Jameson76

We have had numerous current Scouts that basically stopped Cubs during 3rd or 4th grade and then they joined the troop when we crossed over Webelos to Scouts in the spring. The feedback was the boys were just tired of the Cub program, seemed to be the same things over and over. The Boys were ready for the freedom of Boy Scouts, being able to chart their course. In many cases the parents were weary of it also. Much bigger difference between kindergarten and 5th graders and what they can do as compared to the spread of activities for 6th graders to juniors in High School. BSA has, I guess, determined short term gain (more numbers for the councils) is better than long term members.

That was in fact the bet, that the girls will be a growth opportunity. All the chips for the future were put on G and the wheel was spun. Honestly the ball is still bouncing and we do not know if that bet will pay off. As was noted in the bankruptcy conversations several months back with the exposure on insurance, dwindling numbers, spending at the Summit, and unfunded pension liabilities the BSA needed more members. The registration fee went up significantly in 2017, so that was a lifeline toss. Recruiting more boys to the program has been a challenge. During his listening and speaking tours CSE Sourbaugh admitted as much, in that they were out of ideas, so heck fire, let the girls in. Possibly the program folks need to look at all the stem focus, continuing efforts by many well intentioned councils for more class focus activities (MB universities come to mind), and troops making Boy Scouts just more school and less adventure as possibly reasons for lower numbers. Adding more girls seeking outdoor adventure may nudge the organization back to it's roots, hopefully. The BSA can be great part of a well rounded youth's activities (sports, school, religious, hobbies being some others). There is a lot of outdoor adventure out there, it's where we can differentiate in a crowded marketplace for a youth's time and efforts. Rather than Scout Me In our marketing should be We Go Do Stuff. Let the program sell itself at the local level. Get away from JTE, uniform police, leaders focused on district/council and not youth and laser focus back to Scouting outdoor activities and youth (Cubs, Scouts BSA*, Ventures and Explorers) doing things. * really think changing the flagship program's name to a generic name was a monumentally bad decision...

Can you give humility? That may help some in the WB world.

Have a Boy Scout that joined due to influence of friends, basically to do High Adventure, and he was 15 and about 9 months at the time. Really good youth. He did go to Seabase with a crew, not the one he wanted to , but another we sent. That summer he went to camp, did the new Scout program. While there we talked and I asked what he wanted to get out of Scouting. He advised have fun, go camping, maybe earn Life rank. We looked at the dates and advised he could actually get Eagle, if he committed to the journey through Scouting. He ended up going to our Second summer camp and served as a JASM for the week. Managed to earn some fun merit badges and some Eagle required. Then he did High Adventure this past summer, and went to the second summer camp again as a JASM. Good leadership and a great asset. Now he has completed his 21 merit badges and is beginning work on his Eagle project. Great example to other Boy Scouts in the troop.

Not sure when that went away. When on staff (way back in the old days, before the internet and cell phones, you know the dark ages*) we had stacks of #10 cans painted red and they would be place out in camp for dirt and water. They were placed at each tent. Been back at summer camps with the troop over the last 10 years and we do not seem to have that any longer. There is the stencil for NO FLAMES IN TENTS painted on them. We keep buckets in the troop trailer for the main campfire (or campfires) when camping. If we have a fire at summer camp, which is rare as it's normally like 900 degrees so fire is not a great option, and have them out. *though is was the dark ages the albums and music were the best, still enjoyed by all the Boy Scouts lo these many years later

Have them turn the problem into the plot of "Newsies". Your son needs to find an old press and start their own paper to battle Joseph Pulitzer who owns the concession on the elementary school newspaper

Wide open Sandy plains. Call it Burning Baden and end by igniting a giant campaign hat

We usually concentrate on getting our limit during the elusive "Camp Card Season". Honestly we do neither (popcorn or camp cards) but enjoy issuing tags to hunters, we're busy camping and letting the Boy Scouts go out and do stuff

But but Bechtel is the end all be all to all things Scouting!! All the "Scout Me In" crowd are heading there with the cool kids. The BSA invested 3/4 of a bazillion dollars there to make it the bestest and Scoutiest place on Earth. You gotta get on board with the plan and embrace all that Bechtel is, the Disneyesque Scouting vision. I hear there's a zip line. On a serious note I would agree that a jamboree out west would be good, the wide open spaces for those from the forested east is a refreshing change of pace

Was it the energy crisis that drove this? The oil embargo of 73 would not have been part of the reasoning as the planning was well ahead of this, but there was the general peak of oil production in the US and the concerns for pricing

The BSA did many many strange and odd things in the 70's Berets Improved Scouting program Skill awards BoyPower Manpower (let's get 1/3 of eligible Boys registered even if we have to fake the numbers) Not having to camp to attain Eagle Scout Really ugly Eagle Scout badge Don't try to make sense of it all...many of us are glad we made it through

Meal is included, if you wanted to attend and not eat, that would be fine

What is this "popcorn season" you speak of??

Apparently it did happen. Not saying how, just that it did

Actually the number that attain Eagle Scout is much higher They do the math by saying 50,000 Eagle Scouts this year and 800,000 Scouts are registered this year so 6%. Then next year there are 50,000 Eagles and 800,000 Scouts so again 6% of Scouts. So on every year. X Eagles in a year and Y Scouts, divide and get the percentage. The misrepresentation is that many (hopefully most) Boy Scouts stay in for more than 1 year. The actual percentage needs to be X unique Boy Scouts and Y Boy Scouts earn Eagle Scout so you get % of Scouts that get Eagle

That does seem a bit heavy. Not in a pack but our Troop has a Winter COH for families, friends, etc. We get a meal provided (not exactly catered but you get the picture), cost is $12 per person. $35 an adult does seem a might pricey

Report them? Are there Girl Scout Cookie police? What if they are just wandering by?? What if they are customers?? What if they are members of the family?? Soooo many questions

In our district there is not a face to face meeting to get the district approval. Scout working on the Eagle project, after getting unit approvals, sends the PDF and signatures to the district person. Copying in unit leader, etc. The district reviews and either approves, approves with some small recommended additions, rejects and send back to unit for review. Original signature page is left in a drop box. If there were some challenges with the unit and the process, then a meeting can be scheduled with the unit leader, Boy Scout, etc. In our particular area I would presume no changes to the current general process.

So true as we have all seen with the current state of finances of the BSA. This expense can be seen in notes in the annual reports, increase in the registration fee, talks of bankruptcy (wonder what happened with that??), opening up joining criteria to increase members.

In these parts they have e-days, so while they are not in school, students must log-in by a certain time, do their assignments, and it counts as a school day That way no extended days

Cycling is a hard one due to the rides, yes if you are cycler it is straightforward, but to the casual participant it is tough. We are near one of the longest rails to trails in the country, literally it runs 90 miles one way. The troop does a bicycle trek on it annually. For the weekend the scouts can typically accomplish the 25 mile and then a 10 or 15 the next day. Also they can do the 50 mile if they are up to it. There are 7 rides total, so it does take planning. Over a couple years a Scout can complete maybe 4 of the rides with the troop and do the other 3 around the city we live in. I would agree that Lifesaving is a much more straightforward path than E Prep. Hiking MB also has numerous hikes; a 5 miler, three 10 milers, and one 15 miler. Then a 20 miler. Swimming is a simpler path

So...let's assume you have 12 Scouts / Parents each time for 12 events and it's 2.5 hours each time - That is 360 hours. For that time investment the unit gets $1,000 or roughly $2.75 per hour expended. Also clearly there would be more time put in to organize the monthly labor needs, phone calls, schedules, etc. That will fall on one of the leaders plates to coordinate. May be better to just pay the recharter fee directly from unit funds and politely decline to be a labor force for the CO...unless you get a split of the profits.

First thought is this is one of the pitfalls / minefields that will be an obstruction to delivering program, but the lawyers will love to have the discussion Second thought is that as the requirement is at least one female on the event, then as long as no one on one contact, and there is a registered female on the event, you would be in compliance. Currently we have 1 leader and multiple Boy Scouts in cars / vehicles all the time. There is more than one leader on the outing (two deep) and there is no one on one contact with the youth as there is more than one Boy Scout in the car.

No doubt there was a survey, then a listening tour, then a sub-committee meeting on the topic, then a working committee meeting on the topic, then a general committee meeting on the topic which was forwarded with a resolution of support for the change to the legal topics sub-committee, who then reviewed, sought outside counsel advise, the outside counsel then also reviewed, looked over historic documents to understand what the original framers of the Guide to Safe Scouting's intent may have been, the watched "Follow Me Boys" (twice) as active reference material, reviewed the desired change on the corporate retreat to the lovely Sheraton Grand on the Big Island, then forwarded their recommendation to the firms partner working group who took in under advisement, who then sent the recommendation (123 page document with annotated index and twenty-seven 8-by-10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was, to be used as evidence in the proceedings), which the committee then reviewed in detail and forwarded their support recommendation to the BSA Executive Board who flew in some of the lawyers from the outside counsel to do a full 76 page PPT slide presentation to the board, who then took it under advisement, considered it, voted, and then it was approved. Bottom line nobody is sure what the wordsmithing may in fact have cost

Below are the requirements. I suspect it could be done in one meeting. There is the requirement (#2) of "After Attending". As the rank is to be earned after they joined Scouts BSA, not sure how that would be handled. One could prep all the others, but that one specifically indicates after. Repeat from memory the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. In your own words, explain their meaning. Explain what Scout spirit is. Describe some ways you have shown Scout spirit by practicing the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. Demonstrate the Boy Scout sign, salute, and handshake. Explain when they should be used. Describe the First Class Scout badge and tell what each part stands for. Explain the significance of the First Class Scout badge. Repeat from memory the Outdoor Code. In your own words, explain what the Outdoor Code means to you. Repeat from memory the Pledge of Allegiance. In your own words, explain its meaning. After attending at least one Boy Scout troop meeting, do the following: Describe how the Scouts in the troop provide its leadership. Describe the four steps of Boy Scout advancement. Describe what the Boy Scout ranks are and how they are earned. Describe what merit badges are and how they are earned. Explain the patrol method. Describe the types of patrols that are used in your troop. Become familiar with your patrol name, emblem, flag, and yell. Explain how these items create patrol spirit. Show how to tie a square knot, two half-hitches, and a taut-line hitch. Explain how each knot is used. Show the proper care of a rope by learning how to whip and fuse the ends of different kinds of rope. Demonstrate your knowledge of pocketknife safety. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet "How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parents Guide" and earn the Cyber Chip Award for your grade. 1 Since joining the troop and while working on the Scout rank, participate in a Scoutmaster conference.