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InquisitiveScouter

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Posts posted by InquisitiveScouter

    Major Changes Announced -- Councils Impacted

    in Issues & Politics

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Cburkhardt said:

    Venturing membership is imploding for reasons I am not entirely aware of. 

    My daughter and her friends were in Venturing primarily for the outdoor program.  They have that now in Troops.

    Most young men I have spoken with were in Venturing for the outdoor program, to get away from "babysitting" in Troops, to leave the advancement program behind, and for girls 😜  With the young women leaving for Troops, many young men are bailing out.

    • Upvote 2

    Poor Performing Committee Chair

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    10 hours ago, mashmaster said:

    I am kind, trust me.  My experiences were all before this.  When I had to be Cubmaster, Den Leader, and Committee chair because they couldn't or wouldn't do their job.  So that is my experience.  I was kind by helping carry their load.  

    When I have committee members sign up to do things and not follow through which lets the youth down, I am there to pick up the pieces.  Because I am hear for the youth.  I am not doing this for the adults.

    So let me know how I am not being kind?

    mashmaster, you missed my intent.  I was answering the OP.  At the end, I quoted you to agree that these situations are a fact of life... 

    Two Deep Leadership on a video chat because Why?

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    2 hours ago, DuctTape said:

    the saturation of those with adult-led scouting experience happened a long long time ago

     

    2 hours ago, desertrat77 said:

    It was obvious the BSA no longer valued the independent-minded, outdoor-oriented scouter. 

    Gradually, our culture has begun to value Eagle Scout (or just "Scout" in general) less and less.  Someone previously mentioned, a Scout's rank was supposed to reflect what he can DO.  Those days seem gone.  I absolutely hate this "one and done" program.  It fosters an extremely poor attitude towards learning and retaining skills, and encourages taking "the path of least resistance".  They follow the lead of adults, because that is what their parents and our current culture have conditioned them to do.  They (and parents) just want to have you teach the skill, let the Scout demo it once, get the req signed off, RAM dump it, and get the badge.  This mentality will continue to erode the "brand", and eventually, our nation (seriously).

    Most Scouts I see now have no initiative.  I seek to train young people to look for, on their own, what to do it, and without prompting, to do it.  Maybe I am just an old fart, but this seems to be a more rare commodity.  I perceived this in the military, too...as the years went by, the youngers seemed more reticent to take chances.  However, it was awesome to empower them to make decisions, and then BACK THEM UP, even when they made mistakes.  Then self-reliant, yet interdependent, leaders emerged. 

    These are exactly the things BP saw over 100 years ago, and part of the reason he started Scouting...so I guess it is cyclical in societies.  Are we at, or approaching, a low point now?

    Adults make great Senior Patrol Leaders...but that is not our job.

    An outdoor, skills-oriented program is a pied piper for boys...they love it.  Have you seen the look on a young man's (or, yes, woman's) face when he chops down a tree?  Or swims a mile? Or actually completes a TRUE orienteering course? Or when he gets up in the morning after spending the night under the stars at 25 Fahrenheit? Or finishes 20 miles hiking in a day?  (And how do you feel when you still do these things?)  Magic

     

     

     

    • Upvote 3

    you worst pet peeves!

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    "The Good Idea Fairy" (TGIF)

    TGIF: "We really oughta do this idea I have!"

    Me: "That's a great idea!  Get started, and let us know if you need any help or funds to make it happen!"

    TGIF: "Oh, I don't really have time to do that.  I was just suggesting it for the Troop to do.  But it would be easy, and a great thing to do!"

    Me: 👿

    • Haha 1

    Poor Performing Committee Chair

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted · Edited by InquisitiveScouter
    wording

    First, be kind.  Every person you know is fighting a great battle. Including you.  What is their battle?

    Present them with facts and ask them to follow through.  Offer to help only if you can (don't put another rock in your own rucksack).  Focus on behavior, not the individual.

    "You said you would do X by the end of March.  It isn't done.  How can I help you complete the task?"

    A word of caution...make sure your own house is in order first...

    I am constantly managing our Committee Chair, but events in his personal life are understandably distracting him.  We have no functioning COR.  So, I am de facto COR and CC while being SM.  Ain't nobody got time for that ;)

    16 hours ago, mashmaster said:

    It is kinda a fact of life.

     

    • Upvote 2

    Summer Camps and the Coronavirus

    in Summer Camp

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Ronmass said:

    throw a lot of mud against the wall...some of it may just stick"  Risk vs Reward...

    Don't see how National would weigh in on this.  It would erode their bankruptcy argument that councils are autonomous.  That is why they would only issue standards/guidelines to councils which choose to go ahead with their camps.  The guidelines/standards is the CYA for National.  Any departure from those is on the camp staff/ council that hired them.  My bet is, most of the holdouts are biding their time hoping for some relaxation of restrictions or state guidelines that give them some room to operate.  But hope is not a course of action 😁

    • Upvote 2

    Summer Camps and the Coronavirus

    in Summer Camp

    Posted

    10 minutes ago, malraux said:

    Pretty sure ours are about to. There’s a big conference call tonight on the subject, at least on the cub side. But our governor has basically said no camps or pools open till July. 
     

    as a side note on that, does anyone have actual signup numbers. Ours are dead. No one signing up, no one asking about it, etc. even if it were allowed, we’d have to cancel because it doesn’t make any financial sense to run a camp with 5 kids. 

    We have 34 Scouts signed up for Summer Camp, and a crew of 7 youth for HA.  If they are cancelled, we will run our own programs, subject to state guidelines of course.

    • Upvote 2

    Two Deep Leadership on a video chat because Why?

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    1 hour ago, desertrat77 said:

    @InquisitiveScouter, we aren't too far from that now...the Zoom meetings and backyard camping trips aren't going away after the current virus subsides.  This will become the new culture of the BSA. 

    Lone Scouting for everyone!  Parents sign off requirements; MBCs are contacted through Scoutbook; interaction with the Scouting community is virtual; no need for a council!  Dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria!!  Oh, National still gets your registration fee :)

    • Upvote 1

    Two Deep Leadership on a video chat because Why?

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    1 minute ago, HashTagScouts said:

    It was pointedly said during our summer camp pre-meetings that National does not consider a registered MBC to satisfy the two-deep leadership for units attending camp.  Only SM/ASM/Committee members can fill those roles (any one of those dual registered as an MBC, obviously is a different matter).

    MBCs may only fill the two-deep requirement during a merit badge session when the Scout's parent or another registered adult leader is present.  This would apply for on-line sessions or visits to a Scout's home, or a meeting in a public place like your local library or a restaurant.

    If a council running a camp says the MBC cannot fill any two-deep requirement, then that council will be supported by National in implementing that policy.  An SE, as CEO of a separate legal entity [501c(3)], may implement policies more stringent than National publishes.

    Wanna dive deeper into the can of worms?

    Two Deep Leadership on a video chat because Why?

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

    While a MBC may not be designed to replace the direct contact leadership needs, a MBC as a second trained adult certainly fulfills the needs of youth protection barriers to abuse. 

    Only in certain merit badge situations, not something considered an outing.  And that opens a new discussion about what constitutes a merit badge session, versus an "outing"

    Again, policies are often written with ambiguity to protect the BSA...not you, nor youth ;)

     

    Two Deep Leadership on a video chat because Why?

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    1 hour ago, RichardB said:

    Definition of Registered can be found in Scouting's Barriers to Abuse:  

    Source:  https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/#a

    The chartered organization representative, or in their absence the executive officer of the chartered organization, must approve the registration of the unit’s adult leaders.

    Registration includes:

    • Completion of application including criminal background check and mandatory Youth Protection training
    • Volunteer Screening Database check

    As mentioned in the post above, a MBC isn't a unit position, and it's certainly not designed to replace the direct contact leadership needs of a unit (SM, ASM).   It is as described here:  https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/mb-counselor-guide/ 

    Wouldn't common sense include that one should be properly registered and classified according to the roles that they plan to fulfill for youth?  

    Richard,

    An MBC is registered, and according to the same criteria...

    • Completion of application including criminal background check and mandatory Youth Protection training
    • Volunteer Screening Database check

    The only substantial difference between a MBC and a Unit Scouter Reserve, is that the MBC requires MORE training!! :)

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