skeptic

A reflection of our current society. Instead of finding the positive in something, lets find problems and negativity. Our challenges, as already noted, are to take and meld the odl and new and create something using the best parts of all of them.

This just out on frin On Scouting. It seems to me that this is what we need to see happening nationwide to resurrect Real Scouting, and place before the communities. We will never get above the negative media portrayals that focus on the small anomalous things if we do not counter with the overwhelmingly positive realities. Just my view.

While many of the youth are overly involved with much of the modern media, games and social, many others are demonstrating interest outside those areaas, or even finding ways to coerlate them. Thechnologies and their progeny are in constant flux and we are seeing a=azing advances in many areas due to the skills and new direction challenges. The real issue I fear is the overreaction of too many adults to some of the enormous changes. Also, just a I have little clue in regard to modern tech, though I can use basics and even struggle with newer things with moderate success at times, I continue to read about amazing new directions that evlolve from some of this stuff, things few would even have imagined even twenty years ago. Just like I have been heard to screwam in other threads, balance and taking the cfhallenges are important, even as we still retain some of the most important elements of the past technologies and cultural tools. Good examples are seen in teh huge expansion of animation and things that now have derived from it. That in turn evolved from comics and cartooning. We have not lost the best from the past in music, or in literature, or in art. But, today we are seeing invovations that can be traced to those past things. Move ahead, but keep the scales even if possible, and be open to new ideas and merging some with the old. The young people recently enterered into advanced fliying for example, were not long ago playing early games. And they have been able to master these new skills much more rapidly than many in the past. Doors open and minds are tested by many tech inovatioons, and those ideas are expanding to the arts and had science, including mdicale brekthorughs. Doctors today do crazy things with tools evolved from these techniques derived from games. I had a major medical issue fairly recently that saw a leak of fluid from the brain cavity throuh and out my left sinus. Twenty years or less ago, the only repair would have been to lift the brain out and fix the crack in the dura, and I likely would not be typing here. But, the techniiques now available used miniature tools that entgered through the sinus to repair the crack and secure it, and only took a couple hours. While scans are done to assure no follow issues, all is well, and I am apparently fine. I guess my point is that we can moan and complain about what we may see as problems sith things, or we can find ways instead to use those thiings to move ahead and keep the youth involved. That is why we do rocketry and even pinewood. Still, we do need to get them to experience the orignianl stuff on occasion too. And kids are still little pyros, and many love to play with ropes and tie each other up or make things to climb. That is why letting them sometimes just play on their own, finding their own ideas and games is so important. Too much scheuling and no allowance for just fun or a challenge is not good for people, especially yoouth.

Time to share the real program that is still here and never really stopped. Enough with the negative nellies. This is the FB link for the Chumash District of the LC. The effort to post the one part seems to not want to work for whatever reason. But, interested parites might find the other post on the FB link on note too. The one this relates to is the one from Troop 111 and Craig Carey. https://www.facebook.com/groups/573954530008979

I have just reached out to Steve Schied who is involved on the national UMC Scouting committee in regard to this. We have been offered charter with the Masons and also the facilities aggreement. As has been discussed off and on, there is not complete confidence in LC sponsorship, especially with the idea of them owning our physical equipment and our bank accounts. I will share his response when I receive it. I also received an email from our church locally with what appears to be a similar opinion as stated in this recent comment. I am not sure that there are absolutes with it, only recognition of the LC with facility as viable. It would help if we were actually seeing the LC reach out to us directly, rather than just wait for us to move.

Do not think they can dictate that. If a unit wants a different charter but with the facility arrangement it should not be any business of the LC. And, since it appears LC's are balking in some areas anyway, not sure where they are coming from.

Thanks for this reminder and idea maker. I am going to give my SPL a "tarp challenge". Have various items available, such as poles and line, along with the rope. Include older tarps without metal rings and see how they might attach lines, and so on. Could be a great exercise for a meeting and even more of a chaollenge on an outing.

What is still not clear to me is why were they then at the Scout range? Were they trespassing on the range, or did they somehow get some kind of use pemission for the range? It the firearms are privatedly owned, what is the Scout connection beyond the range itself? What am I misssing?

Or simply use whatever works as a slide. Again, who says it has to be level/rank specific in appearance. We do not require Scouts, the older type, to use official Scout slides,so why the little ones. Use a curtain ring, or a rubber band, or a small vertebrae from an animal, something interesting attached to adevice; they are more fun anyway.

Ride to the Flags. Service today, and Honor and Rememberance https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160700391950798&set=pcb.1289504331787325

Is this an indication that Mr. Spielberg no longer has BSA on his bad list? Whatever, if done well, as he generally does, it should be a positive thing for BSA comingout of the bankruptcy.

Whether Cubs or any other level, the uniform is optional, though has its place within reason. I have seen many units that simply encourage whatever families can handle, and they also do keep closets. Many use a basic T with the neckerchief, especially at the Cub level. You can, with a bit of effort, make your own T's too. At some point, hopefully the youth might be in complete uniform, but it is a tool. The PROGRAM si what is important. Worldwide, a very basic shirt of some kind with a neckerchief IS the uniform. Do not stress, but do work on keeping it fun and educational as best you can. JMHO

Once again we are seeing the ignorance of knee jerk reactions and trying to solve a problem without anybody using common sense or rational thinking. How, I have to ask, is running a proper shooting sports range dangerous? If anything, it is something that should be encouraged. Very few youth that are or have been trained "properly" to respect and handle firearms will become the fools responsible for mass shootings or dangerous handling of firearms. That training should be a key in the gun laws, not discouraged. We are having similar concerns in California with one local gun club shutting down its junior program due to the legal concerns with a new Calfirnia law related to advertising firearms and related materials to youth. It does not specifically single out the youth range programs, but the club is afraid of the irrational legal vultures that will twist it to their advantage. It could change, but currently, they will no longer allow youth in their firearm programs. Much of this just adds to the ignorance of our legal system much of the time, and the lack of simple common sense and paranoia.

Now we should prepare for the next tsumami of dark birds and over reach. JMHO. Just want to move on and let the program return to the precepts on which it has most functioned for over a century. Understand that it is not a perfect program, and never has been. It is made of the ideas from the wider society, and is dependent on that society to make it work. When the darker elments of society are allowed access, negative things can occur. Vigilance and response under the rules and protections are a constant part of all of us if we want to make it work, keeping in mind that awareness is important, and following up if there are concerns, no matter who is part of that concern, is the ONLY right way.

Hopefully both. They really are joined at the hip, more or less. But, BSA as a corporation, not but one option for the program here. Would like to see them figure it out, as the bones are still there, and so would be less difficult if done with integrity.

The negative attitudes a few bring to this is disappoointing. IF you believed in Scouting before, you should go back and see why and then work on putting that into play again in some new manner, or even the old. If you found the early development of Scouting as BP imagined it in the age of huge cultural and international upheaval and the needs of the changing masses and its youth, then you might ask why that seemed a positive for the time and how it might play in the more modern enviroments. I have to believe that most on here come because they want something from the program, or saw something. I realize a few are on here because they likely are enjoying the negative elements of this imbalanced trajedy of toxicity that is not actually representative of the real Scouting idea, but rather a reflection of the very reason Scouting should still have a place. Even the most jaded I suspect, if they are honest, cannot truthfully claim that the benefits of Scouting for over a century, both BSA and the world momement, far out strips the damages from the small darkness that somehow took hold, but is not the real Scouting. So, those of us that truly believe it still is even more needed and has its place should do what we can to right the ship, even if it means jetisoning some parts of the perhaps too broad or segmented organization. Do Our Best and put the Law and Oath at the forefront, and work to heal the wounds of the darker societal intrusions.

Am I the only one that suspects that if real vetting happens, a large percentage of the claims will go poof or be tossed? And, I still do not understand why immediate vetting should not have been the case to start, as then perhaps a large part of this mess would have been distilled into verified categories, versus "I was a scout and someone looked at me funny" categories.

What is not being admitted is that there very likely are these types of camp rule violations in most camps. We do not search people, or not usually, and we all have known of inidividuals that ignore the rules and bring unauthorized items into the camps. Most do not expose such violations, and a few may simply keep something with "camping" gear and forget it is there. It is when these items are involved in incidents, or simply exposed, that we become aware. Simialrly it highly likely that alcohol could be found in a large percentage of searches, along with larger than useful (for normal use) blades, yes firearms, possibly even fireworks, and varioous recreational drugs. We are dealing with people, and many have big egos and think they are immune to the rules. Until we get the larger picture, we likely are better off not passing judgment. Hopefully an answer will be found, and changes or legal responses applied in a reasonable and balanced way.

The documents shared over time have been similar, but changed a bit. The basic premise, is the same for a long time now. Problems lie in that many councils seem to NOT want to do it if they are responsible. We are looking at changing CO's, not to the Council, as ours does not really want to do it, and we are not comfortable with it anyway due to the asset issue. The good news is that our local church wants us to stay with the useage agreement, just not the legal CO problem that is ongoing in the litigious atmosphere. We can perpetuate our tenure though, which is the main issue for us, beyond the meeting place of decades with its history.

That was already noted in the earlier postings.

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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 parades and flag ceremonies. The drilling does serve a purpose beyond just "looking good", as it forces one to be aware of the command voice and, while marching, those around you. To this day I truly enjoy crisp formations in motion, especially a four wide flight smoothly rounding a corner, or a column changing direction as one, rather than in line. It just, to me, is impressive and almost mesmerizing in its smoothness. But we do not drill today, or seldom do it beyond basic flag ceremony practice. And honestly I cringe at times with the lack of tight formations and motions many groups present, including our own. But, they are still being respectful and it is still mostly appreciated by observers, even myself. I try to not be overly critical beyond working at standing up straight and staying in line, and respecting the ceremonial elements at actual formations. I have told my own youth more than once that if I can stand at basic attention for ten minutes, so can they; but also I teach them how to NOT be tense while doing it, especially locking joints. Related I find writing this is the comparison to the lack of interest by so many today in the OA. And I see that to be partly due to the loss of the OA mystique and well done ceremony. The PC atmosphere and, to me mainly misplaced idea of disrespect of the Native American history is part of that. There is no doubt that often sloppiness or not understanding the formalities of Native ceremony contributed, it is more the bending of history and culture in a questionable direction that actually often does more damage to the image and culture than the poorly performed ceremonies. Just my own perception, and I will not argue the foolishness of cultural appropriation with anyone, as that to me is mostly simply nonsense or other terminology not appropriate here. In the end though, BP, especially after his retirement from the military, made it pretty clear that Scouting should NOT be military boot camp or preparation. He aspired towards a world brotherhood of Scouting, a term we still use today and represented by the purple patch. And it works, when allowed to. Many of us have had the privilege of seeng it at a jamboree or in today, online interactions. And that "brotherhood", or I suppose that "family" of World Scouting may be more important to day than ever.

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. Unless our legal system makes serious adjustments, with some concrete guidelines and penalty tables, it will continue to be free range for the manipulative lawyers some call black birds of carrion and greedy. So, the CO support that is still there, is very leery of such things in the current litigious atmosphere of our society.

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?