FAQ
Who are you?
I am a volunteer Scout leader. This blog is administered by me, Clarke Green an I am solely responsible for it’s content. There are other contributors from time to time and they are identified in the material they contribute.
Are you an official of the Boy Scouts of America?
No I am not. The only official source for information online about the Boy Scouts of America is Scouting.org . I am not sponsored or endorsed by the B.S.A.
Serving as a Scouting volunteer is like most endeavors where one can quickly grasp some of the basics but never stops learning. Speaking for myself I am blogging and podcasting because I think Scouting is important, I’ve been at it for awhile and I’d like to support my fellow volunteers. It’s no secret anyone who does things like this has either an above average ego and self confidence; both are a double edged sword.
Because I am online and accessible people ask me questions. I hear from folks who are in the midst of some dispute and are looking for someone to confirm their idea of what is ‘right’. More often I hear from people on the horns of some dilemma that need advice or information and I do what I can. My answers are my answers, my interpretations are my interpretations.
Am I always right?
No; are you?
Is your blog or podcast an expression of offical policy or practices?
I make every effort to learn and practice the Scouting program as defined by the B.S.A. but what you read or hear from me should always be supplemented with the official policy and procedure statements made by the B.S.A..
Having a forum does not imply infallibility; or even authority. Thankfully there is a final authority in the resources published by the B.S.A. There’s also “the aims and mission of the Boy Scouts of America, as well as the Scout Oath and Scout Law—and common sense.”
Scouting can foment some ugly disputes amongst adults; sometimes over interpreting policy, sometimes over a series of misconceptions about Scouting, sometimes out of pure hard-headedness. While I am perfectly willing to discuss differences of opinion the discussion ends if bounds of civility and common courtesy are breached. Thankfully this has been very rare.
If you think any of the advice or statements you read here are incorrect please contact me . I welcome your opinions and corrections.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Clark–you mentioned about social media that it was best to CC emails that are sent to Scouts to protect us. I can see that–then comes the but—if we talk directly with the scout on the phone, there is no “second party” to listen. Should we have a parent listen in? Doesn’t seem like that would be as good as an email that has been sent and it is all “written down” and not just “he said he said”. I really enjoy your podcasts–it always gets me psyched (sp) to improve. Thanks
Doug
We had this same concern in our troop. We decided on using speakerphone on the youth side of the conversation with their adult listening in.
Hi Doug
I’m not speaking for Clarke. At one time home phones were very public within the family. If a child received a phone call in the evening (from a Scout Leader, Teacher, etc.) everyone in the family knew about it. In this day and age where everyone carries around their own phone, talking to children is more problematic. I would not normally call a young person’s cell phone directly. I would probably call the parent and have them put the Scout on the phone. That’s just me.