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I'm sure there is calculated risk management afoot on National's part. Less legal risk for the BSA if mom/dad/guardian are/is present somewhere in the vicinity and Johnny/Suzy Scout gets hurt. Plus, for decades, the BSA has downplayed outdoor adventure and the patrol method. This is the unfortunate result of consistently recruiting pros and vols that have zero interest in such things. The ISP promoters of '72 are finally realizing their "dream." It's all part of National's big push to turn the BSA into One Big Tiger Cub Den.

Slightly different perspective here: brand new unit, brand new scouts, brand new scouters. The JTE came across as a helpful handy list of things troops should generally be doing. Even to someone new like me, it was obvious that a high JTE score deesn't guarantee a terrific unit -- but rather that if there are areas in which a unit scores really poorly, it is worth considering the reasons why.

To paraphrase the late Princess Leia Organa Solo, The more National focuses on family camping, the more Scouts will slip through their fingers

Because brutal honesty is so unseemly these days.

Oh yeah - National sees this as the great untapped masses, sadly that is NOT what draws youth to Scouting I would agree. Most Scouts and teenagers will tell you that one of the great things about Scouts BSA is they get away from Mom and Dad That which can be monetized will be prioritized That is so true, a family can definitely go camping without the BSA, that will be a lesson learned no doubt Sadly we are seeing that in many Webelos and their families crossing over. We talk patrols, boy led, individual pace; and they want advancement outing, focus on keeping

Yes, I'm searching for my fun. Sometimes the pressure is easy to avoid and sometimes not so much. Skipping meetings is getting surprisingly easy ;). Telling the SM I have no desire to "sign scouts off on requirements" causes friction. The thread about jte is a good example of how "stuff" gets in the way. Everyone gets caught up in the metrics and don't understand where I'm coming from. I need to find my niche. A happy place where I can help scouts learn while playing in the mud. What I'm not sure of is how being a moderator on this forum ties into that.

I've not seen this month's issue yet - so I'm hesitant to comment too much. I do not mind a reminder that there is a role for families in Scouting. But I fear that either: national continues to misunderstand the cause/effect relationship here. national understands it, but is confusing the volunteers with the terminology Some slick messaging around families will not get families to participate. Great programming will get families to participate.

More money in family camping.

What happened to the focus on outdoors and individual accomplishments? I see family camping more as a Cub Scouts thing.

or that Gold actually represents Excellence. I see that not getting gold means serious deficiencies in at least the basics. Like a restaurant passing their health inspection. It doesn't mean the food in any good, just that the place shouldn't be shut down.

Ok - I can get behind that - to a point. I do think we have to be very upfront that this is what we're talking about. JTE is a pretty mediocre tool, but it is a tool. So leveraging the tools we have to the best of their potential is good. Yet, I think we have to be careful that we don't continue to further the belief that JTE is the desired way to accomplish these goals.

I am a bit of an interloper who just happened to stumble across your page, but as a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, I do know where the command "two" comes from. The US Navy adopted a LOT of traditions from the British Navy, and one of them is the tradition of ships "passing honors" at sea. When a naval vessel passes close aboard another naval vessel with a more senior ranking officer in command (or embarked), it is customary for this "junior" vessel to initiate what we call "passing honors" much the same way it is the junior service member who initiates saluting the senior officer. The