Gone

I know what the Scouters look for....

Our unit's QM actively contacts scouts leaving the program to collect unneeded gear. He maintains an inventory and we open it up to any scouts who need gear.

While this is true, there are also the entrenched districts where they disregard this very same manual as much as they cite it for why certain roles shouldn't be helping in certain areas. Can't have your cake and eat it too. Not really adhering to the Scout Law if they slam the door on someone wanting to help even if it is outside of his assigned area.

Sounds like an MB College.

If you want to be that literal than there is nothing that is fact. Even things like the Big Bang, evolution, string theory, gravity are all "opinions" because there are exceptions under which their generally accepted applications can be challenged. So by that logic we have no facts, just things that are situationally factual.

Was chatting with a friend who has a son in our unit and she is a GS leader. We were discussing this program, the changes to the GS program and the updated GTSS and age guidelines. I was surprised to find that GS can do WAY more than Boy Scouts are allowed to do.

I am talking about American society and not religious canon. Reasonable people in the US -- who do not apply religious reasons -- can agree that killing you because you took my parking space is wrong and moral fact. Killing Hilter in 1926 knowing full well he will become a monster is slightly more grey.

Here is what you should see if you select multiquote. Note the dialog box at the bottom.

Yes, it is. I left out one step. After you click on multiple multiquotes you get a dialog box at the bottom right of your screen. You must click on that to have it pasted in to your reply area.

I think reasonable, sane people can agree that murder of anyone who has not committed a crime is a moral fact. As you point out, the grey area is abortion and the death penalty. No surprise there.

Complete rubbish. Water guns require eye protection but we send scouts in to the wilderness with bear and mountain lions? I wonder if "Jarts" and horseshoes are allowed or require any special protection? Here's the article mentioned above.

@@Eagledad, when our last SM took over from a long serving (and district-hating) SM, the new SM swore to build bridges with district. Over the next five years he had many scouts and scouters help at district, within the lodge, etc., to no avail. Still the good old boys reigned. Still the same old same old. Five years of head banging (not the Metallica kind) and he pulled back to do exactly as you suggest. Our units are stronger and more prosperous than ever. Sound advice!

Basically as you read a thread you select "Multiquote" instead of just "Quote". You can then see in the editor box all the quotes you have selected and then can elect to reply either below the box (like I am doing), or within the quote, which means you need to color your text to distinguish it from the original quote (as I have done above). Another cool feature is the @Mention under each person's alias. When you press that it adds @@Eagledad to the reply, thus creating an alert that you have been mentioned as well as quoted. This makes it easier to direct your response to someone else (e.g., @@packsaddle who will now know we are talking about him. ) Hope that helps.

Hey @@Stosh, just curious but how many units are there in your district and what % participate? In my district there 34 units and less than half participate; mostly because the larger units plan, manage and control the camporee and district. It has gotten so ridiculous that those units have their patrols *practice* the allegedly secret skill competitions a few months prior to camporee so they can sweep the categories. Very scout-like, huh? I'm curious what % of other folks' units participate in planning and attending their camporees.

Our PLC plans most camp outs like this already. They build 1-2 competitions in to each camp out based on a core scouting skill. If we are canoeing than it is a canoe race. If hiking, we have an orienteering contest. If just "chilling" than it may be cooking, fire building (assuming the State of MT allows it) or something like that. Thanks for the ideas. Already passed along to the SPL.

Wouldn't murder be a moral fact? One would think the vast majority of reasonable and sane people would agree murder is a moral fact, no?

All great ideas. Have to say I still like the unit-o-ree idea.

Bump to the topic... How many units have a defined budget? Know their expenditures per Scout and are recovering (or subsidizing) various costs. For example, we know each scout costs a unit $24, $36 if Boy's Life is added. If you provide any patches at crossover, hats, books or other items, how do you recover those costs? Our unit makes sure we know our per Scout costs, itemize all expenses and recover those costs through fees.

Curious, how does running an election properly keep kids from voting for Mr. Popular? Isn't the election team limited in what they can say? Sure, everyone says "It's not a popularity contest", but there's no way to prohibit the election from becoming one the way it is now. Blind elections would eliminate that possibility...or at least greatly reduce it.

Don't mess with girls and target sports. We have three Venturers who are the best target shooters across all sports. They have RSO shirts that say "Range Goddess".

I don't think anyone here thinks that learning to deal with disappointment shouldn't be learned. But there's a better way to let that lesson be learned than some lodges are currently doing. Also, as far as elections are concerned, if OA was truly worried about taking those most worthy, they'd have a blind ballot where each candidate's service project and camping record for that two year period were next to their name. That way the boys could see that Tommy Unpopular had 30 nights camping and 50+ service hours, whereas Johnny Popular had 15 nights and 10 service hours. Who would the boys vote for then? I have seen some VERY worthy Scouts never make OA simply because they were not popular. Over a 15 year period, it's enough to say that the OA is missing the boat and leaving some very good scouts behind who's time never comes. It is time to change how the OA elects members.

Great story. Sadly our experience was the opposite...and has been for many years. Scouts run the planning but it is HEAVILY managed by the district "old guard". So much so that the boys get discouraged and just give up giving control to the adults. Ironically those same adults then lambaste the scouts for their lack of ideas, leadership, management, etc. Our unit sent two scouts (Eagles, former SPLs, current JASMs; real go-getters). They noticed what was going on and politely asked the adults to step back and let the boys manage the process. One even showed the adults the flier posted to the units begging for boy-led help. Both our scouts were asked to leave! Believe that? The Key 3 are more worried about their WB tix or where they can get a good head-shot for their district photo. My JASMs took the issue to them and were ignored. I *do* like the idea of having a unit-based camporee. Great stuff! We know enough units fed up with district that we could pull that off. Great idea. BTW, if you are looking for a district in the west I know a few Key 3 people who could be replaced by you.

ROFL. I'll say it again, point to a statement FROM THE GOV that says he did this because of the nuts. If you read the official docs and listen to his press conference you'll see he never pays ANY attention to the nutters. He does listen to requests from several counties that asked him to protect their property and personal rights. These requests were made related to real issues, not nutter issues and conspiracies. The Gov noted as much in his press conference and his aides reiterated this when questioned on followup. I'm done on this topic since you guys just want to argue without pointing to any direct statements from the Gov (rather than unsubstantiated allegations). @@packsaddle again you point to local press yet NONE of them quote the gov. Please. @@Rick_in_CA if there are multiple quotes and reports they shouldn't be that hard to find. So far you've struck out.

Piutes and Shashone have deep cultural records. I have friends in CA who's lodges are based on those two nations. That's a far cry more local than Sioux. I suspect most lodges go Sioux for the outfits or they can't be bothered to do the research.

Well, if you watched the whole press conference you'd have those answers instead of vilifying a Gov doing his job. But it's always easier to believe anything in print, isn't it?