an_old_DC

The issue centers on if there literally are no Scouts. If many Scouts aged out and the rest quit and are not paying dues, there are no Scouts. Regardless of whether the unit has a recruitment plan and program in place or not, zero Scouts means no charter. On the other hand, if there are some 16 year old Eagles who are inactive but their parents or the CO pay dues just to keep them on the roster, or maybe some other Scouts who are inactive but parents are still paying dues in case the Scouts want to get active again, then that's different. Either way, it isn't a troop to visit. How can the

If the CC's first priority truly is to support the Scouts in their Scouting experience then he will not have a problem with Webelos visiting active and healthy troops so each Webelos can identify a troop that is a good fit for him personally.

Yes. You and I were posting at the same time. A troop with zero Scouts is not a troop.

@Cubber when do unit charters expire in your council? This troop, with zero Scouts, is dead and may not receive another charter before your Webelos bridge to a troop. Why visit a dead troop that may be about to be dissolved? There are serious unit-health issues with that troop, which the COR, CC and committee have neglected.

From that same article: ”Like a lot of troops, 414’s scoutmaster is one of the moms. She submits Sydney’s applications for membership and rank advancement to the BSA every time, despite knowing that each will be rejected.” these are all rogue units just doing whatever the leaders want. It makes me wonder what other BSA policies they just choose to ignore. Shame on all these leaders letting her tag along and “unofficially” earn ranks since she was 4.

@RememberSchiff thanks for the link. I must be thinking of some other girl, who probably doesn't have an attorney father and PR team.

Maybe I’m thinking of a different girl and Boy Scout troop, but hasn’t the Troop Ireland tagged along with held BORs for her and submitted advancement reports that were rejected and sent back? Somebody has been telling her she “unofficially” earned ranks, right?

I have not heard about Den Chief. New YPT will need to be taken annually (rather than every two years) and will take over one hour to complete.

No, I don't have it all figured out--that's why I continue to teach training classes and take classes myself. I want to learn and grow and be able to do my job better. However, I do have a lot of time, money and some blood, sweat and tears invested in doing my best to ensure the boys in my community have a chance to be involved with units delivering a quality Cub and Boy Scout program. My father is an Eagle Scout and he was my Scoutmaster. I am an Eagle Scout, as are both of my sons. I have a lot of years invested in BSA. I am insulted when people new to Scouting take a condescending to

Fair enough and I certainly saw it when I was SM. But if a pack is currently struggling to find den and other leaders, I think it’ll be challenging to find moms or other women to be additional Den Leaders. As for troops, I don’t see tons of female ASMs right now. Nobody knows, of course, so maybe I’m wrong. YMMV

Yes, although it is unofficial at this point, so I do not want to name them. A Cubmaster of a pack with approximately 70 Scouts was asked by a Council-level Pro if he would be willing to soft launch allowing girls in the pack. In another council I am told the exec board is discussing the same thing. This is all unofficial with nothing in writing.

“The new people who show up to help out”? Uh, sure. I mean if that’s the way it works in your community, that’s great. It doesn’t work like that in my area. No adult volunteers =no unit. My hunch is that some parents of girls Cub Scout age think BSA stands for “baby sitters anonymous” and they can’t wait for boys and girls to be in the same pack so they can drop the kids off at a pack meeting on their way to date night.

I have heard about this “soft launch” crap from buddies in other councils, although nothing is official yet. Apparently it will be a way to “judge interest in the Program.”

Same experience here. I have heard volunteers say this, and if brought up among Council Professionals, they change the topic.

OK, thanks...and I guess the little "trophy" emoticon means "thanks". I guess

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to reply to two posts in one post of my own. Nobody has outright admitted it yet, but I have a hunch my already thin corps will get a lot smaller sometime next spring. I cant say the decision to allow girls to participate is popular among my staff, and National's sneakiness about how the decision was reached is even more unpopular (among my team).

None taken, Col. Unfortunately, that is often the case. I don't have a large staff of Unit Commissioners, and even then, a few do the real lion's share of work. I don't believe National will bet on commissioners of any kind helping--it'll be up to unit leaders.

...and as soon as they have trouble recruiting leaders, it becomes a Commissioner problem because somebody is going to have to visit the unit on a "Parents Night" and facilitate a "somebody has got to help out here, folks," conversation. And then constantly monitor them to ensure they really are delivering the Program and not cutting corners.

So that’s what Wis Momma wrote before she edited her post. Male Chauvinists huh? Terrific

I would give this post about 100 up votes if I could. My Commissioner corps reports that among the units they serve, the most common problem has become helping leaders who are worn out from dealing with helicopter and bulldozer parents looking to smooth their sons’s path so he doesn’t encounter obstacles. Many of my staff are long time Scouters who are products of the program themselves, have been CM and SM, and have been Commissioners and district volunteers a long time, and so have a wealth of experience. Bringing in girls and their parents? As Luke Skywalker used to say “They have a ba

My time spent on an OA ceremonies team is some of my favorite memories of Scouting as a youth. I am also an associate chapter advisor. The guys in our chapter have a lot of fun and it's a great experience for them, but when us "old timers" tell stories about what we were doing as ceremonialists back in the day, ..well, you can tell the youth are jealous.

Col., I meant the boys in crews and teams are being moved back into the LDS troops. That way they can finish work toward Eagle and still go on high adventure trips, if they and the troop choose.

Well, you better find some moms too. If National follows the Venturing model, registered and trained female leaders will be required. "Adult Supervision/Coed Activities Male and female adult leaders must be present for all overnight coed Scouting trips and outings, even those including parent and child. Both male and female adult leaders must be 21 years of age or older, and one must be a registered member of the BSA."

Everything I have seen from National is that the boys +14 years old in crews and teams have been moved back into troops. LDS still charters troops--it's just crews and teams being dropped.

<sigh> I try to be open minded but it makes my head hurt when people new to Scouting make judgements but they are ignorant of tradition, take things out of context and do not understand the legacy. Anyway, to the topic at hand, I do not recall the “upside down Bobcat pinning” as a youth, so perhaps it was regional? As an adult, our pack had stopped the ceremony just before I became Cubmaster so I never saw it personally and my boys never saw it. However, I am told parents—not leaders—did the holding and pinning. The Webelos remembered it fondly, and younger brothers were up