CubsRgr8

Thanks for all of the feedback. I posed these questions because I was approached about becoming involved at the District/Council level and while I'm sticking with Cub Scouts for now (my bias is evident in my username), my interest was piqued.

Here is what I conclude from your posts. A Council probably will continue to exist with its territory and boundaries intact AS LONG AS it is able to make a go of it financially. District territories and boundaries are set at the Council level and changing them probably is an internal political hassle. So, until I'm ready to jump in with both feet, I'll just observe from the unit level. Thanks again.

Who decides the boundaries of a Council? Of a District? I look around and see physically adjacent Councils that cover terriories ranging from 250 square miles to thousands of square miles. I see Districts within a Council that have absolutely nonsensical boundaries. Given reduced funding from United Way, doesn't it make sense to organize in a consistent manner?

In an earlier post, tjhammer, you imply that membership through LDS (Mormon) chartered units constitutes 35% of total BSA membership. Do I understand you correctly? If not, please clarify. Also, where are these statistics about type of charter organization and membership available to the general scouting community on the web?

Thank you one and all! I am planning boy/parent/leader conferences for this month; monthly visits to the nearby BSA troop; and focusing on fun activities for the remaining den meetings. Thanks again!

A couple of my Webelos 2 boys are starting to mouth off about not wanting to be boy scouts. They still show up for our den meetings because they want to earn their Arrow of Light. It's not so much that they seem to already have made up their minds, it's that they seem to have a need to constantly blab about it. On top of that, they are not making much of an effort to meet their AOL requirements, as if they expect to receive it in May just because they've lasted through the year. It's to the point that I'm worried their attitude is poisoning the well for those boys who want to continue in Scouting. Suggestions?

NJCubscouter says: I don't think parents want their sons exposed to ANY sexual lifestyle in the Scouting environment, whether it be gay or straight.

I couldn't disagree more. Parents want their sons exposed to Scout leaders that do their best to live out the ideals of scouting (which include the reinforcement of traditional family values) - not just when they're at a troop meeting or on an overnight campout, but in ALL aspects of their lives.

Traditional family values include the ideal that sexual relations belong in the context of a marriage between one man and one woman. This ideal derives both from the religious and societal norms that the overwhelming majority of parents prefer. Granted, many parents, and many Scout leaders, are unable to live up to this ideal consistently. That's why it is called an IDEAL, a standard of excellence we strive to achieve.

Boys know that their Scout leaders have lives outside of Scouting and the older the boy, the more they know. When Mr. Dale publicly took a position that conflicted with expressed aims of Scouting, he exposed his troop to his position against the traditional family value cited above. Should Scout Leader X be removed for making it known in his community that he is an atheist? Yes. Should Scout Leader Z be removed for being racist? Yes. All of these examples violate the ideals of Scouting.

Robin,

As a matter of fact, Our Native Peoples is the official Cub Scout theme for the month of February. Try this website for some ideas: http://usscouts.org/bbugle/bb0201/index.html

YIS Joe Ceci Cubmaster P452