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Just a comment or two, the BSA plan is a "placeholder" that it needed to file to stay in synch with the court docket and make progress toward bankruptcy emergence. Don't assume it's the product of wide-scale agreements. Like past plans, the other parties will now comment and object or support all or parts. While he has a large number of victims as clients, Kosnoff is not a mediation party. If the TCC wanted to accomplish a global settlement with all the insurers by now it could have, at fractions of pennies on the dollar. If a plan transfers the insurance policies to a Trust it puts the t

Welp, I hope the focus stays on youth protection and that if there is any good that comes out of this horrific mess it's that fewer children are harmed in the future in scouting and elsewhere. I hope eyes have been opened and that things are learned from this. I'm not a survivor so I can't presume to know how any of you feel about that but that to my third hand perspective would be at least some kind of nameless but worthwhile monument to your pain. BSA cannot forget what happened. It can't keep happening.

Does your troop have a strong youth-led ethos? My experience has been that given the opportunity a youth-led PLC will shy away from the proscriptive approach and generally try to keep things fun with a pinch of advancement thrown in - especially right after crossover

You may not be rid of me for a while. I may linger and cause trouble.

I have recommended that we never do a "First Year Program" at Scout Camp again...based on my last five years of observations at different summer camps in our region. Here are some things I have noted, in general... - Most "instructors" for the programs were first year staffers without the requisite skills to teach. I observed many of them demonstrating incorrect knots and lashings, incorrect safety precautions for Totin Chip (or outright skipping items like ax use and care, yet still "signing it off"), poor map and navigation skills, inability to identify local plants/trees (ID'ing anim

I hugely agree. I do think troops should help the scouts earn SCOUT really quick. A scout should never been in a troop for a year without earning SCOUT rank. First or second meeting is great. A month or two fine. ... It should be simple and if the scout has missing parts, it's easy to fill in. I agree the key should be "opportunities" to advance, but the program should be fun and adventure oriented. Let the kid do new things. AND, if that means sitting in a hammock for an afternoon, fine. For many, that's a new experience.

Are we talking about $$$ here? I'm sure it will be real nice to start out-earning the neighborhood kid who mows lawns in the summer.

@yknot I AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR SITUATION! I have encountered parents and units like that. And making the change to a more youth-led and fun unit is extremely challenging when you do not have support. I am dealing with one grandmother right now who is just like that. She has custody of the grandson, and is forcing him to stay in Scouting and is pushing him very hard to be an Eagle. Nice kid, doesn't cause major problems thankfully, but it is very obvious he has no interest in Scouting. When it was time to turn in MB class schedules, he didn't have the paperwork, and had n

I admire the optimism. And, in fact, when folks start posting vulgar impersonal messages, I typically leave the conversation. As long as this guy isn’t using base rhetoric to other parents it could blow over. On the other hand, arm-chair quarterbacking is the easiest sport in the world thanks to modern media (thus why my campfire is miles into back country and nowhere near cell towers). So it’s even odds that there’ll be a repeat. I once came on a committee (not scouting) that was beleaguered by parent criticism. Not just any parents … These were seasoned, well qualified adults who s

It has always been BSA's policy that so long as the CO follows the basic BSA policies (requirements, YPT etc.) the CO can set other membership requirements. Note the CoJCoLDS example. Some years ago, I helped establish a Troop at a Roman Catholic Church. They openly required that boys and families be Catholic. The Troop was very active for about three years, then gradually dried up and disappeared. We had a Muslim Troop some years ago, they declared anyone could join, realizing that their diet and activiites would be faith driven. Unfortunately, their membership was drawn from a

Hi, TGB. I'm very sorry to hear this, and a bit confused. I am a long-time Catholic scouter, chaplain, and theologian, and I'm not aware of any new rules that are particularly discriminatory or that would have prompted this. I wonder if there is a new pastor or COR who is taking things to an extreme that is not necessary. Scouting has been viewed as Catholic Youth Ministry since 1912. That's not new. Not every parish does this well, but the ideal is that the COR is the youth minister or other parish staff person responsible for youth ministry and/or family religious programs, or someone

Exactly. Full Stop.

Be careful with this. You must consult with your local council for their interpretation. Our council interprets this as a registered leader with that unit, having been approved by the CO/COR. I made this same inquiry to National for interpretation and was skewered, btw... Tread with care...

Vs none!...always need a third option.😎😎😎

Your points are excellent and feelings understandable. The very sad fact of this whole situation is that the BSA has put all victims into a bankruptcy process and not a justice process. This has been about business and not justice and for many that hurts the most. One thing to consider is that the TCC has mentioned that as part of this there will be "non-monetery issues" to address after the dollar amounts have been settled upon. The TCC has specifically said that as a part of the BSA restructuring it is focused upon the IV Files so that abusers are known and not able to be a part of other

Deal. Would someone please be prepared to explain to me who came up with the idea of a diver’s belt for boys who adventure around the water? Aka, Skill Awards. They were vexing then and it puzzles me still. Inquiring minds…

And how many rows of knots are appropriate.

When this is all over, we can get back to discussing red shoulder loops vs green.

A lodge covers a council. Or at least it used to.

I think the focus is on new Scouts, Scout Rank as well as Tenderfoot through First Class. Merit badges traditionally have been for higher ranks, although they can work on them at any time. Tenderfoot through First Class focuses on the outdoors. You are correct that some badges do not have organic opportunities. Sometimes the PLC does need to think outside the box. For example, hiking one of the Washington DC trails for Cit Nation. Service Projects can also be outdoors. Agree, but the key is WHO IS DOING THE PLANNING (emphasis)? If the Scouts are doing the planning, great. But

This is why my feelings are still mixed on Summer Camp First Year Programs. It is very unnatural vs. a year of campouts and most items will be done. There might be some minor requirements to cover, but for the most part, nearly all would be covered in a good program.

I think there is supposed to be a balance, to mix the fun/adventure with the advancement program. The kids show up for both. They want adventure but they also want that next rank badge, and recognizing achievement is one of the key ingredients of the scouting method. But how to strike that balance, what the right ratio is, I have no idea and I applaud anyone who can figure it out. Likewise with the AOL part of this discussion, striking a similar balance between getting AOLs prepared to join a troop, giving them enough knowledge and skill to confidently enter Troop life but not so muc

Welcome back to the light.

Also, some fine print that scouts and scouters find useful: What that means: not everybody has to sign off on requirements in the order presented in the handbook. One scout might want to master lashings, another map and compass, another cooking. You might find one of yours has forgotten all of the memorization. Tell her, “That’s okay. We’ll come back to it when you want ovals to sew on your shirt. For now, is there some other skill in the handbook do you want to master?” Get your adults focused on skills. The advancement will follow.

THIS is why hate having advancement as the focus of the program instead of FUN AND ADVENTURE!. And after my two older sons' experiences with First Year camper programs, I will not force a Scout to do it. Oldest was helping Scouts in his "patrol" out at FYC. Camp middle son went to divided their program into a Tenderfoot & Second Class session and a First Class session. He and his buddies were bored with the First Class session, but the new guys from the other pack were overwhelmed. Summer Camp, as it is currently done, needs to be individualized to the wants and needs of the S

I should clarify. AoL is a RANK Webelos may refer (in context) to the DEN or the RANK, depending.

Ours do a separate sign off for the requirements, but the AOLs who have bridged can do that quickly. Doing that gets them familiar with the process of getting things signed off (and their being the ones driving that process) but since they already know pretty much all of it it’s a “quick win.” Then the SM conference can happen and talking about that process is part of talking to them about how Scouts is different than Cubs.

Actually, I quite like (good) ponchos for hiking and backpacking. For those two applications, I'd much rather have a good poncho than a rain jacket, but I'll admit a significant part of that is the fact that I've always been a sweaty guy and wearing a rain suit while being active doesn't actually keep me dry, it just means I'm soaked from sweat instead of rain. One thing that can make a poncho MUCH more usable around camp is belting it around the waist to make it more of a tunic instead of a big bulky poncho. I used to just use a nylon webbing strap off a duffle bag.

I feared all along that there wouldn't be much money, given the number of claimants. I say claimants because how in the world could a victim proof of loss be blank, yet valid? I remember every disgusting detail of my abuse. And, while the insurers will still have to settle out (which may take years) it appears that fear was well-founded. When all is said and done, there is nothing that can heal the damage the BSA and its camp employee did to my entire life. Trust issues, 2 divorces, relationship issues--none of this can be undone and acting as if a pittance will somehow compensate m

We do and we don't. The unit is advancement focused. It's youth led, but with adult expectations that the boys internalize. The scouts prepare hard prior to crossover. Then there is a standard camp out or series of meetings in the spring post crossover where the material is gone over again before anyone will sign off on anything, so to their minds they've done it twice. Then in the past they've been told they must attend Dan Beard/First Year scouting at summer camp so they do it all a third time. Then, none of the SM/ASM team trusts camp sign offs, so they have to sometimes do it a fourth tim