1980Scouter

I agree 100%. Bankruptcy is not over and could go either way. Anyone saying the plan is complete or it will fail does not know what will really happen. It looks more like it will pass at this point but still a few variables that could come into play. I fault the BSA for telling members and media that the Bankruptcy is complete when it is not.

This is exactly why the BSA got into the trouble they did and had to file bankruptcy. If they were transparent and addressed the issues openly as they occurred we would have known of issues and been much more on the lookout. I remember 1988 being the first year in my LC that you had to have two leaders at summer camp. In 1987 it was only the scoutmaster and 30 scouts at summer camp. But 1988 you needed two which we did not have so a camp staffer had to camp with our troop every night.

There is a Supreme Court hearing today on Perdue and third party releases. The Justice Department is challenging this. Will the outcome effect the BSA case if third party releases are thrown out?

Scouting is on it's way out. Not anytime soon but the trends point to the end. National will die before most LC's due to huge debt and little cash on hand. There will be many council mergers and more camps sold in the next few years. The best way to continue scouting is to eliminate National and have LC's vote on standards and rules. No National needed. Sell Summit and National offices.

Now will recharter go this year? With bankruptcy on the back burner now playing the waiting game and fees/costs increasing will it be an increase in numbers? My thought is that there will be a decrease in numbers as has been the trend other than last year. One LC by me is even charging a late fee if the charter is late or incomplete.

I just read an article that said Jamboree only had 15,000 attending and lowest attendance ever. If this true? I know National told LC'S to push Jamboree hard.

In the future I see a lot of local council mergers. There are many, mostly smaller councils struggling financially. National should set a minimum of 5,000 scouts for a local council. With technology there is no need for as many scout offices. Put scout offices and shops on camp properties and sell the council offices. Reduced overhead.

There should be a nationwide background check standard that would apply to all youth organizations. One check could cover all youth organizations. All youth organizations are looking for the same thing, to weed out poor candidates that may harm children.

These are two different Chief Logan camps. The Ohio one is close to being sold though.

My LC SE salary and benefits are $290,000 for a council with 6,000 scouts. This equals almost $50 per scout to fund the SE. This seems very excessive to me in that the council has lost 2/3 of youth members over the last 5 years. What are other councils paying per scout?

The SE gravy train has got to end. It is killing, especially smaller councils. My LC medium sized SE salary and benefits is well over 300k a year.

How many LC are going to have to merge after making their contributions? Many rely on interest from investments to fund a large portion of operations. Take away most of the investment earnings and they are in trouble.

I would like to see the average for an entire 12 months. That would take out any highs or lows and give a more accurate number.

Would these not be the highest numbers or close to it for the year? It takes into account new scouts over the summer and fall. After rechartering the more accurate numbers will be available hopefully.

I see many LC mergers in the next few years due to low enrollment and financial pressures. Maybe at this time the whole over compensation of SE's can be addressed. Not holding my breath though.

Wow. That is crazy salaries for a non-profit. I agree that maybe 75k might be low in some markets. I was thinking of my area.

What is a fair SE salary? Many councils in my area pay 200k +/- plus benefits. This is excessive when Scouting is in decline and councils are strapped for cash. I propose 75k and good benefits. If you care about Scouting you will continue in your position.

I think 5,000 youth should be the min number for a council. They always say you need 1,000+ scouts to make a financially successful summer camp go. With technology there is no reason why 2-4 councils per state would not be reasonable. DE's could work from home near the area they serve.

My LC put out an update video last week saying year over year the number of scouts is up. No numbers were given. Does this mean they have 100 more scouts? They went from 15,000 to 6,000 over 5 years. They always make everything upbeat and positive which is good but sometimes you have to be honest and let the facts be known. I suspect if you dig deeper they are in trouble with losing members and charter partners.

The LC that made the video had a link to the agreement form. It said it is mandatory to do FOS, popcorn, flowers and any other fundraiser at the council level. Camping is allowed at other council camps though. including for summer camp.

This same LC hinted that ALL units may be council chartered in the future. A leader asked about switching charters as they found a new CO and the SE said absolutely not, council chartered is the only option for UMC units.

My LC just did a zoom meeting and stated that ALL UMC units will be council chartered, NO EXCEPTIONS. They feel that this is the best way to move forward. Lots of resistance on the zoom meeting. Do not think it will go well.

And so it begins. The exact appeal many have said will be a sticking point. I wonder if US Trustee will file the same appeal? Another bankruptcy related note, I have noticed all LC's in my area pushing the Jamboree very hard. Wonder if national sees it as a cash cow? Past ones were not given this much attention. One last note LC hiring is in full swing. My LC has added 10 FT positions in the past few months, many new ones they have never had before. They are at 40% membership from 5 years ago. How do they fund all this and still have a bankruptcy contribution?

The LC's in my state are very optimistic of the future. They are hiring employees like crazy in the past month of so. Of the three councils I checked like 15 FTE's were added in the past month. Many were vacant positions but some are new ones. Seems like some may provide oversight to UMC units maybe. Either they know something or are going all in to try and increase membership.

I saw that too in one version of the plans. Not sure if it is in the current one.