Service Hours counting twice?

[Maboot38 23]

Any Scoutmasters here have any problem with giving BSA credit for service hours also used toward Girl Scout's Gold award?

[qwazse 4345]

GS/USA might have and issue. You see, BSA likes to tally up all the service hours of every scout, multiply that by some dollar wage amount, and claim that they provide that many millions of dollars of service to the country. Now you're saying that maybe some of those $ might also be claimed by another organization!🙃

As far as the scout's advancement, however, I'm in favor of double-dipping. There's something to be said for doing the kind of work that multiple groups want to recognize. Besides, I'm sure in ways that nobody's observed this scout's done more good that went unrecognized.

And, that's my general gripe against bean-counting service hours. By-and-large I see scouts putting in more hours than they will ever need for rank advancement.  They serve cheerfully without asking for anything in return. Fretting over one particular set of hours being recognized by more than one organization is just oh-so-much straining at gnats.

[skeptic 997]

Double dipping is a decision of the leaders, though normally we would not do it for Scouting related service.  Now, on occasion we have counted hours from a separate non Scouting service, but only if voluntary at the same time a Scouting option was scheduled

 and not for a grade or something. 

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

The hours must have been done while registered as a member of the BSA.

Other than that, no problem double, triple, quadruple counting...

Yes, quadruple... I have counted hours for a Scout simultaneously for Star rank, 50-miler award, Historic Trails award, and National Park Service Scout Ranger Award.

[InquisitiveScouter 1656]

8 hours ago, skeptic said:

we would not do it for Scouting related service.

Setting up tents at an Ordeal weekend, no...

But working on conservation related projects at a Scout camp? Sure!  That is a benefit to everyone outside the confines of the Scout camp.

Planting trees at your Scout camp for a reforestation project, you would not count?  Even though something like that would count for the Distinguished Conservation Service Award?

[skeptic 997]

I meant using the same BSA project for more than one BSA recognition or advancement fulfillment.  The project noted above would be counted for service, but only one of the options for advancement.  But, it is the judgment of the leader, and very subjective.