Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/20/18 in all areas

  1. I’m not a professional. I’m an old time retired scoutmaster with passion for the traditional patrol method program. I’ve been very critical of the recent changes, including admitting gays and transsexuals. Not because I have phobias, I believe I’m more compassionate for these kids. But National is putting volunteers in the position of encouraging behaviors that these youth may regret when they mature into adults. I don’t believe accepting girls 14 and younger is good for the program because it will take away from the boys at a National level. It doesn’t matter if some troops are totally m
    5 points
  2. This encapsulates my biggest concerns with Scouting USA. In the old days we taught scouts that it was a virtue to lift his brothers burden or help those younger and weaker than himself. If this scenario had played out with the young man attempting to help a second young man, we'd applaud them both. One for offering help where he perceived it was needed and the second for accomplishing the task. However, in this quote, rather than celebrating both people, we see the first young man's values being mocked because the second person was female. Sorry @qwazse but if this attitude wins the fiel
    2 points
  3. Barry, as a non pro scouter (I don't know if you get paid to wear the tan shirt or not).... this is what concerns a lot of long term volunteers... BSA4G is not a bad thing. Especially IF both boys and girls have a CHOICE in what type of unit they participate in.... some will want gender separate, some might want gender mixed. IMHO, BSA national could have accomplished this in a much more constructive way: 1) Make Jr Venture crews . They were /are already co-ed... just take the program down to the grade school level and let the girls play too. Change the upper ranks of Venturing to
    2 points
  4. I guess that is one way to deflect it. However, consider the scouting family of the ASM dad, CC mom, daughter Sally and son Bob in two separate patrols, and little Cub Scout Susie all on the same Troop campout. I'm not sure anyone cares who is responsible for little Susie, it's a family fun scouting weekend. Get two or three of those families involved.......... I think that's what Eagle94 referring to. For the last 100 years, family scouting and boy scouting were never two phrases mentioned together while discussing the boy scouting experience. I've heard it talked about quite a b
    1 point
  5. Maybe. The BSA uses the title Family Scouting to refer to all the changes implemented in Cubs now and Scouting BSA next February (https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Family-Scouting_Infographic_v10-1.pdf)
    1 point
  6. Increase that mileage as your year progresses. My experience is that our 1st years are fine with hiking in 3-6 miles (again, depends on terrain) with full packs. It's the 13 year-olds who gripe about anything more than a mile! However, those distances are a wake-up call for some adults to quit the cigarettes, get on a diet and hike every day. So, gradually building up the distance is a good strategy for all involved. Which reminds me, I''d better get going if I'm gonna make my 2K walk to my coffee shop!
    1 point
  7. I bet being a CC at recharger is miserable! Trying to do online trading is bad enough!! But a parent who shows up for events with a duration of less than 72 hours doesn’t need to register. Your unit may require that, National doesn’t. Frankly, if an adult is committed enough to show up to an event of over 72 hours, I bet they are willing to be a MBC. I agree making a parent register and do YPT before any volunteering is overkill. But a parent who is going on a longer trip? Call me a helicopter Mom, but I see nothing wrong with a background check.
    1 point
  8. I thought I'd know the answer, but I didn't want to guess so I asked Mrs. T2 (we'd had a somewhat related conversation recently). She said if someone opens the door for me because they got there first and are being courteous that's nice, when I get to a door first I hold it open for people. If someone thinks they need to hold a door for me because they're a man and I'm a woman, that's silly mostly, with enough condescension based on the history of the practice to annoy me if they make a point of it. Let ladies eat first, she said, " that's definitely condescending; the reason to do that
    1 point
  9. On hikes, I’ve seen everything from cards to D&D or other role play games to small pioneering projects. The scouts seem to always find something fun to do. I like to bring a star guide to stargaze after dark. Skits and songs work great too even without a camp fire.
    1 point
  10. Flattering, a scout uniform? I'd settle for functional, though neat is good.
    1 point
  11. But, when you register every possible adult... there is a nice fee that national collects... and they can force all adults to take the online YPT (even if all they ever do in scouting is drop their kid off) or else threaten to hold up the recharter. Seems its a move to increase registration fees, mandate training compliance, all window dressed as increased concern for safety. I agree if you are going to chaperone a unit to summer camp with presumably 99% of the kids will not be your own offspring, we need some due diligence and background checks are supported. If you are talking abo
    1 point
  12. We've done older and younger contingents. Older are dropped at a trailhead 7-14 miles from rendezvous (depending on activities/challenges on their trail), younger (with maybe an SPL/TG/ASPL) insert at trailhead where the vehicles can be parked park 3-5 miles from rendezvous. Groups may take separate 3-5 mile trails to the extraction point(s). It's a really good idea for the younger scouts to see the older ones at the end of the day. Won't work for every hike the Philmont boys will condition for (fact is, some of those hikes will be crammed in Saturday mornings or Sunday afternoons at loca
    1 point
  13. My experience is that one of two things will happen— people will withdraw themselves from the activity, or the background check will find out important info. As I said, I was stunned that parents with sexual convictions signed up to chaperone field trips, knowing we were doing background checks! But they did. By following the rules, the camp gains information. Where is the harm?
    1 point
  14. Why is it a stupid rule? I’ve worked in public schools that required background checks for parent volunteers/field trip chaperones— honestly, when we began to do background checks, the things some parents were convicted of shocked me. And these were people volunteering to chaperone and be background checked! I would not knowingly send my son to a camp that flouted this rule. I also can’t see the benefit to not registering adults. Running background checks strikes me as something with no real downsides.
    1 point
  15. Philmont bound? Welcome to the "hike a month" club! There is precious little that is more fulfilling than sitting on a rock some distance from your crew and watching them, after an arduous treck through a land of rocks and bogs, settle on a poncho between two large hemlocks and break out the deck of cards for a game of spoons (sporks?). A ten point buck who had not yet dropped his antlers for summer wandered in to check out their shenanigans. On last year's wilderness hike, the boys built a "fort" with parachord and tarps on night 1, and waded in a stream until they found a pool wher
    1 point
  16. BSA, most of whose employees literally do not know what the Patrol Metod is, have now abandoned it, and so have abandoned Boy Scouting.
    1 point
  17. In mashmaster’s defense, I told the same to my son and his reply to me was similar to mm jr’s. I encouraged him to track them for future reference. He didn’t follow that advice. Now as he is closing in on Eagle, he commented he wish he had tracked them as it would save the time and effort of re-doing some of the, now, mundane task. I simply shrug and smile. There are a few life lessons in that exchange. I’m curious how many he recognizes.
    1 point
  18. A surprisingly well done article. Anytime I see articles/opinion pieces written by companies with a direct profit motive I expect it to be overly colored by said motive. I think this one is well balanced.
    1 point
  19. As this thread is about preparing for girls in the youth Scout portion of the organization (since they were already adult leaders, on Ships, in Crews, and part of Posts), here is what is happening at my unit. The committee and all parents of current Scouts were asked to vote on the committee sponsoring a girl's troop. The vote was in favor, but not unanimous. A sharing of gear, and some financial sponsorship will be provided to help get things off of the ground. I have already offered to be an adult leader of the new Troop. My goal is simple - ensure that as we build a Troop with ma
    1 point
  20. I wonder how they are measuring that without the formal fall registration. I know of a number of units that will gain up tp 6 girls just by siblings joining and more with friends and fall recruiting. Overs this is great news.
    1 point
  21. There is a bit of a misunderstanding on the ban. The BSA does not ban laser tag guns, paintball guns or squirt guns - the BSA is fine with these activities as target practice. What they ban is using these simulated weapons to have games of tag or gun fights where Scouts target other Scouts - they do it to be consistent with their gun safety teaching on the range. I find it a bit ironic how we often complain about the BSA not being consistent about things then when they are consistent about something, we complain about that. More importantly though - understand that the BSA isn't going
    1 point
  22. I have actually been postponing Wood Badge for two years because of this issue. It seems that all the WB courses within reasonable distance from me go two sessions, Thursday through Sunday. But as one who strives to observe the Sabbath day and thus avoid a somewhat secular activity on Sundays, this makes it difficult for me to justify missing two Sundays in order to take the course. I get a lot of grief over it from other leaders, even some light taunting (never becoming of a grown Scout leader), but I feel it's not a sacrifice I am willing to make. I do wish they would offer a course that did
    1 point
  23. Boy, if this requirement is challenging, .......... The struggle with legalism is that it distracts away from the true intention of the requirement. Remember, scouting is about growth of character and integrity. Don't concern yourself with the details so much that you can't see the benefits of the responsibilities. Learn from the scout how he served. When the SM ask the questions in the right manner, the scout feels encouraged to brag about their experience. Along with a quick call from the Den leader, you will have more than enough for a productive SM Conference. By the way, the way
    1 point
  24. I think it's rare these days to arrange for Mass at scout camps. It was the norm when I was a kid. Frankly there just aren't enough priests available to do it as often. I think it is something that should be taken into consideration for something like Woodbadge. The leaders should at least find out local Mass (and Synagogue) times and make them available and make sure that attendance can be accommodated. I'm not a fan of scout's own services partly because I find them almost inevitably not non-denominational enough, and partly because they don't fulfill my obligation to attend Mass so
    1 point
  25. So, the SE called me today. He was actually very clear about next steps— he’ll meet with the ASM (along with the SM and COR) on Monday. He said if there are excuses made, or it happens again, he will pull ASMs membership. So! There we go.
    1 point
  26. Congratulations. You win. You've been trying to drive me out of these forums with your personal attacks on me for years. Your bullying finally worked. This will be my final post.
    0 points
  27. I got to hand it to you CP, you are consistent. Your creatively stretched reasoning reminds me of Evil Knievel jumping the Grand Canyon. And when creative reasoning doesn't work, intimidate change with threats. Yep, sounds very inviting. Barry
    -1 points
  28. In that case, I’m glad that by doing such things I can please the people I care about and offend the ones I don’t.
    -1 points
×
×
  • Create New...