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Very Sad Situation


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I have been placed in a very sad situation and I really really hate it. My town rather small 12,345 population has 1 scouting program which has been around for 85 years. This is the pack my son has been with since a Tiger and is now a Web1 so really I don't have MANY MANY years invested but I really wanted to GROW the program. I am just a Den Leader that has gone FULL BLOWN SCOUT, I have all my training, except Baloo and its all been hands on via weekend training courses. I have IOLS, IOWLS, working my Tickets and I just want to give the boys a QUALITY Program.

We as the pack have traditionally camped a lot , the Troop camps when we camp. My SM is also my Cm, my Asst SM is my Asst CM. I have many issues with the Troop which I am the Committee Chairman of and I bite my tongue a lot but I have also had a conversation with the SM at his home about some of my concerns.

 

1 thing I feel REALLY REALLY bad about was. My SM and Asst SM was out of town and ask if I would Present a young man to the Eagle Board "SURE, I would be honored, I don't want him to have to wait if he doesn't have to" So we walk in and its 1 guy (he's been around for many years and is called upon frequently for these types of things) and he asked for US to be seated. he went through this and that and this and that. Asked me if I was satisfied and to sign here (scout not in the room) Wrapping things up I noticed his Wood Badge belt and it was an Eagle and I said " Ahh you were an Eagle" He said no, no no .... I am talking about your Wood Badge Belt, AHH yes I was an Eagle in WoodBadge, In my head I was thinking "Doesn't Eagle Board of Reviews require EAGLES!"

 

Last thing as I mentioned we traditionally camp pretty frequent for a Pack. Well last night we had our Pack / Troop Leaders meeting and we did not write in any camping dates for Jan and Feb but we do have Camporee coming up in March (we have not camped since October which was ScoutBase). I mentioned I would really love to see a camp out between now and then and what about this date XXX, the SM then said "Well I don't have my boys that weekend (divorced father with 2 boys in scouting) so we need to find another weekend" Well I really don't like my son's scouting experience to be based on the weekends that my SM has his kids or not. I am NOT moving up to the troop with my son because I love the pack, I am a PACK guy. My son has another full year so we will spend the year looking for a Troop for him while he is working on his AOL next year. We have a town next to us with a population of 25k which has a Quality Unit that he is more than likely going to go to and a struggling pack that I can probably help out. I am just really really upset because I don't want to go but I don't want my son signed up for a weekly book club!

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No offense JG, but when I see "very sad", I usually expect it to be about a scout or scouter dying. This may be "pathetic", but not something that should bring you to grief.

 

Life is feeding you lemons, so ...

  • Keep taking your boy camping ... with our without his troop! (So I think we've advised you before.)
  • Visit both troops, ask your son which he think is best for him. Be honest with him abut costs like time and money shuttling to another town.
  • In your town, ask if there would be community leaders (not necessarily in scouts) who would like to help you sit on EBoR's. Trust me, your DE would like that prospect.
  • Look for young adults of noble character in your town who would be willing to assist the SM.
  • Look to your den parents. Even the ones who've sat on their hands until now. Are any of them better suited to scouting than cubbing? Bring them and their boy along on your father-son campouts. (I think you get where I'm going with this.)

This might mean you begging off a couple of pack activities. (Note: you don't have to leave your current pack if your son winds up in a different CO's troop!) But, part of your job is to find your replacement. Sounds like its time to start now because if you're like me the right guy is not waiting to pop out of the woodwork.

 

Oh, and here's hoping that lemonade will be surprisingly good!

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No offense JG, but when I see "very sad", I usually expect it to be about a scout or scouter dying. This may be "pathetic", but not something that should bring you to grief.

 

 

I agree. I clicked this thinking some harm had come to a scout. Then I started reading and I was heading in a different direction and thought "Uh oh, he called out the BOR guy for incorrect badging and the guy retaliated by turning down the kid." In the end, I'm glad to hear "very sad" was really nothing more than "less than ideal."

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In our District, EBoR are held first weds of every month, that's it. If , for some special reason, it has to be called for another night, you have to ask . We have , I think, three Eagle coordinators on the DistrictAdv. Committee. They each have a cadre of folks that help them set up and organize things. If the number of nascent Eagles do not warrant all three being present, then they don't come.

The Eagle candidate's SM and parents usually accompany him. At the site, the Candidate's escorts are expected to serve on the other candidates BoR, thus there are always more than one BoR scheduled and "manned". The Candidate is escorted in to his BoR by the SM (or his designate) and then the SM leaves. The parents are never present in their Scout's BoR, but they are drafted to serve on another Candidate's BoR. There are, therefor, at least three people on each BoR, one official District person and two (or more) others. I sometimes serve thus. It is always an interesting time, and the conversations can be very inspiring or very mundane.

BoR personnel do not need to be prior Eagles, but one must be a registered Scouter; at least that is how it was explained to me.

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My wife sits on EBOR's all the time.

 

I agree with the above regarding leading a campout anyway. All you need is two Adults with the right qualifications and you're good to go. Scouts should not have their experience harmed because someone married the wrong person.

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Review individuals for Eagles do not have to Eagles themselves, and the board does not have to be made up only registered scouters. Matter of fact, it is often recommended that at least part of the board be specifically non-scouters. Am also not certain that the "board" which you described would even be proper.

[h=3]8.0.0.3 Composition of the Board of Review[/h] A board of review must consist of no fewer than three members and no more than six, all of whom must be at least 21 years of age. For further specifications, see"Particulars for Tenderfoot Through Life Ranks (or Palms),"8.0.2.0, and "Particulars for the Eagle Scout Rank,"8.0.3.0. Unit leaders and assistants shall not serve on aboard of review for a Scout in their own unit. Parents or guardians shall not serve on a board for their son. The candidate or his parent(s) or guardian(s) shall have no part in selecting any board of review members.

Based on the above, I would think the process was not followed, and it should have been negated by the council, and redone.

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