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Hawkwin

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Everything posted by Hawkwin

  1. How weird. That would seem to be backwards. STEM has the requirements to recite the Pledge, Scout Oath and Law. Explorers do not. STEM does not have a Non-Disc Agreement. Explorers do. STEM meets on school grounds and is quite literally an after-school program. Explorers, to my knowledge, never meet on school grounds. Makes me wonder why BSA has not revisited this issue for both organizations.
  2. Within the last few months, I have attended an information session for both a local STEM Scouts and a local Explorer Scouts unit. I was rather surprised to find out that STEM placed the same emphasis on Duty to God that Boy Scouts do. https://stemscouts.org/frequently-asked-questions/ STEM Scouts follows the Scout Oath and Law with the goal of producing men and women who are leaders, display confidence, realize their skills and limitations, are respectful of others’ opinions, are problem solvers in all aspects of life, look for opportunities to serve others, are good citizens, an
  3. <-Father of a Firecrafter (Camper). Your link appears to be broken. Just reloads your post. http://www.firecrafter.org/
  4. It has been a while since I was a Lion but my local group was coed and there are often adult women leaders and volunteers with the Boy Scouts so it isn't really as all-male either - at least not at the comparative peer level.
  5. I get that. I have a daughter myself and have a minor panic attack every time I think of the rate of sexual assault on college campuses... But, no one is forcing girls to join. Seems to me that if girls want to be in an environment where it is 99% boy and where the adult leaders are 99% men, then two things: 1. They likely have a mom or dad that is already active in scouts. 2. They have a mom or dad that will be willing to be a volunteer in scouts to alleviate any of their concerns. If I had a fear of an organization, I doubt I would be very interested in my daughter even apply
  6. As far as marketing and using some B level star (I love you Mike Rowe but you are not selling movie tickets!), that is highly unlikely to work. If you REALLY want to appeal to the youth of today, it is somewhat simple (but not easy). I propose three things: 1. A Cub Scout cartoon. Make a cartoon that shows how fun it is to be a cub scout. Make a bunch of cub scout super heros that use their skills to save their communities. Put it on the Cartoon Network. Make action figures that go with the show. 2. A Google/Apple app game. It seems everyone has one of these "match 3" games these
  7. There's the rub, what is, "lives as a boy?" I don't mean that question to be facetious. I am simply illustrating that such may be getting difficult to define these days. Who gets to define "living as a boy" when someone can claim to be a boy at any time? I would imagine that there are troops in some states that are already applying a lot of flexibility to the recent rule change on trans scouts. What gender is a trans boy (someone born a girl) that still dresses like a traditional girl but likes traditional boy stuff? Are we defined by our attire or how we act? What if the scout claims t
  8. Not so sure about that; or perhaps more accurately, true for now. The suicide by cop Georgia Tech student (clearly a red state) identified as "nonbinary" and "intersex." I would guess that there are more such students on Georgia Tech's campus - and that student was a Georgia resident, not someone from the blue bubbles. While certainly a minority of the population, BSA has already said that someone like him could have been a member of Boy Scouts. As long as the CO accepts the new and current membership rules (removal of the ban on sexual preference and acceptance of trans scouts), I don't s
  9. I will add, that there are currently 4 or 5 states that now even allow people to declare "X" or non-gendered on their state driver licenses. I imagine that list of states will grow over time. What would BSA do about such an adult that wants to go camping? Do they get to count as both? As it pertains specifically to this topic, what keeps a person born a girl, simply declaring she is a boy so that she can be in BSA already? Maybe for her/him, being a "boy" simply means a desire to hike and camp? Gender is becoming so undefined these days that it starting to lose any validity as a means to
  10. That is essentially the problem with such a restriction. These days gender is fluid and in some cases, completely lacks specificity. People are now identifying as non-gendered or gender-neutral. Thanks for the information on Venturing. I wonder how they handle such situations of trans and gay parents. I don't see how in the age in which we live, the gender of the chaperone provides any assurance. Certainly decades ago when it was only men and boys camping, violations still happened.
  11. Thanks qwazse (how do I link your name btw?) For me, it isn't an issue of trust, it is an issue of logistics. The default assumption is not to trust, hence Two deep leadership and YPT. I can't say that I know every parent in our troop and I certainly can't speak to their sexual orientation or their criminal history (or proclivities). I have to trust that even if there was an adult (male or female) that had such attractions for children went on a camp out, that they would never allowed to be alone with scouts and that I have trained my son how to handle such situations. You could have s
  12. In an age of gender fluidity, would "moms" even be a requirement considering two-deep leadership and YPT? Seriously, why would we necessarily need more moms if we were some mix of coed? Not arguing that moms wouldn't be beneficial, just not necessarily an impediment to such a change.
  13. I like the changes. Perhaps something more about the youth that teach at camps being not qualified to be MBC but perhaps still OK or qualified to teach the material - but still requiring the material to be “explain†one, “show†one and “tell†two back with the Patrol or Troop with a certified MBC.
  14. I would think it would have to start at the council level since camps are not usually district specific (at least not to my knowledge - we have two dedicated camps in our council that get scouts from many districts, including from other states). I am sure a district can exert some influence on a camp but such might be more productive and successful if you coordinate with other districts or the council. I think your focus on just those activities that are outdoors (ore more accurately, non-classroom) is a great start. Camping, Hiking, Backpacking, Swimming (and other water related MBs where
  15. What about what I stated previously would make you think such was apparent? He was recently voted by his peers to be Patrol Leader so my assumption is that he is well connected to his patrol, despite his priority to spend time with his family at specific and pre-determined times of the year that might conflict with a certain scout camp. Life long family traditions > a specific camp.
  16. But then you can't control where the scout goes to camp either. My son, due to our existing family routine and traditions, often misses going to camp with his pack or troop and has many times tagged along with another troop, even in another district. For the upcoming Fall Camporee, he will be going with another troop from another district as we will be on vacation during his own Camporee. Next summer, he might go to a camp out of state to try something new as well. I personally think he experiences even more growth by going with strangers than with friends but then I might be biased on tha
  17. I am sorry that I was not more clear. You could not and did not know the size or the format of the class before you signed up. Even Nationals, absent additional rules, guidance, and perhaps auditing the specific class, could prevent or limit the class size. Years ago, I worked for the American Camping Association. They have an accreditation program that requires camps to pay a fee to be accredited. That accreditation requires certification and auditing of various aspects of the camp. The only likely way Nationals could clamp down on the MB program at camps would be to create something simi
  18. You won't (and didn't) know this before you signed up for the class so there is little that can be done to stop that. They larger issue is whether or not you signed up for that camp based on the MBs it offered. If you did, then that is the topic the OP is trying to address. If camps continue to offer MBs then there would be little Nationals can do (absent auditing every single class and program) to ensure that they are run according to standards.
  19. They don't require the interaction of a stranger. For example, you are not required to go interview someone in the cooking profession for cooking. Adult interaction is different that being required to communicate with a stranger. Some merit badges require a scout to seeking out an adult stranger and interview them - and such was one of the core tenets of the MB Program: The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career or vocation. Originally, the program also introduced Scouts to the life
  20. Some quick feedback: I like it so far and I generally agree with the premise that MB assembly lines at camp is a bad thing. I have a general disagreement with the cause of the problem which upon my quick read through, appears to be missing. The "Why" the parents and scouts are shopping for camps in that way. The fact that camps cater to them is the SYMPTOM of the ailment, not the ailment itself. In other words, if you want to cure cancer, you have to find out what is causing the cancer. Giving a prescription to treat the symptoms doesn't cure it. My hypothesis is the that ailment -
  21. Good question. Of the merit badges my son has started or finished: Whether or not the MB requires some form of contact of an adult (and likely) stranger: Citizen in the Nation - yes Climbing - no Collecting - no Cooking - no (a bit of a surprise) Dog Care - yes Family Life - no First Aid - no Gardening - no - requires a visit to a location but no required interaction. Home Repair - no (and the requirements of this one needs to be fixed otherwise there is virtually no way this is completed correctly unless the counselor is a parent). Leatherwork - no, must visit a place of busi
  22. For many if not most of merit badges, I don't think that concern would be overly relevant. For the relevant requirements, a scout still has to approach an adult working in the field to perform the interview and if I am the Merit Badge counselor for say Dog Care (and especially if I am not a vet), then my son would still have to complete: 8. Visit a veterinary hospital or an animal shelter and give a report about your visit to your counselor. He would have to do that with an adult stranger. Me being the Counselor doesn't alleviate that requirement. Even if I was a vet, he would still be
  23. Neckerchief is optional. Page 4. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33066(15)_Web-4.pdf Boy Scout neckerchiefs are optional. Troops choose their own official neckerchief. All members of a troop wear the same color. The troop decides by vote, and all members abide by the decision. If the neckerchief is not worn, then the shirt is worn with open collar. Boy Scout and Boy Scout leader neckerchiefs may be worn in a variety of plain colors and contrasting borders. Our cub scout pack stopped wearing (and buying them) when my son was either a Wolf or a Bear to cut down on
  24. Curious. What part of the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, or Code do you think should be different for girls? Please, this is not an attempt to be facetious but is there a way a girl would do First Aid that is different than a boy? How about how they would do a bowline knot? Hike five miles? What are the differences that concern you? This isn't to suggest that girls and boys may not have different interests (boys might prefer football while girls might prefer cheerleading, for a generalize example) or certainly different body parts but I fail to see how the activities of BSA are necess
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