Changing MB Counselors

[Buffalo Skipper]

How would you respond to a scout who asks to change MB Counselors because the MBC assigned is not available?

 

How would you respond to a scout who asks to change MB Counselors because the he knows one who is available when he wants (but the scout has never contacted the assigned counselor)?

 

How would you respond to a scout asks to change counselors the moment you assign him one when he would prefer to work with his father as a counselor?

 

All three of these things have occurred over the last few months with one scout, and I would like to hear how you would have handled these situations.

[UCEagle72]

(1) Provide him the contact information for a new MBC.

(2) Ask the Scout to first contact the assigned MBC to determine his availability before you will assign him a new MBC.

(3) While not forbidden, MBCs can work with their own children (See Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures BSA pub 33088 - page 13), our Troop policy was to always use an MBC other than the parent, unless no other MBC was available. (This is where having a good stable of MBCs at the District level can come in quite handy.)

 

"Cherry-picking" MBCs is nothing new (heck, I probably used the same MBC for 5+ MBs as a Scout because we had a good rapport) - you, or more appropriately, your Advancement Committee Member, just need to manage scout expectations. As a Scout, and later a Scoutmaster, we always had the "Troop rule" that using a parent who is a registered MBC was only for a last resort. And the parents/MBCs were told the same thing. (Of course, "helicopter parents" were not as much of an issue in those days.)

 

 

(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

[evmori]

1) Assign a new one.

2) Contact the one assigned 1st.

3) Contact the one assigned 1st.

[dg98adams]

I like the way the Troop I serve handles it.

 

Scout asks for Blue Card for MB. SM signs Unit leader approval on card and gives to Scout.

SM asks Scout does he know any MBC's for the MB?

 

Sometimes a MBC in the Troop is what he wants (easy access), sometimes it's a relative.

Scouts are encouraged to seek out new MBC's, but does not have to.

 

If Scout does not know any MBC's for the MB, a short list of MBC's is made available from the District list (sometimes it's a Scouter closer to the Scouts home, but sometimes not).

 

If a Scout wants to change, it's up to him to let the counselor know before continuing on. Especially, if the MBC is holding the Blue Card and the Scout needs it back with whatever he completed marked off.

 

I think our MB advancement coordinator notes any changes in the contact info (reported by the Scout) for the MBC's that are currently being used to help keep the District list info current.

 

[Gary_Miller]

What's with assigning counselors?

 

Why to much leader control going on here.

 

Just give the youth a list of counselors and let him pick contact the one he would like.

 

If its his parent so be it, maybe the only time the youth gets one on one time with his parent.

 

 

 

 

 

[moosetracker]

We use the parent as the last resort also. Otherwise, the scout is give a list of MBC's in the area (with the councilors that the SM or Advancement Chair have decided not to use again edited out)..

 

Hopefully our district Merit Badge list will be fixed before the end of the year, but right now the scout may have to call 5 or more to find one still doing MBC work.

 

There are some councilors that work well with most boys, but a boy or two would rather not work with for a variety of personal reasons, he should have some say in the decision of who he works with, so he can be comfortable.

[shortridge]

From the Guide for Merit Badge Counselors:

 

A Scout first expresses an interest in a particular merit badge by letting his unit leader know. To get him started, the leader may give him a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card) along with the name and telephone number of a district/council approved merit badge counselor.

 

That's why the assigning, Gary. That's how it's supposed to work.

 

(1) Give him the name and number of another counselor. This is not a problem caused by the Scout, and shouldn't be an issue. He should in fact be praised for following through and trying to get another counselor; many boys I know would just have given up.

(2) Have him contact the assigned counselor and check his availability.

(3) Sit down with the Scout and explain to him why you want him to work with another counselor other than his father - so he'll get experience working with adults who aren't relatives.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Thanks for the replies. Now that we have established a baseline, let me offer the rest of the story (it really does not change everything, but it is only fair to let you know from where I am coming on this...).

 

1) Johnny scout is assigned a MBC for cooking. The MBC is the preceeding SM, but he has had work and family issues has not been available. When the Johnny said Mr. X-SM hasn't been available, I returned the next week with a new MBC for Cooking and a printed Blue Card.

 

2) Johnny approached me asking to work on the Carpentry (centennial) badge, as it was the only centennial badge not offered at camp, and he wanted to get all 4. I advised him that (which was true at the time) I was the only MBC registered for this badge, and that I was looking forward to working with him on it. Six weeks later he approaches me and asks to instead work with Mr. Smith on this badge. I asked him why and he said because Mr. Smith was holding a class on this the upcoming Friday (3 days away). Johnny had made no attempt to contact me regarding this badge yet, but knowing that I was not available before that time, I did not want him to feel I was holding him up on any badge, so I verified Mr. Smith was registered (he had recently signed up) so I allowed him to change.

 

3) Johnny comes to me last night and asks for a Blue Card for the Small Boat Sailing MB. I say sure, and begin to tell him about a great counselor our troop has, a former member of the troop who now is on a professional race team. He is a great guy, easy going, and is also a Cub Scout leader. Johnny says he would really like to take the badge with his father. I remind Johnny that one of my most important tasks is to assign MBCs and I would really like him to work with Mr. Jones, as I feel the experience would be a positive one for him.

 

Thirty minutes later, as I am driving home I get a phone call from my wife, telling me that Johnny's dad has just called her and reamed her out about why Johnny couldn't have HIM as a counselor. I pulled over into a parking lot to call Johnny's dad, who reaches me just before I hit "send." Mr. Johnny begins to lamblast me about who is more qualified than him to teach his son this badge. I explain that is is not about being more or less qualified, but that it is my decision and I feel Johnny would benefit from the experience of working with Mr. Jones. Mr. Johnny goes on to chew me out about how "devistated" his son is that he can't work with his father on this badge...and the conversation continues this way going round and round for about 10 minutes. He keeps saying the same things over and over, and I finally reply that if his son is so "devistated" over a MBC, he has bigger concerns than how many MBs his son is earning. He continues by ranting about how my assigning someone else as a MBC is undermining his experience with his son. I remind him that he can do all the work with Johnny on the MB, teaching him all the appropriate skills and that after that if he were to meet with his assigned counselor, Mr. Jones would be very impressed indeed as he signed off all the requirements after only a short time on the water. He would have none of it, and I would not badk down. After about 20 minutes, I reminded him that I had to be at work early the next morning and that the conversation was finished. I feel I should add that Mr. Johnny was calling from the dock 4 states away about to go offshore to work.

 

Does that change your thoughts on this at all?

 

Edit: and yes, this is the same parent I mentioned here--

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=284438&p=2

(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[RANBOW]

At what point did the BSA start to require approved MBC's. I dont recall approval being required in my days of being a youth scout.

[Buffalo Skipper]

RANBOW,

For as long as I know, MBCs have had to be registered. Though there is no registration cost, there is suposed to be a background check done for anyone registering as a MBC. National policy requires (or so I have been told by our resistrar and SE) that all MBCs re-register each year. Our council has spent the past 2 year trying to clean up our records, wiping the MBC list clear each June, and requiring new applications. With the advent of stricter policies regarding Youth Protection Training, our current list is 1/4 what it was last year. But that is for another thread.

[evmori]

What's with assigning counselors?

 

As someone has already posted, the Scoutmaster is to assign the counselor.

[shortridge]

Undermining his experience with his son?

 

Wow.

 

So they can only go sailing together if it's under the auspices of Scouting?

 

How sad for the young man.

[Twocubdad]

In another time, Mr. Johnny gets his butt kicked for chewing out Skipper's wife. (Reference: "It's a Wonderful Life", the scene in Mr. Martini's bar with Mr. Welch, the school teacher's husband.)

 

Still sitting in the parking lot, your next two calls should have been to the committee chairman and chartered organization rep letting them know what happened. The next move is theirs.

 

They need to write Mr. Johnny a letter (senting it certified mail would be a nice touch) informing him that his behavior toward Mrs. Skipper is wholly unacceptable and until appropriate apologies are made and accepted, he is prohibited from attending any troop functions or contacting any troop leaders.

 

Secondarily, the letter should explain that while parents sometimes disagree with decisions troop leaders make regarding their sons, in this situation, every decision Scoutmaster has made regarding Young Johnny is in accordance with BSA policy, troop procedures and in the best interest of young Johnny. Most importantly, Troop XX and the chartered organization are fully supportive of the Scoutmaster.

 

If they want, they can include a point-by-point explaination of the procedures and policies, but I would not. That can come later if Mr. Johnny is still around.

 

Frankly, unless Mr. Johnny shows some real changes in attitude, I don't see him or his son around much longer. And that's a crying shame for the boy, but that's not within your control. You run your program the best you know how (which is what you've been doing) and let that chip fall where it will.

 

If not for reaming your wife, I would handle this differently, with a sit-down between the dad, me and another leader or two (CC or maybe advancement chairman). But the call to your wife was beyond the pale and calls for a stronger, more formal response.

 

Sounds to me like manipulation is a family trait. Both the father and son are trying to bully you and the troop into doing things their way. Stick to your guns. Deal with bullies by standing up to them.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[moosetracker]

With number 3 you definately did the right thing.. I don't know about son, but father definately needs to be weened off son. Son might just know Dad wanted to be his MBC, so asked if it was possible, also if he is really devistated I think it may be with Father's reaction to the whole thing...

[Kahuna]

Shortridge writes:

 

"A Scout first expresses an interest in a particular merit badge by letting his unit leader know. To get him started, the leader may give him a signed Application for Merit Badge (blue card) along with the name and telephone number of a district/council approved merit badge counselor.

 

That's why the assigning, Gary. That's how it's supposed to work."

 

The key word in that excerpt is "may." The point is that the Scout finds a district approved counselor.

 

I have never heard of MBC's being assigned. Nothing wrong with giving him some names and phone numbers. It's the Scout's choice which one he uses, so long as the counselor is approved.