Re: uniform options for females
(no name) ((no email))
Sun, 26 May 1996 16:20:05 -0500
Rhonda (Crusader Rabbit) wrote:
> I think it looks better to have all the leaders in similar
>colors. In other words, if female cub scout leaders are to wear yellow,
>then male cub scout leaders should wear yellow.
The National Uniform and Insignia Committee discussed this
very same matter during the National Meeting of the BSA earlier this
month. Look at some *significant new options* being made either at
the start of the new program year (August in most places; actually
September) or somewhere around Janurary of the new year (as soon
as they get all of the final "bugs" out of their decisions).
I think that you and other Cub Scouters will be pleased with the
outcome.
There was also two other matters discussed which we've talked about
here recently: the merit badge sash being used for temporary patches
and insignia, and the "brag vest" (the red vests that the BSA has been
selling for years to allow Scouts and Scouters to wear old temporary
or not-current insignia upon). Did you know that the vests are NOT
ALLOWED to be worn with the uniform officially?? I didn't know that,
but in the Insignia Guide, it states that the red vest should be "displayed
in the home" of the person (never mind that in the past three BSA
catalogs, and "urban legend" has had us all wearing them on top of the
official uniforms when the event "called for it"!!!). So, the Uniform and
Insignia Committee is going to finally "make it official" for us all. There
will be a new edition of the Insignia Guide with specific guidance on
what should go on the back of the merit badge sash (some Councils have
been telling their membership that old rank patches, pins and Cub
Scout insignia does not belong there....which isn't exactly true).
It was agreed that _Scouting_ and _Boys'_Life_ will both carry articles
reannouncing the availability of the back of the sash for temporary
insignia because "most Councils failed to get the word out to their
membership" and because the current Boy Scout Handbook and
Scoutmaster's Handbook, two key publications for Boy Scouts and
Scouters, do not have a reference to what should go on the back of the
sash...just that merit badges goes on the front.
Also, patch/memobilia collectors, look at MORE items to be placed as
"restricted items" due to some local Councils complaining about them
being readily available for purchase by "people that don't have any
reason to have them except to collect or resell them". This is really
getting silly, folks...as long as the items are being purchased, there really
should be little restriction placed (except for advancement and special
award items) on who can purchase them or how many can they get.
I was told that there's yet another "new Exploring marketing plan" being
released to local Councils this fall (we've been now through five of them,
and only two has been somewhat successful!) and that the popularity of
the "Right Stuff" commericals promoting Scouting's programs will be
expanded to include Exploring and "values associated with being a
member of the BSA".
Look for some of our existing publications to be combined into "guides"
aimed specifically at various District/Council leaders. Also look for
some of these publications to be "restricted to the registered position",
whatever *that* means. Our registration and rechartering upgrade is
just about 80 percent complete, with most of our local Councils now
in receipt of the hardware and software needed to process advancement
and registration information directly to the Regional offices and therefore
to National. There are still some hold-outs but most of the Councils are
"warming up" to the idea that they should share their registration,
position and unit chartering information in "real time" with the Region.
Look for more grey hairs among the professional (career) cadre as they
will be forced to create even more new units because *now* there is
some "real time" tracking going on that previously was only kept between
Council Scout Executive and each field professional.
Look also for more "District Directors" (as opposed to Field Directors)
to be named within your Councils. After a careful and long study of
the impact of "throwing the middle managers back out into the field",
the Professional Advisory panel is recommending this, saying there would be
little conflict between a District Director, defined as the "senior professional
member of his or her District, with coordination, coaching and
supervisory responsibilities for up to four other professional members";
and the Field Director, defined as "a middle-level manager of field operations
with coordination, coaching and supervisory responsibilities for up to five
other professional members (Senior District Executives, District Executives,
Associate District Executives and other professional employees)".
It's a personnel-reduction measure, aimed at reducing the "overhead" within
the Council Service Center, as well as insuring that all Districts are "covered"
at all times with competent professional advisement. The last thing I've read
back in March, was that we had 83 local Councils with vacant entry-level or
junior-level District Executive positions and that in 39 Councils, there was
more than one field vacancy. District Directors (a cross between a Field
Director and what we used to call "District Executive-multiple person") can
supervise his or her District AND also "pitch in" as a temporary DE until
one can be hired or moved.
This has already started to happen in some of our larger local Councils.
Finally, I was told that the Program Group is looking seriously at the
removal of the position called Junior Assistant Scoutmaster because of
the impact that the present Varsity program has on 15-17 year olds and
because JASMs have outlived their "usefulnees" as potential Assistant
Scoutmasters, which was the traditional, original reason why the position
was created. This would mean, if approved, that JASM would no longer
be a leadership position for Eagle nor would JASMs work with Den Chiefs
as presently "described" in the Junior Leader Handbook. Personally, I
saw the handwriting on the wall when our YPP (Youth Protection Plan)
program was implemented...while we used to be able to trust a 16 or 17
year old senior Scout to assist the Scoutmaster and other Assistant
Scoutmasters (I treated mine like Assistant Scoutmasters!), today, we just
can't "afford" to do so...and that's a real shame. It doesn't give my 15 year
olds any "incentive" to stay in the Troop past driving-permit age!
<soapbox> I wished instead of removing the position, that rather
they choose to retain the position and "suggest" that as part of their
responsibilities, that they attend Scoutmaster Fundamentals and
Roundtables for at least six months, be paired with an Assistant
Scoutmaster during their time of appointment, and to be placed in charge
of coordinating community activities for the Troop. This gets the JASM
out in the public light, gives him something to look forward to doing,
and most importantly, start treating him as an adult (which is I feel why
we lose a lot of our 16 and 17 year-olds....we let them drive, we let them
start making work and school decisions, but yet when they come to a
Scout meeting, we make them "babysitters" for one or two Den Chiefs
if we have them in our Troop...otherwise, he sits around with a patch
on his shoulder with no *real job*....) </soapbox >
Nothing's been decided upon, and we will probably hear the final word
somewhere around the first of next year or sooner.
This is important to note, even while the BSA has formally opened their
new Web site:
Formal, OFFICIAL annoucement of ALL policy changes is made through
our official magazines (_Scouting_ and _Boys'_Life_), through your
local Council newsletters (and now Web pages *grinning*) and through
annoucement during District training events ("Roundtables"). That's the
way the BSA has always done it, and there's NO PLANS to change the
existing, OFFICIAL path of information flow! My information is just,
as always, an informal "what's being thought about" as information is
shared after series of national and regional meetings and conferences
to obtain feedback and early support. Other than this, I don't know any
more than any other volunteer out there would know!!! *smiling*
All in all, I was told that the All Hands Meetings and the National
Meeting went pretty well. Does anyone else have any feedback from
the event?
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
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