Via Facebook Tracey Lucas asks: We’ve helped our Elks with an annual Flag Day Ceremony and Flag Retirement Ceremony for many years. Some years we have over 400 flags that have been collected during the year to retire during the evening. We want to retire these flags with the utmost respect, but at the same…continue reading

Here's the latest question posed by Scouting Magazine's 'What Would You Do' column: Commanding Respect Our troop has just seven Scouts who are 14 or older, including me, and then 15 to 20 younger Scouts. On camp-outs, the younger Scouts don’t listen to us, and they give us attitude when we ask them to do…continue reading

'What Would You Do?' AKA 'Front Line Stuff' question for the next issue of Scouting Magazine; During free time on a recent troop camp-out, a Scout from the Fox patrol thought it would be fun to steal the Rattlesnake patrol’s flag. One boy punched the other, and the fisticuffs continued for several minutes. In the…continue reading

The current question for the What Would You Do? feature in Scouting Magazine: Phone calls, snail mail, and even e-mail seem antiquated to many of our Scouts. We’re exploring nontraditional communications forms such as Twitter, Facebook, and mass-calling systems, but we need guidance. How do you manage such systems, and what guidelines do you follow?…continue reading

I’ve been told by my Committee Chairman Boy Scouts are not allowed to use power tools nor climb ladders.  Yet, when I look into the Guide to Safe Scouting, I find nothing of the sort.  Have I overlooked something? Steve Coffin, ASM Eagle Advisor, Former Scoutmaster My Answer: Here’s the updated information on power tool use…continue reading

From Scouting Magazine's 'What would You Do?' department (formerly called 'Front Line Stuff') a question about a recent troop leader election: We recently had our troop leadership elections, and the Scouts elected a senior patrol leader who is inexperienced, uncommitted, and has no real sense of responsibility. I am worried about the direction of the…continue reading

Scouting magazine's feature once called 'Front Line Stuff' has been renamed (I think) 'What would you do?'Here's the current question; Many Scouts start and finish merit badge requirements in a reasonable amount of time, others do not. Often, at summer camp, boys begin badges but return home with partial completions. Some of these partials have…continue reading

Scouting magazine: Front Line StuffHow Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop? Over the past few years our troop has doubled in size due to good programming and good promotion by our committee chair. Although this is a great problem to have, it's hard to keep youth and adult leaders in step with changes…continue reading

The current question at Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff How Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop? Over the past few years our troop has doubled in size due to good programming and good promotion by our committee chair. Although this is a great problem to have, it's hard to keep youth and adult…continue reading

The current question at Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff Getting Cub Scouts to be Serious I am a den chief, and my father is a den leader. I play games with the Cub Scouts and try to have fun, but when it's time to be serious, they just want to keep fooling around. How can…continue reading

Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff asks: So many of our Scouts are involved in sports that there are always conflicts between troop meetings and outings and team practices and games. How do other troops handle this issue? T.L.Kansas City, Mo. Instead of responding to these situations with a policy we have a philosophy: the Troop…continue reading