skeptic

While I do not really remember much of my initial troop, as we moved soon after I had joined, though it was not into serious drilling, but did have some of the basic elements of formations and respect. The unit I joined after moving was sponsored by the VFW, as opposed to the Lutheran Church, and it had a strong cadre of adults from WWII, as it was the fifties. It was there I learned and came to like basic drill and formalities, and we did include some more militaristic bits, saluting the SM if meeting formally, as well as the youth leaders. We drilled regularly and could do it well in para

While there continues to be a great deal of confusion about the "agreement" between BSA and UMC, I do not feel it is accurate to suggest they are "dumping" the scouts. It surely is not the case in most of the units with whom I am familiar. But, as in ours, we are trying to formulate how to avoid any LC ownership, which seems likely to be a new CO, but continued primise use. Our local church "wants" us therer, but the legal confusion and fear of more direct confrontations runs deep. It is the lack of specific detail as to how they as a CO might be liable going forward that is the issue. Un

Do not see that, but some likely do, especially those that tend to a negative bias from the get go. But, just a view. Will leave it there, and move on to something more positive and important.

I just looked at the survey via the link shared, and I frankly do not see what some suggest is trying to raise money, or make a profit. Is the link not inclusive of the survey?

Is the chosen battle really worth the discourse and dischord?

How about is it simply "human predator based". That is really what it is. I has little to do with the Church/CO or BSA directly, as the people doingit are NOT representative of the CO's or BSA. They are part of the fringe, but sadly fairly common negative elements of humanity. Just an observation that seems obvious to me. But, I guess some will disagree, as is their right.

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