Jameson76

Still occurring in the 2004 and 2005. Especially with units designed to served underprivileged youth. From a 2005 article on the FBI investigations - "In Dallas, former council employees say the Scout count was inflated 20 to 30 percent. In Birmingham, some believe the numbers were hyped 30 to 40 percent. In Atlanta, a local civil rights leader accuses the Boy Scouts of inflating their inner city membership by thousands"

That is a way, maybe the COR went full Chicago and is registering scouts with names from the local graveyard (if that reference is lost try to research BSA membership scandals during the Boy Power era of the 70's). If that has been ongoing then maybe Cubber has more issues to review. This seems like a CO and a COR sort of hanging on to a unit "hoping" it will start up again. It is hard work to keep a unit active, keep the scouts engaged, keep the troop viable. Every troop has scouts leaving for a variety of reasons; friends have left, girlfriends, sports, academics, cars, etc etc. As we tell our youth leadership, every outing and meeting is recruiting. You have to keep the new scouts (and really all scouts) engaged and active, otherwise there is not next group of scouts for the troop.

They can be registered in more than one UNIT, like a Boy Scout can be also registered as a Venture and or Explorer, and vice versa. Not multiple troops. I think a youth can (could) be registered in multiple explorer posts, especially with the career interest ones. Back in the day I had a youth that was in my troop, then in my High Adventure post, and also he was active with the local police explorer post. One fee I believe.

Exactly. We tell our Scouts (and parents) none of our outings are advancement focused. That being said, there is always an opportunity for advancement, it's just the scout must initiate that advancement. We are a large troop so there is usually enough leaders on the outings for many key items. Also we have Life scouts and above sign off on any advancements for Tenderfoot - First Class. No adult leaders sign off, we participate in some (present yourself to a leader packed etc). Yes, the young maybe 11 year old has to go and have a conversation with an older scout about what they have completed...scary thought isn't it

They had to have had some paper scouts, you need to have a minimum of five paid youth

There are often rule changes, apparently more now than ever...but I digress Big requirement changes that took affect 1/1/1974. Switched from 21 to 24 merit badges, they implemented the god awful belt loop skill awards, changed some merit badges that were required to not required and vice versa. Hard deadline for getting ranks and specifically Eagle under the "old" requirements was 12/31/1973. No exceptions, that was the deal. Either you hustled up (and many did note the major bump in Eagle awards in 73 and 74) or you achieved under the then new requirements. If National bends to this one special request (oh I do hope there is an on-line petition or maybe a twitter # tag) then what happens when there are others. Specifically what happens to a girl who may be 16 in 2019, but alas, no girl troops in her area, so she was not able to get registered in time, do we allow extended dates or compress the service requirements?

If they bend the rules for her, then why not change the whole 18 years old and out (seems arbitrary...right?). Maybe make retro Eagles for those that never attained the rank. I mean maybe the young man (or woman) could not find a troop that fit their needs. So let's make an exception. Maybe they were ADHD and could not effectively track the 12 weeks of chores so they did not complete Family Life...so let's make an exception. They were really busy and never were able to get to a city council meeting so they never got Cit in the Community back in the day, so let's make an exception. Etc Etc Etc This girl doesn't want to be a Scout, she wants to be an Eagle YEP

You are just trying to be helpful, the Great Summit Bechtel Reserve Resort and Amusement Park is not gonna pay for itself....

One can only hope. It will need to be presented and documented NO later than Fall of their Senior year of High School so it can be included on the college apps, spring of Junior year if they are applying early.

Yes... that is the new normal. Forget the aim to get Scouts to First Class, now EVERYONE will be an Eagle. There will no doubt be a really neat trophy.

National registration is $33 as of 12/1/2017 This change will affect Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships. However, it will not apply to LDS-sponsored units, nor to those units with council-paid memberships.

The family camping on the cover was really a not to subtle..hey look, family camping is GREAT. Agree the article was a might vague as to how this ties to scouts nor was it useful to me as a leader in a 100+ member scout troop that does 13 outdoor and overnight events a year. Show me new places to camp, new activities to have on an outing, how to handle the logistics of moving a large group, how to engage the scouts for better meals, low cost yet highly engaging fun things to do on an outing. It is fairly obvious where BSA (dare I say SA or maybe FSA) wants to move, or is in fact moving. They see not only that girls can be registered, hey let's get the whole durned family signed up. As many have noted and commented, that is not really what a lot of us signed up for nor intended to be involved with. Yes the family is great, yes there are good things that come from strong families. The same can be said of many many many activities that families and kids are involved with. Does that mean one organization should try and meet all those needs? While the Pravda comment was a harsh one, it has a strong ring of truth Propaganda is amazing. People can be led to believe anything - Alice Walker The goal of modern propaganda is no longer to transform opinion but to arouse an active and mythical belief - Jacques Ellul Propaganda invariably serves the long-term interests of some elite - John Berger

Hammock stacking is definitely a thing, especially when some do not bring a rain fly, if you stack, less rain flys.... Great place to nap during campouts, I am not a fan of all night, like to move around too much. On outings our troop is about 90% sleeping in hammocks, they pitch tents to store gear. Most like they are level, no rocks or limbs in their backs, and unlike the leaders, they don't have to get up 3 times during the night for the call of nature.

The numbers are from the Census Bureau Noted in this article - https://ifstudies.org/blog/more-than-60-of-u-s-kids-live-with-two-biological-parents/

Just a quick fact check - actually it's about 58% Each year the Census Bureau captures a snapshot of the living arrangements of U.S. children through its Current Population Survey. The 2014 results were released by the Bureau last week, and the portrait they present of the family lives of 73.7 million American kids is certainly a variegated one. Yet despite all the talk about the growing irrelevance of marriage, 43 million children, a 58-percent majority, were living with both their birth mother and biological father in a traditional married-couple family

Philmont extended the "sign-up" lottery a couple of times. Are they not filling up as in past years? Also had several communications on 2018 availability

Well...if we go by current National Policy change methodology...just sort of do what you want with the shoulder loops, if it may in their opinion increase revenue or add members, no doubt it will be quickly codified.

And a very timely Brady Bunch episode...literally ripped from today's headlines http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0531140/

Agree and that was my take when I read the (now famous) 10/11 announcement. Follow up clarifications, talks, question sessions continually mention families and not just when talking about Cubs. There are many many family oriented activities and groups out there. An organization that hopes to be all things to all people, ends up being little or nothing to anyone. On our outings if we can teeter on the edge of Lord of the Flies (not to include the fire scene, rolling large rocks on kids, or burning up an island) then so much the better, There is mayhem there are disagreements, there are scouts solving their issues. There is unplanned time where they get to see what is actually around the bend from the campsite.

I would respectfully say no. The BSA is for participants in patrols doing the program. It is (currently) many many things. A social family organization it is not nor was it ever intended to be. Remember, Scouting is program that using the patrol method and boys leading is designed and hoped to have failure as part of the outcome. If they burn a meal, forget some equipment, sleep cold, get wet, etc etc; that will reinforce that their decisions, or lack of decisions have consequences. Yes we as leaders provide a basic safety net. Before cold weather camping you may make sure essential equipment is on-hand. Go to summer camp and forget something, hopefully you will adapt and overcome. Meet with a MB counselor at a meeting but do not have paperwork or partial from camp, see you later. Come to a BOR and do not have everything completed or maybe completed but not signed off, you will need to reschedule. Our troop is 100+ scouts, we do 13 outdoor events each year, 2 weeklong summer camps, and high adventure for older scouts each year. The Greenbar (we are old school) plans the outings and calendar each year. NEVER have they even mentioned a family campout. They plan the meetings at the greenbar, the adults confirm they are aware of the dates for the meetings, there is preliminary conversation about outing (or outings) coming up and what skills may be relevant, then adults go to another room and scouts plan. They used to come get us when they were done, now they text. Families are important, but not to the program and siblings and parents on outings and at meetings are not helpful. Parents are welcome at meetings to observe and maybe talk with the active leaders. We have had some do skills presentations in the past. We welcome all leaders on the outings, but once you come you are a leader and not a parent.

That boat has left the dock already. Local councils can attempt to distance themselves, but they cannot embrace the idea (Local SE meetings last spring) while trying to minimize the fundamental change to the organization when it comes time to ask for financial support. Many of the changes seem to be motivated solely by finances. Thus it would seem that finances may be the only thing that local and perhaps national BSA professional leadership will listen to that may drive policy changes. The dilemma is does one continue to provide financial support at an increasing level each year? If so then one would be complicit in supporting national leadership in fundamental changes one may not support Current National BSA leadership has not taken to heart the basic tenant of campsites with regard to the overall BSA program, leave the site better than you found it. Will not participating in FOS hurt local councils, likely. Will it affect near term the impact on currently operating troops, likely no. Honestly when was the last time you saw your DE? Will this impact some of the other possible efforts of local councils, perhaps. These are the cards they chose to play, live with the consequences.

On the FOS, one of our leaders was asked to give at a high level, their response (I will paraphrase) It appears that many of the BSA's decisions have been made for financial reasons, if I continue or expand my support I would be implicitly supporting those decisions I may not agree with. My support will be to the local troop and if a specific Scout or program oriented need is identified Most of us in the troop have that same opinion, and we are the highest FOS troop in the district. (well, up until the 2018 program I guess)

He talked for 30 minutes, not sure about answering anything. The CSE is really a politician, we've got questions and he's got anecdotes and stories.

Cub scout campouts...tents the size of houses, enough gear to lay siege to a castle, cars literally parked everywhere, people arriving constantly, people departing constantly...do not miss those Agree that the constant mention of "family" is concerning. What does it really mean, what next will change.

It will be up to local Cub Scout Packs, parents and chartered partners to choose whether to include boys and girls in family packs or only serve boys or girls; we anticipate a similar structure at the Boy Scouts level. Using logic, if there is a family pack and there will be a similar structure at the Boy Scouts level (CSE words) then there will / could be family troops If there is a family pack and there will be a similar structure at the Boy Scouts level (CSE words) then there will / could be family troops It will be up to local Cub Scout Packs, parents and chartered partners to choose whether to include boys and girls in family packs or only serve boys or girls; we anticipate a similar structure at the Boy Scouts level. Using logic, if there is a family pack and there will be a similar structure at the Boy Scouts level (CSE words) then there will / could be family troops