Navybone

Eight elective merit badges is the minimum - are your espousing that scouts should learn that the minimum in life is what they shoot for. Regardless of if there is more they are interested. The purpose for merit badges is not to simply meet the minimum, but to explore subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career. Or am misreading your post?

I think people will read into what they want on the issue, depending on what they see as value in scouting. There is probably as much on family camping, mainly focused on Cub Scouts aged kids, as not family focused. Since there are age restrictions on who can go to Philmont, maybe encouraging the younger scouts to go with families is a good thing. As in not to discourage them when all the older scouts in troop go (as is the impact In my son troop). And if it not hard to find core scouting articles - there are two articles on snow related adventures In reading the posts and the magazine, this newish ASM has to wonder if The family life merit badge is a waste of time and counter to the aims and goals of scouts. Since it is family and not outdoor or individual accomplishment focused? Because looking at the requirements and the intent of the badge, I don’t see it. .

Depends what the lapse is. There is a ton of vagueness in your comment. And I have concerns, with this individuals background that this could be either more than just a lapse, but a bell ringer that he should have nothing to do with youth or the female sex. His actions are both an indicator of what his sense of right/wrong is as well as what he things is ok behavior. And it is not behavior that should be anywhere scouts- Male or female scouts.

So you think the accused is being wrongfully accused? Why?

Honestly did not read anything after the first line and glad I did not after the last line. At the end of the day, the US civil war was a war about slavery. And where does that apply to scouting? It does not.

Beauty is in the eye of The beholder. I see nothing of value in a statue of a southern general. A memorial to those who caught and died, ok. But for a failed general who was a traitor to his nation and Fought for a cause that one human was worth less than another - no. And regarding destruction of monuments, go to Germany and look at all the building and statues that the Nazis created. While buildings remain, the emblems of the Nazis are gone. And nothing is buried - the Germans make all students see the horrors that the Nazis performed and ensure they understand how it came to be. Maybe that is what should have occurred during the reconstruction. Then there would not have been the romantic fever of the southern crusade that bloomed in the 1920s.

At least I agree with the second half of your sentence on Lee. The civil war was fought at a level of brutality unseen at the time and only surprised by WW1. History is not statues glorifying a false narrative of Southern sons fighting for states rights. History is being willing to accept both sides of the story based on actual accounts and sources. and interesting comment about B-P. Never knew that.

I do not think it is about erasing history, but not celebrating the history of this ideals, actions, or men of beliefs that have been found not worthy of emulation or celebration.

But he did not fight for his nation, but put his state first. And since he lost, he is, in fact, a traitor to his nation. Hence part of the reason not to name a council after him. Does not stand up to the test of being loyal.

Actually, it is sad that they have to use this as a time to promote awareness into sexual abuse. I don’t have a daughter in Girl Scouts, but maybe they have done some research and are being more active leaning the BSA was years ago. Maybe they are actually paying attention and taking lessons from the none stop challenge BSA is dealing with. everyone knows that GSUSA cannot and will not dictate how families act this holiday season, but is bring attention to a real problem any different than BSA making scouts and parents talk about child abuse before a scout can earn Scout? While maybe not perfect, it has you and others talking about it.

I do not buy the narrative your describe for the scouts themselves. I believe that there is crisis in faith of the leaders, down to the local level, based on actions of leaders in the past. Even the homosexual and female fight is only used who have an axe to grind - and the fact that they hate that it has been overall successful. But I want to use a horrible experience to illustrate that Boy Scouts still means something positive when used in reference to actual scouts. When adults and neighbors described the boy who shot and killed some other students at his high school in California, the description was of surprise that he did it, and one of the reason was BECAUSE he was a Boy Scout. His horrible actions are considered antithetical to the image of the Boy Scout. So I argue that the image is less that of the actual scout, but the leadership, and so long as more sex abuse cases surface, that is the image the leaders have to fight to change. But I believe the image of the actual scout and what they are learning remains positive and strong. And that is where BSA needs to be focusing its PR campaign.

For the life of me, where does a families permissive or non-permissive sexual ethic come into BSA? I do not equate being an inclusive organization as being a reflection of any sexual ethic.

I actually see this as a positive reference to Boy Scouts. They specifically call out participation in Boy Scouts because it is so counter to the message and the respect that is afforded Boy Scouts. there is too much negative publicity because of abuses by Boy Scout leaders. But despite that, the public perception of youth in Boy Scouts remains very positive. This entire event is sad and occurs way too often. But the references to Boy Scouts is all positive.

Too bad, ussscouts.org is like using a webpage from the mid 1990s. Ugg. Boyscouttrail.com?

I keep re-reading this section hoping that I am reading it wrong. It implies that options are simply an easy way out for scouts, and I do not think that is right. What if the "easiest and the simplest" provides a meaningful experience to the scout? Just because an option is harder does not necessarily translate into more meaningful. Maybe the opportunity is that they scouts get to decide which to the multiple options THEY want to take.

Seems that if you are going to deliberately decide the BSA's ten essentials are not right or required since it is a short (10 miles) hike, then be confident in your assessment. If you are including a knife, filter, and matches to ensure that you are prepared in the event something goes wrong (why is a flashlight an overabundance of caution and not a knife, filter, or matches), then the logic for not including the flashlight is questionable. I do not think the 10 essentials are "canonical" in an effort just to be directive in nature, but based on lessons learned the hard way over time and written in blood.

Great point also. Make it fun!

My son just completed his first Boy Scout summer camp. earned swimming - and totally think that is a great 1st year merit badge is the scout is a decent swimmer. He also did Trail to First class. And he and the other boys in the troop who took the course loved it. Was it perfect, no. Was it enough to make them smarter and more confident in scouting, 100% yes. It is not the only time they will learn or tie knots, for example, but gave them a great foundation. He also earned Pioneering, which he did to be more confident in knots and so he would learn how to build structures. Loved it. We were advised to take a balanced mix at camps, and it worked wonderfully. He learned a ton, be became so much more confident outdoors, and left excited to be a scout. What else should a first year scout come away with? PS- but I like the idea of first aid next year.

Eagle, thanks - had not seen the picture or any of the context with them. than clears up quite a bit of the issue. Some quick research on this site and the magic of google shows she this has already been a source of considerable debate. However, going back to the original post, the actions of one (Ms. Ireland), should not impugn the work of other young women working toward Eagle.

A photo only shows you one thing - that she is wearing Life Scout. Unless there is additional information in the photo or accompanying it, that is all it tells you. What was her history with scouting, was she a venturer, how involved is her family, her troop, her motivation? It does not and cannot tell you that anything was fudged, fabricated, altered, or all together ignored.

Unless you are personally aware of personally involved with, or have documentation of, shortcuts taken by individual you mention, is is not fact. It is supposition on your part.

No, the rule of law is part of the discussion for the citizenship in the nation merit badge discussion about the laws and founding documents of the United States it is not part of advancement, but what we the program instills in our Scouts

Two reason I look at this differently. 1. A scout is trustworthy - if she did not meet the requirements, she is obviously not meeting the intend, standards, and ideals of scouting. 2. Part of the rule of law that we teach scouts is innocent until proven guilty. The onus is not on her to prove you wrong, she only has to make her case to her troop and her council.

The success and meaning of the Eagle Scout is based on the integrity of the system. And there are many posts in the thread that doubt that a girl was able to do what was required in such a quick time, despite lack of evidence to the contrary. I have to wonder if it is based on concern for the integrity of scouting, or simply continued angst and disagreement with the decision to allow females in scouts. If it is the former and short cuts are made, than BSA leadership needs to step up and ensure the process and system remains solid. If it is the latter, the only results of their efforts will be to further damage the reputation of scouting and Eagle Scout, which I hope is not their intent.

Wildly - with males and well as females.