Volunteers -

Thanks for your role in making this event a success.  I truly believe that Merit Badge Madness distinguishes our troop from others.  When you participate as you do, you are making a difference in the lives of our great young men.  A few pointers for this weekend:

Classes - require no less, but no more, than the published Merit Badge requirements.  Do it your way, but don't expect it to go your way.  Smile and be flexible.  If it's not going well, you have the right to get help.  We are blessed with plenty of parent support, so help will be made available if you ask for it.

Boy-Run - avoid doing things a Scout could be doing.  Do empower the Scouts to run their program.  It can be something as small as turning the lights on and off, passing out handouts, or turning the pages of a flip chart; or something bigger such as presenting class material.

Behavior - whether in or outside of your class, please don't allow undesirable behavior to go unchecked, not even if you're busy, harried, rushed or insecure about stepping in.  Intervene when you witness undesirable behavior.  Inform me promptly.

Electronics - for Scouts, permitted only in cabins and on the ski slopes at Afton.  (And in classes where required to fulfill a merit badge requirement - e.g. cameras.)  Adults, please treat your electronics like tobacco -- use them if you feel you must, but out of sight of Scouts.  Cell phones on vibrate, or turned off, or left in your cabin.  A Scout should use your phone only on the drive home to give his parents his ETA.

Ride plan - having ride plans is an extremely important safety procedure.  If a vehicle doesn't show up at its destination, we need to ascertain quickly and with 100% certainty who is missing.  Changing a ride plan puts me (or you, if it's my car that goes missing) at risk of communicating tragically wrong information to authorities and families.

Uniforms - for registered troop leaders, the Boy Scout uniform is optional while skiing, sleeping and showering.  Registered troop leaders should be in uniform at all other times.

Thank you for your time and efforts.  Thanks for making this an outstanding weekend.

Yours in Scouting,

Joe Polta