BSA24

>>QUOTE Because the Order of the Arrow is principally a youth organization, unit, district, and council Scouters are not selected for membership as a recognition. Selection should take place only when the adult's position in Boy Scouting or Varsity Scouting will make Order of the Arrow membership more meaningful in the lives of the youth membership. END QUOTE You can't have it both ways.

>> The reputation of the American Indian early culture is one where man lives harmoniously together with nature. That part of their culture allows us to blend the traditional of the scout program with the mystic of nature.

Johnponz writes, "My understanding is that the ceromonies have been clreared by rerpresentatives of the Indian tribes. If they have cleared them why do we all have a problem with them. Seems like a bit self rightous to me. " That nonsense is repeated over and over again, and its the same logic that the US Government used to take their land in the first place. "We spoke to that guy over there, and he says it's OK. The rest of you are just malcontents." We did a bobcat ceremony years ago where the den leader put yellow and blue stripes on the boy's cheeks. The boys loved it. The OA pla

>>The problem is the concept of the "Hollywood Indian," and it's so prevelent that some folks, when they do authentic, period regalia, they do not beleive it is real and that a lot of research has gone into it.

>>All of the Cubs in our Pack really love the OA American Indian ceremonies. Perhaps your OA Ceremony Team simply needs to do a better job. Or maybe our Pack is just full of UN-educated folks. Although I would bet that most of us uneducated yokels at least know enough to capitalize "Americans".

"Not permitted. I tried to arrange one kinda like Beav indicates (only Life Scout and above), but the Committee went bonkers and emailed the District Camping Chair and I was told in no uncertain terms that we could not do so. " Several points: The District Camping chair is a volunteer appointed by the district committee chair to hire event chairs for various camping trips. He cannot tell you what you can and cannot do. His word is only advice, and he holds no more authority than the scoutmaster of the unit across the street. The committee hires and fires the scoutmaster, but the

I've been in the OA for decades. I think the native american stuff is lame and I stay away from the dancing and ceremonies because I think it is absurd. I am in the OA to give cheerful service. I enjoy doing my part to keep camps running and repair things around the scout reservation. The indian junk I could do without. I know that for every Lakota screaming that we are violating their sacred culture there is a Cherokee in the OA saying this is all cool, but it still feels stupid to see black and white kids standing around in headdresses trying to talk like Graham Greene. It's time to let that

Some of you kill me - and you kill the spirit of scouting. Insignia GUIDE, folks, not Insignia COMMANDMENTS. The phrasing of these responses and of some uniform police at scouting events... I feel embarrassed for some of you. Let's talk about reality instead of imagined power that does not exist. If I wear a black or red sash to an OA event, no one can do anything about it. What are you going to do? Drum me out? Seize it from me? Push me down and take my lunch money? No, you aren't going to do anything except come up like a nerdy know-it-all and say, "You aren't allowed to wear that

Maybe you guys just aren't very nice to people, and you therefore don't get the best that people have to offer because of your abrasive approach. If you guys approach your eagle scouts with a smirky attitude and tell them they don't know everything and that you don't care if they are eagle scouts, don't be surprised when they don't want to do things you want them to do just to spite you. It's human nature. I have ZERO trouble getting anyone to participate in training. My unit is always 100% trained - always has been - including the eagle scouts. My folks jump in the cars and we convoy to

Basement: you should appreciate your eagle scouts for the same reason you thank god for the food on your table which also exists in overabundance and is obtained without effort... because you are lucky to have them and the day could come when you are looking around and there are none. There are four phases to every organization's lifecycle: 1. Birth & Ramp Up: everyone is excited and gung-ho. Thanking everyone for their help or patronage is common. Lots of positive feelings and expressions of gratitude. 2. Complacency: everyone takes everything for granted. "Why should I car

Why would eagle scouts stay in a unit where the unit leader feels they are a dime a dozen!?!? Talk about being unappreciated!

Cub Scout Leaders should take Baloo training before leading overnighters. Webelos leaders should take Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders (OLSWL - also called "OWLS" colloquially) before leading any den overnighters for webelos scouts. You must always follow youth protection, which means never be alone with any boy without another adult present as a witness. It should be called Adult Protection. To always follow YP while leading five or more boys on a camping trip means that you need about four adults to go. That allows two to go one way and two to go another in the event of a

Reference the Cub Scout Leader Book - available at any Scout Shop at your council office or online at scoutstuff.org. It specifically states that there can be more than one assistant cubmaster. The cubmaster of a very small pack < 30 boys, can get away without having one at all. The cubmaster of a large pack with > 60 dboys may find that he needs two or three to pull off pack meetings successfully. There are several functions ACM's are supposed to handle for the Cumbaster: * Lead the unit in religious award pursuits and guide parents and religious leaders to resources needed. A

BSA should initiate a national survey of youth from age 9 to age 20 to find out how they feel about the scouts and why. A survey of youth not in the program. BSA can afford to do this, and it is surprising that such a survey and its results have not been published to date. It's the only way anyone is ever going to know for a fact what the problem is.

I've spoken with young men who haven't joined scouting for all of these reasons and all of them tied together: * Do I have to dress like that? * You guys are like nazi youth or something with your hate policies * I don't have time. * I'm bored doing citizenship in the nation/world/community/family. All you guys do is talk. I'd rather play playstation Those are the four big objections I encounter - not from Tiger cubs and their parents - but from 10 year olds and up. If you think the uniform is not a problem for the self-image of the boys who are members and recruiting, th

I skimmed it. It concerns me. It seems to focus on top-down implementation of automation and IT tools rather than focusing on other major issues scouting has that cause membership levels to decline. We've been shrinking since 1972 steadily and dramatically, and I don't see anything in there that is going to reverse that trend. I am afraid there is denial about what is causing the shrinking interest in scouting at the highest levels and therefore the solutions don't match the problems. The solutions may fix some actual problems people are experiencing, but will not cause more boys to

Lisabob - well said. Youth are not in danger from not receiving beads. The Scouting program will not fall apart without the beads. Do you really want to die on that hill? Because if you nag me about the beads twice, I might just stand up, hand you the den leader patch, and walk out the door. The youth are in danger from not having leaders. The scouting program will fall apart without the leaders. Just go to the scout shop and buy your own beads, parents, and give them out yourself to your kid at home. Even better, go to tandy leather company, buy a leather totem, and teac

The non-sectarian nature of Scouting is a passion of mine. The number of times Scout leaders get diverse groups together and then say a sectarian prayer or make sectarian remarks is not few. It is difficult to ask someone who is passionate about religion to dial back their expression of it. They often feel attacked and threatened and do not understand how being non-sectarian can be a good thing. I think we all get a little over-amped up about being brave. "A Scout is brave - he has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him." When we are not

MyScouting has this definition: "The definition of a BSA Alumni is a former Scout, a current or former Scout leader, family members of current or former Scouts, and anyone who is supportive of the Scouting program and would like to be connected. " I think that is a pretty bad definition of "Alumni." Maybe they should have used the word "supporter" or "patron" instead.

There are basically two extremes of CO: * Ignore your unit but let you use the building all you want and sign whatever you want * Get all up in your business and start messing with how things work to a point that you won't be a "unit leader" any longer I have served under both. I prefer the first. In fact, I always prefer the first over every other kind. When I had that, I thought it was a bad thing that the CO was so uninvolved. However, I now think that was actually a good thing for us. Count your blessings.

I don't think bible stories in Boy's Life are in the top then of issues I would like to see BSA focus on and address. That being said, I am concerned with some of your responses. These are never valid reasons to ignore other people's suggestions for improvements: * It's always been that way (and slavery had always been that way too) * It isn't intended to offend (doesn't matter what the intent is) * You have too much time on your hands (so do you if you have time to read this) These are the slogans behind which we gather when we are resisting change. But without past change

If it makes sense to get rid of different border colors on lodge flaps, then it makes sense to get rid of different sashes. They are the same in every respect: a visual symbol of social status within an organization. Calling them honors instead of ranks or degrees instead of ranks is meaningless semantics. If you have the different sashes, then allow the different border colors. If the border colors are a problem, then the different sashes are also a problem. Choose.

After reading the entire thread, a few thoughts: * It is an insignia GUIDE, not an insignia RULE BOOK * If it doesn't harm your scouting program, or put the youth in some sort of jeopardy, then probably it is not worth any stress on your part * It is your shirt, and they are your awards * I wear my Eagle medal and God & Country medal right under my knots to fancy events. I encourage my leaders (I too am a Cubmaster) to wear any bead necklaces the district gives out for going to round table, wear the knots we award them for their service, and to wear any mom or dad pins

I don't know how they are defining "alumni" officially, but my opinion is that an alumni is an adult who was once a Boy Scout. I don't really consider a volunteer leader no longer involved an "alumni" of the scouting program. I think of old eagle scouts when I think of alumni.

BDPT00, you are welcome to disagree. I'm a volunteer. You can fire me, but you can't tell me what to do. Last I checked, no one has been fired for wearing a father's eagle pin on their uniform shirt, so it looks like our business here is concluded.