Re: National Focus Changes
(no name) ((no email))
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 08:21:04 -0600
Dale Karweik <karweik.1@OSU.EDU> wrote:
>I don't disagree, in principle, with any of the National Programs
>I have seen rolled out over the years I have been involved with
>Scouting - I did miss most of the Leader Corp and the Loop- based
>advancement, so I'll leave them alone. However, I do have a
>problem with the way the new focus elements are rolled out and the
>implications that we should drop what we are doing and make them
>main features of our program, sometimes to the exclusion of other
>things.
What you're talking about, I believe, are the BSA's "national
program emphasis," Dale. These are elements of the BSA's national
program developed in concert with national partner organizations,
the BSA's Program Group and in some cases, at the personal request
of the President of the United States, the Honorary President of
the BSA.
(let's not even *go there*, okay gang?? *smiling* Thanks!)
The BSA develops these national program emphasis basically without
a net; they are put together literally within a few short months
and shipped out to the local Councils. This is why sometimes
you'll get A LOT of support items to support the emphasis (for
example, President Reagan wrote the BSA asking for their support on
Donor Awareness, to be kicked off as part of a national Donor
Awareness campaign through the federal and state governments. This
gave the BSA a "head's up" and materials were developed, sent to
every local Council and their support was requested (told)) and
sometimes you won't see a THING for MONTHS (as in the BSA's Five
(originally Four) "Unacceptables" back in the early 90s; it took
the BSA's Program Group almost a YEAR before they sent out
materials, and the materials they sent out didn't make it in a lot
of cases to the unit level!!)
To the BSA's credit, Dale, they try to give us out in the field
some idea of what's going on and what they are thinking. But
that's hard. For instance, we knew of the BSA's "National
Observance" of the principle of "Duty to God and Country" in 1991
even though the materials and patches weren't available until the
tail end of 1992. The same goes with the Get Out the Vote
campaign the BSA was asked to assist with in 1996.
>My Troop program is planned in late July or early August for the
>next twelve months with a campout each month, several hikes, and
>other Scouting activities. When you add service projects, Eagle
>service projects and ECOHs, Scout Sunday, OA and Venture
>activities, the calendar is pretty full. National roled out
>Crime Prevention, our professionals made a big pitch that every
>Troop should become involved and we are left with what, when and
>how.
Simply because all *they* were told was that "the BSA is coming out
with a new Crime Prevention emphasis and you should encourage all
of your units to participate in this special program emphasis.
Local Councils will receive materials supporting this program
emphasis within the next few months. The program nationally is
being sponsered by..."
They are just as confused as to what to do or what comprises the
new program as you or I would be at the "receiving end."
>Service to America came last year some time and Leave No Trace has
>just been announced. What happened to Project SOAR, Home Town
>USA, the seven unacceptables, the organ donor awareness program,
>etc.?
Seven Unacceptables?? I only knew of four or five
Project SOAR (for Save Our American Resources)is still around in
many Councils; Home Town USA (a partnership with Keep America
Beautiful, Inc.) is also around in many Councils. The others are
away for the most part. And as we've read here, there are still
many Councils using the Scouting for Food and special Roundup (this
year its with Garfield the Cat(tm)...is there anyone USING that cat
as part of their Cub Scouting promotion, btw??)
It is up to EACH LOCAL COUNCIL as to how they are going to
implement and use the program emphasis, when, and where. Some have
chosen NOT to even use the emphasis at all!
>These were all good additions to the program and occassionally fit
>very well with what the Scouts wanted to do, but were no longer
>supported, at least at my local level.
They cease to be "no longer supported," Dale, when your unit cease
to no longer support those programs. There's NO RULE that says
that *your Troop* cannot do their own Scouting for Food drive
independent of (or in addition to) your Council's efforts (or lack
thereof). There's NO RULE OR POLICY that says your Troop can't
take part in a conservation project or a crime prevention project
or a donor awareness (blood, marrow, donor cards, eyeglasses).
I wrote in "Ideas for the SUPER Project" in _The_Commandments,_
_Those_Laws_and_The_Rules_" that "It would be an AWESOME Explorer
Achievement or Eagle Scout project for some enterprising 16 year
old to take on this premise: What if your Grand Service Project was
to have a day, weekend or better yet, an ENTIRE WEEK in which you
would simply organize an activity in a large shopping mall whereby
people can do or find out how to donate blood, marrow, eyeglasses,
clothing, food, and time...whereby a group would be there every day
or evening singing and explaining what Scouting is all about; and
whereby people could drop off old medicines, get rid of old
batteries and tires, and get a health checkup...ALL AT ONE PLACE,
LED BY A SCOUT or GROUPS OF YOUTH?"
"No kid would do it, because most kids would opt for the "things
that would take the least amount of time" not for things "to
benefit the largest number of people." No Council or District
would approve it as an Eagle project unless the "Scouting
promotion" end of it (part of the reasoning for doing it!) would be
taken out. And when was the last time that, instead of a District
doing "Scout Show" booths based upon "scouting skills and ideals"
you attended a "Community Support and Outpouring" featuring
Scouting units working hand-in-hand with local community
organizations and officials?
"I tried to do something like that, and I was quietly told "don't
push it and don't get anyone else to do it, either." The Council
didn't want to be "upstaged"."
Look at the BSA's National Emphasis programs as the BSA's way of
"enforcing" (strongarming) (threatning) units to take a careful
look around their communities and to do things to support them
while at the same time, to make the BSA's image a little brighter
in the eyes of the communities (and future chartered partners,
locally and nationally).
Dale, those national program emphasis are out there for YOUR UNIT'S
BENEFIT as well as the BSA's way to remind people of the good that
Scouts and Scouters can do for their communities and this nation.
NOBODY can force your unit to participate in them; but many of them
do support various advancement and unit program highlights and can
enrich your Scouts' overall experience.
But to *me*, there's NOTHING like developing your *own local
program emphasis* based on local needs and the desires of your
Scouts and Scouters!!
Settummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3085
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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