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My last act in 2020 was to submit our recharter through the internet interface. I have to tie up some paperwork loose ends next week, but the process is almost done. So 2021 is a go for my Troop! I am looking forward to 2021, which could be my last as scoutmaster and one last chance to get the troop to be scout led. With COVID-19 cancelling district events, it will be a chance for scouts to plan their own calendar of events. I have 7 scouts working on their Eagle rank right now (over half of the troop), so the first 6 months of 2021 will be busy with eagle projects and finishing up requir

I know some have mentioned that no Scout has to earn Eagle. That is well and good but the Scouts that have stuck with our Troop through this terrible year do want to be Eagle. Some are moving along very well. What happens when a parent says NO to this merit badge and rank requirements? They say that it has no place in the BSA. They say they will not subject their Scout to this indoctrination agenda. But they have to if the Scout wants to become Eagle or the Scout suffers. Unfortunately I see this as a breaking point. The mighty oak will only bend so far before it snaps. If

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you all for your service to youth and Scouting. May 2021 serve as a time that our movement turns back to a more positive time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN PORTLAND> "Portland rang in the new year with a riot — as vandals wreaked havoc throughout the Oregon city, tossing Molotov cocktails and attacking law enforcement with rocks and bricks, police said. The crowd convened around 7:45 p.m. near Chapman Square downtown, the heart of protests that raged in the city throughout 2020. Portland police said at least two Molotov cocktails were thrown and commercial-grade fireworks were launched at the federal courthouse and Justice Center, which some rioters attempted to break into. The crowd also set multiple fire

@DuctTapeand others, Let's remember the original purpose of merit badges...to expose scouts to various topics that they find interesting. If a scout takes First Aid merit badge, the goal is NOT an official first aid certification, rather to get the scout exposed to the basic concepts. I have first aid certification through the Red Cross for work and that includes being able to demonstrate CPR and how to use an AED. This MB falls short of that, yet there are unit leaders and MBC that add to the requirements of the MB, because the view it as some sort of certification. It is good that

I’ve always figured RS was giving his best tupence. And they say the best things in life are free. So, I’m running with that! Happy New Year!

Still no word on the requirements, but I was in an email exchange with my advancement chair and another person who will be the other MBC for this. He's planning on using Prager U. and Ben Shapiro videos as well. As he put it, if the point is to "discuss" this stuff, showing a video that argues that a) institutional racism doesn't exist b) systematic racism doesn't exist and c) intersectionality = Marxism and asking scouts to discuss should work fine. That, and a Blue Lives Matter vid (to counter BSA's Black Lives Matter endorsement) I really don't think BSA is going to like how

I noticed that @RememberSchiff keeps adding something along the lines of "just my $.02” at the end of his posts. I'm starting to wonder if he's expecting payment. Think about it. He has some 5800 posts. At 2 cents per post that's over $100. But maybe he's expecting the 2 cents from each person that reads a post? That is a whole lot of wisdom. Especially if he can collect. But, is it legal? What say yee? Let's have some fun with this. It's been a rough year and we should start the new year happy. The legalese 😁: keep it friendly, images are permitted, any punishment vetted on a

Welcome to the forum, @deafeaglescout. That's really fascinating history. Thank you for sharing. It would be great for you to give back to scouting in whatever way you can. That applies to all of us on this forum so this is a great place for you to be.

@InquisitiveScoutergiven your process I'm surprised anyone would apply to be a MBC and if it takes 16 weeks you will have zero counselors before the 1 May date.

How bad is it getting? The official/unofficial BSA comment section known as Scoutbook Forums has now shut down and locked a thread where a Scouter expressed concerns over this merit badge. https://discussions.scouting.org/t/concern-over-the-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-merit-badge/212618/27

The sticking point is they have not figured out a way to "vet" the DE&I MBCs. They only want certain people with certain training to do it and they haven't figured out a way as to how councils and districts would do that. What I was told was Councils got the requirements and specifications and Wednesday night BUT were told to hold them until National released today.

I will remain council-anonymous. Over the past few years, I have filed about 30 forms for parents in the Troop to serve as MBCs. The process here is 1. You must file a new Adult Application, as this is a District (not Council) vs Unit position. The position is no-fee. (I think this is standard across the country.?) 2. With the Application, you must also file your MBC Info Form 34405. (Also standard...) 3. The Registrar looks over the form and, when all is in order, then gives it to SE, who has to sign it. Once SE approves, it goes back to Registrar. It is unknown ho

@InquisitiveScouter 10-16 weeks? What council are you in? That's ridiculous.

I am one of the eagle scouts at Virginia School for the deaf. I ve attained that rank in 1984. I personally knew these five deaf eagle scouts and the first deaf scout master Aumon Bass. i went to his funeral and his wake. In fact, He had 93 life scouts and he personally turned down 75 life scouts of becoming an eagle scout, because he think they are not worthy of becoming eagle scouts. And also I do personally knew one or 3 of the 5 deaf eagle scouts and he is dead now. He boasted his robbin type 1 or 2 medal at va school for the deaf and blind. And also I personally knew Warren Blackwell wh

The new merit badge is not in scoutbook as of 12:20 am MST Jan 1. My council uploaded a MBC list to scoutbook on Mar 24, 2020 and since that time, I could not list anyone in my unit as a MBC. Here is an interesting fact, as unit leader, I can sign off on any merit badge requirement in scoutbook. This is important, since I get a stack of blue cards from Merit Badge University or from summer camp and I have to manually enter that information into Scoutbook. Right now, there is nothing stopping me from signing off on any merit badge requirement, but I only do so for MBs that I am approved fo

The idea is that you will no longer be able to add yourself as a MBC directly into Scoutbook. Your council, when it puts your application through Scoutnet, is official Then Scoutnet updates Scoutbook. So yes, it still relies on Council (or District depending, I know some districts process MBCs) getting it into Scoutnet. But it also means that if you are not in Scoutbook, you are not officially registered as a MBC. It also eliminates units being able to put MBCs into Scoutbook (which was a problem as tons of "unofficial" MBC without YPT were working with scouts). https://discussions.s

Seriously. Drama aside, how many parents are even going to know this is going to happen? And how many are going to raise a fuss? And how many of THEM are going to get appeased/have their scouts pencil whipped through? It's a box to be checked of that their scout is "woke". Aside from the sexual aspects of the MB (which as I said I have received assurances from my district advancement chair will be waived or parental option no matter what National says) everything else is box checking.

Possibly. If they decide to continue to participate.

Snowplow parenting mode...good on the Dad for realizing it and putting the responsibility on his son's shoulders. Our community is rife with this parenting style. (snowplow, helicopter, lawnmower...choose whatever machine you wish )

I wish there was a way to punish those responsible for the abuse instead of punishing the program for today's scouts.

Reading through this article makes it obvious the journalist knows precious little about our religion; however, regardless of the writer's ignorance the simple fact is that the increasing ubiquity of these cases means nothing but trouble for the BSA. I have no doubt but that the church will weather these accusations as well as ever (we've endured far more calamitous calumny than this before), but BSA national? They have had their backs to the wall for too long already, and these cases will do far more damage to Scouting than they will to the church. My heart goes out to the innumerable vi

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

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.