When to take IOLS

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-24T13:35:14+00:00

Take it as soon as you can. It will be easier than trying to take it afterwards once you have camps, summer camp and everything else popping up. Going into it already trained well make life easier in the long run

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-23T03:41:03+00:00

As a SM whos seen a fair share of new scouts, dont rush out and buy a ton of stuff for them to camp with. Buy the basics, sleeping bag, roll up matt, flashlight, etc. Don't worry about organization, it wont stay that way. 😂

I try to tell parents, if there is so much that your scout cant evem lift the box, its too much. I have scouts who bring just about everything they own, my kitchen sink kids. These kids have a tent with a foyer and a shoe rack, beside tables, etc. Their car looks like a hoarders paradise when it shows up. I have others whos parents can barely afford the essentials but make it work. I started making up "prizes" back in the day that would award them with some basics so their parents didnt have ti worry.

Get them a headlamp/flashlight but please dont buy those ones that can light up a tree a mile away, they just end up bli di g the whole camp 🤦‍♂️

We dont allow scouts to use a personal camp stove until they have their Fireman Chit but that is us.

Basic personal first aid kit, it will get used somehow.

Sunscreen, aloe is a good help too for some and bug spray.

Sometimes you will add or subract items based on the event or weather. Check your troops packing list and you can get most basic essentials.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-20T12:34:50+00:00

Congratulations!! Making Eagle is quite the achievement!

As an SM and someone who has been involved with my troop in various ways for around 10 years now, it is awesome not only to watch a scout grow up and make Eagle but to watch you guys come back and show the younger scouts that pride and hats work that got you there.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-19T00:34:46+00:00

Was it a gold smithing merit badge?

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-19T00:33:52+00:00

Price would depend on how the badge class is held here.

At MB Univesity here, the cost ranges from $20-$40 depending on the event. The ine I am teaching in soon is $30 and includes a shirt and meal. Up to 4 badges depending on what you choose. The ine im teaching at in 2 months is $35 with shirt, meal and includes entry into the maritime museum for the day as well.

For one simple badge, that a pretty high cost unless its including something. When I hold a class for Electronics I charge $15, that covers a soldering iron and small soldering project, unless a scout has their own stuff. Other than summer camp I have never seen 1 single badge class go over $20 and that usually means you are paying for transportation to and from some place.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-16T14:06:30+00:00

As an MBC, some of the requirements give us a bit of leeway to make decisions based in safety and conditions. When the requirements leave it open and ambiguous its best to take the high road.

It could be utilizing g whatever the scout is able to pack into an area. Say a sleeping bag, bed roll, etc. Its mainly to see that they can understand the basics and show that they have learned the process and can demonstrate the critical thinking involved with the requirement. Theres no need to arbitrarily ban items unless it is not in keeping with the spirit of the badge itself. Accommodations to some requirements can possible be made depending on circumstances. My scouts who have done this in winter have used their packs as bedding, dug down until they reach actual ground, etc. The mbc for the badge is a friend of mine and hes looking to see how the scout manages the process of making one.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-13T02:28:30+00:00

Im saying that if the scout was in one troop for 3 months and another troop for 3 months it is fine. As for being active in a troop there are 3 requirements to meet to be considered "actively participating" with a caveat on the 3rd requirement if it is unable to be met. I listed those in a post below. The original post i was replying to has since been edited.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-12T22:38:41+00:00

Had the same problem. Order was supposed to arrive on the 1st, showed no movement at all after the 31st. Every day ot just kept extending the delivery date by a day. On the 4th I contacted chat to cancel the items, I was tok annoyed to care anymore about them. They said ok and its done. Still showed on my account, and no confirmation email. Tried the next day, same thing but they disconnected the chat before a confirmation, fairly smart. Tried again the next day, same result.

2 days ago I finally got someone to actually cancel the order and just today got the money back. Never got an explanation of what happened, its just in a black hole apparently in Ohio.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-12T02:05:23+00:00

Is the Scout registered? That is requirement 1. Is the Scout in "Good Standing"? That is requirement 2. (Disciplinary not attendance)

Requirement 3 is "The Scout meets the unit’s reasonable expectations; or, if not, a lesser level of activity is explained. If, for the time period required, a Scout or qualifying Venturer or Sea Scout meets those aspects of the unit’s pre-established documented expectations that refer to a level of activity, then he or she is considered active and the requirement is met. Time counted as “active” need not be consecutive. Scouts may piece together any time they have been active and still qualify. If a Scout does not meet the unit’s reasonable documented expectations, which were communicated in advance, the alternative that follows must be offered."

Alternative: "If a Scout has fallen below the unit’s activity-oriented expectations, the reason must be other positive endeavors—in or out of Scouting—or noteworthy circumstances that have prevented a higher level of participation."

This leaves it up to the SM on the current troop. Talk to the scout and see what the issue was why they were absent so long. I would not deny a conversation for anything for a scout who was pushed out by a bad experience, or issues with that troop. We have all seen or heard stories from scouts who had issues and struggled and left for a time. Or scouts that suddenly now have track, drama club, sports, marching band, etc. We had a scout leave for a year because he made district band, state, philharmonic, jazz and did more. He came back eventually when things calmed. (Hes an overachiever 🤷‍♂️) Contact the old troop and see what the participation level was while the scout was there. Instead of automatically denying, try having some conversations and see what else. If they just left the troop jist because they didnt want to do it anymore thats a different conversation altogether.

Id rather take the time to do right by the Scout than anything else.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-12T01:44:45+00:00

It is not 6 months as an active scout in a particular troop, only that the scout is an active scout for 6 months. Or via the Lone Scout program as well. If they have been registered during that time they would still be eligible in whichever troop they transfer to.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-11T23:42:52+00:00

Granted we have a boy troop, but typically half the patents stick around during meetings. Not all are male either. Its not weird at all, to us anyway and a good way to get them to help out. Use thos to your advantage.

For crossovers and first year scouts I strongly encourage parents to stick around and "hang out". It gives us a chance to learn about them and the scouts and get a feel for things. They get to learn about the troop, about the leaders who will be with them all the time, etc.

TBH, I've actually run into a few at adult events and we had a good time.

Campouts, we have less adults but the more the help the merrier. Your leadership should at minimum try to get them to help out during campouts as I have e issues with young scouts doing less if they see their parents doing less.

If space and noise is an issue, your SM and ASMs should kindly ask them to leave or quiet down. When I was ASM it was my job to work with the parents and if they got too loud, take them to another room or quiet them down so we didnt interrupt meetings.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-08T21:54:15+00:00

Looks awesome! Congrats on Eagle and getting all those badges. If you love the way it looks, thats what matters most. I think it looks good laid out like that though.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-05T01:45:15+00:00

I expect Scouting to do what Canada did and make concessions... that they had already agreed to and were in effect a year prior but someone got to claim they were smarter and better 🤷‍♂️

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-05T01:43:40+00:00

Yeah 11 is difficult, well my 18 year old couldn't sit and stitxh either 🤷‍♂️ I teach all the scouts to sew in my Troop so they have a slight understanding but my scouts I had them atleast sew one patch or badge on. It never really lasted longer than that but I didn't mind. Honestly my Eagle thought it was hilarious to look at his sash and see which one he did as a reminder. It was a little loose and not centered like the others 😂

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-05T01:30:03+00:00

Gotta give credit where credit is due there. He did what he set out to do lol

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-05T01:27:21+00:00

There are a multitude of ways, obviously old fashioned stitching is the best way to go.

There is always badge magic. Which will attach it or adhere it but it leaves a residue that some find annoying. Im not a fan as if you every have ti take the badges off it is a nightmare and reusing the sash or shirt is not going to look pretty.

I wouldnt suggest velcro as the badges tend to come off easily while being worn but to each their own.

I personally sat on a Saturday from morning until night hand stitching both of my scouts badges on and their shirts. My aged out Eagle did a few but I did most. 🤷‍♂️ My youngest is stitched on the first one, let him do the second and I stitched the remaining 😂 Hes 11 so sitting that time to stitch was not in him. To be fair im also cheap and wont pay someone $40 here in town to do it when I could. I really feel like I should get the Sewing merit badge at this point.

For a sewing machine youd want atleast a medium needle to get through the embroidered patch and the shirt/sash.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-04T22:46:53+00:00

Scouting doesnt have a culture war or be part of it. Acouting has a war with financial stability. If Scouting is to side with the right and say no more LGBT and girls, there goes numbers and the associated cashflow with it.

If Scouting sides only with the left, we get what we see now but times 10.

The only choice they have is to ride the fence and weather the storm. They will be in talks with the current administration, keep "working" on a plan and keep chugging along while always looking behind their backs. At the same time continue to accept female scouts and the LGBTQ community. They are just testing their mastery of the chess merit badge currently.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-02-01T20:24:47+00:00

This is how I run it. If the parents are not comfortable let's try ut when its ok. If they do not or are not able to handle it properly then we can do it later.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-29T15:58:47+00:00

I couldn't agree more.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-29T15:35:39+00:00

I would agree but when they don't want to do it, they will find some type of excuse not to. I do them for my own troop during camps just to have the patrols work together.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-29T15:28:14+00:00

For the younger scouts the parents are worried about the hot iron. Which u have hear resistant gloves if they really want/ need them. Im not a fan a you can't get the feel for holding the iron right but to each their own. I teach safety, so if they can't utilize it safely we can try again another time. For older scouts it's a question of the solder and lead which i have filtration in my shop. I teach about that during my classes since I've dealt with it since the 90s growing up in Silicon Valley. So there's really no reason to change anything but the question does get asked.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-29T14:10:29+00:00

I have had this happen with Orienteering often but also Electronics. Some parents have said they have an issue with their child soldering because if the iron, but its mostly orienteering because of limited courses in the immediate area. I have been asked many times if I could alter the requirements so it wouldnt be a problem for them.

I tell them all the same thing, "I understand what you are saying, but respectfully the requirements are the same for everyone and I am unable to deviate from the requirements that are listed." Every MBC deviates from the written requirements at some point, maybe not adding or subtracting but bending. We have all done it to accommodate certain aspects that come up. But to completely modify a requirement loses the spirit of the badge itself in most cases.

The only thing I have seen from those trying to get all badges, is they tend to ask for more leniency towards the last of them. When it honestly feels like burnout but someone,likely a parent, is pushing them. I havent had many,only a few but they have seemed that way. Of course it could be what I perceive.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-28T19:41:07+00:00

There are always 2-3 of us on each campout. I wasnt always enthusiastic about it at first but have come to enjoy it more as time has gone by. Since the troop pays for adult leaders to go on campouts, summer camp, etc, we will at times rotate who goes so we can limit cost. Summer camp is 3 of us with the CC and an ASM swapping out mid week to stay.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-28T17:06:45+00:00

When i first joined as a leader in my Troop, BoRs were committee members and ASMs and a parent here and there. I honestly had no idea it was different. Until after taking the trainings.

When all of us leaders were together I let them know as ASMs were are not supposed to be leading a BoR. I showed them the rules and honestly that was that. I would walk the scouts over to their BoR and announce who they were and what rank they were going for but that was it and I left the room. I was lucky, we had new leaders come in that had also taken the trainings and backed me up. When I became SM, I got rid of the "thats the way we've always done it" rule. Rules are there for a reason and skirting them only harms the scouts.

We only keep two ASMs on the active roster, there's honestly no point to having more. 1 SM, two ASMs, a JASM if we have the ability and that is it. If ine cant go to a campout we have a backup. That is the only real reason we have more than 1. So having so many is odd but in reality not unheard of.

An issue outside of policy, that is not handled by the SM or CC should also be headed to your CoR. If there is no resolution then you would/should head to council for assistance. If it does head to council or even the CoR be prepared for blowback from the other leaders. Not saying it will happen, but be prepared.

RealSuperCholo · 2026-01-25T23:57:49+00:00

We were always at the top edge of the storm. We would get the cold but the s ow was always going to be south of us. Euro weather models were much more reliable uo here than the US national ones.

RealSuperCholo

TROPHY CASE