Open for Debate Archives

Scoutmaster wants to remove a certain four-letter word from Scouting

October 2, 2015 184

New York Scoutmaster Michael Montemarano is on a mission. His goal: eliminate a particularly irksome word from the Scouting vernacular.

Tuesday Talkback: When youth leaders aren’t allowed to make decisions

September 24, 2013 105

Father (or Mother) knows best? Maybe, but that’s not how a Scout troop, Varsity team or Venturing crew is supposed to work. Scouting is a youth-led, youth-run organization. Your responsibility as an adult leader is to

Tuesday Talkback: What do you do when a Scout has a patch sewn on wrong?

September 17, 2013 163

You’ll notice it right away, of course. You’ll see Tristan across the room at your pack or troop meeting this week and instantly spot the unit numerals on the wrong sleeve, the rank patch on

‘That’s Mr. West to you, mister’: Are your Scouts on a first-name basis with leaders?

July 11, 2013 154

If BSA founder James E. West were around today, how would your Scouts address him? Mr. West? James? Mr. James? Jimmy E.? The way Scouts and Venturers address leaders was on the mind of Scouter

Is it ever time to say, ‘Sorry, our troop’s full’?

November 1, 2012 53

Quality trumps quantity when it comes to Scouting. A well-run unit of 15 to 20 boys or girls beats a dysfunctional unit of 80 to 100 Scouts every time. (Many larger troops thrive, but only

Judgment call: Who should get access to your unit contact list?

October 22, 2012 28

In your unit, is a Scout’s contact info freely available or guarded like nuclear launch codes? Two forces are competing here: Effective, efficient communication between families — and privacy. How do you straddle the thin line

Should you compete against other units for Scouts? If so, how?

September 25, 2012 53

Should an adult trade patches with a Scout?

September 18, 2012 73

Scouts trade with Scouts; adults trade with adults. Along with “trade one for one,” “always shake hands,” and “don’t bring money into a deal,” it’s one of the central tenets of patch trading. But does

Why are so many boys taking so much longer to reach Eagle Scout?

August 14, 2012 270

You can’t blame this one on inflation. More than 60 years ago, the average age of a boy earning Eagle was 14.6. Today it’s 17.1. As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Eagle Scout

Make your point: What’s your unit’s knife policy?

August 6, 2012 127

In Scouting, knives are a double-edged sword. Used safely, they’re part of a rite of passage for boys and a chance for leaders to impart important lessons to help Scouts become “Prepared. For Life.” But