InquisitiveScouter

Funny, I just checked the references, and BSA has dropped this pub from their Safety Moments site. Was up just a few days ago... that's actually quite suspicious. I wonder if there has been a lightning death, or it was reported up the chain in our council? Think we got some attention with the thread??? For posterity and future lawsuits: 680-056_lightning.pdf

Agreed. My daughter was in GSUSA through 8th grade, earned her Silver Award. I encouraged her to go for her Gold Award, and she started with a Troop when we moved here, but the entire reason for existence of the Troop here (it was only older girls) was to pursue Gold Award. No program whatsoever. Existence on paper to provide a venue for Gold Award signatures... blech I encouraged her to gut it out, and support her Troop anyways, but she refused and took other venues... Venturing Summit, Congressional Gold Award, Eagle Scout (DAD BRAG!!!)

Or will they face the fact that their program model is kinda lame?

1. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's Honor Society. Tell him that your Troop can use this opportunity to recognize your best Scouts. 2. Tell him that he has a great deal of influence in the process: The Scoutmaster must approve all candidates for OA. That is, even if a Scout meets the rank and camping requirements, the Scoutmaster (not the Committee or the COR) can say Yes or No to letting the Scout enter the selection process. There is danger here for the Scoutmaster!!! My advice is that he should not show favoritism, and always strive for consistency in selecting candidates. O

Many adult leaders have experienced this. If you are selected by your unit, and then you do not support your unit, and, instead, go and support only lodge functions, then you and your Troop have chosen poorly. An Arrowman's first duty is to his unit. To avoid this situation, many unit leaders choose not to use the Order of the Arrow in their unit program. That is their prerogative.

https://oa-bsa.org/uploads/publications/GTUE-201905.pdf pages 9-11

Everyone who is qualified, and approved by the SM is on the selection list (not really a ballot). All candidates get, basically, a Yes or No vote from their Troop. If you get 50% Yes votes, you are in. A few other criteria must be met, but that's down in the weeds...

Option 1: Ask your Scoutmaster if you can make the arrangements and organize a unit OA election. If they say yes, come back here for more instructions. Then, if you are selected and complete your Ordeal, ask the SPL if you can be the Unit OA Representative. If your SM says No, go to option 2 or 3. Option 2: Become a multiple member of another unit that does use OA in its program. Get selected (elected is the wrong word for what this is, these days...) This could be another Troop, or a Crew. Being a multiple is free (membership fees-wise) Option 3: Change Troops

Mandatory viewing??? Equity, nationally, would also be: - Paternity leave equal to maternity leave allowances - Women must register for the draft - Equity in court judgements for men in family courts and criminal sentences as compared to women - No physical standards for men different than women in military units, police, firefighters, etc. Define the requirements for the job, and anyone who can meet them is qualified... (a lot of people won't like that one) etc., etc., etc.

Here's a simple fix that could be implemented across the country... Cut the average SE by $50K and BSA C-suite executive salary by $100K (Easily done, with virtually no impact to actual local BSA services (yes, that's an opinion).). Use that money to HIRE a Scoutmaster for your council's specific "underserved" population, and fund camperships to Summer Camp until the SM's can inculcate a culture of earning your way. (see page 101 at the link...) https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/221576300_201912_990_2021030217778557.pdf You could instantly create 300+ jobs (some councils n

@qwazse is right on the money with ticket ideas... Here are a few others: - Give a roundtable presentation on the religious awards program - Complete the requirements for American Cultures MB with a registered counselor, then become a counselor yourself. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/American_Cultures.pdf?_gl=1*1hc7z34*_ga*MTM1MjIxMTgyMC4xNjQ5MDAzNTUw*_ga_20G0JHESG4*MTY0OTI0NzkwNC44LjEuMTY0OTI0ODYwMy42MA..&_ga=2.127730757.974321973.1649003550-1352211820.1649003550 - Complete the requirements for Indian Lore MB with a registered coun

I have found that treating people as unique individuals who are created in the image of God to be the most useful take on developing relationships with them, helping them explore their challenges, hopes and dreams, and working with them to reach for their potential.

Just make sure you avoid the real issue... https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/blog-posts/lie-of-diversity/

"Don't let it become a salaried organization: keep it a voluntary movement of patriotic service."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This

Welcome to the forum! Much easier to remain anonymous here, and you can DM those you wish to have a private convo with. Enjoy the campfire!

At the Troop, we cancelled one camping trip, and did about 4 meetings and two PLCs on Zoom. As soon as it was warm enough, we had all meetings outside, and did one-per-tent camping trips. Even designed and did our own Summer Camp.

The life of all Scout units is bound up more in the adult volunteers and parents than in the youth... I'm not sure BSA really gets this... That is, it seems the marketing is to try to appeal to youth primarily. They see all the adventure advertising and say, "Hey, I'd like to do that!" Parents sign them up and are then told, "Hey, you have to help plan, organize, train, and support that!" Classic bait and switch? With our prospective parents/youth who visit our unit, we tell them we recruit parents first. We expect parents to participate on some level in the program.

So, if I read all the other Form 990's right, from 2016 to 2019, those events lost a combined $92,779...

Yes, they all look like this

It's going around... Our council lost eleven units at recharter. Don't know the mix of Packs/Troops/Crews, but it isn't good, in any case.

Ok, so, for kicks I ran through the last five IRS Form 990's available for our council (from the IRS website) (latest posted is 2019), Schedule G, Part II, Fundraising Events. Net Income? 2019: -$10,617 (5 total events...golf outings, skeet shoots, etc.) 2018: -$7,550 (7 total events) 2017: -$6,261 (7 total events) 2016: -$68,351 (8 total events) 2015: $41,735 (7 total events, and hey! In the black) So, for those five years, the net income for 34 events was -$51,044 Does this mean the other revenues in our council have gone to subsidize these? O

And second youth staffer from my unit just confirmed....during the storm, adult staff did leave the dining hall to check on the NYLT patrols. (I'm fine with that...adults can assume their own risk...) But, the adult staff also had the youth staff go out in the storm to visit and check on NYLT patrols, with active lightning/thunder. I had the Scout on speaker phone with his Dad... I told him to please never do that again. Adults should not be directing them to take that risk. And, if they do, politely refuse. If they press, excuse yourself, get your phone and call your parent for

Dunno...