Leaderboard

It's ironic that the BSA claims it knows how to develop leadership.

When I was a scout, one of my mentors was a DE. Outstanding gentleman, scouter, humorist. He was waterfront director each summer, attended camporees, involved with every OA function, and well thought of by all. He got things done. Though he never said anything, I also noticed (even as a lunkhead teenager) what his job entailed. Many long hours, mostly performing duties that were a long way from the campfire. I also noticed that the SE was not very scout-like toward the DE. Again, nothing was ever said by the DE to us scouts, but I saw the SE/DE dynamic as a multi-year camp staffer and l

I think you are looking at it wrong. As you’ve said many times, if the volunteers did the tasks they are supposed to do, the units would be running quality programs. But that comes down to training and guidance from district volunteers. Districts aren’t doing their tasks correctly because Council (DE) aren’t recruiting the right talent and/or training the volunteers. DEs aren’t doing their tasks correctly because Council (DFE) isn’t training or directing them correctly. I don’t think the DEs job was designed to require more than 40 hours, but their bosses are doing it wrong. Find and Fix the

Apologies for the incoming rant, but this strikes a nerve. The Scoutreach program is an embarrassment in it's current form (which is a shame because in theory it could be a great program). Yes, you are correct in how the recruitment works. Unlike traditionally paper apps, scoutreach apps do not need a parent signature or a unit leader signature. In the big metros, a DE will ask for a school roster, and all it's needs is a School Administrators signature. Most of those kids don't even know they are in Scouting. The membership fees are paid for by councils. Some will even wait to pay u

According to Linkedin the average salary for a DE is $40,000. At 55 hours a week that's under $14 an hour, which is a tad more than my kid gets at Best Buy part time.

So, I have to wonder why we feed into this as volunteers. I've made it a personal rule to never call our DE at night or on the weekends. I would almost never ask a DE to come to a unit meeting in the evening. I'm fine with the DE coming to a camporee or other event for a portion of the weekend. No way would I ask a DE to camp at camporee. I would never ask a DE to pick something up at the council store or make me photocopies at the office. I ask my DE for advice on how to get something done, I don't ask them to do it for me. A good DE is an amazing resource and they do a lo

When your organizational leadership acts as if the "customer's" desires are wrong, you get Sears.

Why do you think we made an outside hire for the Chief Scout Executive? Mosby can have the tough conversations about what roles need to go. I remember speaking to Mike Surbaugh at DOB (in person pro training). I truly believe he wanted to help streamline and simplify the role of the DE, but as a lifelong Pro, he ran into the problem of not being able to get rid of Sacred Cows.

A DE’s Lot (with apologies to Msrs. Gilbert and Sullivan) When a DE’s not engaged in his employment (his employment) or planning to go camping with his Troop (with his Troop) his capacity for innocent enjoyment (-cent enjoyment) Can easily be knocked off for a loop (for a loop) Our feelings we with difficulty smother (-culty smother) When a DE duty’s to be done (to be done) Ah, take one consideration with another, (with another) A DE’s lot is not a happy one. Ooooohhhhh… When a DE’s duty’s to be done, to be don

Best wedding gift I got came from the volunteers: no calls between 10pm and 7am.

Director of Field Service. In some councils with more than 1 Field Director, they use a DFS. He is the #2 person in a council after the Scout Exec.

I do not know about National, but it was the attitude my DFS had. I had a new, struggling unit that my church started. I didn't have an active commissioner corps to help them, so I did it myself. My DFS found out, and told me to stop.Would not hear of the reasons why I was helping: no commissioner, my church's pack, my men's club asked me to help, etc. Ditto with me going to OA meetings and events. Told me " You don't have time to play Indian." Here's the irony of that situation, me attending the Ordeal, doing cheerful service in the rain, and working with the ceremony team thoroughly impresse

About ten years ago, I once witnessed a DE being asked by a new Cub leader if he (the DE) would come to their meeting and speak to the new parents. His response was (quote) "I don't do that. I have people who do that. " He meant the District Commissioner(s), of which I was at the time one. The Cub leader was angry, rightfully so, and we talked later. That DE was gone in about 6 months. Is this National's attitude in a nutshell?

I wouldn't mind it (the trolling) so much if the financial impact of the lawsuits fell on the wrongdoers. As it is, the burden of paying off the lawsuits is falling on the kids, through increased dues and fees, even though most of the kids in scouting had not even been born yet when these abuses occurred.

Bugling seems to have the same problem as pull-ups. Really hard to increase your count if you only practice on weekends. It seems that there should be a way to sync this with personal management or personal fitness. @SSScout, I think you should write a scouter's guide to skills acquisition. Call it How to Get There from Here.

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

Jsychk most certainly did associate strong leadership as the realm of males. The one strong leader female example was grudging given praise as "getting by". To quote: "Last year, the Webelos II had 1 strong dad who took the responsibility of leading the boys and providing a rich program... Moms were there to support by decorating the B&G venue, helping with the food, etc,. I think this is what a Pack should look like." This is explicitly stating that men make better leaders and women are ok to "help setup".

To answer your last question first. Plenty of Boy Scouts have no clue about Cub advancement ... especially this version of requirements. It's clear this guy wants to cut corners. The CC should have a sit-down with him. Because the goal is to get the scout engaged with the program as much as possible. Rubber stamping is no way to do that.

"Scout led" is part of the Patrol Method, not a method in itself. Because adults are supposed to lead by influence, not directly, except in matters of safety, judgment is involved. More or less influence can be had. Still: A standard can be taught; hewing to that standard could be taught; hewing to that standard could be recognized; ignoring that standard could be commented upon. BSA does none of those things except accidentally. Some adult(s) notice and are influenced by the scattered remnants of Scouting still mentioned randomly by a very few at BSA and by local leadership.

My experience with the JTE is that while it can be a good checklist to evaluate the program, it also encourages fudging to reach a passing grade. The challenge is using JTE as educational without ranking the program on a pass/fail scale. The Tour Permit (that isn't used anymore) was a good checklist for guiding units without ranking (judge) the unit. It simply gave a minimal list for traveling and perform scouting activities safely. I have watched unit leaders spend hours trying to justify passing on FTEs. Barry