Ask the Expert Archives - Page 10 of 11

Ask the Expert: Rapid-fire FAQs, round 2

June 12, 2013 37

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

Ask the Expert: The rapid-fire FAQs edition

June 3, 2013 34

So far, Ask the Expert posts have offered one often-lengthy answer to one complicated Scouting question. You can read past posts here. Perhaps a question you have is answered there. But now it’s time for

Ask the Expert: Can Scouts earn service hours outside of the troop setting?

May 17, 2013 81

If a Scout, say, builds a house with their church youth group or delivers meals with the student council, can those hours count toward advancement?

Should Scouts earn merit badges at summer camp?

May 14, 2013 231

Scouts earn merit badges at council-run merit badge colleges or summer camps, or on their own with a registered counselor. But some troops restrict this practice.

Ask the Expert: Are blood drives and other drives acceptable Eagle projects?

May 1, 2013 42

Nobody questions the value of these drives, but Scouters often wonder whether they’re acceptable as Eagle Scout service projects.

Ask the Expert: Can merit badge progress begin before a Scout gets his blue card?

April 30, 2013 128

If a Scout camps several nights with his troop before getting a signed blue card from his Scoutmaster, do those nights count toward his earning Camping merit badge? That’s what a Scouter, who I’ll call

Ask the Expert: Interpreting Camping merit badge Requirement 9a

June 7, 2012 197

When it comes to life-changing experiences, there’s no substitute for camping. And when it comes to the Eagle-required Camping merit badge, there’s no substitute for Requirement 9A. It reads as follows: 9. Show experience in camping

Ask the Expert: The BSA’s ‘active’ requirement, revisited

April 30, 2012 52

Updated | May 7, 2013 Can a unit set attendance requirements? Can Scouters mandate, for example, that Scouts show up for at least half of all meetings and outings? When I first received this question

Ask the Expert: Why does silver outrank gold in Scouting awards?

April 14, 2011 57

If gold signifies the best in sports, why does the Boy Scouts of America use silver to represent its top awards, such as Eagle Scout palms?

Ask the Expert: Do the hours worked by family members count on an Eagle service project?

March 17, 2011 12

The Eagle project—that last mile on the long, satisfying climb toward Scouting’s highest honor—tests a boy’s ability to organize a meaningful service project and then lead his peers in its completion. It’s all outlined in the Eagle