InquisitiveScouter

Ever hear of Price's Law?? https://dariusforoux.com/prices-law/ 50% of the work is done by the square root of the total number of people who participate in the work.

Wow! No wonder there is a high turn over rate...I wouldn't do any of that...nor ask the DE to do it. Our previous DE, when he first came in, pulled me aside and asked what is the one thing our district needed to focus on. I told him we need Commissioners. I think we have two...and I don't even know who ours currently is... And we currently have no DE. I twist our CC's arm to come camping with us...a lot!!

Will you move here and be our CC, please?? (with no pay ) concur

Another pro tip... Carry a few copies of the BSA Health and Supplemental Insurance Form (or other form if you have a different insurance) in your medical binder. If you give those to the provider and explain it is supplemental, you can save parents aome headaches and bucks down the road. Our supplemental insurance through our council covers any co-pays... https://www.hsri.com/forms/claim forms-approved/Boy Scouts of America/Boy Scouts of America - Council & Unit.pdf You will still need to fill out and get a form signed at your council office when you return home, thoug

Agreed, but we often do Patrol camping where each Patrol selects their own destination...so two or three books going out is not unusual for us. It keeps the Medical Forms Grand Poobah on her toes

HIPAA only applies to providers/insurers/etc... https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/190/who-must-comply-with-hipaa-privacy-standards/index.html The BSA no-scan guideline exists to protect you from identity theft and fraud, as well as safeguarding personal and private health information that you don't want plastered all over the internet...

Also impossible to develop a solid set of outdoor/Scouting skills... the decline and fall of the Scouting Empire

Do as I say, and not as I do???

We instruct parents to make and keep a copy (e-copy is their choice), keep their original, and provide the Troop with one paper copy. A registered Committee Member, the "Medical Forms Grand Poobah" (or MFGP) holds and manages our forms, including inputting dates into Scoutbook, and sending out reminder notices when forms are expiring. (It is almost a full time job for our unit.) Prior to every outing, the unit leader designated for that outing procures the binder for all attendees (only), and reviews that binder prior to the outing (sometimes this happens at the very last minute.)

When we had our kids in private school, this was the case. The school said pay an additional fee now, and if you volunteer x number of hours, we will refund you. And it wasn't pro-rated...reach x number of hours, or no refund...

@ParkMan, great points in theory...but I have never, in over 40 years of Scouting, seen a program where the lion's share of the burden does not rest on just a few people begging for additional volunteer (parent) support... And we have the best Troop in our council because of a few overburdened, yet dedicated volunteers... That is what paradigm shift implies, no?? Wholeheartedly concur...but would you elaborate on this one a bit, please? Who abuses the DE, and how?

Why would you hang up your uniform?? If a person spends 40+ hours a week making a great program that benefits the youth in our community, why would you "muzzle the ox while he is treading the grain?" We all know it is a good program which attracts membership. And we all know it is quality unit leaders who ensure a good program. A great unit leader can have a program without help or support from the district or council (except for the registrar...and maybe a local Scout shop, but these days, with Amazon and next day delivery, that could be overcome...)

OK, expand the paradigm shift...hire a Cubmaster, too!

@CynicalScouter, Interesting read... "As a consequence, the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee of jurisdiction instituted a moratorium on granting new charters in 1989. (The Senate generally defers to the House on chartering matters.) On several recent occasions, however, Congress has established Title 36 corporations despite the moratorium." "In 1992, Chairman Frank [I am no fan of Barney Frank, though] called charters “a nuisance,” a meaningless act; granting charters implied that Congress was exercising some sort of supervision over the groups and it was not. “When I fi

That Congress no longer issues charters begs the question as to why others are allowed to continue... Why can the DuctTape Scouting Association (the DSA) not get a Congressional Charter?? Or, @DuctTape will you call it the DTSA??

The corporation will not cease to exist...it will mostly likely be restructured, with assets sold to cover liabilities at pennies on the dollar...

And, John, BSA has used this "Charter" to bludgeon others, which are legitimate "scouting" organizations, to prevent them from calling themselves any kind of a "Scout".

Here's a paradigm shift for you... Hire a Scoutmaster who mentors young people to create and run a damn good program... Yes

I guess we are the "Sad" council 😰😥😱

5thGen...is that an eye-opener for you?

...who give big bucks to the council. How much does an Execurive Board position cost in your council?

Owls... Here is the link to the 2018 IRS 990 https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/810343177_201812_990_2019103016798949.pdf you can get a lot of info there...see line 10, Investment Income, $1,258,846 ...further broken down into $375,217 investment income...and a sale of $4,358,597 in securities, netting a capital gain of $883,629 (a gain of 25% from their basis of $3,474,968...that's good money, depending on the time held!!) Enjoy the read...

Also Owls...some public information that most SE's don't want to see the light of day...salary info. But, as 501 c 3's, they receive a public benefit of not having to pay taxes, so the IRS requires certain info to be made public in their IRS Form 990 filings...easily obtainable... For example, I see you live in Montana...a quick search yielded the 2018 IRS 990 for Montana Council, and, at the time, Interim Scout Executive was paid $150,208, while the retiring SE was paid $143,691...you can add up to total salary paid... that's where much of your council fees are going. If you d

This is the dirty little secret... The other piece of this that many council professionals want to remain hidden, is that the Chartered Organization Reps are voting members of the Council Board, and a grass roots movement among them is the scariest thing in the world to the SE, as they hold a great deal of power that they never wield...

David CO, are you saying that the early guys saw a money-making opportunity in the Scouting movement, quickly incorporated, merchandised the operation, eliminated the competition, and used their influence to garner a Congressional Charter to seal their virtual monopoly? Say it wasn't so!!