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I respect Tillerson - who distanced himself from Donnie.

I think it matters more what the position the Scouter holds than what are the activities of the troop. If a Scouter is the advancement chair and really only interfaces with the boys at BORs and COHs - the level of physical activity is not high. Keep in mind "personal fitness" is what is the priority in Scouts. Physical fitness is just one component of personal fitness.

I usually only wore my OA sash at Trooping meetings when the boys voted on new members and during OA events - ordeals for new members. As an adult OA member but not an OA advisor, I really didn't attend more than one or two OA meetings. It was the one "honor" I was glad my older son received before his dad. He still remembers a year later when his dad forgot the OA "password" during his Brotherhood ceremony - okay, I've said too much already.

In my council, the youth made fun of OA sash "condoms" "protective plastic sleeves to keep the sash clean while doing service - usually some sort of dirty work". In my council, a clean sash is the sign of an inactive OA member - one who doesn't provide much service. There was usually a clash with mothers (they hated to see the white sash get soiled) but I liked the fact that the kids were proud of their service. A clean sash showed an OA member was a "virgin" wrt service. ;-) FYI, our council (dating myself - about 10 years ago) had probably the best OA lodge in the country.

No, blanket announcements of "I need a volunteer to . . ." don't work very well. Conversely, putting people on the spot is not my favorite technique either. One has to be a little devious but if you know the adults you should have a good idea of who may or may not be a good candidate for the position you are seeking to fill (or task to be accomplished). It takes some skill but get with that person one-on-one, talk sincerely about the need and how you think that person would be a great asset and nine times out of ten you close the deal - no public shaming required.

G2SS May 2018 All Scouts registered in troops are eligible to participate in troop or patrol overnight campouts, camporees, and resident camps. Patrol Activities—A Scout patrol may participate in patrol activities. Two-deep adult leadership is required. Patrol Leaders Handbook (2010) Most patrol activities take place within the framework of the troop. However, patrols may also set out on day hikes, service projects, and overnighters independent of the troop and free of adult leadership as long as they follow two rules: • The Scoutmaster approves the patrol

I'm very direct so . . . The Scoutmaster is in charge of the advancement in a troop. The CO is in charge of selecting/approving a Scoutmaster. So . . . It really is that simple.

These type of posts always amuse me. What are the requirements to earn the Eagle rank? What requirement do you feel the Scout has not meant by getting a girlfriend pregnant?

You must live in a very arid region. My grass never gets dry enough to cut until after 10:00 AM!

What adult requirements are we (BSA) forcing on children?

What is the purpose of an Eagle Scout Project? What does the Life Scout learn from a GoFundMe page? What does a Scout learn from asking companies to fund or provide raw materials for his project? What does a Scout learn from asking private citizens for donations? These topics should be discussion between the Life Scout and his Eagle Project Adviser.

When you're underground, the weather is irrelevant. From a temperature perspective - yes. But I'd say that rain is of dire importance if one is underground.

Last week I travelled to West Lafayette to see the Mizzou / Purdue football game. Along for the trip was my family and my brother's family and my sister. Well, during the tailgate I got a kick out of the fact that my boys (ages 27 and 26) used their old Patrol cooler and stove for the tail gate. My oldest was in charge of the grill - burgers for all (he had a steak!) and they cleaned up everything. Their aunts & uncles and cousins were impressed. Their Scout training came in very useful. It brought back a flood of memories of when we were all about 10 years or more younger and th

4.2.3.4 Positions of Responsibility “Serve actively in your unit for a period of … months in one or more … positions of responsibility” is an accomplishment every candidate for Star, Life, or Eagle must achieve. The following will help to determine whether a Scout has fulfilled the requirement. 4.2.3.4.1 Positions Must Be Chosen From AmongThose Listed. The position must be listed in the position of responsibility requirement shown in the most current edition of Boy Scout Requirements. Since more than one member may hold some positions—“instructor,” for example—it is expected that eve

I'm getting to the point where I don't remember much! I used to be very, very active on this site (with the old format) but I've been fairly inactive for almost 10 years. Back then too much posting was about girls and God. ;-)

I'll defer to John-in-KC - I've probably got outdated sources. From John's referenced material: The purpose of Star, Life, and Eagle Scout requirements calling for Scouts to be active for a period of months involves impact. Since we prepare young people to go forth, and essentially, make a positive difference in our American society, we judge that a member is “active” when his level of activity in Scouting, whether high or minimal, has had a sufficiently positive influence toward this end. Use the following three sequential tests to determine whether the requirement has been met

Be active in your troop for at least four months as a First Class Scout. So what exactly does this mean and who determines what this means? Let me start with the "who." The Scoutmaster is in charge of advancement within the troop. BSA sets the requirements for the ranks. As a former Scoutmaster, I knew that "active" meant "registered" - nothing more nothing less. The unit leaders are responsible for maintaining contact with the Scout on a regular basis. The Scout is not required to attend any certain percentage of activities or outings. However, unit leaders must ensure that h

Eagle Requirement 2: "Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life...." Who signs off on that requirement?

How can you deny a Scout a SMC or BOR if they've completed all the other requirements for rank advancement? That's just plain out wrong. I had a case where a Life Scout completed all of the requirements for his Eagle rank/award except for the BOR. One was scheduled and during the time after his SMC but before his BOR he got in trouble at school and was suspended. The troop committee would not hold a BOR for him. I told them they couldn't do that - they had to give him a BOR. They didn't need to have him "pass" but they couldn't deny him a review (somebody tell the Republicans for me

Yes, if one was 5'4" and 330 lb when they started working on the MB and showed improvement when finished. When is a boy in a troop - ages 12 to 17. How many boys don't improve their strength during this time?

That's why, as a Scoutmaster, if I see a Life scout in our troop that can't tie a bowline - guess who I ask the SPL to assign to teach the Tenderfoots (Tenderfeet?)? No one should be trying to play the accountable game - we should all be trying to help the boys learn. One of the biggest beefs against me from the parents was their perceived notion that didn't see "Scout skills" (in their eyes camping skills) as important. I did seem them as important but not as an end to themselves. The mission of scouting isn't to make skilled outdoorsmen. The mission is to help them make moral and

Depending on their age and maturity - I tend to play devil's advocate with the boys if they have a very strident political position. Kind of a bastardization of the Socratic method - just to get them to think and challenge themselves. But rarely is it the boys who start a political discussion. When the adults start it, I usually decline participation if the boys are around.

I was a personal fitness merit badge instructor for many years. The first thing most folks screw up is equating personal fitness with physical fitness. I suggest you read the personal fitness merit badge book.

Again, the purpose of BSA Scouting, is not to retain the core scouting skill like hiking or swimming. I remember back in the day, parents would have their kids join Scouts to learn to swim. The purpose is to develop character, citizenship and personal fitness. Now, if we sold that to the boys, nobody would sign up voluntarily. So, we use the Outdoor Program to lure the kids and Advancement to lure the parents (my opinion only and stated somewhat tongue in cheek). It is highly beneficial that the boys learn orienteering, pioneering, hiking, first aid, camping and a host of other

Do you mean has the Charter Organization ever had their Scout trailer stolen? Sometimes, we forget who owns the troop and all the troop's equipment. On a lighter note, a lady in our troop knew a company that would decal our newly purchased trailer for a very reasonable cost. I found out why when I saw it at the next troop meeting with "Troup XX" prominently displayed on the side of the trailer.