Col. Flagg

18 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

My perception is that if we compare 1965 to 2017, overall it is somewhat MORE difficult to make Eagle today.  I know that some others disagree.

Five words that prove this thesis wrong:

• Merit Badge Universities
• Helicopter Parents

MBs were much harder to get in the past. Scouts had to find and call counselors. No answering machines. You had to be diligent. Didn't have worksheets and Google to look up answers. I cannot recall a MB I completed in a week, let alone a day.

My parents stayed out of my Scouting except for my dad. He was a TC Chair so he was in meetings are the time, but he stayed WAY out of my way. My mom would not have known where to start with helping me, but she would not have stuck her nose in my business either. She wanted me to grow and Scouting was the way.

Those five words above have literally paved the way for kids to rocket through Scouting. Add in evolution in technology and communications, and these kids have it far easier.

20 minutes ago, Pale Horse said:

Perhaps your Council charges an extra $1 for insurance similar to ours (Great Lakes Field Service Council).

Apparently they are still charging $15. 

Someone should register and hold them to this publicized amount. 

21 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

Now the UMW is questioning why the church will be hosting a co-ed unit if it could now be supported in a public school. It is just a headache!

I was wondering when this old chestnut would come back. And ironically we just received today the response from our superintendent about the whole Scouts-in-Schools issue. Guess what? In his estimation the BSA and our school district's missions are "not 100% compatible"...whatever that means. Also, "...allowing Boy Scouts to charter with, and use ABC Schools, without having to pay for their use would put the district at a further financial disadvantage." He went on to say, "While the district supports Scouting, we cannot act as sponsors or hold the charter of any non-district organizations. All third party organizations are welcome to use available school resources according to availability and fee-for-use."

So where I live the local district has essentially said "No Thanks" to Scout units unless we want to pay to use their facilities. So much for BSA making all these changes with the hopes that schools would open their doors again. Oh, and a local pack that *is* recruiting girls was kicked off of school grounds for doing so, even though they had district permission. What fun!!

9 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I am REALLY outraged that while adding girls to my Troop will be an increase of genders by 100%, the 2018-2019 contract for ASM's only has a 50% pay bump.

I got a $75,000 one year contract with a $50,000 bonus per unit I act as unit lead for. That's $175,000/year plus benefits. Not bad in the end.

On 12/9/2017 at 6:53 PM, AK-Eagle said:

We got a slot! Crew 721-?

 

Phillip Martin
ASM Troop4
Ketchikan, Alaska

That's near the end of July, right. If the monsoons are done by then it can get hot depending on where you are. Be prepared for that. You will know better the closer you get. 

The bears down here are cuter and more cuddly than the ones in your neck of the woods.  

2 hours ago, WisconsinMomma said:

You're not a chauvinist.   It's the comments along the lines of -- look at all the fat moms who can't go on hikes, and if a girl gets an Eagle, then the boys' Eagles are worthless,  and negative comments about divorced mothers that are signals of attitude problems.  People can be legitimately upset at national for changing the program without being sexist.  But there are many men who look down on women and girls overall and that's a problem.  They're going to have problems. 

Sexism of ANY kind is an issue. Many men here experienced this firsthand trying to volunteer as leaders in GSUSA, only to be treated as if we were convicted pedophiles because of our sex. We've also seen our fellow males treating female leaders as second class leaders and stepping in to call the men out on their actions, so no need to pontificate here.

I disagree though about the "He-man Woman Haters" (that's for you @Stosh and @TAHAWK) being the ones who will have problems in this new coed environment. Those guys are entrenched in BSA and won't budge. The know so much and are usually the heavy lifters that if you got rid of them your district or council would grind to a halt.

The real losers in this will be the girls. Why? Because the whole program for girls is being thrown together by a group of know-nothings. If units are "separate but equal" (meaning: boys in one troop, girls in another) you will need to replicate the entire boy-led, patrol method troop structure TWICE. That means TWICE the leaders or TWICE the work for the same leaders. Either way you have a big problem. Most current leaders are well beyond being tapped out and over-extended. I will be most of us here wear or wore about 5-10 different hats, be they at the unit, district or council level. I'd wager my 2018 pay checks that less than 5% will sign up for that extra, girls-only work. That means you have FIND and TRAIN a whole bunch of new leaders to run those all-girl units. If you've ever tried to recruit Cub or Boy Scout adult leaders you know exactly how hard that will be.

I think the exacerbation you hear is from the collective (and considerable) experience in this forum knowing that BSA usually missed the mark BIG TIME when major change is involved. We are gearing up for that giant dung ball that will start rolling down hill in 2018...knowing it will land on our door step.

4 minutes ago, Stosh said:

Hold a POR for 6 months, that's why it will take 6 months to complete.    Remember Librarian is a POR.  So is Bugler.  A quick trip to a MB Fair should be able to double down on the 21 MB's.  It just depends on how focused the Helicopter Parent is and whether the Scout will be able to handle the pressure.

Don't think Bugler counts for Eagle either.  But point taken. 

"Assistant patrol leader and bugler are not approved positions of responsibility for the Eagle Scout rank. Likewise, a unit leader–assigned leadership project should not be used in lieu of serving in a position of responsibility."

8 minutes ago, Stosh said:

What BSA needs to do is have a special program for helicopter parents that allows their children the fast-track to Eagle.  I highly doubt it will deteriorate the bragging rights prestige of the Eagle anymore than it already has.  After all, they have done it to AOL, why not Eagle.  Correct me if I'm wrong... Sign up for "Boy" Scouts, do a "leadership project", jump through a few hoops, and VOILA Eagle rank in 6 months!  After all, no one really wants to spend a few months in the mail room before becoming CEO of an organization.  The world has changed, people, it's time we adapt to this new culture we live in.. we gptta be in step with what's new and modern... so I've been told many times on this forum.

Well, unless they've changed the leadership requirement for Eagle recently, but leadership projects currently don't count for Eagle leadership positions.

10 hours ago, NealOnWheels said:

Just a little frustrated with the delay this has caused.

I received some advice from our long-time Eagle coach in our unit. He would have the Scouts read and re-read (several times) the application and the workbook. He would then have them take notes, noting the action words, bolded text, noting where they use the terms like "not" or "shall" or such. Really break it down and read it as if you were signing your first mortgage contract. This advice opened my eyes and has been something we continue to do as a unit.

The output of this is a checklist, that the Scout creates, that has all the "deliverables" or artifacts that must be completed and/or submitted. We don't provide it as a list because we want the Scout to develop and use those critical thinking skills. Most of our Eagles are 16-17 so this is much easier. Younger Eagles typically struggle with this concept greatly. Maybe that's why our youngest Eagle was 15...but he was a 40 year old lawyer in a 15 year old's body.

On 12/10/2017 at 11:06 AM, Eagle94-A1 said:

This is LDS. Their program differs slightly due to their CO placing additional restrictions/ rules.  Example of the all the  11 year olds in their separate patrol with a TG and 11 year old ASM (unique POR for LDS units) citef above, and how they get to First Class in a year led to the NSP program back in 1989. Sadly these issues appear to be ingrained in some, not all, LDS units.

Talking to several experienced, long time LDS Scouts, part of the challenge is that  being a Scouter is a "calling" and you are appointed to the position, whether you want it or not. I've seen major issues in those LDS units with Scouters who are called and do not want to be there really. On the other hand, you got LDS units with experienced Scouters who are not only called, but are willing to do the job. Those units tend to do a heck of a lot better.  The other challenge according to one LDS Scouter is that " the further away from Salt Lake City a troop is, the more likely the differences in program."

So the LDS program is more adult-led with Scouts being discouraged from taking the lead and making contact?

I am just waiting for the first girl who obviously cannot make Eagle in the timeframe she has, being given a lighter trail to Eagle so as not to disadvantage her because of BSA's lack of speed in implementation. You know that will happen. Some hover-parent is going to blame BSA that their 16 year old daughter cannot possibly make Eagle in two years and how "unfair" that is. Just wait.

19 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

National registration is $33 as of 12/1/2017

This change will affect Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships. However, it will not apply to LDS-sponsored units, nor to those units with council-paid memberships.

 

Right, $33. Not sure why I had $34 in my head.

My understanding was that BL was still an extra $12 for Scouts who register with BSA, $24 if you are not registered or want a subscription otherwise.

Point was that when some troops charge $100 a year, only $33 of that goes to BSA, another $12 to BL, the rest goes to the troop.

13 hours ago, Sentinel947 said:

How do I cancel the subscription? I don't read them and it's wasting paper. 

I simply went to their website, called their 800 number and asked them to cancel my subscription. They were taken aback a bit because they called it a "free" publication, so why wouldn't I want it, right? I was pretty forthright with them and told them why...pretty much many of the reasons enumerated above. Again, they were a bit surprised but they took me off the subscription list. It took a few months but I eventually stopped getting them.

I was wondering if we could make a change to the default notification settings. I've noticed that when I follow certain threads I end up getting email notifications when my profile is set to not have any notifications.

So my "automatic" setting is set to none, but I am not allowed to change the notification setting for "Someone comments on something I follow". This is pretty annoying since I really don't want or need email based notifications. Can we please allow users to change that notification setting rather than making it default to email?

1 hour ago, Deerehaas18 said:

Hey y’all. I was wondering if I got a ring to symbolize I got eagle to wear everyday, which finger would you wear it on. Your middle finger or ring finger, on the right hand. What do y’all think? 

I would think ring finger of either hand. Pinky finger if you're Sicilian. 

You will find that most men as they get older rotate rings if they have them. Sometimes they will rotate in the class ring or the signet ring or the family heirloom ring, etc. The one ring that does NOT get rotated is the wedding band. Take that off at your own risk. 

25 minutes ago, oldbuzzard said:

Meh. I like local traditions

Some I like, others not so much.

But to point @The Latin Scot is making, if we allow everyone their own little "change" to things then you really don't have a "uniform" uniform, do we? I could get behind allowing units 1-2 places they can ad lib with their own dongles. BSA already allows hats, neckers and patches to be customized. How many more special things do we need?

I love the sentiment behind such things, but I do agree we need guidelines and limits.

29 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

See if you talk about this stuff long enough the Fun Police come out. Next you are gonna tell me that there is no Klingon Interpreter Strip. 

Of he pa' is an official tlhingan Interpreter qosta'. Hoch idiot knows 'e'! 'oh is not parha' BSA is staffed by Romulans, is 'oh?  

Gotta be a regional or local thing. Never heard of any change to NYLT in my area.

I have seen the NYLT patches that look like the "Trained" patches. I have seen off-issue ones too done by local councils or units. I have head a few districts call their leader training "SEAL Training" and other such names to make it sound more elite than plain-old NYLT.

I'd be interested to see how/if these programs differ from NYLT. To carry on the metaphor I'd liken NYLT to advanced flight training. I'd call NAYLE more akin to "Top Gun" or "Red Flag".

3 minutes ago, Deerehaas18 said:

When I attended NYLT Top Gun when we graduated the course back in 2015 they gave us a tan and red strip that says TOP GUN and we wear them right above the right pocket. 

Never heard of that. Must be a local thing? How is it different from regular NYLT?

6 minutes ago, fred johnson said:

By the way, thanks for the suggestion on the Magellan pants.  I'm going to try some of the Magellan olive colored nylon switchbacks.  I stopped buying BSA pants when I bought four of the centennial uniforms and the uniform pants all failed in the first year.  The nylon switchbacks lasted forever.  I'll try the Magellan and see how good they are.  

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/magellan-outdoors™-mens-back-country-zipoff-nylon-pant?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051#repChildCatSku=102410529

 

That's them. Have had them four years now are are my primary Scouting/Venturing/hiking pants. Been to Philmont twice and summer camps too.

5 minutes ago, Hawkwin said:

Wow, Scouting Magazine compared to the newspaper of the Communist party of Russia? Tell us how you really feel about BSA National.

Would CNN or MSNBC have been a better choice? 

1 hour ago, fred johnson said:

I'm not sure we connected on the idea, etc.  It's not about access or 3rd party on-line distributors.  It's about visibility in stores people visit anyway.  It's about putting BSA stuff in stores that parents visit so they see BSA uniforms and stuff BEFORE deciding to have their kids in scouts.  Right now, parents have to decide for their kids to be in scouts before they see scouting merchandise. 

It's also partially about asking what is the profit level of our council stores.  I see them very busy in September with new cubs.  But if you remove the patches and advancements from the equation (which could be done online or differently), I suspect the stores are barely breaking even.  I'd really like to know the numbers.

Hi Fred. I guess I missed those points, so sorry.

I get the idea of having the gear in places people can see as maybe a catalyst for getting kids to join. But to be honest (and not trying to be offensive), that's a pretty expensive way to accomplish that task. Merchandise that just sits takes up valuable space and costs the owner of the merchandise (or "merch" as the kids call it these days) to keep it around. Once has to think that money could be better spent to hit that target market. With all the "free" media you get on social media these days, the cost of sending, storing and displaying that merchandise could likely fund several online campaigns. In my area the place that had Scout gear was a mom & pop hardware store. The only folks in there were guys over 60. Millennials were never in there. I spoke to the owner many times about his customer base (on an un-related matter to Scouting) and he noted his clientele was mostly 40-80.

Addressing profit level of BSA's supply is harder because it supposes that it is run like a successful retail outlet. I'm not sure their supply is designed to make a profit...at least, not like other outfitters are set up. We can likely agree that their gear is expensive and that cheaper alternatives can be found. Heck, I use Magellan grey switchbacks ($24) instead of the Venturing ones ($50+) and I have never had any issues. I would suspect you are right about the stores breaking even, but again, I don't think they are designed to...hence my post above. If they addressed those issues I think you might see more success in the stores' bottom line.

1 minute ago, Tampa Turtle said:

You gotta sleep at an angle to centerline to get the back straighter. I prefer it to the ground but I find fighting the thermal loss a hassle sometimes. I have had some excellent sleeps in them.

My ENO hammock and the REI Flash air mattress (insulated and not fully inflated) has solved that issue for me. I am amazed at how comfortable I sleep...and I am a "stomach sleeper" but I sleep like a baby.

I am lucky as I have two scout shops within 15 miles of my house, so access is not a problem. They were also recently renovated and pretty swanky...in fact, needlessly so. Sure the mom & pop shop down the road was closer but usually didn't have exactly what I needed. At least now I know I can get what I need...assuming it is in stock. And with scoutstuff.org I can always order it.

I get the distributor-ship concept, but with Amazon Prime as an example, how many of us complaining about "buy local" also have been guilty of online shopping? 

My BIGGEST issues with BSA's supply is 1) price, 2) quality, and 3) sizing. IMHO, BSA should be offering far more cost-effective clothing for their members. $50 for a pair of switchbacks for an 11 year-old is insane. As others have noted, the quality of many items is suspect at best. I have a shirt that says, "B y Sc uts o  merica"...and that happened after the first washing!!! Some international friends thought I got the shirt in Wales. Others thought it was just the Texas spelling of the group name. Lastly, SIZING. The Venturing switchbacks were designed by someone with no knowledge of the human body. The "large" is a size 38" waist. The "medium" is a 31". So you are out of luck if you are a (svelte) 32". Your thighs won't fit the medium and the large is cavernous!!!

I'd be fine if these issues were fixed and could only order online. If BSA outsourced their "pick and pack" to a third party, they could fulfill like Amazon. Heck, they could even offer their gear via Amazon...but that would take some innovation and we know how BSA is on that topic.

38 minutes ago, SSScout said:

Oh, I have to agree on all the above.  BL used to have Build it yourself, do it yourself, how to camp articles for every Scout from the Tenderest foot to the survivalist  AT thru hiker.   How to plan your own Troop's week long trek?   How to make a tarp tent?   Sharpen an axe? 

I do like Dr. Hawk's articles.  Sometimes the super gear reviews, but it has become a millenial's  read about rather than a go out and do type mag.

19 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

Thanks, I thought it was just me. I get that they have to aim at a span of audiences and skill levels. I appreciate that they now include some cheaper gear...for a while BL only had $$$ in their reviews. I don't think any of this is part of some grand BSA National conspiracy but just some questionable editorial direction.

I agree as well. Years ago I used to find Scouting articles helpful. I still have several hard copies I kept. Great "how to" articles, ideas for units, trek planning ideas, etc. As I have pointed out earlier, the last 12 months or so have been drivel about "family camping" or something of that ilk. I've cancelled my subscription for 2018 as they have all gone straight to the recycling bin in 2017.

Boys' Life I think is hit or miss. I've met several of their staff and they truly believe in the program and the outdoors. I wonder how much editorial control they really get but I didn't want to bring it up in conversation. None of my business really even if they know the answer. I hope they stay around as a publication AND find their historic value to boys, rather than re-tool it in to some coed mag that tries to be overly hip and "with it"...or is that "down with it"? I'll have to ask my son.