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My first reaction upon reading this was - huh? She's an American citizen. But, on reading a little more about her background and reflecting... Here we have a Scout who so loves Scouting so much that when she spent summers in Canada she joined their Scouting association. It reminded me of kids who transfer overseas and then join the local Scouting program. We had a Scout in our troop do that. We also have had a Scout from another country join our troop while living in the US. As I see it, at the end of the day, this is a program about helping youth to develop. Advancement is one

Alas, it's not just one troop, it's every troop in the district. I will go further: its the movement. Driven by the damned " stop any activities that have any possibility however remote, of resulting in a lawsuit" mentality that seems to have swept the nation. It's hard to blame National in all honesty, when you are bleeding millions in payouts and legal fees, you just have to do something to stop it. I am just not ok with turning Boyscouts into Webelos III, IV, and V.

At our district's Camporees/Camporalls, we have a wonderful elderly Scouter who sets up a booth with a MASSIVE collection of Scouting memorabilia that he sells at incredibly low prices. Last time he had a plaid jacket like the one above in perfect condition for only $20, but sadly the size was an adult's large and I am an adult small at best. Maybe at the next event he'll have one my size, but I never walk away from his stand empty handed - the good gentleman all but gives away treasure after treasure, charging little more than pocket change for it all because he wants the kids in our Scouting

Yes, we want her to go through the entire process properly, just like all the other young men, and now women, in Scouting. While it is an exceptional point in Scouting, it is still not a time to reward those who have violated BSA policy. Her argument originally was that she had done the work while not registered with the BSA and tagging along with her brother and dad. While I had not seen tagalongs except at Cub Scouts until recently, apparently this is a big thing in other areas. If she receives Eagle for that, what about all the other sisters who tagged along througout the years?

If they run their program like yours, they will likely grow because independence is very appealing for youth this age. They just need to know there is something like this out there. Barry

When I was a lifeguard and aquatic manager most of the women wore red running shorts over their swimsuits and the patch went on that. I'd never suggest that someone try and attach a patch to a spandex women's swimsuit. They are expensive and I'd be worried about the possibility of creating a weak spot in the material. But since I'm not a tailor, I could be totally off about the likelihood of that causing a problem

A 1970s “Pedro” jacket, glorious in all its plaid-ness. A tad itchy, however.

Regarding questions about a new Scout having Life rank less then a month after joining Scouts BSA, a Scout Executive explains it in the Tweet as "... progress from a foreign Scouting association is... applied to BSA requirements..." (For Ms Ireland I'd be curious if she meets the stipulation that "Youth from other countries who temporarily reside in the United States, or have moved here,..." Regarding other comments about lax application of advancement requirements for girls... After holding Unit, District and Council positions I've learned that lax application of Rank and

I am not a fan of Ms. Ireland's tactics or rhetoric, but to be fair to her, I remember reading that is some type of Wood Badge part 1 in Canada which she was eligible and has participated, thus eligible to wear the WB woggle. I do not recall all the details but that portion of Wood Badge is open to youth and the Woogle signifies completion.

I would disagree with you on this. Based on what you have said about your troop I think it is most certainly a conscious decision. But the decision is not to "make Eagles". The decision has been to help the Scouts create a great program. A program that clearly keeps youth engaged and having fun. If troops do this, they will have Scouts earn Eagle. As I said in an earlier post, Eagle mills usually are not sustainable. Their focus is on the wrong thing and Scouts and Leaders burn out. Troops that build good program are sustainable and will ALSO help Scouts earn their Eagle. T

You just described the number one reason why units loose their older scouts. If the program were left totally to the scouts, First Class would be way down the list and fishing would come way up. But let's be fair to ourselves, we talk idealistically, however, realistically the adults have to instill some expectations depending on the maturity of scouts. If a scout doesn't know what they don't know, the adults have to at least give a starting point. The problem is that adults don't know how far is too far. Learning the line that can be crossed requires reflecting on experience and co

I'm betting 90% are paired with a pre-existing troop for equipment, committee and probably also a scheduled of activities and events.

Well I survived the first weekend of lifeguard training and have some nasty bruising to show for it. Now I just need to memorize everything in the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Manual and BSA Aquatics Supervision manual 😬

Camp song "Linger" Hmmm, I want to linger. Hmmm, A little longer. Hmmm, A little longer, Here with you. Hmmm, It's such a perfect night. Hmmm, It doesn't seem quite right. Hmmm, That this should be, My last with you. Hmmm, And come September, Hmmm, I will remember, Hmmm, Our Scouting days, Of friendships true. Hmmm, And as the years go by, Hmmm, I'll think of you and sigh. Hmmm, This is good night And not good bye. Hmmm I want to linger. Hmmm A little longer. Hmmm A little longer, Here with you.

I think this is a grave disservice to any of your girls, or any Scout for that matter, to create a 2 year plan for them in order to earn Eagle. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO NEED TO CREATE THEIR OWN PLAN AS EACH INDIVIDUAL IS DIFFERENT ( major emphasis). Part of the journey to Eagle is the Scout deciding their own path, the Scout deciding what they want to do, the Scout deciding how they are going to achieve their goals. What have they learned if you hand them a plan?

I've reviewed and signed 300+ eagle project proposals. I've been on EBORs and helped many scouts. My personal opinion is that all the requirement "hoops" are guidance to create a quality program. Focus on the quality and the program. Opportunities for advancement can naturally occur within that structure. Get these scouts out doing things. Camping. Volunteering. Exploring opportunities. There is no "ideal" scout path except individual paths that keep the scout active. Make sure these new scouts get a big activity every year. Maybe a few big/moderate activity every year. Eac

I don't recommend it. The hole will get bigger and ragged over time. Only reason I keep mine with the holes is that A) it is a reminder to me to ALWAYS keep safety #1 when on the range and not assume that everyone is listening and following instructions and B) to show shooters on a range what could possibly happen when they are not paying attentions and following safety rules. Yes, my Smokey Bear has holes in it from a rifle range. My fault and I was lucky. Thanks for the reminder, I got to pack that Smokey for this weekend.

Been sitting here a mite over 7 years now, lots of different folks have come and gone, but seems to me the talk around this campfire has changed quite a lot. It figures I guess since Boy Scouts has changed so much as well. I came home from a campout recently and realized there wasn't one thing that still remained from the days when I was a scout. No patrol flags or sites, no patrols at all really, (they exist just on paper) no scout leadership (the adults do that now), no axes, or saws needed. the adults cut everything up with chainsaws last weekend. No interpatrol competition.

Correct. Even for Eagle Scout, National will give the Scout their Eagle even if not properly earned. Regarding Ms. Ireland, I am told she will indeed have to wait, despite her local council apparently giving her Life.

They'll never reverse a decision and just fall back on the "not punishing the youth for the mistakes of adults."