DeanRx

Yes, I really do not understand this change... if a patrol wants to have a patrol meeting at a public park, why the need for ANY adult supervision? Out of uniform, a group of six or so boys meeting up at the park to hang out is normal boy behavior. But wear a scout tee shirt and discuss scout stuff... all of a sudden it requires TWO registered adults to supervise it?

The one thing that would be great is a “skip directly to the test” portion for those of us who have done it EVERY TWO YEARS for over a decade now. I under the need to update it. But much like a lot of BSA training, it’s pretty straight forward and most Changes are cosmetic at best and seem to be new admins peeing on the fire plug (so to speak) so they say they did something new.

Yeah, its greeeeaaat, isn't it...

I think there is a LOT of adults that have a fear of things not going as planned. The patrol method is the definition of things not going as planned. Most of the time, it is barely controlled chaos. When I have to talk with parents because they are upset that there is "free time" scheduled on campouts, we have a problem. If the entire day from sun up to sun down isn't scheduled... then what is being accomplished? and Gasp!, a boy might get into trouble without someplace to be at all times ! I firmly believe this should be required reading before ANY adult it allowed to sign up as a l

Unfortunately, I have found a couple axioms in my 10+ years as an adult scouter. I have served as a DL, a CM, a CC, a MBC and an ASM since my now 17 year old eagle scout joined as a Tiger at age 6... 1) The WB aloofness abounds in BSA. Either you've done it or you haven't. If you haven't - there are some who will write you off as a leader with any knowledge worth sharing. 2) There are HUGE fiefdoms within most training groups within districts and councils. I have volunteered in the past to help train at the district level for BALOO and IOLS. Mostly first aid and fire building...

Unfortunately, UCs are much like DEs in my 10+ years as a scouter... Hardly ever hear from them. When you do, you can bet its about one of two things: 1) recruitment and more likely 2) Can I do a FOS presentation? They're also good for showing up at your Blue and Gold once a year (in cubbies) and bumming a free meal off the unit the one time a year you see them

Sometimes we need to be reminded of perspective. I've often offered up the undisputable fact when someone is arguing for or against the relative risk of a scouting activity... that more than likely the most dangerous thing we do in scouting is riding in a vehicle, for multiple hours at a time, with other non scout drivers on the same roads.... The most dangerous thing we EVER do in scouts (by far) is driving to and from scouting events... and no one thinks twice about it.

They work right up until the phone's battery goes dead. There's a reason the GPS is always secondary to the map / compass / orienteering skills as primary. The primary still works when you have no power or you can't lock onto the satellite for some reason Its all very elementary in the classroom setting, or even on a course in the local park... things get very real when you are 3 days out on Northern Tier in an area with nothing but a bunch of dotted lakes hooked together with little dotted portage trails and the patrol of scouts have a difference of opinion about which portage trail i

1) I echo the thought of rotation of RT nights. I get that for consistency sake the 3rd Thursday of the month works well... unless that is your unit's meeting night... or you work late shift every Thursday, etc... 2) As hard as it might be... go VISIT units !! My largest pet peeve with district folks (both vols, but especially some DE pros)... is the ONLY time you see them all year is when they want to show up at your Blue and Gold or a Troop COH to pitch FOS. If you can get there to ASK volunteers who are already giving both time and money to the organization for MORE money... you can

Yeah Hawkwin... it is a serious question. From the standpoint that over the past 12 to 18 months (at least), BSA seems to have taken the "boys" for granted. Its ALL BSA4G, ALL the time. Don't think the boys do not notice this. What I mean by asking if they ever cared... does the powers that be in Irving actually care about the scouts? Or is it (and has always been) about how to retain the most members? I ask this because back when they had the LDS pumping their coffers and meeting rooms full (and to a lesser extent the Catholic churches).... then it was OK to exclude gays, it was OK

"Now tell me why boys should not feel they have lost their Scouting program? I predict BSA will lose more boys than girls gained for a net loss of overall membership. Faced with this reality, they'll change to program to make it even more girl-friendly. Boys are the failing segment of our society right now, and nobody cares - nobody. " The crux of the argument to me is in this sentence... I don't think ANYONE believes this is not a great opportunity for female youth. But, did anyone stop to ask IF it was in the best interest of the male youth? Yes, males need to learn how to interact wi

I think there are a few issues at play that might not be considered in the research article. First, the internet provides two things that were lacking in previous generations 1) anonymity - youth can go on chat boards and social media and ask / inquire / experiment with very fluid gender dynamics without much repercussion. Often, this can be done in an online culture that is very open to these ideas and is at least neutral towards them if not outright encouraging instead of disapproving. 2) They can find like minded youth, struggling with the same gender identity issues. They find not

I don't have much else to add than what others have stated... but its an excellent question... There are times I wonder if the checks actually get done. If they do, what they actually check? Obviously, and offense that could endanger a minor (child abuse / molestation / DUI / etc)... but as another poster stated, I'm not sure if you write bad checks, that will even come up (depending on what BSA asks about). Then if the record is sealed or expunged... or if the record was plead down to a misdemeanor... or if it was recorded when they were a youth... all reasons it might not show.

My older son had one of his letter of recommendation written by his younger brother (who just joined the troop from cub scouts 4 months ago).... detailing how his older brother has mentored him, served as den chief for his wolf den, etc... through the younger lad's entire scout career thus far. Pretty cool that the older boy asked his kid brother to do that. Even more cool that the 11 year old put together a letter of recommendation that was better than a lot I've seen from references when I've done hiring actions for adults applying for jobs.

I hope more units are seeing that. This is the only thing that will keep BSA afloat with the departure of LDS looming... I have since aged out of pack activities with my boys, so I do not have a good feel for how many cubbies are coming from siblings versus new scout families. If the majority are from the later group... this bodes well for the membership health of BSA. It bodes well for the leadership needed to support BSA4G units too.

I see the issue being a few things: 1) LDS youth that want to continue, may or may not find support in the idea from their church... this puts the young man's family and the young man at odds with the direction of their faith's leadership. Will this happen? Maybe, maybe not. But much like a LDS mom working outside the home... while I don't think its expressly forbidden, its obviously not encouraged. Making those that do an outlier in their faith community. The same will likely hold true from scouts / scouters who continue after the LDS exits. 2) LDS scouts are used to the BSA pr

Hawkwin... I’m actually interested in understanding how this is intended to be implemented. Because whether I agree or not... girls joining are a reality. Now, there is no mandate that male youth have an adult leader with them at all times at camp, while transitioning from activity to activity. Yet, that appears to be the expectation (at least from some) for female youth? Why didn’t the buddy system (that works for boys) work for girls as well? What female would want to go to summer camp, camporee or any other large scale gathering with multiple units IF they must be handheld in order

welcome... and I LOVE that your pack is chartered to a Moose Lodge. I wish more fraternal organizations would act as COs for units... Moose / BOP Elks / Eagles / VFW.... whatever... IMHO it does BSA good to get more diverse, civic based COs in the organization. All the best - Dean

If this is INDEED the spirit of the rule.... then you should have to have ONE adult female for every ONE girl. If a co-ed / parallel / independent BSA4G Troop goes to summer camp with 5 girls... then they must ALL do EVERY activity AT THE SAME TIME ?!?!? Because otherwise, if they are broken into a group of 3 buddies and 2 buddies.... you have to have an adult female with group 1 and one with group 2 EVERYWHERE they go? WOW - how have these boys successfully used the buddy system to go to the bathroom, the showers, their classes, to free swim, to the ranges and to the trading post all th

I'm honestly thinking about getting some sort of non-official "knot ribbon" made for folks to wear. Kind of like some scouts and scouters wore "rainbow knots" pre membership standards change to symbolize their opposition to BSA's former membership policy? Who's it?

Jameson... the T-shirt looks good... but gotta chance that font. It looks too much like the San Diego (now LA) Chargers logo font.... too recent and too painful for some of us Then again, maybe its spot on... the Owners of the Chargers and the National office of BSA seem to treat their clients and fanbase about the same in recent years....

My thought exactly... why is a female webelos doing an official visit to a non-co-ed troop ? Thought that was the point of a girls troop. It'll be interesting when you have male/female siblings and the boy can go from feeder pack into the troop.... but sister has to be driven across town to the one and only functioning girls troop IF she wants to continue in scouting after cubs. That's why I maintain that separate, but equal and parallel troops are just smoke and mirrors from national... in the next 3 years... all troops will be encouraged (if not forced) to become co-ed.

What the hell ?!?!? So is the expectation that a female leader for a co-ed unit "escort" or be with the female youth AT ALL TIMES ?!?! I agree that both units were not meeting the spirit of the rule in this case... but if the female youth raised "red flags" because she was rotating from activity to activity at a council ran event without an adult female "chaperone".... That is a COMPLETELY different interpretation / implementation of the rule as I understand it. National REALLY needs a Cranial-Proctologist STAT to help them provide some practical guidance on their new mandates.... SHEE

Well - BSA is already making an attempt to steal GSUSA membership... it looks like they could do some good by stealing their adult leader designations and training requirements as well

Hawkwin- I agree to a point. However, I assume that the majority of any girls who want to start their own troop are doing so because they have male siblings already in the program. As you state, and I'd agree, you bet the less than 10% of involved adults do not have youth in the troop (boys troop). I would also bet that less than 10% of girls joining ScoutsBSA come from families that are not already highly involved in scouting. That means that at best, a parent in a new girl's troop will have to split their time between the two units. Or at worst, look at the boys unit and think