Col. Flagg

LOL...sort of. But to continue the analogy, @@Stosh has a castle, moat with alligators, guards, laser trip wires and Dementors flying overhead protecting his house. I think by following the BSA policies one "locks the doors" and keeps a weather eye out. That's our job as Scouters. If mom tags Junior in a photo and someone get a hold of it, that's on mom, not us.

@@mashmaster, it's hard to take the moral high ground in an argument with someone when you essentially said that their religious beliefs (not believing in the gay life style) is tantamount to Jim Crowism, when the very argument itself discriminates based on one's religious beliefs. This is the irony of the Liberal argument. Once you start calling whites or Christians or [insert group here] as being in the wrong, then step all over their legal rights, you are guilty of what you accuse them of. The law and BSA policy allow what happened to happen. Don't like it, fine. But you can't denigrate

Don't have your kid in everything. Pick 1-2 things and be done with it. Maybe those other groups are doing too much. Does the orchestra really need a ski trip. Not your example, I know. This is one that happened locally.

That's the local option working the way BSA intended when they made their policy change. Hopefully the other troop handled it in a respectful manner, but this is what happens when people need to respect each other's positions. The troop respects his right to be who he is, and he has to respect their right to have the troop they want. Should something else have happened?

How did I know this would happen. In all seriousness, I find it very odd that BSA did not define conservation hours. While I feel it is obvious there are things that would border on whether they should or should not be considered. A scout asked if taking care of his church was "conservation". I pointed out that was most likely "preservation", whereas (So I thought) "conservation" was directed toward natural resources. He promptly opened up his pocket Merriam-Webster and noted: Definition of conservation 1: a careful preservation and protection of something; especially : planned man

True story. Parents didn't want the kid on email, social media, nothing. He was a local football hero with his name in the paper every week. His Eagle COH was publicized everywhere. School, name, troop, sports team and what car he drives...all in the article. So much for anonymity.

True, but informed speculation. I am trusting that the Scout is telling the truth. We are supposed to take each other on our word, right? Otherwise, how do I know you are "David" or you know that I am really a "Colonel"?

I've already seen it at a district meeting. Of course it was on a Banana Republic general. You just knew that would happen.

I hated FB. I only just got on three years ago. Our unit wasn't on but we developed a page. It is now one of the most trafficked pages in our area, let alone for Scouts. If you google our area we are the first troop that shows up in the search engine. Just by knowing how google and FB engines work, you can really raise the awareness of your group. Pictures are limited and chosen carefully.

@@Stosh, you can have someone hang around your unit any time and get names, locations, school info, etc. Social media makes it easier, but is someone wants to get the info they can.

Yup, sounds like it. On it's face it sounds like the SM is trying to up the attendance rate by putting in this demerit system. If that's why, your're exactly right @@EmberMike, that's leadership devoid of any ideas of how to spark attendance and build excitement around the program. Too lazy to work with the PLC to develop energizing programs.

I knew FB had facial recognition software. I didn't think it could recognize a face specifically as @@MattR...not without someone saying who it is. Can it really recognize a specific person?

I received a similar directive from my council. Also, like @@Back Pack said, websites can also be considered closed if you need a login. And if you happen to have pictures on it, well that's the same as a closed FB group. I find it ironic that parents don't want the troops to post their kid's faces on social media, but they do it all the time AND they tag the kids or not school location, etc. Or worse, they have his full name in the news paper. Back Pack is right, if you want to find someone on the net just look at the parent's FB feeds.

Gotcha. Thanks!. That's interesting the leaders felt the need to put it in place. If there's a discipline or attendance problem there are other ways adults can address those issues. Glad he's moved on and found another troop. Hope he has better experiences.

I'd like to think most of use would never have put our son in such a troop given that may of us -- those who have been in Scouting a long time -- know what to look for. Any unit with a demerit program would have been off my list immediately. Heck, I might have reported them to Council had I known in advance. And no offense meant to @@CaliGirl for not knowing earlier or not asking. That's something no one expects to find in Scouting and may not even be too widely known. Us Scouting geeks on this forum may have missed it too, but I'd like to think we'd have found it early. Well done to @@CaliGir

Here's the announcement in Scouting Magazine.

Anyone find anything on this yet? I cannot believe @@Stosh or @@NJCubScouter doesn't have a website with ready reference for all.

My thoughts... They cyber chip requirement for Boy Scouts shows that whoever created it has not had kids in twenty years. I *do* like the additional camping and service requirements. I would like to see a more concise definition of what constitutes "conservation hours" for those required service hours. Not sure anything else really sticks out or bugs me. @@Adamcp, what bugs you besides the cyber chip?

Not sure why that changes anything. The handbook is the official record. The Scout should know if the BOR section was signed off by his troop, his mom, his brother, himself, etc. So, assuming he's telling the truth, you take the Scout at his word unless you have something else to go on. I would not want to be in a situation where I immediately assume one person is lying over the other. If council gets involved and says "stop everything", that's another matter entirely.

IH I don't think does. For our CO, which is a church, it would be the head pastor. I don't think we've ever had him fill out an application. Maybe we're doing it wrong. Maybe our membership coordinator is doing it without us knowing.

Anyone on the charter needs an application, no? Either Scouter, MBC or Committee Member. Scout Parent has been gone a few years. If you fill out a Committee Member application you don't need to put down a role (e.g., treasurer, events, etc.). I think @@CalicoPenn has it right. That's what I have always seen with regards to unit leaders.

You mean you want to appropriate it? Why not? We borrowed it from someone else too. On our website we have "trained" patches next to the SMs, OA next to OA, etc. We even put the training resumes on the site so folks can see. This is included in the pdf file we distribute during the open house. It really helps cut down on the common questions during open house and allows the parents to see their kids having fun instead.

@@David CO you're right. We have no way of knowing who is telling the truth since are not involved in the primary incident. So I put myself in the new SM's shoes: I welcome the new Scout warmly in to the troop. I have the meeting with him that's been suggested above. We review his records and his handbook. I ask him about his BOR. Who was there? Who signed? His response and mannerisms should tell me if there's any fire where we think there's smoke. If not, I take the book at face value, trust the Scout and award the rank. If the Scout's answer is suspicious, then we hold a BOR for him so he

Check out the Kwihadi Dancers if you are ever near Amarillo. I grew up around there. It's on the way to Philmont if you are coming from the east. Pretty cool. The pack double-downed and invited them back for a pack meeting. The woman tried to take over the PC but failed miserably. She left. Good thing because her son was a snowflake ready to melt...and horribly behaved. Never scolded because "he will eventually settle down". Never did.

A Scout is Trustworthy....probably more so than any adults with agendas. Ask the Scout. If he said the signature is from his other troop's BOR, then accept it. If he says he doesn't know where it came from, give the kid a BOR if his book is otherwise signed off. This can all go away with just one adult rising above all this crappola and investing in the Scout, rather than playing troop-palace intrigue with a bunch of silly parents.