Another last minute Eagle

[us3packrats]

We have a Scout who is taking it down to the wire. He will be finishing his last 2 merit badges next week, 5 whole days before his 18th birthday!

 

However, our Scoutmaster is leaving on a well deserved vacation this weekend, and will not be back before the Scout's 18th birthday.

 

The question is can an Assistant Scoutmaster do the Scoutmaster Conference in his place? Or has the Scout reached the end of the line by waiting until the last minute?

[mikecummings157]

Yes, the Scoutmaster can delegate this to one of his (or her) Assistant Scoutmasters. I have done this in place of the Scoutmaster in the past when the candidate was his son.

[FireKat]

Contact your council. Some say CC can but not ASM(s). Best get an offical ruling.

[GernBlansten]

Its my understanding, and I'm sure BW will confirm or set me straight, that an ASM has the same power as the SM concerning these things granting that the SM has ceded his authority to the ASM. In other words, if an SM is going on vacation, he can delegate duties to an ASM without a problem.

[Bob White]

Don't know who the "some" are that are saying the things to FireKat. I can only tell you that the roll of an assistant Scoutmaster is to fill in for the responsibilities of the Scoutmaster in his or her asbsence.

 

That is what the Scoutmaster Handbook and Troop Committee Guide say.

 

Of course there are leaders who will want to confer with "some" to see if they say that the BSA resources are correct or not.

 

BW

 

 

[evmori]

If the SM has designated this task to the ASM in his absence, then yes. If he hasn't then no.

[gcnphkr]

Excuse my ignorance, and this may be question 20 on the quiz.

Were does it say that the Scoutmaster conference can only be held after the other requirements are complete? I do find this in the four steps of advancement: "3 The Boy Scout is reviewed. After a Scout has completed all requirements for a rank, he has a board of review." But I can't find a similar statement regarding the Scoutmaster conference.

[evmori]

Actually, jet, nothing states that. This is one of those things that's usually done just prior to the BOR. That doesn't mean the SM conference can't be done prior to completing all the other requirements for rank, except the BOR.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[gcnphkr]

So then were is the problem? Hold the conference before the SM leaves for vaction. The scout can finish his merit badges and have his birthday. When the SM gets back, with everything finished in time, he and the CC sign the Unit Approval section, which can be done after the birthday. The scout turns in his packet to district and he is good to go for the next EBOR.

[OldGreyEagle]

this may be a local thing, but in the Council I serve, the application et al must be in Council Office before the 18th birthday. Don't know if its right or not, but if you bring the paperwork in on the 18th birthday or after, its a no go to anything

[gcnphkr]

this may be a local thing, but in the Council I serve, the application et al must be in Council Office before the 18th birthday. Don't know if its right or not, but if you bring the paperwork in on the 18th birthday or after, its a no go to anything.

Yes, the Council. At least ours doesn't require that it be turned in by the birthday. They do require that letters of reference is included. What is the point of BSA policies and procedures when even the Council ignores them?

[evmori]

I thought the 18th birthday deadline was a National deadline, not Council?????

[GernBlansten]

Ed, defininetly not a National deadline. We have submitted several eagle applications to national after the 18th B-day and received the eagle packet.

All work must be done and certified by the council before the 18th, but the EBOR and submission to national can happen after.

[eolesen]

It's a national requirement to have it submitted and certified to council by the birthday? Where's that stated?

 

How is it even practical to certify it if we're giving them until 23:59:59 on the day prior to their birthday to finish their requirements?

 

Looking at the advancement requirements online for Eagle, nowhere does it say that the application has to be submitted to anyone before their birthday. If the application is submitted to comply with a local demand, then we're not honoring the time committed to in the published rank requirements in the handbook or online.(This message has been edited by eolesen)

[gcnphkr]

From The 12 Steps from Life to Eagle:

 

3. It is imperative that all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank except the board of review be completed prior to the candidates 18th birthday. When all requirements except the board of review for the rank of Eagle, including the leadership service project and Scoutmaster conference, have been completed, the enclosed Eagle Scout Rank Application must be completed and sent to the council service center promptly.

"Promptly" does not mean "before". But you are stuck with what the Council demands, just as scouts are stuck with being retested at SM conferences and all the "you have to be active in the months prior to" requirements that units impose on them.(This message has been edited by jet526)