skeptic

Another example of some individuals looking for problems that really are not there. Unless some individual scout ended up with an account from popcorn under his name in big dollars, it would never even float a butterfly. Use commons sense, and be even handed with all youth and do not favor one over another, meaning solid rules in place that apply to all. We finally went to the unit just paying for as much as possible directly and not trying to account for individuals directly.

Depending on the project, it might be something to consider as ongoing service later for unit hours and such. Sadly, many projects disappear far too quickly or are destroyed or removed. I felt badly about a couple projects that had no way of surviving very long, as they were open to the elements and or in our area wildfire. The one was a great nature trail for a local group, and just a few weeks after completion we had one of our rare rainy periods and it flooded the area heavily. We have also seen local officials come into place with issues with something, or inspectors that felt, after the fact, that the approved project did not meet standards, though their predecessor said it did. On the other hand, some projects seem to last a very long while, which is nice to see on occasion, especially if the public knows it was service by Scouting.

As noted numerous times. Our judicial system is broken in many ways. It still favors power and money, which often are hand in hand. It also seems to easily be swayed by social media and so on. Wose though is that there are simply far too many less than honest lawyers, in my view.

While looking for something I ran across an old post, though not sure how I ended up with it, commenting on Merlyn. That brought me to recollecions of Bob White and a few others from "way back". So, I tried to find a cumulative list of present and past members, but had no luck. Is there one someplace. My tech skills are very weak, and my focus a bit fuzzy at times. Thanks.

A roll of heavy duty trash bags.

Wouldn't want the attorney to not get billable time.

This is the truth with this, and any rational thinker saw the problem at the start. No amount of money will "fix" those harmed. The only winners are the lawyers that prey on people and twist the truth to pad their pockets. You will never make "survivors or victims" whole. But the 95 percent plus youth and leaders who have been penalized by trying to do the impossible, fix the past, are the final victims who now struggle to find a way forward with the new order. Scouting precepts are a good guide, just as many religious dictums are, but only right acting and thinking people can "mostly" protect the youth or others mentored or served. The darkness of society is always waiting for the careless or easily misled to allow them to act badly and victimize. And that includes the predator lawyers.

Just posted on Aaron on Scouting. It appears that finally the issue is recognized on broader screen world wide. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2024/10/21/five-things-i-learned-from-scouting-americas-safeguarding-youth-symposium/

One issue may be the now too-common increase in price and decrease in size. I was very surprised, almost annoyed, last year when I realized the sleeve of cookies had fewer cookies and more air.

In my naivete I have to wonder where the profits from cookies go, the ones that are raked from the top before local groups may receive them? Just a query.

This is sad, but we have known this for over a year. An example of how the Media regurgitates things for the emotional hit. Of course, that propensity is partly why this became necessary, along with the broken legal system and irrational ideas that you can somehow fix the past. We should be glad the images are already saved, even if not the originals in hand.

YP was not in place as it is today, and even early suggestions sort of related to "supervision" and so on were not focused. And, while BSA did "something" to protect with IV files, it was still not an issue in the broader society. until probably the late fifties or early sixties forward. Add in the messed up legal system and simple ignorance of much of the problem and we ended up where we are today. Ironically, even in the midst of the uproar, the BSA YP was still held up as better than most other youth serving groups.

No need to apologize. I am one of the older curmudgeonly leaders, really now emeritas. But, I had the pleasure and frustration of seeing interactions not just in scouting recently, but also as a sub teacher where the youth displayed a lot of things I found myself watching and adjusting. During a small number of outings we shared camp areas with girls and had combined fires, and one Easter break we were in Balboa Park and each night the leaders, ours and the GS next gate over had to monitor the youth. My last week in summer camp three years ago was an interesting experience, but I saw little issue, though one young woman had to be spoken to by her leaders after some observations and actually youth complaints regarding here demeanor, shall we say. Learning and growing; part of life. Keeping them somehow separated is impractical at best, and asking for rebellion at the worst. JMHO.

This is a weak comment in that no reason having girls in Scouting America should keep the boys and girls from still having their own group sharing and so on. Even in camp situations, the girls and boys can still group, especially since YP has barriers that need to be met. Also, more acceptable social norms develop when adolescents need to be aware of each other on a broader front.

Once again, we choose to accept passing off personal responsibility onto "someone or something". Corporations or PAC's are somehow people, so they can do what individuals can; so says the court. Until somehow we have the courage to FIX the legal jungle and not allow foolish and far fetched ideas or definitions to be accepted, we will continue to have these ongoing messes.

A cog train is also an unusual and fun ride. Rode the short one in the L.A. area, Angel's Flight I believe, as a kid. Was told there was one on Mount Wilson, but never saw or rode it, but I also never visited its observatory. In Europe in the sixties rode a couple of cog trains, as well as long cable cars. We also used to have a small miniature RR at Griffith Park; think it is no longer running, but not sure. Still would love to do the Grand Canyon steam train, but not likely now.

My first real train experience that I remember was also in Scouting. Going to the 1960 Jamboree via Santa Fe RR from San Bernardino, around about for ten days before and after the event and getting the feel of what a railroad was. Today, much of the glamour is gone, but it is still a great experience if going cross country. They have the two level cars to view the scenery, and they even have the night sky visible on some trips. We slept in the pull down births, ate in a dining car attached to a cook car with a woodburning stove, and traveled a couple thousand miles. Still one of the highlights of my life and of Scouting. Took the train to PTC few years ago. Was a nice reminder, and I occasionally go locally on short trips. Of course, I also experienced the old So Cal Red Cars in the fifties. One of the most stupid things they did was get rid of them in favor of the freeways. You could go almost anywhere, and make connections, including to the Grand Central in L.A.

Again; this can all be laid on the warped legal system in this country, along with somehow thinking human frailties can be avoided. Reality tells us that the human animal will often find a way to do what they wish and there are no completely safe interactions, only properly supervised. Most of these issues would not be a problem in other parts of the so-called free world.

Okay; maybe workable? Also seems ripe to be abused if number of units is a stat? hmmmmm

Maybe the efforts could focus on ways to draw modern youth and parents while keeping to the Tenets? Society has changed dramatically since Scouting began, and while the need it there, it is clothed in a new and different atmosphere in the public eye. Looking back is helpful to some extent, but trying to GO back is foolish and asking from failure. B.P. embraced change when he began the movement, and all indications are that he also adjusted for societal changes, to some extent. Comparisons I see much of the time are like the adage of apples to apples. The crops have changed, and there are many more options from which to choose. Too many seem to me to be falling into the same trap our country has, pointing fingers and playing blame games rather than finding new ways and facing facts related to changes in people. Just my view. We have much to offer, so lets find a way and work harder on that to make it happen.

Far too many, from my observations and "hearsay" over the past couple decades is that the majority of boards are just political place holders and rubber stamp voters for an under overseen executive. The board includes all the COR's, but few even know they are actually p;art of the board and never vote except by proxy, controlled of course by the few. This is in my experience, or view, the biggest reason so many councils have issues. Our camp is in moth balls based on a very questionable decision that shows many inaccurate info, especially in regard to the actual p;program and reports from "a majority" of actual leaders and scouts, not just the few that complained that were in the minority by far. There is no doubt there are budget issues, but again that falls on the way the board has worked for decades, kicking cans down the road and ignoring experienced leaders. The inevitable loss of old time and viable Scouters and the National fiasco has contributed, but we now have no go to camp though we still hope to see a cooperative agreement come out of it all. Just the old guy griping?

Sadly, most of the issues are political in my view. We now live in a loosely garbled society that makes claims for fairness and "diversity", but often does not demonstrate such. When we have done the new Citizenship badge, the youth did not get why we needed to do it, as we already pretty much accepted everybody if possible. And, most pointed out that all the "stuff" in the badge was already an expectation, though not in their words, of being a scout and a Brother to other Scouts. We will never get total acceptance or even feigned acceptance from those that choose to be selfish and labor under skewed perspectives. But, overall we do a good job, and most problems seem to me, frankly, to come from adults intruding on the youth and their interactions. One of the things I always noted as a kid was how easily Huck and Tom got along when left to their own interactions. And history is replete with how often plantation children of the "owners" played with the children of the "slaves" and did not know the difference until the adults decided it was time to separate them before they actually found friendship as adults. Where this need to somehow be "better" or more "important" comes from as we get older has never quite been clear to me, though in my own family there was, and still are difficult and prejudiced people.

Other than the announced dates, not anything not already known. Hopefully the subject matter will still be available for Scouters and others alike.

I wonder why we speak of high adventure as differrnt fom camping. They are related. even simple overnights.