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I'm skeptical because scouts already join for the outdoor fun and adventure. That part of the program is fine. The adults are the ones that turn it on its head, and I'm not sure how that can change. Where I disagree with Fred is he wants to simplify the program so the adults can do a better job. But, if we take away goals, adults by nature fill in with their own ambitious desires. I don't believe that adults will allow scouts to lead if leadership is not part of the goals. I've watched to many adults fill in their self-desires where they see gaps in the program. An afterschool outdoor pr

... 20 years ago. Now, I can do remote desktop screen sharing using cell phone from most camps in my state. Often, I'm lucky enough to have reasonably high speed data inside the tent. ... real question now is "why"

Real camps don't have wifi. Go sit on a rock and enjoy the breeze.

It appears so. Maybe everyone left us here to rot and wither in ignorance and lack of socialization due to some unexpressed desire for a sabbatical. Or, everyone is reading my article very slowly and translating it into multiple language for international distribution. Or, we offended the rest. Or, this all was settled amicably and no one told us. I’ve been vexing about this without explanation, other than my attempts to humor myself.

Well, linguistically, the answer would be no - the Luddites followed in the example of Ludd, who was merely their exemplar but not a Luddite himself. And The Old Pretender was no mere Jacobin; he was James Francis Edward Stewart himself, the desired ruler of his Jacobin followers, certainly not one of them. So in that sense, no, Jesus would be The Christ Himself, who stands at the head of His people. However, considering the intimacy He preserves betwixt himself and His people, I am certain He doesn't mind being placed in that grouping. ☺️ True, Jesus was Jewish both by ethnicity and nat

I actually would recommend against it. First and foremost, it states as much in the Guide to Awards and Insignia (which one would think would be enough to settle the discussion here and now, though some people would rather be permissive than be correct). Anyway, Den chiefs' places in their respective dens are symbolized by their den chief cords; the Wolf and Bear chiefs wear blue and gold cords, while the Webelos cords add a red braid. That should be enough of an identifier for them, though some Scouts (and leaders) have to be taught the concept of "less is more." The reasoning behind it

I guess I'm the only one who thinks thats its impractical and even impossible to legitimately earn every merit badge in just over a year. I have seen Eagle Scouts who can't build a fire, tie a knot, or cook a meal. I have also heard kids say that they can get a quick military promotion by earning Eagle. Those who do the promoting expect those Eagle Scouts to know something and if they don't they find themselves in a less then favorable position. Does anyone remember when an "Eagle Scout is a First Class Scout who has earned a specific number of merit badges?"

Absolutely. Ditch the stuff scouting does not shine at. .... at least minimize. Scouting SHINES when it takes kids outside. Hiking. Biking. Canoe. Teaching outdoor skills. Scouting bumbles around in just too many other areas. Scouting can claim so many positive reasons to be a scout IF IT WOULD JUST STOP DESIGNING THE PROGRAM TO TARGET THOSE REASONS. The reason to be a scout is simple. To be outside. To have adventures. To try new things. To make friends. To explore the world. To sit by a campfire. ... The rest is hogwash. Sure it's neat to point and brag at,

I do. I also realize that nobody does, and the councils like it that way. If just a third of the CC's in my district voted on council issues there would be real feedback. They are the ones that have to deal with council, the CO's have no idea what council does.

I think there's a sweet spot between these 2 posts. As Fred says, scouting is kids outside, learning skills, being challenged and having fun. But think about what challenge means, especially to a teenager. The right challenge is the motivation that brings out the magic in scouts. Somewhere between boring and overwhelming is a good challenge. Not only that but the best motivation is self motivation. The adults sole purpose is to help the scouts find motivation, preferably self motivation. As the scouts become motivated the adults have less to do. That's my interpretation of what Barry has said

I would also say in many cases a switch from a chartering organization sponsorship to a facilities use agreement really won't change much of anything and in fact simply might formalize the status quo. Most of our relgious COs think they just provide space for us anyway and many are incapable of providing any kind of oversight -- the congregations are too small and/or too old.

I would hope not, but much depends on the next few months. There was a schism in the church recently, and there likely is also a difference in those views more locally. Our own congregation and pastors are strongly behind us, but they are still tied to the Conference decisions. Hopefully that will be easier by year end. Almost all the troops over 40 years old in our council are Methodists, and ours is 100 in December. The big thing is to NOT be chicken little every time someone says something that may suggest a change in view. At least in my experience, more rational voices rise to the t

Sure. Thanks. Rub it in why don’t ya! Now that you say that, I was always at camp over the date on which my mother decided it was time to launch me into the great wide world of the unknown, the inexplicable and a place where I was soon forced to eat and sleep and poop according to the dictates of human convention. I always resented that. It was much easier before she went and did that to me. I think I’ll call her and remind her just how rude that was. Be right back...

Your carefully-chosen humor to relieve the seriousness / stress of this topic is always appreciated.

Is it acceptable for a Den Chief to wear a Den Number Patch corresponding to their Den's while they are helping that den? I have seen adults wear the Den Number Patches so what about Den Chiefs? If you know anything then Please Let me know.

A Den Chief should be setting the example, including proper and complete uniform at all times.

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I agree with you. I think it would be neigh impossible to do in 3. My daughter, who is very bright and hard working, agrees as well. For girls who got Eagle and 50+ MBs in covid in 22 months, hummmmmmmm…..

What I was saying is that it may be the larger view, but things are working for us. All (most?) Scouting is local. The membership decline has been steady since Dale. This isn’t new. How is YOUR troop or YOUR pack?

Ok,that's wonderful and I hope they were meaningful, met a need and you had a good time doing them😉

My Answer to him is the same as the "I need Eagle for my College Application." The journey each Scout takes to earn Eagle is far more important than holding the award. If he decides it's not meaningful to him, he shouldn't bother, but that should be because he's prioritizing something else in life more meaningful, not because other people are taking shortcuts. Will he drop out of high school or college when he finds out classmates are cheating on quite literally every assignment? It doesn't matter what those people are doing.

The more it goes away from this, the more it does “outdoor themed school work” the few youth that will join and stay. Do the outdoors. Don’t write a report on the outdoors.

Most MBUs have become a numbers game. How many can we get through and how many badges. Many of the instructors just talk through the requirements and as long as the Scout sits through it all, they are then "given" the badge. The Scout goes in expecting they will be given the badge. They have been taught this by their parents. Have seen too many youth and adults who fully expect the Scout to get the badge just because they sat in on the class. If the instructor tells them that they will have to do some work for it, then the Scout might start to argue back, but then come the parents.

Some of the issues with Scouts is that it requires at least 20% (?) of parents to be all in. Do any other youth activity require that? The second is that for the Scouts, it isn’t all fun: kp, policing the area, breaking camp, cooking for others etc. Some kids (who were Scouts) have quit because they didn’t like the work aspect of it. They were used to programs that were more or less all fun / all core program.

It can be done. The cub camp I went to with my son required testing within 72 hours of arrival for all unvaccinated attendees. Most scouts in our Pack went to a testing clinic the day before, we can get both rapid and PCR tests done around here in under 18 hours. If they tested on Friday and arrived at camp on Saturday, the likelihood of exposure in that small window of time is very low. It's not perfect, for sure, but it helps. And I have to imagine that in some of these cases where COVID made its way into camps, pre-camp testing might have prevented it.

Always happy to help! 😄