Scouting Myths and Legends
Most Scouting Myths and Legends start like “I
heard at roundtable…”; “A scout leader emailed me that…”; “I read somewhere
that…”. My goal here was to dispel or re-affirm guidance and
policies heard in Troops and Packs across the US. Initially, this proved
to be a daunting task as most of BSA’s written material is not readily
available. As one leader put it “I don’t like being asked to play a game
and then not be given the rules”
I cruised Scout listservers, polled my own District and inquired at Council
training for policies that were accepted but undocumented. Fortunately
for me, my District Director, who also serves on Council Staff, was also
attending the adult training and provided a great deal of assistance in this
endeavor. Before I go any further, let me emphasize this, regardless of
what I’ve found here, you need to check with your Council regarding it’s
policies. Notice I said Council and not District. In my research, I
learned that the District is an administrative extension of the council
and in no way sets policy. Therefore any policies governing a particular
subject would have to be a local Troop policy, a Council Policy or a National
policy. I said earlier to check with your Council; my council has
determined that BSA National’s policies are sufficient and have not put out any
additional guidance. In my case, any guidance would therefore be Troop
policy or National policy.
BSA National is limited on the policy it sets. I believe this is
purposely done as such. Boy Scouting was never intended to be it’s own
organization. It was designed to be a youth program for other
organizations to use. The more rules and regulations built into scouting
would mean fewer organizations able to use the scouting method in their youth
program. But even as such, BSA has published the following:
Guide
to Safe Scouting, #A34416D, latest printing 2003
2002-2004
Insignia Guide
Scoutmaster
Handbook, #A33009A
Boy
Scout Requirements Book 2003, #A33215F
Boy
Scout Handbook, 11th Edition, #A33105
So,
in my case, if it’s not covered in any of these, nor covered by local or state
laws, then there is no policy on the subject. Regardless, here’s some
questions posed and the result of my research.
Is Boy Scouts a Paramilitary Organization?
I’ve been told that we can't use dryer lint as tinder anymore.
We’re not allowed to use liquid fuel stoves anymore
Scouts must wait a month in between advancement from
Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class
Our Troop/Pack equipment doesn’t belong to us – Who owns
us?
What is BSA’s policy on webpages
Some
of questions I researched fell into the category of common sense.
Sandals
are only authorized during water activities
Double
bladed axes are not authorized
Aerosol
bug spray is not authorized
These
are areas where adults have made the determination based on safety
considerations. The “rules” are opinions only and therefore can be both
supported and argued.