scoutldr

So, adding more local professional staff is the answer?  Color me skeptible.

The last few years that I attended camp, they would bring trainers in to conduct basic training for adults who had not yet completed it...back in the stone age before everything went online.  During the week I was in camp with my troop, we would teach YP, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, and volunteered to open the pool at 0500 for "Polar Bear Swim" and mile swim workups.  The rest of our "free time" in camp, we would utilize skills for the Ranger's projects...such as re-roofing the dining hall in 95 degree heat, replacing toilets in staff cabins, running the bush hog to cut the fields, rebuilding the OA amphitheater...things like that.  Never got a badge for it....just a cheer at the closing campfire.

"gettting to Eagle as fast as possible"...I find that sad.  Scouting is about the journey, not having something to prove.  Advancement is a by-product of the journey, not the purpose of it.

I vote to borrow the term "Advisor" from the old Exploring and now Venturing program.. With new emphasis that the adult Scouters are there to "advise" the "Leaders" who are the SPL and PLC.  The do not decide, they do not dictate, they facilitate.  The advise the program that the YOUTH decide on, and ensure safety and adherence to the GTA and GTSS.  In the decades that I have been associated with the program, I have seen the gradual "helicopterism" taking over such that the youth merely sit there and wait for instructions from the adults.  You don't sign me up for a MB University, I don't earn MB.  You don't spoonfeed me advancement and sign me off because I sat there and listened to a lecture, no rank.  No direction, no action taken.  It's the way we are raising them, and it's wrong.  I have family members with "kids" pushing 30 who still can't function as adults.  It's sad.

I will treat you as you treat me, hopefully with mutual respect, love and friendship.  When you resort to violence, looting, destruction and vandalism, you have lost me, and I no longer care what your cause is...you are a common criminal and no better than those you protest against.

Maybe it's been discussed before, but how does the Chapter 11 affect local council properties, since Councils are considered independent corporations?  

Our main camp is on the banks of the James River in Virginia and is a former plantation, the deed of which can be traced back to Capt John Smith.  The state archeologists are excavating a home site on the river bank dating back to the 1600s when some settlers at Jamestown expanded across the river.  The common thinking is that the owners deeded the 800+ acre plot to the Council in 1958, with a similar provision that should it not be used for Scouting, it would revert back to the owner, but I cannot confirm that.  

So, rather than teaching scouts and parents that following the rules and laws of the land is what we should do (A Scout is Obedient), we should spin and obfuscate and do what we can to "minimize the chances of an audit", even though it may be illegal.  Got it.  From my reading of the tea leaves, it will all soon be a moot point anyway.

The guidelines in my state will require DAILY health checks for every student and staff member, conducted by the school nurse.  My wife was a school nurse for over 20 years.  The only one In a school with over 750 students, plus staff, her days were more than full and she had to go in every summer without pay to get all the required recordkeeping done for new registrations and updating student health records.  She was also more often than not, the primary care provider for many of the lower-income staff members. Many of the poorer school districts in the state do not have a school nurse in every school...one nurse may serve several schools for one day a week to conduct state-mandated screenings.  And no budget increases are being programmed.  Indeed...a plan for failure.  The plan for opening camps will also require daily health checks for all campers and adults by a qualified medical officer.  How much time will this take out of the program day?  If I were a parent, I would have severe reservations about sending my scout to camp under these conditions.  That is not to say I do not think infection control measures are necessary...

Our Gov in VA just announced back to school guidelines.  Buses will be restricted to one kid per seat, skipping every other row, and all must wear masks.  This cuts it down to 11 students per full sized 66 passenger bus per run .  My sister is a bus driver and she just laughs.  They were woefully short of drivers before this happened.  No way will this work.  Elementary schools will meet 4 days per week...2 days in person and 2 days virtual.  If you have more than one kid in school, you have no guarantee they will be on the same schedule.  Out of zone requests will not be accepted.  Classrooms must keep a 6 foot distance between kids at all times and masks at all times.  No common areas will be used, such as cafeterias and gymnasiums.  My DIL is thinking she will have to quit her job because the "telework" option is coming to an end.   As of now, our camp is scheduled to go on "with modifications", whatever that means.  The regional camps will remain closed due to lack of potable water supply for cleaning purposes and lack of full time medical staff to conduct daily health checks.

My Council required a fresh YPT certificate for ALL adult registrations at the first of the year, regardless of our expiration dates.  Those who did not comply did not get registered. I pointed out that I still had a year to go on mine...didn't matter.

29 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

As I have watched the BSA over these last 50+ years I often wonder

Do we raise money to have Scouts OR do we have Scout to be able to raise money?  Seems like so much of the professional time is raising money, sort of becomes the WHY of Scouting, and not the program.

I am often reminded of the quote from Blazing Saddles and can imagine this being said at Professional Scouter meetings ....We've got to protect our phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen.

FOS = "Fund Our Salaries"

Sounds like a one-time "Initiation Fee"...in addition to the annual fee.  That's gonna price a lot of families out of the program.

♦ Q: If my summer camp is cancelled, can my unit get together with other units and have our own camp?

No. Chartering organizations play an important role in the program and activities for their chartered units. Chartering organizations promote well-planned unit program for the units they charter and encourage their units to have active outdoor unit programs. Chartering organization are not authorized to plan, promote, and deliver programs for units outside of their charter.

It is the role of the council to plan summer camps and the role of councils or districts to plan camporees and other outings during the year that give youth an opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in competitive events with other troops and/or patrols.

When units with different chartered organizations do activities together, this becomes a district or council event and requires council approval. In fact, some states require such activities to be licensed.

Should your troop, crew or ship decide to do a long-term summer camping program for their own unit (Cub Scouts units are prohibited from this activity) please note that the Scouter Code of Conduct and relevant program safety and training requirements are still in place, e.g., Safe Swim Defense, Hazardous Weather, Wilderness First Aid, etc.

(From BSA Website)

Minsi Trails Council 2020 Summer Resident Camp Cancellation

Minsi Trails Council has three great camps that have always been a highlight to the year in Scouting. They are safe places where Scouts can have fun in the great outdoors, learn new skills, and develop their leadership.

It is with particular sadness under unprecedented circumstances, the professional staff and volunteer Board conclude the Council can simply not responsibly open our resident camps this summer. It is the correct conclusion, but we are immensely sorry to have to do it.

The SM conference and BOR are chances to get feedback on your program.  The #1 reason that Scouts become inactive is "boring meetings".  If they are sitting in chairs being "talked at", they will leave.  Also, many kids are "overscheduled" these days...with school, band, sports, etc.  I always told them "show up when you can"...if they were otherwise active in a worthwhile activity.  But if they would rather sit at home and play video games, that's up to the parents.

Our Governor (VA) has ordered a shutdown until June 10th.  They are still debating how to make up the lost school year...going to school all summer is on the table.  

Reading 3 pages of a thread only to realize I'd commented on it 17 years ago.  Since my comment, my MIL has passed, and my wife has lost her 50 year old brother and 52 year old sister to smoking.  Tobacco kills hundreds of thousands per year, yet we shut down the country and destroy the economy over a virus.

THe "experts" are saying that the general public with no symptoms do not need to be wearing masks, yet I am seeing more and more around town.  MOST I see are not being worn properly...people with facial hair, bottom strap hanging loose, nose not covered, removing mask to eat or drink with contaminated hands.  If you are not wearing it correctly, the mask is being WASTED.  Saw a dude come out of the grocery store the other day wearing gloves while pushing his cart.  During the course of loading up his car, he touched his face and rubbed his nose 3 times, then unwrapped a hot dog and ate it with his gloves still on.  People are better off staying home, than going out with a false sense of security.

What could they do to you?  Revoke your charter, for not following BSA policy.

I tried to "remate" once...my spouse disagreed.

All units need to submit the Unit Fundraising Application to the Council for approval.  Your SE will guide you from there.  We were always told that soliciting support from local businesses was the job of the Council professional staff for the Friends of Scouting campaign.  Units are preferably supposed to support the popcorn program.  The pros don't want to hit up a businessman only to be told "oh, we already donated to Troop XXX".  

All Council activities here are shut down through April 2.  Schools are in a 2 week state-wide shutdown and one source told me today it will be at least 8 weeks.  No one is talking yet about Spring Break or Summer.  My niece just called and her wedding scheduled for May 2 has been canceled because the venue is owned by a college, which is closing for the remainder of the school year.  Frankly, I think in the coming weeks, Summer Camp will be the least of our concerns.

Governor of Virginia closed all k-12 schools for a minimum of 2 weeks starting Monday.  Crickets from our Council.  

Having gender-separate troops on paper, but operating as Co-ed is a clear violation of BSA intent, if not policy.  Period, end of discussion.  It doesn't matter what we THINK works best or what they do in other countries.  I know there are folks from BSA National reading these posts so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.  @RichardB??

I would consult a professional dry cleaner and see what they suggest.  Once cleaned, I would have it framed with archival acid-free backing and UV-blocking glass.  I just had some signed Norman Rockwell prints done and it was less than $250 for both including triple matting.  I thought it was a bargain.  This is a historical treasure and I hope you have a place of honor to display it!