Leaderboard

With all due respect to National I call BS. The increased insurance cost isn't a surprise nor is the departure of LDS. This decision should have been made and announced months ago so units could plan and be honest with their parents. Instead they wait until after fall recruiting is done?

Update 9/18/2019: On Sept. 28, a Boy Scout Troop formed in Pawhuska, OK and chartered under the Boy Scouts organization in England, marks 110 years. At its Aug. 13 meeting, the Pawhuska City Council voted to declare Sept. 28 as a Day of Celebration in honor of this first troop. The celebration begins on Sept. 28 with a parade in downtown Pawhuska at 10 a.m. followed by a reception for the 96 Eagle Scouts from Pawhuska at the Pawhuska Community Center at 520 Lynn Ave. Troop 1 in Pawhuska had 22 members and was founded by the Rev. John Forbes Mitchell in 1909. “The stor

This has the feel of waiting for another shoe to fall....

This sounds bad... if they have to setup a fund to help some cover the fee increase, it probably will hurt a bit. https://mailchi.mp/bsamail/important-scouting-news-please-read

There's a difference between intent and effort. As a leader, you can promote proper uniforming with very little to no effort. With almost no effort, a Scoutmaster can share a positive word or an encouraging remark. I believe that we should have the intent of proper uniforming. In fact, it takes effort to detract from uniforming. Should a Scouter really actively criticize the uniform, should they promote wrong patch placement, should they tell a Scout jeans are ok? Scouters like @The Latin Scot may find the energy to put in the effort more actively promote uniforming, but the rest of us c

I ... I just don't believe this. I feel, very strongly, that ALL the methods are equally important, and I can't accept the idea that somehow a leader has to sacrifice one to focus on the other. I really don't think any leader's circumstances require them to walk into a room of Scouts and pick one method to teach at the cost of the others. The whole idea is that these concepts strengthen and support each other - if you find the methods are competing with each other, you're not using them correctly. For example (to the point of this topic), our troop had an outdoor Court of Honor

There seems to be two different issues here. One is the quality of the uniform and the other is the quality of how the uniform is used to help with the aims of scouting. It's the same thing with advancement. First, helping with the aims. Both the uniform and advancement have gotten very complex, bloated, full of arcane rules. I'd much rather see simplification of all of it primarily so the scouts can own it and the adults can be gently moved aside. We don't need pages of rules about patch placement. We don't need knots on uniforms. We don't need pages of requirements that involve describ

A historical note, the Uniform Method (circa mid 80's) did not exist when I was a scout and nationally ,there were a LOT more scouts yet fewer Eagles. The uniform remains not mandatory. My point, the other Methods are more important in delivering the Scouting Program. Focus on those. My $0.02,

Very few filtration devices can handle chemical contamination or viruses. I wouldn't worry too much about occasionally drinking that water with the fish advisories. Why? Biomagnification. The fish have high concentrations of those chemicals because they are towards the top of the food chain. The concentration of the chemicals goes up each level of the food chain that the creature is on. The water itself probably doesn't have high levels of those contaminants. That said, for biological filtering I would recommend the Sawyer mini over the Lifestraw. They are about the same pric

I agree that the real issue is how adults approach Scouting, and I applaud leaders who believe in the power of the correct complete uniform and act on that in a moderate and positive way. But there are eight methods in Scouts BSA that call for our attention, so I don't think you can judge a leader's dedication to Scouting from how he or she handles just one of the Methods. I suspect that very few troops have the skills and resources to "utilize [each Method] to its fullest." Additionally, the circumstances, needs, strengths, and weaknesses of each troop and each leader are different. So le

Good news in New York where a Boy Scout was ready to help deliver his new baby brother... https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2019/09/18/boy-scout-helps-deliver-mothers-baby-brother-queens-new-york-city Interesting! That's one emergency case that I never recall being part of any First Aid class in scouting.

I think it might be useful at this point to review the purposes of the Uniform Method as set out by BSA in the Guide to Awards and Insignia, page 5, https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33066/33066_Official_Policy_WEB.pdf. I have highlighted in bold each unique statement of purpose of the uniform (selecting what I think is the best statement, where it appears more than once) and added a number in brackets to each distinct purpose: OFFICIAL POLICY The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. Its uniforms [1] help to create a sense of belonging. They [2] symbolize

The reason this topic gets debated and never resolved is because it's not a discussion about uniforms. The issue at hand is how adults approach Scouting. Many Scouters look at the program, embrace it's structure, and then utilize it to it's fullest. Others look at the program and say "I agree with about 85% of this" and then focus on the aspects they agree with the most. Others of us treat Scouting as a fun activity with kids, are just happy Scouts are there, and don't rock the boat. I could go on... Clearly there's some fear and trepidation here. The root concern is that if you

I have lesson plans and materials for all the ordinary requirements that are talk about during IOWLS course. I will share it with you. Any else need it, send me a mesage. It has Piloting and Navigation very well covered for exactly this purpose.

Yep, same old debate. I think we have two much bigger Uniform Method issues. The BSA has somehow managed to produce a "field" uniform that BSA itself says is for indoor and ceremonial use, not really for outdoor activities. Beyond that, BSA is producing Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA members who look like Christmas trees. Both of these developments discourage the use of the Uniform Method where it would be most useful: out in the world, while doing Scouting. If uniforms are just "for showin', not for blowin'," what good are they really?

I'm just going to note one thing here. Part of the reason the uniform so often looks poorly is that, frankly, most boys and men don't understand how to dress themselves to their actual size, and so they'll just throw on whatever kind of fits them. If we wouldn't always reach for the most relaxed-fit pants and shirts a size too large with collars all askew, we'd look far better. Most men think "I'm a size large so I'll just buy any shirt sized 'large' and there we go." And most tend to go a size too large at that. They don't even try it on! Heaven forbid we should actually wash and iron our uni

Well, the struggle of bureaucracy can sometimes drive councils to seek a path of least resistance. But, as you seem to already understand, units should resist letting council lead their program astray. There are two separate expectations that should be considered; one is that the scouts grow from the experience. I happen to believe this practice is a good growth experience. The other is accurate back records at the scout office. I believe council records are important for long term well beyond the scouts youth experience. I was unit leader before computers and every one of our Eagle scou

Precisely! Same with Scout Handbooks for rank advancement. I can sign off a scout's completed work on any campout, high adventure base, road trip etc. No need to worry about flaky internet, lost cell signals, forgotten wifi passwords, dead batteries or all the myriad complications that can occur when scouting is actually an adventure. Let the advancement chair worry about Scoutbook! I don't want to even see it, myself....it's a messy complication that wastes my time.

I agree with @dkurtenbach As retired military, my observations about uniforms: - People will eagerly wear a uniform they are proud of - People will readily comply with uniform regulations that make sense and are not a bunch of "thou shalt nots" Granted, the military must wear the "uniform of the day" or suffer consequences. But looking back over three decades, there were certain unpopular uniforms that folks tried every which way not to wear if they were the UOD. The BSA uniform is an overpriced, frumpy, dumpy looking thing, designed by a committee of hand-selected g

So what is the discussion about; scouts and scouters not doing the process correctly, or streamlining the process so scouts and scouters don't have to perform the process correctly. The Advancement guide directs the scout to ask the SM for a list of counselors, and acquire a MB Card (we use white cards) to be filled out for approval by the SM. How does a scouts perform that process without first acquiring the card. Isn't following the process an important life skill? I know by experience that actions of following the processes in the troop are good practices of life skills. Now, I admit summer

Recognized by Governor, to be honored during a Baltimore Ravens game...story: https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-scouts-pantry-governor-20190917-d6ffrvu2c5hznlu2dnxcv5v3be-story.html