Col. Flagg

I'm back down here. We've got CERT teams trained in swift water rescue going out tomorrow. Money and water are needed but there are many organizations and agencies helping. Response has been swift. It would have helped had more people evac'd but they didn't. The BIG problem is all the rain to the NW is all flowing BACK down the estuaries to the sea. The worst was pulling folks out of a nursing home filled with 2ft of water...everywhere!!! It's going to be a long four days. You can help with donations to organizations that promise to give the money direct to aid relief.

We had a similar issue. Years ago changed that signature to SM only so that the review and decision stayed consistent and with one person. It has helped and we don't have the problem anymore.

Did I miss something? A Scoutnis Trustworthy. If he lying repeatedly he has not met the litmus test. SM has a conference with the young man and set up ways he can demonstrate over time that he is concretely earning trust back. Until then he's not lived the Law. Done! How is this complicated or unclear?

That's why every rank has a requirement to "demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Law." How can that requirement be signed off if he's lying and being disrespectful?

It's their image that forces them to make the change. They don't care what their actual members think or feel.

Councils in the north are sending stuff down to them as needed. Units are going to make an effort to camp down there so our money can help the local economy. Camps are offering all sorts of help. Local camps are keeping the tents from summer camp up to take over flow. The mega expensive new conference facilities in my council are opening to take folks too. Spent two days doing CERT down there. Going back Wednesday.

Don't worry, in 50 years someone will tank it down for a silly reason. Probably because white marble was used.

Its hard to make GSUSA change because they don't want to. Push BSA hard enough and they'll cry "uncle" over a splinter. Miss Ireland knows which organization to bully. So does her lawyer parents.

I've seen the same age restrictions on kayaking and other events. And BSA wonders why we lose members when adults place needless restrictions on the program national says to use.

The irony of Brits suggesting we Americans be more harmonious with other "world trends" is fun given Brexit and not adopting the Euro. No thanks. Let's keep what keeps us uniquely American, thank you.

Sydney should put her ample energy in to changing GIRL Scouts and leave Boy Scouts alone. We all want things we can't have.

@@Rick_in_CA, you don't believe in cause and effect then? For YEARS the year on year decline is at 2-3%. Then in 2013 it increases to 6-7% AND STAYS THERE after the policy change until 2017? That's just coincidence? No other big program changes? No perv file issues. Another 70,000 people per year decided to drop Scoutignout of no where? Ok. Then why do you think the rate of declined has doubled and stayed there? There's a relationship between policy and decline. You don't want to see it because it doesn't fit your belief system.

Right. Because the 6-7% that have left year after years since the 2013 policy change has inticed guys to stay. Now let's add girls and surely more won't leave? Great logic that. We will see who's assumption is correct.

@@ParkMan, our committee pretty much reacts to stuff planned by the PLC. They will handle finances. They will execute the logistics planned by the PLC (make reservations, payments, etc). They process applications. They work with the PLC on fundraising. They take care of the back office stuff. They don't get involved in program unless it's to support the execution of the program plan AND it's an area the boys can't legally or realistically manage. ASMs are self starters who take their orders from the SM, BUT they don't need every little detail spelled out for them. It took us a while

Here's another "sneaky" BSA trick. Their latest "family" post (that's three in as many days) claims families have been clambering for online registration. Really? Families have? More like memebership chairmen and the poor volunteers that's have had to drive to council to submit an app every time someone changes or adds a position. Families though? ZERO in my years of taking apps. They're just as happy to fill out the hard copy. More BS from BSA. http://scoutingwire.org/online-registration-is-live-across-scouting-nation/?utm_term=0_b9ab80fed4-75ce608ddc-204047165&utm_content=b

I think you missed the part where the BOYS learned a new skill and then taught it to the boys under the supervision of an expert..who just happens to be an ASM. As B-P would say, "Never do. for a boy what he can do for himself." Why on God's green Earth would I want the Troop committee involved? "A good ASM shouldn't do squat?" Then what is the position for?

Have you tried a series of games and exercises built around Tuckman's small group dynamics? Our troop runs team building and we use that to actually teach leadership. It starts with the four phases (forming, storming, morning, performing) and then builds upon each phase by allowing each person to develop their leadership style and skills through games and activities.

All but one of our female Venturers is a member of GSUSA. They do Venturing for the high adventure stuff they don't get in GSUSA. They believe goes should join Venturing not Boy Scouts. They're in it for their Gold Award that's it. They're in adventuring Venturing for the fun they can't get elsewhere.

Maybe this is why BSA is being so vague in their non-discussions. They wanted to leave open plausible deniability if called out. Either BSA has gotten smarter (and being more devious is not a good thing for an organization that touts honesty, etc) or they are bungling through things again.

We have a local unit which does the training. It's $80 for the weekend. They do scenarios and real hands on work. Best training I've had. The classroom only offerings are okay, but the scenario based offerings are the best.

Here's a great reason why more outdoor enthusiasts need to learn about HAPE and HACE. Needless deaths keep occurring because people want to enjoy the outdoors but are not trained. 20-year-old hiker died of altitude sickness, mom says http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/08/23/20-year-old-hiker-died-altitude-sickness-mom-says.html

You're forgetting all the scouts and scouters that would leave because of this change. BSA still hasn't corrected the increase in memebership decline from their last two policy changes. Think this will be any different?

Hmmm. We've been losing our key demographic (boys) which we service 2.2m of 25m. We've never been able to reverse that decline except one small blip in the early 2000s. And we think we can "get more actual members" -- essentially reversing this decades-long trend -- merely be repackaging the product that failed to do the same for boys? "Family Camping" and all this other secret labeling of the movement to go coed is just lipstick on the same Pig. You have to GAIN 264,000 NEW members just to break even from last year's decline. So to get more members in any year you'd have to put pace th

The number of adults is dictated by the Scout to leader ratio first. If you have 50 scouts doing something you need more than 4 leaders anyway. Next you need a trained leader. If doing something special you may need a skilled leader (RSO, WRFA).

Saying "this" and making "this" happen is the difference between talking about the moon and going to it. BSA has a lousy track record for implementing successful membership programs. To continue the analogy, BSA sound great in the planetarium but can't find a constellation in the real night sky.