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Do we really need to revisit the topic of the highly manipulative surveys that were selectively distributed and strangely worded to ensure a pre-determined outcome? Please don't insult the intelligence of this forum by trying to assert that those bogus survey results were in any way a fair representation of support.

As you may know a kidnapped Wisconsin teenager escaped her captor and the first person she found was a retired child social worker Jeanne Nutter walking her dog Henry. Amazing, how at times, there is just the right person or group of people there at the right time when a need arises. She needed to be in a safe place. Safety, Safety, Safety, ... kids need to be safe...ask questions later, talk softly, few questions...dusk off my Child protection skills... no matter what I did that child was going to be safe - Jeanne Nutter. Scout Salute to Jeanne Nutter.

As a former CC & CM, this is 100% correct. The decision on who is an adult volunteer is up to the CC & COR. If either of your rejects a volunteer - it's done. Since you both don't want him to be CM - this is easy - he's not the Cubmaster. You don't need anyone's permission to reject him - it's your call.

Would you please post where you got those results? I have been looking everywhere, and cannot find the results of the membership poll BSA took after teh town halls in 2017. All the stats I have seen comes from non-member surveys. I know in my neck of the woods, it is no where close to 75% for the membership change. Maybe 35-40 overall, and youth is more like 5% for.

Their response makes little sense. Their troop is not affected - it remains all male. Since they have invested so much time in Scouting, why should they leave? Allowing girls to become Scouts in the BSA at younger ages than 14 does not affect their troop. Trademark issues required a name change of the program. Surveys of the youth (and absolutely every group measured including volunteers, donors, Eagle Scouts, the OA and others showed a similar level of support) in Scouting showed a 75% or greater support for the addition of girls so they had a voice. The youth were in favor of adding girls. T

And that is in fact the real issue isn't it? The quoted statement starts with the statement the improvement and ends with in whatever form it works best. Many view the changes as an improvement and hope to see these changes as a better (re:improved) offering of Scouting. Other view the changes as not in fact an improvement and further movement away from Scouting roots and sadly see these changes as lesser offering of Scouting. Unfortunately all we have is anecdotal evidence, supposition, and guesses for either case to be made. Real challenge is that National BSA has been less t

Maybe @LeCastor and @WisconsinMomma can recruit her? I'd like to think that we scouters are supplying more people like her through Scouting - the Scout Oath and Law, YP, character building, good citizenship,... Ms. Nutter kept her head and followed her training while knowingly putting herself between a fleeing teenager and her kidnapper(s) who murdered both the teen's parents. Very Brave. Well done.

That can vary from district to district. The district does have to approve the Eagle Scout candidates project and sign off on the proposal. There is mention of meeting, but that is not specifically required. Only that it be approved prior to any work. The proposal could be submitted and returned with comments on approval or areas to be answered prior to approval. For the unit approval it is denoted that the unit can designate one individual to meet and approved Eagle projects, the full committee meeting to review is not required, though the unit could do that.

On the guardian question, I am not a lawyer (though I did watch 12 Angry Men the other night) the only definition seems to imply someone who is legally responsible for someone who is unable to mange their affairs. Agree that if the wizards in Dallas had put the word "legal" in front of guardian, would be much clearer. I know for webelos visitation we have had older brothers, grandparents, etc accompany visiting Web II scouts. If another parent brings 2 Web's for a visit (their son and another Web) we typically will request that the young ones have their own tent. To get back on topic,

They're scouts. I doubt they'll smell sweet.

I agree with @gblotter. Telling boys about surveys in which they likely did not participate is useless ... especially when the surveys did not address the name of the organization that hopefully they will one day lead. I've experienced this first first hand with scouts and unit numbers as troops merged. Quick summary: the older scouts felt left behind when a vote went against using the number of the older troop. There was resentment. Then a year later, when the new CO wanted to charge rent, the CC decided to charter under the old CO and old #. So, the next round of crossovers kept that #.

Well, welcome to the Forums. What an introduction. Please warm your electrical self at our virtual campfire. I hope we can give you some comfort and good advice. Amen to all the above. Not mentioned..... does this person have a Scout in the unit? Does this Scout have another adult to depend on? Understanding and sympathy is a wonderful trait, but you and your Scout Unit have other concerns. If it escalates to this point, your CO may have to go to court to get a "no trespass" order. If the person in question refuses to allow the required background check, "assume

Even though it is a different topic I can answer your question. Your right, when I earned Eagle I did not have the cooking merit badge. However, I cooked all the time at home, did try cooking on campouts etc so for me it would have been no more work! We did not need Merit Badge workbooks to work on Merit Badges but still went through each requirement thoroughly. Today I see many MB counselors and leaders "teaching" the material, say at a Troop meeting and signing off the requirement and NOT following the Learn, Test, Review method. Too many adults are afraid to "fail" a Scout and ask them

You as CC and the COR are both responsible for approving all adult leaders in your unit. Since you're both on the same page that this person should not be your CM, and it sounds like there are some red flags that would pop up on a background check, this should be a short meeting. You need to let this person know that their services are no longer needed. Inform your DE and unit commissioner of your decision. But ultimately the decision is all on you. Your council will let you know that this is a matter between you, your chartered organization, and the individual who wants to be your Cubma

Like many of us who post here I'm just a lowly volunteer. I work mostly with the OA at the chapter level where about a dozen troops make up 90% of its active members. As far as I have been able to ascertain none of those Scout participated in the survey. In fact they were totally unaware that the survey even existed. I learned about it only from this forum. I heard nothing from my district, nothing from my Council, nothing from my lodge. Nary a word could I find pertaining to it on the many pages of the council website. So please excuse me if I am also a bit of a Skeptic.

Okay, while I apologize for what you feel was a juvenile response, though I would say it just reflects my screen name, I will make an effort to give you a sense of my opinion. I have spent over fifty years working within the Scouting family and have witnessed boys being challenged by girls in venture groups and on a number of camp staffs, and on one or two occasions unexpected intermixing with Girl Scouts on an outing. But, most of the observation of which I speak come from working in middle schools and a few high schools where there were mixed gender groups for projects and such. Ther

@Monkeytamer, all the best to your clutch of Eagles! I would be remiss if I didn't encourage you to tell them that theirs still work to be done. There a Palms -- not just insta-palms -- to be earned, Hornaday Awards, Patrol leaders to train, camps to staff, adventures to be had, etc ... There's nothing greater than a bunch of fellas modelling scouting to the rest of the troop without fretting over advancement. The rest of their terms should be awesome.

Not knowing Monkeytamers son I cannot speak for him or his friends. But more than a few older scouts that I do know are also planning on leaving or have already departed. It does not seem that it is so much an issue with girls troops as much as the boys feel that the troop belongs to them. they have spent a third of their life in it after all. They deeply resent National changing its membership, its focus, its very name. They have no voice, no platform, so they vote with the only means left to them. Their feet.

Did the two young men pitch their own tent and sleep as Scouts? Did they assist with camp cooking or cleaning, or help the Pack do things? If yes, I’d count it. If they were bumps on a log, I’d pass. It’s your call as SM.

Got to thinking about my response and wanted to expand a bit here. I'm 100% behind being a member of the OA meaning something and there being a high bar for entry. I was not an OA member as a Scout and always looked up to those guys. As an adult, I've never been able to get to summer camp as a volunteer. So, even when I had 15 nights of camping, I refused to let myself be considered for membership by the troop committee because I didn't meet the rules. I'm also 100% behind units making common sense decisions when the info is imperfect. It's Scouting - not a law firm. So, sometim

This is from the FAQ on the official OA page: Q. Will camping be counted retroactively for those currently in Venturing and Sea Scouts? Yes. Camping that has taken place within the two years immediately prior to the election will be counted beginning February 1, 2019. This camping must have taken place while an individual was registered with the BSA as a program participant and must be while participating with a BSA Venturing Crew or Sea Scout Ship. We would not require the camping to be while participating with a Crew or Ship, and not require the same thing of a Troop. I have b

Right. Here's how I'd read this: I see only two restrictions on how the 10 nights are spent: not more than 3 nights on a single trip must happen while the Scout is a registered troop, crew, or ship member. This could be troop camping, cub camping, family camping, friend camping, solo camping, whatever. It's not vague so much as it's not what you'd expect. I think the point is that it's the society of honor campers. Whether you're camping with the BSA or somewhere else - you're still camping.

A few "pearls" from my treks: * The chuckwagon dinner is a great change from freeze dried but dont expect too much. The two times Ive had it, it is commercial-size (boil in the bag) dinty moore beef stew and dutch over cobbler. As I said, a nice change of pace but it is really easy to over eat and get sick (dont ask how I know). * We did cowboy action shooting the first year it was offered so things may have changed since then. We used 22cal revolvers loaded a single shot at a time. It was fun because it was pistols but it was really pretty "meh" if you have done much shooting.

Compare and contrast that wording with the camping MB requirement. "Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities or events.* One long-term camping experience of up to six consecutive nights may be applied toward this requirement. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. If the camp provides a tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent." The OA wants a BSA summer camp experience, plus another 10 nights camping. But by the wording, only the 5 continuous nights need be at the bsa sanctioned event.

I agree w/all the perspectives offered. I would also offer this is eligibility to stand for election, not membership to OA itself so I might be inclined to lean towards putting them on the ballot--if these are the 2 days they need to make 20 their peers will know, or their overall participation w/the troop, and will make the appropriate assessment on their worthiness. I absolutely believe in standards and not reading more/less into requirements or adding/subtracting as well but in my humble opinion (and as an ASM and advancement chair) I feel sometimes (and absolutely NOT saying this i

If the weekend was just families, who mostly (or even all) happen to be cub scouts but it wasn't actually a pack or den planned weekend, then absolutely no. it would be like counting your sons nights if it was just your own family that went camping at the state park. If these kids were there and did anything to show leadership- even if it was helping the cubs to start their campfire, teach a knot, etc. I would approve myself. As others point out, you have the final say on whether the scout has meet the 20 night requirement or not, no one from your lodge is going to ask for records, so trust

I would recommend contacting your local lodge leadership and get their take on this. Many parts of BSA advancement specifically exclude camping done with a pack. As several others have stated above, it may come down to why were they there. If just because it was a family event and they had no choice, probably excluded. If they were staffing the event, may find that the lodge will say it counts.

Where they just family camping with the Cubs or were they acting as Den chiefs or similar roles. I would approve it if the boys were actively helping and training the cubs. But not if it was just a family campout. Just my two cents

Come next month, anything larger than a troop event will be de facto coed (and depending on your troop, everything might be coed). I don't see how anyone could be lulled into believing the programs are separate.

Are the boys in these troops truly for it, or is it adults saying OK with being linked? I ask because in my neck of the woods, the majority of the boys are against being linked troops. But the majority of adults seem to have no problems. In the troop I just left, the majority of adults were fine with being a "linked troop." The adults stated it would be coed in all but name. However when they asked the boys, they were overwhelmingly against becoming a linked troop. Enough stated they would leave over being "linked" that the CO and adults backed off on it. I would go it alone