InquisitiveScouter

Pretty sure these are they: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PsYfr1oVDc&ab_channel=TroopLeader https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxsjXWfkZIU&ab_channel=TroopLeader

Wondering if they were wearing helmets? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMp317MawbE Cannot believe BSA G2SS does not require helmets on PWCs. But, some literature does mention it... https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Handbook-of-Personal-Watercraft-Basics_HB.pdf or water skiing, for that matter. Once, as a Scout (back in the 20th century, lol) I was water skiing. Another Scout was driving the boat, with an experienced adult on board. They were probably going about 20-25 miles per hours, as I was pretty light, and a novice. The Scout went into a small-radius turn. I tried to stay on the skis while making the turn with the boat (and I was on a long rope), not really knowing my own limits and lack of skill... While whipping around the outside of the turn, I dug a tip into the water and went face first (with eyes open) ... at about 35 miles per hour by my estimation (and the math works..) Force of the water blinded me for a bit, gave me a bloody nose, and ripped my suit down to my ankles. Thank God for life jackets! Can you imagine traveling on a personal watercraft at even higher speeds, and taking a spill??

Fortunately, one Lenni Lenape word for "Fellowship" is Witauchsundowagan. So, also begins with W! No need to change logos!! "...that binds us in fellowship, Witauchsundowagan." Hmmm... have to add a few more notes to the song. Meh, we are changing everything else, why not!!??

https://substack.com/@seandietrich/p-148425885 No mention of affinity groups here, thank goodness...

"affinity outings"... gobbledygook "They bring us together; they don't divide."... LOL... more woke gobbledygook. I'm with you. We are ALL SCOUTS. That is what binds us together.

Ah, the good old days. OA is but a shadow of its former self...

Yes, and cash.

Yes, like a sort of Booster Club...

Old thread resurrected by @RememberSchiff, but still a good point to touch on... 1 . Only a legal person or incorporation (legal embodiment to create the same rights as a legal person, so same concept) may own property. 2. Never, ever, donate the land to a council (or national). The donor's intent will eventually be subverted to turn it into cash for the council. (see the ongoing row over Philmont https://themountainnewswa.net/2019/12/06/philmont-the-national-boy-scout-ranch-cherished-by-millions-of-americans-is-put-in-hock-to-pay-bsa-debts/) I have seen this about a dozen times over my 45+ years with the organization. If the the donor's intent is to have it used in perpetuity by Scouts, then a trust is perhaps the best way to achieve this. As mentioned above, spend the couple hundred bucks need to seek out local legal advice and set up the necessary arrangements. Some reversion of rights and ownership should be meticulously spelled out to ensure the donor's intent is followed for a long time in the future (or perpetuity). 3. Chartered Organizations come and go. They host troops over time, and then have times when they do not... I do not recommend donating the land to a Chartered Organization. The same thing can/will happen as in item 2 above. 4. Troops can, and do, become incorporated. It is possible to have a Troop form articles of incorporation in your state, so that they may own (receive legal title to) property. (BSA recommends against this, simply because they do not want any competition in the grab for funds. If anyone tells you anything different, run away fast and file them in your "do not have dealing with this person" category.) Again, if this Troop corporation dissolves, what will happen with the property? A trust could address this issue.

me, too... twenty or so emails today alone on updated topics

I often ask Scout leaders what they think "high adventure" means... I get lots of different answers. The real answer is, "high adventure" is whatever your Scouts say it is 😜

Should be posted here when available: https://www.scouting.org/about/annual-report/

There'll be no official voice here. Not enough exposure, and no way to generate revenue from it, amongst other things.

Me too, except the pdf of the G2SS is WAYYYYY out of date. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/ This is a huge foul. We often take trips to places with no cell/data service. I download the pdf to my phone for reference whilst out and about.

@Chisos is correct. You cannot take a CC off and leave the position blank. You should be able to drag and drop the new CC first, save the change, then expire the outgoing CC position by moving them to Unit Scouter Reserve.

See this post... This policy was solidly in place within the last 20 years, but is no longer found.

Romans 3:21-28 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. You realize you will always fall short. Good on you. What is the remedy? Grace. Accept it, brother 😜

If we wanted you to have an opinion, we'd give you ours 😜

To help the organization survive in a state that they want (instead of looking for ways to change it for the better), BSA professionals expel dissenters. Although dated, here is a blog which elaborates on this: (not a Daily KOS fan, in general, but I do read stuff there to learn how others think...) https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2006/3/4/191709/-Supressing-Dissent-in-Boy-Scouts-a-model-for-the-GOP From the writing: "The combination of lap dog boards and control of senior and middle volunteer management positions give the pros an immensely powerful position from which to block reform (and protect their own positions). It will take a grass roots rebellion or a determined legal attack at the top to actually reform the system nationally. Small determined groups with strong ethics and strong stomachs can achieve local results but, unless the tide shifts nationally, the system always tries to return to the old status quo."

With the CC's approval, another committee member could sign on his behalf.

Which means they would have to exceed the legal limit?

BSA using the legal system to deter other organizations from using the terms Scouts and Scouting.

Thank you for trying to do this. And welcome to another headache of mistreatment by paid staffers. If your integrity and doing things with excellence are important to you, then yes, pursue. If you are not the type to jump through bureaucratic hoops, and you have a unit leader with access to Scoutbook who will approve MBs on your behalf, then consider that option. We are in a similar situation. We have an adult leader who submitted the application in Feb. He was approved as a MBC in March (about a month later), is populated in Scoutbook, but has NO MBs associated (yes, this is a two step process.) Our Registrar is overworked and underpaid. I spoke with District Advancement Chair... since this leader is not counseling any "restricted" MBs, we told him to go ahead and counsel in good faith. He will fill out a blue card, and we will approve things in Scoutbook based on the signed blue card. Sometimes you have to "help" the system.

Recommend a different thread. I never retest the Scout. Yes, we discuss the experience. "How did you like the badge?" "Tell me about a challenge you had, and what you did to deal with it." "Did the Merit Badge Counselor require you to do anything more than the written requirements in order to receive the badge?" "Would you recommend this badge or counselor to your friends? Why or why not?" etc. The attitude here is not to play "gotcha", but to gauge the Scout's experience with the badge and counselor. So, if a Scout comes to me with a Hiking MB card, for example, I would love to hear about his 20-miler. That is no small feat! If the Scout says, "Well, we never did a 20-mile hike", then we have a problem, and I have a further conversation with the Scout along the lines of previous posts. Then I have a conversation with the MBC, or the Program Director at camp. I'm not being the Grand Inquisitor as you seem to think. But I do not turn a blind eye to unethical behavior, when it arises. That would only perpetuate the "dirty little secret". Over time, I am seeing more and more instances of Scouts not completing requirements as stated, and Merit Badge Counselors (or Camp Staff Instructors) signing off badges when they should not. "The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." This includes the Merit Badge program...

@Alec27, He does not need the form. If you need confirmation from the "chain of command", have your candidate check with the District or Council Approving Authority AFTER he submits his proposal. See the Preliminary Cost Estimate section: "Note that if your project requires a fundraising application, you do not need to submit it with your proposal." Worrying about the form now is putting the cart before the horse. During the proposal phase, he only need answer the question: "Fundraising: Explain how you will raise the money to pay for the total costs. If you intend to seek donations of actual materials, supplies, etc., then explain how you plan to do that, too." You said, "The kid is building a deck and the whole thing is being funded by a private donation from one of our unit members who is also a parent who is also a friend of the family. " So, his answer is as simple as re-wording the instructions from earlier in the Workbook: "A member of my unit has graciously agreed to provide the funding. I will fund any supplemental needs myself. I do not plan to obtain money, materials, supplies, or donations from any other sources, therefore no fundraising application is required." And leave it at that, for the Workbook. As mentioned before, there should be an offer of a tax receipt from the beneficiary. This would be a good discussion for the candidate to have with the donor, AFTER project approval; "Would you like a receipt for your donation for tax purposes?" If the donor says "Yes", then the Scout should inform the beneficiary, provide the donor information to the beneficiary, and tell the donor he has given the beneficiary the info. This need only happen during/after project execution. Not in the proposal or planning phases. And the amount is immaterial, for receipt purposes. If a donor gives $5, the beneficiary should provide a receipt when requested. However, the amount threshold where the IRS requires a receipt in order to report the donation at tax time is $250. https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contributions-written-acknowledgments As @T2Eagle stated before, this is between the donor and the beneficiary. And your Scout should make it clear to anyone giving money, the money is for XYZ 501 c (3) Non-profit Corporation, not your Scout. If a specific amount is given beforehand, any overage must either be returned to the donor, or given to the beneficiary. Happy Hunting