InquisitiveScouter

Hmmm... Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation - Grasping for salvation suggests the organization has lost awareness of the soul of its own greatness. (check) - Change for change sake through a series of “silver bullets”, such as leaps into new technologies, new markets or new businesses become the thread of searching for the “home run” that can bring the organization back into the black (check) - The gap between the ideal and what is real gets larger as “hype precedes results”. No longer wedded to the brutal facts, the focus shifts to imagineering the organization’s saving grace. Chronic inconsistency permeates each new “revolution”, “future state” or “dream” of what could be similar to a pied piper leading lemmings to their demise. (check) Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death - The demise of the organization is at hand and either the leadership prepares for a fire sale, while it hunts for a saving organization ... or unable to capitulate to the impending demise, leadership remains true to the same logic that put the holes in the ship and rides it into the deep blue abyss (Watching for this... seeing signs now) So, we are firmly in Stage 4, progressing on to Stage 5.

And the Hawaii tragedy was on a council property... https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/06/17/boy-scouts-admit-30-shooting-investigations-near-misses-prior-big-island-scouts-death/

They aren't safer... but they have insurance coverage 😜 It's all about the money, brother... Yes... our local fish and game clubs are some of the strongest supporters of our Range and Target Activities (RTA). And they adhere to all range operation restrictions of the BSA. Do those all go away? Seems like it from this pronouncement. Bet the fundraisers will still go... they'll just be adult only. It's all about the money, brother... Dollars to doughnuts the HABs get exempted from this. It's all about the money, brother...

So many questions... So, is the muzzle loader limited to .22 caliber? Because that is really small for a muzzle loader... If we can use a .22 rimfire, why not a .22 caliber air rifle, because .22 caliber air rifles have lower muzzle velocity than the rimfires. Are we to assume the lever action rifles are limited to .22 caliber also? ummm... "air, CO2, or precharged pneumatic rifle"?? You are kind of mixing apples and oranges there... "air and CO2" are the gases used to propel the projectile. a PCP is a "method" for delivering the gas. Understood that you wish to limit the gases to air and CO2, because these large molecule gases limit the theoretical muzzle velocities you are gonna get. (1600 FPS is theoretical limit??) (LOL, a helium PCP would be wicked, but wicked expensive also) Are you trying to restrict the other "methods" or powerplants of supplying the air? - break barrels use a piston or spring, but are still "air" - gas ram rifles have a piston with N2 (usually), but that is contained. The piston pushes ambient air into the projectile. - PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) you mentioned, but these have the highest muzzle velocities of any powerplant - CO2 cartridge... I guess you mentioned?? - a variable pump (multi-pump) is still an "air" rifle I don't really understand what they are getting at... Can those programs that now have the NRA FIRST Steps Pistol do that at a commercial range??

I was thinking more along the lines of implications of the ratio, rather than causes... One thought is, this is indicative of the complexity of Scouting. There's a heck of a lot to do to run a successful unit, under the current program of Scouting. And then I looked at our unit ratio. We are 1 : 1.5 (not including IH), or one registered adult for every youth member of the unit... and we are an extremely successful unit. Then I also subtracted the adults in the unit who do not really contribute: With that, we are at 1 : 2.4, so one adult for every 2.4 Scouts. Still seems very adult dense... Is this "ratio" sort of an indicator of what it takes on the adult commitment side to make the program run well?

Just saw our council's numbers... from a year ago at this time, we are down almost 8% of our youth numbers, and almost 12% of our adult numbers. The patient is very ill. And, I noted something curious... our registered adult to youth ratio? 1 : 1.8 We have one registered adult for every 1.8 youth in the council... I am cogitating on that one for a while. Thoughts?

And, while the staff churned through the coordination and public relations blitz of the re-branding, and spent untold time preparing for and scurrying about at the National Meeting, your units do not have access to tools and resources to plan and execute their programs... https://troopleader.scouting.org/ https://troopresources.scouting.org/ https://tap.scouting.org/ How about just building your new websites in a sandbox, and then, when ready, migrate all at once? Seems a simple enough concept...

Interesting... I can use it, but you can't... https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/resolution-of-litigation-between-boy-scouts-of-america-and-touch-a-life-foundation-inc/ And yet... https://www.touchalife.org/talscouts/

https://www.rovering4life.org/ Well, if anything is worth doing, it's worth over-doing 😜 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KH_JzLLIhA&t=2s https://fb.watch/rZX80EgGZj/ Please don't show that last link to your Scouts...

Another random thought... When we offer the option of fully coed Troops, will there be an ongoing need for Venturing?

In his soul, every young man longs to know he is worthy... that he has "the right stuff". And he seeks this approval from other men whom he admires. (It is a profound evil that some men use this trait against a youth.) Unfortunately, all men are fallible. One day, the young man is mature enough to realize his approval of himself is what he ultimately needs. He is his own measurer, and harshest critic, because only he and his God know the whole, true story of himself. (And that realization will hopefully lead him on to a deeper truth.) The sooner I can help a youth to realize this, the healthier and happier that young man, and therefore, our society, will be. Even without the trappings of Native American lore, the messages and symbols of the Order of the Arrow have deep meaning. My perception is that, even more than in former times, that meaning is missed by most. I remember when the OA was (generally) for those Scouts who were the finest examples of Scouting. Today, everyone eligible with nights camped and rank gets in... (with a very few exceptions). We use the OA program at our unit level to recognize our Scouts. Even under the current rules, over the past seven years, there were two who were not elected from our Troop on their first go. They took it hard, but when I counseled them, they understood. For both, thankfully, it was a wake up call, and they changed their behavior for the better. This is the (current) way. Under the former way, Scouts were more dedicated to the unit, and performed better, if they wanted the recognition of the Arrow. When their efforts were rewarded, it inspired others to perform better, as well. Placing more of a limit on admission meant that there was, in effect, competition. If you remove all standards, and everyone gets the trophy, the trophy becomes meaningless, and competition (or change of your behavior and performance in order to be selected) dies.

@Armymutt, I empathize, brother... And I want to encourage you. As a veteran, I know you grok what servant leadership is and means... and I know it is frustrating to see, hear, and have others around you who do not. (and to have to live through the consequences of their questionable decisions.) The ideals and values we espouse are best transmitted (and maybe ONLY transmitted) through your example and presence. Without the likes of you, we are lost. Thanks for putting on the uniform... both of them 🦾 Continue to stand in the gap.

Also unveiled was new Distinguished Conservation Service Award. Procurement order for National Supply is already in. Guess no one told that committee about the brand change... Or will they play this rebranding like Scouting/USA? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting/USA

Just had a conversation with someone connected... his explanation was to this effect: The corporation named the "Boy Scouts of America" will Do Business As "Scouting America", and there is ongoing discussion as to what the various program names will be. Cub Scouts, Scouting America Scouts, Scouting America Venturing, Scouting America etc.

"They also agreed to cooperate on the commercial terms of scouting trademarks in the future, according to the court filing." https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/boy-scouts-america-girl-scouts-settle-trademark-dispute-over-co-ed-scouting-2022-07-23/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting/USA "...quietly abandoned..." And, I am waiting with bated breath to hear the GSUSA reaction to this. I would be surprised if they accept it without objection. See the Lapp Test https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lapp_test "A likelihood of confusion exists when an allegedly infringing trademark is likely to cause an appreciable number of reasonably prudent purchasers to be confused as to the source or origin of the products or services it is used to identify."

Yes, won't that be a hoot if the name change efforts crash and burn? I'll be having a tall glass of Schadenfreude if that happens...

Yeah, and think of all the churn, time, and money it will take to transition EVERY piece of literature the BSA (sorry... the SA... wait that doesn't sound right... "the Scouting America" hmmm... ) has currently published to bring in the new name. And programming/editing time for websites, web pages, posting new logos and name changes... Printing of business cards... new clothing... design/production/procurement/of new gear... and disposition of old unsold BSA items in the supply warehouses... Criminy... talk about waste... We are talking millions of dollars here. Sometimes, taking no action is the best course of action.

Here're some additional random thoughts... - The Congressional Charter is for the "Boy Scouts of America." (Congressional Charters do not mean much, anyway, but BSA likes to ride that hobby horse.) Will this "charter" now be defunct? Probably not, due to some legalese... - What will the new Eagle rank patch look like? - Will there, for the next few decades, be a bunch of "cool kids" with "BSA" on their uniforms versus "Scouting America"?? Will there be a run on buying up old logo uniforms? - What will we change the words to one of our favorites camp songs to?? http://usscouts.org/songs/ifiwerent.asp - Will there be a re-boot of the Fred McMurray classic, Follow Me, Boys! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060420/ Will Kurt Russell reprise his role as Whitey, and now be the Scoutmaster in Follow Me, Kids! - Does my BSA memorabilia collection now increase in value? (At least, the items that say "BSA" on them...) Is it time to insure my collection?? 😜 Especially stamps and coins: - Will we have an "Auld Lang Syne" party to say goodbye to 115 years of tradition?

If you wanna get away from cookies, this is a good place to do it 😜 As long as you stay away from popcorn 😛

SA = Sturmabteilung Wait till that one hits... Those who cannot remember the past... https://www.britannica.com/topic/SA-Nazi-organization smh

https://m.email.scouting.org/rest/head/mirrorPage/@ioWh-yEhFvF8L2A1kdKKSgVPNuz-_mvo6HpmpCzhyhs3z5ZNbYL1mtzBJBC3ZntkMBuT3abs4KF_BG9qmx7Bxyhnzgmyldo5H4CtUMeCuxc5vGFA.html

And the barrage continues: https://m.email.scouting.org/rest/head/mirrorPage/@JAZoPn36nBGBwnSUwO9VYxp-uHhpwWPo3y6pE3GABf3-FGCOpsM-PFMe2BwqlMkxmXgNjOeyH0nzZ-YXNBXB1D9e_GIOmayLB-o7V-Xm_-tVOCZ7.html

Hey, got any official pronouncements for this pilot?