fred johnson

Agreed. It's a forced unneeded and problematic idea. Now if you have enough boys and girls in a rank to keep them separate and they want to do that, fine. Absolutely fine. But if you don't have the numbers and don't have the volunteers, how the heck would you make it work. Forcing it would just diminish the scouting experience.

We can argue and debate about good or bad aspects of communication and ScoutBook. I have a more basic need. Does our existing advancement person have to learn a new system just before we try to find someone new to take the role? Or can we delay until the next person steps in? We can't plan until we know a turn-off date for BSA Internet Advancement web page. In the unit I'm referring too, ScoutBook is a read only utility. It's not used to record advancement. So the March 1st warning saying we can't approve advancement is meaningless as it's telling us we won't be able to use s

3/1/18 is 1st quarter. BSA other announcement says ScoutBook Lite available 2nd quarter. I assume units will not be left without a system to use. So I'm just hesitant to trust dates yet.

That just says existing ScoutBook units need to activate the automatic sync by March 1st. No statement about ScoutBook Lite. No statement about when BSA internet advancement goes away. I'm being asked by an advancement coordinator how long he has until he has to switch. I think he's asking as his son is aging out and he's stepping away when the scout ages out.

No date. ScoutBook lite released 2nd quarter 2018 ... which means to me 2018. .... the article says the existing platform will be retired. I assume it's not the exact same day. So is BSA Internet Advancement to be turned off same day, same week, same month, same year?

Does anyone have an announced date that BSA online advancement is being turned off? I'm asking as I want to learn when our troop needs to start using ScoutBook. We'd like to like to start using ScoutBook for advancement at least a month before BSA ScoutNet Online Advancement interface is turned off.

I agree paperbook is not a good backup. But he has a zippered cover with zippered pockets on the cover where he stores his incomplete MB cards. For backup, sure let an adult enter in the data. Or use the online system to show the complete list of MBs. It's just that I want to encourage my son to be accustomed to working off line. Even at 10 years old, these scouts are very comfortable online and using online systems. I want him to benefit in scouting from using the paper copy and learning to stay organized and to work interactively with people. the last thing I want his him

Ya know ... I always pride myself on being technically current and usually ahead of the game. In fact, that's how I make my living. ... BUT ... I have zero interest in having my son track his advancement online. If he wants to look and see it fine. But as much as possible, I want them face-to-face. They will easy enough learn computers and moving forms about. IMHO, scouting is about that interaction. Encouraging scouts to update data in ScoutBook defeats alot of scouting's benefit. As long as I can, I'll encourage my son to use his paper scout handbook to track advancement.

Bigger units usually have more resources and can provide a better program. As such, if you don't want to split, don't. Your unit leaders helped drive the success and probably know what's best for the unit. BUT ... Would your pack do better having gym for say K-2 or K-3 to meet and a cafeteria for 4-5 or 3-5 to meet? I do like the idea of keeping the pack as one pack. If you are doing well now, don't split. The issue is K & 1 is just too young for most things that serve 4th and 5th graders well. And 4th and 5th graders don't want to socialize generally with K and 1. Cou

"Interpersonal skills" is the number one thing scouts learn. We can talk leadership and skills, but dealing with people is where scouts shines. But I do love the canoe trips.

Yeah, neither BSA or GSUSA have been fully clean. Each behaves more like a cordial neighbor than helpful friends.

You don't have to be a pilot, but you should have the skill and knowledge. The key is that you are registered with BSA as a counselor. That makes it legit. From there, if it's an "event", you could build teams and to make sure everything is covered. The MB idea is "interaction". So if it says perform or explain, usually it means person-to-person and/or actively involved. Writing a report or fill out a workbook does not replace "perform" or "explain". When workbooks are "REQUIRED" (... quoted because you can't require them ...) it's because the counselor wants evidence the scout di

What about cabin tents? Some of us like to get comfortable when long term camping.

So so true. I question the value of IEPs ... except that parents need to make sure they get listed in the IEP accomodations they want. If it's not in the IEP, it's no where.

My apologies if this seems flippant, but I've got sons with IEPs. I swear schools use IEPs to manage the number one disease that schools can't handle anymore: being a boy. There is huge maturity differences in those two / three years. Jobs. Cars. Dating. I'd hope those kids would want to include your son, but I can also understand their wanting their own time. SIDE DISCUSSION - Pray I don't take us off topic. It's why I don't like mixed age patrols. Mixed age patrols work well in many ways, but I'd rather see scouts initially grouped by age or when they join

I started reading this thread again. I keep twinging every time I read the rank requirements. They are just way way too long. Too many words. Turns off scouts. National really needs to focus on shortening the number of words. It's just out of control. The number of words in the requirements have doubled since 2005. The words the scouts see need to be simple and straight forward.

Absolutely. Like "Why OA?" ... It should be about more than elections and ceremonies.

IMHO the debate on "should it be a sensitive topic" is separate. It's too late. There are groups waiting to pick fights. OA members (new and old) already cringe thinking "is this in bad taste?" "Will I be accused of being a bigot?" I think it's best if OA drops the Indian mystic. It can offend people and it is a sensitive topic. Plus scouts are elected because of their example. Inserting them into a different folklore is a distraction. IMHO, it's best to stick to be heart of the idea. We serve. We help others. We share fellowship. The rest is a distraction. Sadly, I do th

You are right, but missed the point. We've all identified that same work around. The issue is BSA is marketing a contradiction. BSA is promoting "family" scouting, but hinted at single gender troops. That design would be inherently a contradiction, an oxymoron and no different than today but with girl troops.

I just made that connection. I did not make the connection. Absolutely right. Can't have "family" focus if forcing genders to be in different troops. Inconsistencies are aggravating.

Absolutely correct. Plus, BSA keeps trying to play both sides of the fence. Sometimes charter orgs own the units. Sometimes BSA acts as if they own the unit. As for now, BSA is inserting itself as if BSA owned the units when it announces cub scout dens have to be single gender and troops have to be single gender. IMHO, the charter org will work around and pretty much ignore BSA on these topics. And, how would BSA know or enforce the issue. ... Pack XXX will have den 9B and den 9G. They meet at same place and have same leaders and same calendar, etc. Troop ### and troop ###+1 wil

We heard some about the cub early adopter program at Jan round table, but the natural follow-on is ... Well, will there be a Troop early adopter program? Can I kick-start a girl's troop earlier than Fall 2019? We have girls ready-to-go now waiting. What if the venturing crew girls who are 14 want to form their own troop? Will there be an early adopter program for them?

Exactly. I remember a graduate course I took on communication. It showed the video of the CEO of an oil refinery taking a horrible beating in a press conference after his refinery polluted the local water supply. It was ugly. But, the guy stood up there, took the questions and did his best. That's leadership. And was used as an example of how to get in front of challenges. I agree with your points. Communicate early and often. Tell the truth. Get out ahead of rumors. ... It's human nature that people are going to debate, discuss and plan. BSA was poorly prepared. Three month

I disagree. Hugely. People are going to discuss, plan and make decisions. It's 100% natural. It's human nature. I think Stosh has it right in that there is probably much more going on behind the scenes than we can see. BUT this is hardly a surprise. Our local DE knew and hinted in August that there was an imminent announcement. If he knew then, then it was known much longer in advance at national. IMHO, national should have invested in staff well in advance of Oct 11th getting stuff thought through, in-place and ready to be distributed. BSA did not need the final product,

I mainly want to vent. I've been pretty much a BSA cheerleader and wear rose color glasses. But sometimes even I can get jaded. The slow roll out is killer. Nov and Dec round tables with no discussion. Now only some on cub scouts. Many people asking questions and all we can say is we haven't heard anything yet.