Jump to content

CynicalScouter

Members
  • Content Count

    3410
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    78

Everything posted by CynicalScouter

  1. A council with a functional structure? Where would you find such a magical creature?
  2. Sorry to hear it. What a mess. At one point I think you talked about your Council folding, is that still on the table?
  3. What specifically are they violating? Adding? Subtracting? Etc. Since you indicate that the Key-3 are "OK with that", then depending on the advancement rule the answer is going to either by the district executive or council advancement (or both).
  4. I seem to recall there was an appraisal/study of the amount Bechtel could be sold for. This move seems to indicate they are cleaning up any claims in order to offer it up for sale to settle claims. One down, three to go?
  5. They had in a previous court filing in July when they entered the case said more than 10,000. Now 12,000. And that doesn't even include however many thousands are being represented by Abused in Scouting and other firms/groups. The numbers are not boding well for National. I am still in the "National survives but crippled" camp, but 12,000 claims * even just $50,000 payout per claim is $600 million. Net assets at end of 2019 was $745,818,000 and that number will go down due to a decline in contributions in 2020. And the number that the attorneys for the victims are tossing around
  6. Which is interesting because Lone Scouting by its very nature was (and is?) almost antithetical to the original Baden-Powell model “The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting can be carried on. It is the only method.” Lone scouts have no patrol. Now, one thing I have heard Councils doing is to have lone scout "troops" and "patrols" but I am not sure if that is widespread.
  7. I don't hope National fails (as in "is liquidated"). I just think it something of a dichotomy between 1) Those who yearn for the "good old days" and want Scouting to go back to where it was circa 1960-something (or 1940-something) in some "golden age". We aren't that nation anymore, the youth are not the same youth, therefore any version of scouting that tries to operate like that would be little more than anachronism and offer nothing but nostalgia for the scouters leading it and have about as much viability as an automat. 2) Those who yearn for complaining incessantly that Nationa
  8. OR they do change, but to something worse (marginally or massively). Something like
  9. It comes down to the bankruptcy judge. If National can convince the judge to avoid liquidation, then BSA shambles on as a shell of its former self. As I mentioned previously, there's a massive presumption against Chapter 7 liquidation where the entity is looking to simply restructure (Chapter 11).
  10. Global warming is already mentioned in Eagle Required: Environmental Science (although you can substitute Sustainability).
  11. I doubt it. Notice this is a temporary thing with the option to extend based on EPA's 50th anniversary. Also, I noticed that while there are a few older references to the awards, the main Hornaday page is now gone. https://www.scouting.org/awards/hornaday-awards It was my understanding National planned on renaming the Hornaday, not replacing it. This seems closer to a Nova/Supernova program.
  12. I would be more OK if the Chartered Org did this. That I can grasp. I would be more OK if this was a situation where the PLC came up with ideas and they got vetoed on health/safety grounds by troop committee. PLC says they want to hike and the troop committee vetoes due to health concerns OR better still send it back to PLC to come back with corrections and COVID-related adjustments. Not thrilled, but I can get that. But as it was described to me this is grouping of a) non-committee parents and b) committee members that are c) making up a list of "approved" activities and handing it
  13. So I am seeing and hearing from people at roundtable more and more efforts by parents to convert Scouts, BSA into Cub Scouts. The latest: a "health and safety committee" made up of parents and troop committee (and 1 or 2 "invited" scouts) that will provide the SM & PLC a list of things that scouts are allowed to do. The PLC would then select from the list and the "committee" would plan everything and recruit scouts who want to attend. Anyone else seeing anything similar? This seems insane.
  14. Update: Moving Some Churchill Recommendations Forward While several items were mentioned about not moving forward "at this time", there's nothing about Since they haven't explicitly rejected, I can reasonably assume they are going ahead with it. And we still have no idea what the "minimum standards to be considered a council" are going to be. I am thinking this is probably right. But this was interesting
  15. I found it on Reddit, and the National staffer who leaked it was cut as part of the recent layoffs. I wonder what would have happened had that not been leaked. How bad it would have been.
  16. First, I cannot fault them for that because as you may recall in the spring and early summer it was literally illegal in many states for pack gatherings. No one wanted anything other then outdoor opportunities for youth. But BSA is not about to order packs to meet in defiance of health orders. Second, one of the reasons why BSA and councils focused on online and zoom meetings is that there was a concerted effort to keep scouting alive in some form or fashion. Remember this happened right when most AoLs crossed over and when lots of spring camping was going to happen plus summer camps.
  17. The first rocks were thrown by the pedophiles. The second by scout leaders at every level that failed these scouts. That they are seeking legal recourse it not "throwing rocks".
  18. No. This is just appearance of counsel. Think of it as an introduction.
  19. My own believe remains there will be a "shell" of a BSA and that Eagle will still exist. My committee chair, however is in the "they are doomed" camp. had a meeting with myself and the SM and insisted that the Star/Life we have are going to get pushed through before December 31, 2020 and that after that all bets are off.
  20. Yes, they'll get insurance. At astronomical premiums. And for all the calls for "local scouting", that's fine. But you'll still have to insure or bond. Heck I can remember being on my local Babe Ruth Baseball board and the single biggest expense each year was paying the insurance/bond fee. If you plan to have any kind of youth organization, you will absolutely have to have either insurance under the chartered organization or go buy your own. And if you use the phrase "scouting" the insurance companies are going to go nuts with the premiums.
  21. Yes, and it is not "unfairly targeted" if a) you seek and get an injunction or stay of 35+ lawsuits against your organization and then b) try to play hide-the-assets in the meantime. Stay means stay: it means ALL parties halt their efforts to either grab assets (plaintiffs) or hide assets (defendants) until either a) a settlement or b) special court permission. For example, when National has had to hire people for contract work (and thereby spend assets) they got special permission from the court to do so. That's fine; if the court says you can spend or transfer certain assets during
  22. This is not a question of poorly run (although some are). It is a question of diminished membership and liability. On membership,see what happened when the LDS units left; Utah merged several of its Councils into one. On the liability: some very well run Councils are not going to be able to easily handle the amount of money they will have to put in for any settlement. For larger councils, we are talking millions. Even a "well run" council may not have that much cash sitting in reserve, so it's off to sell camps and other things. So no, we won't have a situation where parts of th
  23. Yes, in the sense that the incorporated entity chartered by Congress in 1916 as codified as Title 36 US Code Chapter 309 will not be dissolved and that Congress will not repeal the charter. No, in the sense of anything as we've know National. It will be a hollow shell. Maybe a few dozen employees. Your councils will be responsible for everything and the bankruptcy will result in the number of councils collapsing from ~250 to something in the 150 range.
  24. Ok, so then there are councils doing this since at least 2012 https://www.delmarvacouncil.org/document/introduction-to-outdoor-leader-skills-test-out-application-form/119292 http://www.baltimorebsa.org/document/introduction-to-outdoor-leader-skills-test-out-application-form/119292
×
×
  • Create New...