Eagle94-A1

Don't be too sure of that. Climbing harnesses and Swiss seats can be tricky put on. I know I was extremely careful putting those on females back in the day. Also knew one couple, both climbers, who swore they did some nighttime activities on a tower. Two consenting adults staff members were sent home for fooling around in a canoe at one camp I worked at.

African or European?

Camp we went to had staffing and food issues as well. I have been told by those who have been there it previously that the food was not up to what it has been in the past ( it was the worse camp food I had ever had, and that is saying something. We had folks get sick because of the expired milk). And they were short staffed. Other than that, Scouts had fun, even the one who told me midweek "I never want to come back." He wants to go back in a two years.

I am going to assume it depends upon the camp you are at. They were available at the camp I attended this year.

Been in a lot longer than 2005, and never knew there was a second verse.

We would be considered a "Hiking and Camping" troop, but add in Biking We weekend camp every month except December ( Service project for CO and Day Trip), February ( 2 Weekends of Scouting for Food and Scout Sunday), and the month of summer camp. I know of troops that will do two week+ long camping trips, but one is usually geared towards older Scouts and high adventure. Problem is getting enough Scouters to take the 2nd trip. Usually if they have to decide on one trip or the other.

Sadly there are people who would consider it battery and try to press charges. True story, a long time Scouter was retired and worked for a Scout Shop for a little extra money. A brand new Cub Scout and his mom came in and was getting uniform, books, etc. Scouter showed the new Cub how to wear a neckerchief by rolling it up, putting the slide on it, PLACING THE NECKERCHIEF AND SLIDE ON THE SCOUT (emphasis), and pushing the slide up. This was done in the Scout Shop with other people and the mother present. Mom freaks out and files a complaint against the Scouter for inappropriate touching. Guy loses his job, gets placed in the IVF, and law enforcement got involved. I got called into the office and told that i was to no longer put neckerchiefs on anyone because of this incident.

I made my own pocket device for the pins for less than $2.00.

Cell phone is now a required device for an emergency kit for Emergency Preparedness MB. Troop had a "no phones at camp policy" and several Scouts came to us saying the E Prep would not sign them off unless they had a cell phone in their kits.

My thoughts. I was conducting the transition training in 2015, and know one of the folks involved on the 511 Committee that made the changes. 1. The current program is NOT the original new program that came out on June 1, 2015. National watered down the changes in December 2016, without advising the committee they were doing so. Not all packs had folks attending those training sessions. If the pack in my area that did not attend was like the others around the nation, it was a major "Charlie Foxtrot." They had no clue what they were doing, had a poor program and complained about all the changes. I know the pack I was with did not implement the December 2016 changes until May 2017, once the School year ended. 2. Not having the correct program info hurt. National hadva large inventory of books with 2015 info when the made the changes. I saw some of those books years later still being sold. In fact my youngest got one of the 2015 Webelos books in 2018. 3. The program was designed for some repetition of activities. It required imagination on the parts of DLs to expand on those parts and make interesting. 4. Middle Son and den enjoyed the 2015 Webelos Program. Since they were almost finished with AOL rank when the program abruptly changed, they carried on with 2015 requirements. 5. Only boredom I found was with youngest. But he had been tagging along with older brothers since he was in diapers. At some points he was helping teach his den mates . 6. I have no experience with Lions, but from a burnout point of view, i think it contributes. 7. The imagination, creativity, experience, and zest that a DL has directly influences program. The Program Helps are just that, HELPS. They give a foundation. The more you add the better the program.

Some of the folks earning MBs were averaging 7.5 MBs per week. I call foul. Even an SM of a girls troop who has girls advancing faster than the affiliated boys troop he was SM of is calling foul on that. The one person I personally know that earned every single MB took him 7 years to do. He got his last MB right before turning 18. The young man then went on to complete the Hornaday Award as a Venturer. Forgot to add that I believe it is possible to earn Eagle in 19 months. I have seen some outstanding youth, male and female, do so. It took a lot of work and determination to do it and I applaud them.

This topic has come up with the Scouts in my troop. One is so disgusted with the "merit badge inflation" that he is no longer considering completing his Eagle because he believes it is meaningless now. The rest were ticked off at the the unbelievable number of MBs that folks got since COVID hit. Yet when you comment on it on other sites, you get attacked for raising questions and concerns. And I also met someone with all 130+ MBs back in the day. It took him until he was 18 to do it though.

With CSDC and folks working on their own, my former pack's advancement was asynchronous. The only thing that folks waited on was AOL and Cross Over. My youngest was finished with AOL 2 months before the last member of his den finished it. He started attending Troop meetings as a guest prior to Cross Over to not be bored.

The rise of Merit Badge Universities (MBUs) has increased the number of MBs folks are earning. With COVID, Virtual MBUs with 100+ kids taking an online class has from all over the world has. Some folks recently were averaging 7.5 MBs per week. From what I have seen, experienced, and heard about, I got real questions about the thoroughness of these virtual sessions.

The same could be said for councils and National. I know of councils not fulfilling their end of the paperwork, yet signing anyway. And as for insurance, no limits were ever discussed or mentioned in the paperwork people signed.

I have only read about one person being reinstated. He was removed for going into a bar in uniform. Reason he went into the bar in uniform was the Scout Bus broke down, and the bar was the closest place he walked to that had a phone to call a tow truck and contact parents. He followed the appeals process and got back months later. The people I know who have been removed have never been reinstated, including the one where the criminal investigation cleared the person of wrongdoing, and even found evidence to support her story of events.

Don't I know it. I was promised that the situation would be solved back in 1998 with SCOUTNET 2000.

Why should I be surprised. Risk Management folks STILL are lying about "Dodgeball has never been an approved BSA activity," even after I cited multiple references to Dodgeball in BSA literature dating to 1929 AND screen captured a SCOUTING.ORG webpage showing it is an approved game even after the ban (they quickly took it down). Why do I feel like I am in 1984?

And therefore won't be able to record it. Not that SCOUTBOOK / Internet advancement is accurste. Reviewing my records today, and of course 30+ years are missing. Heck it is still not showing i am an Eagle.

Will Scoutbook and/or Internet Advancement allow it?

Apparently yes, Webelos 1s can no longer earn it due to the new rule. Don't get me started on this nonsense. Webelos is suppose to be a transition period, getting Cub Scouts ready for Scouts BSA. In Scouts BSA, you can advance to Star and Life only using Eagle required MBs. Why can't Webelos? Also if you want to prepare them for Scouts BSA, the sooner the better. Waiting until they are in 5th grade for them to earn Scouting Adventure is too late.

Even some of the restricted camps will be reverting back to the trusts because councils can't afford the overhead post bankruptcy. We have a small camp that will revert to the trust because of overhead.

Officially there is no place to wear them. The Aquatics Supervision course patches are not considered temporary insignia, nor is it stated they could be worn on swim trunks, just "Swimming & Water Rescue, cloth, No. 10862; recognizes successful completion of Swimming & Water Rescue Training." and "Paddle Craft Safety, cloth, No. 18063; recognizes successful completion of Paddle Craft Safety Training." from this link. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33066/33066_Universal_and_Nonunit_Insignia_WEB.pdf?_gl=1*w220wt*_ga*ODIxNzM2MDM3LjE2MjUyMzgzMDM.*_ga_20G0JHESG4*MTYyNjE5OTI0Ny4zLjEuMTYyNjE5OTQ5NS4xNw.. Considering they are certifications like BSA Lifeguard and BSA Aquatics Instructor and not awards like Mile Swim and Kayaking BSA, I have worn my 2 Aquatics Supervision patches on the right leg of my swim trunks.

Nor did he play the Global Thermonuclear War game. I hear it is a MAD game, worse than Tic Tac Toe. 🤣

This is anecdotal and hearsay, but from my perspective it appears dead on. The ones with the youth experience tend to leave, and the "good" DEs have no prior experience. I know when I eas a DE, most of us with youth experience left due to frustration. We did not see our upper management living the Oath and Law. We became disillusioned with the movement. And talking to other former pros, that has been their experience as well. Hearsay is what one high level council pro once told me: the best DEs and pros have no youth experience. They have no preconceived notions of thd job, and are "objective" when it comes to goals.