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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/28/19 in all areas

  1. As for PR, I know many of the people on this board has seen it, but perhaps many of you haven't. This is from Scout South Africa, and this is that kind of advertising that the BSA needs.
    6 points
  2. Hiding history doesn't change history. It just makes you ignorant. And political correctness hasn't done Scouting much good so far.
    3 points
  3. 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
    3 points
  4. THis has been an interesting discussion. There are some well-articulated thoughts on the challenges and ideas on how to overcome them. What dkurtenbach suggests is a very local approach - brainstorming with district folks, surveying unit leaders, working with training chairs. I would take the idea and make it more crowdsourced....Part of creating a movement is gathering like-minded people and creating momentum. I suggest that we already have like-minded people and the start of momentum. We, in this forum, are already thinking about these things. We have already identified challeng
    2 points
  5. 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
    2 points
  6. The council was named after Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson in the late 1920s. The new name, Virginia Headwaters Council, represents the fact that the James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac Rivers all begin in the area covered by the council. Pete Fenlon, president of the executive council, said the connection to nature is fundamental to the scouting organization. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Local-scouting-council-changes-name-from-Stonewall-Jackson-Area-Council-to-Virginia-Headwaters-Council-565449041.html
    1 point
  7. My sister is sponsoring an international high school student from Germany and he is excited to experience the American Thanks Giving holiday. In fact, his family back in Germany have expressed that they are also excited for him as well and can't wait to get a report. Another family in her neighborhood is also sponsoring an international high school student from Norway. Since the two students have become close, my sister has enjoyed getting close to both of them. Turns out the parents of the student from Norway are here visiting their daughter, and had no plans for Thanks Giving. When my sister
    1 point
  8. Seriously? No Neil Armstrong? No Eisenhower? Really? Things may be a bit over sensitive today, but it's not even close to that. I am fine with renaming a council that was named after a traitor to our republic that was fighting to preserve slavery. (That should get things rolling... ).
    1 point
  9. With today's BSA, it seems the following historical references are to be avoided? - Native Americans - historical figures and events after War of 1812 with exception of Lincoln No Alvin York Council, No Eisenhower Council, No Neil Armstrong Council, ... dullsville only please. My $0..02,
    1 point
  10. Not me. All railroads are assumed to be active. I stop every time. I cross at one of these unregulated crossings on my way to and from work every morning. There's a sign, but no lights or crossing arm. I come to a complete and total dead stop and look both ways TWICE before proceeding. I do occasionally see people blow through it and it freaks me out every time. I've only ever seen a train go down those tracks once. But once is enough. Plus, since I happen to be a railfan, I know that trains pass that way several times a day; just not usually during my commute times. I spent months
    1 point
  11. The sale of camps seems to always involve controversy, merited or not. One of our council camps - 1700 acres on a lake - was sold for about $200/acre to a company run by a former council middle manager. The sale was announced months after the fact, an hour into a raucous meeting about "the future" of the camp. The plan was to turn the property into a land fill. The locals raised some serious cane with the state government and stopped that plan cold. It seems doubtful that the feds would have approved due to the drainage of the property into "navigable waterways" of the United
    1 point
  12. What I find saddest is that an organization like GSUSA actually thinks it is okay for them to intrude into family dynamics. They clearly don't think mom and dad are responsible enough to raise kids in a way that protects them and that also strengthens their family bonds. Sad.
    1 point
  13. Soon to be a Sea Scout ship... The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 8-11, District 5 Southern Region, is sponsoring the creation of a new Sea Scout unit in Smith Mountain Lake (VA). The Flotilla will serve as the chartering organization and in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). More at source: http://www.smithmountaineagle.com/boating_fishing_and_outdoors/article_5feed788-107d-11ea-83af-1bbd7c515077.html
    1 point
  14. I like this idea. IMO, it should not require a SM give up more free time . Just as public school teachers allocate school days to professional training maybe so should scouters with their troop meetings and activities... No troop meeting this week, I'm at training. Service project instead of campout this month as I will be patrol camping with other SM's (patrol camping? ).
    1 point
  15. I think this is getting closer to the crux of the problem. There is training and there is coaching mentoring and encouragement. The troops use both. In fact, it's heavily weighted towards the latter. The councils barely use training. For other than safety related training, the model is one and done. So, how to run a scout troop? It's based on the lowest common denominator and one and done. Outdoor skills? One and done. Everyone here says one needs to seek further on one's own to improve. This doesn't match the problem of having fewer parents with outdoor skills. They don't know what they don't
    1 point
  16. The cause of what is going on in the BSA is complex. But make no mistake, much of this is because of volunteer and program issues. My district has 15 packs. The largest 5 account for 70% of all the Cub Scouts in the District. The smallest 5 account for 10%. The largest pack is bigger than the smallest 5 put together. Each of these small packs recruits 2 or 3 kids a year. Do they do school talks - no. Do they put of flyers - no. Do they recruit at their CO - no. Do they spread the word through social media - no. All of those things our local council trains on, encourages, and pr
    1 point
  17. A very sad situation. While this article does a lot of finger-pointing at the RR and the government for not having gates, lights, etc., it should be noted that cars don't end up in the path of trains without the driver having abdicated their part of the responsibility equation: Stop, Look, Listen are still the basics that every driver needs to remember ALWAYS when approaching any railroad crossing. Just because there aren't gates or bells or whatever doesn't mean that a train might not be approaching, and in ANY contest between a car and a train, whoever in the car loses: even when it br
    1 point
  18. Something has to fill the vacuum since Risk Management removed dodgeball from the program! By the way, the next time someone tosses out "OK, Boomer", just reply "That'll be Civil Rights Generation to you, post-modern nomad."
    1 point
  19. A grandmother driving her two Cub grandsons to a state conservation area, a railroad crossing without gates or flashing lights or stop sign... https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20191124/amtrak-crash-boy-scout-trip-ends-in-tragedy-at-gate-less-rail-crossing Scout salute and farewell,
    0 points
  20. You tube is full of such "accidents". I use quotes because they can almost ALWAYS be prevented. Most unfortunate here. I teach bus drivers. I make my students "repeat after me: If it looks like a Rail Road Crossing, I will treat it like a Rail Road Crossing." To wit, any vehicle classified as passenger bus, whether it carries passengers or no, on approaching a Rail Road /Road crossing, must first put on the four way flashers, or the School Bus Flashers, STOP (FULL stop, NOT "rolling stop") within 20 feet of the closest track,( but not where the crossing gate can close on the bus),
    0 points
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