HashTagScouts

It never really had to be that way. It's only my opinion, but the BSA frankly never did enough to really make the awareness of the Venturing Silver Award was (and even less so since changing ti the Summit Award). The Silver Award was, again, my own opinion, even more of an accomplishment than Eagle for what was involved, and the Summit Award is still a pretty darn big accomplishment.

It doesn't officially pout that stamp on it, but it also does nothing to make it not become the reality. If the whole conversation is about accessibility, and not having to have parents "be in two places at once" (my summary of everything Mr. Surbaugh presented), then yes, you will have units making meetings and outings joint between male and female troops, and then you will have all the pressure of "why not allow my younger children to come" or "if my younger children cannot come, then how can both parents really participate?". As I posted on other threads on this topic, the unit my son belo

I agree 100% with your earlier assessment. "Advancement Mill" mentality generally makes a troop look great from a distance, but my experience says that after 13/14 when the kid has hit Star (or at least on paper has done the requirements) and realizes that he now has to do the work all by himself, it is gut check time. And when you factor in that he needs to do that work AND have to be a babysitter/instructor, there is little time left for fun and Scouting begins to be a drag. They may still come to some meetings/events, if the theme is of true interest to them, but by and large their 'love

I don't really see it as a male/female thing. For the OA membership guidelines, male Venturers today cannot be elected to the OA unless they are also dual registered in a troop or Varsity team at the time of their election.

This is pretty much my experience as well, they are two very different programs. Crews have options on advancement, if that is the crew culture they want to develop.

it certainly is one way to change the culture. I also tend to lean more on the OA members in the troop should be deciding on who is eligible (using the current criteria) for the election.

Sadly, I find that a great many "Crews" are nothing more than older boy Scouts who have split from a troop(s), or in fact are just the older Scout Patrol of a troop. I've also found a number that do not do any of the Venturing advancement program, but just do the same track as a troop. So, take it with a grain of salt when we hear Venturing is all for integration on whos voice is actually being heard. I would have to agree that a great many in the OA today do not belong, and do nothing to contribute to their Lodge let alone to the sections/national. We also have to remember

If there are enough adults who want their daughters involved, then nothing stops them from having the COR charter a female troop and keep it separate on paper, but coed in practice by having both units share meetings and outings. Whether the BSA is declaring the program is not coed, it will be irrelevant as units will force it to be so.

Not entirely true- you need to have a valid Advancement Report to purchase merit Badges and Rank patches. It's often subverted, but there is supposed to be that valid check and balance from the local Council.

Stosh, appreciate your feelings. I am struggling with the same thing with my sons troop now, even before the BSA gives a bona fide blessing on this. The troop has always done summer trips that are 99% adult run and open to families, a Thanksgiving campout that is the same, and now making two other campouts in the coming year "family campouts". It takes the boys out of leadership learning and makes the concept of registered adult leaders irrelevant.

Agreed- why not do this? I hear many of the arguments about not wanting Eagle to become something that both boys and girls can earn, to which my reply is that the BSA has dropped the ball in a major way of promoting that the Venturing Summit Award (and even more so when it was the Silver Award) is every bit as significant of an achievement as Eagle. This is what the BSA needs to be focused on is putting far more energy into building up the reputation of Venturing. Stop the nonsense of putting resources to Varsity and Explorer. Within the council i am in, Crews are by and large just 'ol

My sons troop goes to a camp outside of our council for summer camp (he also works staff for that camp), so I am on their newsletter feed. I received the same type of invitation from that council SE, though it was more overt and mentions ongoing discussion and studies about the addition of girls to the non-Venturing programs. I am not in favor of making the whole program coed, simply as I believe that both boys and girls need to have time to be with other boys or other girls. It has nothing to do with limiting the activities that girls can be involved in. Honestly, it is a crying shame

This, to me, does not qualify as a 'service project'. if I was asked to do this for my unit, I'd ask for a share of the $$$ and consider it a fundraiser, but not a service project. I also don't consider fundraising hours as service hours, but I can say that not every other troop out there thinks the same as I do.