MSPP #41: Troop 68, The Early Years

It has been a long time (April 1980) since I asked the scoutmaster if he could could some help with the Boy Scout troop. Little did I know that I would be an adult leader with that troop for the next 27 years. It has been quite a ride, with both highs and lows.

I have been taking photographs of the Boy Scouts during the outings, meetings, and courts of honor since I began attending troop functions. In the late 1980's, I took a number of photographs from the years of 1980-1985, had slides made from them, wrote a script, and recorded a few Scouts as they read it. This became a slideshow Troop 68: The Early Years that was shown at a court of honor. It was the first Scout show I produced, and soon lead me into videotape and editing.

When a public access television station began operating in Melrose I saw the opportunity to produce Scouting shows for a wider audience. This slideshow was soon videotaped and slightly edited for television viewing. Unfortunately, it looked liked a slideshow that was videotaped off a movie screen. It got the point across, but the quality was not very good.

Fast forward several years. I now have a computer at home that can do digital editing. It was time to give this early show a face lift. The original photographs were scanned into the computer and more photographs were added to the show. Unfortunately, I only had the original soundtrack. The boys had all grown up by this time and had moved away from town. I really did not want to redo the soundtrack anyway. It had a quaint charm all its own.

Now, thanks to the magic of the internet, you can take a trip back in time to Scouting during the first half of the decade we call the 1980's. Yes, the uniforms have changed. Yes, the shorts are not as short these days. But you will see that boys back then had just as much fun as do the Boy Scout of today's program. So sit back, relax, and enjoy watching this entry to the Melrose Scouting Productions Podcast, Troop 68: The Early Years.

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Tenderfoot and the Bully

By now you may have heard that the Boy Scouts of America have taken a stand against bullying by changing a Tenderfoot requirement to read, "Explain the importance of the buddy system as it relates to your personal safety on outings and in your neighborhood. Describe what a bully is and how you should respond to one."

The BSA website (scouting.org) has a good explaining of this requirement for Boy Scouts and troop leadership. It states:

A bully is someone who wants to hurt another person. Bullying can be physical, verbal, emotional, social, behavioral, or any combination. Bullying can also take place just about anywhere: on the bus, at school, at soccer practice, even online, via the Internet. However, bullying can be stopped. Help put an end to the bullying by taking action first yourself.

• If ignoring the bully doesn't work, stand up for yourself with words. Rehearse what you want to say to that you will feel in control of your emotions when you confront the bully.
• Tell the bully how hurtful it feels to be bullied, and ask why you are the target. Ask the bully to stop.
• Sometimes, agreeing with the bully and having a ready response will work ("So what if I have a face full of zits. What's it to you?").
• Hang out with a couple of friends; try not to be alone.
• Tell an adult you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or coach.

This requirement is described on page 57 of the 2008 edition of the Boy Scout Handbook.

Luckily, Troop 68 has not had many instances of bullying within the troop during the last several years. When it does happen we try to "nip it in the bud" by talking to the Scout doing the bullying. I think it is a decent requirement to add to the Tenderfoot Rank and will allow us an opportunity to talk to Scouts about the subject.

Steps To Earning A Merit Badge

The National BSA Website has a (new?) web page explaining the process of earning merit badges. It also includes a short video for Scouts to watch, pictures of all the merit badges, the requirements for each one, and a link to a guide for merit badge councilors. I know merit badge requirements have been listed on non-BSA websites for awhile already, but I think this is great that the national office has finally done this on their own site. I really like that they took the time to make a video about the process. The page can be found at http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/mb/index.html

Here is an excerpt from the page:

Pick a Subject. Talk to your Scoutmaster about your interests. Read the requirements of the merit badges you think might interest you. Pick one to earn. Your Scoutmaster will give you the name of a person from a list of counselors. These counselors have special knowledge in their merit badge subjects and are interested in helping you.

Scout Buddy System. You must have another person with you at each meeting with the merit badge counselor. This person can be another Scout, your parents or guardian, a brother or sister, a relative, or a friend.

Call the Counselor. Get a signed merit badge application from your Scoutmaster. Get in touch with the merit badge counselor and tell him or her that you want to earn the merit badge. The counselor may ask to meet you to explain what is expected of you and to start helping you meet the requirements.

When you know what is expected, start to learn and do the things required. Ask your counselor to help you learn the things you need to know or do. You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Many troops and school or public libraries have them. (See the list here.)

Show Your Stuff. When you are ready, call the counselor again to make an appointment to meet the requirements. When you go take along the things you have made to meet the requirements. If they are too big to move, take pictures or have an adult tell in writing what you have done. The counselor will ask you to do each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and have done or can do the things required.

Get the Badge. When the counselor is satisfied that you have met each requirement, he or she will sign your application. Give the signed application to your Scoutmaster so that your merit badge emblem can be secured for you.

Requirements. You are expected to meet the requirements as they are stated—no more and no less. You are expected to do exactly what is stated in the requirements. If it says "show or demonstrate," that is what you must do. Just telling about it isn't enough. The same thing holds true for such words as "make," "list," "in the field," and "collect," "identify," and "label."

Eagle Scout Commitment

When I received an email from the council last month to inform me that Boy Scout Troop 68 has new Eagle Scout, it did not take me long to pick up the phone and call Mike to congratulate him. He is the seventeenth Scout of Troop 68 to attain the rank of Eagle Scout since I have taken over as scoutmaster. He is the eighteenth Scout to earn it in Troop 68's history. (By the way, that is not Mike in the picture.)

During the last 25 years, the troop's percentage of Scouts who attain the rank of Eagle is a little higher then the national average, about seven or eight percent. These boys earned the Eagle Rank because they wanted to earn it, not because they were told they had to earn it. I do encourage the boys to set Eagle as a goal, but when it comes down to it it is really their decision and no one else's.

I have seen a lot more Scouts earn the Life Rank then I have seen earn the Eagle Rank. Sometimes the Scout waits too long to finish his Eagle Scout requirements and suddenly their eighteenth birthday has arrived. (Oops, too late!) Sometimes the Scout gets too busy with a part time job, or sports, or activities, or even (gasp) a girlfriend. All these things take time out of a young man's schedule. And sometimes the Scout simply does not have the desire to earn the Eagle Rank.

I know of two times during the last two decades in which parents offered their son a car if they earned the Eagle Rank. For these boys it was like hitting the kill switch. They quit earning advancement and soon quit Scouting. It seems to prove my point when I say that a Boy Scout has to want to attain the award himself, or it will not be earned. Parents and troop leaders should encourage their Scouts and assist them when needed, but do not bribe them. I think a bribe cheapens the award and takes away some of the meaning of earning it.

Of the seventeen Boy Scouts of Troop 68 who have attained the Eagle Rank, I think only two were "strongly pushed" by their parents. The parents of the other fifteen were there to support their son but they left the decision, and the work, up to the Scout, which is the way it should be. After all, it is an award for the Scout to attain, not the parent.

I have heard of some troops who are considered "Eagle factories". I am sure many of these troop's have an excellent program that helps the boys to attain this rank. I also know there are some troops who kind of "push" the Scouts along to make as many Eagle as possible. I decided a long time ago that my troop would not be an Eagle factory. While I think it is great when any Scout becomes an Eagle, I do not think it is the troop's responsibility to make it easy every step of the way.

For example, a Scout needs to reach out on his own to earn some of the merit badges. He needs to plan out, pick up the phone, and make his own appointment with councilors. By doing this he learns important communication and planning skills. He learns how to be resourseful and do things on his own. Now, I am not saying that our troop never brings in any merit badge councilors to our troop meetings. We do sometimes. But we do not go out of our way to bring in every councilor needed to earn the merit badges required for the ranks. Besides, we have other things we like to do besides working on advancement every meeting.

I guess what I have been trying to say is that a Boy Scout who wishes to earn the rank of Eagle Scout must be committed to the goal. He needs to demonstrate that he is resourceful, that he will not shy away from work, and that he is ready to prove himself worthy of wearing Scouting's highest award on his uniform. No one else can, or should, do that for him.

Be Active In Your Troop

The first requirement for the ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle is to be active in your troop and patrol for at least 4 or 6 months as the previous rank. This is a pretty vague requirement and can be one that troop leadership can struggle with sometimes. What does it mean to "be active" in the troop and patrol?

The national BSA website states:
"A Scout is considered to be active in his unit if:

1. He is registered in his unit (registration fees are current).
2. He has not been dismissed from his unit for disciplinary reasons.
3. He is engaged by his unit leadership on a regular basis (Scoutmaster conference, informs the Scout of upcoming unit activities, through personal contact, and so on).

The unit leaders are responsible for maintaining contact with the Scout on a regular basis. The Scout is not required to attend any certain percentage of activities or outings. However, unit leaders must ensure that he is fulfilling the obligations of his assigned leadership position. If he is not, then they should remove the Scout from that position."

Okay, that made things crystal clear, didn't it? I think that statement made things even more confusing for scoutmasters and troop leaders. Let me explain my view on this BSA statement.

If you read this as the "letter of the law", a Scout only needs to be registered to "be active". He does not need to attend any troop meetings or troop activities. It seems to be the scoutmaster's and unit leadership's job to contact him and tell him what the troop has coming up, but gosh, he does not need to attend them. Um, excuse me National Office, but how is a Scout to be considered active if he does not attend meetings and outings? (Keep in mind, I am only writing about being active, not about his position of responsibility.)

I understand National's statement of "The Scout is not required to attend any certain percentage of activities or outings." Every Scout is not going to make every meeting or activity. A youth in Scouting is usually active in other groups and activities. If he is in sports then practice and games will conflict with Scouting. Family schedules conflict with Scouting. Even homework can get in the way of attending a troop meeting. So yes, I agree that we cannot impose a percentage requirement on attendance.

When I meet with new Scouts, and Scouts during their Scoutmaster's Conference, I tell the boys, and parents, that I would like them to set a goal of attending at least two thirds of the troop meetings and at least half of the outings. This is a goal, a guideline, for the boys to follow. An example - I have had several Scouts over the years that have been involved in high school hockey. They sort of disappear from Scouting during those three months of the season. But they still try to make meetings and activities when they are able to. This is a sign to me that they want to be active in the troop. Once the season is over they return to the regular schedule. I can live with that.

According to this statement from National, it seems that a Scout would never have to attend a meeting or activity to qualify as being active in the troop. Sorry, but I do not agree with that. It is not fair to the boys who are active in the troop. A Boy Scout must make an attempt to attend meetings and activities. Would a coach allow a player to play in the game if he never showed up for practice? Would the the school allow a student to letter in an activity if he did not participate in that activity? Would an employer keep employing a young man if he did not show up for work when he was scheduled? No, no, and no.

Part of the Scouting program is to teach the boys responsibility. A Scout needs to attend troop functions, or at least make a good attempt to do so. If a Scout does not want to actually be active in the program then he needs to make a decision whether to continue his membership. Sorry National, I am not signing off a boy just because he is registered and because I talk to him a few times. A Scout will need to attend troop meetings and functions, not just meet with merit badge councilors, if I am to sign my name to that advancement form.

The Court of Honor Agenda

Ah, the troop court of honor. The quarterly award night. Time to recognize accomplishments. Time for the Scouts to shine before their family and friends.

The Boy Scouts and families of Troop 68 usually have a good time during our courts of honor. After twenty-five years the troop has an agenda and format set. We try to have a mixture of fun and seriousness as we go through the ceremony.

We begin the court of honor with the presentation of the colors, a patriotic ceremony, a Scouting-related ceremony, and an invocation by the troop chaplain. Then we begin the presentations with the recruitment patches, year pins, and other such awards. This is followed by the recognition of merit badges that have been earned since the last court of honor.

This brings us to the "half way" point of the evening. The Scouts provide entertainment by performing a skit or song, or we could play a brief game, like a trivia contest between the Boy Scouts and their parents.

It is time for the presentation of the ranks. The Scout is asked to escort his parents to the front of the room. We usually use the various rank ceremonies found in the Woods Wisdom book. I will then present the rank patch, card, and pin to the father so that he may then have the honor of presenting it to his son. The Scout will then take the pin and pin it to his mother's shirt or scarf. This way we involve both parents in the ceremony. By the way, if the mother is not able to attend the ceremony then the Scout pins the pin on his father's shirt.

The final awards presented are two troop recognitions. The Progressive Scout Award is given to the Boy Scout who has earned the most advancement since the last court of honor. The Progressive Patrol Award is given to the patrol with the most accumulated advancement, with a minimum of at least two boys showing progress. Both awards are certificates, but the Progressive Patrol Award also comes with a twenty dollar credit for the patrol to use for a patrol activity held before the next court of honor.

The court of honor ends with a closing ceremony and the retiring of the colors. After a few announcements we make our way to the table where the juice is waiting to be drank and the cookies are waiting to be eaten. Of course, parents and families members get to eat and drink first. Sometimes, the way the boys rush to the tables, I think the refreshments are the main reason we hold the court of honor.

Happy Scouting!

The Eagle Scoutmaster Conference

Mike called to schedule his scoutmaster conference for the rank of Eagle Scout. I had been looking forward to this call. He had finished his Eagle Project a week earlier, and his merit badges had been completed last May.

It got me thinking about this blog and the article I posted last September about scoutmaster conferences. There are a few additional points that I like to cover during an Eagle conference so I thought I would take the time to share them with you.

One of the first things we do is the uniform inspection. Troop 68 does not require a Scout to be in uniform from hat to socks, but we do require the belt, neck wear, and the shirt with all the patches in their proper place. Just as a person is expected to dress sharply for a job interview I like to see the Scout correctly dressed for his Eagle board of review and court of honor.

The Scout and I will spend several minutes talking about the merit badges he has earned on his way to the Eagle Rank. Which ones were the easiest to earn? The hardest? The most fun? Which ones did he enjoy the most? Which ones taught him the most? Why?

Holding a position of responsibility is a requirement that I like to talk to the Scout about. I not only like him to talk about the position he used for the Eagle Rank, but also discuss the other positions he has held during his tenure as a Scout. Which ones did he enjoy, or maybe not enjoy so much? What has he learned about leadership. Is it easy being a leader?

Of course, we also talk about his Eagle project. Projects seldom go as originally planned. It is interesting to hear about what did not go according to plan, and how the Scout was able to solve the problems that arose. Did he accomplish all his goals? I know the board of reviews will be covering this subject heavily so I try to prepare him during the conference.

My favorite portion of the conference is when the Scout looks back on his years in Scouting. I ask him what have been his favorite activities since joining the troop. What activities did he dislike? What are some of his best memories about Scouting? Who were the people who helped him the most during his years as a Scout? Is there anything he wished he would have done differently?

A scoutmaster needs to ask questions that are open ended, questions that require more then a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The goal is for the Scout to do most of the talking, not the scoutmaster.

As the conference comes to an end we take time to review his Eagle Project Workbook and get all the dates and information correct on his Eagle Application.

I enjoy the Eagle scoutmaster conference. It gives the Scout and myself a chance to really talk about what Scouting has meant to him. For the seventeen year old Scout it is probably the last time we will get to sit and chat about his last six years in Scouting. I just hope it will not be the last time we get to visit and chat. After all, he will soon be going off to college and begin a life on his own.

Top 10 Reasons Eagle Applications are Rejected

I have been fortunate. During my twenty five plus years as a scoutmaster I have had the privilege of seeing sixteen of my Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout. It is always fun, and a little work, to sit down with them after they have completed all their requirements and fill out the Eagle Scout Application. Looking back on all those merit badges, terms of leadership, and dates of board of reviews always bring back memories for the two of us to talk about. We are careful to get all the dates right and all the information correct as the Eagle Scout candidate fills out a rough form.

There have been a couple times over the years in which the council has contacted me about merit badges listed on the application. They do not always have a record of them. They should have a record. After all, I can not get a merit badge to present at a court of honor unless I send the council an advancement form listing all the merit badges. I guess someone at the council missed recording it. Luckily, I have kept all the signed blue merit badge application cards. I make a copy of it (or scan it these days) and send the copy to the council. Problem solved.

In a recent blog BuffaloEagle from the Lone Star Scouter Blog wrote about the ten most commons reasons that Eagle Scout applications are rejected, as listed by the national office. I found it to be pretty interesting. Almost all of them deal with paper work and dates. I thought it would be great to post them here in this blog for my readers to see also. So, here they are. If reprinting this list saves one candidate trouble in the future it was worth posting it.

• No Council Number on Application. This requires the application to be removed from the daily work stack and placed in a special file until time is alloted to perform council lookups.
• Signatures Missing. This requires the rejected application to be mailed back to council. This oversight will cause a delay of at least four weeks because the postal service will be used.
• No Boy Scout joining date or wrong date. Failure to indicate Boy Scout joining date requires us to reject the application to request the proper date. This is because all requirements must be met after a boy joins Scouting.
• No Board of Review Date. We must have a board of review date to ensure all requirements were completed prior to the board of review. This date is also necessary since it is printed on the Eagle Scout credentials.
• Duplicate Merit Badges on application. A total of 21 separate merit badges must be earned. Any application that requires a correction to merit badges that are listed twice on the application will be rejected.
• Explanation for delay in board of review not furnished. We will ask for a letter when this time frame as described on the application is not met.
• Proper badges are not indicated in merit badge numbers 6 and 9.
• If six months leadership between Life Scout and Board of Review does not indicate sufficient time, we must return for correction.
• Valid leadership position between Life Scout and Board of Review. The only valid leadership positions are those listed on the 2000 printing of the Eagle Scout Rank Application. if it is not listed on the 2000 printing, it is not a valid leadership position. (NOTE: WE RECEIVE A LOT OF APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANT PATROL LEADERS).
• New Eagle Scout Rank Requirements (as of 1 April 1999) have not been met. Scouts having completed any Eagle Scout rank requirements after 1 April 1999, must earn the Personal Fitness merit badge and Cycling, or Hiking or Swimming merit badges. We must reject the application if it does not meet this new requirement.

Merit Badge Weekend

Last weekend the Boy Scouts of Troop 68 joined the Scouts of eight other troops at our council's camp, Parker Scout Reservation. They did not gather for a council or district event. These troops came together to provide their Scouts an opportunity to work on various merit badges. The eighty-seven Scouts were given the chance to work on up to four of the eighteen merit badges offered during the outing which lasted from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. The simpler merit badges were offered during the evening hours. The tougher merit badges were done through the morning and afternoon sessions. The councilors were provided by the troops who attended.

The merit badge subjects included quite a variety of topics. There were some Eagle required badges including First Aid, Communications, and the Citizenship awards. Other subjects included badges not usually found at summer camps. These included Auto Mechanics, Electricity, and Computers. The boys even had a chance to earn rarely earned badges such as Archeology, Chemistry, and Textile.

Nine Boy Scouts from Troop 68 attended the weekend. The boys realized this was a "work" weekend instead of a "fun" weekend. They knew it was a chance to earn merit badges and get a jump on their advancement. Each of the boys completed two, three, or four merit badges. Only a few partials were brought home.

The weather did not provide us with a nice sunny, warm weekend. (See the previous blog entry.) Luckily, the buildings around camp were reserved for the weekend. All except the Auto Mechanics and Archeology merit badges were able to be done indoors.

This was the second year that Troop 68 participated in this program. The boys enjoyed the classes and were thankful for the opportunities. The troop and I would like to thank John Chance for organizing the outing, the Cold Spring Venture Crew and other staff members, and the sixteen merit badge councilors who gave up their weekend to work with the Scouts. Thanks to everyone who helped, the nine Scouts from Melrose earned a total of 30 merit badges.

Boy Scout soars far beyond the Eagle Rank

Here is a great story from MSNBC that you should read. It features Boy Scout, James Calderwood, who has attained all 122 merit badges. When only two to four percent of all Scouts ever reach the rank of Eagle Scout, finding a Boy Scout who attains all the merit badges is a rare thing indeed. You can read the article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17902427/
(The picture is from the MSNBC article.)

Court of Honor, March 2007

Boy Scout Troop 68 of Melrose held it's first court of honor of 2007 on Monday, March 26, at the Melrose City Hall meeting rooms. Over seventy percent of the troop's membership received awards during the celebration. The award ceremony began the presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance. The "Climbing the Ladder To Eagle" opening was followed by the invocation given by the troop's chaplain Eymard.

Senior patrol leader Dakota and Scoutmaster Steve welcomed the troop's newest members, Kyle and Lucas, and their parents by presenting the boys with the Scout Badge. Lawrence and Zack were awarded their one year anniversary pin. Dakota received the Citizenship in the Community merit badge.

A brief entertainment skit, based on the show "Who's Line Is It?" television series, was enjoyed by the Scouts and parents in attendance. Mike, Dakota, Alex, and Jonah did a great job adlibbing to the three scenarios that were given to them.

Six ranks were presented during the court of honor. Avery, Billy, and Lawrence received Tenderfoot, the first of the six Scouting ranks. The second rank, Second Class, was presented to Zack and Jonah. Dakota earned the Star Rank, the sixth of the BSA ranks.

Scoutmaster Steve had a special announcement. Chris' Eagle Scout application was approved by the BSA national office. Chris is the seventeenth Boy Scout of the current troop to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, Boy Scouting highest award. Chris is the eighteenth Boy Scout in the history of Melrose to earn the award.

The Progressive Scout Award, a Troop 68 award to recognize the Boy Scout who has achieved the most advancement since the last court of honor, was presented to Dakota. The Progressive Patrol Award was earned by the Nighthawk Patrol who had five members who earned their next rank in Scouting. The leadership of Melrose Troop 68 would like to congratulate all the Boy Scouts who received awards during the court of honor.

Boy Scouting in the 1970's, Part 2

The Boy Scout advancement program was quite different in the 1970's from what it is today. Earning skill awards was a standard requirement for the first three ranks. The skill awards were a metal belt loop, similar to some of today's Cub Scouting awards. There was twelve skill awards designed to introduce Scouts to skill areas such as camping, citizenship, first aid, and other basic Scouting skill areas.

Another change in the rank requirements was that A Scout needed to earn at least one merit badge for every rank. Yes, you read that correctly. A Scout needed to earn a merit badge for the rank of Tenderfoot, in addition to two skill awards.

Things sure have changed since then. Merit badges are no longer needed for the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. Skill awards were discontinued in the late 1980's. The BSA seems to change portions of the advancement program every few years to keep it relevant to today's world, while still trying to maintain the traditional Scouting values and ideals.

I have nothing to brag about when I talk about my advancement while a Boy Scout. I was a Scout for three and a half years, but I only reached the rank of Second Class. The rank of Eagle Scout was not even in my sights. I did earn several skill awards and three merit badges, including Pioneering and Reading.

The worst thing about the advancement program when I was a Scout is that I do not remember receiving the awards. I earned them, I still have them, but I do not remember a single court of honor during my years as a Scout. I honestly could not tell you if we even held a court of honor back then. I certainly do not have any pictures from such a ceremony.

Today, I am the scoutmaster of the troop in my hometown. We now hold courts of honor four times a year, whether we have 20 merit badges and ten ranks to present, or if we only have one merit badge to hand out. We try to add some humor to the ceremony and make it fun for the Scouts and the parents while still maintaining the dignity and solemnity of the actual presentations.

As a Scoutmaster, I want the Scouts to look back and to remember their award presentations as a positive moment of their Scouting years. I hope they will not think back and have no memory of such an important Scouting event as, unfortunately, I do.

Board of Reviews

The Board of Review. Terrifying to the new Tenderfoot Scout. Confusing to the new committee member. How does the Scout prepare? What are the board members supposed to cover and ask?

I have been scoutmaster long enough to see a lot of people come and go on the committee. Many times the new committee members are confused when it comes to serving on their first board of review. I usually let the more experienced committee members instruct the newer ones about what to do or say. However, during the past 25 years I saw they could use a suggestions or two so I made a Board of Review sheet for them to use during the BOR. It seems to have helped them quite a bit during the years. In fact, I think newer members now think it is a sheet required to be filled out during a BOR. I have to correct them that it is a sheet of suggestions to cover for our own troop use, it is not a national requirement form.

So, what does the sheet have on it? It has seven areas I suggest the BOR to talk about with the Scout.

Participation. How has the Scout been doing with attendance at meetings, outings and fundraisers? If he has not been showing up for funtions then it is time for them to ask about the reasons behind the poor attendance. Many times the Scout has valid reasons, but sometimes he does not. Sometimes the board will discover things that the scoutmaster does not know about. It is also a good time to praise the Scout who has a great attendance record.

Scout Spirit and ideals. Does the Scout know the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, and Slogan? Does he know what they mean? Does he try to live by them? Of course, the board members better know and understand these oaths themselves or it may look akward if the Scout catches them in a mistake of understanding.

Merit badges and advancement. First of all, this is not a re-test of the badges! My suggestion is to ask which merit badges were fun to earn and why? Which ones were difficult? Did he find any of the skills learned while earning the badges to be useful in everyday life? Keep the questions about general topics.

Service Projects. Did he participate in the troop's service projects and/or help out with other troop members Eagle projects? What were the purpose of the projects? Did he learn anything while doing them?

Leadership. What position of leadership did he hold in the troop since the last board of review? Was it difficult or easy? What type of leader was he? What were his duties? Did he do them well? Most of the time the BOR members really don't know much about how the Scout did with a leadership position because the members do not regululy attend troop meetings and outings. However, they should ask the Scout questions, and also talk with the scoutmaster before the BOR.

Religious principles. Of course, a Scout must have a belief in God. How does he practice his faith? What does he believe is his duty to God? We have to be careful with this topic because there are Scouts of many different religions. We don't want to make the Scout feel uncomfortable with the wrong questions. However, I think we do need to touch on this subject and not ignore it as if it is unimportant.

Goals. Everone needs goals. What goals has the Scout set for himself, both in and out of Scouting? Does he have a goal to complete his next rank? Does he have leadership goals? Is there a goal to attend a high adventure base and a national jamboree? Does he have any goals in school? How does he entend to meet those goals?

Of course, the BOR members can bring up other subjects also. But these few areas cover a lot of territory. If asked correctly, they can begin a great dialog between the board and the Scout.

A copy of this form can be found on our troop's website at:
http://melrosetroop68.org/advancement.html
Leave a comment if you have any other suggestions that you think would be good topics for a board of review to cover.

The Scoutmaster Conference

The Scoutmaster Conference. There seems to be a lot of conversation, in some circles, about what this should actual be about, and what it should include. The BSA books seem to be a little vague about it and only give a few general thoughts on the subject. Some new Scout leaders seem to be confused when it comes time to have a conference with a boy.

I have been doing them for 25 years. I would like to share what I do during a conference. As you read this you may agree with some things, and you may disagree with others. The way I do it works for me, and it has worked for the Scouts who have done a conference with me. It helps them to think about some things, and helps to prepare them for their board of reviews. My assistant scoutmaster usually does the Tenderfoot through First Class Scouts, while I take care of the Star, Life, and Eagle candidates.

Okay, before I begin, here is a couple points I want you to keep in mind. A Scoutmaster Conference can be held at any time a Boy Scout needs one, not only when he is finishing a rank. The points I list here are my points for the conference requirement for the ranks. Another requirement for any rank is "Show Scout Spirit". I take time during the scoutmaster conference to cover this requirement also.

When I do a conference with a Boy Scout it usually goes for more then the 15 "recommended" minutes. I try to get the Scout to discuss ten points (which I am about to discuss). And sometimes, actually many times, he will have something to say. It is our job as scoutmasters to encourage that dialog and try to keep our mouths shut while he is talking. Listen to him, and then guide him. It is not uncommon for a conference to last an hour or more when I am with a Scout for his Eagle Rank scoutmaster conference. The boys are okay with this, they know what to expect. (So don't write me about holding such a long conference.)

That being said, here we go...

A) The first two points of my conference are actually five things. The Scout should know the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, and Outdoor Code. He should be able to recite them. He need to know what they mean, and be able to explain to me what they mean. I will ask him what two parts of the Scout Law he finds difficult to follow, and which ones he finds the easiest to do. What did he do for a good turn that day? What should he "Be Prepared" for?

B) We will look at his attendance at meetings and his participation on troop outings. Our troop recommends that a Scout attends two thirds of troop meetings and at least half of the outings. If he has a great attendance record I compliment him on doing well. If he is lacking, then we discuss why he has not been attending, and what he will do about it. Each rank has a participation requirement after all.

C) A Scout is thrifty. Are his dues paid up to date? Has he participated in troop fundraisers? Does he do his duty to the troop by doing his best when the troop has a fundraiser, or does he sit back and let the other guys do the work? Raising money for the troop is the whole troop's responsibility, not the job of just a few.

D) Attitude, and setting a good example, is another point that we cover. Does he like being in Scouts? If not, then why is he a member? Does he set a good example for other boys in the troop? Or is he a Scout who needs to work on that area? Older Scouts can set good examples for younger Scouts, but younger Scouts can also do the same for the older boys.

E) Is his uniform up to date? I often have the uniform checklist and conduct a quick inspection. I ask him to correct the incorrect things on his uniform before he attends his board of review. Our troop does not expect a boy to be full uniform from head to toe. However, we do expect him to pass the inspection with a score of 75 (out of a 100) or higher.

F) Service to others is an important part of the Boy Scout program. Has he participated in troop service and community projects? What has he done outside of Scouting to help the community? Did he just do his hours of service as required by the rank, or did he continue serving in other ways?

G) We will check his advancement progress. How long has it been since he finished his last ranked? If it has been quite awhile, we will discuss the reasons for it. Has he taken advantage of advancement opportunities when he has had the chance? We also review the requirements for his next rank and check how far along he is along that trail.

H) Leadership is a very important requirement of the last three Boy Scout ranks. We will look back and see how his leadership has been. I ask him how he thinks he has done. How can he improve? What did he do in his last troop office? Does he think he completed the tasks of that office? Did he do them well? What other leadership responsibilities does he have in the troop?

I) The final point is setting goals. When does he plan to attain his next rank? What smaller goals are needed to meet the larger goal. Were his previous goals met on time? If not, then why weren't they? Does he have any goals outside of Scouting? Can Scouting help him achieve those goals?

Of course, like many conversations, we get sidetracked a lot during a scoutmaster conference. I don't see a problem with that. It gives the Scout and Scoutmaster a chance to get to know each other a little better. Maybe share some points of interest. After a few minutes I try to guide the conversation back to the things we need to discuss.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. I hope this gives you some ideas as you conduct your own Scoutmaster Conferences.