InquisitiveScouter

But, to be honest, I don't think mine finished until I was 35 My wife agrees.

And what is the prefrontal cortex for, insofar as we know? Focusing one’s attention Predicting the consequences of one’s actions; anticipating events in the environment Impulse control; managing emotional reactions Planning for the future Coordinating and adjusting complex behaviors (“I can’t do A until B happens”) https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/prefrontal-cortex "Experience plays a role in the development of the prefrontal cortex. Teens exposed to a variety of stimuli and challenges may “mature” more quickly. However, most neurologi

@CynicalScouter, to be clear, my comment before about risk and ORM, relating to adults and anxiety were my keying in on something you may not have meant overtly... Constant supervision... I contend that Scouts do not, and should not be constantly supervised. The camp I referred to earlier had stated that Scouts should never be out of sight of adults. This was what our PLC took issue with (and I agree.) This is what I meant about risk assessment and youth anxiety. They need to be allowed to be out of sight, with some freedom and a little risk, or else they will not grow.

I miss the days when we could send out patrols on their own.

"Not sure how you are able to get around that."? Ummm...never said we did...and we don't. If a campground requires more, we comply, or find a place that doesn't require it, at the level we are comfortable with. Again, you use the word "resentment." I have no resentment for those CO's or units that want to self-impose additional restrictions. As I said before...fill your boots It is common sense to me to evaluate the risks and take precautions where necessary. If I think 2 adults can handle the task, then that is what we go with.

@walk in the woods, Awesome reference, thanks... Overall about one third females... You'd think BSA might use that as a more "realistic" goal.

@TAHAWK, Sorry, don't know how to drag your comments over to here... I do like the metrics they have, but I agree that JTE should be modified, and think that it is a bit off the mark... Never said there wasn't room for improvement And, there is some Patrol measurement there... Maybe focus on that one...how would you improve it? I'd remove that last part about Youth Training and make that a separate section all together.

Nope...didn't imply any of that...maybe I'm not understanding you... You said your CO requires additional adults. Fine. Our CO does not. BSA does not. I am comfortable with 30 Scouts and 2 adults in some situations. I think the max I have ever had with one other adult is about forty. That included Scouts of all age ranges. The older Scouts provided the leadership and program. We were there for health and safety. I have no resentment toward additional adults or "adequate adult supervision". Please don't ascribe sentiments to me that I did not state. I have never excluded add

Systemic racism holds that our societal and governmental structures are all synergistically designed to be racist. (But you will find other varying definitions, which is why putting this term in a merit badge is bad news right now. ) It is still a "neologism." Here's an opinion piece (some of which I disagree with, btw) from USA Today recently https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/09/23/systemic-racism-how-really-define-column/5845788002/ For example, saying that our all our schools, language, justice system, etc. is racist...combined in toto. That is, our whole societa

Yes, I saw that study...and the results were horrible. But that is not systemic racism. It does show pervasive racism, which I would agree exists. But you have to identify those companies, call them out, fire the interview screeners who did it. Sue them for violating your civil (human) rights for triple the damages...hit em where it hurts. Also, you might want to clarify...this study identified several different types of ethnic sounding names that generated fewer call backs. It was not just about African Americans.

I do like most of the JTE metrics...whoever designed those put some thought into it... Wait...hold that thought...I'd better go review the new JTE stuff to re-confirm

Concur. That is why BSA doesn't do it. They give you the minimums. We use BSA directives to establish the minimums, and then rely on judgment, experience, activity or subject matter expert advice, committee advice, and the input from other leaders on the trip. It's a pretty good recipe for success.

That is the secret sauce, my friend. We have a program wherein a Scout may earn First Class in one year. But, you would have to participate in every activity, and take responsibility for your own advancement. (Like seeking out older Scouts to show your skills to and get them signed off.) The vast majority do not. And, IMHO, they are better Scouts for it. Bingo.

Equality of outcomes versus equality of opportunity?

Agreed, that increasing the number is an achievable goal. But to target it at 50% may not be. Basically, the question is...why 50%??

There is a potential huge error in that Churchill plan goal of "try to achieve 50% of your membership male and female" It assumes that females want the BSA program in the same numbers that males do. Or, another way to put it...it assumes that, of all the youth out there who want to do this Scouting program, that half of them are female. If empirical market research does not back that up, it is a doomed proposal. Do you think they did that market analysis? Here's some reasonably good stuff... https://rmsresults.com/2013/05/15/market-research-case-study-girl-scouts-needs-ass

Reminds us of A Modest Proposal

Lol, last question was "any other suggestions for improvement" I said something like, "Yes, don't send out a survey with a due date in the past, especially in light of the PR mess you are trying to deal with. That lack of diligence sends a bad message."

@RememberSchiff Well, in this case, past performance is probably a guarantee of future results. But one can always hope, right?

Here's a good one in the survey: ----------------------------------------- 9. Which of the following best describes you? Asian or Pacific Islander Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Native American or Alaskan Native White or Caucasian Multiracial or Biracial A race/ethnicity not listed here ---------------------------------------- I chose the last one....identifying people like this is part of the problem. Until we stop the underlying divisions, you will always perpetuate the underlying divisions. "Human" isn't one of the c

Ha...just got this email this morning from council Dear Scout Leader, If you have not already done so, please take a moment today to complete this brief survey about your experiences with diversity and inclusion in the local Scouting program. Please take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey between now and December 31. Your responses will help us identify areas for improvement over the coming years. Thank you for all you do for young people in our community! Yes, this morning (31 Dec deadline??)...I'm going to do the survey now...

@yknot No. We are not in any bankruptcy situation...that is squarely on a non-profit corporation called BSA. I am a part of the Scouting movement. BSA is just the current purveyor of Scouting I use. Current challenges? Too nebulous to address... PR...Again, that is on BSA and another non-profit, this council. The only PR we concern ourselves with is for our Scouts, our unit, and our CO. We are not here as showpieces for either the local council or National. and otherwise? Again, too nebulous. "Kind of irresponsible"...no. Parents are fully informed on the c

1:10 is lifeguards to participants for Safe Swim. Not for adults. Our Scouts were looking at Summer Camp selections one year....one had in their brochure a 1:10 adult ratio, and said that Scouts must stay in sight of adults at all times. Needless to say, we didn"t go to that camp

@sunshinescout You said you were very close to completing your project... 1. Take all of your concerns to your Scoutmaster and Eagle Project Coach (if you have one.) They are closest to the fray, and may have dealt with these situations before. 2. You must use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. If you did, you should have also gotten your proposal approved by your unit, the beneficiary, and some district/council representative. If you don't have this signature page, then you have a problem. See #1. 3. When your project is complete, as long as you did not devia

Dad-brag... Son has been with it since Tigers...Eagle BOR last December. Is 15 and has 143 nights with BSA. This does not include all the camping we have done just Dad and son. Dad-shame... I have failed to communicate to him the value in pursuing the NMOA. Just not his thing, it seems.