MikeS72

1 hour ago, dangale said:

That was my assumption but I was asked to look into it. Frustrating situation as we are trying to grow and encourage our Girl's Troop but only have two of the moms who are able or interested in being involved. We definitely need more female registered leaders, but it's been a challenge and of course it is hard to have to tell the Scouts they can't attend, as well as their parents, who don't understand why they can't camp with their own kids in this situation. Thank you for your feedback. 

While this may not help you with this particular situation, do you have any female leaders registered with the boy troop who would be willing to be registered as a multiple registration with the girl troop?

5 hours ago, Aarav said:

Hi ,

          Does volunteering for  community bike event  counts towards conservation service hours. Please advice.

As @InquisitiveScouter asked, it this an event to raid  raise money for environmental or conservation projects?  If so, I would count it.  If not, and it is just a community bike rodeo or trail ride I would not.

I can only speak for my district and my experiences when using the MB look up in Scoutbook. When using the MB counselor search feature in Scoutbook I have pretty much always found that I know everyone who is listed, as they are already registered at some level.  While I am sure that there are those individuals who are listed as a counselor for one MB and one only and that is their only BSA position, I have yet to come across them.  As a matter of fact, I have only once done a search for a counselor and not found multiple options (all registered in other scouting positions) and that counselor just happened to be me!

I have not seen an official reason for adding the $25 fee for someone who does not hold another BSA registration, but I can only imagine it has to do with the cost of the background check.  

On 7/22/2023 at 6:50 PM, qwazse said:

My regret is that they are not full nudes as one would expect.

Please tell me that this is tongue in cheek.

3 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

I would have rather seen an actual female scout, but it is still better than the naked man following the boy scout statue.

Where on earth is this, and who thought that would be a good image for BSA?????

2 hours ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

Lester undoubtedly meant well, but I'm not sure that imagining us as those selecting who among the dead on the battlefield goes to Valhall and who goes to Folkvang makes a lot of sense. (Why is there a battlefield with dead to sort in this homage?) Or, as those who serve the warriors who died "with their boots on" in battle once they get to Valhall.

If the idea was to pick someone traditional, honorable and powerful who's also female, then picking from among the female Aesir or Vanir seems like a better idea. Freja, Siv, Frigg, or Idun all seem like better choices. Frigg's spinning wheel might be hard to add but Freja's amulet, Siv's hair, or Idun's apples would have worked.

Your post kind of confused me, as that is not at all what I see in this statue.  

I might have been inclined to leave off the wings and torch, but other than that this is a girl in uniform; merit badge sash, neckerchief and all.

4 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

IMHO a rope belt would be preferable...worked for Jethro Bodine

Just got a blank look from pretty much every current youth member in all BSA programs!  Jethro who???? 😁

2 hours ago, 5thGenTexan said:

My son has issues with earning 1st class because of the swimming requirement.  We live 45 minutes from a pool and its challenging to get there often enough for him to get the confidence and stamina needed for the 1st Class Swim test.    May be stuck at 2nd...

I was in the same boat (dad pun intended) as a young scout 6 decades ago.  We were in a military family and until I was almost 12 we did not live close enough to a pool to learn to swim.  Had swimming not been required for advancement I likely would never have learned.  My last 2 merit badges were swimming and lifesaving, as by then I was a fairly good swimmer, but still did not care much for it, and back in the dim ages there were no alternate merit badges on the Eagle required list.

3 hours ago, Tron said:

I guess you could say that some other scouting association that does not have an incorporated unit overseas is excluded; however, GS and many other associations that are here in the US also are incorporated overseas. As I understand it, if the scouting organization is on this list it counts: https://directory.scout.org/contacts

I would agree that an award by any association on the list at your link would be fine, and personally I would be in favor of BSA authorizing a knot for BSA members who have earned the Gold Award.  The directory linked here is members of the World Organization of Scouting Movements, of which GSUSA is not a member.  

As I said though, it would be a simple thing for BSA to say that in a spirit of unity among Scouts we will offer a knot for those who have earned the GSUSA Gold Award.  I would then hope that GSUSA would not object to said knot.

39 minutes ago, Tron said:

More directly to the gold award recognition aspect of this, the Guide to Awards and Insignia is very clear that awards from other scouting associations are authorized for wear above the left breast pocket (page 9).

The part most folks miss on page 9 is that this applies to awards from a scouting association in another country.

It does say that female members of crews and ships who have earned the Gold Award may wear the pin on the left pocket flap.  At this time it does not mention female troop members, although I would not be surprised to see that change soon, as I am sure we probably have a number of female members who have earned both the Eagle rank and the GSUSA Gold Award.

We seen to be on the low end of the spectrum as far as our council program fee goes; and on the high end as far as what benefits we see as a result of that program fee:

During our Fall Membership Recruitment season, the newly recruited Scouts will pay (which includes the National Council’s one-time youth joining fee of $25.00) $165 for a 12-month membership cycle.  Thus establishing their membership anniversary month.       

Later in the Fall, Scouts and Scouters currently registered in the Central Florida Council will recharter for the 2024 calendar year in the amount of $140* for youth and $100* for adult leaders…please note the adult fee provides enhanced background checks and general liability insurance.   

*Members are excited this registration fee includes the Central Florida Council Program Fee which covers the event fee for Scouts and Scouters to attend:

• District Cub Scout Shooting Sports and or Adventure Days 

• District Cub Scout Family Campouts

• District Webelos Woods

• District Scouts BSA Fall Camporees

• District Scouts BSA Spring Camporees

• Annual District Banquets

• Certain District Adult Leader Trainings

• Central Florida Council University of Scouting

The Central Florida Council Program fee also provides a subsidy for each registration for NYLT and Wood Badge courses. 

2 hours ago, DannyG said:

Leaders set the example

Agree 100% with this.  Scouts do notice properly uniformed leaders, both youth and adult.

2 hours ago, DannyG said:

Scouts should be in full uniform for BOR, and emphasize this to your committee. Uniform inspection is part of the board. We have postponed a BOR if a scout shows up missing a key piece of uniform (ie. athletic shorts are unacceptable, whereas we'll let them go if they aren't wearing the proper socks). Be more lenient with your Tenderfoot scouts than your Star/Life/Eagle BOR.  "We'll let you go for Tenderfoot board tonight, but next time be sure to wear your neckerchief."

While I was a scout in the early 60's, when we would never dream of being out of uniform, I have to say that over the years I have mellowed quite a bit when it comes to "complete uniform".   Our C.C. suggested several years ago that we "require" scouts to wear the complete uniform to all meetings.  Kind of fell through the cracks, considering that the C.C.'s scout was rarely in a "complete uniform".

I had an Assistant Cubmaster question me (as the U.C.) at his pack Pinewood Derby about wanting to prevent several scouts who were not in uniform from participating.  Response was very much to the point:  not everyone can afford to buy a complete uniform, and not every pack/troop with a uniform exchange will have something to fit everyone who might be in those circumstances.  No scout will every be denied ANY scout activity, BoR included, because they are not in uniform.

2 hours ago, DannyG said:

Don't say uniform is mandatory, or set a deadline for compliance. Set a standard and stick to it. Continue to set the example and be persistent what uniform is required.

Hard to not say the uniform is mandatory while refusing to grant a BoR or while being "persistent what uniform is required".

I will point out to one of my scouts what should or should not be worn on the uniform and where the correct places for said items to be worn.  I will bite my tongue with scouts / leaders from other units, unless I know them well enough that it doesn't make the feel attacked.  While the uniform (properly worn) is one of the methods of scouting, the method falls by the wayside if we run them off due to lack of said clothing.

58 minutes ago, Delphinus said:

What even is the purpose of this proposed merit badge? If they want to introduce it as an optional MB, fine. However, if they make it a required MB, they may find that many Scouts and their parents will just leave. 

Citizenship in Society has been Eagle required for a full year now.  I have conducted multiple small group sessions with scouts from multiple troops, and have not yet seen anyone who decided to leave rather than earn the MB.

2 hours ago, BetterWithCheddar said:

This feels like an appropriate forum to vent:

I'm putting together an email for families in my son's den that contains details on upcoming events hosted by our council. One such event is a "family scouting outing" at a local council camp. The cost is $45/person. So, hypothetically, a family of 4 would pay $180 to attend an event on a property owned by the council and staffed by volunteers. This does not even include meals.

$180! 😬

Does your council collect a council program fee, and if so, what does it cover?  Ours does ($60) and covers the following:

Members are excited this registration fee includes the Central Florida Council Program Fee which covers the event fee for Scouts and Scouters to attend:

• District Cub Scout Shooting Sports and or Adventure Days

• District Cub Scout Family Campouts

• District Webelos Woods

• District Scouts BSA Fall Camporees

• District Scouts BSA Spring Camporees

• Annual District Banquets

• Certain District Adult Leader Trainings

• Central Florida Council University of Scouting

The Central Florida Council Program fee also provides a subsidy for each registration for NYLT and Wood Badge courses. 

5 hours ago, fred8033 said:

I really hope that someday the only acceptable group to hate are the Green Bay Packers.  

Or the New York Yankees!!  😁

6 hours ago, Mrjeff said:

especially involving 18-20 year old kids including their friends at school

This is the one part of your comments that I agree is a problem.  It is not at all uncommon for a student to turn 18 early in their senior year of high school (or sometimes late in their junior year) and many of their scout friends remain 16 or 17 until late in their senior year or not at all before graduating.  My own scout is on the other end of that spectrum, as he has always been among the youngest in his class, and crossed over as an AOL to the troop as a 10 year old.  He attended his first summer camp as a 10 year old.  ALL of his scouting friends will turn 18 between 7 and 10 months earlier than him expecting them to no longer be friends outside of scouting is unrealistic.

As for the rest of the 'inside and outside of scouting' part of YPT, there are data driven reasons for that.  I spent a lot of time before and during the bankruptcy reading letters submitted to the court, and many of the original reports sent to national after an incident occurred.  An awful lot of those incidents did not take place at an official scouting event, but rather were the result of scouters (or youth members in many cases) who made themselves known to the families, and made those families comfortable enough to allow them to be alone with their children.  The abuse then took place in their home, or some other non scouting venue.  The 'inside and outside of scouting' recommendations at least show that an attempt was made to prevent abuse from happening, and that if it does happen it is 100% on the perpetrator and the perpetrator alone.

8 hours ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

I don't follow. Could you please elaborate?

I do not normally comment on these types of posts, but I 'followed' as soon as I read the next line in the post:  " I recently saw an ad for patches that celebrate the LGBTQ community, " people of color "  and women in Scouting.  Aren't the straight white male members being excluded or are the powers that be too week to make that available, or would that be racist or homofobic."

First time doing Wordle.  Far too easy! 😀

14 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

I expect minimal, as most MBCs I know are already registered as leaders

I see the same in my district and council.  When I look up a MBC in Scoutbook it is pretty much always someone who is also registered in some other position.

My question would be how this will affect the new camping rules come September 1.  Since MBC will now be a fee paid position will that allow them to be included in unit camping???

I would expect to hear something after the NAM wraps up next week.

2 hours ago, SSScout said:

IF ( I say "if")  you can find a place/organization that will sponsor CPR/AED training by the above named organizations, do so

As a long time Red Cross Instructor, I would encourage everyone to check with their local council, as BSA has an affiliation agreement with the Red Cross and many councils have ARC Instructors available to teach and certify people within the scouting community.

2 hours ago, OaklandAndy said:

Hey everyone! I'm looking at the "Private Property Approval for Shooting Sports by Units, Districts, and Councils" because a unit wants to conduct an archery event on private land. After looking at the form, it doesn't imply that Archery is part of this process. I know the "Permission to Enter Upon and Use Land" would be required though. Thoughts? 

Is the unit a Troop or a Pack?

If it is a Pack the question is moot, as Cubs can only do shooting sports at district or council events.  (one of the big draws at Cub Day Camp)

8 hours ago, BKS said:

All leaders are supposed to be registered with the BSA. What if your unit has a leader who is YPT but NOT registered as a Scouter, and he’s going over advancement material with the scouts and teaching merit badges with the troop (not registered as MB counselor)?

 

Is this someone who was just helping out one time, or are they always there and always interacting with the youth?

Is there a reason they are not registered?  Have they been approached about registering and declined to do so?

On 3/27/2023 at 10:36 AM, cmd said:

Really?  I guess that's what I get for listening to what a scout was telling me without looking it up myself!  

Wasn't your SPL by any chance, was it??? 😄