ScoutMomAng 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Who is supposed to update the by-laws of a troop?? How often should they be reviewed and updated? I just signed on as my son's troop committee outdoor recreation coordinator but the rest of the committee is starting to work on the by-laws because we had some issues recently...which are long and drawn out and need a new post which will come soon in another forum. I value all your wisdom and knowledge so please help me to understand something new to me that I may have had different thoughts on. Ang Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 You will find you have stirred the hornets nest on this one. There are basically two camps on this forum. One will say bylaws are for the most part a waste of time and largely not needed, and others who will happily share all the things they have created rules and regulations for. I am a member of the first camp. If your adults were trained and followed the scouting program there is little need for additional rules or bylaws. To prove a point I will invite you to share three bylaws your unit feels are needed and I will wager that they 1) Already exist in the BSA program, 2) Are in direct conflict with the BSA program, or 3)Are unrelated to the BSA program. Be warned some posters do not understand what a rule or bylaw is and will say things like "how will people know when the meeting is?". Information can be shared without making it a rule or bylaw.(This message has been edited by Bob White) Link to post Share on other sites
tortdog 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 What bylaws? Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 I think updating the bylaws would be up to the Troop Committee. Link to post Share on other sites
Prairie_Scouter 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 I'd agree with Ed that if a Troop felt a need for by-laws, it'd be the Troop Committee that would be responsible for their upkeep. Considering that you probably wouldn't need many, my suggestion would be to review them once a year as a part of your annual planning. We only have a few, for example, and I don't even know that I'd call them "bylaws" exactly, maybe more like "guidelines" and I wouldn't be surprised to find that they are already covered in some Scouting publication. In that case, I think what we're doing is just centralizing them in one spot rather than having to do a search of the vast Scout Publication-base; there is an awful lot of information available. Example. We have a couple of guidelines for moving money among our capital, high adventure, and Scout accounts, and handling funds for Scouts that have left the Troop. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Author Share Posted May 5, 2005 Okay...I was going to post the reason the by-laws need to be updated according to the committee...remember I'm the NEWEST member of the committee. First day on the job was Monday. I can already tell you that the reason for updating the by-law is already a BSA policy and doesn't really need a by-law so let me throw that reason out there so you can all tell me your view...even though this really belongs in another forum. Okay...from what I understand this boy in the troop...lets call him Phil turned 18 sometime in April. A year ago, he was given the blue cards for three merit badges that applied toward his Eagle award. A Merit Badge counselor was not "assigned" because there were three people that could be the counselor, however, only two were published on the last updated list this past November. (Stay with me cause it gets long). Obviously since it was getting close to his 18th birthday he needed to hurry up and finish the requirements to get his Eagle. Apparently, he called one counselor (this stuff didn't come out until AFTER the big meeting), and she couldn't help him because her son had just had surgery and she needed to be there for him. So he apparently called the other counselor for these three badges and and she could never seem to make time for him. Well, apparently the current by-laws, which are at the very least 5 yrs old, state that a boy can not have his own parent as a counselor. However, on the blue cards at the Court of Honor had no signature where the counselor was supposed to sign, they did however have initials for the requirements. The initials appeared to be ABC, well that happens to be the same initials as one of the counselors, so the former troop master, who has some other role in the troop now I don't remember what it is, asked this person to sign for counselor. She told the former TM that she was not his counselor and those were not her initials...you can guess the rest of that arguement, which led us to this meeting. In the meeting it apparently turns out that the ABC is actually not ABC it is something totally different and happens to be his dad. But the "by-laws" say his dad could not be his couselor, which we find out is a rule the former TM put in to cover whatever. The dad happens to be an Eagle Scout recipient. The new TM says it doesn't matter who the counselor was as long as he completed the requirements which he believes he did. So......to prevent this from happening again they want to "update" the by-laws. Okay....I need a nap now cause this wears me out!!! : ) Ang PS---if there is anybody from this troop that recognizes this situation, and is just "lurking", I appologize if I seem to be stirring the pot but I like to get as much information as possible in order to do things right. Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 I got lost someplace near the second right turn next to the ABC. The Scout either did meet the requirements or he didn't. Merit Badge Counselors are not troop appointments they are appointed by the District Advancement Committee. There is no rule in the BSA that states a parent can't be the MB for his or her own son. The Troop Committee, Scoutmaster, King, Queen, President, Pope or the ACLU can't change the rules. Many parents choose not to be the MB counselor for their own son, but that is their choice. No need for a bylaw or a troop rule the BSA has it covered. Eamonn Link to post Share on other sites
tortdog 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 All these rules sound pretty complicated. I've done training for Venturing and Varsity, and we've never trained the organizations on setting up bylaws. >The Troop Committee, Scoutmaster, King, Queen, President, Pope or the ACLU can't change the rules. Well, the ACLU might be able to... Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 See, since there is no BSA rule against having parents be a counselor, and the Scoutmaster CANT make that rule, my suggestion would be to strike that by-law as its against BSA regs. I have an idea we can get rid of most if not all your by-laws, run another one by us. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Author Share Posted May 5, 2005 Eamonn---Sorry I lost you, next time I'll go slower! LOL No really, Thanks for the reply! My husband and I read what we could read in the past two days about Merit Badge Counselors and pretty much came up with what you had said but we just wanted to be sure before we went spouting off. Ang Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Author Share Posted May 5, 2005 OGE--- Well, one would think that as a NEW parent to the troop I would have a copy of the "by-laws" but seems they forgot to issue that group of papers. However when we get together to make new by-laws I will let them know what I know and maybe the troop could be a happier place! Ang PS--when I get them I will be more than happy to post some of the ridiculous so you can all have a good laugh. As you may be able to tell, I'm not too fond of the past TM, who put many of these "by-laws" into effect. Link to post Share on other sites
FScouter 24 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Well, you proved Bob right. Your first bylaw is in conflict with the BSA program. This is fun. Give us another one. Link to post Share on other sites
dsteele 20 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Is a TM the Scoutmaster? Not being funny, just confused. Unc. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Author Share Posted May 5, 2005 Unc, Yes, yes, yes...TM=SM. Sorry, sometimes I get Girl Scouts and Cub/Boy Scout stuff crossed. Please forgive me! Ang Link to post Share on other sites
dan 10 Posted May 5, 2005 Share Posted May 5, 2005 Did "Phil" make Eagle? Link to post Share on other sites
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