qwazse

Trailer can look pristine ... one fresh chain never secured ... you'll never tell until it comes flying. So, of things not to tailgate, those two-wheeled trebuchet-in-disguise are up high on my list.

FWIW, our orienteering club lets folks run their courses in teams. Sometimes they encourage them to do so. They certainly encourage young ones to participate with their parents/guardians. (And yes, there's paperwork that must have a parent's signature for the under-18 y.o.s ) However, allow me to opine that seasoned scouts should be granted permission to solo an orienteering course -- especially one with electronic controls. The toughest thing with cubs and pioneering, I think, is the physical strength to pull lashings tight. Even many scouts lack patience for being that meticulous. But, working with buddys and being persistent, they could do a fine job with something like a giant hamster wheel. (Plus at their age, you don't have to worry about it being more than 5' tall! )

@@Eagledad, I beg to differ about parents. And it has to do with the tools at their disposal. In my day, most of us could walk to the scout house in the time that it took me to drive my son to his meeting place. I got lucky. My dad retired, so he was happy to ride me places to get out of dish-washing duty. (Mom was happy to have the kitchen to herself and get things done right for change.) But, there were plenty of times where I just hoofed it. It's different now. Why is this? Because most of us have it in our heads that we can choose the ideal troop, ideal sport, ideal house of worship, etc ... for our kids ... regardless of where it is in relation to our our ideal house and our dream job. After all, we have that tin box on wheels. Might as well use it. And thanks to the mobile phone, we can adjust plans on the fly. Really, when the Mrs. is on the road, it's like we are ground crew being radioed into position. Sure we all want our kids to grow up strong and good. But, this profusion of devices has addled some folk's brains as to how best to meet that end.

Perhaps now is the time to actually include the oft-neglected preface to the G2SS ... "All participants in official Scouting activities should become familiar with the Guide to Safe Scouting and applicable program literature or manuals,and be aware of state or local government regulations that supersede Boy Scouts of America practices, policies, and guidelines. The Guide to Safe Scouting is an overview of Scouting policies and procedures gleaned from a variety of sources. For some items, the policy statements are complete. For others, unit leaders are expected to review the additional reference material cited prior to conducting such activities. In situations not specifically covered in this guide, activity planners should evaluate the risk or potential risk of harm, and respond with action plans based on common sense, community standards, the Boy Scout motto, and safety policies and practices commonly prescribed for the activity by experienced providers and practitioners. Perhaps this quote by Sir Robert Baden-Powell from his 1914 book Quick Training for War is appropriate to include here: “... The books lay down definite principles and examples which serve to guide the leaders when applying their common sense to the situation before them. No two situations are ever precisely the same, and it is therefore impossible to lay down exact rules that should guide in every case, but a man who carries precedents and principles in his head has no difficulty in applying their teaching in supreme moments of sudden emergency ...†A situation where 8 first class scouts (the concept, not the patch) present a solid plan and are better prepared than any available adults is one of those "not specifically covered". Therefore in order to minimize risk, they should execute the plan independently!

@@RichardB that could be. It could also be that by not augmenting the syllabus, new scouters will read unwritten principles into the G2SS and as a result the most important part of the BSA program -- encapsulated in the first page of the guide -- goes untaught.

This is not about the kids. (Who knows what clever name some sociologist will pen in an attempt to distinguish them from their 'rents?) This is about parents born into a particular culture (use my term, "post-modern nomadic", free of charge ) the tools of which they have refined and mastered to the point that physical presence and constancy is a secondary experience? E.g., why help kids make friends of their neighbors when you can just as easily arrange out-of-the-box friendships online or a mere car ride away? What will it take for you to convince them that their children, setting aside those tools for a weekend, will grow healthier in our care?

Well, at least with a thousand year title, there will be time enough for the material to trickle down to the rank and file.

Royalty sure gets around.

I found the bling to be irrelevant to weather boys stick around. Plenty of 15 year olds here with no chance, but they're still here.

This is an annual rehash of the same themes. What's changed is that now with Internet advancement, we can start tracking the production of first class scouts. So, what do we have to do to have national start elevating that rank?

Welcome to post-modernism. Your respective narratives are all fine and good until one's restrictive sexual ethic runs afoul of the other's perceived essential natural sexual development. My line: A fella ought notta be gawking at someone else's spouse. It was as novel in the first century as it is today, but I'm rolling with it.

@@RichardB, I think the issue is that throughout the Cub program, parents are encouraged to use their creativity, theater and authenticity. From that is where they feel they have latitude. I do agree that the preface to the G2SS is often overlooked in many of these considerations. But, I can see, in this context, it can support either side's perception. The goal should be not to choose sides, but to use that preface to think through a novel situation together. (I still would love to hear the outcome on that melon. Better yet, picture please! )

Ask the troop (or pack) parents if there is a lawyer willing to help you volunteer their time to sort out a hitch ( ) beyond your pay grade.

Not a fan of the term "produced". But props to all of those boys and their hard work.

I used to go out in the garage and play with my brother's ceremonial sword from the navy. As rule, the reply is "show me where it is written!" The danger is a scout imitating. Take a swing at a melon and see how far you get.

I know the big companies around here create benevolence foundations for just such purposes. So, for example, sponsorship of a league or unit could go through their books under whatever exemptions they've applied for. (There's also things like naming rights, etc ... and I'm not sure how that comes into play.) Not sure if that's more trouble than it's worth for a mom-and-pop that sponsors one unit in their building. We operate pretty much like @@Krampus. Unless it's a store that keeps our numbers on file, we don't bother flashing the CO's EIN, Those venduors who they have us on file do so usually for materials for fundraisers. Even then, often times, a store would rather just donate the materials than spend the accountant's time writing them off.

In the 80's they did try to re-brand it Scouting USA. I still use some of the old stickers as geocache swag. Flopped along with the "improved" program. I don't doubt that the level of (often naive) esteem of the BSA drives some. They can't/wont think of a better program, yet they want that for their kids. But, most girls I've met who want this program are hooked the minute they see a bowline on one end and taught-line on the other end of a guy-line. The initials on the buttons (or report to the nation, etc ...) don't improve on that impression. Even if they dispense with the futility of national recognition, if these independent female/co-ed patrols are more than a one-off thing, they will arrive at a critical mass where our boys will think us stupid for not counting them among our number. We have had young men pretty much say as much on these forums regarding O/A and female venturers.

Depends on the state, I suppose. "Thousands of dollars" amounts to $70 - $700 in revenue, perhaps. Not earth-shattering to most treasuries ... even when multiplied by the number of units who take advantage of their CO's exemption. Scale matters. If it costs more to enforce a ruling (many of which have not held up in court) than the revenue gained, it is unethical for a government to pursue it. The tea just winds up being dumped in the harbor. Now if we were talking "Tens of thousands of dollars" of purchases annually, then the unit would have an ethical obligation to ensure that those purchases are tightly in sync with the CO's mission. Even so. Round here, municipalities who've tried to use the heavy hand of the law against large non-profits in court have come up short. They do better negotiating a settlement ... usually a contribution to the coffers in exchange for a little name recognition.

In practical terms, I could see a roll-out via "local option" ... CO's who want their BSA program in the form of a unit exclusive to boys would have "Cubs" unit exclusive to girls would have "Cub-ettes" a co-ed unit would have "Cubs-plus" This would allow the chips to fall where they may. It's consistent with what I've learned about Central European models ... which may have one unit of each type in a district. It could also allow councils to develop facilities for various types of day camps. The big question becomes this: Let's say that, with or without the BSA, @@maryread, the mom in the article that started this thread, and one hundred others form associations of girls (and their siblings) who build those PWD cars at age 8, learn flag protocol at age 10, camp monthly at age 11, master first class skills at age 12, hike and camp independently at age 13 ... maybe to the tune of 400 patrols in the next few years. Why wouldn't we want those 2400 to wear our 1st Class badge, O/A sashes, and be with us at HA bases and National Jamboree?

I think this requirement is geared toward training parents. We tell the Webelos this once (basically the your-parent's-don't-sign-your-book-anymore lecture) and then they pretty much get it.

LoL! You're still treasurer, it's just they want you to treasure some material stuff. Many CO's don't want to "own" trailers or other vehicles. So, troops find a leader to keep the tags in his name. (Usually the guy most likely to pull the trailer.) No leader steps up? Say "Fine, the trailer doesn't get on the road until one does."

To amplify E'dad's perception ... increased membership only matters if, in welcoming girls, we add boys. In other words, it doesn't matter if 20K girls sign on (in co-ed or unisex troops) if our losses in boys are to the tune of 10K or more per year. It doesn't even matter if growth stagnates. The citizens who we are chartered to serve remain under-served. There are American organizations who are claim to be successfully serving both sexes. They may be well worth a post-modern nomad family's consideration. But, their numbers remain unpublished, which is a good indication that they are not of a magnitude that would lead us to believe that the boys they've recruited could otherwise offset BSA's losses.

Regarding disclosure, your son is approaching the age where he can decide on his own if he should explain his disability. I've mentioned elsewhere that a person should not be commissioner of any unit in which his/her kid is a member. If the district wants to "fix" anything, they can hire another marshall. This SM is willing to run meetings on a day when very few will. You and your husband owe him. You don't have to like how he does things one bit. You just have to be on his side, because at the end of the day he's on your son's side. @@Stosh is right about the research. Your son might be the one boy out there who will read the SPL Handbook. Get it for him if he doesn't already have it. Tell him to read it. Then later, maybe at a campfire, after the other scouts are safely in their tents, he can talk to the SM about how his job differs from the handbook. Then simply ask "Should we change that?"

You're gonna get as many different opinions here as there are options + 1. BSA left it open. Your boys have crossed into a (hopefully) boy led troop. So they should ask their patrol leader (PL) what would be best to do. If the PL doesn't know, he can ask the senior patrol leader (SPL), who can then ask the (SM), who may contact the committee member (MC) who is the advancement chair (AC) who will write us on this site and share your misery. Then waste precious time with your committee chair (CC) at round table (RT) while the roundtable commishioner (RC) or district executive (DE) make up something on the fly. Welcome your boys to the land of obtuse abbreviations! Maybe you're one of those. In which case, bless you. Really, tell the boys who are interested that you are proud of them for asking. Let them and their patrol leader(s) sit with you and go over the options. Ask them which one they would like to do, making it clear that you will support them in whatever they choose. Then tell your district what your boys decided to do with the freedom BSA gave them. (Maybe let us know as well.) FYI - You're not alone in this quandry: http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/forums/topic/2016-scout-rank-cyber-chip-and-new-crossovers/

Haven't you heard? Pedagogy is the latest "invisible" required merit badge.