InquisitiveScouter

Do you mean something like this??? https://www.medalsofamerica.com/blog/when-wear-miniature-medals/ Worn on the chest, or do you mean small medals still to be worn around the neck??

Agreed that the membership regulations put an onus on SE & Council Pres to work in concert when taking such action. But the Scout Executive has wide latitude to remove district and council positions. Removal from Scouting has it's own procedure. Page 12 https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rules_Regulations_Sept20.pdf "District and Council Scouters. District and council Scouters must be approved by the local council Scout executive. Council Scout executives may remove or refuse to renew the position registration of a district or council Scouter when the council president and council Scout executive agree that the Scouter’s service is no longer desired or required." So, you can see there really is no standard here. You'd hope there be a conversation between SE and member before such action is taken. A "common courtesy" as it were... But no, not here. Ask the wrong questions, or provide an opinion in a survey that is not in line with the Scout Executive's desires, and you are removed from all these. Our District and Council volunteer staffs and committees are mostly non-functional or non-existent. And our district and council programs greatly suffer for it. As long as the money keeps rolling in, the SE will do as they please. It is a private organization, after all... I have contacts in both levels who privately confirm the SE does this unilaterally, without a single discussion with our Council President. Now hearsay isn't admissible But, when more than five trustworthy individuals confirm this (including professionals), based on their lengthy history with the council, and without any official communications from the SE, you have to form a judgement as to what and how things happen.

you won't be tried for Boy Scout Treason? Yes, you will... in absentia, with no formal charges, defense, or appeal. You will be blacklisted and excluded from participation at district and council level. This has happened to me and others in this forum, for asking questions about decisions, governance, and finances. @Mrjeffis probably right about board members, but when word reaches the professional staff, you could (repeat, could) have backlash. Just tread carefully.

If you use Scoutbook, just put the plan on the calendar there. No need to come up with another product. At the meeting, you can project the calendar on a screen one month at a time, and everyone can follow it together. Technology can really help with this. Or do it by Zoom and screen share. (or your favorite platform) We do a trip-by-trip approval. When a trip is approved, we put "Committee approved" in the admin notes on Scoutbook.

As from posts above, the Committee looks at the plan first through the lens of "Can we rally the functions, logistics, and bodies we need to support our Scout's desires?" An example might be that the Scouts want to do a Troop cycling/camping trip. You expect 25 Scouts to attend. How many adults will this take to provide transportation and supervision? Two isn't gonna cut it. (Unless you've got a 20+ passenger bus that one leader drives, and the other leader pulls a large trailer that can carry 27 bicycles and Troop gear. You get the idea.) So, what's it gonna take, and can we provide it?? This is why it is important for the SPL (with SM, or adult that facilitated planning, attending) to present this to the Committee... if only for the Personal Growth/Adult Association/Leadership Development aspects of it. Once the plan is approved at the Committee level, it becomes the demand function for a Troop budget. (Does your Troop have one? Budgeting is a Committee function, not a Scouts' function.) What resources will it take to implement the plan, and how are we gonna get those resources (like thru dues and fundraisers)? Our Troop runs an SPL term of 6 months. Each SPL has the task to do an Annual Plan during this tenure. With this scheme, at a minimum the first six months of new SPL's tenure is already programmed, and they can look ahead for planning, instead of trying to come up with a camping trip for next month. The next six months after that on the existing plan can be tweaked, if the PLC wants to make some changes. They are not "married " to that part of the existing plan. (e.g., Previous PLC said they wanna do skiing, but we have changed our mind and wanna do snowshoeing instead.) Then, they get to dream up (create) the plan for another six months after that. This kind of long range planning makes for a much more stable program for our Troop and families, and gives us time to make adjustments and do adequate budgeting. YMMV. The adult leadership needs to help set a "battle-rhythm" adequate for your Troop's needs.

The advice was more to obtain a warning for the OP'er if they don't have a good sense of the culture in their council before starting to ask these questions. Hopefully, your District guys (talk to volunteers first) have been around a while, and can give you a good sense of how the council operates and treats them. Their input and experiences will be a good indicator... concur that they won't necessarily be close to council ops, but the Chair or Commissioner may wear other hats in the council that do give them better insight.

1. Who is allowed? It depends on what's on the agenda. Some meetings are open (you may attend), some meeting are closed (you may not.) It varies by council as to whom will decide which it is. If all of yours are closed, it's a shame. These meetings should be on your council calendar. Call your District Key 3 and ask if you may attend. (Yes, start at a low level to gauge what the reception to your questions will be, and the volunteers may have some knowledge about your specific council.) Be prepare to answer the question "Why do you want to attend?" 2. Can I as ASM, OA,...? See above. 3. Past meeting minutes? Varies by council. And, if the meeting was closed, No. Google is your friend... here are some examples https://www.mississippivalleybsa.org/about-us/our-executive-board/ https://scoutingevent.com/Download/50968661/OR/Minutes__Council_Executive_Board_September_2020.pdf 4. Can you request the minutes? Sure, but the answer may be No. Start with your District Key 3. (I recommend your District Commissioner, then District Chair, then DE. They will help you "take the temperature" of the council and see if your inquiries will be welcomed or viewed with disdain. Start treading carefully... 5. Program Transparency? Supposed to be, yes. But there are times and instances where issues must be discussed behind closed doors to preserve anonymity of youth, privacy, etc. 6. Council Transparency? Same as above. You may find some of this helpful: https://www.scouting.org/council-support/cebo/ The "View" video links are inop, but you can download and view on your computer. Expect vanilla and pie in the sky. There is a difference between the ideal and reality 😜

OK, there is a lot to unpack there... and some new info which is disturbing. I'm not gonna delve any deeper from a thousand miles away. But I will offer the following: 1. You are young. Unfortunately, with a group of other adults (parents), your views are not going to carry much weight. They are asking themselves : "What is this college kid doing here? He should be off with his friends doing college-kid stuff." So, you are probably viewed with some suspicion for hanging around instead of "letting go." That's probably the origin of #1 and #3 above, but just a guess... It's a way for them to have you not be there. 2. From your posts, I take it you are under 21. BSA rules say "Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings." So, from your posts above, "...I arrived a bit early way before any scouts or other adults showed up and just waited. When the SPL arrived I asked him about returning something that I had loaned him..." They probably took this as a violation (from #2 in your post). 3. Someone in charge now does not want you there. So, go, before things get worse. Best thing for you and the Troop, ultimately. There are a million other things to do in Scouting. Find some. Does your college have an Alpha Phi Omega chapter? (No, start one.) How about a local NESA Chapter. How about OA? etc, etc etc. 4. You were diving into a Code of Conduct for the Troop. While the Scout Oath and Law applies to all, YOU actually have one to follow: The Scouters Code of Conduct. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/bsa-scouter-code-of-conduct/ Make sure you follow it, always, in your other Scouting adventures. Happy Trails!

Not indefinitely. We have buildings that should be condemned (black mold, roof leaks, rotting structural members, etc.) because of deferred maintenance. I have repeatedly asked since I moved here to see our council's plans for camp... non-existent. Our new Ranger, whom I know well, is scheduled for NCS soon, has asked for same to review and take with him to Camp School... crickets... Not going to give money to pay for further mismanagement.

Lord, no! Nor would I. And why would I? I wholeheartedly believe we need to gut the bloated structure we have, consolidate councils, reduce unnecessary/unproductive labor overhead. Too many feeding at the trough as it is, with no value added to program, unit service, camp improvement, training, etc., etc., etc. After all these years, I'm not gonna throw good money after bad! A Scout is Thrifty!

I will never give an unrestricted contribution. For a myriad of reasons... But I have given hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars of materials to maintain our camp, which reduces the overall burden on their operating costs, and simply must be included in any intellectually honest discussions about camp properties. I have also given same to other non-profits in our area, and those efforts are much better received and appreciated than anything done for our council.

Ultimately the Board has a fiduciary duty to take actions in the best interests of the corporation. The way the system is constructed invariably leads to decisions that have nothing to do with the best interests of future Scouts. Money before people.

Read the thread. The code of conduct is the Scout Oath and Law. The idea is to set expectations and consequences. Then stick to them.

Only the portion of monies after you subtract the reasonable market value of the product you received. See page 4. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf So what is the reasonable market value? You'd have to make a comparison to a similar product. $3.00 for a 7 ounce bag in my local grocer. (That's retail.) So, if @SiouxRanger could itemize, you'd be looking at a $22 donation. Unless the council deems it a "Token Item" (also page 4) (what does a 6 oz bag of kettle corn cost the council?) "Token items. You don't have to reduce your contribution by the value of any benefit you receive if both of the following are true. 1. You receive only a small item or other benefit of token value. 2. The qualified organization correctly determines that the value of the item or benefit you received isn't substantial and informs you that you can deduct your payment in full. The organization determines whether the value of an item or benefit is substantial by using Revenue Procedures 90-12 and 92–49 and the inflation adjustment in Revenue Procedure 2020-45." LOL... would love to get rid of the tax code and go Flat Tax!!

So that you could not claim it as a tax deduction... Whenever you see Scouts selling popcorn, just give a donation. 100% of it goes to their unit.

And for games, here is a great resource. Pick about 10 games your Scouts like, and build your resource box based on that. https://troopresources.scouting.org/troop-games/ Many have videos that demo how to play the game!! See main site for lots of other stuff https://troopresources.scouting.org/ And another: https://troopleader.scouting.org/

The syllabus linked above was updated. Here is the current BSA syllabus for ILST: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/721-07218-ILST-Facil-Training_WEB.pdf Recommend you follow the syllabus for the first one you do. After that, modify and adjust content of course. Thanks for doing this!! Here is the main page, and you can get Troop Position Description Cards there also. https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/

A deal with the devil...

Dare you to post this as as a comment on that forum: Excerpt from a recent review of studies on video gaming: Frontiers Neural Basis of Video Gaming: A Systematic Review Background: Video gaming is an increasingly popular activity in contemporary society, especially among young people, and video games are increasing in popularity not only as a research tool but also as a field of study. Many studies have focused on... Video game use has been linked with reduced recruitment in the anterior cingulate cortex, associated with proactive cognitive control and possibly related to reduced attentional skills (Bailey et al., 2010). Likewise, exposure to violent content in video games is associated with lower activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, interfering with inhibitory control. The same team (Bailey and West, 2013) observed how video game play had beneficial effects on visuospatial cognition, but in turn had negative effects on social information processing. Lastly, video game exposition has been linked to delayed microstructure development in extensive brain regions and lower verbal IQ (Takeuchi et al., 2016). Another article: Playing shooter video games damages the brain, study suggests The Telegraph Playing shooter video games damages the brain, study suggests Playing “shooter” video games weakens the brains of young people and puts them at greater risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests. “Playing “shooter” video games weakens the brains of young people and puts them at greater risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests.” And another: This is Your Child’s Brain on Video Games Psychology Today This Is Your Child's Brain on Video Games Video games leave kids revved up, stressed out, and primed for a meltdown. “It’s not realistic to expect the brain to adapt to intense and artificial stimulation it was never meant to handle. It’s also not realistic to expect a child with still-developing frontal lobe to control their screen-time, whether that means managing how long they play a game, how they use or misuse social media, or how they behave afterward.” Another article on electronics and effects on our kids: Psychology Today The Mental Health Crisis is upon the Internet Generation Three ways that modern internet technologies are tearing our young people apart And one on limiting the use of social media: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression |... Introduction: Given the breadth of correlational research linking social media use to worse well-being, we undertook an experimental study to investigate the potential causal role that social media plays in this relationship. Method: After a week of...

And is that all programs? My crystal ball says yes. With many double counts. So... I was on the phone with the Scout office the other day inquiring about an account balance in the store... A professional gets on the phone and asks me "How many new Scouts do you plan on recruiting this fall?" "None!" I say. Because, paraphrasing... 'We took on 18 crossovers this year because, for most of them, their traditional Troops have folded. We gained three Scouts as transfers because their Troops folded (and are awaiting the decision from three more Scouts). We have four youth newly recruited to Scouts, many driving a good distance because the Troops in their area folded. We planned and budgeted for 8 crossovers and two new Scouts. We've exceed our target by 150%!!! How many units do you plan on starting up this fall?' "Thanks for the info! See you around!" LOL

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 200% 😛

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 100%

Going there this weekend, as our Scouts love TI! Glad you had a great experience. Cradle of Liberty Council sold the Treasure Island portion (in NJ) of the property to a local businessman for $500K in 2018. The local businessman allows the Friends of Treasure Island to coordinate FREE Scout camping on weekends outside of Memorial Day - Labor Day. https://www.friendsoftreasureisland.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Island_Scout_Reservation If you live within a reasonable drive, sign up for their email blast to get notifications of open campsites. The reservations go fast, and often a year in advance... If you are agile, there are often short notice cancellations you could take advantage of. Enjoy! For those interested in the history... the Marshall Island portion (in PA) was sold for $1M to the Port of Philadelphia as an environmental credit offset to their pollution. https://www.philaport.com/marshall-island/

An unenforceable edict??

The gold standard 😛