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You said it.  You are a meddling cub scout leader and a trouble maker.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

@@qwazse I am two steps ahead of you. I registered a few months ago as the counselor for Scouting Heritage and seven other badges. It's given me all the leverage I need to legitimize my presence there

I am sorry you have interpreted things that way! But this is not a matter of control for myself. The units should be run by the boys, not adults, and I only want to empower the boys to run their own p

I have suggested that! But our Chartered Organization requires the new scout patrol to have its own ASM, and the man serving right now doesn't "feel the need for a troop guide" (or for running a proper Scouting program, but I digress). In any case I am technically just a meddling Cub Scout leader who goes to Troop Committee Meetings anyway because I love the boys in our congregation and I want them to have a better Scouting experience than the sorry program I had when I was a kid in this troop. But I am sure over time things will start improving; for now my efforts are focused on firing up the boys' interest in the full breadth and history of Scouting. Little by little they are starting to demand a more traditional Scouting experience form their leaders, who will hopefully start giving way to the boys demands and start making concessions to Boy-generated ideas.

 

My clandestine mechanations are slowly but surely starting to take hold!. I am such a trouble-maker sometimes, lol.

Edited by The Latin Scot
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As long as one meddles and makes trouble on behalf of the boys, I don't mind.

 

Hmmm, no TG but a ASM for the NSP????  Sounds like a made up adult rule to me. 

 

Sorry I wouldn't last 5 minutes in a troop like this.

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Good scouters don't normally need "leverage" to legitimize their presence.  They get invited to participate.

 

Good scouters don't normally need to engage in "clandestine mechanations."  CO's will seek out their opinions and hold a high regard for their judgement. 

Edited by David CO
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I have suggested that! But our Chartered Organization requires the new scout patrol to have its own ASM, and the man serving right now doesn't "feel the need for a troop guide"...

The last time I checked, the BSA recommended BOTH a dedicated ASM and a TG for a New Scout Patrol. Like a number of other things, it is not solely a question of "need".

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You said it.  You are a meddling cub scout leader and a trouble maker.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

You make it sound like it's a bad thing.  :rolleyes:

 

It would seem however that my sarcasm and facetious comments have been misinterpreted; in the interest of making clear my intentions and methods, I should explain. I am in truth invited to committee meetings by the Committee Chair herself since I am regarded as the only individual in the congregation who has a broad grasp of BSA policies and procedures, and the Scoutmaster and I are friends. I am also very close to all the boys in the Troop, and I have a vested interest in the success of their program. So while I am indeed a 'meddler," I am in fact one who is invited to meddle, and who is welcome to do so by the committee. 

 

Of course, I know the committee well, and so I know that getting them to do anything to improve the program so that it falls in line with how the BSA wants it to be takes .... time. They are notoriously slow to make changes to their long traditions, and after 53 years, our units are used to the way they do things. SO my "clandestine mechanations" are merely my strategy to effect beneficial changes by working the other way round - rather than try to push from the top (the committee) down, I push from the bottom (the boys) up: all with the full knowledge of the troop committee.

 

So, be assured that I am working entirely within the prescribed system, with the knowledge and invitation of the Troop Committee itself. Now, you might still find my actions to be troublesome, and that is your prerogative. But frankly I couldn't care two figs what people think when it comes to the boys in this Troop - they deserve the very best program delivered according the the way the BSA wants it done, and so even if I did have to resort to unusual tactics, I wouldn't feel bad about it at all. My concern for the Scouts far outweighs whatever stipulations the adult community may have about it.

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No, you make it sound like a bad thing.  A very bad thing.

 

If the "adult community" you are talking about happens to be the Chartered Organization and their properly appointed representatives, then I would say that you are dead wrong.  Otherwise, I have no idea who you might be talking about.  

 

You say that boys deserve the very best program delivered according to the way that BSA wants it done.  Well, BSA set up this structure with CO's and committees and adult leaders.  This is the way BSA wants it done.  BSA wants the CO's to own the units and appoint the leaders.

 

BSA doesn't want the units to be run by self-appointed people who hope to control the units with behind-the-scenes politicking and clandestine mechanations.  BSA want the units run by people who are properly appointed by the CO's and registered in their positions.  

 

Boy scout units should be transparently run in the clear light of day.  There should be no unseen powers manipulating from the shadows.

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I am sorry you have interpreted things that way! But this is not a matter of control for myself. The units should be run by the boys, not adults, and I only want to empower the boys to run their own program, not be controlled by adults who want things done "their way" and not the way the BSA intends - BOY-led units.  

 

I also apologize if my hyperbole has led you to believe that I actually work with terms like 'clandestine' or 'mechanations.' If my sarcasm and play with words is too thick, then I am sorry; no such things actually take place, and I am almost surprised one could imagine they would. But that is the fault of my writing style, not my actions. Nothing happens in the shadows, and the 'unseen power' is not intended to be me - heaven forbid. However, that power is not in the hands of the adult leadership either. It is in the hands of the boys. My only effort is to ensure that it remains there. I am fully aware of how the BSA is meant to operate. I am also aware that my CO representative has expressed nothing but gratitude for the changes that have been slowly occurring over the past few months, knowing full well that I have played a part in them, and he fully approves. On my honor, I can assure you that I would rather leave the program than work against the wishes of our CO representative. Disobedience and under-handed play are anathema to my character.

 

So, I am sorry if I made it sound like a bad thing. But it hasn't been anything but good, and I will continue to proceed as best benefits the promulgation of a boy-led Troop. That is what the BSA is supposed to be. 

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