Jameson76

Sad event again. We will have to observe this at the meeting on Monday night I remember in the summer of 2016 there was the Orlando nightclub shooting in June and we did the Half-Staff at summer camp for the week. Then in July that same summer we were at summer camp 2 and observed Half-Staff for the Police officers killed in Dallas.

No need to have a long recitations on events at meetings, that should be done in another format. Our longform COH runs about 1.5 hours, but we have dinner and the FOS presentation is done while everyone is eating. Keep it brief. Most run 45 minutes. The one after summers camp(s) runs long due to handing out 250 + merit badges and many rank advancements, but that is expected. For communications much better way than droning on We have the Troop Website, which details events, you can sign up for outings, etc etc The Troop website kicks out an e-mail every week which highlights the events and announcements updates within a week We have a Troop Facebook page where we post photos, updates, TBT photos, some announcements We have a troop instagram where we post photos and some announcements Agree. Scouts do the MC and banquet person works with them on a script. Leaders give out badges. We have a reminder on the next outing, typically reminder to sign up for summer camp (literally what was written is that sentence is the length of the announcment) and then SM minute Scouts run the program

So now you can be in Cub scouts for 6 years. We (at the troop) get numerous Webelos II's that are ready to move on, or also we get several scouts joining each year, got weary of the younger kids in the pack and redundancy of the program (fire station again??), so they dropped but now they are back. Guess it will work for some, but in a pack or program setting the interest and ability difference between a 5 year old and a 10 year old is pretty extreme

We were scheduled for the OA election a few weeks back. The rules (guidelines??) seem to state you need to have 50% +1 of the registered Scouts in attendance to have the election. Now we are a big troop with an active membership, so that night (by our math) we had about 40% - 42% of the scouts (they move around and it is hard to count). OA Guys start quoting paragraphs and rules about how to run an election. Honestly we were about to tell them, fine, take off. They wanted to come back another night, we said, hey go for it but it is a moving target. Our thoughts were, here is an organization within the BSA that, I suppose, wants to expand it's membership, yet has arcane rules and roadblocks to adding to that membership. We did have the election in the end. Why is there a 50% rule, seriously what does it matter? I was active in the OA back in the day was actually a Lodge advisor one time. Cannot recall this rule and wonder if it is some local thing to make themselves really "important"

They will put bling and sequins on hats, will be simple

For us they are sort of like a rare solar eclipse. They come by, introduce themselves, then we never see them again. As far as I can tell they have never directly contacted the SM, CC, or any adults. They have (and I have seen 2 visits in 10 years) only come by, stayed about 30 minutes, and we never hear from them again. We presume there is some sort of write up or report that is filed at the district, then filed at the council, then filed at regional, then filed at National. Sort of a vision of Soviet era paperwork being shuttled along and boxes checked. In theory commissioners are good, not sure in practicality if they actually do anything.

I don't think you can say cute...but I have not taken the recently updated YPT, so not 100% sure

Sort of looks like them FLYER - GIRL BEING INTERVIEWED ON CBS You don't mean (SHOCKED FACE) that the whole thing was STAGED!!!

Odd that literally everything matches but their shoes...no doubt an oversight

Good points We did not cook on the MLK trip. Stayed on the Alabama and got meals there. Then ate on the NAS base in Florida for some meals. Did the Battleship and camped on the NAS recreational area, all meals, free Naval museum, played on the beach, $50 per person. Scouts had to pay for their own lunch on the way there and back. If we had included mileage charges, would have more than doubled the cost Gifts in kind are your friend

No doubt they are already have.

How did you spend that much for Patriots Point? Curious did you charter a bus? We do one long trip each January. Good thing is leaders / parents that drive traditionally absorb the mileage. We did 900 plus miles with 13 cars on MLK this year., so I personally know the cost. More mileage to deduct I guess.

To be clear, at this point, Girls cannot join your troop nor in the immediate future would they. Yes that will no doubt be subject to change, but wanted to level set (and I know you were being dramatic) Agree 100%. I am amazed that the National BSA office and board made this momentous decision, and literally had no real workable implementation plan. Anyone who has spent any actual time at the unit level can come up with multiple scenarios that need to be resolved. Admittedly they may not have the answers yet, but the shallowness and lack of even acknowledging there may be questions is stunning. What she is saying is a challenge and concern. That being said there are in any endeavor minimum requirements. As long as the Scout meets the minimum, they have in fact met the requirements. I have conversations with Scouts and parents and try try try to remind some of them that Scouting is a journey and not so much a destination. Scouts need to enjoy the trip. Every outing is not about advancement. Sometimes we go to the lake to get towed behind boats and canoe around because it's fun, sometimes we hike in the rain because it is a personal challenge, sometimes we climb that mountain because (wait for it) it is there. (and we can spit off the ledge)

You gotta look those folks in the face and clearly state

It it is really large print and denotes Family Scouting If BSA National had only meant CUBS,then logically it would have said that. That which is not specifically excluded is assumed to be included

Spot on. Main message after the announcement from BSA National, Council pros, etc has been if you do not support the change, then maybe you were a "conditional" scout. So yes, that is the subtext of the message included within the change. We are doing this with you or without you

Yeah...that big giant FAMILY is not really clear what it applies to. We can infer and assume all we want but (as has been well noted) the message is a bit muddled. The decision was made to admit girls to the program, rather than sell that, let's sell families, everybody loves that!!

Been going downhill since they discontinued Blacksmithing, Stalking, and Taxidermy merit badges. Those were the ones that toughened them up.

I would slightly differ in that view. BSA National and pretty much every interview CSE has had emphasized and at times over emphasized family. He talks about families doing things together, that families want programs they can do together, and that scouting can be the program they can do together. The surveys tell them family is key and they want to do things. As a family. One can infer that if the new families that come into Cubs with the family transition to Scouts, the expectation is the family will come along. Those of us that are dinosaur troops, all male leaders on outings, using patrol methods, scouts off by themselves, referring scouts to their SPL for questions, will be (I assume) be expected to welcome the families. Even if we are all male and the Scouts potentially crossing over are male, this family focus will be a challenge.

While it may be great it is also required for any outings, and for good reasons. Note that Cubs and Scouts are two separate programs. What is great for Cubs and 6 - 10 years olds does not translate to working with 11 - 17 years olds

To be clear, as of 2/13/2018 and at 10:04 EST, as we may understand the basic intent of the decision to allow Girls into the Cubs and Scouts; Cub units do have the option to remain single gender. Also as faintly outlined there will be Girl Troops, so current Male only Boy Scout Troops will remain as such, so not really an option for Girls to join a current troop. That is of course subject to change based on a potential future survey given to people not involved in scouting at this time at the whim of BSA National (results will not actually be presented to the general public only the feedback that everybody will join if there are fully coed units)

All very accurate The final point (6) is the one that BSA National has not done really any work on. They are facing declining membership. Rather than fully understand why some units are successful and grow or at the very least stay healthy, and others decline, we get this broad brush solution of "the family" and we are not meeting the needs of "the family" That is at best a straw man that anyone with any real world experience in Scouting knows is BS. The comments by our CSE that this will help by being a "one stop" program ring hollow. If BSA holds to single gender dens, then even twins could end up with den meetings on separate days. With different age kids in different dens, again, multiple days. In most packs there may be 2/3 family camping events per year, 9/10 pack meetings, but maybe 25 or so den meetings. Vast majority of the time is den meetings, and those should be separate. Though some packs may have all their den meetings at one place at one time, but that can vary The separate but equal plan gets even more complicated as kids get older. If you have a 13 YO Boy / 11 YO Girl /9 YO Boy / 7 YO Girl Scouting in a Single gender Den and SBE Scout function will be a many events. 13 YO Boy will be in the Boy Boy Scout Troop, 11 YO Girl will be in Girl Boy Scout Troop, 9 YO Boy will be in their Den, and 7 YO Girl will be in their Den. In theory the troops could meet on different nights, go on different outings, etc etc. Same for Cubs Then along will come the real long term plan, fully coed at all units, the reason...we have listened to "the families" and this will meet their needs. Funny thing is, The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Nothing about families here.