Jump to content

prof

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    433

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by prof

    Integration and Ceremonies

    in Order of the Arrow

    Posted

     

     I really don't know how many of "my" team would sadly walk away but the team dynamic would most certainly be profoundly altered.

    The change in dynamic is what has me concerned. Not just for ceremonies, but for the group overall.

     

    It has been many years since I was involved in OA, so things may have changed already without my knowing it.

     

    But in my day, it was a boy run organization. We pretty much had the run of the camp. When I chaired the ceremonial team, we camped apart from the rest of the group (usually occupying an old cabin). At any time, a few of us might be working on the ceremonial grounds. Others might be at the cabin working on their lines. Still others might be working in the main building with logistics or ceremonial supplies. Often, our ceremonial advisor would stay in the main area or not show up until ceremony time. It didn't matter. We knew what we needed to do and were trusted to do it. Through this were learned to work as a team and to accept responsibility.

     

    What would change if half the ceremonial team was female?

    Well, not sharing the same cabin is obvious.

    But what about everything else? Would we need a team of advisors to follow the smaller groups around as they completed various tasks? If so, how would that affect the boy's feeling of trust and responsibility? On the other hand, would it be responsible, as an organization, to have mixed groups in the woods without a chaperone?

     

    My musings, for what they may be worth.

    OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE: Girls as Youth Members, All Programs

    in Issues & Politics

    Posted

    Just got this in an email.

     

    This is an exciting and important time for the BSA. Our recent historic decision to serve families by inviting girls to Cub Scouts and delivering a program that will enable them to earn the rank of Eagle Scout sustains our mission of preparing more young people to live the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

    We have expanded our scope, but our mission and Scouting’s time-tested, proven programs remain unchanged.

    We believe this nation needs and deserves more youth focused on the foundations that still serve as bedrock of our movement —     duty to God and country with a desire to help other people at all times.

    We know this decision has sparked conversation and debate, but we want to be very clear that we remain committed to serving boys and young men as we invite girls and young women to benefit from our iconic programs by experiencing the same opportunities to develop leadership, face the same character-building challenges, and have the same fun adventures.

    The Boy Scouts of America, in name and as an organization, has stood for character development and values-based leadership training for more than 107 years. It is, unequivocally, one of the most recognized, respected and valuable brands on the planet. Therefore, while we have expanded the reach of our programs among today’s youth and their families,     our name remains the same, and our brand will continue to be a source of pride that we will protect and foster as we look to extend the reach of our promise to more families.

    While our curriculum is relevant both to boys and girls, our commitment to single-gender offerings remains the same. Our decision does not make our programs co-ed. We acknowledge and celebrate that boys and girls develop differently, and there are times that single-gender learning is most appropriate. We will maintain the experience boys have had in our organization while at the same time expanding our time-tested programs to girls and young women. In fact, we have outlined a structure that would enable us to continue providing single-gender environments — dens within Cub Scout packs and a single-gender Scouting program for older girls within a broader structure that will allow us to serve the whole family.

    By expanding the program to more youth, we ensure that families of the present and the future will have an even stronger connection to the values we hold dear.

    As we move forward implementing these programs, we keep foremost in our minds that this decision was driven by the many members of our Scouting family, people who live the Scout Oath and Scout Law every day. Together, we understand and believe in the BSA’s mission, and we want what is best for all young people — to experience everything that Scouting has to offer, and to be Prepared. For Life.

    Thank you for joining us in sharing this message throughout our communities and this great country.

    Sincerely,

     

    Randall Stephenson
    National President

    Charles Dahlquist
    National Commissioner

    Mike Surbaugh
    Chief Scout Executive

    • Upvote 1

    OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE: Girls as Youth Members, All Programs

    in Issues & Politics

    Posted

     

    I think their concerns are pretty clear...those boys, right or wrong, want Boy Scouting to remain boys. They seemed highly offended that no one asked the Scouts themselves just parents.

     

    I concur with the boys. I get that this would be a great thing for National (more membership and $$$), a great thing for some parents (only one trip for scout meetings), and great for the girls (great program, a chance to earn Eagle). But thus far, I've seen nothing to indicate that this will be great for the boys. For that matter, I can't see that they were even considered in this.

    Fire by friction

    in Camping & High Adventure

    Posted

    In a welcome thread for Cyclops, I mentioned that here in Central Indiana, we have a scout group called Firecrafter. It is similiar to order of the arrow.

    I mentioned this as fire by friction was brought up by him, and the firecrafters do this as a requirement. See the you tube video below.

    I then mentioned that I had seen someone do something similiar to this technique and that I thought it looked cool!

    So I put this out to the group: Do your boys ever try to do these kinds of things? If so, what techniques do you like the best?

     

×
×
  • Create New...