HashTagScouts

This is so weird to me- you can drive out, but not in. If their real intent is not just have folks driving o'er hill and dale and trampling everything on the way, it would seem that the Camp staff could serve a purpose on saying "you will be accompanied by Camp Staff to drop trailers at the appropriate troop campsite". Our camp has a designated hour, before campers are to arrive, for units that wish to have a trailer at their campsite. Staff don't physically ride along with them (as they are typically the youth staff), but they will meet them at the campsite if the unit is not familiar with where to appropriately place trailers (Ranger allows in site entryway, but not within the campsite proper).

If the parent is adamant that the Scout isn't being held back on purpose, and there is nothing wrong with how the troop is operating, the only plausible scenario to me is the Scout is just not pursuing to get signed off on requirements or request a SM conference. If the Scout was doing those things, then based on what you have written, it would seem that the troop is holding them back and the parent isn't being honest to themself.

I'd encourage your son to send an email tonight to the SM asking if he could take a few minutes of the his time to have the SMC tonight, and even an offer to meet prior to the meeting if the SM is available. Might get him farther with the SM, and removes the opportunity for the SM to use an excuse of he is feeling cornered that it is "last minute" (in his mind).

Chartering Agreements to this point have had a responsibility listed for the CO to "Select a Charter Organization Representative (COR) to serve as a voting member of the council". I would presume that this change being highlighted is going to impact the 2026 chartering agreement, to remove that. Ultimately, it was a bylaw/rule/regulation of the National Organization, so only the National Board needs to vote to amend the bylaw/rules/regulations.

In my neck of the woods, we've been doing this since I was a youth. General rule is if school is closed, we do not meet (which includes days the schools close because of snow). Over the summer we meet once for summer camp prep, then summer camp, then the rest of the summer is PLC planning meeting, and a few day events (fishing derby, troop outing to an amusement park, swim night at one of our family's house or at the YMCA, movie night, a day hike, etc. - whatever the PLC agrees on, more social gathering/engagement than skill/advancement focused. Still had the PLC/Senior Scouts in charge of planning details and lead supervision at these events. While I could understand momentum loss could result, it has always been for us more of a short time of fun getting ready for the work to return for another year= understood that way by both youth and adults. Additionally, when your own kid(s) hit the age that they are working at camp all summer, and OA starts up before school does, there's enough Scouting to never really have so much of the break that others were having.

I won't respond to surveys that won't share the summary of responses with participants. Drives my employer nuts I won't respond to semi-annual employee surveys, but such is a qualifier for my participation

This is coming after they are putting a ton of work into Camp Pupukea on Oahu. New Cabin Designs Unveiled for Camp Pupukea - Hawaii Parent

Based on your previous posts, you've got ground work to go, as though you are building a brand new troop. Understandable you aren't at the ideal operations yet. Hopefully, the SM is at least using the SM conferences to instill some expectations for these youth as they move towards their next rank. Based on the one experience you've described, probably not what is going on, and that presents challenges of a whole different nature.

When programming is working as it should, this is one element that is correct to evaluate the health of the unit and make SM aware of blind spots. If younger youth are getting pencil-whipped through requirements. and older youth who should be teaching are not, the unit is not healthy.

Especially for Scouts on the younger end, you don't want a BOR to crush their spirit, so making the knots a game just makes it light-hearted. Just encourage them to keep trying later on- "that's OK [Sam], I get my fingers twisted sometimes too. But I'll do this every know and then to challenge myself". Again, the intent of BOR is not re-test and search for reason to not pass them- every BOR I saw as means to evaluate how we were doing as a program for discussion to the SM. Hopefully the SM can work that feedback into discussion with the SPL and PLC- "I think it would be good if next month we find an activity to include in a troop meeting to practice knots".

This is true- however, at least one adult sitting on the BOR should understand the program enough to be able to ask questions constructively to assess the Scout and competency on the requirements. That isn't to penalize that Scout, but is helpful to give constructive feedback to the SM if the Scout was lacking, so that hopefully there can be a course correction before the next rank. For example, Tenderfoot knot requirements: Demonstrate a practical use of the square knot. Demonstrate a practical use of two half-hitches. Demonstrate a practical use of the taut line hitch. I'd have a small rope with me, and ask the Scout if they ever timed themselves to see how fast they could do all of them, one after the other- and then proceed to do it myself with them timing me. "OK, I felt that was not my best- how about you give it a try and see how fast you can do it?" It's pretty clear pretty quick if the kid can't even get through a square knot in less than a minute he hasn't truly gained "mastery".

Hype him up that there are some cool options for patrol patches with that name!

What NY councils are you tracking? Last I heard, Suffolk County Council voted against merger with Theodore Roosevelt Council.

That they would be independent thinkers and learners is hardly socialism or communism.