Jump to content

Jameson76

Members
  • Content Count

    1503
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    54

Everything posted by Jameson76

  1. Sadly I recall the Improved Scouting Program. Lived it and watched troops get smaller and go away. I got my Eagle right before the ISP was put in place. No new ISP for me. You had to file paperwork by 12/31/73. Couple of years later while on camp staff, council Philmont, etc there were definitely two groups of Eagles. Those of us "Old" requirement Eagles and those that were "New" requirement Eagles. There was cache to wear the old Eagle patch as opposed to the new groovy one they put out in 74 Those who think the Scouts (and I was one) don't really care about the rigor of the requ
  2. We continue with dodgeball (or extreme catch) and vegetable cannons. But we're sort of rogue sometimes
  3. Remember, the G2SS is written and updated by lawyers, professional staff, and volunteers who have not been involved at the actual unit level for many many (if ever) years. The goal of G2SS is not actual safety, but legal mitigation. Most of it is common sense, but many of the details are at best mind numbing. The wizards of the G2SS do not understand the patrol method and the promise of Scouting (Scouts BSA at least) is to have youth leading and handling their own adventures, being independent, being responsible. If it was up to the G2SS folks the whole thing would be Family Camping, n
  4. We had a leader who got beaded (is that a verb??) at a regular meeting. Supposedly was going to be a 5 minute portion of the meeting. Actually was about 45 minutes. To our Scouts credit they sat through it. Bets comment was one of our leaders who stage voiced to the other guys in the back "this is why I never want to go to WB" At the end of the day it is training. There are many things in Scouts that take at least as much (or more) time commitment as WB. This is ADULT training, and should be awarded, if wanted, in a setting where those that can appreciate it are in attendance. Saw
  5. This is in fact a serious question. If Non Binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male nor female‍; identities that are outside the gender binary, how could they also be gay as they do not identify as male of female? Just curious as I would think they would identify as one (gay) or the other (non-binary).
  6. A good bit of "document and discuss" "research" "consider". Very much a classroom exercise Requirement 6 will be interesting: Interesting it could be a Scout With your parent’s or guardian’s approval, connect with another Scout or youth your own age who has an identity that’s different from yours. (This means a trait, belief, or characteristic different from you.) Requirement 7 could be also interesting. The historical figure will be the path many will choose Identify and interview an individual in your community, school, and/or Scouting who has had a significant positive
  7. "Some requirements may need parents permission" Oh...do tell..
  8. Great - another sit in a class and try to stay awake merit badge. Boy Scouts, in order to differentiate the program in the market place, needs to be action and activity oriented, not more schooling. News flash, there is a ton of sit in class stuff available to youth these days. As has been noted, better solution would have been to work some changes in to the EXISTING Citizenship MB's and move on
  9. Some observations (Similar to what others have noted) - BSA National laid off tons of staff and continues to eliminate actual program facing staff, but they are going to add staff for DEI. Assuming basic expected pay and benefits this will be likely over $3 MM annually in expenses - Note that there are 5 workforce resource groups. I guess if you are disabled, indigenous persons, or white you are pretty much not welcomed. Interesting that the DEI head would support exclusionary and segregated groups within the workforce. I guess my definition of inclusion must be different
  10. If asked we advise that BSA National is in litigation, the landscape is fluid. There were abuses in the past and BSA continues to strive to correct. Locally with our unit, to our knowledge, there are not any cases. The goal is to keep it that way and be aware that not being aware can lead to problems. On YPT out unit does adhere to the standards and all leaders understand the why of the standards. If someone is meeting with a Scout prior to a meeting for some reason, we have another leader there and the meeting is out in the open. After the troop meeting we always have 2 leaders stay
  11. It means someone spilled a cocktail in the server room Smoke, sparks, general mayhem, weird red x's appearing in the lower right corner, the forum is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions, Old Testament real wrath-of-God type stuff; Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling; Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes…The dead rising from the grave; Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.
  12. We sometimes have the conversation with our Scouts "Why do we camp in the rain?" Their first responses are we're dumb, we can't read the weather maps, etc etc. The discussion leads to that if you are planning to have an outing, and if you wait for all the conditions to be perfect, you will likely never leave the porch. It is sort of like that in life; not the perfect time to attend that school, not the best time to start that business, maybe a better time to take that job, make that investment, marry that spouse, take that trip; etc etc. Rather than look for reasons NOT do somethin
  13. There was a call this week for our council area on UMC and Scouting. To say that the input was muddled would be kind. UMC has very real concerns and will not commit to anything until there is clarity from the BSA. The BSA, at least locally, has no real plan. Maybe units go find another CO, maybe not, maybe it will work out, whatever. Sad truth is, at least in our council, the concern for the actual units that are doing Scouting does not exist. Our feeling is they would be fine if we all just faded away, they could run the Scout units in the inner city neighborhoods (which are goo
  14. I fixed that for you Lions and Tigers...oh my
  15. Boypower 76 - Heralded by CSE Alden Barber. Big old Crash and Burn. The resignation is sort of underscored in the following article snippet. Left the profession "to pursue other interests" The plan was for 1/3 of all boys to be in Scouting by the Bicentennial (1976). This led to widespread phantom units. The epicenter was Chicago, but the impact was in all councils.. Took many years to shake out. Sort of rinse lather and repeat with Scouting for Life issues in the Early 2000's In October 1967, he was appointed by the BSA National Executive Board as Chief Scout Executive. During his
  16. I continue to be underwhelmed by the BSA professional leadership at the National and Local levels. Transparency is not in their vocabulary. Neither is communication. Noticed a random note on our district e-blast (which typically has "no new content") about cub recruiting and the Field Director who assisted. Apparently our DE, which is number 5 (maybe 6??) in the last 8 years has left. No notice from council on that occurrence. Then they wonder why the turnover is so bad as they don't regard them very highly and we do not get attached to them. In our district we are roughly 50% U
  17. UMC and the council of Bishops is recommending / strongly advising / instructing local churches to NOT sign the charters. At this point it's not a NO, but remember that the ministers are assigned and are under the direction of the conferences that roll up to the main UMC. As this moves along, a local UMC church may want to charter a troop but it may be not allowed in the book of discipline. Side note: To actually update the UMC Book of Discipline would be a major thing, but you get my drift Candidly, the BSA will need to get a path forward without the Charter Organization model. The B
  18. I would posit it would be a logic paradox rather than a time paradox. It would be localized at first, then as more logic is questioned; the Zero tolerance rules at Schools, mattress tags that can't be removed, and 5 screens of signing up with websites just to buy something; that paradox would grow, sucking in the local area. As it grew, sort of like a hurricane, it would become a logicnado, absorbing all light and matter into the event horizon. Only by solid reasoning and calm deliberation could be logicnado be defeated. As we are painfully short on both, our destiny would be sealed, o
  19. Never said YPT was a game, it is not. The comment Or you can just not play the game is related to the obviously overreach in the YPT requirements. I was pointing out the position the YPT rules (note - not a game) puts leaders wanting to be compliant, The rule "outside of scouting" is vague at best and a CYA by BSA at worst. No other youth group, sports team, etc has compliance rules (likely short of arrests) that cover the same thing. Nor is there a legitimate way to actually enforce said rule. Great point on the 18 YO texting his 17 YO best friend about something. Clear violation.
  20. Or you can just not play the game and sort of don't ask don't tell. BSA National did that for years with girls in units, good for the goose, good for the gander It's an option The whole outside of Scouting is an interesting over reach and while it has good intentions, that is what the road to Hell is paved with
  21. I think the best thing would be to rename the current Scouter Forum .... The Bankruptcy Forum. (Honestly it's sort of that now) Then form a NEW forum called Scouter Forum Part 2 . Then those that want to diver deep into the minutia, blue sky thoughts, what if's, and pure speculation of the bankruptcy and what may, may not, may never happen will have a home. Put on the tinfoil hats and go to town. Those that want to discuss and review actual Scouting program topics will have a home. Just a thought.
  22. That's the term that continues to frighten me. If bankruptcy, chartered partners leaving, councils selling camps, Summit costs, or local councils folding do not kill the Scouts BSA program, surely "Family Scouting" will be the death of it. This concept goes against the whole program. Not saying family camping as a concept is bad, good for families to get out and do things together, you don't need an organization to go and do that. It's just that the patrol method, Scouts getting experiential learning on how to lead things by themselves, having the opportunity to fail, having the oppo
  23. We appear to be having a meeting / Q&A session next month with the Council, Scouters, Clergy to ask about the "evolving" relationship between the BSA and UMC. As noted the "Parents of XXX" would be fraught with liability and not a good path forward. Unless the BSA agrees to insure and indemnify the CO, not going to work. Of course with the track record of bankruptcy and tossing CO's under the bus, no CO will really take the BSA at their word. Sad that an organization can have a great local reputation and a parent org that seems to not really follow their own Oath and Law. Se
×
×
  • Create New...