Nike

Is anyone disturbed by a senior IRS employee snapping during a conference call and wailing, "I'm not very good at math." That this was a female employee only adds to my disbelief. I mean, the only people who should be better at math than a tax authourity are rocket scientists and my CPA.

No. Many troops do bridging to coincide with the end of the school year since GS levels are grade based. We used to only bridge girls from Brownies to Juniors.

Someday, BSA and GSUSA will bury the hatchet, probably in someone else's back, and confederate into something along the lines of Scouting USA with co-ed and single sex units, probably by age and program emphasis. I'm not holding my breath though.

We're already plugged in to TAC, and I don't want to go behind anyone's back just yet. Since we won't arrive in country until late summer, I'm just looking for general advice. We have some GS committees in North Atlantic served countries that choose not to be part of NA due to Fair Share costs. I don't know if this will be a problem or a possibility until we get there.

I've called out to National before and they can be really helpful!

Thanks for your replies. We've had a heck of a week with movers and such. We are very lucky that in addition to the pouch, we have access to APO. The troop we are looking to re-invigorate doesn't seem to have had a lot of care and feeding from the DE, but it may have been a mutual thing.

My biggest concern is how the Fair Share assessed from non US gov families in TAC will affect our ability to put together a troop since there are many non-gov US expats in the area. Currently, USA Girl Scouts Overseas serves our new home via the New York office and not the North Atlantic office in Italy, obviating the need for GS to pay the Fair Share, which is $125 this upcoming year. Instead, New York served GS committees members can pay a $75 surcharge to attend North Atlantic camps and conferences.

So, if you hear about some wild Venture/Boy Scout/Girl Scout confab in North Africa the next few years: That's us!

I can see both sides of this, but I think my kids, 10 year old girl and 11 year old boy, would choose single-sex at this point if offered the choice. My son had noticed that the girls tend to organize themselves to their own advantage when it comes to classroom voting, voting as a large block to thwart the unorganized plans of pairs of boys. And, my daughter is already picking out potential boyfriends according to how much they agree with her.

We are headed to the land-beyond-the-commissary where the current troop is defunct. We'll still be in TAC, but I'm wondering if anyone has any pros or cons to being a direct service troop or a troop that is almost off the radar. Our CO would be the American school or local English church.

(And if this posts I will be sooooo happy!)

What's wrong with "All units shall abide by their CO's anti-discrimination and membership policies?" The only question left is if Lone Scouts can be gay/atheist and the BSA pros.

Where do I congratulate BSA on this exceptional punt?

There ought to be two resolutions: one for youth and one for adults if they are too afraid to simply have a resolution banning the use of sexual orientation as a reason to deny membership in non-1st Amendment protected units.

Interesting rumor I heard last week - the idea is being floated to keep BSA traditional, and allow Venturing Crews to allow gays as leaders and crew members. Use it as a test project to see what happens with the older crew members. The news media (which have the same deep understanding of Scouting complexities as they do of religious ones) hears that Scouting is allowing gays in, takes the pressure off National on the issue. GLAAD, other gay pressure groups get to declare victory and go home. Traditional morality still remains part of the Boy Scouts Core Mission. Religious COs can keep their BSA troops. Sounds like a Machiavellian version of the "Czechoslovakian Solution" that was discussed on this thread in the past. Probably just rumor, but anyone else heard this? Any comments?

What is a bible thumper?

 

Barry

I think my survey was aimed specifically at parents. My scenarios were about a COR exercising their options and gay men as Scoutmasters. As others have noted, it felt pretty lightweight. I'm wondering if BSA doesn't want to gather too much information.

Netroster is currently only showing State-side units. While not a priority like the forums, can you look into re-including the overseas units?

BSA just sent me a survey on the proposed policy. Anyone else get one?

Unable to find the Jambo thread about entertainment, anyway, I read today that the rock group Train decided NOT perform at Jambo due to "scout policy barring openly gay people from joining".

 

http://wreg.com/2013/03/02/rock-band-wont-rock-with-the-boy-scouts/

We often get two or more back issues at a time due to the way magazines are shipped to APOs. The boys and parents like it, but I don't know any DLs who use it.

If you don't have an in with a local silk screener, pack sweatshirts are going to be pretty pricey (more than $15.) We had Pack t-shirts, which everyone liked since we could find our boys when the uniform shirts inevitably came off.

Many packs have a sibling category, a vintage category (Dad's old car) and a Dad category where the only rule is there are no rules. While I wouldn't open a PWD to Girl Scouts just because of the nuttiness of the day as it is, I would have no problem whatsoever running a PWD for them. Last year I borrowed our Pack's track for a Daisy/Brownie Day, and we made potato cars. The girls loved it!

You're having growing pains. Eight is the ideal patrol for many reasons. It's large enough to get a task accomplished while small enough to be tightly knit, emotionally and operationally. As you have grown, people have begun to see themselves as both insiders and outsiders, depending on the relationships. This goes for boys as well as parents. Things probably feel way more frenetic and chaotic with a lack of easy agreement. Let the leadership of each group reach consensus amoung the leaders (PLC and Committee/SM & ASMs), and then the leaders bring along their followers. In Ranger school, my husband was told that leadership "isn't getting people to do what they want to do, but what they don't want to do."

Make sure the patrols are working and let them do patrol oriented activities like camp outs, hikes, etc.

I hope you hang in there and continue to let your troop grow.

Is it manageable, age appropriate drama amoung the boys or the parents? Two totally different animals.

Is it manageable, age appropriate drama amoung the boys or the parents? Two totally different animals.

Do be prepared for Scout and his family to throw a fit and quit the troop, then quietly transfer elsewhere. You'll have done your best and stood your ground in the eyes of your boys and thier families, though.

Yeah .... I tend to agree it's not the best idea, but it's in line with what has happened so far and it works to smoothly close the door. It's unofficial and everyone knows it. Perhaps instead of calling it "Eagle Scout", call it the "Spirit of the Eagle" award. Doesn't really matter what it is called as it's unofficial and such.

 

The end all is that there is nothing that can be done to fix the situation.

 

What can be done is to find a way to recognize the youth and make him proud and glad for the time he has been in scouts. It sounds like he has learned and benefitted from scouts. Hopefully, he will do the same for his own kids ... and also register them.

Just read a theory that he has Congestive Heart Failure is unable to continue. First time in 600 years that a Pope has resigned his office. In regards to packsaddle, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

This boy will probably need some very concrete examples of Scout spirit with which to compare his own behaviour.