Here are a few other advancement-related items that have been changed or clarified in the recent Guide to Advancement that affect the troop committee:
- If you’ve ever been caught short on a board of review night without enough committee members on hand, there is relief. The new rule allows for adults who aren’t registered committee members to serve on a BOR. Here’s the exact language: In units with fewer than three registered committee members available to serve, it is permissible to use knowledgeable parents (not those of the candidate) or other adults (registered or not) who understand Boy Scouting’s aims.Smaller troops may only have three registered committee members, and if the son of one of the committee members needs a board of review, it would otherwise be impossible, since parents can’t participate. This change would also seem to give troops with more committee members greater flexibility to assemble a board of review when we are unexpectedly overloaded with candidates, say during a troop meeting or on a campout. We really don’t want to turn away a Scout who only needs a BOR to advance for lack of registered committee members. They don’t define “available to serve”, so it could mean that while you may have many committee members, they might not all be able to make it to a board of review session. The catch here is that if you have knowledgeable parents or adults who understand Boy Scouting’s aims, they belong on the troop committee anyway, and if you find you need to press them into service, you should invite them to register. Continue reading “More advancement changes”
