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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/09/20 in all areas

  1. Yes. When dedicated scouters with decades of experience regularly roll their eyes at the communications coming out of national, how can we expect a jaded media and a cynical public to believe anything BSA says. BSA needs to start by winning over its own volunteers. If they can't do that, there isn't a chance of them winning over the public.
    5 points
  2. Actually the fan is located ABOVE the person with the air ducted down the side and under the diver. This also protects the fan from objects dropping in and damaging the motor.
    2 points
  3. To many people don't want to hear about "innocent" in situations like this. The issues around child safety (not just in the Scouting context) in our society are taking on the characteristics of a moral panic (just look at the craziness about leaving children in cars). So if this turns out to be a false accusation or some sort of miss understanding, it probably won't make the news (since news outlets are reluctant to report stories that will be unpopular with their readers or viewers). Even if it is reported, people won't internalize it. So the damage to Scouting's reputation is done regardless
    2 points
  4. Back in the day, Professional Development Level (PDL) 1 had to be done at the 3-4 month mark for 2 weeks. And some DEs didn't make it to that mark. At my PDL-1, one person had her resignation letter already typed and prepared to be submitted after she returned. As CareBear said the reason she was quitting was a lousy manager,and she felt she deserved a vacation putting up with the lousy manager. 12 to 16 months after PDL-1, was PDL-2 for a week. I know of 2 DEs compatriots went to it, the rest either quit or had it cancelled on them. Do not know of any coworkers going to PDL-3. We also went t
    2 points
  5. I think I mentioned this before, but the #1 reason Professionals leave is due to a bad manager. It's just a culture thing. I don't think any amount of training would help a DE "survive" or not. I was lucky to know what I was getting myself into and landed in a great council. I think that's the big reason the National board went outside the Profession and hired a career HR guy in Mosby. The Professional cadre is in desperate need of a culture shakeup.
    2 points
  6. Same for us with a troop and packs, Scouting has been these over 40 years. My church, not where my troop is, is UMC and also CO for a troop (and also pack). After LDS the Methodist church was the 2nd largest CO for Scouting. I assume they have moved into the top spot now My thoughts are that as with many things, Scouting is in fact local. The congregation will, for the most part, not magically become another group of people. If the UMC universal were to split and the local houses of worship would rename, become independent....whatever, the units would likes continue. The only is
    1 point
  7. Way to open an old thread. Last weekend, MBCollege in Elkton MD. Ten would-be buglers. All said they played in the school band, all brass players. One said she (!) "used" to play trumpet in the band, and thought she might sign up again when her schedule "allows" No future Wynton Marsalis' but everyone has promise. I could not in good conscience pass anyone, more's the pity, but since this Council schedules (!!) TWO weekends a month apart, I encouraged and instructed everyone, and I know with some practice, everyone of them can do it. Nice philosophical discussion with a senior, nascen
    1 point
  8. Same story here, with one noticeable difference. No matter when a DE quits, our council will leave the role vacant for the rest of that calendar year so they can use the funds budgeted for that person's salary elsewhere and continue to meet yearend financial numbers without going over budget. The problem is that when a DE quits in March, for example, a district wont have a DE until next January.
    1 point
  9. We had a DE once, who came to our camporee to visit. He was not on the books yet until Monday morning. He went to the office that Monday for a staff meeting. He and the other DEs went to lunch. He left and was never heard from again.
    1 point
  10. Better yet, the training staff is still based in Dallas...LOL. Every month they have to fly out now for a week away from family. I wonder what genius thought THAT was a good idea.
    1 point
  11. I would call Nancy at Seabase ahead of time and get her help for registering for it. I think that is a very popular trek so you are reducing your chances but your reasoning makes sense. Last year our Ship did a 74 mile canoe trek on the Buffalo river in Arkansas. It was a great roll your own adventure. let me know if you are interested in details on that.
    1 point
  12. Thanks carebear3895 and Eagle94 and Jameson for your info. This inability to retain professionals (good ones anyway) is something critical the new CSE needs to fix asap. Of course he has no control of the council's personnel actions. We have gone through so many DEs the volunteers joke about "he won't be here long). Maybe they need to use the same model used to hire Mr. Mosby and use that to hire SEs from outside the organization especially for failing councils and/or mergers about to come.
    1 point
  13. We do those adventures. I do not think they start every day, but I may be incorrect. I thought they started on only a couple of days during the week. There is limited space on Munson. Our guys have always enjoyed Seasbase. They can do a lot of different activities. We are in the Southeast. Our crews fly down on SAT, use a tour group for SAT night then to Seabase and start the trek on Sunday, this means the crew stays at base SUN, then on the island MON - THU, back to base on FRI night and fly back SAT
    1 point
  14. All you youngsters...really back in the day is was NEI 1 and 2. Even then you took NEI 1 after 90 - 120 days. NEI 2 was taken at least a year or so later. Mine was in Irving, big thing was to go to National Office and see the CSE office
    1 point
  15. My recurring nightmare is that my husband will make me use the chainsaw. I can, but I hate it and it scares me.
    1 point
  16. This is the key point. The BSA doesn't need a "marketing" strategy with glossy TV ads, it needs a public relations strategy. Today, the BSA is letting others define it - lawyers, the news media, etc. The BSA should not simply respond to articles and send out press releases. The BSA needs to get ahead of this story and define itself. The BSA should create news that tells the story of Scouting and it's values. Instead of simply telling people about the great YPT program the BSA has, the BSA ought to be convening summits in Washington or New York of national leaders on the prevention of
    1 point
  17. Several years ago, one of our districts overwhelmingly elected a long-service volunteer as DC. The SE vetoed the election, with no reason given. Consensus is that elected DC was regarded as insufficiently servile. The vetoed guy was and is much liked and respected. Every year, there he is every day of Summer Camp, running the Health Lodge (ER RN). Does really well with kids and adults. Supernaturally calm in emergencies. Another election. Same guy elected - unanimously this time. Vetoed again. No reason given. Another election. No one elected DC - no votes for any can
    1 point
  18. You forgot #4: Volunteer is replaced in their position by someone who will do the professional's will (Not only have I seen this, I was even encouraged to do this when I was a DE to have more compliant members of the district committee) #5: Pro, specifically SE, finds some reason revoke volunteers membership ( seen that happen twice, and it almost happened a third , all because the volunteers he did stand up to the professionals) As Desert pointed out, chairman have been usually figureheads who do the professional's bidding. Heck I was even told to look for malleable peo
    1 point
  19. Ideally this is how it should work. But here are the usual results, from my personal experience: 1. Pro shouts down volunteer. Sometimes in public. 2. It isn't always the DE. It can be another pro throwing their weight around, sometimes the SE. 3. The district chair is often no help because a) they are a name on a spreadsheet and not a real chair b) they meekly go along with the pro and won't back the volunteer, usually because they aspire to be a future WB CD, have an award pending, etc.) or c) they're completely in cahoots with the professional staff and won't back their
    1 point
  20. I am very glad to hear your council does things like it is suppose to do. Sadly not every SE does that. I can tell you in my some councils I have been in, pros will ignore volunteers in charge of activities, make additional demands, and even overruling volunteers who are in charge of events to the point that they take over. It has gotten to the point the point that some longtime volunteers no longer have anything to do with the council because of the professionals.
    1 point
  21. Agreed, in the camporee example, the pro should talk to the Key 3. But many pros either they don't care or there is a crew of unpleasant but long-tenured district vols that are difficult to deal with. They are running things into the ground and it's easier just to avoid the subject altogether. Or their responsibilities at the council level are such that even if they wanted to bolster the next camporee or heaven forbid even attend, they don't have the time. If professional responsibilities have ballooned to the point where they can't or won't care about unit level scouting, it's time to ree
    1 point
  22. Same here on the DE churn, we really do not get attached to them. Going back about 12 years DE left, position open for 6 months, new DE was in position about a year, got promoted, new DE was there for about a year, left, position open for 6 months, new DE was there for about a year, left, position open for 6 months, new DE was there for about a 6 months, left, position open for 6 months, new DE was there for about a year, left, position open for 6 months, new DE was there for about a 6 months, left, position open for 6 months, new DE was there for about a year, left, position open fo
    0 points
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