desertrat77

Calico used an interesting phrase--the "leadership industry." I think it captures the situation quite well. After 30 years in the military, and attending some of the finest military and civilian leadership schools out there, two things occur to me: - There is no shortage of leadership experts, degrees to be earned, books to buy, seminars to attend, theories to be hashed/re-hashed...one can drown in the topic of leadership - Despite this, never have I witnessed such a dearth of true leadership at every level, be it government, military, scouting, business, education, religion, etc. Leadership has been taught like a cook book recipe for too long. It may not be popular to say, there is such a thing as a natural born leader, and our society has done its best over the decades to downplay and suppress the natural leadership abilities of young men and women. Scouting does it too. Natural leaders need grooming, correction, etc., yes. But I've grown rather weary of the industry of leadership experts that couldn't lead a troop from the bus, across the parking, to the burger joint. Plenty of fancy slides and phrases and presentation. Not much where the rubber mets the road. I guess it's just part of the "everyone is a winner" philosophy. Some people are leaders. Many try to be. Others make a bundle of money off teaching leadership. Case in point: if WB is as truly wonderful as its proponents say it is, why has scouting continued its grim slide over the last decade? There are plenty of reasons, and WB is not solely to blame. But WB is a prime example of a "leadership lab" that teaches leadership, but it doesn't have much impact once the course is over.

So true. Without today's fast track advancement, merit badge colleges, SM/mom/dad sweeping the path clean, earning Eagle yesteryear was a) rarer, b) an neat accomplishment and yet c) not considered a coronation. All three factors were simultaneously true. I recall these mindsets: - Earning the Eagle rank was more or less an individual initiative--the scout did the work - Plenty of darn good scouts finished at Star and Life...yet no one thought lesser of them for it, nor did scouters and parents push/shove/nag them along the path - The first three Eagle presentations I saw as a scout were at the end of regularly scheduled troop courts of honor. A few words, present Mom her pin, Mom pinned the Eagle on son, thank you for coming, let's have some cake, Tiger patrol has clean up duty, stack the chairs and take out the trash. Very cool to witness. But scouting seemed bigger than just making Eagle. Were there parents who dragged Johnny to Eagle? Sure. But that was the exception.

SSScout is right on the money. The SPL's situation sounds familiar. Many moons ago, after I made Eagle and moved to another state, I joined a troop and was made SPL. The SM took a special interest in making my life miserable, highlighting errors that I made and inventing ones when I did things right. I could not win as long as this guy was SM. But I learned a few things about human dynamics, lessons that I used many times in the future at work. Back to the case at hand: As others have mentioned, there may be no replacement in the wings. No one willing to step up. No one qualified. Sounds like the other adult leaders are numb to the SM's methods, or are okay with it. Has anyone talked to the SM? (Perhaps so but I missed it.) I doubt he'd change much, but has he had some frank feedback from any other adult leader in the troop? Others have mentioned this, and I concur with them--a situation that I find intolerable as a parent may just be merely annoying to my kid. "Dad, don't say anything, I can handle it." Okay. I've wanted to figuratively throat punch a few select baseball coaches and a youth minster in the past, but my kids said please don't. Perspective. SM not showing up to the Eagle project: I'm okay with that. It's the candidate's project and opportunity to lead without a bunch of adults cluttering up the situation. Sounds like the SPL has the right game plan. Persevering. Taking the high road. Doing a great job. Overcoming obstacles. Striving to provide a great program. All hallmarks of a good Eagle-to-be.

Perhaps they are cleaning house.

Those old uniforms looked good and stood up well in the outdoors. I've got two old BSA canvas tents, and still use them, though not as frequently as I'd prefer these days. They are simple and as others have mentioned, that canvas smell really takes you back. Real camping.

Great thread, thanks! As a scout, I used the anemic 8th edition from '74 - '79. When Green Bar Bill's 9th edition arrived in '79, I was thoroughly impressed. A superb handbook. It had that old scouting spirit, that essence of campfire smoke and adventure that permeated scout handbooks through the '60s.

Anything is better than popcorn....

Indeed, the trends in camporees these days: - District/council micomanaging the units - Little/no competition - Themes/events that are based on entertainment and goof-off time - Not much wilderness content (going back to the same established camps and parks) - Selling a bunch of stuff--tee shirts, plastic junk, food (skip breakfast and buy nitrates and sugar from the snack bar), etc. - Not much of a challenge, period. Recommend dusting off an old camporee packet from decades ago, and challenge the scouts. Compete. Build things. Camp where there are no fire rings or running water. When they get their camporee patch upon departure, it should mean something. PS. The camporee site should be rugged enough to dissuade FOS pitchmen, cookie salespersons, WB-bead-presentation-teams, and other loafers, meddlers, and random busy bodies from even visiting. The scouts get enough of that in town.

Spend more time outdoors than indoors.

I don't buy popcorn. I make a monetary donation directly to the unit. The unit can spend the donation any way they wish, including summer camp. Additional benefits: The unit gets 100 percent of my donation...no skimming to support bloated pro salaries and such. Also, my non-purchase will not contribute to increased overall sales figures, thus lending a truer picture of just how lame popcorn really is. And I'm relieved of the added chore of throwing the popcorn in the trash.

+1 Additional thought: it's probably just as well that the BSA doesn't pursue commercials on a national level. Like everything else Irving does, the effort would probably make the entire scouting movement look bad. We've also discussed in previous months National's PR department, and their collective ineptitude. But just for a moment, let's pretend that National makes a couple of decent commercials. Perhaps based on the "Tougher Than" theme. I still don't think it will help. Why? For every scout-led, outdoor-oriented unit, there are nine others that are sedentary and going nowhere fast. In the adult scouter realm, we have too many self-satisfied, political, good-old-buddy types that specialize in running off new adults. And, how can I say this politely, the professional image of many scouters is not one of fitness, ruggedness, etc. A good commercial won't matter. New kids and parents would take a look around and see that in many units, the commercials would be false advertising.

Krampus, you would indeed rock at the UN!

I was an ASM in Southern AZ in the '80s, not far from the border of Mexico. A location that routinely yields interesting stories in the newspaper, even in those years. Our troop camped regularly in the desert. Several intriguing/irregular/unwelcome visitors happened upon our various campsites over the years. And witnessed some from afar. The adult leadership, all active duty or vets--were fully prepared if need be. Even if everything was quiet, there was always an adult keeping an eye on our surroundings. We didn't make a big deal about it. The scouts were none the wiser. No one is going to take better care of you, and the people than depend on you, than you. Just because one might have a certain belief about peace and harmony is no guarantee that the other fellow subscribes to the same philosophy. Joe Bob's admonition sums it up--be prepared, men.

Krampus, that is an excellent summation. I was also stationed for several years in SW Arizona. No shortage of great, authentic Mexican places. Good food, good service, reasonable prices. I too avoided the chains like the plague.

Krampus, here's a true story: (!) Several years ago, I was stationed in rural MS. Then I got orders to NJ. One evening, there was a military/civic leader BBQ, mandatory attendance. I thought oh boy, here we go. After 2 years of living in a place that had BBQ places everywhere, except for maybe the dry cleaners, this ought to be interesting. I was amazed. The BBQ was superb. A team of local businessmen had a sort of a BBQ club, and they cooked for special events. It would have given southern fare a run for its money. I talked one of the cooks afterward. He smiled, nodded, and started talking serious "BBQ" that only a seasoned practitioner could understand (it was a bit over my head). Except for the names of the various woods they used, and his accent, it was as if I was talking to one of the old boys in MS. That said, I never ate BBQ thereafter in NJ. If there was a BBQ joint, I never found one. Now Mexican food is another story. Never found a single Mexican restaurant in the state of NJ that was worthy of the title. Just horrible.

Truth.

Here are my observations: - I have yet to see a Venture award, new or old, of any level, that didn't look tacky/cheap. - It seems a very small percentage of Venture scouts have any interest in awards. Almost all are as Qwazse described--they like the service and challenges, but zero inclination toward earning awards.

So true, Tahawk. I recall a conversation with a DE (who is long gone and has moved on to a better job) who told me that the council required DEs to attend a regular Friday meeting at council hq that was always scheduled to fill the entire business day. Not counting the 2 hour drive each way to the council hq. Sure paints a bleak picture of what a DE's life is like. Difficult to get anything done when you are held captive in a meeting for that long. Skype, video teleconference, etc., all disapproved. Must be at council hq in person. To me, the council shows a lack of trust or confidence in the DEs.

Thanks Krampus, I hope you and yours are okay. Best wishes for the New Year.

Merry Christmas!

SSScout, sounds sublime! Merry Christmas!

Seattle, you are right in counting your blessings. In our district, we have had four (4) different DEs in the last 12 months. One didn't last a week. Says something about the nature of the job when that happens. Then again, it's the volunteers that make scouting happen, especially at the unit level. Pros come and go.

@@Krampus, it just keeps getting better! Just a guess from a guy from the sticks, but is it your proximity to BSA HQ that lends itself to pro scouter featherbedding? Two DEs, one to mentor the other? One collects FOS and the other visits HQ Irving regularly for consultations/luncheons/etc. "from the field?" Would like to hear the DC's new FOS pitch. Especially when he/she looks out across the room at mostly empty chairs. The DC is aware that the unit level leaders are volunteers, and under no obligation to attend his meeting or give to FOS? Do the DEs realize this? Does Irving? (Rhetorical questions, your honor!

In our part of the state, dilution is a problem, but not from other camp card sales. Rather, there are several other cards (community college, HS football boosters, etc.) that are tailored specifically for local businesses, and already have a loyal following. So local folks already have "card fatigue" plus they aren't so keen on buying yet another that they can only use in a metropolitan area that requires a 3 hour drive, one way.

+1