Gone

Rationale by its very nature is subjective. You have policy which should be stated. You have process which should be outlined. You should always follow policy and process. Where there is no process it is acceptable to make up your own, provided you follow policy and don't go against the stated process. That's what councils do now. That's why you have differences: a lack of end to end process. For rationale you'd have to ask each council.

It's good quality. The stuff we have has lasted a long time and weathered well.

Good question. I have no answer that does not include my well know vitriol for district. The last few OA meetings our rep attended were run by the adults. Long time guy who lives for those meeting as a soapbox. Misses the point, and his boyhood, entirely. Been that way for ten years now. That as why we focus on the unit not district. So in a phrase I think your answer is: Overbearing adults who get off on power. That's why everything is done as a unit. Power.

@@JoeBob nailed it. @@TAHAWK, I've seen just as many arrogant WBers as I have untrained clueless SMs. Both are condescending as heck. I prefer the latter since the former should know better...but don't. They get off thinking they're the smartest kids in class. They're usually wrong.

Exactly!!! The training is usually dry, off point, and taught by someone who thinks they know they skill but merely took a class and was "certified" by BSA. I've take. Trainers edge. Learned little. Learned more in grad school about presenting and teaching. Those with zero skills might pick up something but to retake the same training every three years is silly. And yes professions do ask you to take continuing Ed. Few ask you to retake classes which you have already taken. That's why they call it continuing Ed and not repetitive Ed.

What do effective commissioners do? What would effective RTs do? What would they consist of? District and council screw up my recharter paperwork. If they stay out of the way I get it done first pass. When they get involved -- which they do only to get what they want out of my unit -- they lose stuff, screw it up or otherwise delay it. Not trying to be argumentative. Just trying to define what "effective" means. I could get behind an organization that provides value to my unit. Those who waste my time, offer things I don't need and require more from me that takes away from my unit

Right. So BSA followed the oath and law with how they handled this whole situation? Those pushing for the policy change were acting scout-like? Please. As I said, there's plenty of unscout like thoughts and emotions going on here...from everyone. Let's not hide behind false piety.

Smoke signals?

Odd, because our local CERT and S&R training teams teach during the week on a week-by-week basis just like RT. They push through about 20-40 people in each class 3-4 times a year....all with volunteers. You'd think a volunteer driven organization like BSA could do at least a few session a year not in the middle of back to school, sports and several religious holidays....not to mention prime unit camping season.

Oh please. The members of this forum often trade in information they see and hear, and what Stosh and I have posted is no different. My LDS contact (the guy who hosts our district and is fairly high up in the LDS scouting side) said that he received word this response was a temporary measure until the LDS church can figure out what it wants to do long term. The boys are beginning a new cycle (new program year) and LDS did not want to go off half-cocked (like BSA does too often) and pull the plug without something to take its place AND a transition plan to get boys bridged to the new program.

The BSA rep on that podcast said January 16th which is a Saturday.

We have a page which is our marketing brochure. We follow the BSA social media guidelines about posting, pictures and contact. It's run by a few ASMs and our Historian. The latter has a group account which is a generic account which can only admin the page. Not tied directly to the scout but through an alias. Don't use groups because we have SOAR which has a newsletter and email lists which we have found more effective for our size group.

The rumor is that this is a temporary move until LDS can solidify a youth program they can get behind 100%. From what I just heard I don't expect this "support" to last.

Wow!

I could see if RTs offered WRFA or CPR/AED or climbing or RSO training. In my area these are done by units, not district or council, so the training offered is really nothing more than I can get online. To drive to RT and back is a waste. I'd go if they had better training.

Still...a tent on a crate with institutional food. That cannot be worth the difference between the options available to most scouts. At $7.25/hour on a 40 hour week, kids can earn nearly $290/week working a 40 hour week or $2600 over 9 weeks (before taxes). Compare that with earning $75/week for 6 weeks or so at camp you earn roughly $500 before taxes. When you add in these kids at camp work well more than a 40 hour week, this is REALLY low...and a very good reason NOT to staff a council camp unless you 1) really have to because you have few options, or 2) really like council camps, food,

I've done the new Crew start-up. That was less pressure to succeed because in my area many crews fail in the first year and few have more than 5-10 scouts. We have 20 and run it essentially like the old Leadership Corps. It's is more a Venture Patrol than a Crew. Format worked for us and allowed the guys to give back to the main unit. Starting a whole new troop is well beyond my patience level. I take my hat off to all who try.

Good point. And those of us who can run a good larger program might not have the skills to build and grow a smaller program. I know I can run a medium to large program and keep it thriving. I don't know that I have the skills/patience to do the same for a smaller one.

Why RT? If BSA is moving in to the 21 Century with STEM, electronic MB books and other things, can't we get away from paper distribution of information and the incessant need to have meetings when an electronic communication, virtual RT or some other form of communication would be 1) more effective, and 2) less time consuming? If folks REALLY want to have a RT -- presumably for social reasons -- let them have it, but don't hold those who don't want to go hostage by making it the only place to get certain information. If RTs are going to shake this reputation they need to stand on their own

Didn't this post answer why? http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/27578-how-does-your-district-handle-eagle-references/?p=423738 The GTA provides a rough set of guidelines but not a definitive process or outcome. I think that's why there is no standard across councils. Otherwise I am sure the knowledgeable folks here would have pointed that out.

I thought this too. Yesterday I was doing my 5k through the woods and listening to the BSA August podcast. The lady on the podcast said this: - the requirements kick in January 1, 2016. - New requirements take effect for webelos crossing over in 2016 immediately. - Any scout not yet Fisrt Class can continue to work on First Class (and all lower ranks) using the old requirements. As soon as they make First Class they MUST use the new requirements for Star and beyond. So if you complete First Class in May 2016 you have to use the new requirements for Star. - Any scout ABOVE First Class

No wonder the staff is suspect. At those rates who would take such a job but the truly desperate. The high-end scouts we want teaching scout craft or first year scouts are life guarding or at private outfitters making minimum wage. So do I have this right? Councils fall under non discrimination laws at their camps but not minimum wage laws? How crazy is that?

Lord no! Not until there's accountability to run councils properly.

This explains a lot about why summer camps are not as well run as they could be.

But what does this mean? How does any of this help the units? How does any of this further the goal of scouting? From my experience "district goals" have been more around JTE than anything substantial felt at the unit level. I was looking for concrete program ideas and execution by "good districts" which help the units.