skeptic

Hearsay to roil the waters is not a good idea. Unless there is supporting evidence to such comments, it is not anything for this forum, or so it seems to me.

I just hope that those that would put someone to the grinding wheel due to their interpretation of something in the GTA or even what something means, would chill a bit. Also hope that most rational Scouters will have the sense, maturity, and integrity to not embasrass a scout over something like this and instead, if that important to them seek out and discuss with the unit leader(s). Even an aside meant to simply make a youth think a bit can come off wrong and cause issues. I learned years ago to not chastize a youth for something that is not dangerous or likely to cause harm, especially un

It is apparently not of high importance to most councils. Otherwise, every council would maintain at their office a used exchange department. Far too many uniforms go to some form of thrift, and most of those end up in the market with little control and often excessive expectations. IF each council were to keep such a resource, people could use it for exchanges as youth grow, and the supply issue might be partly mitigated. But, that would mean they would likely lose a good percentage of "new" purchases. The focus needs to not be on profit to sustain the council, but service to meet the "u

Some of that is also due to the changes in the church memberships, especially with older units likeours. In the thirties through early sixties, we had huge youth involvement in the church, and the units reflected that too. As the population shifted away from our end of the city, the youth went with it, and now the largest units are on the opposite end of the town. And the income levels also shifted that way so that our draw slowly became from the lowest income areas and oldest housing. Now we struggle as was here noted, but we have managed barely to keep the pack. We had a very large feed

Off and on through the years I have tried to point out the inclusion of the name of Jesus Christ in their longer name, which I understood to be the official one. Am fairly certain the usage of Mormon comes from the Book of Mormon, and that book has seemed to me to be the reason so many "Christians" have refused to recognize them as "Christians". For me, it has always been what verifies to me that they are one of the many off shoots of the larger family of Christians. While the extra book has never been something I have found acceptible for my own Christian belief, it also does not remove th

In the case of the Methodist Church, I suspect you will find any of the established units have a long history of a safe and free meeting space, and often much storage as well. We have been our church basement since the building was dedicated in the thirties. With the slow deteriorization of the congregation, we have been allowed more storage options as well. Most importantly, almost 100 percent of the actual church membership loves the Scouts and when we interact, they show it both in financial sharing and more importantly simple friendliness. Since it is top heavy with elderly, though slo

Today there is a fairly extensive piece on the LDS in Bisbee and so on. This is only conjecture or poking for clarity, but I find myself wondering if the BSA officials that appareently made the under the carpet choice ordeflected were mostly LDS, since at the time they were huge influences on the National Council? No accusation, only curiosity.

Why would we need a state law to mandate what is obviously needed? And that can apply to the distant past too. Why was the general public attitude so misdirected? Protection of the innocent should not need to be a point of legal law, only moral law. And, that too is part of the basic foundation of real Scouting, as well as most belief systems.

Other than the history of the LDS with BSA, this is mute. LDS completely dropped scouting as a church sponsored program and have gone out on their own. While it became mostly finalized prior to the bankruptcy, it was in the works for almost a decade prior. So, the conjectures about LDS somehow becoming a different CO type is mute.

Government recognized the benefits of the BSA in the first up until around the sixties when so much began to change. That may well have been connected to disallusionment brought on by JFK and Civil Rights. Certainly for me, that was a huge pivot point for me. And I now see my generation as mostly jaded or just tired and having abandoned all the positive energy of the Kennedy enthusiam. Interactions with BSA were shared and often cooperative endeavors to improve society, not only with the military interactions where we could camp on bases and work with them at times, but also shared resourc

We need to face the larger elephant. BSA, and far too many other groups of similar nature are in constant fear of law suits over what fifty years or more ago would have been thrown out immediately. Same discussion that makes the lawsuit issues so difficult in the bankruptcy. Our legal system is really poorly designed today in that it will not simply ban foolishness that is obvious. JMHO of course.

Ever since the changes that pretty much make anyone that is First Class and has the other minimum requirements I have made it a point to talk to every likely candidate to determine IF he desired to even be in OA, and explain to him the expectation he needs to meet the intent of the honor. And, I have had a few scouts tell me that it really is not something they feel the need to do. Along with my own Spirit evaluation, tht has on occasion removed a few. Sadly, still too many still become "sash and dash". Part of that may be the lack of real intensity and meaning in the Ordeal ceremonies too

How Scout Like, at last.

A great opportunity perhaps to rekindle a small bit of the camp and perhaps the local lodge history.

Just noting this for those that continue to denigrate NESA. While it continues to need considerable reorganization and far better online options, it is still doing one of its primary options. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2022/07/21/nesa-bestows-more-than-500k-in-scholarships-to-eagle-scouts/

While the service element is the main strength, the honor of selection is also a factor, though much less imporstant with thw watered down process where there is generally no limit on admittance if the basic requirements are met. I have held one or two back due to scout spirit issues; that is my job as the leader. But today there is basiclally no real limitation on elegibility in respect to the SM evaluation and rank and camping minimums. As I have noted in the past, in my view, we have taken the strength of becoming a member away by removing the element of intregue. And few lodges do real

That is where the counselor steps in and suggests they choose a tribe from where they are from in the U.S. They almost all have a familial connect to the States in some manner.

Not sure about National, though most seem already gone, but our local council has cut staff by about 70 percent.

Scouting has a long tradition of borrowing symbolic things from others, often indiginous groups. Not just here in the U.S., but elsewhere too. Woodbadge beads are connected to the Zulu tribe of Africa and Dinizulu. " Early in the history of the Scout Movement, the founder, Robert Baden-Powell, ran the first residential adult leader training course for Scouters. At the completion of the course, the participants asked him if he could give them some token to indicate that they had been trained. He had not given this any thought, but on receiving the request he improvised by taking two lit

The volunteer "as employee" is I think the result of the legal system skewing the actual status and having the courts agree. It is, as pointed out, not reality. Are the coaches of youth sports and their helpers employees of the leagues? Are the volunteers at the Y or BGC and so on employees if they do not get paid? Lots of room for some actual common judgment on these things, and too often we let the slick tongues lawyer corrupt the real meaning and picture.

The idea of making HA bases into NP orgs actually seems to me a viable thought. As long as the focus is, well, focussed. Opening them up to more non-scout groups could likely lower the costs to Scouting groups who would get priority. And that also might include working out opening them to other World groups.

That is your opinion, though it is wrong. Good luck with dealing with your personal issues.

Sorry, but I think you are asking a truly misquided question. I am simply pointing out that trauma, either physical or mental, especially if repressed for decades for some reason, causes problems that can torment, especially if something happens to trigger it again. You surely can understand that without implying what you seem to be implying. There are NO traumas that do not leave some type of hidden scars mentally. And often they are put into our emotionally padded rooms to stay unless triggered. Many are worse than others, but they are all real and leave their own scars. And none of th

Our problem is that none of us see things exactly the same, and certainly do not intelectually and emotionally respond the same to various issues. And, it depends on the age of those experiencing a trauma. Very young emotional or physical trauma may be so buried that few ever really undrstand what that small discomfort or awful fear is that comes to them in dreams or with some trigger. Until if connected my brother's teasing me about his sunlamp being a wolf's red yee, I could not sleep without some light. Once I figured it out, it no longer was a problem. Similarly, I understand why elec

Say it like it is. Greed has made this entire process into fiasco, with as noted just now again, only the lawyers actually winning anything. If not for the presssure to try to magnify the pot at the expense of currrent youth and really the expense of the verified survivors/victims, more has likely been lost than might have been availible with reasonable and balanced efforts by people not looking for a big payoff, but rather a fair and viable offer that recognizes the errors of the past and makes a legitimate monetary payment and also sets into motion additional safeguards to be added to the