InquisitiveScouter

Our District Advancement Chair put out the plea yesterday for counselors.

I'll wait until the requirements come out to inform my decision.

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

35 minutes ago, yknot said:

Interesting. They were in an English speaking Scouts Canada unit near Montreal. One of my cub scout dens face timed with them to fulfill a requirement to interact with scouts from another country. One of the things my cubs found most shocking was that Canadian scouts have to pledge allegiance to their Queen lol.

The youngest nephew tried to continue with his old U.S. unit when he returned over breaks but it was not easy or inexpensive to do. Another way scouting could boost membership in a small way would be to make a scouting registration more portable and seamless between units.

Ask, and you shall receive...???

You can now transfer and multiple between units using your My.Scouting account

National 11/16/2020

Now users are able to transfer from one Scout unit to another without having to take a new application into the Scout office. On the “My Application” tab you can transfer yourself as an adult volunteer or your youth member from unit to unit. Unit leaders will be able to transfer youth by going to the new “Roster” feature in “Member Manager” and “Organization Manager” and select the youth who need to be transferred, then click the “Transfer” icon. This will create a transfer application which will be sent to the new unit with the ability to be approved in “Application Manager”.Transfers will take 48 hours to sync with the new unit.

The “Roster tool” also allows unit leaders to email other leaders in the unit directly from the tool. Editing youth/adult profiles, and printing rosters/membership cards is also available in the updated tool.

1 minute ago, yknot said:

I agree that it was certainly the plan all along. If surveys are being designed to produce a specific result, then that decision has already been made. 
 

This goes to the lament of our brethren to the north....  The Scouter.com equivalent in Canada posted what went "wrong" with Scouts Canada.

https://scouteh.ca/about.php

https://scouteh.ca/rally/rescue-rally-pamphlet.pdf

1 minute ago, MattR said:

There has to be a legal principal that if it walks like a scout, talks like a scout and eats like a scout, then it's a scout.

4 minutes ago, PACAN said:

@elitts   I'll spot you the 500k LDS but that's still 500k other boys lost in one year.   Has nothing to do with how many girls joined but not likely we get them back.

 

@qwazse   13 was on a news feed but can't remember the location.   Over achievers are fine. It's when you see the Mom with a day planner making sure he can fit you in his schedule for another MB that makes you wonder who is earning the MBs.

 

IMHO

After being involved with the program since the late 70's, and earning Eagle Scout myself, I always, I mean ALWAYS, smh at those stories of "Scout earns every Merit Badge"  

Sorry...off topic...

Do you think the gender separation is what has kept BSA on life support these past few decades?

https://virtueonline.org/canada-death-canadian-scouting

About 10 years ago, some families (US citizens) living in Ottawa, Canada, (who had a member working at the US Embassy) wanted to have a Girl Scout troop.  (Lone Scouting with BSA is alive and well for US citizens there.)

They called up the national office in Manhattan, NY, to inquire about it, and were told they could not start a GSUSA unit there.  The staff at GSUSA suggested they all join Girl Guides of Canada (GGC).  The parents pushed back, citing GSUSA units at other embassies around the world, through USA Girls Scouts Overseas https://www.usagso.org/   A staff member (who wished to remain anonymous) revealed that GSUSA has an agreement with Girl Guides of Canada that GSUSA will not sell cookies in Canada and compete with GGC https://www.girlguides.ca/web/

The parents asked if they could start a unit, with a written agreement with national office that they would not sell cookies. Their girls wanted to camp, hike, and earn badges...not sell cookies.

The national office agreed.

It is all about the money.

Unfortunately, three years later, the Troop folded when the only parents who would take them camping transferred to a new assignment.

@CynicalScouter, good read, thanks.  I do believe they have a strong case.

If the court decides in their favor, one could also then make the argument for a new Scouting organization, with application for a Congressional Charter, which would be open to all, regardless of sex or gender.

If Congress denied the charter, one could sue under the 14th Amendment's equal protections clause.  Of course, the sad reality in our country is that access to the justice system requires prohibitive sums of money.  

From  the GSUSA Charter...

§80302. Purposes

The purposes of the corporation are—

(1) to promote the qualities of truth, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courtesy, purity, kindness, obedience, cheerfulness, thriftiness, and kindred virtues among girls, as a preparation for their responsibilities in the home and for service to the community;

(2) to direct and coordinate the Girl Scout movement in the United States and territories and possessions of the United States; and

(3) to fix and maintain standards for the movement that will inspire the rising generation with the highest ideals of character, patriotism, conduct, and attainment.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title36/subtitle2/partB/chapter803&edition=prelim

One could make the case that, even by marketing to girls as "scouts", the BSA is infringing on the Congressional Charter of the GSUSA.

On 12/23/2020 at 10:20 AM, ParkMan said:

I too wish that we could stop having labels define us.

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” – Mahatma Gandhi

A good first step would be eliminating the labels.  For the most part, I endeavor not to use them.  It is a pernicious system that has taken hold in our society...this labeling.  It is in everything we do, including on our applications for Scouting.

I think I'll take my own advice (and Gandhi's), and to help reduce discrimination, I will stop answering these questions everywhere I encounter them.  Using these as metrics for demographics and to force diversity only perpetuates using them.

@yknot, thanks for letting us know of some of the consequences.

I briefed our Troop Committee tonight on this, and, although here in these forums I have fervently expressed my personal views, I did present this in a neutral and diplomatic manner to them.  There was a mixed reception, as expected, and the dialogue exchanged was exactly along some of the lines presented here...understanding a need, but not accepting the implementation.

I asked them all to reserve final judgment (as I am doing) until the MB and rank requirements are formally released, which I guess we all expect within the next nine days.  We may get a product then that is somewhat different from what we see now.  I also have not seen the rank requirements, nor the MB counselor notes.

I would ask that you all keep your ear to the ground and share any official developments as they come in.

According to my faith, I wish you all a blessed Christmas.  If I could put a vaccination in your stocking, I would!

See you after the holidays,

Inquisitive Scouter

19 minutes ago, Navybone said:

Wow. I guess civil discourse has truest gone the way of the dodo.  Please let me know what your preferred agreements are in favor of your position so I can just feed them to you.   

You also show that you do not know what "civil discourse" means.  I am trying to enhance my understanding of the requirements for this Merit Badge, the motives behind it, and it's intended purpose.

Reading for comprehension is essential to enhancing your understanding of someone's point of view.

How about another point of view?  Would you listen to Dr. Thomas Sowell?

47 minutes ago, Navybone said:

To state that this merit badge will kill of scouts is quite dramatic.  If scouts survives the child abuse, admitting homosexuals, and girls, this should not be the last chapter.

However, Jordan Peterson is only one voice in this discussion, and one with a very limited and pointed perspective.  He is the darling of of the conservatives in the media when discussing diversity.  And if we welcome his point of view, should we also then not include the opposite side of the conversation?  

It's a metaphor.

And "...a portion of what remains..." does not mean the entire organization.

Please read for comprehension.  It is vitally important in order to relate to others.

Any arguments are welcome, as long they can back up positions with facts and logic.  Otherwise they are just opinions.  And opinions are like a certain part of the anatomy...everyone has one, and they all stink.

And Dr. Jordan Peterson is a "darling" because he uses research, facts, and clinical experience to back up his arguments.  In other words, he follows the science, instead of using feelings and perceptions as valid evidence.

13 minutes ago, Cleveland Rocks said:

Our OA lodge just voted last weekend to change the totem used on our lodge flaps and other media from a side-profile Native American in full headdress to a black squirrel.

Our district (which had a Native American name) just merged with another and the contest conducted to come up with a new name had explicit instructions that Native American names or references could not be used in the new name.

You will see this happening more frequently in the future.

Just now, ParkMan said:

What is the harm in getting kids to want to think about how they relate to those who are different from them?

Everyone is different from them.

And don't forget the left-handed!!

https://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2020/02/27/left-handed-right-handed-world/

44 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

races, genders, sexual preferences, and gender identities are the norm. 

You forgot ability, ethnicity, faith and financial background.

And that is the crux of my point.

In listing some groups, you are showing bias against others.  Ultimately, the badge is hypocritical.

The "important" (sic) terms of "diversity", "equity", "inclusion", "bigotry" and "intersectionality" are all based on the controversy whirling around a current social agenda.

"There are real problems with this agenda, however. The first is that it’s dangerous, in exactly the manner it is hypothetically designed to fight. The argument made by those who are truly prejudiced has always been that the differences between groups are so large that discrimination, isolation, segregation and even open conflict–including war and genocide–are necessary, for the safety of whatever group they are part of and are hypothetically protecting. Why is it any less risky for the argument to be made in the reverse manner? The claim that group-based differences are so important that they must take substantive priority during hiring and promotion merely risks validating the opposite claim."

https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/blog-posts/lie-of-diversity/ 

This merit badge is a poison that will kill off a portion of what remains of the Boy Scouts of America.

2 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

A Scout can define the answers however they want to.  How is that any different?

I'm not really sure you are being serious.

If so, why bother with the MB?

And Duty to God is one of the Ideals of Scouting. 

Ideals – The ideals of Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. The Scout measures themselves against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and, as they reach for them, they have some control over what and who they become.

BSA has not changed the ideals.  This Merit Badge attempts to.  And, since earning the MB is not required of Scouts anyway, unless they wish to attain Eagle Scout, I'm more interested in the rank requirements they are talking about, which haven't been released yet.

Just now, ParkMan said:

But there is:

• In the Webelos level there is a Duty to God adventure.
• At the Bear level there is a Fellowship and Duty to God adventure
• At the Wolf level there is a Duty to God Footsteps adventure
• At the Tiger level there is Tiger Circles: Duty to Good 
• At the Arrow of Light level there is Arrow of Light Adventure: Duty to God in Action
• It's well known that at Eagle Boards candidates often are asked how they demonstrate their Duty to God.  Further, they are required to submit a letter of recommendation from a faith leader or parent that supports that.

 

Yes, but there are no wrong answers to these questions.  A Scout and her parents define her duty to God, and you cannot contradict her in any way.

5 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

Scouting is very clear to not push a particular religion, but instead to advocate for the idea that youth should be thinking of their own beliefs in God.  This seems to have a parallel.

Now there's an idea!  How about a DE&I Award.  Same requirements, and NOT REQUIRED for Eagle Scout. Also, no requirements in the early rank structure.

2 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

In Scouting we have requirements and award relating to religion. 

No, we don't.  Scouting simply recognizes awards sponsored by various faiths.

12 minutes ago, fred8033 said:

Does race exist? 

Thanks, @fred8033 the best line in the first paper is "But perhaps holding onto old-world beliefs of biological race is implicitly supporting the ideas that make possible the manifestations of “societal race” "

The only way to stop the "manifestations of societal race" is to do away with the notion that such a thing exists at all.

So the true definition of racism is "any belief that race exists."

27 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

It does make we wonder though - what are the sensitive issues that people fear in the space of diversity, equality, and inclusion?

Asked and answered?

A suggested PR release from BSA:

Scouts don't care about what you look like, what your parents did, or where you're from.  We care about your CHARACTER.  That's why Scouting is impressive and why Scouts in every country have been a force for good in the world for over 100 years, because we only care about what matters, and what matters is who you are on the inside.

A to-the-point editorial today by Tucker Carlson on FoxNews.  Find and read/view The military goes woke, and the consequences could be disastrous

"Over time, identity politics will destroy our country. No nation can remain unified for long if people are encouraged to think of themselves as members of competing ethnic groups first and citizens second. Countries need a reason to hang together; unity doesn't happen by accident. The fixation on race that has seized our leadership class guarantees permanent disunity. It's terrifying if you think about it, but it could be much worse."

"The military, we have all been told since childhood, doesn't care what you look like, what your parents did, or where you're from. They care about your performance. That's why the U.S. military is impressive and why they've been able to keep us from being invaded, because they only care about what matters, and what matters is protecting the United States. Not any more."