Leaderboard

At least have the cajones to be honest, tell us WHY and that it happened, not hide it. They hid it, it's so obvious. It happened in March, they didn't want us to know until it was too late. Unreal. I'm sorry, but clean house. Everyone at top level in Irving has to go. It's not about the money, or lack therof. It's about transparency at this point. There isn't any. It's sad, pathetic and wrong.

While there is less community it certainly isn't less relevant (look at suicide rates over the past 50 years), and I think that's the key to your last question: what image should the BSA project? There may be fewer parents interested in developing responsibility and self sufficiency in their kids, but the BSA isn't even close to getting the attention of those that are left. But I do agree that the image problem is a wreck. Part of the problem is the need for some better PR. Maybe we can get our UK friends to ask the Duchess of Cambridge if she'd pop on over and visit some scout troops aro

We are not at bankruptcy yet, there is no court involvement, no Chapter 11 trustee overseeing and reorganizing us, the debtor. Seven months ago, National secretly extended their credit line by $446 million to spend as they wish, though presumably for liability insurance. Not legally necessary? to discuss this action before or after with the Philmont Ranch Committee or the Waite Phillips family and maybe not the Executive Board, and certainly not the members. I doubt former BSA President Rex Tillerson was informed. As Philmont Scout Ranch Committee Member and attorney Mr. Stinnett wrote.

Given the direction the BSA is going in financially, I guess I will never have an opportunity to take my own kids to Philmont. The BSA is well on it's way to squandering the treasures that previous generations have been given to it. What an absolute shame.

And that's the catch, isn't it? Program changes only come from National, and given their track record, any changes are likely to be poorly conceived, poorly received, and poorly implemented. Our best hope for moving forward may be if National puts a moratorium on any program changes for the next ten years or so. In any case, they may be too busy with survival to worry about something like youth program. So let me offer some optimistic thoughts. I agree that the decline of "everybody knows everybody" residential communities has hurt Scouting by breaking the connection between Sco

Bankruptcy leads to sale of assets to pay off creditors. The "risk" we see is caused by the reckless spending, borrowing, and assumption of liabilities. BSA needs a reduction in by far its biggest expense - salaries, to be in proportion to youth served.

The AP picked up the story ...the move dismayed a member of Philmont’s oversight committee, who says it violates agreements made when the land was donated in 1938. The BSA disputed his assertion. Top BSA officials signed the document in March, but members of the Philmont Ranch Committee only recently learned of the development, according to committee member Mark Stinnett. In a memo sent to his fellow members, Stinnett — a Colorado-based lawyer — decried the financial maneuver and the lack of consultation with the committee. “I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am to be

I love being a scouter, and one of the activities I most enjoy is being a merit badge counselor for subjects that I truly care about....especially Communications (which I regard as the single most important life skill for someone aspiring to a leadership role of any kind). In every class, we've written "letters to the editor" as part of requirement 7a. Normally, that's the end of it. After counseling more than 100 scouts on this MB, I can't recall hearing that the boys' letters actually got published --- or even got read by anybody outside the class. Now, I have an example to

In 1921 two hand-picked Scouts, James Marr and Norman Mooney, accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton on his Rowett Expedition to Antarctica. In 2021 Kent Scouts plan to commemorate the 1921 expedition by sending a team of ten scouts - ReQuest2021 to crew Bark Europa on a journey similar to the original while undertaking research projects. Follow the Ship satellite track. I believe the USCG Eagle is also a Bark, likely @mashmaster knows. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeenshire/1894433/kemnay-scouts-selected-for-antarctic-expedition-100-years-s

Thank you. Not good news, but thank you for clarifying that.

I read the mortgage and the references to the 2010 and 2012 agreement didn’t include Philmont, it was for land in West Virginia for the “Arrow WV Project”. Project Arrow (in Wedt Virgina) is Summit.

They want to sell the BSA mailing list. Just another fund-raiser to put more cash in their pockets before the bankruptcy judge fires them all. See the other topic about mortgaging Philmont to gain an enlightened view of Irving's trustworthy intents.

This morning I picked up a newspaper and this story made the front page. The BSA cannot seem to help getting itself more and more bad publicity. I'm generally pretty supportive of national as I know they have a tough job right now. But the way this was handled was awful. Risking the crown jewel of the BSA, not even discussing this with the oversight board, and all this news now of these arrogant statements to the board. You put all of that on top of the poor marketing and commimications national does anyways. I really do think that it's time for a serious influx of outside leadership in

All together now . . . "Owasippee".

Wow. The list of topics related to poor communication from BSA continues.... It's obvious to me something is up. Something bad is happening, and they don't want to tell. If volunteers are so important, why don't they communicate with them?

A scout Fortnite skin. Just sayin. https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a862410/fortnite-characters-movie/

So a number of random thoughts, most of them pessimistic..... One might argue that the BSA was most relevant when communities were most relevant. By community I mean small groups of people living, working, and serving together (and actually knowing each others names) within a geographic region. Could be a small town, neighborhoods in larger towns, etc. It made sense for the local parish, church, Legion, Moose, Rotary Club to sponsor a youth program for the boys in their town or neighborhood. It helped keep the boys out of trouble, and, provided guidance for the next generation of lead

Just be sure not to wear a red shirt! 😂

The BSA has said, to paraphrase, "That's just legal mumbo-jumbo that the law requires. We promise we won't do anything other than the usual criminal background check, same as we've always done. Scout's Honor." I can't believe people are being so naive about this. As my dear late dad used to say..."I was born at night, but it wasn't last night."

Venturing Magazine is not an official voice of BSA. Their articles are not scrubbed for political correctness.

Gotta wonder, will the (new) OA open casinos at Philmont and Summit?