Open Discussion - Program

Wether he was paid or unpaid is immaterial to the situation. He worked for the BSA. In fact as an ASM he had authority  over others and more than likely used that authority in the course of the abuse. 

It seems "employee" is bring thrown about a bit too loosely.  BSA may be responsible for it's volunteers, but ASMs are not employees.  ASMs are worse off than unpaid volunteers.  In fact, ASMs PAY to be members and volunteer.   ASMs PAY to purchase training materials.  ASMs PAY to get their uniform.  ASMs PAY to camp.  ASMs PAY to use BSA property. In reality, very little of BSA's treatment of volunteers looks like employees.  It seems extremely shallow to summarize ASMs as employees.  In fact, BSA looks more like a vender selling a product to the ASM voluinteers (and all scouting volunteers).   Anyone ever used an employment checklist test to see if they are employees?  I used to take one as a contractor at times.  Or how about a volunteer test checklist.  I'm not sure ASMs would even qualify as volunteers given the level of products bought from BSA. Laws have changed.  This is not an area that has been clealy and consistently defined over time.  Volunteer responsibility law has been evolving.  

FYI, upstander is a pretty common term the kids have heard for years in school assemblies on bullying, inclusion, etc. Be an upstander not a bystander. I haven't taken the training but based on your excellent recap, a lot of the content you have outlined here is cribbed from standard presentations to school age audiences, including quotes, with some 2020 hotbutton updates. Not sure where this goes from here. Was anything said about Native American and other cultural representations/appropriation in scouting? I've wondered how any merit badge on this subject would square that.  

Thank you for pointing it out.  The section further down that discusses it was rather incoherent and looks like someone dropped the text in accidentally,  but at least it's very clearly not a requirement.

Training was generally fine.   A few problems ...  #1  "Everyone's opinions are valid".  ... No.  I value the person and make the effort to hear what they say.  "Actively listen" without pre-judging.  I'll bend over backwards to find truth and value in their statements.  But we are still in a pandemic where people are upset because they claim their facts and asssert the other side was not using facts.  ... My point is everyone's opinions are not valid.   Everyone is to be valued and heard, but that does not mean all opinions are valid. #2  Weren't we already doing this stuff?  Did I miss something?  I'm confused. #3  Course is trying to address a hot button, current affairs issue, but the course removed the meat to make it acceptable to everyone. Simple fact is I'm still extremely upset from last summer with people calling police bastards.  ... Just one example ... Bridges have been burnt.   I can't see teaching / discussing DE&I without discussing 2020 and that means discussing what I believe happened.   I can't see being a resource to talk about DE&I because of racial issues.  As a middle aged white male I am a target that people will jump on and quickly label without knowing who I am or actively listening to me.   So, if this is just about how to be a better more authentic leader, fine.  If this is about teaching DE&I, then ... ummm ... we have a problem still.  #4  Upstander seems like a pet-rock term.  Meh.  I thought we already had terms for that but perhaps the terms became too unpopular.   #5  Feels like training just grabbed some good leadership stuff and has called it DE&I. Below are my notes from the training ... First sentence on the header for the training.   "Diversity, equity, and inclusion work only if everyone is invited to participate and feels accepted for their uniqueness." ...   Seems like a fairly innocous statement.  So, everyone is invited to participate.  ... Atheists and agnostics?  ... begins to raise hair ... drug users?  Those that drop the F bomb every fourth word?  Those that learn how to socialize from South Park and Celebrity Death Match?   ... Those that burn the flag? ...  SWorse yet, those that pay $5+ for something that pretends to be coffee?  ... I can quickly devolve this point, but "ONLY IF EVERYONE IS INVITED" and "ACCEPTED FOR THEIR UNIQUENESS" is a loaded statement.  ... People do say scouting teaches values.  ... Perhaps, we should just say scouting teaches canoeing and camping be done with it.    Introduction ... Mosby ... Nice statement.  I can accept that.  Scouting has a problem recruiting from a wide pool of youth.  Problems with groups by income or nationality or ethnic background. Introduction ... Chief Diversity Officer ...  The role has always scared me a bit, but fine.  Nice statement. Introduction ... Comittee on diversity.  ... Nice introduction.  I'm getting a bit scared about that will be pushed (definition of terms, etc), but okay.  I'll do the training. Foundations ... Objectives ... upstander?  ... Meh ... Foundations ... Defining identities ... okay Foundations ... Defining diversity ... okay ... BUT ... Units are comprised of many identities ... Yeah, I don't see that happening until the community containing the scout unit is diverse.  Units reflect the community.  ... In addition, scouting has a branding problem with different communities.  Until it's successfully marketed, it's hard to recruit evenly.   Until scouting is affordable, it's hard to be diverse.  In may ways, scouting is now a rich suburb family activity. Foundations ... Defining diversity ... "everyone feels welcome in your unit" ... SO, units can't select their membership based on the charter org values?  Is the DE&I superceding CO ownership of the unit?  So, CO's can't represent what they value by selecting the leaders that represent the CO values?  I can see bending over to accept people of all race, ethnic, income, disability, etc.  BUT, I'd have a hard time accepting a leader that contradicts the values / wishes of the CO. Foundations ... diversity wheel.   ... meh ... Foundations ... Defining equity ... examples ... We have that ingrained now.  We bend over backwards to include.  Examples of wheel chairs and money.  Been there / done that. Foundations ... Defining inclusion ... "concerted efforts to bring" ... Okay.  I can accept that within boundaries of not offending the CO.  ... So, how much effort?  ... I relate to helping children with special needs.  We bend over backwards to help, but volunteer units can't provide the same level of support that a school with paid professionals can marshal day in and day out.  We have done "concerted efforts" repeatedly, but we have limits of volunteer energy. Foundations ... "Authenticity" .... You hit my weak spot.  I love that term as a tool to teach leadership. Foundations ... "Authenticity" ... Questions ... RED FLAG !!!! ... The questions raise red flags.  The questions are meaningful and correct, but then need the skilled leadership using authenticity to create an effective program.  ... This is a volunteer program ya know.   Example:  Page asks "are all leaders appropriately involved in decision making?"  I'm not sure what that means.  I've seen it happen in units where so many different voices were speaking that committee meetings took four hours and everyone was mad and it tore the unit appart.  Scouters are passionate and often conflict.  Sometimes the SM or CC needs to help chart a consistent path.  Sometimes that strong lead can help create a good program.   Foundations ... Dance party example is useful. Scouting values embrace ... Check your understanding ... Pretty basic.  Not really special to DE&I Embracing Diversity in Scouting ... Active listening is part of DE&I?   Embracing Diversity in Scouting ... "Treating others in the way they would like to be treated" ... Ya know, there was this guy in Hollywood that ran a restaurant in the 1930s who thought he was a Russian prince.  ... Personally, I'd like to have my kids salute me each day and stand up when I enter the room.  ... The quote begins to lose me.  ... but within reason, it's an okay statement.  Embracing Diversity in Scouting ... Love the Gandhi quote.  Gandhi has been one of my heros for 40+ years.  BUT, he's not perfect either.  ... time for another discussion.   ... Not sure Gandhi meant the same thing with diversity, but I can accept the use of the quote. Understanding equity ... Fine.  not sure what the argument is.  Creating a culture of Inclusion ... Fine Building the BSA of tomorrow ... What the ####?  ... Well produced video.  Very good message.  But from a different course?  ... A bit obvious message, but good.  The issue I have is we just had all the earlier sections talk about what I'd call is basic good leadership and being a good person and authenticity as leadership.  Now, the video is about blatant color of skin bigotry with explict presentations of effectively white supremist bigotry.  It's a baiting video.  It's like the video is from a different course.  ...  Worse ... though the mesage of the video is fine ... it's like the video is the direct output of the summer of 2020.  The course earlier had examples of people in wheelchairs ... people who could not afford scouting ... language ... beliefs ... culture ... etc.   The video is only about the color of skin.   Earlier in the course, the examples were examples that any long-term experienced scouter has seen.   Now, the video seems to be presenting a case that we all hope to never see. I'm saying ... either all the meat has been removed from earlier in the course or the video seems to be addressing a different course. Ummm ... what about the unconscious bias so prevelent in today's popular bigotry.  That being that middle aged white men are poor examples and it's okay to silence and shame them.   Building the BSA of tomorrow ... Upstander ... Feels like a pretend word, but the guts of it I can see directly in the type of actions I'd expect from my child hood heros of John Wayne, Jimmy Steward and Chuck Norris.   Building th BSA of tomorrow ... quote Elie Wiesel " silence of the bystander" ... Great quote.  I won't use the term upstander.  The term sucks.  But, it's about being a person of backbone for standing up for what is right and speaking out about what is wrong.  ... Ya know, I really thought that was what we were supposed to be teaching from the beginning.  I'm slightly confused as this training seems to be pointing out basics that perhaps BSA did not include earlier.  ... In a way ... I cringe at this being called DE&I as it's fundamental leadership.  DE&I introduces too much current day political crap and controversy.   "being curious and asking authentic" ... Just listened to NPR in last few days where the speaker was saying it's impolite to ask questions about nationality, origin, etc.  Another friend shared a cartoon of a spoons and forks and the message was implying it's wrong to ask basic questions about orientation. ...  ... I'm not sure those educated really agree on what can be discussed and what can't be discussed.