BetterWithCheddar

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I was never really comfortable using Native American imagery as a youth in the OA. I also attended a college that used a Native American athletics mascot - same deal there. I'm hardly the PC-type, but neither felt right and I still avoid the use of certain logos out of respect for individuals who may not be accurately represented by the OA- and NCAA-sanctioned symbolism. Again - not trying to make waves, but I suspect there is a silent majority on the issue who are largely indifferent, but (if pressed) would prefer to move on to something less likely

I think that's a rational response, but some volunteers have a lot emotionally invested in their Scouting service - especially if they were once youth participants and/or watched their child grow through the program.

This Wikipedia page is well-maintained with some nice visuals and brief descriptions of adult awards. Square knot insignia - Wikipedia I would agree - the Scouter's Training Award (green knot, tan background) is most appropriate for troop-level leadership, but don't feel constrained to providing just knots for recognition. Service stars are a great way to provide annual recognition to leaders. Plus, your district may have an annual award program for recognizing volunteers in your area.

BE PREPARED I liked @mrjohns2"Good Citizen" response. As a parent, that's really my number one goal - to raise a decent person who provides a net benefit to society (as opposed to being a drag on others). Everything else is a stretch goal. However, I think the Scout motto answers the OP's question pretty well. Scouting will eventually nudge my son out of his comfort zone when he's old enough to join Scouts BSA. Spending a weekend away from his parents and relying solely on supplies he and his troopmates packed will teach him independence and self-reliance. If he chooses to work on ca

I didn't assume it's a district function, but connecting with a knowledgeable person on the local level may be a good place to start. I doubt one could write to Aaron on Scouting to ask "How do I get my favorite Scoutmaster reinstated after a Youth Protection violation?" and expect to receive a reply.

OP, I'm sorry to hear of your predicament. Short of a youth participant actually getting hurt, that's my nightmare as a leader / parent - to be accused of misconduct with little recourse to defend myself. I'd ask for additional context, but I don't think it matters much. You might start by petitioning your DE or District Chair, but they may be unwilling or unable to discuss the matter due to its sensitive nature. Unfortunately, zero tolerance occasionally translates to zero common sense; however, please don't completely dismiss the issue as accidental. It seems like an odd thing for a parent t

Welcome. I've been "corporate" since the day I graduated, but I find that makes the things I do in my limited free time all the more meaningful.

I'm afraid to ask (because I think I know the answer), but what's the rush? To provide immediate recognition, a Troop could announce: "We're pleased to share that so-and-so completed their EBOR. We look forward to honoring them at a future date once their application has been approved by the National Office." Gotta beef up those scholarship apps ASAP and get some Facebook likes, I suppose (or else it's like it didn't even happen 🙂).

Welcome back. The right mix of volunteers in your unit or community can make all the difference.

Our Pack does popcorn "show-and-sells" at two fairly large retailers. I think the families who sign up are reasonably successful; however, I'm uncomfortable asking people to pay $20 for $5 worth of popcorn (but I don't begrudge those who do). We'll hit our Spring candy bar sale pretty hard. No one seems to mind paying $2 for a candy bar and the Pack keeps $1 for every candy bar sold.

This is an extremely interesting premise because it seems to help explain many of the large cost spikes of the past 20 years (health care, college tuition, etc.). Maybe I'm just not following 100%, but are you suggesting that over time, wages seem to get dragged upward by industries experiencing high productivity growth (software development, for example)? But then how do you reconcile the fact that many politicians would have us believe wages have not kept up with inflation over the long run? (I'm genuinely curious)

That's hardly your fault. Everyone has a finite amount of money they're comfortable giving each year. Many on this forum have been positively impacted by Scouting and give a disproportionate amount of their funds to the BSA. But for your average parent, this is one of a half-dozen activities in which their family currently participates. You raise a good point. I hadn't considered the United Way impact. My council's annual report lists the United Way as providing 1% of total revenue. I'm sure that was higher at one point.

No doubt, that's the biggest driver. Over 25 years, it would be reasonable to expect Inflation to cause prices levels to double. Yet, the FOS amount in my council has tripled during that same time. I suspect membership has declined without commensurate cuts in professional staff or facilities (thus leading to a higher cost per scout).

I appreciate all of the replies. I was more curious about the nuances of the campaign (but I'm sure it varies widely by council). I plan on making a token FOS contribution (but probably not the full $401 the council requests). Our DE seems like a nice guy and has been very responsive. However, I already self-fund most of my Den's activities - at least I can be sure that goes 100% to program. When I review my council's annual report, I see roughly 8% of their income comes from FOS and 20% from Popcorn. However, the council also lists fundraising as one of its largest expenses (so it's

I'm a parent of a Lion and will be experiencing FOS for the first time this Spring. For the more tenured volunteers, can I ask a few questions? I have an FOS flyer from my youth asking for $129 (the cost to support 1 scout for 1 year). Mentally, I was preparing to make a donation of around $200. Now I see the campaign is asking for $401 (the cost to support 1 scout for 1 year in 2023). What the heck happened there? I assume the council has an FOS fundraising goal. Does that goal get pushed down to the districts and the unit level? If so, does that mean every unit has an FOS goal? W

I have a somewhat cynical view of the OA, but this is a perfect service they can perform to help convert Cubs to Scouts BSA. OP, have you considered reaching out to the Scout Troop your Cubs will be joining? Perhaps, they'd be willing to cover the recognition costs? My Cub Scout Pack has an OK relationship with a few local Scout Troops, but they seem to be more responsive when there are bodies on the line. 🙂

Child safety is a shared concern. My implication is that Millennial mothers drive household decision-making. (Including having final say on their child's participation in Cub Scouts). I always get a chuckle when I hear a story about a well-meaning girl who writes to a detergent company to complain about sexist advertising. She's assuming that women are often featured in detergent commercials because the company believes wives do more laundry than their husbands. While this may be true in some households, the company is featuring women in their ads because women are more likely to BUY THE

Welcome. Great first post! Please let me clarify - Like most others, I have no concerns about a long-tenured, non-parent volunteer participating in overnight events, provided YP is observed. However, you don't have to convince me that Scouting is safe - you have to convince Millennial mothers. And right now, that's akin to convincing people to board a blimp right after the Hindenburg disaster. I'm not sure how my statement could be construed as sexist. It's a response to observed behavior (with about 82,000 examples, right?). Allow me to provide some insight into how a typical Mille

I will tread lightly with my follow-up post. I am fully aware of the many contributions of non-parent volunteers (having been the beneficiary of them myself as a youth). This is my perspective as the parent of a Cub Scout: My wife and I are almost 40. We are politically moderate and live in the suburbs of a mid-size city. We have good jobs and sufficient disposable income to provide extra-curricular opportunities for our son, but our time is limited and we have to be selective about the activities in which he participates. You could apply this same description to the majority of parents i

Unpopular take: This is 2023. Grown men without children in the unit should not participate in overnight activities. I'm fully aware this would exclude many terrific volunteers from participating in a key aspect of the program. By all means, they are welcome to volunteer in other capacities (staffing a day camp or training parent volunteers, for example). As a 30-something parent, I'd be highly skeptical of a male volunteering at the unit level if that person wasn't also a parent and I'm certain my wife shares my skepticism. And we all know moms drive the big household decisions (like whe

I'm halfway through my tenure as a Lion Den Leader. I've tried very hard to simplify everything from our calendar to the advancement requirements, but I've learned I've got about 10 minutes of "instruction time" before our den meetings need to give way to fun and games. If the Lion year were still in its pilot phase, I would enthusiastically recommend holding off until 1st Grade. I'm pleased my son and his friends seem to look forward to their meetings (and that alone has made it worth it), but it's sapped a lot of energy and enthusiasm from me.

I'm sharp enough to realize these types of situations exist, but the concept of the AOL award being perceived as a serious academic credential still baffles me.

The BSA has long permitted youth to earn Eagle in 18 months, so I do not see questioning whether new female Scouts have "fulfilled the letter and spirt of the requirements" as a valid critique of girls in Scouts BSA. We can debate that in the program at large. (And @Cburkhardt, I know that was not necessarily your opinion. You were just framing the discussion) I worry less about new 16- or 17-year-old Scouts earning Eagle in 18 months than I do about 12- or 13-year-olds earning Eagle in that same amount of time. I do not mean to suggest that all the younger Eagles are undeserving (surely,

I know this is being re-hashed for the 5th time here, but I'll bite: Yes, this seems like a knee-jerk reaction from National that we all have to live with. Yes, there is value in the message, but it could probably be combined with other Citizenship MBs. Yes, kids get a lot of this same material in school and now a few more of their Troop meetings just became School 2.0. However, the situation is what you make of it. Find the right person to deliver the message and make it worthwhile for your Troop. Some of the best presentations I've ever attended were on subjects I ini

I never liked singing as a youth. I enjoy it less as an adult. The council camp I attended and staffed as a youth usually sang in the dining hall after lunch and dinner and that always seemed like a chore to me ... even when I was 11. The exception has always been a well-timed campfire song ~ Vespers, America the Beautiful, etc. I never minded singing those types of songs (still don't) and agree with other posters on those songs being a great place to start. One low key upside to singing (and why I think it still has a place in Scouting, despite my personal aversion) is that it builds con