tyke

interesting article asks some good questions. Could the BSA give up the ban on the 3 G''s ?

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/opinion/the-boy-scouts-can-do-a-good-turn-finally.html?_r=0&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F

Just seen this article , it looks like there might be a big hole in the BSA finances in a few years if nothing else.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679711/Mormons-drop-Scout-programs-for-older-teens.html

If this is to be believed coed us scouting may be getting nearer

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-scout-leaders-discuss-offering-more-opportunities-girls-n754541

yes.. it is

out of interest, whats wrong with kids having Soda ? its only the same as juice, just carbonated ?

we only have one venomous snake in the UK, and your very unlikely to see one, and no bears apart from zoo's but we still have fun and adventure

All this talk of poisonous snakes makes me glad that we only camp in the UK

In the UK your also allowed to have a beer on camp, some of the bigger camps even have bars. The only rule is that you can't drink in front of the kids, and you don't get plastered and there are some leaders that don't. There is nothing nice than a nice beer or glass of wine by the fire once all the kids are all tucked up in bed, and you can relax and chat with the other leaders.

thats well random. it seems a little intrusive of the BSA to dictate who you can and can't share your tent with, as its not really a child protection issue as even if you got up to something it'd be away from the kids. 

so you could live your other half with for years, have a couple of kids, mortgage  etc but on camp you have to sleep apart ?

so if you have a couple who arn't married, then under the BSA rules are they allowed to sleep in the same tent ? 

(Double post)

yep in the UK you can pretty much share a tent with whoever you want as long as its adults, no one really cares as its generally none of there business. I share with my scout leader who is also my other half, we are not married, the kids know we are a gay couple, as do most of there parents, and the parents are more interested in us providing a safe and fun  camp than who and were we sleep.

It's a bar, not an opium den, so as long as the kids arn't helping themselves does it matter? Loads of scout camps in the UK have bars on site, and lots of scout events take place in sports clubs with bars

Lordy lordy all this period talk! Your giving me the vapors. Seems, in the rare case that would happen, to be another scouting opportunity for improvisation and what not. Good reason to have a necker on hand I suppose.

 

I've had to deal with autistic kids, sociopathic boys, bedwetters, and a kid with a cancer port. I suppose I can deal, in the unlikely event, with this one.

 

What I REALLY want to know does this mean I need to attend an additional training course and if so how much of time will it take.

this is from the UK scouting fact sheets if people are worried about someone having a period (having had a kid break a leg on camp, a period would be easy to deal with)

 There should be sufficient toilet and washing facilities to ensure the privacy of the young people. Facilities for the disposal of sanitary towels and tampons should be provided, and Leaders should arrange a supply of spares in case of unexpected emergencies. There might be occasions when a girl starts her period on camp, or is caught unexpectedly. Leaders should be prepared to support her discreetly and sensitively, as they would with any personal difficulty that a young person encounters on camp

When I was a Scoutmaster, I directed the program so that if the patrol went on a campout in the woods without adults, the patrol would have the exact same experience they have with adults 100 yards away. I don't believe in "boys will be boys", I believe in developing the discipline of living by the Oath and Law. 

 

My approach may or may not appear realistic to many leaders, but it worked for me. However, I can understand the concern. I was talking to a professional once who told me that the high level professionals had some concerns about mixing genders at the older ages. I'm not really familiar with the camping policies of Crews today, but he did told me that there are a few scouting babies in the 90's from Crew outings and it cost the BSA dearly. He refuse to give any details other than the crews were camping without adults.

 

So with all due respect, when I hear someone from another country tell us that it's not a big deal and the adults are just over reacting, I don't believe we are getting the whole story. Our program is turning into an after school program that has to be heavily monitored by adults. With these new requirements on sexuality at all ages, how could it not!

 

Barry  

Out of interested why did a few 'scouting' babies cost the BSA dearly ? 

I imagine no different than all boy units with female SM/ASMs.  Regardless, BSA is asexual in my opinion.  Our unit has never had husband/wife leader team before but it has been discussed.  The Troop would insist on separate tents for even a married couple.

separate tents for a married couple thats well mad.

Would I be able to share a tent with my scout leader as we're a couple, but not married ? 

I agree.

 

Why? What do you think would happen?

yay to the BSA.  Reading posts on here sometimes make me face palm lots. Lots of the  fears / concerns are so alarmist. I run a coed scout group as they all are in the UK and have been for 35 years. I have got girls in my troop, both scouts and cubs,  we do not have any female ladies, do I worry about them getting pregnant, having a period on camp, separate tents, showers etc, no, as all of these are easily solved by being pragmatic and sensible and its nothing to worry about. If I had a trans kid, then nothing would change as generally the kids don't really care, its usually the adults that get all out of sorts about these things.

A 'bloke down the pub'is a phrase it doesn't literally mean you spoke to bloke in a pub (you can go to pubs and not drink or smoke). If you have this extensive knowledge you could share the papers that state that trans is a hoax, something in pubmed would be nice

There is no such thing as trans people.  It is a hoax.

 

To subject a prepubescent child to hormone therapy to suppress their natural development is nothing less than medical quackery and child abuse.

So you believe a whole load of people to be a hoax, based on what ? Your deep knowledge of the subject from years or study or did some bloke tell you down the pub so it mus be true.

All this talk of 8 year olds having surgery is nonsense. The kids have to go through lots of phycological assessment and live for a few years as there new gender before evening going on hormone thearpy let alone surgery. And this would usually happen when the kid is over 16, as the most that is usually done before then is hormones that delay puberty so the kid and family have more time. Reading some of the comments above saddens me as it's so easy for some people to dismiss as a phase or just a tom boy, it's no wonder trans people have a very high rate of suicide

I gotta say I think @@Beavah hit the mark in his comment about tomboys.

 

What in the blazes does an 8 year old know about being a trans-gender???  Really!!!???!!!

She's a tomboy, nothing wrong with that on any level..... and some adult is really screwing that kid up putting those sorts of labels and ideas into her head.

So sad.

An 8 year old will know a great deal about there desired gender and to say that they are a'tom boy' shows a very immature understanding. Have you ever met a trans kid or adult ? I think before you comment you should educate yourself

GSUSA do accept trans girls as all that they require is that the girl identifies as a girl.

Yet again the BSA come across not overly well.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2016/12/27/8-year-old-transgender-boy-barred-cub-scouts/95518824/

He'd be welcomed into my troop anytime