Cburkhardt

Very interesting conversation. People are not born evil. Some adopt very advanced and evil tactics as they grow. Those who abused children rightfully deserve the punishment and perpetual shame meted-out by today’s society. Not-for-profit youth service agencies are not essentially evil. They are as effective or flawed as the individuals involved. Many in the BSA were surely well intended when the so-called “ineligible volunteer list” was devised, but the inconsistent success of that effort and the insufficiency of protection must have been apparent to some in positions of responsibility – especially as the evolution of society toward encouragement of less-restrictive behavioral standards became plainly clear in the 1960s. We have to accept that because that list exists and provides a roadmap for abused to seek recompense, the BSA will be stripped of many assets, and this will soon include many council assets and properties – because people from Troop committee chairperson through the national BSA president had responsibility to protect our children. Some councils will be severely impacted to the point of dissolution, because the bankruptcy trustees will determine that volunteers in their units, districts and council committees looked the other way on these issues when they should have taken action. Our tort and bankruptcy systems are the means through which American justice will be administered in those circumstances, and that system will deal harshly with the BSA. In the spring, I expect councils will be given the opportunity to pay-into the victims trust fund in exchange for a discharge – or they can choose to face lawsuits and stand alone when cases against councils and local volunteers go to trial. I would be careful about cheerleading a hoped-for disassembly of the BSA. Over the last couple of months, some variously advocated that volunteers depart, professionals lose their livelihoods, national properties be dissolved and – well terminate just about every organized aspect of Scouting above the unit. There is the allure of purity in these positions, because it might be wonderful to return to the Scouting of the 1910s, when legend has it that small groups of boys headed off with adult men and engaged in Scoutcraft skill teaching and rugged character-modeling in the unspoiled outdoors. Nevertheless, just as there were good reasons for one-room schoolhouses to grow into today’s imperfect education system, there are good reasons why the BSA grew into a somewhat-bloated support organization. I am not buying the thought that losing our professionals, financial endowments, high adventure bases, program assistance and the other assistance we have had for a primitive organization echoing a long-gone past is positive. Nor do I advocate leaving things as they were. An overall conclusion from our lengthy pre-COVID blogging is that this legal process will chop-down inefficient or unneeded sacred cows and leave behind essentials. I’m hoping every commenter here will remain and help a rebuilding process with a critical but cooperative spirit. I remain optimistic that what will emerge from bankruptcy will be adequate national and local organizations to continue Scouting into the future for my daughter and many other children that will follow her. I hope for sound volunteer leadership, financial support to maintain core properties, competent and productive employees and continued upgraded prospects for young people. Nothing except our fundamental purpose will be the same.

Our PLC Verdict on the Summit: The Scouts loved summer camp there. We had our Zoom meeting of all incoming Troop and Patrol youth officers to finalize plans for the fall and review our summer. The Scouts loved their week at the Summit. You will be surprised to hear that not once were the cold showers, lengthy distances between program areas or mandatory-mask policy mentioned. I finally raised those issues and got the "what are you talking about?" look back from them. The only constructive suggestion they had was to make the food a bit better and fresher. That would be a good idea, and in a post-COVID world I presume this could be done. Some Scouts wished canoeing merit badge had been offered. A few expressed it took courage to overcome their fear of the bears that roamed at night -- but I believe they learned to overcome those fears by having confidence in the appropriate preventative measures. When asked about favorite singular experiences, standing paddle boarding, kayaking, white water, climbing zip line, mountain biking and our nightly Troop campfires were mentioned. Standing paddle boarding in particular was hugely popular. During the evening open boating sessions, nearly every Scout and adult chose to do this activity. The canoes and kayaks sat unused. Council camping committee members should consider this as a program enhancement to local summer camps. The equipment is inexpensive. Later this fall our Scouts will discuss where they want to go this next summer. We currently have reservations to return to a camp at our local Scout reservation in June, with an August reservation for an optional high adventure one-week backpacking trip through some council-owned Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm guessing that will be their decision. However, if we are still in a COVID environment next summer and our council facilities are not operating, it is comforting to know that we will have a alternative at the Summit.

I have not been part of the Summit effort and do not know the plans, numbers or other particulars. I only shared what I observed about the place during our summer camp week as a Troop. It provided a solid summer camp experience for our Troop and our Scouts loved it. If it is within reasonable transportation distance for a one-week Troop summer camp experience, I recommend the program they offer. My attitude is that since the place is there, priced appropriately for a week of summer camp and includes the unusual additional experiences, Troops might as well use it. If the place survives the reorganization process and the controversy over its development fades, it might become popular with Scouters east of the Mississippi.

The cost to attend summer camp is always a reasonable issue. I calculated the difference in attending our council's Goshen Scout Reservation versus summer camp at the Summit. For us, that meant driving 1.5 hours further and a $20 higher price. Accounting for the cost of the extra fuel across our scouts is about $4 each. So the marginal additional cost to out Troop per Scout is about $25 (an increase of about 7%). Because $25 means a lot to many people, the Troop picked up the total $500 difference. My view is that this is not a significant cost difference issue. The Summit is used for jamborees and high adventure activities, which cost more and would present the economic accessibility challenges you note. My take is that getting both summer camp programming and the enhanced Summit experiences for a marginal increase in cost is a bargain. of sorts. Said differently, why go to a jamboree when you can go to summer camp there and have similar experiences for about 25% of the jamboree costs?

Smart Phones at Summit Summer Camp. One thing I failed to mention is that while it is not necessary for a Scout to have a smart phone at summer camp at the Summit, it is really needed on the part of at least one leader. Announcements regarding the schedule and other matters are made on-line and during COVID the campwide events were replaced by custom-made videos the Scouts could watch. The base has an extensive wifi network donated by AT&T for use during the jamborees. Our Troop policy is that the Scouts can have a phone at camp, but are only allowed to use it in connection with program. They can also call home. However, no video games or social networking. Many of the merit badges like photography, nature-oriented ones and even rank advancement are much easier to earn if a scout has access to their smart phone camera. I was afraid the Scouts might over-use their phones and that things might degenerate in to a bunch of screen-watching and distant heliocopter parenting -- but this did not occur. The Scouts respected the policy.

Undoubtedly NCAP standards increase construction costs. I don't know too much about the program, but I presume the standards are meant to require longer-term capital improvements that will need less repair, be safer and last longer. What I was thinking of are operating costs like salaries, benefits, environmental requirements, maintenance and insurance The increase in all of this is almost freakish.

I agree entirely. Fortunately, it appears the "fix" is relatively easy. In the adult shower house I used, they essentially used the space of one of the seven shower stalls to install a hot water heater. They did not really have to alter the physical construction. I probably should have mentioned that these shower houses/toilets are indestructible because of the bears. Thick, well-poured concrete walls combine with heavy industrial lighting, fixtures and roofs. Shelves are made of 1/4" thick angle irons bolted to the wall. Wooden uprights are 10 x 10 hardwood that attach to steel fasteners that are bolted to the concrete floor. The bottom 10 inches and upper two feet are open-air, so there is no dank smell. A rampaging bear can't really do anything other than throw around the plastic garbage can. Our Scouts actually thought the structures were "cool" Go figure.

Our national bases and the best of our larger council camps can be opened to non-scouting users during the off-seasons under proper tax circumstances. The cash flows can subsidize Scouts attending summer camp and maintain and boost endowments. The costs of operating and maintaining camps has skyrocketed during recent decades. We need the cash flow to preserve these places for future youth.

Again, a great observation. The New River Gorge National River property is directly adjacent to the Summit, and we have unlimited access to it. It effectively expands the 14,000-acre Summit into an additional 70,000 pristine acres. The Park Service loves us and the OA has really helped develop that trail system in the park. Another factor that is going to make that happen is the staff culture that has rapidly built-up at the Summit. It is not a duplicate of the Philmont Rangers -- but is a distinctly different and cohesive group of people that will be able to pull off the kind of experience and project the kind of mystique that we have in Cimarron.

Great question. Here is the answer. Over the coming years small facilities will be added to the bases to allow family members to come and experience the sites in a family-appropriate way. This can take place at the time a unit visits or entirely unconnected with a unit visit. A program track for youngsters will be offered. They have been doing this for a long time at Philmont and at the iconic Owasippe Scout Reservation, the pristine 5,000-acre preserve for Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (the Pathway to Adventure Council). Owasippe has operated its family camp for 55 years and has 40 housekeeping cabins, facilities and program staff unique to the family camp. Generation of Chicagoans have enjoyed that facility and very modest cost. Philmont has operated its family program for a long time (I'm not a Philmont expert and don't know when it started). This capability, built into a limited number of places, will provide a wonderful opportunity for all Scouting families before, during and after their children are active in Scouting.

Thanks for this observation. The negativity might reasonably flow a bit from the changes experienced and challenges faced by Scouting these past few years. I spent several months late last year and early this year managing a series of extensive postings about these changes and the bankruptcy, so I don't shirk from these discussions. If folks want to discuss the wisdom of the 100 council camps, Sea Base, Summit and Northern Boundary that operated during COVID this year, great. If they want to debate the amount a Scout should pay for camp, wonderful. If people want to advocate that the BSA lose high adventure base property as a matter of "justice", that is fair game as well. However, the culture of this site is to debate those items in the policy and politics section and not on a posting about the quality of a summer camp program. About that distance and costs from California. Scouts from the east, southeast and Midwest raised funds to travel to Philmont and the wonderful national parks of your fine state for decades. Because of the very interesting infrastructure and staff quality at the Summit, you now have an incentive to consider a trip east to the Summit and combine it with visits to nearby areas. Your Scouts can do most everything they would do at a jamboree except attend the huge arena shows. The difference? They pay an economical $380 for a great week instead of the much larger Jamboree fees. I say "economical" because I am informed that the fees to use zip lines and the other unusual facilities at private facilities is quite high. At Summit the Scouts get a great summer camp program and all of the "extra fun stuff". This is a beautiful facility and the Scouts love going here.

I agree with your thoughts about shade. The Summit is terrain that alternates I between dense forest and open fields. The sun starts to become intense around 10:30 after the final fog patches are burned-off. The direct sun continues until around 5, when the west-side mountains begin to cast shadows. The temperature drops about ten degrees around 6, and again a significant amount between 10:30 and 11. There is heavy dew every night as the clouds descend around Midnight. Adults used to smaller camps are surprised by the distance between facilities -- but the Scouts (even the new ones) don't raise it. One note about the walking is that there are gravel roads everywhere. You are best advised to bring steel-shank boots to avoid wearing-out your feet.

Dear Friends: The policy issue of whether the Summit should have been built or whether it should be retained through bankruptcy are fine matters to discuss, but I hope that can be done elsewhere on the site where policy matters are handled. This is a very detailed review of a summer camp operation that most of us have not experienced and many have been curious about. My intent is to provide a straight-up review of the summer camp only. The previous pro/anti Summit discussions on this site have been exhaustive and informative. Experiencing summer camp there last week was very satisfying for our Scouts. That is really my main message.

The bankruptcy process will determine what assets are necessary to continue the movement. If the Summit does not make the judge’s list, I predict it will be purchased out of bankruptcy by the principal donors who built it, who will then lease it back to us for a very modest annual fee. My posting is a review of a pretty good summer camp program and not a defense of the decision to build the Summit or conduct large events there. Our Scouts are looking for a good place to camp and learn, My experience this last week tells me it is worth keeping.

I agree with you. One cold shower on Monday morning definitely sent me running to the leaders’ showers for the balance of the week. The decision to go with cold showers in such an otherwise well-built facility seems a bit mistaken. We will discuss the trip at a PLC meeting in 2 weeks - will be interesting to see if they bring it up.

These are reasonable issues and thoughts. The Summit summer camp cost was $380 per person. We rented vans and drove 5.5 hours to get there, which is 1.5 hours farther than our council camp (which we passed on the way). Our council camp price is $375. So, it was a very similar price. Yes, we do receive assistance for several of our scouts. Our “monied interests” are the members of our modest CO church, who graciously held a coffee fundraiser to help send our Scouts and the parish itself gave us some additional help. Another parish gave us $1,500. We used it to greatly subsidize participation of those who needed it. The Summit summer camp turned out to be a very good summer camp with some enjoyable bells and whistles. Most of these scouts will never visit the Summit in its role as a jamboree site. But, there is no reason why they should not experience these facilities when not being used for a jamboree. Summer camp there turned out not to be exotic, expensive or Disney-like at all. Just a fine time for our scouts to earn their merit badges and Learn the lessons of Scouting.

My note simply observes that if and when a council camp closes, the Summit summer camp will be available and offers a good program. I don’t think closing camps is the way to go unless local folks can’t sustain them. I agree local is best, and we will go to our council camp next year if they operate. I wish your council the best over the next few years as the financial stresses impact everyone in the BSA.

Thanks for raising the health issue. While I did not make the review COVID-centric, perhaps I could have mentioned that all scouts and adults in our unit we’re tested within a week of departing and Temperature-monitored daily from that point and throughout the week. Masks and gloves were worn and social distancing was followed. We are fortunate that two parent-physicians were able to accompany us as well. The Summit medical and program staff was effectively instant on compliance. We acted on medical advice, plain and direct. The circumstance was far safer than the circumstances these scouts are going back home to.

Yes. The showers are still cold water in most of the camp, but they have installed hot showers for leaders. I think it is really only a matter of time when more hot showers will be added. Interestingly, none of ourScouts complained about it. Not once.

Scoutmaster Burkhardt Reviews Summer Camp at the Summit This is a review of summer camp as experienced by Scouts and leaders at the Summit's “James Justice National Scout Camp” in early August, 2020. The Summit is known for its role in hosting jamborees and is used for high adventure and training activities. However, this review will focus solely on the summer camp operation. I am wearing my hat as Scoutmaster to inner-city youth from the District of Columbia in writing this. Late in the review, I will make limited comparisons to council summer camps as I have experienced them as a Scoutmaster and (in my earlier days) camp staffer. Finally, I will share a thought about a potential future role for the Summit. Basics. The cost to attend was about $400 per youth and adult, with two complimentary fee waivers for adults. The summer camp normally runs from Mid-June through early August. During jamboree years, the summer camp has a shorter season. Sign-ups and merit badge scheduling use the same on-line system and program that council camps use. Camp starts Sunday and ends Saturday morning, although there is an option to arrive early on Sunday for a small additional fee. Arrival. Troops arrive at the Summit Visitors Center, which is a large and modern structure similar to national park service visitors centers. You can arrive by vehicle, commercial air (30 min. away) or Amtrak (20 min. away). Buses are available to transport you to the visitors center. It is complete with a trading post, museum exhibits, small climbing wall and plenty of space and activities for Scouts to explore while unit leaders submit all of their medical, waiver and other forms. This includes a swim test report, because the Summit requires units to conduct their own swim tests prior to arriving. This summer, the interior of the visitors center was not open because of the COVID virus, but I was able to get inside later in the week for a look. The center is located off-site, assuring that persons do not access the Summit until they are fully cleared. I have never experienced a more meticulous clearance process. I can assure you, not a single Scout or leader is going to access the Summit without a complete set of medical and other forms, including a current YPT form for each leader. They make no exceptions, which is good in this day – but would be a real problem if you do not have your forms accessible. We were missing a couple of things and were able to have them e-mailed from home. Once cleared, the troop heads to an entrance location. Off base, there are no direction signs to alert an uninformed driver that a BSA installation is nearby. Security at the gate is very tight, with three personnel carefully re-checking authorization to enter and taking final temperature checks before opening a heavy security gate. Campsite. Campsites for those attending Summer Camp are located in Sub camp C, which is one of the many sub camps used during the jamborees. We followed the map and well-marked road system to our site and were met there by a “rover”, which is the Summit title used for commissioner-like staffers. The sites are in open fields and include pre-set Coleman tents specially manufactured for jamborees. They are similar in shape to the 3-person Coleman Sun Dome tents sold at scout shops, but slightly taller and made of a tougher gauge material. Each participant gets an army-style cot. Each site has a sturdy dining fly structure mounted on a steel frame and two picnic tables. We brought along an extra dining fly and the Summit provided two additional picnic tables. The sites are directly adjacent to solidly built shower/flush toilet facilities. The showers are cold, but leaders can walk to a leader-only facility that has hot showers. I was told there are a limited number of sites back in the woods, but did not view them. One of our leaders was there earlier in the summer with a contingent group and prefers the open field sites. Food. There is a very attractive dining hall close to the campsites, which serves all meals. The food quality was similar to a high school cafeteria, which disappointed some. However, the food was filling and satisfying in a basic way. Snacks were laid-out and accessible at all times for Scouts to take with them. Because of COVID, most preferred to take their food and eat outside on the many picnic tables set on a broad lawn. I hope that COVID is not a major factor in the summer of 2021, so I will not provide a detailed explanation of the anti-COVID procedures other than to say they were extensive, effective and firmly encouraged by the friendliest staffers I have seen do such things. Scouting Program. An overall initial comment is that in comparison to what most councils can field, the Summit summer camp staffers were slightly older and significantly more educated, experienced and talented at what they do. I suppose this is to be expected at a national base, but as an experienced Scouter, I immediately understood this difference would favorably affect the entire week. I was right. As an example, the technical/academic merit badges (like astronomy and archeology) are taught by graduate students in those fields or similarly experienced people. Traditional merit badges are taught by college-age students or experienced adults on vacation. Everyone I spoke to seems to have worked there for at least a few years. Not once did I hear a comment that a counselor was not up to their job. The record keeping of badge completion was kept current on-line on an everyday basis. Merit badges are completed in one or two three-hour sessions. For instance, lifesaving and swimming are taught on Mon-Tues and again on Wed-Thurs, with choice for either morning or afternoon. Kayaking is a single three-hour session offered at multiple time through the week. Some badges are in the evening hours. Summit does not precisely replicate a traditional summer camp merit badge program. For instance, it does not offer canoeing or rowing – traditional staples at camps I have worked at and taken my Scouts to. However, it does offer wonderful merit badges that most summer camps would not normally offer, such as white water. Climbing and shooting sports are offered at a world-class level of quality in terms of facilities and staffing. The best practice is to simply go online and see if their merit badge offerings might well-serve your Scouts. Our Scouts earned an average of five merit badges each, and nobody seemed unreasonably stretched to finish them. Most merit badges are finished by Thursday evening, leaving Friday for completion tasks. The Summit’s new-Scout program takes place on a replica of Brownsea Island. An actual island. Our Scouts did not participate in it, but I heard from other Scoutmasters that it was well run. Use of Jamboree Program Facilities. Scouts and leaders can use many of the facilities built for the jamborees. This includes the zip lines, climbing, skateboarding, mountain bike, laser pistol, sustainability treehouse and many other facilities. Some of these work with merit badge offerings, but all facilities are open to everyone. These are the same facilities open to “day visitors” during jamborees. Camp-wide Programming. We visited during the COVID pandemic when all camp-wide assemblies were cancelled. Instead, high-quality welcoming and closing videos featuring attending Scouts were professionally produced and broadcast in place of opening and closing campfires. The videos make a nice camp souvenir. Differences about the Summit. The Summit is a different place to go to summer camp and is not entirely comparable to a council-owned facility. After all, it cost hundreds of millions to build and has facilities no council could rationally think about building. You might say that being at the Summit for summer camp is like being part of something very big and bold, as compared to the intimate feeling you can get at a smaller council camp. It has staffing capability (both paid and volunteer) that cannot be approached by a council. For instance, a full-time and on-site fire/rescue/medical team, pristinely built and maintained infrastructure and counselor/staff network of personnel who teach at the national class level. After a few remaining facilities are completed and nature heals-over some construction evidence, the effect will feel like being in a top-class national park. Scouts and leaders understand and react very favorably to the quality of instruction and the maturity of the staff. Troop leaders in particular are very entertained by using the program facilities built for the jamborees. The beauty of the site, including being surrounded by medium-sized, wooded mountains, favorably affects all. The sheer quality and size of the built infrastructure is striking -- everything there appears to have been built to last at least 100 years. Thick, massive and uniquely constructed bridges, shelters, dams, arenas, buildings and sports facilities. The Summit has already established and is further strengthening a unique staff “culture” like those at the other national high adventure bases and iconic council scout camps. My sense is that it is personality of Scouting in our nation east of the Mississippi, but welcoming to all. Burkhardt’s Bottom Line. I strongly recommend Summit for a Troop summer camp experience. To oversimplify things for the sake of brevity, let me state that everything seems to work well, everybody seems to know exactly what they are doing and everything about the operation is simple to understand. The staff – ranging from dining hall, program, medical, maintenance and administrative personnel – live up to the finest we offer at the other national bases and our most-iconic council Scout reservations. The fact that the staff rose to the occasion of effectively dealing with COVID during the just-completed summer camp season is itself reason to have confidence you can have a solid week of summer camp here. Our Troop will probably return to our own council camp next year (the renouned Goshen Scout Reservation), but I can easily see a return trip to the Summit in our future. Another option might be for our Troop to attend our council camp and offer an “extra” week of summer camp for a smaller group of our most-motivated Scouts. Our 37 Scouts, 19 adult leaders, 70 Scout parents and All Souls Episcopal Church offer a heartfelt thanks to the entire Summit staff and those National Council professionals who support them for making summer camp happen for our Scouts during this very difficult year. This was the only opportunity this summer for several of our Scouts BSA girls to experience nature beyond their urban homes. Your operation of summer camp appeared almost effortless, but I know it took much to execute. Final Comment. I am taking off my campaign hat (yes, I wear one as Scoutmaster) and putting on my past council president and past national volunteer hat. The personalities and physical attributes of the Summit will continue to embed themselves into the heart of Scouting. While particularly true among the Scouting family living east of the Mississippi, an attachment is growing among US and international Scouts and Scouters who have attended Jamborees at the Summit. As the financial fury of the reorganization bankruptcy and COVID challenge our ability to provide Scouting to American youth, the Summit might play a central role in continuing and growing Scouting. An unfortunate but unavoidable fact is that operation of many council camps – as well as many councils themselves – will no longer be viable. Councils will be combined and some camps will cease operation and be sold. The Summit can provide a national-class and affordable summer camp experience for the Scouting families who are within reasonable distance – a massive percentage of our membership. This was not a central purpose for developing the Summit, but it might become an unexpected life ring for Scouting.

Council Standards. There really isn't anything wrong with the notion that councils should possess certain financial, operational, membership and programmatic attributes in order to offer Scouting in a geographic territory. That's really the point of JTE and its predecessors as applied on a council basis. In the past, when a current executive board was unable to sustain a reasonable level of those attributes, they were encouraged to consider merging. The success and failure of those combinations usually depended on how well the personalities of the combining organizations were and whether they were then able to address the difficulties. It often takes years for these "merger of equals" to result in meaningful benefits to the youth participants, because resulting volunteer leadership (sometimes urged on by professionals) don't make the necessary changes and enhancements. I'm a supporter of withdrawing the chargers of such councils and forming fresh boards to replace them -- often in combination with other low-performing councils. The new board is not comprised of the under-performing past leadership but fresh folks that are willing to move on what needs to be done. In this manner, two or three underperforming previous council do not become a huge underperforming council with leaders and professionals who squabble over power and properties.

Sea Scouts and Exploring. Everyone will recall that Sea Scouts has been officially adopted by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as its youth program, much as Navy Sea Cadets is the official youth program of the Navy. Sea Scouts can even have dual membership with the Auxiliary. The partnership is important, because it aligns Sea Scouts with a national organization with resources and reach -- including into the Coast Guard itself. Sea Scouts is a micro-sized program and needs to grow. Without a strong Auxiliary link being developed, it might be difficult to sustain Sea Scouts into the future. Individuals are now threatening legal action against Auxiliary sponsorship or program engagement with Sea Scouts because the religious belief membership standard cannot be required by a government entity like the Auxiliary. These are no-win situations for the BSA. Long ago Law Enforcement Exploring was transferred into "Learning for Life" -- a BSA membership structure that does not include a religious belief standard (at the time the BSA's previous "don't-ask-don't-tell" membership standard was also an issue). This was an effective way to continue these government-connected programs in the face of program-killing legal action and political opposition. I predict the same will happen here because of the existential need to continue and build the Auxiliary-Sea Scout relationship. I hope that as the transfer is made, the program and term "Sea Scout" continue as-is. I earned Quartermaster in my Auxiliary-supported Ship in the mid-70's, which meant that during the time I was a "Sea Explorer". The label never really worked, and the participants called themselves Sea Scouts in any case. There is no legal or rational program purpose to force a relabeling of the program -- just make the shift of things as-is to avoid the legal problem.

Merlyn: What the information you have means is that if the unit wants to call itself a "Sea Scout ship", the declaration of Religious Principals does apply. If they want to call themselves an "Maritime Explorer Post", the declaration of Religious Principles does not apply. An Auxiliary Flotilla can actually offer both registration status at the same time. The Exploring program is a career-oriented subsidiary/membership category of the BSA that has no religious membership standard. One of the reasons it was established was because of complaints of persons such as yourself, that government should not require a young person to recognize any religious principal in order to participate in programming. So, a young adult who wants to be active with the youth program offered by a Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla can resister as either a "Sea Scout" or an "Explorer" and do the same things. I might also mention that although Scouting had a "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy for about 20 years (eliminated movement wide-about 5 years ago), that never applied to Exploring either. I was a Sea Scout and we never had religious content in our program, and I think that is typical. If you have a young adult that wants to take advantage of our maritime programs, you can do so knowing she will be welcomed and will not have to recognize any religious principles.

From a strictly business standpoint, the Virus has stopped all meaningful cash flow and is choking recruitment and retention. This increases the risk of nationwide liquidation of BSA and councils (including properties)as a reorganization requires a strong financial basis for a going-forward organization. I don’t think we are there yet, but Scouting will be astrikingly different organization after this.

I have not given a lot of thought to this, but it occurs to me that if local CO’s are individually sued, it might be a messy and risky business bet for the plaintiffs attorneys, who do all of this on contingency. While the individual charters vest COs with oversight duties, it might be a difficult case to actually prove given the passage of so much time. Frankly, they will likely be viewed sympathetically by juries. The genius behind suing BSA nationally is that it is a “one case gets all” situation and the evidence was created and preserved on a national basis by the defendant (BSA). Suit the local baptist church that has a run down building, lots of debt and nobody who even recalls there was once a BSA unit? Not a very attractive proposition. The exception might be suiting national churches that had a central coordinating control over their units and related records. I am only aware of one — maybe two — in that category. A “one suit gets all” approach might work in those instances. All the other “national churches” are more like affiliated associations that focus on theology and not operations.