Should we ask Scouts to sign “leadership contracts”? A couple of decades ago I tried Scout contracts, it was a mistake. I guess at the time that I would teach my Scouts a thing or two and demand that that sign a Scout contract before they took on a role of responsibility. Of course they signed it and then they did not behave any differently, they missed meetings and trips just like before....
I hope you had a great summer… The picture for this week’s podcast is one of my favorite campsites on Proulx lake in Ontario Canada’s Algonquin Provincial Park. We took twenty people in three crews this year and had a great time. I am glad to be back, and this week I’ll answer some of the email questions you have sent over the break. In 30+ years as a Scouter I have been through difficult situations....
What is the context of Scouting, and why does it matter? The game of Scouting has it’s own set of rules, it’s own playing field, or context. I discuss a couple of common questions that are answered by understanding this context. In addition we’ll discuss conflicts of interest for an Eagle board of review, whether one advancementrequirement automatically means you’ve completed similar requirements, when offering advice is interfering with your leadership, patrol selection, and Scouts asking for boards of review....
Campaigning, Conduct, Camping (with Webelos), and Content of troop meetings. Listen to my answer to the question: should we be teaching Scouts conflict resolution? (spoiler- yes and no!) In addition we’ll discuss campaigning for youth leadership elections, what standards apply to Webelos camping with troops, and whether or not merit badge instruction is the right content for troop meetings, and sneak in another aspect of boards of review. Here’s a couple of resources I mentioned; Pack Overnighter Site Approval Form , OWL training, and the post on Constructive Scouting Discipline....
Elections, Boards of Review, and Conferences Should a Scout be denied a Scoutmaster’s conference because, horror of horrors, he’s wearing white socks? I hope you know the answer to that already, but in this podcast I answer an email question from a parent whose son is having a problem with getting though a Scoutmaster’s conference because the adults conducting them have no idea what they are doing (this answer includes some advice about finding a new troop)....
Help! Everyone needs help, right? Most Scouters, at one time or another, find ourselves overwhelmed, discouraged and helpless. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone, and there’s a way out! See if the email answer about getting volunteers to help in this podcast helps you. In addition I’ll offer some advice about how a troop handles Eagle courts of honor, how changes are made when a senior patrol leader who is not performing as expected, what to do when it’s time for leadership elections, what qualifies as camping for first class requirements,whether or not a troop can require that Scouts request a board of review(here’s the three “secret weapons” every Scouter ought to have I mentioned in my reply), and how to handle the challenge of a large group of new Scouts....
Fourth in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. After a Scout has completed all of the requirements for any rank he is reviewed twice; once in a Scoutmaster conference and once at a Board of review. The Scoutmaster Conference Note that a Scout must participate or take part in a conference; it is not a “test.” Requirements do not say he must “pass” a conference....
Years ago there was some question as to whether one of my Scouts who was a candidate for Eagle had satisfied the ‘active’ requirement. He had not attended many meetings or outings in the last six months. He was a high school senior and a wrestler. We set up a meeting with him, his father and his wrestling coach. At that meeting the Scout enumerated the things he had accomplished as a leader in his Troop and his wrestling coach spoke of how much the team relied on his leadership as a team captain....
A reader asks about the pace of Scout advancement: “Our troop seems to think we should hold off the scouts until they are older (ie end of Junior Year) to do their Eagle Projects and try to control the pace of advancement in the troop because they want the scouts to be more “mature” and stick around to lead the younger guys. I see some value in this, however, if a scout is motivated and fulfills the requirements needed, shouldn’t he be allowed to advance at his own pace?...
Is your Troop’s advancement program aimed at ‘true north’? Here’s some statements derived from Andy’s (at Ask Andy) answer to a Troop where the Scoutmaster is seriously off course: Every Scout can advance in rank according to each Scout’s preference for velocity, and no one will attempt to either slow him down or speed him up–this is entirely each Scout’s personal decision. Any Scout can apply for any merit badge any time he wants—whether Eagle-required or not—and upon informing the Scoutmaster of his preference or preferences will immediately be given a Blue Card and the name and contact information of a local Merit Badge Counselor....