InquisitiveScouter

Didn't say it was the only reason, just one of them...

Yes, for realz... G2SS specifically now states "Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings. " https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/ Scouts are not to do any activities without adult supervision. This has been written for some time now... Not just for overnighters...

Although I experienced abuse outside of Scouting, this all rings true... I didn't want to tell anyone because I truly believed my situation would only get worse as a foster... food, clothes, a roof, and some semblance of stability were the trade off. The sad part was, years later, when I confronted the couple and some of the people they knew, I found out that their adult friends knew about and didn't do or say anything to stop it. That "betrayal" hit me worse than the sexual abuse. Fortunately, Scouting was the place I could go for safety. Most of my mentors were veterans, and they helped me through some pretty tough times. But, without proof, it was the word of a white trash teenager against a "well-respected" member of the community. No one was willing to be my champion.

That is correct, technically, if they want to do the activity to count for anything in Scouts. I think what @qwazse was saying is that, youth are leaving Scouting to go do activities which we would call scouting. For example, I know many older teenagers and young adults 16-21 (who are Scouts) around here who go rock climbing without adults. They tell me it is "too much hassle." I won't let my Scout go with them, but he has asked. When he turns 18, he'll prob go without asking Same for backpacking...my dear daughter, same age group, goes backpacking with her friends and college buddies. They don't want older adults around. I am pleased that she is often ribbed for being the only one who brought the first aid kit, map, compass...etc. She is, after all, an Eagle Scout!! Here's another one...although not specifically stated in the G2SS...in the BSA FAQ you will find: Q. Does this mean my son cannot have a sleepover if I am the only adult present? A. Yes, if any of the children other than your own child is a Scout, we strongly encourage all adults to use the Barriers to Abuse in and out of Scouting. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/yp-faqs/ ----------------- Horse hockey...if my son wants to camp in the backyard with his buddy, who happens to be a Scout, and his parents are OK with it, it's just fine with me. This one is beyond the pale. BTW, if they say "Yes" and then say "strongly encourage", isn't that mixing the message. Also, why should it only apply if the other kid is a Scout? SMH

So, we are offering an opportunity to be awarded (notice I did not say earn) BSA's trademarked Eagle Scout product, under supervision of more than one adult? ☹️

In your council, call, and very nicely ask your registrar. They can only give you the council number though. National, ask Bryan on Scouting https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/contact/ They have contacts at National that might give an answer this year, and "Bryan" might post a piece on it.

+1

Mine does almonds...maybe I'll try cashews!! LOL

So, a synchronized event, because others must participate together at the same time?? Basically a webinar?? How long was long the course?

I asked for the same kind of info on accidents and was told no way, no how. They feared releasing too much detail and exposing themselves to some kind of liability. I thought that was BS-A. National does release accident summaries to help. I used to brief some of these at Roundtable. For other reasons, I have been removed from Roundtable presentations They could put the same thing on the web page for YPT stuff... https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/incident-report/incident-reviews/

Lol.. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=optomist

Yeah...it's a dog's breakfast having regional take it on. But if SM's are removed, all it will do is kill units... Putting down my crayons for now on this one

What about those people employed at the regional level... what do they fill their days with??? And could they be tasked to do Unit Compliance visits (inspections) every two to three years?

How about Commissioner also has to sign off on unit charter?? Just exploring an idea...

No, I'm sure that is National policy, but it is up to councils to enforce.

Preaching to the choir there, brother. My point is, somewhere along the line everyone does a cost-benefit analysis. "For the benefit of what Scouting has to offer, am I willing to undertake the cost of the 'regulatory' burden?" More and more people I know are answering "No" to that question. And, if they keep doing Scouting, those are the ones that consistently endanger youth and program.

And not just YPT...all the other G2SS provisions that add straws to the camel's back. When I am mentoring younger adult leaders to take on SM-type roles, this is the biggest pushback I get...too many rules and prohibitions... Are we near the breaking point with the burden of all those straws? If you want to get certain behavior out of people, you need to incentivize it. What incentive is there for someone to become an SM these days?? Although I agree enforcement is a joke, I doubt that rolling heads will help. It would only further discourage people from taking on the roles. Again I get to the radical idea of paying people to be Scoutmasters...then you can more easily subject them to some sort of inspection regime to ensure compliance.

Hearsay?? I wouldn't touch the whole "it happened at the Scout meeting thing" Unsubstantiated accusations are just that...no need to bother. Sounds like the SM has it in hand. SPL and PLs are responsible for "discipline" within the Troop, under his watchful eye. SM should keep other Key 3 informed, but not drag you nor the rest of the Committee into it. If it were me, I'd hear both sides of the story and anyone who witnessed / actually heard anything going on and take it from there. Find out what the core of the matter is and ask Scout One and Two what their solution is. Sometimes, that is neutral corners for a while. If Scout Two does not come back, that is the Scout's and family's decision. As SM, I only inform the Committee if some negative consequences come into play. ??

Curious...how do you know this?

Not a downer, at all. I'm sure we all wish the program would be better implemented at the unit level. Can you imagine how many youth would want to be Scouts if it were so? The sticking point is, how do you do this? What is the forcing function? As I had posited before, I believe this was supposed to be the vision for the function of the Commissioners Corps, but we ain't there...locally or nationally... Here's a radical thought...pay the Scoutmasters!!

We go our own way because we are so stringent with YPT, among other things. We are known as the exemplar. If you want to find the gold standard for the way to conduct a program, come visit us. Always room for improvement, though... We see too many other adults cut too many corners, particularly in safety matters, that we are comfortable interacting with three other nearby Troops with leaders of similar mindset. We do at least four patrol-only camping trips per year. With six patrols, that's twelve adults minimum. Two adults is fine... please don't paint it as if it is not. Never. When there are only two, if you can't make the whole trip, have a swap out worked into the plan, or do not go. Hear, hear!!

Completely agree. I was pursuing this as a question of first principles... if it ever gets to that point, we have already all failed

Agreed, I encourage parents to read the entire pamphlet. But, ask them to focus on the five "exercises" in the back of the pamphlet (per the requirement). I suspect this is often "pencil-whipped" And none of the exercises really discuss our YPT measures. To this day, some parents are surprised when I ask them to stay a bit until the second leader arrives for an activity, for two-deep. I like @yknot's approach...every parent completes the BSA adult training as a pre-requisite for registering their youth.

@mrjohns2 OK, so do you think the SM is correct in approving "service" in this manner...whether he has "authority" to do it or not?

I'd bet that, in most current cases of abuse, there are provisions of YPT that were not followed. That is, BSA relies on the goodwill of us volunteers to enforce YPT. And, when one of those volunteers does not have good will, and intends to prey on youth, they find the opportunity to ignore YPT policies and wreak their misdeeds. So the question is, is there any way, realistically, to enforce YPT provisions other than through volunteers?