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I do not think we are in opposite corners here. My primary focus is on the patrols and their activities (both meetings and outdoor activities). The PLC is NOT the conduit for transferring those baseline skills. This is done by the individual Patrol Leader (possibly with assistance from an Instructor). The PLC is the conduit for organizing the Patrols. Regarding the specific examples, those are a result of a failure all around. My main point is he Patrol is the fundamental unit, the PLC is a coordinating team to assist the patrols within the troop.

This isn't correct at all, not from a doctrine standard nor from a practical or rational reasoning method.  The doctrine in the Troop Leaders Guides Vol 1 & 2 is that advancement is part of the routine meeting methods.  From a practical and rational reasoning method you don't send someone into a "field" environment without baseline training. Rank advancement is baseline training. Baseline training happens in weekly meetings. Outings are where mastery occurs. You can't someone on a campout without knowing basic baseline knowledge: basics of setting up a campsite, first aid, basic meal planning and cooking, etc...  Within controlled environments such as weekly troop meetings your PLC should be transferring baseline knowledge to the rank-and-file scouts, then at the outings the mastery of such skills should occur. A patrol shouldn't take 3 hours to cook a meal because they had to spend the first 2 hours learning how to start a fire. God help the troop that doesn't teach first aid until an outing and an injury occurs. 

From an email out of National this morning.  https://www.npr.org/2025/11/25/nx-s1-5615164/pentagon-scouting-hegseth-cut-ties Secretary of the Navy is already pushing back.  But this coming out of the current administration is not a surprise.  

I am not 100% sure I agree. Advancement is a method and the responsibility of the individual scout, it is not the responsibility of the PLC or adults. That said, if a real scouting program was ocurring with real outdoor patrol based events then the opportunity for advancement is inherent. Meetings are mostly for planning the patrol events, games (which practice scoutcraft). In patrol meetings, the PL (or better yet the APL) should be checking in with each member's advancement status and desires and use them to help plan the patrol events. Also bring the needs/desires to PLC to help plan troop games and/or coordinate with another patrol on an outdoor event. Sure some advancement particulars may take place like a scout asking to be tested on a specific requirement and/or having his PL sign off on one completed at the campout. In general if a meeting has "advancement" as the agenda item, then IMO this is problematic; this says to me the patrols are non-functioning.  To summarize, a well planned patrol based scouting program will have opportunities for advancement baked in; the individual scout is responsible for his own advancement (encouraged by PL and SM/ASM). Focus on well functioning patrols, then the PLC and troop meetings will improve. Too many troops fail at this improvement by attempting to start with the PLC and troop instead of the patrol.

But that's not what this program is. This is a 12 month program designed for a certain amount of activities and meetings each month (based on program). I hear this argument in my district and all of the units that say this are single digit membership and dying. The units that meet every week and do an outing every month have above average retention and are producing AOLS and Eagles.  I've seen it go both ways. I've seen units adopt a 12 month a year, every week schedule an they grow and retention goes above average. I've seen units go the other direction and reduce meetings and they shrink (or outright die, seen that happen and it happens quick).