Tag: What’s New

The Boy Scouts of America will increase its annual membership fee for youth and adults to $24 from $15, beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

For those who join after the beginning of the year, the fee will be prorated at $2 per month. This does include units with a Dec. 31, 2013, expiration date.

The change was announced at last week’s annual Top Hands meeting of professional Scouters in Washington, D.C. In a letter to Scouting professionals, Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock explained the reasoning behind the increase.

“First, I want to make clear that the Boy Scouts of America maintains a strong financial position,” he wrote. “In order to continue to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program, it is occasionally necessary to increase membership fees so that we can offset rising administrative costs.”

The BSA’s last fee increase — to $15 from $10 — was in 2010, and since then, the organization has taken steps to control and reduce costs. But “administrative costs have continued to rise faster than projected,” Brock wrote. “As always, our focus is to build the future leaders of this country by combining adventure, educational activities and lifelong values. The fee increase is a step we must take in order to continue providing the services you and our members expect and need.”

So that’s the big news, but I wanted to take you deeper into the story. What exactly does your $24 annual fee pay for? And how does that $24 fee compare to other youth organizations and activities? Much more after the jump.

What does your $24 buy?

Simply put, the Boy Scouts of America National Council provides program materials and support for 280 local councils that administer the Scouting program, with each covering a specific geographic area. To be more specific, the following are the key functions of the national council:

• Provide liability insurance to registered adult members, local councils, chartered organizations and the national organization
• Provide technological platforms for the Scouting movement
• Provide local councils with program as well as tools for camp and office planning and evaluation, extensive financial counseling, planned giving and fundraising information, and professional personnel support
• Coordinate a communications network through magazines and literature (handbooks, merit badge pamphlets, brochures, training materials, and professional development training)
• Make available uniforms, equipment, and program supplies
• Develop and maintain year-round national high-adventure bases and execute national events (jamborees, National Eagle Scout Association and Order of the Arrow conferences, and National Council meetings)
• Maintain communication with chartered organizations that use the Scouting program (religious institutions, civic organizations, labor unions, professional organizations, business, and industry)
• Maintain liaison with Scouting associations in other countries as a member of the World Scout Conference
• Set and maintain program standards (e.g., Advancement, health and safety, etc.) to ensure consistency of the brand throughout councils across the country.

What fees do other youth organizations charge?

Scouting’s a steal. That $24 a year works out to $2 a month or roughly 6.5 cents a day.

Sure, it’s not always comparing apples to apples, but I do think it’s helpful to look at what you’ll pay for other youth activities. Here’s a small sampling:

• Tackle football, $140: In Plano, Texas, second- through sixth-graders who play tackle football pay $140 for a three-month season. That fee doesn’t include equipment.
• Youth orchestra, $1,000: Members of the prestigious Los Angeles Youth Orchestra pay $1,000 annually and must buy their own instruments.
• Select soccer, $400: In Cleveland, select youth soccer players age 15 to 18 pay $400 a season, plus $135 for uniforms.
• Youth basketball, $500: In Queens, N.Y., boys age 8 to 13 pay $500 a year, not including uniforms.
• 4-H Program, $25: Participants of the 4-H Program in College Station, Texas, pay $25 a year, not including fees for individual activities.

Two bucks a month for America’s premier youth-serving organization? Sign me up.

Want proof as to how passionate Scout volunteers are about the Boy Scouts of America?

Just look at my inbox.

Last week, I provided answers to eight frequently asked questions, and at the end of the post, I provided information on how to ask your own Scouting-related question. (By the way, you can do so by emailing scoutingmag@gmail.com, subject “Ask the Expert.”)

Well, 78 emails later, it’s time for Round 2 of my rapid-fire FAQs. I can’t answer every question, but I have answered nine more common ones below.

This round will cover Cub Scouts earning merit badges, funeral services for a fallen Scouter or Scout, uniform questions, and more. Perhaps a question you’ve been wondering about is covered… 

Cub Scouts earning merit badges?

Question from Harvey: ”I’m a Scoutmaster, and if a Scout has completed Cub Scouts in the spring but hasn’t crossed over to Boy Scouts, could he go to a merit badge clinic and take a merit badge that summer but not receive the badge until he is in Boy Scouts in the fall?”

Answer from Bryan: No. A boy can’t begin work on a merit badge until he is enrolled in a Boy Scout troop. He’ll have plenty of time to work on merit badges once he’s a Boy Scout.

Funeral services for a Scouter or Scout?

Question from Kevin: “If a Scout or Scout leader passes away, can they have a flag draped over their casket or a military style funeral.”

Answer from Bryan: The BSA doesn’t specify. During such a difficult time, that decision is best left up to the family of the Scouter or Scout. You may want to consult the Manual for Chaplain Aides and Chaplains under the heading “Scout Funeral Services” for some ways a Scout unit can honor one of its fallen members. A funeral service outline is available there, as well.

Tuck or no tuck?

Question from Michael: “Is it a ‘requirement’ for the uniform shirt to be tucked in? I’ve searched through all BSA publications and cannot get a clear answer.”

Answer from Bill Evans: “No stated requirement. We just say neat appearance. We know many women, for example, prefer to have their shirt out.”

Mix and match?

Question from James: “Can a Scout or Scouter wear the ‘old’ olive green pants with the new Centennial shirts? I’ve heard many people claim that mixing and matching is against the rules, but that rule isn’t in writing anywhere!”

Answer from Bill Evans: “We state that a Scouter and Scout can wear any previous uniform as long as it is in good shape. So, yes. But you can’t mix programs. For example, you shouldn’t wear Venturing pants with a Boy Scout shirt.”

Loop us in: Red or green?

Question from Carlos: “I remember a ‘recommendation’ when the Centennial uniform was first released that Scout troops stop wearing the red shoulder loops and adopt the Centennial Boy Scout (green) shoulder loops even on the ‘old’ uniforms. Is this in writing anywhere? The red loops are discontinued in the ScoutStuff catalog. Is there any reason to still wear them?”

Answer from Bill Evans: “Red loops are no longer available, but we still see plenty of troops wearing them, which is not a problem. Same as seeing a Boy Scout wearing the long green-and-red knee socks with the garters and tabs. That is fine. We offered them once, so you can still wear them. It should be noted, however, that locally made shoulder loops are never authorized.”

Palm presentation?

Question from Heather: “I have an Eagle Scout who has now earned the Bronze Palm. Who should be the one to present it to him? And when is an appropriate time for it to be given to him? I’d like him to receive it at our troop’s Eagle Court of Honor, which involves three other scouts as well, but have been told it can’t be presented there because it’s not a rank badge?

Answer from Bryan: First, congrats to the Eagle Scout who has been active in his troop for at least three months and earned five merit badges beyond those required for Eagle. As to your questions, that’s a matter of troop preference. The Senior Patrol Leader, Scoutmaster, or the Eagle Scout’s mom or dad could present the palms. I’ve never seen palms awarded at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor, but I have seen them handed out at regular troop courts of honor. My instinct would be to keep the Eagle Scout Court of Honor “sacred” for those boys in the troop earning Eagle and make the palms part of the regular troop court of honor. But that’s just me. Any other thoughts for Heather? Please leave in the comments.

Related: Eagle Palm requirements

Jamboree prep?

Question from Veronica: “I was just wandering if you’re going to the Jamboree? Any advice, hints on things to know so I can better prepare my 13-year-old?”

Answer from Bryan: Tell him to get ready for the best 10 days of his life, first of all. My jamboree experiences as a participant in 1997 and 2001 and a staffer in 2005 were some of the best weeks of my Scouting career. There’s a wealth of info over at the official Jamboree website, so be sure he’s browsed around there. As for my advice, it would be to see and do as much as he possibly can. Said another way: Save the lounging around for when he gets back home.

Sure, seeing and doing it all is impossible. But by packing his days with fun activities, he’ll come home with a lifetime of memories. Speaking of, make sure he takes a camera or a smartphone with one built in. He’ll need it to show his classmates what they missed! Anyone else have tips? Leave ‘em for Veronica in the comments.

Sustainability MB requirements?

Question from Bobby: “I have seen that the Sustainability Merit Badge will have an earn date of July 15. Do you have any idea of when the merit badge pamphlet and requirements will be released to the rest of us? I am a Merit Badge Counselor for several merit badges that are related and I would like to be “the first on the block” to be able to offer this one.”

Answer from Bryan: Love the enthusiasm. And I’m as excited as you to see these requirements. You’re right about the July 15 earn date, and that’s when I’ll post the requirements here on my blog. Speaking of, have you bookmarked my New Merit Badge Calendar? That always contains the latest info I have about merit badges.

Two roles, two knots?

Question from Tim: “Can a leader earn knots as both a Cub leader and Boy Scout at the same time? A person would be registered as both a den leader and a Scoutmaster trying to earn Den Leader Knot and Scoutmaster Key.”

Answer from Bill Evans: “The bottom line is yes, he can. But it’s important to specify that nobody is ‘earning’ a knot like the Den Leader Knot. Knots only represent an award, like in this case would be the Den Leader Training Award.”

Other Ask the Expert posts

Take a look at this link to see if I’ve addressed your question in a previous Ask the Expert post. If not…

Ask your question

Send me an email with your question, and I’ll try to track down the answer.

Know a Scout seeking a little extra motivation to finish his Eagle requirements next year? I’ve got it.

To celebrate the centennial of Scouting’s top honor, all recipients of the Eagle Scout Award in the year 2012 will be eligible to wear a special version of the red, white, and blue badge, seen here.

Next year will mark 100 years since Arthur Rose Eldred became the BSA’s first Eagle. Since that date — Aug. 21, 1912 — more than 2 million outstanding young men have earned the award.

The special-edition patch, available at local Scout Shops after the first of the year, will help make an already-special honor even more noteworthy.

Why the special patch? I’m told that after the overwhelming popularity of the 100th Anniversary of Scouting rank badges, Boy Scouts of America officials said it made sense to find a similarly unique way to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Eagle Scouts.

A cool, new patch that will motivate Scouts? You won’t hear any complaints from me — or your guys!

Find a larger image of the patch design below:

Any great organization constantly tweaks and adapts its requirements to better reach its members, and the Boy Scouts of America is no exception.

To that end, the BSA announced this week which requirements will change in 2011.

One big item is actually more of a clarification than a complete change. It affects the requirements for the Eagle Scout rank. Here's what it says:

"The 2009 printing of the Boy Scout Handbook inadvertently included bugler as a position of responsibility under Eagle Scout requirement 4; it is not. … The corrected Eagle Scout requirement 4 will appear in the next printing of the Boy Scout Handbook."

That paragraph is consistent with an Ask the Expert question we fielded back in March of 2010. As we told you then, Bugler is not an official position of responsibility for Eagle Scout, but it is O.K. to use with Life or Star ranks.

Another change affects requirement 6 of the Life rank. Add subpoint G as a seventh option for Scouts teaching the EDGE method to another Scout. The new option reads: "Three requirements from one of the Eagle-required merit badges, as approved by your unit leader."

The other 2011 requirement changes affect merit badges: 

• Requirements for Astronomy, Horsemanship, and Nuclear Science merit badges have been revised. (Click each link for the new requirements)
• Minor updates will be made to the requirements for Archery and Sports merit badges. (Click each link to see the revisions)
• Three new merit badges that were added in 2010 will be added to the 2011 Boy Scout Requirements Book: Geocaching, Inventing, and Scouting Heritage.

Keep in mind, though, that a Scout who has started working on a merit badge when a new pamphlet or requirements come out may continue working from the original requirements. He need not start the merit badge over.

We'll give you the specific requirement changes for those merit badges as soon as we have them, so stay tuned.

We're fickle about snow. We want less of it in our driveways and more of it at our favorite ski resorts.

But when it comes to snow-related activities, the BSA Health and Safety team's stance doesn't waver: enjoy it, but do so responsibly.

As unit leaders, it's primarily your job to enforce safety in winter sports, but you're not alone in this effort—the BSA has materials to help prepare you.

The simplest step is ensuring that your Scouts wear proper safety equipment. That means helmets, which are recommended for sledding and sliding and required for skiing and snowboarding. Snowmobile users must wear helmets that have a full face shield.

The Health and Safety team has published a list of safety guidelines for sledding, which you can access here. And the guidelines set forth in the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety are applicable in all four seasons, so it would be a great idea to review those, as well.

The Guide to Safe Scouting's section on winter activities includes great info on the importance of leadership, equipment, and physical condition for cold-weather camping.

Winter sports can be a fun way to get your guys outside when temperatures drop, but only after you and your youth leaders have reviewed proper safety procedures.

But thanks to an alliance between the BSA and eKnowledge, some of the financial worry about getting ready for those tests is gone.

That’s because the test prep company eKnowledge recently announced that its $200 SAT and ACT PowerPrep software will be available free to members of the Boy Scouts of America.

There are separate versions for the SAT and the ACT, and it’s free whether you order one or both. Customers must still pay shipping and handling fees, which total less than $14 for each version of the software that you order.

According to a BSA release about the partnership, the software “includes more than 20 hours of video instruction, 3,000 files of supplemental test prep material, thousands of interactive diagnostic tools, sample questions, practice tests, and graphic teaching illustrations.” To order or get more information, visit the eKnowledge Web site.

The eKnowledge Sponsorship Alliance, now in its fourth year, has worked with dozens of community organizations to give away more than $32.4 million worth of software so far.