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Odd that a program that was built on the outdoors, with that outside emphasis being a differentiator in the crowded marketplace that serves youth, is ever so slowly (actually not so slowly) being pushed to the back of the offerings. Not saying you have to camp every week but if you purport to be a trained leader in Scouts BSA you should embrace the concept of the outdoor adventure and you maybe should have actually camped at some point so you have that experience and understand how that works. We go outside, we go do STUFF, we go have FUN.

Yeah. I'm new, and I'm now learning that there isn't much agreement around here. That's not a bad thing so long as it's respectful.

I read Socrates quote, "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think", and thought it would be a good Scouters Motto. If a motto works like a compass to keep our vision and actions on course, what would your Scouters Motto be? Barry

I'm seeing one of my scouts off on thursday night, she'll be with you some point on Friday. Look after her

We think we know everything about how to coach scouts, until that next scout! Then we start posting here!

Well wait a minute, there is a lot of agreement around here. But there is also a lot of experience and experiences here too. I happen to believe that this is one of the best forums of like minded scouters because our opinions are expression of life's experiences, not illusions of our egos. We ran the ego guy off about a year ago. We aren't trying to change your mind (at least I'm not), we are just passing along information to consider. Or not. Someone once posted, "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only only make them think"- Socrates. Oh wait! That was me. LOL Barry

I think partials are a benefit to the scout. Rarely, if ever, should a scout have a blue card completed at the first meeting with the counselor. Partials should be standard operating procedure as a scout works through a mB over the course of time with the counselor.

Whatever we all disagree about, I think we would all say that it's monumentally stupid to take Camping at your first summer camp. The Scout won't have the camping nights, and won't have any of the 9B requirements. What you're left with is a partial that probably won't be finished for a year or more. There's no point in bothering with this one until the Scout at least has the camping nights. Once he has the camping nights, he'll likely have knocked out one or more of the 9B requirements as well, and can focus on figuring out ways to get the rest.

I am an advocate for letting them pick what they want. When my son was an AOL I kept telling him, "Just wait till you get to Boy Scouts, you can choose what you want to earn!". Well we got the list of courses offered and he and I sat down and looked at them and the requirements for each badge offered. We made a couple lists with 1st 2nd and 3rd choices for the schedule allowed (all of the 1st year scouts were going to do the TNT program in the mornings). The Advancement chair also said that the first year boys need to take First Aid and Swimming. I think the advancement chair didn't

This doesn't appear to be true at schools that continue to use group showers rather than individual stalls. Boys don't seem to mind the group showers so long as everyone else is using them. I agree that scout camps will all be switching to individual stalls. It isn't necessary, but it is the way things are going.

Boys often have the same concerns as you about the possibility of appearing a bit creepy. When given a choice between individual shower stalls and group showers, many boys will choose to wait for the individual showers, even if they are not embarrassed to use the group showers. They are concerned that other people might see it as suspicious or creepy that they choose to use the group showers.

Scouts remember... https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/07/13/eagle-scouts-remember-ross-perot-after-his-death/ Scout Salute

John, Standards go back into the 1920's - Post WWI, units were advised to do week long camp during the summer. It didn't always go well. Standards where introduced shortly after. Source is the letters / pre-Scouting Magazine. I am pretty sure they are electronically archived, it has been a few years since I reviewed. @mrkstvns 2013 was when the NCAP program was rolled out and while I haven't found the direct link or source as above, it's my best guess that the origins of ACA's (and a couple of other) original standards came from those early ones of the BSA. I've got some ne

Very good point and I imagine it's oh so true. My son got another piece of advice from a parent in our troop, which many around here may not like: "Congrats on finishing your Eagle project so young -- now you have a few years to just relax, have fun, and not worry about which merit badges you're taking." I agree with it, but I'm sure some here would say that's what he should have been doing all along.

Nice of Kenn to explain to everyone that UTV means "underwater television".

Note that it is not conducted outdoors, but entirely inside.

Eagle Scout Ross Perot, businessman, and two time presidential candidate has passed away. He was 89 https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/billionaire-ross-perot-dead-at-89 Perot joined the Boy Scouts of America and made Eagle Scout in 1942, after 13 months in the program. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

We went out of our council to camp last week. They seemed not very well prepared for females as some other camps are. At this time one bathroom/bathhouse had a wooden sign you flip Males Only/Females only and same with the changing rooms at aquatics. At a leaders meeting they gave the leaders instructions to talk with the scouts about knocking and not flipping signs while someone is in there. We wish they had dedicated male/female facilities like some camps do. The latrines have locking door stalls and so does another bath house so no male/female separation. Here was a huge issue we