Sentinel947

@ALongWalk thanks for posting. Even if you don't consider your son to be a gung ho Scout, or as I joke "A Super Scout", I'm glad he's benefited from his time as a Scout and you and your family can see how it's helped him. Eagle or not, that is our goal.

@ParkMan one function of a well run council or district needs to survive... new leader training. Done well. Considering many units at the Boy Scout level fail to properly run the program as things are currently(boring program, little youth leadership, advancement driven, that would only get worse in a more decentralized Boy Scouts. The strong units would continue to thrive, the weak units would get weaker.

I had what is likely my final "Scoutmasters Paycheck" or Success story from my Troop. Since I became an Assistant Scoutmaster, I also helped the Troop as an Eagle project coach. My final Life Scout earned his Eagle Scout last night. I'm very proud of his accomplishments inside the Troop and outside of it, and I'm honored to have played a small part in some of them. With that being done, I will be shortly taking my "retirement" from my Troop, and moving on to other things inside of Scouting and outside of it. I know I have one more summer of NYLT staff, and after that, I'll just have to wait and see what the future holds... And so for now, so ends my one hour a week.

At this point, all we can do is what we should all be doing anyways, continue to provide the best possible Scouting experiences to our Scouts, try to build the movement locally, and wait to see what is going to happen to National on down.

My unit has never had one, our district views us as one of the stronger and more stable units, since there aren't enough commissioners to go around, we've never had one as long as I've been involved in the troop. On paper there can be some valuable, but it's not inherent in the commissioner job, but in the man or woman in the job. If they are plugged into resources, understand the program, and have a broad experience to share, then they can be helpful. If they don't then they are likely of little help.

@walk in the woods this is for you. 🤮

I don't even think it has to be a paid role. This is something a great UC could do, but I'd never be a UC because I don't give a rip about chartering paperwork or JTE. Which is more of the job than helping troops grow fun outdoor programs.

Where do I sign up? But they can't be 18-20. BSA has decided those folks don't count as real adults.

I stand by my point. Americans are getting out doors plenty. The people who are interested in getting out in nature and doing fun things are there. The average BSA Troop doesn't execute an exciting or compelling outdoor program most of the time. Some of that is the Guide to Safe Scouting, but I'd say more of it falls on the leaders of those troops. My Troop isn't all that special, but we do plenty of adventurous outdoor stuff: backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, caving, shooting sports. All that stuff does cost money, and even the fairly well off families in my unit can't afford 8-12 expensive weekend outings a year, especially across multiple kids. So we always do a few local, close, low cost activities each year as well.

I dunno if being outdoors is in danger. The National Parks are being loved to death. The AT and PCT are increasingly overcrowded and outdoor product companies are making record profits. People are still going outdoors.

This is the way.

Rumor mill has been running wild about bankruptcy announcement later this month. Maybe that's why.

It depends. I'm at my councils office every month. It's between my house and work so it's not too bad to get to. There are a few volunteer roles I am in that require going there, as it's nicely centered in the population center of the council. However, it is not at all geographically centered. The furthest corner of my Council is 82 miles away from the Council office. From furthest points my council about 100 miles across. If I lived out in the edges of the council, there is no way I would accept volunteers roles that would make me drive to the council office as much as I do currently if it was 80 miles one way. That being said, council owned meeting space is overrated. If Councils, Districts and Troops are engaged with their Charter Organization partners, getting places to meet for meetings should be a piece of cake. Our next NYLT 10 day out meeting is at a church/CO out towards the further edge of the council, gives those folks a break from having to drive the hour or so to the council office after work.

Perhaps the Council and Districts need to get feedback from their stakeholders (Scouts, leaders, CO's) and figure out why folks don't participate in council activities. Leveraging a fee on folks who already do not participate is just going to make them mad, it's not going to drive them to participate. It'd just be viewed as a scalping maneuver. Which is exactly what it is. You can attract more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Pros and District volunteers need to get out and meet the units, particularly the ones that do not participate, and build relationships and help those units solve problems. The participation and money will follow that relationship building.

Both perspectives are America. There are those on the edges of our political/cultural systems who are waging the ongoing cultural war in our politics, civic groups, corporations and churches. They seek to subjugate and destroy their rivals, or protect themselves from the perceived aggressor, depending on who you ask. Then there are those in the middle, who think they can make common cause with those they disagree with. Time will tell who is right. Given the state of our politics and how it is leaching and spreading throughout the culture, I'm not as optimistic whether the middle will hold back the edges from further conflict.

I wouldn't be unconcerned. Take it from a Catholic, my own church has had cowardly leaders and clergy, eager to protect the image of the Church instead of protecting their flock. I doubt any other large organizations, religious or not, are any different. There are people out there who seek to target the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, similar to the Roman Catholic Church, but that doesn't mean that these alleged crimes did not happen, nor that clergy or members of the faithful were complicit in allowing them to happen or ignoring the problem.

We don't have any "Top Scout" awards that I'm aware of in our council outside of NYLT, where one Scout and one patrol are named BP Scout at the end of the course. The youth staff selects the Scout and patrol they feel best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law. Otherwise, I've never seen anything like that in my Troop, District or Council.

Flex your no muscle. I am similar to you. I love that feeling of being wanted and needed, and typically happily take on volunteer roles, especially for Scouting. The last year, I've shedded a few roles, and said no to a few new ones. It's really uncomfortable, but I'm glad I said no. They weren't the right gigs at the right times.

I don't think these will catch on with Scouts themselves. As @Eagledad notes, Scouts don't use trekking poles well, and typically don't like them. Another reason is that tents like this are difficult to pitch without practice, because they are not freestanding. Last, these tents can be delicate, and as @Eagledad said, youth tents need to have some strength. These tents have likely very thin nylon to achieve those weights. I used to recommend Kelty's Salida 2, which is a two person tent. It worked well for all but the biggest Scouts, and it had a very reasonable price tag at around $150-$180. It seems that they have discontinued that model. The design is very similar to Tarptents Notch (1 man) or Saddle 2 (2 man) https://www.tarptent.com/product/notch/ . https://www.tarptent.com/product/saddle-2/. I own a Saddle two, and I like the design. If my Saddle two ends up damaged beyond repair, I'd probably buy another tarptent, but that REI is a solid tent, and for tents for ultralight backpacking, that's not a terrible price.

I'll happily take a few more down votes from you, they are just internet points. You didn't answer my question. Do you care to address it? Let's first establish that as a registered leader, if the Scout's parents are not present, I am responsible for the Scout's safety and wellbeing when they are at a Scouting event. I can't compel any adult to do anything, but if I think there is a risk to a youth, I'll call out any adult out on their behavior, and I can verbally compel a Scout to do things if I think they are in danger. I'm obligated to. A couple scenarios, each of which you would say that as an adult I should do nothing, since it's not BSA property or registered volunteers. Note that many of these issues go away requiring the Scouts to use the buddy system. This is another pillar of BSA YPT training, on top of 2 registered adults, no 1 on 1 contact between youth and adults. A scout is on a camping trip with the troop at a State Park, where there are registered leaders and non-registered parents attending. The Scout mentions his cell phone died (this troop allows cell phones.) One of the unregistered parents mentions that they have a charger for that type of phone in their car. The Scout asks if he can borrow it, the parent agrees, and the two of them start to walk to the car, which is not far away, but is not visible to other Scouts and adults. I've been in this situation as a third party. I intervened, explained the rule, and went with them to the car. The parent was a bit embarrassed, but understood. It was just as much for protecting that parent's reputation as it was protecting the Scout. Bonus points because it covers the Troop and CO as well. The Troop is at a Troop meeting at the Charter Organization, a Church, so not BSA property. The meeting begins; one of the Scouts asks to borrow the keys to storage shed to get supplies for the meeting. You noticed on your way to the meeting that the facilities manager of the church, a non-registered adult was outside working at the shed. Been there, done that. Made sure the Scout took a buddy. Told them to not get in the away of the facilities manager.If they had taken an unusual amount of time to get supplies, I would have checked up on them. The BSA YPT rules do not have force of law, but they are not meant just to protect Scouts from registered leaders, but from an adult that may want to harm them or groom them during Scout events. The BSA or I cannot control what happens to those youth outside of Scouting, but while they are at BSA events, under my supervision, where their parents have entrusted them into my care, I am going to follow the rules, and if that means I have to instruct non-registered adults on the rules and interrupt things they might be doing, I've done it, and I'll do it again. These rules have really taken on new meaning to me after last year. Last year my former parish Priest was arrested by police after he had been having unwanted text message conversations with teenager parishioners, and being overly touchy and grabby in person. He was instructed several times by the auxiliary bishop to stop his behavior after parents complained several times over a few years, but he couldn't. Each accusation was forwarded to the county police, but there were no charges filed because nothing illegal had happened. After he moved to a new parish and had another complaint filed, The Archbishop finally got involved and put him on indefinite leave to get counseling. When that news broke and went public, an adult victim came forward with an accusation, saying that my former priest had raped him in the 1990s before he was a priest. The Catholic Church has very similar policies to the BSA, and they work when they are followed, when people are vigilant. Parents who had not taken Virtus training had enough exposure to its concepts to take their children's concerns seriously. Lay leadership of the parish who had noticed concerning behavior had also reported it. Thankfully enough eyes were on him that he didn't do anything.

If you are on a troop camping trip at a non BSA property like a state park, and a parent who is non registered is walking off somewhere alone with a scout that is not their child, you propose doing nothing, because the YPT rules don't apply to them? They haven't broken any laws (yet.) Do they mean any harm? No probably not. Is it worth doing nothing and hoping for the best? No. We can't forcibly apply YPT to every situation and place, outside of BSA events. (Nor do I want to even try) At BSA events, I'm going to follow YPT and insist others do the same. Meetings, Courts of Honor, Camping trips service projects. Registered or not, I'm making sure all adults involved are following YPT.

If they are on a BSA outing, with kids that aren't theirs, YPT absolutely applies for parents that aren't volunteers, but are at BSA events.

Then there is the class clown or know it all kid that will challenge everybody for the sake of making a scene or arguing with others. Those obviously exist, but my experience with my Scouts has been more of the opposite.

Old to take and follow YPT training, but not old enough to supervise youth or count as a second adult. Craziness. That had to be a lawyers decision for liability purposes. I've noticed the same with my Scouts. They are often unwilling to make decisions that are well within their positions to make without clearing it past adults. I'm not sure if it's a lack of confidence, a fear of being overruled, or wanting validation. Being obedient to the proper authority is typically a good thing, but there are times when authority should be challenged, questioned or corrected, and I want my Scouts to be able to learn that. Not everybody with authority is right 100% of the time.

Wrong comment to read while eating lunch...🙄