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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/20/20 in Posts

  1. You just described the values of the Scout Oath and Law quite well. Maybe we should just stick to scouting. Barry
    3 points
  2. Actually diversity and inclusion have been proven to not be effective with many global studies disproving this theory. I think the reason is that that these terms are too high level and allow someone to play with the meaning of diversity. Its easy to point to a specific use case where it does or does not work.
    2 points
  3. No matter how you may feel on this, biggest challenge is this is the continuing move away from our CORE COMPETENCY. Is this "Fun with a Purpose"? I would say no and it does not add value to the program. I am not suggesting that the possible issue may be important to society, but there are many many issues that may be important to society. The BSA cannot be all things to all people. The more we try the more we wander aimlessly with each special interest group looking to "mold" the Scouting movement in America to what they "feel" is important and critical. Stick with the basics, fo
    2 points
  4. PragerU or Prager University is NOT an academic institute and is nothing more than a very conservative mouth piece. It has been called out multiple times for stating opinions or propaganda as facts, although none are backed but any academic-level research. None of its research or writings meet the minimum academic standards.
    2 points
  5. I get what you're saying - but why make an issue out of it? If someone wants me to stop leaving apples on my desk because they are sensitive to the implication of it, I'll be happy to take the apple off my desk. Yep, occasionally good people get inadvertently blamed - but it has a way or sorting itself out when others then can speak to your character on your behalf. I'm sure in your case others stood up and said that you were a great guy and had no ill intent at all. To me, it's about putting myself in other people's shoes. For a very long time in our country's history minorities had
    2 points
  6. Logic like this is part of the problem. YES, we've had racism...in the past. The past will never go away. We could completely eliminate racism and do absolutely everything that BLM, et al want...and it would still be there. I'm not saying the racism of the past won't go away. I'm saying the past will always have existed. A thousand years from now, the racism of the past will have still existed. We are among LEAST racist countries in the world. We are among the most racially diverse countries in the world Racism definitely still exists in the US, but it also is NOT socia
    2 points
  7. Taken to its extreme, it will not on disassemble youth organizations, but the institution of family itself.
    2 points
  8. In the context of this lawsuit, the BSA isn't rotten, nor does it have a dark side. The organization has given society a program that only intends to build better citizens. It is that simple. People can be rotten and induce a dark side of themselves on unsuspecting innocent families, but that has nothing to do with the BSA or it's programs. If one can't see this reality, they likely need to get as far away as possible so as not to pollute the minds of the innocent. There is no doubt in my mind that if the good of scouting from it's beginning could be measured against the bad th
    2 points
  9. *sigh* Yes. The BSA slash ScoutsUSA is/are in a bad way. Caught for not dealing with sexual predators, it is (we are ) reaping that harvest. By making the membership requirement effectively "Be a breathing human being between the ages of .... " I think we (they) have done the right thing. By tightening up the YP requirements, I think they (we ) have done the right thing. By complicating things by ADDING to our Promise and Law with this alledged Merit Badge, and the Churchill study ,it is being claimed that the Scouting Movement CANNOT accept the membership changes and must
    1 point
  10. I'd be up for that. Modernize the Citizenship badges a bit and convert 4 to 3. I'd even be game to go from 4 to 2. One focused on citizenship in the nation, one focused on how to be a good citizen in your community.
    1 point
  11. I think diversity and inclusion is important, but I don't think this should be a standalone badge. It should be rolled into a combined citizenship badge. There are now effectively 4 Eagle required badges on the topic of citizenship. Scouts by their nature as young people don't take a whole lot away from classroom style badges. Can you cite any of those studies? One of the issues with diversity and inclusion is that it means different things in different places. That's a function of societal make up and culture. For the purposes of this forum, and the BSA's badge, I'd imagine we are di
    1 point
  12. I never claimed they were an academic institute of any kind dismissing content as a "conservative mouthpiece" and "propaganda" without discussing substance effectively shows you aren't interested in discussing any points that conservatives have. Very convenient for discussions in which you want to dismiss all opposing views Indeed, they are stating opinions, but I don't see them stating such opinions as facts. I would HIGHLY dispute that "none are backed but any academic-level research". This speaker in particular, Jordan Peterson, is particularly noted for his highly researc
    1 point
  13. Diversity and Inclusion are not leadership qualities. Leadership qualities are decision-making, empathy, character, and integrity, to name a few. There is no "diversity" quality in an individual. Believing in and utilizing diversity and inclusion are very effective approaches or beliefs to lead and manage teams and organizations. They are not some left wing agenda item, but based on the idea that individuals have value, and their value is based on their past and experiences, such as how they were raised, education, etc, and that by bringing them in and developing them as effective members
    1 point
  14. Has anyone heard of Scout reach? We have a couple units here in my council. One has their meetings in one of the roughest housing developments in our city. Not really sure how successful it is though... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoutreach Its hard for some to see the value of Scouting or how it can form their future for the better. Some people seek out sports for their child to be the next (insert top NBA & NFL players names here) and think that is their ticket to becoming successful. That is something that the BSA can't compete with, we are not flashy. That's
    1 point
  15. This may be one of the most concerning things I have ever seen on this site. There are multiple studies, academic or business related, that illustrate the value and importance of diversity and inclusion. There are countless successful leadership philosophies the herald the importance of diversity and inclusion. Honestly, I think you have made up your mind and are not interested in anything actual proof of the values of diversity or inclusion to an organization, a leader, or to an individual.
    1 point
  16. I've come to look at this as an area where awareness is a good thing. Our country is has a deep and long history of racism and went through many reprehensible periods in our past. Maybe someone looks around today and sees no racism where someone else sees lots of racism. Regardless, it helps us all to grow by being acutely aware of the feelings of others on topics of racism, diversity, and equality. We're all people who relate to other people. I'd rather understand better the feelings of those who might feel oppressed so that I can avoid contributing to that. Since I'm not trying to disc
    1 point
  17. Good question. IMHO, National hopes it is families as in Family Scouting. In reality, it is our local communities which we serve. All politics and scouting is local. Scouting will continue at the local level whether there is a National or 13 Colony Council organization or not. My $0.02,
    1 point
  18. Just because you don't get out enough to see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
    1 point
  19. Over 2 years ago, PragerU posted a video which warned of the dangers of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion philosophy. https://www.prageru.com/video/dangerous-people-are-teaching-your-kids/ In short: "Diversity" doesn't mean "a wide ranging group of ideas". It means "increased influence by people more generally aligned with leftist ideals" (usually from groups that deem themselves "oppressed") "Equity" doesn't mean equal opportunity (a laudable goal!), but is instead a focus on equal outcomes, something NO society has EVER come close to achieving. Anything short of it is "evidenc
    1 point
  20. Dark v-shaped flying things are hovering over Scouting. With all the changes, what is Scouting's political "base"?
    1 point
  21. And to add...How do we compete with Boys & Girls Club and the Y which are serving the needs of these families, as much as possible, in the pandemic. What if families primarily want an inexpensive, after-school program and not a more expensive scouting program? Why are we the better choice? And why are we loosing our existing customer base...that fact does not help in extending our customer base. My $0.02,
    1 point
  22. For “why”, you need to look at the source ... https://scoutingwire.org/bsas-commitment-to-act-against-racial-injustice/, specifically, the signatories. This bypasses the usual MB process and comes from the top down. The CEO’s bio https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2020/01/28/getting-to-know-roger-c-mosby-the-new-president-and-ceo-of-the-boy-scouts-of-america/ explains: In the past decade, HR folks have benefited greatly from mandatory D&I. It stands to reason that if you put a person with that background at the top of your organization, this is the solution he will push down to eve
    1 point
  23. I'm not clear on why this is a merit badge. Surely the basic tenets of Scouting already incorporate these ideas. I suppose if one wants to explore them, fine, but I don't think it needs to be required for Eagle. American Cultures isn't required, but it is essentially a diversity merit badge.
    1 point
  24. I can think of no better way to push away what remains of the old guard. Those of us who never bought into the concept that girls were required for the betterment of BOY scouts, are now being asked to support a hastily shammed up Eagle required merit badge that twists that knife. No one can prove that diversity and inclusion are strengths; they are buzzwords from the left. Now councils are supposed to be half female? Do the Girl Scouts' lawyers know that yet? Folks like me are changing our wills. Don't bother with an FOS request. A small bitter part of me hopes that the perv ban
    0 points
  25. Yes, the basic tenets of Scouting incorporate the ideas but they do not, in themselves, raise awareness of different kinds of diversity, and what equity and inclusion looks like for different groups or different circumstances. Our goal is to make "good human beings" and Eagle Scouts should be the best examples of this - so it seems like a really good life skill for Eagle Scouts to have had an introduction to DEI beyond what they might experience in their own little corner of the world.
    -1 points
  26. More importantly, since this initiative is overtly a response to BLM, youth membership quotas do not directly address misplaced attitudes of supremacy in America’s youth. To do that, one should provide youth with mentors from minorities and the opposite sex. Not because someone from that group would be particularly well versed in the subject. (They may not even hew to the expected rhetoric.) Rather, by having youth from majorities mentored on occasion by people of integrity from minority groups, those youth gain memories of positive interactions that may offset seeds of bias that would ot
    -1 points
  27. -1 points
  28. You are right, you never claimed that it was an academic institution. But Prager attempts to come off academic institution, which is obvious, based on its name. We find ourselves in an era of internet based "facts", and understanding the bias within the source of these facts is often just as important as the facts themselves. And PragerU has a very strong right leaning bias. That means it is not neutral in its statements or videos, but promoting a specific agenda. And in this case, it is against the ideas within diversity or inclusion. So much totneh point, that is has distorted the idea
    -1 points
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