InquisitiveScouter

Might as well, with the posts that we see all around.... Would also prevent showboating..., I chose not to post any links but... For those of you who are serious MB Counselors, like me, you doubt any who are awarded all merit badges, Notice I use the term "awarded" versus "earned".

All of your posts help support the argument for eliminating the age requirement on Eagle Scout. If we remove the 18 year old requirement, it removes the focus on the destination, and helps us turn the spotlight more on the journey

They have been making changes without announcing or annotated the change. Not a great regulatory practice

Just in time to order new sales merch for Jamboree

Nah... let's just log it and get some quick cash. Who cares if the forest is gone, erosion starts, half the camp looks like a disaster area, and wildlife habitat gets destroyed?

I can confirm those are numbers in the system for end of March 2025 and 2026. Those are the total unit based, and do not include LFL.

I posted system numbers on 01 Apr. They have changed slightly: Total Current Youth on 01 Apr was 782,466 (this includes LFL): 18 Apr number is 792,273. ( +9807, or + 1.25%) Total Current Unit-Based Youth on 01 Apr was 749,343 (this is Crews, Posts, Ships, Troops, & Packs): 18 Apr is 756,627 (+7284, or + 0.97%) End of 2025 Total Unit-Based reported on 01 Apr was 877,399 (Total including LFL 907,946), number remains same So that means, from end of Dec 2025 to now, the total unit-based drop is 120,772 or a 13.76% loss Sorry, my 01 Apr calculation was wrong... I had subtracted current unit-based from previous total youth... should have worked with numbers in the same column. My error on 01 Apr painted a rosier picture than reality.

Keyboard Advisor here, lol... @jcousino is right. You are "owned" by your CO. If your CO does not want you to open a bank account, then you have three choices: 1) Don't open a bank account, 2) as @ShootingSports says, find out why your CO "doesn't want the responsibility", and find a way to alleviate their misgivings or 3) Find a new CO. Before you pursue any of those, you need to answer a few questions: A) How is it that you have a bank account (used for years) when your CO says they don't "want the responsibility"?? Did you inform the CO that you already have a bank account using their EIN? Which begs the next question... B) Whose EIN are you actually using for the current account? Which begs the next question... C) Do you have a current signed Annual Unit Charter Agreement?? Your DE is supposed to secure one for you each year, so, as @ShootingSports has said, call your DE to see if they have one. If the answer is "No", then your DE is not doing his job. https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/524-95625-Annual-Charter-Agreement.pdf Get your Chartered Organization Rep on the horn and ask them to get this all important document coordinated and signed post haste. D) If you do have a signed Annual Charter Agreement, read para II B.4. "Authorize the unit to open a separate bank account for the Unit using the Charter Organization EIN and provide the Unit with policies and procedures for financial reporting and asset management." Again, get your COR and DE on the horn, because the CO not allowing you a bank account is a violation of the Agreement. Recommend you read the whole document for other pertinent responsibilities and understanding of who owns what... Also, for the Moderators... the OP never showed up on my Unread Content. Any idea why??

You'd almost think that old English dude was on to something when he said, "The one part which I can claim as mine towards promoting the movement is that I have been lucky enough to find you men and women to form a group of the right stamp who can be relied upon to carry it on to its goal. You will do well to keep yours eyes open, in your turn, for worthy successors to whom you can, with confidence, hand the torch. Don’t let it became a salaried organization: keep it a voluntary movement of patriotic service." (emphasis added) https://thescoutingpages.org.uk/bps-last-message/

Agreed, but it is only expressly required for camping. ----------------------------------- Camping Scouting America has established the following guidelines for a safe and quality camping experience. Fundamental guiding principles for camping: - Supervision of camping activities must include qualified, registered, adult leadership. - At a minimum, one leader present is current in Hazardous Weather Training for all unit types. It is recommended that all leaders complete this training every two years. ------------------------------------- https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss03/

Please help me make this make sense. There is a unit in our District with five adult leaders and eight Scouts on their roster. Scouts are all high schoolers. Five of the eight are the children of three of the adult leaders. These adult leaders have, over the past few years, consistently neglected to complete training for their positions. Commissioners and trainers have had ongoing engagement over the years, but these leaders ignored efforts to help them get their training. They have, at a minimum, kept YPT (now SYT) and Hazardous Weather (as required by Guide to Safe Scouting) up to date. (I personally have not engaged with them, except by email, but I know their Commissioner and the District Training Chair have contacted this unit numerous times over the years.) As of yesterday, the Troop is now at 0% leader trained. No one has Hazardous Weather done. They are still SYT current. The District Training Chair brought this new low to the attention of our District Commissioner, District Chair, and District Executive (a brand new guy), with a call to action to contact the unit to, at a minimum, get Hazardous Weather done. (I do not know if the unit actually has any camping planned.) The new DE response, with courtesy copy to our Assistant Scout Executive, basically told everyone not to worry about any of the training from here on, as this unit is going to fold after their last Scout earns Eagle in a few months. That response is just wrong on so many levels, and sends a bevy of mixed messages that do not align with the stated safety standards, aims of the program, training policies, and negates the sustained efforts of the Commissioner Corps and District to get the unit do what is required. Further, by putting that in an email, it now gives the council some liability if an incident should occur where safety training may have made the difference. I'm really shaking my head on that one... Again, help me make this make sense?

https://info.traillifeusa.com/annual-report (2020 - 2022) https://info.traillifeusa.com/2023-annual-report https://info.traillifeusa.com/2024-annual-report https://info.traillifeusa.com/annual-report-2025

Agree that this is a large factor. I have noted the culture at Council and National of taking adult leaders for granted and simply expecting them to always be there. We have units folding in our council due to lack of adult leaders. And also have units who have names on a roster who do nothing for the unit. These "ghosts" allow their names to be used for registration (as long as the unit pays their fee) and never intend to do any serving, outings, or training for BSA or the youth they are on the roster for... It still baffles me, too, how many people think that the unit leaders get paid, or get some of the money from their registration fees.

UPDATE: OK, the system is back up, and showing current numbers... As of 01 Apr: Total Current Youth 782,466 (Up 927 from last month, same time) this is all programs, including LFL Total Current Unit-Based Youth 749,343 (this is Crews, Posts, Troops, & Packs) End of 2025 Total Unit-Based was 877,399 (Total including LFL 907,946) So that means, from end of Dec 2025 to now, the total unit-based has dropped by 94,933, or 10.82%

I just went in to look at the 31 March numbers. The membership tools system now does not have any numbers posted past 31 Jan 2026. I'll check again over the next day or two to give an update. But, if they have stopped posting numbers because of the story the numbers are telling, then, my friend, that is what the bottom looks like