MattR

I think there are different types of people needed. Those that understand bureaucracies, those that understand scouting and those that understand the kids in their community. I wish luck to anyone looking to change their board.

I think that's great and I wish it were the rule rather than an exception. It doesn't appear that anyone is promoting it. I looked for scoutreach websites and found something on the "wayback machine" (an archive of old web pages). I'm not real familiar with Boys and Girls Clubs, so I looked around. In my county (which is also my district) there are 3000 youth in B&G clubs while there are 1000 scouts. B&G clubs do have leadership opportunities for 11-13 year olds and 14-18. I don't know much more than that and there certainly is some overlap. Outdoors and adventure, not so much.

Rather than hijack @Cburkhardt's thread(s) on restructuring councils I'm starting a new thread. Between those threads and my recent trip to Rwanda visiting a kid my wife and I sponsor, it just seems to me that the BSA has bigger problems than how to deal with scout shops and the annual membership fee to national. Kids in Rwanda don't need scouts so much as they need a full meal every day. The organization that connected my wife and I to the kid we sponsor are focused on these poor kids. They constantly ask: what do we need to do to help these kids? The BSA, on the other hand, is not

Just a hunch, but maybe this extra digit thing is a leftover from bad software practices decades ago and each council decides their own way to deal with the fact that there's still no way to filter a database by unit type. It's just truly amazing to me that this is still an issue. It's sort of like why ID numbers are still not unique across BSA. Oh well, something else for the new guy to fix.

For the scouts that join my troop it makes me feel like we're doing the right thing. For scouts that join another troop it gives me pause to wonder why, but I'm sure glad they stay in scouts. Usually, scouts join our troop because we do more than their old troop. The scouts that join other troops from ours go because they want a smaller troop or they have friends there. A few transfered because they wanted to do less (!)

Before everyone breaks up the phone company, what services do the councils provide? Or is this just a way to find the council with the lowest fees? As much as I'd like to get away from my council the advantage of having a local council is meeting people face to face. The Atlanta Denver example just doesn't make sense to me. Remote training has already been torn apart. Remote camporees? I don't see it. As much as people talk about working remotely it just doesn't work as well as talking to people in person. I'd rather see each unit have more say in how their council operates. How that

Councils are independent entities from national, so I'm not sure there will be any impact. That said, you asked how the councils can improve. You seem to be focused on process. The problem at my council is not process so much as people. Good people could solve all these problems so the bad people need to be replaced with good people. The biggest problem is the SE. Given that he'd have to approve anything I suggest I doubt this is a productive exercise. But, just to play along, I'd first fire the SE and take his salary and split it among the DE's. With the added salary I could hire better

Just to let you know, you're we does not include me.

I think this make a great point that seems to be lost: Scouting will make you a better person, not a saint. Sure, we aim for sainthood but we wouldn't need all the g2ss and ypt rules if we realized those goals. Not even eagle confers anything absolute. We claim greatness but when we can't deliver, whether it be a scout that ends up in the legal system or a sexual abuse case, I can see parents that know nothing of scouting asking themselves why they should put their kids in this program.

Yep, it's so much easier to sew it on than talk about it. That has to be a guy thing. Even the adults say they like the knots so they know what to talk about when meeting another scouter. I don't want to pick on wood badge but there are the stereotypical wood badge folks that used to give me grief because I didn't wear the WB neckerchief. I would tell them I had taken WB but I am a scoutmaster and so I will wear the troop's neckerchief. Let's be honest, if there were knots for WB then there would be no beads. I know that people want recognition, I do as well, but there's a point wher

Knots? This really gets down to what belongs on a uniform? How about what you are currently doing is okay and what you've done in the past belongs on your wall? Other than military dress uniforms what other uniforms have history?

I agree. Also, you know these girls, do you expect any problems? Do they work well together? Or are they cliquish? If there is just one older girl that looks out for the younger scouts then nothing more than a quick discussion with all the scouts about looking out for and being helpful to each other is all that's needed. Have fun.

Looks to me like you've already decided and the part you're struggling with is how to say no. I think it's an important skill to have. As others have said - keep it fun.

I'm sitting in Rwanda right now. I've been in Africa for 2 weeks. Some Safari but mostly I've been in poor areas. Over half the population makes less than $1.50 a day. That said, most people are quick to smile. I wave and smile at people and nearly everyone just lights up with a smile and waves back. In a way, it's part of their culture. But I've found it to be more than that. Some people I wave to are clearly down. Its not so much that they have little money but that they have little dignity. Many Rwandan children have been abandoned by their parents and are not in loving homes. Essentially,

Benadryl for allergic reactions (says the guy allergic to bees).

While I like your idea I doubt it would happen. The MB is dumbed down for a 12 year old to pass. Most high school students sleep through it. I think most high school students that I know would have no problem with passing the cit test. But that is a higher than average group.

@Cambridgeskip, I've seen similar and also used scenarios to give scouts some experience at people problem solving. Confidence requires practice. So I'd say keep going with your training. As for the helmet, I was taught to leave it on. It's easier to tape the helmet down to a board than taping or holding a head.

Cubs? Once a day put up a wash line with warm water and get them all through. That way nobody has more than a days worth of grime, and that's reasonable. I always volunteer to wash dishes at night so I can clean my hands in hot water before I take my contacts out. Below zero, doesn't matter. Feels wonderful. I've been told hand sanitizer is worthless unless you use a huge amount.

It's ironic that the BSA claims it knows how to develop leadership.

Done

Given that it's free, or payable on an honor system (that's what it seems like to me) you might be okay as long as the website still works. It might just be that the owner of the hosting server is on vacation someplace warm right now.

I'm in a somewhat similar spot. I learned the hard way I can't say yes too often. Some people can do that and some just burn themselves out. For me it was more of a spiritual depletion. Every job has it's bad parts but when the bad parts start outweighing the good parts it leads to stress. When it comes to a volunteer position this just doesn't make sense. So, the real question is what are the guidelines for saying yes or no? Clearly everyone has their own guidelines. For me and scouts, I'm trying to stay away from things I have no control over. All the national and council stuff is just

Only thing I can think of is someone not setting it up for them. <hint> Personally, I think the requirements should be a second thought to such a great idea. How cool for a tiger or lion to cook a pizza they made in an oven they made that runs off the sun. That is pure gold. Forget the requirements. As you find more great ideas please post them along with resources others can learn from and let us know how they went.

Interesting. I really have mixed feelings on that list. I know one of the board members. Both his sons were in my troop when I was SM. On the other hand, why is the Director of Program (or Director of the Keeper of the Flame, not sure of his/her title) not paid enough to get on this list? Who on that list owns how the program reaches the aims? As others have mentioned, the amount of money isn't nearly as big a problem as how it's spent. I completely respect that things like marketing and IT are important, but someone has to own the core reason of the organization. Shouldn't they be top dog?

I'm asking for the relationship to change. We certainly want them to listen more but are we willing to listen more as well? When I first became a SM I had all sorts of people giving me advice. Lots of advice. It became ridiculous so I just ignored those people and worked with the ones that wanted to help. Just a thought.