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InquisitiveScouter

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Posts posted by InquisitiveScouter

  1. In the not so distant future???

    Jimmy, building a fire:  Mr. Scoutmaster, will you sign me off on the requirement for building a fire?

    Me:  Jimmy, there aren't any requirements to sign off any more.  The Boy Scouts of America no longer exists.

    Jimmy:  Uh, OK, may I still build the fire?

    Me:  Sure, have at it ;) 

  2. 18 minutes ago, mrjohns2 said:

    Agreed. I also know, just like allergies, if anyone has a "do not let them go home with this person". For us, no Scouts have anyone listed. Which makes it easy. Allergies? A bit harder. 

    Our unit practice is that the adult leader in charge (and there is always only ONE designated) must review all AHMRs prior to an event for "Prohibited Adults" and allergies.  At show time, each person with a rescue inhaler or Epi-pen must produce it, or not go.

    (But we do not do this for meetings...)

    • Like 1
  3. 3 minutes ago, Oldscout448 said:

    Yah hmmm, it could be quite useful to have a instantly updated list of who is authorized to pick up the scouts.  Case in point, about a dozen years ago one of our scouts was picked up by his dad right after the meeting as he had done many times before.  The scouters never gave it a second thought although the scouts mother had dropped him off. Mom arrived 5-10 minutes later and went absolutely berserk. Seems there had been an  ugly event in the last week involving alcohol, threats, maybe more.  Police had been called, restraining orders issued. Mom called police and her lawyer threatened to  sue us, BSA, the CO.  Anyone and everyone. About 10  minutes (seemed like eternities)  later the scout called from home. Dad had just wanted to explain why he had to go away for a while to get his life straight again.  Scout cried, dad cried. Then dropped him off at home and drove away.
    But could have ended much differently.

    That's why there is a section on the AHMR which says "Adults NOT Authorized to Take Youth to and From Events"

    The burden is on the parents/guardians to inform the unit.  It would have never held up in court ;)

  4. 4 minutes ago, Owls_are_cool said:

    When I my son joined his current troop, the committee was big on having scouts and adults sign behavior agreements. Anyone breaking the agreement can be expelled from the troop and it was used eventually by certain parents to remove scouts they did not like. Since the troop split, I have been just using the scout oath and law. It covers every situation and it allows scouts to make mistakes and learn from them. 

    When we came to the Troop five years ago, the 'behavior agreement' was about three pages long... yuk.

    We shortened it to this:

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    I will behave appropriately during all Scout activities, living the Oath and Law, and demonstrating Scout Spirit at all times. I understand that misbehavior and inappropriate activities will not be tolerated.

    I understand there will be consequences if my behavior is not acceptable.  I understand consequences can and will include warnings, sitting out during an activity, parent conferences, having a parent take me home from an activity, or exclusion from future activities until I earn trust in my behavior again, and demonstrate to my Scout youth and adult leadership that I can be trusted.

     

    ____________________________________________ _____________________

    Signature of Scout                                                           Date

     

    I have reviewed the Troop Handbook and discussed behavior expectations and consequences with my Scout.  Furthermore, I understand I must make arrangements to pick up my Scout from an activity if necessary, even if the activity is out of town.

     

    ____________________________________________ _____________________

    Signature of Parent or Guardian                                     Date

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     We had to put in that last blurb because, on two separate occasions, we had to send a Scout home, but his parents had gone away while we were camping and said they couldn't get him.  That's one clue as to why he acted out ;) His grandfather came to get him.

  5. 13 hours ago, mashmaster said:

    It is such a fine line.  We do lots of sailing with masks and when they are on a single person dinghy, they remove the masks.  At meetings we are outdoors with masks.  Only complaints we get are from Adults trying to make a political point. I shut those down.

    One of our local schools recently forced all students to come into school to take a standardized test.  The cheerleading team apparently all had covid and spread it to 26 kids.  ugh

    We do not do masks in any aquatic activity.  You go in the water with one on, and your breathing is immediately impaired.  Not a good idea, IMHO.

    • Upvote 1
  6. On 4/7/2021 at 11:31 AM, Jeff1974 said:

    My biggest YPT issue, as scoutmaster and a MB counselor, are scouts who email me without including a parent or another adult leader.  I cc a parent in response and remind them a parent or another adult leader must be cc'd on any communications.   Yet, it keeps happening, time and time again.  

    I have been thinking about sending them a response like this (with their parent cc'ed...)

    ---------------------------------

    Hello Scout!  Thanks for your email.  But, I am not going to answer it until you send it to me again and include your parent.

    One important component of Youth Protection is that there are no private electronic communications between adults and Scouts.  Please help our Troop with this.

    I'm looking forward to seeing your request again soon!

    The Scoutmaster

    ----------------------------------

    • Upvote 1
  7. People will sue you, especially if you have an umbrella insurance policy ;)  (Never advertise that you do!!)

    I also had an umbrella, and cancelled for the same reason...it only covered the excess of things that happened on our property.

    If you ever find a policy that will cover you, let us know! (anonymously here, of course ;) )

  8. You are covered by the Federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997.

    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-105publ19/pdf/PLAW-105publ19.pdf

     

    https://www.astho.org/Programs/Preparedness/Public-Health-Emergency-Law/Emergency-Volunteer-Toolkit/Volunteer-Protection-Acts-and-Good-Samaritan-Laws-Fact-Sheet/#:~:text=The federal Volunteer Protection Act,for its protections to apply.

    However,

    "Protection under VPA does not apply if the volunteer engages in willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual(s) harmed by the volunteer. "

    I don't think any insurance policy will cover you under those circumstances, either.  This is the basic position of the insurance companies who believe they have a case to deny payment under claims for sexual abuse...they hold that BSA violated those standards.

    Which is why we diligently follow Guide to Safe Scouting, Scouter Code of Conduct, and written BSA policies.  You signed an application saying you would do the same ;)

  9. 9 hours ago, David CO said:

    That's not my sword.

    Silly...can't even have a mock sword (light saber) fight with pool noodles??  I see this in the pool at Summer Camp every year...

    G2A Prohibited Activities:

    14.  Activities where participants strike at each other, including martial arts, boxing, combat games, gladiator games, and reenactment activities such as live action role-playing games (LARP) and Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) activities (exception: tai chi)

    https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss07/#b

     

  10. 9 hours ago, yknot said:

    I apparently didn't handle it well. My kids suffered because I did not have as much time for them as I devoted to other kids. I was determined not to give them preferential treatment because they were mine and in retrospect was actually harder on them than I was on other kids. They also could never have a day off because if I had to be there, they had to be there although I did miss some critical moments in their lives outside of scouting because I had to be at the scout event while they were elsewhere. This created some resentment towards scouting on my part.  Further, if I was trying to be neutral about an obnoxious kid I expected them to be as well and that was very difficult for them.  In my defense I did not put any expectations on them as far as advancement  If I'm being totally honest, in retrospect, I would have leveraged my position more to suit the interests of my kids. My quest to be scout like, above board, and altruistic backfired with my own kids. 

    Sorry to hear that.  It is tough to balance. I struggle with same, and find myself often in the same territory you describe...

    Thank you for all your efforts.  I hope your kids will see the enormous amount of positive impact you are sure to have had, and realize that some of their sacrifice contributed to that positive impact on others' lives.

    • Upvote 1
  11. 2 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

    Update: 03/22/2021

    Police say a Penfield, PA man, Andrew Cole Shaffer, 26, got into the camp sometime between Jan. 18, 2020 and Feb. 8, 2020 where he removed four rifles, two shotguns, two crossbows, four paintball guns and four carbon dioxide cylinders."

    Shaffer is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, six counts of theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property, all felonies: criminal mischief, five counts of theft, unsworn falsification to authorities and receiving stolen property, all misdemeanors.

    During centralized court on Friday, Shaffer waived his right to a preliminary hearing, sending all charges on to the court of common pleas.

    He remains in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

     

    More at source link, where you can read how a BB gun was used during break-in,  how a civilian used Facebook to find suspect, and how DNA testing lead to arrest, but you will not find out why paint guns were at a Boy Scout camp.  :)

    https://gantdaily.com/2021/03/22/penfield-man-facing-charges-for-break-in-at-boy-scouts-camp/

    You can shoot paintball at non-human targets...

    G2SS: "Activities where participants shoot or throw objects at each other, such as rock-throwing, paintball, laser or archery tag, sock fights, or dodgeball"

     

    Q: Can Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts shoot paintball or airsoft guns? 
    A: Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts may shoot paintball guns and airsoft guns at targets only; they may not shoot at each other or at any form of a human silhouette target.

    https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/shooting-sports/shooting-faq/

    • Thanks 1
  12. 10 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

    You know, Clan Macleod and Clan Ross have never fought against each other. That can change you know. ;)

     I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. I was born in 1518 in the village of Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel.  And I am immortal.  😮

    https://clanmacleod.org/

    • Haha 1
    • Upvote 1
  13. 8 minutes ago, qwazse said:

    @CynicalScouter, I believe that no BSA official will tell you why scouts-tenting-with-scouts-only is under “barriers to abuse” because the liability of giving an answer is costly beyond belief. Simply consider that someone would consider a child to have been groomed if they received kindness from a person who later sexually abused other children.

    Now consider the vast number of abusers who are parents. More than one or two of them might have tented with their children. Those children, even if they weren’t abused, may claim that whoever permitted that tenting scenario to occur allowed them to be victims of grooming — taking the loose interpretation of the term.

    I could be completely wrong, about that, and nobody has ever attempted to make such a claim. But the mere act of someone going on record to deny it would compromise the organization’s position.

    @qwazse, yes, that is certainly a reason.  But why allow it in Cub Scouts?  Ages 7 to 13 are the most vulnerable to sexual abuse.

    https://victimsofcrime.org/child-sexual-abuse-statistics/

    https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2019_4.pdf

    https://americanspcc.org/child-abuse-statistics/#:~:text=411%2C969 victims (60.8%) are,2.3%) are psychologically maltreated.

  14. 1 hour ago, 5thGenTexan said:

     

    LCs can't publicly mention anything is wrong due to directive from National.

    OR

    LCs are still in the denial stage of grieving 

    OR

    If LCs start publicly distributing information about the severity of what is going on current families start jumping ship AND recruitment in the fall is DOA.

     

    I think 3 is the biggie.

    All the above??

  15. 39 minutes ago, ThenNow said:

    Is it still a drop off and go deal?

    For about 50% of our Scouts it is.  About 25% of parents hang around and talk, but don't contribute.  The other 20-25% are the ones who are really helping, mentoring, teaching, driving, camping, etc.

    Pareto principle at work... or

    More like Price's Law ;)

    https://dariusforoux.com/prices-law/

    • Thanks 1
  16. 1 hour ago, mashmaster said:

    The scouts move onto these other units because the program is more interesting for them.  

    Well, duh!!  It is more interesting for them.  Unless very well executed, the Scout program, with the wide range of age groups, tends to focus more on the needs of younger Scouts.  I posit that is a drag for the older ones.  I know our older Scouts absolutely LOVE IT when we do program events for them only.

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