jcousino

Another thought is that if I sign the card without trainning, you then I am a fraud and a liar.

You make me proud to find someone else who teaches to the stature. I have said no to large 1-hour cpr classes. They always find someone else.

There is no requirement for the merit badge for cards, but I will add it on the side if the scout would like. I cover the price of the card. But i do what someone who knows the correct answer, teaching the badge and hopefully an EMT or higher, to give some real-life encouragement. Basic skill was not the only part of an MB.

It goes along with the cheapest way. All courses and training have been dumbed down, and the number of students has increased. It's just box-checking. OK, you attended. 

Please never fall for training instead of certification on anything. The one time something goes wrong, that card says that by my signing it, I currently have the training and certification to teach, evaluate, and certify you as trained and tested against a national standard. The cost for the card does vary, from $8 to $10 for AHA cards, Scouting, and ECSI, and the Red Cross has special rates for their classes. Remember, it's not just a check-off box if it goes wrong.

I can not find a photo of the rocket, but looking at the rules and thrust allowed by motors, I see that these are not the standard balsa wood rockets we shot as kids. Still, it is a great achievement. 

https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/safety-moments/rocket-safety/

its not activity itself i did the same while in HS its the use of the egg as loosely stated payloads are not allowed plus them building their own launch pad may be not manufacturing approved.  i could not find must else not really a big mater but we know at times the BSA can be picky at times again hats off to their award. i am surprised remember reading more based on suggest searches there may have need more. 

Sounds great wayto go but it looks like the it would not met scouting guide for rocketry. So not an approved scout activity

You can only help the ones you can.For one to survive, help is that you can pray for rest and ask God to help you know the differencee 

I am in no way wanting to restrict landowners using good management  practices, but it looks like one thing, do something else if there is money to be made, scouting = $$

very impressive project. i would unfortunately have to say that scout involvement violates the scouting LNT principles as this sheds provide a mineral source for a lot of small animals so removing something that is part of natural process violates leave what you find and respect wildlife.  but it does sound interesting money or principles. my 2 cents

16 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

Here a University Extension service, designed for vocational certification, was adapted for a whole day outdoor classroom merit badge experience.

"Each mentor brought the latest equipment they use in the field, and Scouts rotated between five stations where they learned mapping and drafting, surveying history and careers, leveling, creating boundaries, and 3-D laser scanning."

University of Florida School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences ,  Surveying Merit Badge

Great story which captures the intent of merit badge program - spark an interest,  enthusiasm, hands-on, minds engaged, adult association ( professionals and previous scouts}, career possibilities...

https://alachuachronicle.com/scouts-earn-surveying-badges-thanks-to-uf-geomatics-extension-program/

https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/surveying/

Scout Salute,

love to see more like that a very focus session on a field that is rare plus requires great skills and equipment that the scouts would not normally see. i would love see more state parks work with scouting to make good use of the rangers skill plus highlighting that whole profession (would aid youth and adults skills)

maybe i read it wrong is this policy a secondary policy on top of the churches normal policies. not a lawyer 

the most interesting part is the council picks the number and who is in leadership

not sure what causing long term injury or death to a cub is worth in todays dollar but 7.5 million looks big but to me is really small when faced with a wrongful injury suit.  

3 hours ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

Went with our Troop to a Merit Badge College our council organized some years ago.  Two Scouts wanted to do Drafting Merit Badge for one of their activities.  For Drafting Merit Badge, the pre-req was the formatting of the two sheets, and doing a drawing and lettering project.

Having some minor experience in drafting, I guided them both on the research and completion of the pre-reqs.

We went to the MB College... there were about 25 Scouts in this class.  Counselor was an experienced Scouter and draftsman in the prestigious university we were at (Ivy League school)

Only the two from our Troop had done the pre-reqs.  The MBC at the end of the class handed out signed blue cards for completion to all Scouts and told them they were "On Their Honor" to complete the pre-reqs before they gave the blue card to their unit leader.

I was floored, but I was not going to confront the MBC in front of the Scouts.  After he dismissed them, I spoke to him, and tried, tactfully, to tell him those should have been partials, and that it would have been better if he had recognized the work done by the Scouts who made the effort to complete the badge.

He said flatly that he knew this was not in accordance with the Guide to Advancement, but this was they way he had always done it, and there were never any complaints.  I remember he said something to the effect of "...most of them would never get the badge otherwise."

I told him I would file a complaint with the council, because this violated the Guide to Advancement, his own Scout Oath and Law, and put those Scouts in a really bad position.  The blue card states, "The applicant has personally appeared before me and demonstrated to my satisfaction that all requirements have been met for ..." and he was willfully lying on the form.

When I filed the form with council, guess what happened???  Nothing.  (Counselor was also a regular donor...)

How does that meet our mission " ... to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." ???

I did have a chat with our two Scouts later.  Both were upset they had done the work when others hadn't, and they felt cheated.

I told them they were not cheated... it was the other Scouts who were cheated.  These two had gotten their just reward because they had earned it.  The others were give the burden of a lie they will carry with them always.

it's a bit heavy to think that they will carry with them the burden of the LIE forever more than likely 10 minutes after they left the event they didn't remember anything about the event if I'm dealing with normal scouts that I see scouting needs a 13th law but it'll never happen they need a law that deals with integrity  scouting has integrity. integrity it is very rare. if you persist in doing the right thing by trying to force scouting to have integrity you'll get a letter from the office saying we no longer need your services you're using up too much of our of our time thank you very much.

that adds to my statement The weather was a known event therefore it should have been planned for. waivers are nice what they do not protect you from stupid Acts.

If you cancel a camporee for a justifiable reason, you lose money. I have seen that as more of  a driving force  than scout safety looks like this is more of the same

if a troop does the proper thing and pulls out past the refund date  at least the district does not lose the reg, fees

Watch for a few parents to file adverse harm lawsuits against the unit's leadership, district, and council for not taking proper care of their scouts

john

On 4/15/2025 at 1:02 AM, Tron said:

What I am seeing is that there is no goldilocks zone for todays scouts. It's either the troop is a meatgrinder and only scouts with professional proficiency are getting things signed off or the opposite where anything can get signed off. 

I think the answer is unit leaders (all of us) and national need to push WAY WAY more outdoors programming. Some of the program needs to shift back towards scout skills emphasis; I would personally yank some of the non scout skill eagle MB and replace them with orienteering, wilderness survival, and backpacking. 

Part of the outdoor programming has a higher cost, requires more skill from the adults, and requires more output from scouts and parents.

Most troops act more like family groups going camping. Group cooking etc

Somewhere, we have lost the, at least when I was a scout, it was the process that made you an Eagle Scout, not pinning on a badge. I remember meeting people who were active in their fields as merit badge counselors. Summer camp was for the rarer outdoor merit badges, i.e., swimming, lifesaving, riflery, and other shooting scouts. See the OA perform back when there was an awe factor.  

Se focus on the badge numbers not the process. 

john

i am surprised your council has not disbarred the troop . in their view money for scouting goes to them not at the troop level. They are scouting not the troop. they fear that  they approach this company for funds FOS they will say we have already given. seen some bad fall out with the above. that why fund raisers other than council level need to be approved first. as use the money for dues problematic. a grant made to troop to pay scouts dues is more acceptable. the other problem i am not sure if troops can directly accept funds because they are wholely owned by the charter Holder the gift should go through the co name.troups sould have no fed tax id number

22 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Until recently, multiple units could camp together with no issues. I think National tightened the multiple units policy because some were creating their own events like camporees and summer camp  even. As long as the YPT policies OF THE DAY (emphasis, YPT has become significantly tighter, i.e. only 21 year olds count towards YPT, parents are not allowed to camp, etc) you were fine.

 

look at the controls set up under the short-term camp program. The fix is easy, but it helps cover the various troops COR.  if a scouter from Troop A has an issue dealing with a scout of another unit YP or injury, where does the liability fall > lets all COR know that it's a mixed group

wind chills no zero possible on a webelow

5 hours ago, OaklandAndy said:

Our council recently held a winter camping experience for our Webelos/AOLs this past weekend. It's a patrol-led event with "frosty" fun. 2 nights before the event, an email was sent out saying that the overnight portion is cancelled due to the temperature (forecast was a low of 17 degrees).

I wanted to get your thoughts on this as I feel that the overnight portion should not have been cancelled due to weather. 

Units who properly prepared for this should've of been able to handle the cold weather, not to mention the money that was already spent to have the proper gear and meals. I think that the option to camp overnight could've been switched to optional for those units who did not prepare adequately. 

What are your thoughts? What other information did I not consider to justify the decision by the council? 

this is a Webelos event  I am glad they canceled the overnight.   Look at activity level differences between Webelos and scouts. While temp is not a directly  listed thing, common sense comes in here. I would be questioning taking a new scout out also. One error in clothing , sleeping bag or a list of many things could cause one kid to become hypothermic it's putting kids at risk they are not small marines. 

So They will be giving a  correction when the final numbers are out without holdovers in a grace period (plus any computing errors (my add))

The sad thing is that they will most likely try again when there are fewer people watching out to make an uproar, and they are in more dire states (never fixed the bad management) It will be sold just not today. 

1 minute ago, Eagledad said:

Well said.

Humility is the fertile ground for the growth of integrity.

Barry

unfortunately a lot of ground has been made rocky by false vanity 

9 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Former commissioner here. Agree the Commissioner Corps is suppose to be about quality control. But you also need Scouters who are willing to acknowledge they have weak programs, and be willing to listen to advice. Sadly I have encountered  such Scouters over the years who refuse to see the weakness of their program, and refuse to change. Commissioners can only coach and advise. they have no authority to implement change in a unit.

I had one such unit. After over a year of being ignored, I stopped trying. Successor commissioners to that unit, including one who knew the SM well as they were ASMs together at one point, were also ignored.

 

getting any level of scouts to admit it needs help is hard enough. Both paid and volunteers. the few high functioning units i have seen over my years where one,s that had a high functioning scoutmaster that keep the group together and would leverage other adults as needed. most where past upper level  managers/owners. 

not sure we have any right to complain have you looked at price and can of the pop corn we are noted for selling