Others simply object to young Eagles and dragging their feet is their way of slowing down the scout. None of these are proper ways for adults to act toward scouts.

Just wondering if this might be a reason for this scoutmaster's action. But yeah, if you're in Texas drop on by.

We usually have the SPL pick about twenty dinners. Puts them in a hat and the PLs send up someone to draw their dinner. They enter it in to the monthly cooking competition.

So, if nothing has been enterred into this data base yet, as long as my son has his BC's he should be okay?  Hubby went onto troop master yesterday and all that is showing is simply an engineering badge, no rank no nothing.  

Yes. As Stosh said his handbook and blue cards are his official record. Blue cards prove the merit badges he's earned or has as partials. His handbook proves what ranks he's had signed off. With those you can walk in to my troop and we will accept them and enter those in to our system.

Troopmaster is a unit's tool for managing scouts. It does not always reflect what is in his book OR what has been reported to the council OR input in to Internet Advancement (the national online reporting system). Sounds like your new troop has not input his records from your old troop. Two ways to get that in. First, if your old troop uses troopmaster just have them export your son's records. That file can be imported in to your new troop's system. The second method is old school: Give them a copy of your handbook's rank pages and merit badge cards and let them input it.

We provide every scout in our unit who moves away an electronic and hard copy of his troopmaster record. That way he has his handbook and cards, our electronic file and a hard copy of his file. With that, no one can deny them anything.

Several posters have talked about Council having records, losing records, wrong dates etc.  Just to clarify, "Council" is no longer the keeper of the records.  I believe this is universal although I could be wrong. 

According to the latest Guide to Advancement: "As stated in Reporting Advancement 4.0.0.2, all advancement must be reported to local councils."

Step 11 of the merit badge process: "The unit reports the merit badge to the council."

The worst feeling in the world is knowing you just disappointed a kid, and it's too late to help him.

Fixed your post.

I know, shouldn't kvitch without offering to help. Committee member has offered to take advancement off SM's hands.  SM up to this point has refused help.  Often only has boys go camping only when he is available no other ASM will do.  Limited time to go camping.

 

I believe all MB's have been filed with other troop (majority) of cards.  the 4 missing with new troop have NOT been entered into system from what I understand.  So, I guess it will just be the case of showing sons BC's and getting credit for the merit badges.  Not sure if he saved his card that he received the actual badge on at COH in the past.  He is VERY responsible and has everything else, even the work books from the MB's.  Good thing.

If it helps, we have our new scouts use the baseball card holders you can get at Hobby Lobby to store their rank and blue cards. My son got in the habit a long time ago of using the iPad to take pics of his blue cards and rank cards and store them on his online account. That way, God forbid, the house burns down he's got all his rank and merit badge stuff.

Personally I would be advising my son to meet with the scoutmaster, provide a printed copy of his blue cards, and politely request he enter those in to the troop system or report them to council. I would even have him offer to take the copy of the cards to council himself it that would help the scoutmaster.

I feel like crud when I forget something a scout asked me to do. Does not happen often but happens every once in a while. I apologize and make sure that scout is at the top of my list to get done, and I pledge to get it accomplished withing 24 hours. I hope your scoutmaster realizes he's made a mistake and does the same.

I don't usually post a lot. I read a great deal. I get confused sometimes in this forum because most of the time I have learned that consulting the official scout documents is always the way to go. Lately in this thread, and in discussions about uniforms, where there is clear policy around what do to knowledgeable folks are giving advice contrary to what the national publications advise.

Section 7.0.0.0 discusses the merit badge process. Section 7.0.0.2 says that the blue card is the "nationally recognized merit badge record". To me that means you use the blue card record, and keep it, as the process defined by national. It discusses possible issues that might arise during the process. While it does not cover all of them it covers the basics. In this case, the scout has the copy of the card so he followed the process and has proof of his work. He can then go to another unit or to his council to seek remedy should his unit not acknowledge his work. 

What we as individuals consider "done" is immaterial. The guide to advancement is pretty clear and that is the advice we should be following. When that does not answer our questions we should be working through our district or council advancement teams to find out what to do. Shouldn't we?

...and more importantly, they enter it into internet advancement to update your son's records on Scoutnet--the BSA database for advancement. 

Once it's in there, the blue card is no longer needed,

 

I would always counsel boys to keep their blue cards. It is the only record he controls of what he's done. Rank cards and blue cards are copied and put in to the iCloud in my house, just in case. 

Does the Texas state flag need to be present for the pledge?

Yes. Usually you will find the US flag stage right, the Texas and unit flags stage left. Flags come in with the US flag in front, Texas flag and then unit flag. US flag last to be posted, first taken up. US pledge first, then Texas pledge.

The unit will have to submit his blue card for credit. Since he does have a copy he should email a picture of that copy (don't give that to anyone, that's his only proof) to the scoutmaster for credit. Sounds like the scoutmaster just needs to sit down and enter the information in to the system. I'd send copies of your son's portion of the blue card to the scoutmaster and ask for him to submit them for credit. It that still takes too long, sounds like a troop move might be another option.

My friend is a soccer scout. He works for an international firm that scouts all across the US and central America. He often tells me he knows which kids he wants for the clubs he works for by age 13-15 so he can get them in to their academies overseas. He rarely if ever picks up any kids above 15 and rarely attends show case tournaments. Those, he says, are for colleges to pick players and even then about 4% of the players get money. Select sports is a great way to separate people from their money if they expect their kid to make the pros that way...at least in soccer.

Krampus, I didn't know there was a TX pledge, but it doesn't surprise me    If I'm in TX during a ceremony with the state pledge, I'll stand politely.

Not to get totally off topic, but yeah, the pledge is below. Also there are a whole slew of ways to display the flag in concert with the US flag. It's a big deal down hear. Of course, yes it is true, everything is bigger in Texas.

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/flagpledge.html

You lucked out if Mrs. Desertrat only told you where to show up and how to dress. Mrs. Krampus had me fully involved for the whole thing.

I hear what you and Stosh are saying. I would agree. However, in my area (north of Dallas) the Eagles and the family do the whole ceremony. It is pretty much tradition down here, much like prom-posals and giving out these 30" mums for homecoming (don't get me started).

We have our son working to develop what he wants in the ceremony. It is, after all, his event. He has his friends and a few adults coming up to say things about his scouting career. He's given his mom and I a few portions to fill in. I am not very artistic or creative so I was looking to leverage what others may have seen that were memorable.

To be honest, my daughter is exceptionally gifted in the design and arts area. I may just subcontract this section to her. I just won't tell her brother.

Our troop has always told our scouts (and parents) to make copies of everything. I fear this may not help you now, but good advice for the future.

I would have your son contact the merit badge counselor and see if he can't get a second blue card. The counselor should have his records, but he may not. If he can get a second copy then he should take a picture of the whole card and submit that one to his scoutmaster. If this is not an option I would have your son request a scoutmaster conference with his scoutmaster and the advancement chairperson for your troop. He can then discuss with them his situation and they can jointly resolve the issue. When in doubt, reading and knowing your options under the Guide to Advancements may help you understand your options.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf

It would drive you crazy what we do here in Texas. After doing the pledge of allegiance they do the Texas pledge.

Can't imagine too many yankees wanting to pledge their allegiance to the state of Texas.

Stosh, it is tradition where I live for the parents to run the Eagle COH. The usual format is to have the committee chair and SM say a few words. Usually there is a scout who needs the communications merit badge acting as emcee. If no one wants that role it may fall to an invited guest of the Eagle. They do the Eagle charge, the presentation of the award, mother's/father's pin and usually a plaque. Then the scout speaks. Sometimes it is like a roast format. Other times it may be more solemn. Besides the usual flag ceremony and candle lighting, and the gratuitous slide show, that's it.

Was looking to see if any troops had any other such traditions or things they worked in to their ceremonies. 

Why do we have uniform guidelines if we don't follow them? What other things are well meaning, but wrong, that we are going to elect to ignore?

The problem is that most of the former seasonal sports are becoming almost year round. 

This is very true. Add to that everyone making their sport/club/event mandatory, and you have the makings of a mess. I disagree with the notion that all these various interests are making our kids well rounded. It makes the parents' ability to manage their kid's schedule better, but from my experience it is not the kids that manage anything. The kids simply hop in the car and mom shuttles them to the next event.