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This June will be my 50th year as an Arrowman. When I was elected there was a formula based on the number of active scouts in a troop. If you had 5 scouts you could potentially elect 1 person; 6 - 14 could elect 2; 15 - 24 would allow up to 3 to be elected; 25 - 34 meant up to 4, and so on. This meant that a troop with 40 active scouts and 10 of those scouts met the requirement for election could only elect a maximum of 5 scouts. Those who met the requirements, including SM approval, would be listed alphabetically, and each scout would number his ballot 1 - 5 and list up to 5 names in

I was a Cub Scout earning AOL and a Boy Scout briefly in the early to mid 80s. We didnt have siblings tagging along nor did we have sisters doing the same stuff we were but not getting credit. So the girls have always been there reasoning has not been a convincing factor for me. I was against girls in Cub Scouts and Boy... Uhhh Scouts BSA. What's the logically next step for someone with my views on the subject?? Yep, I had a lenghtly discussion with my CM about laying groundwork for a female Troop in our area. My daughter is a 5th grader this year and a member in another nationa

Yes, the OA is a service organization. But there was a camaraderie in the work. Sometimes that "cheerful spirit, even the midst of irksome tasks and weighty responsibilities...." resulted in turning it to fun or even turning the task into a joke to make it more bearable. Sadly that is missing. When I was CA 10+ years ago. I suggested promoting the fun stuff as well as doing our own. We sent folks to fellowship and conclave. We had fun meetings and even did some special trips. Our work load didn't decrease, in fact we did a few extra community service projects. OA was getting back on track

Forty two years ago.... We mostly worked. As @MikeS72 well said, it was still fun, even the work weekends. Conclaves and the '79 NOAC were enjoyable. Looking back, I think the prime motivator for me was OA camaraderie, rather than an emphasis on fun. Quiet pride. To make the cut at the troop level, complete a difficult ordeal, and associate with like-minded honor campers whose outlook was "give the us the tough jobs", that to me was more important than fun. To be around those types of scouts and scouters made me strive to be a better camper and leader. Taking on the dirty jobs

From the back page of the Brotherhood Ceremony 1949. Song of the Scouts. by Edwin Markham We are the boys of the helping hand.Banded together for the good of all; We cheer the steps of the ones that stand,And we lift the ones that fall. Our feet are willing, our hearts are light,And we take the road with a cherry song; For we are the friends of every right,And the foes of every wrong . Soldiers are we of the nobler warsThat great souls fight for the common good; We follow the call of the morning stars,In a knightly brotherhood.

At the Scouts BSA level, you need to be EXTREMELY careful with the tagalongs. I've encountered major issues with "Family Scouting." I left a troop over the issue, and the troop is reversing their 'family friendly" policy because it was causing so many problems.

I've seen this type of comment before. Some people seem to be operating under the impression they are subservient to the DE/District reps. They are in no position to dictate how you run your Pack events, or whether you are allowed to speak. Don't invite them to JSN, problem solved.

Me too. Often. Barry

"This is the generation of mediocrity." As aptly stated, this is a problem not just in Scouting. In relation to this discussion, there are fewer and fewer of us that even remember the "old" OA and how it had special mystique and actual Honor. Today, due to the "mediocrity" or dare we say it, tendency to overly "protect" them, our youth are being shortchanged. The meaning of WWW is known by most members, as it is told to them and they theoretically actually have review their handbook. The idea that kids would not choose to join because all they do is work, is hopefully a misunderstanding,

Hi @Jameson76 Try to remember that "A scout is cheerful". And I really think that there is a more positive view that can be taken that what is coming across in what you said: Looking at this a different way: People think that the last 109 years of the Boy Scouts was terrific. They are excited that girls will now have this same opportunity. Looking at this a different way: We want to both keep the name of the organization "Boy Scouts of America" and also make the new female scouts feel like they belong. And anyway, even though we cannot call the girls who are Scouts "g

I'm neither "pro" nor "anti" girls in scouting....but I AM tired of all the bickering and conjecture and am very eager to see what happens (and hopeful that it will benefit all the kids involved).

Our Council Scout Shop had the new ScoutsBSA girl handbook at last weekend's University of Scouting. In addition to changing the cover (kind of glittery) and the pictures/pronouns used, there are a few things added in specific to female hygiene.

Black Hebrew Israelites (aka Black Hebrews, African Hebrew Israelites, and Hebrew Israelites) do not think they are Jews. They think they are descendants of the Hebrews and Israelites of the Bible. Some apparently believe that they are the ONLY descendants of the Biblical people, and that the Jews of today are not. Some of them are hate groups, some are not. Obviously this group that was involved in this incident is a hate group.

The old maxim seems to apply here When everyone is special, no one is.