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  2. RememberSchiff

    Buying knives online could make police suspect you...

    RememberSchiff replied to mrkstvns's topic in Issues & Politics

    Butter knife, as in an 80% finished lower blade?
  3. RememberSchiff
    From my googling, Coweta, OK is in Wagoner County which is served by the Neosha District of the Indian Nations Council.
  4. qwazse

    Tried Something New

    qwazse replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Cub Scouts

    Learning to delegate requires a cycle of trust. Most of us don't realize that we shouldn't trust folks who we haven't seen perform. I don't know why we do this. I mean, I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time ... Why would I think that someone else could do more than one job? So, over time, we learn to give folks one task at a time. Exactly how we do that depends on your posse.
  5. Today
  6. ianwilkins

    BSA Leader Slaps Backside of Reporter on Live TV

    ianwilkins replied to FireStone's topic in Issues & Politics

    Whatever happened to "turn the other cheek"? I'm joking. JOKING! I know, it's very serious, sorry. He didn't really think that through did he?
  7. Cambridgeskip

    Buying knives online could make police suspect you...

    Cambridgeskip replied to mrkstvns's topic in Issues & Politics

    These people walk among us.
  8. ParkMan
    To be fair though. The LDS loss is not indicative of anything about the program. That we're up 1% in membership is 1000 times more important to the longevity of the BSA than a 10% drop due to their departure. I say this not to demean the LDS church - not at all. They made a strategic decision to part ways and that is their right. That we nationwide are seeing growth exclusive of that loss is very, very promising. Thanks for sharing the news @Cburkhardt!
  9. TAHAWK started following Scouts BSA Up 1.2% Youth Members, up 7.1% Units and BSA Leader Slaps Backside of Reporter on Live TV
  10. TAHAWK
    Clod!
  11. TAHAWK
    So by March, or so, we should know the size of the decline in youth membership.
  12. qwazse
    Just to de-fuzz the math, remember that to break even from a ten percent a ten percent loss, one needs a subsequent eleven percent gain.
  13. FireStone
    Just what the BSA needs right now, a leader slapping a young female reporter on the butt on live TV. Tommy Callaway, a 43-year-old married father of two, is facing charges filed by Savannah, GA WSAV-TV anchor Alex Bozarjian, 23. On the surface, it's a stupid thing to do and unacceptable behavior from anyone, anywhere. The matter is made worse by a few factors, one being his lack of a real apology (he dances around it in interviews but is defensive and says he thinks he just "touched her back"), and as it relates to all of us, he's a Cub Scout leader. I always put myself in the shoes of a Committee Chair. What would I do if this guy was a leader in my Pack and I was the CC? I think I'd have a hard time not asking for him to resign. How could I just let this go? He doesn't seem all that remorseful, and frankly I think he's a YPT risk since he publicly slapped/grabbed the behind of a young woman who could could have been a teenager. She appears very young (she's 23), but for all he knew she could have been a high school intern working for the local news. At the very least his judgement as a leader in a youth organization should be in question, and at worst his membership should maybe be revoked. Surely it will be if he's convicted of a crime here.
  14. qwazse

    Meritbadge.info closing

    qwazse replied to jjlash's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    Never heard of the site. Never cared.
  15. qwazse
    Right, because nobody else is ever going to have a UK scouter drop by camp to update you on one of your scout's Totin' chip fails ...
  16. TAHAWK
    https://wiki.tfes.org/Flat_Earth_-_Frequently_Asked_Questions
  17. TAHAWK
    Good point on relative statistics: "NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Lori Pollock said the [2018] murder rate of 3.31 per 100,000 people in New York City is the lowest in 50 years." The murder capital of the U.S., East St. Louis, has a rate slightly over three times the N.Y.C. rate, which is falling. There seems to be differences of opinion even in the UK where all the civilized people stayed, as well as the U.S. In both nations, some view with alarm and some are content. So asking gets inconsistent views, much like articles found via Googling "murder rate UK." Much like asking Major General J.F.C. Fuller and Winston Churchill to give their respective opinions about Hitler.
  18. Yesterday
  19. MattR
    It sure is a good thing we're a forum where we welcome scouter's from all around the world. That way, when we don't understand how something works in a foreign culture we can ask them rather then do a Google search for useless info that confirms our ideas. @mrkstvns, maybe posting topics that just look like you're trying to get a rise out of people isn't very productive.
  20. walk in the woods

    Scouts BSA Up 1.2% Youth Members, up 7.1% Units

    walk in the woods replied to Cburkhardt's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    My district numbers are +1 for number of units (2 girl troops added, one crew lost) and -11% membership as of last week. We'll lose 2 packs and 2 troops with the LDS departure at the end of the month.
  21. Cburkhardt started following Scouts BSA Up 1.2% Youth Members, up 7.1% Units and Maybe temporarily suspend the 5 scout minimum to recharter ?
  22. Cburkhardt
    While there might be a quick temporary fix to the immediate challenge (created by needing the extra youth protection form and the national fee increase), there is no easy fix when a geography has an abundance of under-sized units and scant unit leadership. If this is common in your locale it means that there is likely a district volunteer leadership fail going on. The councils in good shape that I admire began re-emphasizing the importance, function and volunteer "prestige" of the district chair, commissioner and other district leadership and committee positions a few years back. It really is that simple. When I was a Council President I looked around and saw an abundance of under-utilized volunteer talent at the council level and reallocated those resources to the key district positions. At the same time I increased the expectations, resources and visibility of those positions. That council was a large metropolitan council, so some of these districts effectively became "mini-councils" A District well-stocked with volunteers just does not allow this situation to develop to this extent. Take urgent action now to preserve those units by having another round of recruiting in January. Then turn immediately to figuring out what is happening at the district level. So this by having a quiet and businesslike meeting with your council membership chair and council commissioner. Suggest solutions appropriate to your community. Be a class act and bring along at least one experienced Scouter who is willing to work as a new district volunteer.
  23. walk in the woods

    Maybe temporarily suspend the 5 scout minimum to recharter ?

    walk in the woods replied to RememberSchiff's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    There's definitely more going on. Here's the money quote from the article:
  24. ParkMan
    I live in a bigger community with multiple packs & troops - but we face the same issue. What can a district or council realistically do to help a pack or troop with 5-10 kids? You can't make them recruit, you can't make them have a good program, you can't make them change their leaders. Sure - you can put commissioners on the case, you can setup trainings, etc. But - at some point - what do you really do? This is a real question that we face here in our district too.
  25. Cburkhardt
    Membership numbers are out and reflect continued growth for the Scouts BSA program. End of November 2019 is +1.2% for youth Scouts and up 7.1% for units, in comparison to end of November 2018. This certainly reflects the influx of female Scouts and LDS departures. The figures that will count will be year-end figures, as that is when the LDS relationship officially ends. After the LDS departures take effect, I'm thinking we will have a 10% Scouts BSA youth membership drop (comparing 2019 year-end with 2018 year-end). If we continue to grow female Scouts BSA units and all youth at the current rate and retain 5% of our current LDS youth members, we could replace the losses within 1.5 to 2 years and return to net growth in this program. Given the challenges we have faced in recent months and years, this is better than I expected. What is your prediction? Please explain your opinion with reasoning and facts.
  26. 5thGenTexan

    Giving Tree

    5thGenTexan replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    This is a Scout Shop thing, the requests are on a form they provided. In fact, the Scout Shop itself pulled the items and received payment. They just called me today to let me know that it was fulfilled and should come pick it up. As mentioned about to qwazse... I took care of the sibling myself since I was there.
  27. 5thGenTexan

    Giving Tree

    5thGenTexan replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    Well... I took care of the siblings stuff myself. I wasnt going to let one get their stuff and not the other.
  28. qwazse

    Giving Tree

    qwazse replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    The scoutshop is organizing it (article on Bryan's Blog) @5thGenTexan, I would hold off until the sibling's ticket was filled and tell the Scoutshop that you're not doing no giving-tree half-ask.
  29. Jameson76

    Giving Tree

    Jameson76 replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    Agree on ask the organizer. Hopefully they have a method. One of our Scouts Eagle projects was organizing with the local middle school a giving tree for Christmas. A good bit of double blind so nobody knew who was getting the gifts, they shopped and then wrapped and labeled as per the school counselor instructions. The Scouts had a fun time shopping.
  30. Eagledad

    Giving Tree

    Eagledad replied to 5thGenTexan's topic in Open Discussion - Program

    Ask the organizer (might not be the Scout shop) because it depends on them. They usually have a plan for delivering the gift and many don't want it wrapped so they can verify the gift. Barry
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