[Troop139] Troop Advancement

[J.Gordon Beattie, Jr., W2TTT]

Hi Folks!

For the last two months we have been working on getting the Scouts of the
Troop to complete advancement requirements for rank.  

We have required all Scouts to be in uniform and to have their Troop-issued
Boy Scout Handbooks.  Frankly, both the results and effort to get minimal
compliance has been a great disappointment.  No Scout has been given a Board
of Review without compliance to this policy.  No leeway has been given to
any Scout, even at the lower ranks.  Several Scouts had to come back
repeatedly due to their inability to come prepared.

 

I realize that this is a busy time of the year, but parents need to get
their sons to meetings in a prepared manner.  No one plays sports missing
equipment, and Scouting has requirements for its activities that parallel
them.  When your son has no skates, he doesn't play hockey; when he has no
glove he doesn't play baseball, when they don't have their uniform, they
don't play at all.  We don't turn away a boy from an activity due to
equipment issues unless he would be unsafe, but we are also in the business
of teaching them responsibility.  Having a uniform and a handbook for a
Board of Review is not a lot to ask, especially when boys and parents have
been repeatedly reminded of their necessity at every meeting. 

 

While the Court of Honor is next Tuesday, you may be assured that any
activity patches, Merit Badges and other recognitions will be presented.
Ranks will be awarded for those who have met the requirements.  To address
rank advancement we will be conducting Boards of Review on July 5, 19 and if
needed 26 so that Scouts can "rank-up" before camp.  

 

Again, we are asking for some parents to sit on these Boards of Review.  In
past, there has been a general reluctance to participate and also a conflict
in availability due to work or family needs.  We understand the latter, but
the former reduces our ability to handle the boys who need Boards of Review.
Over the last month we have been able to only sit one Board panel at a time
and that has happened only on three evenings.  The lack of support has led
to several evenings where the Boards of Review continued to be held after
the end of the meeting, sometimes as late as 9:30 PM.   

 

Please work with your sons to "Be Prepared" and help make their weekly
meetings and the Boards of Review more effective.

I will be sending out a list of Advancement, Merit Badges and other
recognitions later.  Please review this and let me know if there is anything
missing or otherwise incorrect and we will make adjustments.

 

Our Pot Luck Supper will begin on Tuesday at 6:30 PM and the Court of Honor
will begin about 7:15 PM in the Lower Church.  

 

Yours in Scouting!
Thanks & 73,

Gordon Beattie, W2TTT

201.314.6964