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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/09/20 in all areas

  1. It's an inherent conflict of interest. Most of the COs around here are the same. They are legacy COs and believe their responsibility is to provide meeting space and benign support. I know ours doesn't have any real clue that they "own" our unit. BSA, through the Councils, has been more focused on retaining units and membership than in building relationships with COs. It's not a priority. Short of egregious circumstances, they usually will not do anything to damage a CO relationship and risk closing a unit. This is not to say that there aren't model COs but they aren't necessarily
    3 points
  2. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss07/#b See #16 & 17 @InquisitiveScouter And don't worry, working on your suggestions on tool guidelines. RichardB
    2 points
  3. I understand very well what you are saying and am not dismissing it. The reason why you don't see more Scouters speaking up and doing something about problems is because it is a generally held notion that nothing will change. People become disgruntled in their jobs because they feel they feel they are ignored, not valued, and that the lack influence. This also happens when people feel marginalized. When these things happens, people tend to retreat to the sphere that they have influence over. This is what is happening in Scouting today. Another way to look at authentic leadershi
    2 points
  4. My DE believes that the new NCAP standards are a way to shut down small camps within a 500 mile range of the Summit so that it would get more business, especially with summer camps. And I thought I was jaded.
    2 points
  5. Actually wrote a article for my district newsletter about this topic. Encouraging Troops to get out, use the patrol method, and follow council and local guidelines. I've copied it here: "As our units start up fall programing during COVID 19, we are faced with a great opportunity to embrace a core aspect of the Scouting program: The Patrol Method. Robert Baden Powell was once quoted “The patrol method is not a way to operate a Boy Scout Troop, it is the only way. Unless the patrol method is in operation you don’t really have a Boy Scout Troop.” A patrol, a group of eight or so Sc
    2 points
  6. That's another one that brings out the legalists...and you wouldn't believe the discussions I have heard on this (actually, you probably would)... Scouter 1: "12 years, 364 days old cannot tent with 15 years, zero days old. 15 minus 12 is 3! But on his birthday tomorrow, he can! (15 minus 13 is 2)" Scouter 2: "Oh no, tomorrow, he is 15 plus one day, minus 13 plus zero days is 2 years and a day...no tenting together!" Me: "What about Leap Years?" and run away smh...
    1 point
  7. But didn't Master Yoda also say The greatest teacher, failure is or was that @Eagledad? Keep trying doing.
    1 point
  8. It's not a real choice. BSA has a structure to create a youth program that charter orgs can use. That youth program is part of a brotherhood of other youth programs around the world. The charter org can create something very special and unique to their organization ... BUT it's without the boundaries of the scouting program.
    1 point
  9. I started this thread to suggest a framework to teach out scouts leadership. Failed, I have.
    1 point
  10. I did all of that. It never bothered me.
    1 point
  11. Yes. In the Guide to Safe Scouting, regarding the two year rule for tenting now says "Youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age." When it was first rolled out, the language was much less clear, and made it sound like a suggestion... Another good one is in the NYLT Syllabus, where it suggests a Troop Guide (youth) and an ASM(adult) can go inspect participant campsites... (No one on one contact anyone?)
    1 point
  12. @Eagledad @ParkMan I requested it be locked because people were reading DavidCos vague posts and assuming he was taking his Troop to Rally for Life events. That is not the case. They were continuing to pile on, even after he finally clarified. Locking the thread lets people read all the posts and get things back on topic.
    1 point
  13. It's been about 18 years since I was active... I made Eagle in spring 2002 and probably was about done by that fall. Girls, trucks, high school sports, and my friends moving away or dropping out... there were a lot of distractions for a 16 year old. Fast forward a few years and I love that I get to do all of the activities with my Cub. But I also consider Scouting to be the defining factor that built my independence and self-confidence to be able to basically be on my own in the military at 18. That is a HUGE part of why I want my daughters to be Scouts, and not stepping back to let them d
    1 point
  14. Any conservation project benefiting migratory bird populations would literally meet the terms of that requirement.
    1 point
  15. Hi @RichardB, As always, thanks for taking the time to share some insight with us on these topics. I've got very little insight how to communicate this feedback to national, please permit me to proactively share a few constructive thoughts. This is not criticism. Also, don't feel compelled to respond - I'm not asking you to defend this new program. I just wanted to share what I think are pretty common thoughts from out here in the trenches. Frist - and to be clear - I'm taking an open minded approach to this particular topic. I sat through the recent webinar and am likely to tak
    1 point
  16. I share your sentiments. Scouting isn't just an activity to me; it's a lifestyle. It is character development, it is patriotism and citizenship, it is outdoor skills, it is leadership, it is service to other, it is finding out who you are and what you're capable of, it is a worldwide mission and organization that recognizes and honors our differences and unites us in our many similarities. I don't see similar opportunities from soccer, karate, or piano, or at least not for the particular son I have. My cousins were MP in the Air Force. Stationed in Japan, Qatar, and Nebraska. Congratulat
    1 point
  17. Join scouts. My wife and I were going through old photographs and there was a pile from when my son was a webelo and a young boy scout. I vaguely remember when he was a tiger cub. He's 29 now and takes his dogs up 14000' mountains. While I still cherish my time with him he'll never sit in my lap again. Most all of scouting is at the unit level and so all the politics and rehashing of perceived mistakes can be ignored. Shanah Tova.
    1 point
  18. In any group/organization/association/club.... there are the ideals, the goals, the "official" reasons for the organization's existence , and then there is the reality of what happens. The people that define the organization (US Constitution? US populace?) are what make the ideals, the goals achievable. Or betray them.... BSA (and , I dare say, other Scout associations around the world) has that situation. So do Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Boys/Girls Clubs, Soccer Clubs, swim teams, gymnastics schools, public Schools, private schools, equestrian rings, and bird watching groups
    1 point
  19. This is the part of the forum to welcome new members. Coming into this forum and telling a new, enthusiastic parent that: Is just picking on a new member. You want to have that conversation, go over to Issues and Politics and we can hash that out again. I think we've had that conversation there 10 or 20 times now. I'm not even going to get into the merits of your argument here because the "New to the Forum" section where someone else is introducing themselves isn't the place for that.
    1 point
  20. @heres_a_llama, don’t let the curmudgeons get on your nerves. Yes some of us are dealing with national issues and cultural shifts, and that can be discouraging. BSA isn’t some up-front investment of thousands. Were it to fold next year, hopefully you’ll have got out what you put in this year. Positive attitudes year by year ... that’s what shapes the worlds largest youth movement.
    1 point
  21. PL’s cannot sign-off requirements in scoutbook. It is a read-only book to them. Patrol Method is optimized when the only signatures in a scout’s book are from his/her PL. That includes the SM conference. At PLC, the SM reports on which scouts he conferenced, and PLs note that in the respective scouts’ books. Really, the only things that adults are obliged to record are boards of review and advancement for each rank. Boys having to stop by the advancement chair or SM to have their books updated for every little requirement is an artifact of recent decades.
    1 point
  22. @SemperParatus you've got quite the tenure here! Thanks for your service to Scouting, past or present. That being said, you clearly aren't happy with the BSA for untold reasons. So why are you still participating here? Don't you have something better to do?
    1 point
  23. Welcome. My advice would be find another activity for your son. Scouting is in a death spiral.
    -1 points
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