Active when Troop isn't?

[Hunt]

Here's a spin-off question from the "hiatus" thread. What if it isn't the scout who takes a hiatus, but the troop? Historically, my son's troop has been almost completely inactive for about two months during the summer--no outings, no troop meetings, zilch. I hope this will change, but I still have some advancement issues relating to past practice. What do you think if a scout's 4 or 6 months of "active" or "actively serve" include the two months the troop isn't doing anything? On the one hand, it's not the boy's fault, but on the other hand, he hasn't really done the quantity of activity envisioned by the 4 or 6 month requirement. My inclination would be to count the two months--if the boy is ready and willing to blow his bugle when called upon to do so, I say he's the bugler, even if there's no opportunity to blow it. Other thoughts?

[evmori]

You can't serve in a POR if there is no one to serve. If the Troop stops meeting over the summer, then those months should not be counted toward POR time.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[OldGreyEagle]

I don't agree Ed,

 

If the troop doesn't meet, then its not the scouts fault. If the scout is ready to serve, and is not asked to do so, its not the scout who is at fault its the troops. Now, I can just hear the palms slapping foreheads all over the globe with people thinking, how come its always the troops fault, but in this case I think it is. In Troop A, with a year round program, a 17 year old scout can earn Eagle. He can get in his 6 months of POR for Life and 6 months for Eagle. In Troop B, with only a 10 month program, a 17 year old scout can't. This means advancement is tied to a troops calendar when its supposed to be up to the scout without the troop adding or subtracting requirements.

 

Now, if a troop goes dormant, couldnt the PORs be given tasks to do? Quartermasters clean and inventory and organize the equipment? The PLC set up the next years calendar and have agenda's for the meetings, themes for outings ? Just because the troop isnt meeting doesnt mean the PORs have to be dormant as well

[Scoutmaster Ron]

If the unit has a 10 month program then that's what it is. If the scouts wanted more but adults were not available then thye could have individual patrol meetings/outings so of the POR's would still work out. Who decided on the 10 month program PLC or committee?

[NJCubScouter]

Hunt, when you say "no outings" over the summer, do you mean the troop does not go to summer camp? My son's troop also does not meet during the summer, and their only summer activity is one week of summer camp. Virtually every boy goes to summer camp, and for each of the past few years several of the older boys have done an additional week as provisionals (I guess you might call it semi-provisional since they are all together and two of our leaders go also.) I am fairly certain that the troop counts the two months during the summer as part of the four or six months for advancement, even though for the troop as a whole there is only one week of actual activity. I could see an issue being raised for a boy who does not go to summer camp, but I have not seen it come up. Otherwise, I don't think it's a problem. The boy is doing every activity that the troop is doing for those two months, even if it is one week of camping.

[Hunt]

They go to camp at the very beginning of the summer, and don't do anything else until just before school starts.

 

I agree that the best solution is to get the troop more active. The biggest obstacle to that here is that a large number of the boys go away for substantial chunks of the summer.

[Proud Eagle]

If the reason the troop is not active, is because the boys aren't around during the summer, that puts it in a much different light.

 

If the Quartermaster wants to count those summer months for rank, and yet he was gone the entire time to some other state on vacation or what have you, then I would say no. He wasn't available to do the job had he been called on to do it.

 

If the boys are the ones choosing not to be around during the summer and so the troop doesn't do anything because there is no one to do it, I would say then the boys have chosen to take a vacation not just from troop meetings, but from their positions as well.

 

Now if someone held a POR and was actually there and ready to do the job if called on, then I would consider counting it, but that would be a tough call.

[Bob58]

Our unit only meets once each month during June, July & August but we have several service projects & camp in June & July. August has a meeting, a planning session for the new year and our Summer COH; and the COH itself.

 

Active is as active does!

- not Forrest Gumph