Chris, you had asked for someone to give you justification on the VG BL. I will take a stab at it. Keep in mind that all of Cub Scouting is geared toward helping the boy develop in a healthy fashion. For the most part Cubs will be playing video games. There will be exceptions, but I think they are just that, exceptions. Since this is an activity that they will be engaging in, it is our resposibility to guide them to doing it in a healthy fashion. This BL is a chance for the adults to use the carrot of the Cub Scout award system to give a positive influence on an activity that has the potential to have a negative influence on a Cub's life. I am an avid gamer and I know the negative effects that are posible without responsible gaming habits. The discussion that this BL should cause is one that should be engaged in whether there is a BL associated with it or not. The fact that the boys probably already know the technical aspects possibly better than the adults does not excuse the adults from the responsibility of addressing the issue. The boys already know the technical aspects of eating, but nutrition is still something that should be rightly addressed often.

I can understand that viewpoint and to a certain extent even agree. I still stand by the example I presented in my last sentence (not well presented I add). The boys already eat…a lot. This does not excuse us from showing them how to eat in a responsible fashion. So we discuss nutrition with them. We try to make them think about eating in a new light ang get them to make good eating choices.

By the same token, they play video games…a lot. We need to get them to think about their video game habits in the proper perspective and get them to make good choices related to playing video games. I wish the requirements were structured more around this concept, but baby steps are better than nothing.

I agree that it would work better as a more general requirement, but I wonder if there is more institutional resistance to changing rank requirements than there is to BLs?

This was my wife's response when I sent her an email about the video game beltloop. She is a proud scout mom but not a leader. She is a special ed teacher & she said…

"Well…this is the age our kids live in.  If they are going to be able to compete in a technology world, there are some ways that they need to be prepared.  Change "video game" for "computer program" They need to know how to use caution and pick games sensibly.  They need to know how to set up the technology.  They need to understand the implications of what they are using.  They need to recognize the difference between educational and entertainment.  The need to articulate what they are doing to teach someone else.  Scheduling the time teaches responsibility and time management.  This really isn't the most horrible thing."

Well put, and once again my wife makes me stop and look at something in a new and different light then what my first reaction usually is.

SMWalker said:

There's no nutrition beltloop …

---

There is now. :)

To Mystery Cubmaster:

I feel your pain. We went through this a few years ago; not with our treasurer, but with the Cubmaster. The treasurer just didn't pay any attention, while the Cubmaster was using a debit card for the pack's account to "loan" himself money. I think, but am now sure, that this was a situation where he had intended to pay back the money, but ended up not being able to do so.

What did we do?
1) Relieved the Cubmaster (we didn't have to "go higher;" once we confronted him, he agreed to step down)
2) Closed the account and moved to a different bank (didn't want risk the old Cubmaster being able to gain access to a new account at the same bank)
3) Put the Charter Organization's name on the checking account (don't know how effective this is since no one from the Charter Org is actually listed on the account, but if they really needed access they could probably get it.)
4) More than one person has access to the account (right now it is the treasurer and the Cubmaster (me))
5) Nobody gets funds from the account without going through the treasurer
6) Treasurer reviews the account at monthly committee meetings
7) NO DEBIT CARD

Fortunately, he did give us back most of the missing funds and the pack's relationship with him is ok. He serves on the Pack Committee now. Of course, he will never be allowed to have access to the account again.

Great show.  I forwarded the BL reqs to our new CM.  The pack is having their overnight at a horse farm this Friday night.  They can do the reqs for and then order the BLswhen their finally available.