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SMMatthew

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Everything posted by SMMatthew

  1. Here's a somewhat related story: A few weeks ago I had a Scoutmaster Conference with a Scout going for his Life rank. In the conference, I asked him about the merit badges he earned for Life. I asked what was the "hardest" merit badge he earned and which was the "easiest." The Scout, without even stopping to think said the easiest badge he earned was Camping. I was a little taken back by this. Not only is Camping a fairly involved MB with many requirements and is a badge that is Eagle-required, but I was his councilor for it! I asked him why he thought it was so "easy" and he told me
  2. But to go back and address the original post and situation at hand: That right there is the problem. The Scoutmaster may believe that no one younger than a third year Scout should be able to earn the MB. He may think that an 11- or 12-year-old won't be successful at completing the badge. He may wish that Scouts with the badge will hold a particular set of skills and abilities.He may encourage, or even try to strongly persuade, a Scout to wait until they are older (more physically fit, stronger, more mature, etc). But ultimately he cannot mandate or force a Scout to wait until he
  3. Yes, being a lifeguard takes maturity, experience, and strong physical fitness... things that come with age and things that an 11-year-old probably doesn't possess. It isn't something you can just knock-out on a Saturday. But we're talking about Lifesaving merit badge here. According to the BSA: "the main purpose of the Lifesaving merit badge is to teach Scouts the basic knowledge of water rescue techniques"... not to mention to BSA policies that "any Boy Scout may earn a merit badge at any time" and "you are expected to meet the requirements as they are statedâ€â€no more." There is no reas
  4. There is a difference between mentoring/guiding a Scout through the advancement program of the BSA and forcing/controlling a Scout to take a specific path. There are rules. BSA writes them. And BSA allows a Scout to earn all their MBs with the same councilor (assuming that person is registered as a councilor for all the badges they're signing-off on). And that person can even be the Scouts mom or dad. It is 100% "legal." You (and I) may not like that, but it's the way it is. BSA does discourage it, but they do not outlaw or forbid it. So, if Tommy Scout comes to you and wants to earn
  5. It is the job of the local council to approve (or deny) who is a qualified MB councilor for Scouts; it is not up to the judgment of an individual Scoutmaster to "approve" or "deny" who they think is "qualified" to be a MB councilor for a Scouts. If the individual is registered and approved by the council as a MBC, then they are a MBC. Period. End of discussion. A SM can't add extra requirements to the badge, and can't overrule the authority of a MBC. A Scoutmaster doesn't have the right or the authority to accept some MBCs and not accept others based on his own personal opinions of how he
  6. As a former PD, I can say the "pass/fail rate" of a MB class was never important to me, as long as those "passing" deserved it; and those "failing" deserved it. And from the camps I go to today, there doesn't seem to be an emphasis from the PDs on "100% pass" either (I get numerous "partials" at the end of a week, and I'm okay with that...in fact I appreciate it). The quality of the experience is always what comes first. But again, it may be that the camps I go to are an exception, and not the "norm." So, as they say, "your mileage may vary." I'm sure there are camps that strive to crank
  7. Really?!? As a former program director, I am shocked to hear that a camp would turn away a qualified volunteer who wants to help. Now if that volunteer isn't actually good or is unreliable or has lots of extra "baggage" or unrealistic "demands" attached to their helping then maybe, as well-intentioned as they may seem, they won't really be an asset to the program and so a polite "thanks, but no thanks" is in order... but to just say "no" to a ready, willing, able, and qualified person... that's just crazy! A Camp and/or Program Director who does that should be put out to pasture.
  8. And there's the problem! But it really has nothing to do with age. Those camps are putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. You can't just recruit/hire a bunch of bodies and then try to force them into the various positions or programs you have at camp (especially if they don't know the subjects or know how to teach it well). If you need a Swimming merit badge instructor, you need to find a good Swimming merit badge instructor (whether they be 16-, 25-, or 60-years-old, it doesn't matter). If you don't have a good person to teach Communications merit badge, then you shouldn't offer Comm
  9. Well if a camp is allowing a 16-year-old to serve as a MBC and has them sign-off on 'blue cards' or blindly accepts their word on what a Scout has or hasn't done, shame on them! That should be stopped and addressed. An adult (someone over 18...even if only 19 or 20) should be serving as the qualified councilor in every case. An under-18 can serve as an instructor, facilitator, guide, bookkeeper, and/or aide for the badge or class... but an over-18 must give the final verification and sign-off on the final requirements. A 16-year-old may teach the swimming strokes, but that 18-year-old is testi
  10. And that's why I (and the other Scoutmasters and Assistants) are there -- to provide "adult association" for the Scouts -- to be mentors, to be teachers, to be father-figures, to be Scoutmasters. But with a troop that is made up of Scouts (ages 11-17) and adult leaders who are mainly their parents or older (ages 35-70), it's nice to get a good healthy dose of 18-30 year old role-models into the mix. I'm not saying camp should be totally "kid-run." Having an older camp director or a camp chaplain or commissioners or specific area-directors, is appropriate (actually encouraged), but I want
  11. The Camp Facilities Evaluation Tool looks at the physical property assets, and, yes, it can become subjective or biased and also manipulated (if you really want to see the end of particular camp for whatever reason... or if you really want to keep a stinking camp open)... but NCAP's Intent to Operate and Declaration of Readiness require much more analytical data from the council (especially in regards to financial sustainability). Overall, sure, a council could play games to make a property look better on paper than it really it and thus keep it accredited (and open) a bit longer, but the
  12. Oh, absolutely, and NCAP does look at the "big picture" (including multiple years worth of data, and the council's overall finances, size, revenue sources, etc.). The key is to make sure camps (and councils) are sustainable. There are many councils that struggle to scrape together enough money each year to cover their multiple properties (or worse, they take on debt or neglect other programs as a result of their properties). NCAP strives to make sure that council properties are not liabilities to the council (i.e. they are safe and they are financially sustainable). The money doesn't have
  13. Firstly, I think there is value in having "participation" recognitions (a patch or ribbon or certificate or something) that everyone gets just for showing up. By building a car and participating in the event, a Scout has truly "won" and should have something for him to remember the event and his participation. The purpose of the game of Scouting is not about creating cars that can cross the finish line first, it's about building character and having experiences. I have tons of meaningful patches in my collection from camporees and other events where my troop came in last place. We should comme
  14. The most important quality that I want in a camp staff is their ability to be a strong role model and connect with the Scouts. I like camps where the councilors are more like "big brothers" and "friends" to the Scouts and less like "teachers" and "fathers." Sorry, but no 45-year-old, no matter how knowledgeable in a subject and dedicated to the program, can do that as well as an enthusiastic and spirited 19-year-old. Basically, as a Scoutmaster and a parent, I want to send my Scouts to summer camp where the program is led by SPLs, not by Scoutmasters. Maybe I've just been blessed and
  15. I wouldn't dwell on it or beat yourself up over it. Especially if you're not 100% certain you saw what you "saw"... perhaps it was just bottles of sparkling apple or grape juice I had an assistant leader who overheard clanking glass and bottles opening and though he was about to "bust" a group of Venturers drinking beer in their tent at summer camp. It turned out it they just had a 6-pack of glass-bottled cream sodas. Boy, was his face red.
  16. Here’s a short story for you… within my district the common phrase used before a prayer or religious service had always been along the lines of: "I ask that unless it is against your custom, please remove your hats..." So, upon this request, pretty much everyone would remove their hats… unless they were, say, Jewish (which requires a headcover during prayers as a sign of respect toward God). Now several years ago there was Jewish Scout in the district. While this Scout would often carry and wear a yarmulke for the religious parts of the day, there were times (especially
  17. I enjoy when Scouts' Own services have many diverse faiths represented. That way everyone has a moment where they feel included, accepted and celebrated. It also educates other on our commonalities and the traditions and beliefs of others. Many times I feel that "Scouts' Own" services are just non-denominational Christian services that avoid using the word "Jesus." The style and overall point-of-view often mirrors that of a traditional Christian church service. Also remember that we're dealing with teenage and pre-teenage boys here, attending a Scouts' Own service should be a fun and mean
  18. Oh, I'm not saying that females have never been at fault for inappropriate conduct in Scouting. I've experienced my fair share of girls that have crossed the line with comments about "cute boys", were caught ogling the "hunky" male camp staff members, or were otherwise intentionally stirring up trouble. If two female Venturers show up at the waterfront in inappropriately revealing bathing suits and starts flaunting themselves and flirting with the male lifeguards, yes, that is inappropriate and those young ladies should be talked to and dealt with. But again, the un-Scoutlike or vacuous b
  19. I recommend checking out the Venturing Personal Safety Awareness training video (viewing it is one of the first requirements for any Venturer working on the new Venturing Awards). You can get it direct from the BSA here: http://www.scoutstuff.org/personal-safety-awareness-for-venturing-dvd.html#.VKFmlcBE4. The video has a module on peer sexual harassment. By the BSA's own definition, sexual harassment is any unwelcome behaviors that creates a hostile environment. The training specifically says that Scouts should avoid any behaviors that "may make another feel humiliated, degraded, or thre
  20. Well... page 118 of the current Boy Scout Handbook says: ...and page 120 states: and:
  21. Camp Minsi (located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania) is a great camp! Our troop has been going there every-other year for the past 2 decades... it's practically our home-away-from-home. A beautiful camp, a wonderful program, and an extraordinary staff.
  22. I don't care how the girls were (or weren't) dressed... courteous and kind are still two points of the Scout Law! A girl dressing like a "tramp" doesn't mean that those two principles no longer apply to how a Scout should carry himself.
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