RememberSchiff

@@Stayseen welcome to scouter.com.

No age restriction for Boy Scout  shotgun shooting, though some camps may have height/weight minimums for their shotguns.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416_Insert_Web.pdf

That was then ... since then we have had the Mars Climate Orbiter measurement failure and the need for part and tool compatibility in the International Space Station. NASA went metric 10 years ago.

https://www.space.com/3332-nasa-finally-metric.html 

Bought a John Deere tractor and was surprised, yet prepared,  that all the fasteners are metric.

Naturally, but scouts would be going green, consider the gallons of water saved from not having to wash virtual uniforms. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOpIwPmffFo

It does get confusing. Our local camp has female Venture staff members dressed in Native American garb in their weekly OA ceremony. They dance too, mostly as the caboose in the OA dance train.

My Sunday morning mixed metaphor.

It reads like another "local option" situation.

From the superfluous Scouter Code of Conduct

I will not possess, distribute, transport, consume, or use any of the following items prohibited by law or in violation of any Scouting rules, regulations and policies:

1. Alcoholic beverages or controlled substances, including marijuana.
2. Concealed or unconcealed firearms, fireworks, or explosives.
3. Pornography or materials containing words or images inconsistent with Scouting values.

My read is if local laws and licensing are followed and the scout facility has no rules regarding alcohol or suspends those rules, then it is Octoberfest.

My understanding is the British Explorer Scouts have about 30 merit badges while the BSA has 140?  Instead of using a sash, Explorer Scouts sew badges on their sleeve.

This weekend!  Former New England Patriot wide receiver, Randy Moss will be there, running and raising money for charity.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/20170825/randy-moss-introduces-spartan-racing-to-west-virginia

Hopefully, World Jambo planners are watching.

Allow unit's local sponsors to advertise on scout clothing, etc. ?

@@Cambridgeskip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRUHGnN29s

No worry. I thought it was a good topic.

Okay then. I think we agree that  many factors, one being membership policy, effect membership numbers.

Ohhh, I know! Instead of a sash ... a  small flat screen that scrolls through all the scouts awards!

Add touch capabilities ... so a lad can let the ladies can come up and ask to swipe left or right to scan the entire collection. Tap to bring up pictures of the scout doing activities related to the badge.

 

(True story: when I wore my uni in high school. Girls would come up and ask what each patch was about. That was a better motivator than the free ice-cream on scout day.)

Maybe a scout carries a RFID with all awards earned. Add a smartphone photo app which reads RFID. Point camera to scout and app superimposes uniform on scout with all earned awards.  Virtual uniforms, what a concept.

Wow! The $125 is about £100 at today's exchange rate, which compares broadly with the £90 my troop charges. That covers nearly everything we do on a Thursday night and some of the less expensive weekend stuff (District incident hike, district archery competition), plus national capitation, camps come extra.

 

$350? Seriously? That is starting to sound properly expensive. Not surprised some parents are starting to make choices.

Yes a stunning amount, the cost of a week at summer camp.  Council has said as fewer families donate "their share" , the requested amount has increased.  I'm told the majority of families in our troop donate $50 or less to FOS.

I should have also mentioned that  fatigue over the number of fundraisers was another exit factor.

Regarding membership totals, is recruitment down and/or retention down?

Locally our annual recruitment has been about the same for the last 5 years but retention numbers are down. In exit interviews, parents and scouts cite costs, friends left,  time commitments, and other choices as factors. The "other choices" were considered less costly and more age appropriate.

In 2013, FOS here was asking for $125 as the annual council cost per scout. This year, FOS was asking for $350.  Hello Xbox.

There's another controversial change needed at World Jamboree to bring the BSA in step with the rest of WOSM  and the world  - metric. 

I noticed British badge requirements for swimming and hill walking, etc have distances stated in meters and kilometers.

If we the BSA are going to change, we might as well go the distance.

In another thread @@Cambridgeskip  made this comment

@@ianwilkins ,  @@Cambridgeskip well said.

 

So, on a different note;  I don't know how these things work at the National level, but is there anything that shows the public who works for National and describes their responsibilities? Can't the volunteers apply any pressure for accountability? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

 

Barry

Exactly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kbTbg00AJU

And mind you, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS HAS NOT LEFT SCOUTING!!! We no longer patronize the Varsity or Venturing programs, but all of those boys are simply being filtered back into the Boy Scout troops to continue their advancement. The Church has not left Scouting. If you have been spreading this rumor until now, please stop, as it is simply not true.

 

My understanding from LDS news releases below is not all those boys will "filter back" only those who desire to advance to Eagle will.  My guess, boys who just want to continue in Boy Scouts will join a non-LDS troop.

The Church will continue its Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs for boys ages 8 through 13 because they “meet the development program needs of boys from ages 8 through 13.†It will also be involved in Friends of Scouting. The First Presidency letter states that “young men over the age of 14 who desire to continue to work toward the rank of Eagle Scout or Queen Scout should be encouraged and supported in their efforts and should be properly registered as Scouts.â€

https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-replacing-varsity-and-venturing-scouting-with-new-activities-program?lang=eng&_r=1

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/questions-answers-changes-young-men-program

http://blog.utahscouts.org/eagle-scout-trail/lds-scouts-do-not-need-to-get-eagle-before-14/

The Dallas News printed this comment from BSA

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/boy-scouts/2017/08/23/girl-scouts-accuse-irving-based-boy-scouts-covert-campaign-recruit-girls-lift-falling-numbers

I wonder what a Familyscoutmaster patch looks like.

 

Barry

@Hawkwin your experience is similar to Catherine Pollard with Boy Scouts.

Pollard ran a Milford, CT troop from 1973 to 1975 when no men volunteered. But her application for a leadership position was denied when the Boy Scouts contended that a woman was not a good role model for young boys enrolled in Scouting.

...

In February 1988 the Boy Scouts of America did away with all gender restrictions on volunteer positions. Pollard, who was 69 at the time, became a scoutmaster in Milford and praised the Boy Scouts' leadership.

"I do think that this is marvelous, because there have been women all over the United States, in fact all over the world, that have been doing these things for the Boy Scouts because they could not get a male leader. But we could not get recognition for the things we've done," Pollard said.

http://articles.latimes.com/2006/dec/15/local/me-pollard15

Nope. It's a BSA shirt. Never seen one like that for girls before. It's through scoutstuff.org!

 

And look at Scouting Magazine's topic? Coincidence?

 

https://scoutingmagazine.org/2017/08/first-timers-guide-camping-whole-family/

Ugh, whither core competencies. If Scouting Magazine cannot find someone on staff more knowledgeable about camping, then time to pack up and go home.

I bristle when noobs create new technical terms, so a pot is hardware and clothing is software.   

Advises readers to pack light and then look at the Hardware list.

No first aid kit, no mention of bugs,...

My $0.01

@@kscouter thanks for that link

"Through various means we have learned that BSA is very seriously considering opening their programs to girls and we have made repeated efforts to engage with them and talk about the implications,"

Well at least someone high up in Scouting  is listening to our comments. 

Looks like multiple YP violations to me.  

I see scouts wearing neckers and properly over the collar.