You and Your Scouts Requirements

[Basementdweller]

I hear of an Eagle Candidate coming before the eagle board. His Dad, the SM, Signed off absolutely everything the Scout did in scouting. Merit badges, rank requirements absolutely everything. Seen it first hand too, A boy in the Troop whose Dad is ASM is in the middle of doing exactly that currently. The SM is refusing to let Dad be a merit badge councilor for any more, the last couple he has referred him to another local councilor. The COR and CC are refusing to let the ASM sign up to council any more merit badges.

 

 

While it is not prohibited for a Leader Parent to sign off their Scouts Requirement, I think it is bad mojo, I have heard too many unqualified boys earning their Eagle as SM son or Grandson. Even as a Webelo I will not sign my sons requirement and as the CM to review and sign off his Achievements.

[Gary_Miller]

In my opion SMs and ASMs should not be passing off merit badges for youth in their troop with the exception of Camping and Cooking MB.

 

And were its ok for a parent to sign of a merit badge this should be the exception not the norm. For example if the parent is the counselor for a MB being offered at a MB Pow-Wow/clinic and the parent is on staff at the Pow-Wow then it would be except able for the parent to sign off the merit badge.

 

Or if the parent was the only one in the area with the skills to be the counselor then that would be except able.

[moosetracker]

We had this going on in our troop. It was not realize until the parents tried to sneak MB's through without the proper processing set up by the troop. Until then the troop did not realize what was happening, but this threw a magnifing glass on them.

 

All the boys merit badges were done by Mom..

 

We made new troop policy that the parents could not be the MB counsilor, unless the scout has special permission from the SM (if SM son, it needed to be the Advancement coordinator). Few were allowed. I did family life with my son because for the most part, the MB is done at home for the family. I alway do this MB requestion one of the parents to be with us during the starting discussion of the MB, because they need to be involved. My husband did home Repairs for similar reason. The projects were all done around the house, the parent is going to be relied on to be the scouts guide while he is doing the MB.

 

Part of the learning process of Merit badges is to teach the scouts to work with and be comfortable calling and asking advice of different people. People who they are not familure with. In fact we encourage they find MB counsilors outside the troop if possible, so they meet new people.

 

The scout losses this learning process by only working with his parents. Might as well stay in cub scouts.

[Eagle92]

I have a feeling that when my son becomes a BS, he will NOT want me as a MBC as I would probably be harder on him than someone else. As his TCDL, I know at times I expect more out of him than his peers, and at other times I need to get him to slow down and let his peers catch up.

[resqman]

Troop policy is parents do not sign off on offspring MBs. Parents may counsel and teach MBs but not sign off.

 

I have more leatherworking tools and stuff than some Summer camp programs. I tutored my son regarding leatherworking. I provided him supplies, tools, and tips. I arranged a field trip to the leather supply store and led the store tour. When it came to be signed off, he took his projects into a troop meeting and made a presentation for all requirements to the another couselor.

 

There is no national rule that parents cannot sign off for their own children. If absolutely everything for an Eagle canidate was signed off by one person, then I hope the EBOR would have concerns. I would hope they would be asking indepth technical questions to help satisfy that the scout actually learned something.

[The Blancmange]

 

If absolutely everything for an Eagle canidate was signed off by one person, then I hope the EBOR would have concerns. I would hope they would be asking indepth technical questions to help satisfy that the scout actually learned something.

I'm curious how this might work. Isn't it really too late at this point? The proper place to correct this should have been at the unit level. What you are suggesting sounds too much like retesting. Some of the badges might have been taken 6 years earlier. What would the board do if it decided that the scout does not have an adequate recollection of what he learned? Make him repeat the badge or requirement? What if the EBOR is after his 18th birthday, is the scout SOL?

I certainly don't think the practice of a parent (or any single adult) signing off on a scout's requirements is sound, but I don't think the remedy is to penalize the scout for poor oversight by his unit committee.(This message has been edited by the blancmange)

[dg98adams]

I think I have Eagle92's back on this one.

 

My son took a couple of the MB's I usually do in the Trail Drive, at the Y with another Troop or with him and another Scout on off-meeting times.

 

I'd like to think I treat all Scouts the same (no more no less), but my son would probably be the 1st to say he does not get ANY slack.

 

I think he actually wears it well, and i hope he remembers it later in life.

 

 

[moosetracker]

It's a rare parent who can be that objective as to treat their child the same as every other child. Half of us will make things harder on our child, the other half will make it easier. Neither is a good thing.

 

I thought I was tougher.. (I ripped his 3 month family life duty roster down and made him start over if he slacked off for a week twice). But, my son did not complain about me being harder on him. so maybe I was not as tough as I thought. He definatly complained that his dad was harder on him.

[evmori]

There is nothing in any BSA rules or regs that prohibit a parent from signing off requirements and MB's the way you have described. That said, I don't feel a parent should be doing this. Sorta defeats the adult association aspect.

[John-in-KC]

What Ed said.

 

It may be permitted, but it is not imo a best practice.

[Gunny2862]

Our Troop has made it a practice, As his SM, I don't think I've signed any advancement in my son's book except the cert. that we talked about the YPT pamphlet in the front of his book. Just like I want every other boys book to be in relation to their parents.

As to MB's, as his SM our Council has advised that they don't want SM's doing any MB's for any Scouts in their own Troop.

 

I do have some highly qualified parents who do MB counseling for their sons but only when doing MB's in a Group scenario. Which we don't have an on-going system of, but is rather by request from a Group of Scouts for a particular badge.

[Horizon]

I am the SM, and I don't sign my son's book.

 

Trail to First Class - 90% done by Scouts. SMC done by one of my ASMs. I obviously have nothing to do with the BOR.

 

Merit Badges. I counsel Cooking, Camping, Personal Management. However, I have my son get the Counselor sign-off from someone else even if he works with me. This is more for ME to show the Troop that there is no favoritism going on, or any paper badges.

 

Now - his plastic sheets of blue cards will be full of my signature as the Unit Leader, but the Counselor names will be a variety of folks.

[Basementdweller]

It is understandable to sign off as unit leader, but to sign off as counciler and unit leader.

 

Too much

 

 

[evmori]

It is understandable to sign off as unit leader, but to sign off as counciler and unit leader.

 

Too much

 

I agree but this is not prohibited by the BSA.

[krier32]

We have a requirement that a parent can do no more than 2 merit badges unless your son and another boy do the merit badge at the same time.

 

Also, someone mentioned the EBOR should have a problem with all merit badges being signed off by the parent(s) and should ask technical questions. Remember, this is not the place to re-test the scout or check what they learned.

 

Since Merit Badge Councelors have to be approved by council, I would have a problem with someone being given council approval for every merit badge required.

 

Don

COR - Troop/Crew 53