desertrat77

Eagle, I concur. Over the last several years, I've noticed the trend where camps offer a huge array of MBs. Many of these MBs have nothing to do with the outdoors, and are best earned in town, on a cold winter's night, in between troop campouts. The marketing approach makes it sound like a super deal--look at all the stuff we offer! Then you walk around camp and see scouts hunched over a picnic table, doing homework. Or they are sitting on a log, listening to a lecture. As you said, what a waste. The scouts should doing the things you mentioned. Be the first in line for open swim, hiking with their patrol, throwing a Frisbee around the parade field, or sitting on the stoop of the trading post, drinking a root beer float and laughing with their friends. But that essay isn't going to write itself--back to the picnic table! Your post made me think back to my summer camp days: First summer camp: zero Second: 2 and 1 partial (overachiever!) Third: 2 Thereafter I was on camp staff for 3 summers, and earned 1 or 2 over the course of a summer, if that. My last summer, the last MB I earned before I turned 18: basketry. Took plenty of ribbing for that!

+1!

Scouts don't have skills commensurate with their rank? No surprise. That rock rolled down hill when we stopped the skills testing during boards of review and other arenas. The kind-hearted but misguided concept of "they earned it, don't make them demonstrate it again because it might stress them out" has ill-served everyone, particularly the scout. As a scout, there were two motivators that drove me to constantly review my basic scout skills. One, knowing that during a board of review, a board member could say "there are two hiking staves and some rope in the corner, tie a square lashing right now" or I might have to recite the steps of a first aid procedure. And it actually happened, except during my Life and Eagle boards. Two, the SPL was expected to know and teach these skills to the scouts. The SM didn't teach; he stood quietly in the back and watched. The quest for credibility requires extra study and review. Can't teach it if you don't know it. Edited to add: The best motivator--I actually used the skills in life!

Very true Stosh, but there are counselors out there that make things as painful as possible. Makes me wonder how many potential Eagles stall out because of this.

It wouldn't get off the ground. The lawyers would not allow it. The ideals that made the BSA successful over the decades--the principles of the oath and law, outdoor adventure--are not valued by large segments of society today. Heck, there are scouters in key positions in the BSA that don't put much stock in traditional BSA stuff, particularly the outdoors. Essentially, the BSA would be nothing but a series of long indoor meetings, MB fairs, and popcorn sales. And baggy uniforms.

Personal Management? Ugh PM ranks with the three Citizenships in the Most Boring Merit Badge Department, which makes the journey to Eagle a bit of an endurance/perseverance experience as well!

Bad Wolf, sounds like a memorable morning, congratulations!

I have no ties to the South, nor the Confederate flag. What SC does with the flag is their business. The issue should not be decided by social media, news media, millions of people that never took Civics in high school, nor carpetbaggers outside the state. If the people of the state decide to remove or keep it, that decision should be made after a respectful, unemotional dialogue within the state. Don't we have other national issues that demand greater cooperation and attention from every citizen?

If they all (both C's and K's) would go on a long space journey, the news media might actually start reporting news again....

Actually, I think their position still proves my statement, substantially. The "entire nation" watching = national media glare and polarizing opinions, ie, personal opinions of people that do not live nor vote in their state. It was easier for them to vote that way than be chastised by the "entire nation" (the path of least resistance). Now they'll figure out how smooth over voters in their own state once the rest of the US returns to what the Kardashians are doing. Edited to add: I'd concur with your position if the SC Rep legislators took their position before the national hysteria. But it only came after a great deal of handwringing and scrutiny from people and organizations outside their state. Politicians don't like to look bad, and a good many always have their eye on the next level. Can't run for higher office if the "entire nation" thinks you're a racist. I'd have a lot more respect for the SC politicians if they said "We hear the nation, but we are the state of SC, and we'll make a thoughtful, measured decision after we've consulted with our constituents." However, as someone with no ties to SC, my opinion is worth less than 2 cents. But the things that stick in my craw: when did the emotions and opinions of the nation overshadow the day to day decisions of a state? Are we at a point in our nation's history where the opinions of outsiders carry more weight than the voters of a state?

Under the pressure of national media attention and polarizing public opinions, politicians will always take the path of least resistance.

Bad Wolf, well said. It's up the scout.

I think many defense contractors do the same!

Eagle, that sums it up!

A most beneficial aspect of my trail to Eagle was my parents' "hands off" approach. Success or failure (with plenty of the latter), they let me experience it all on my own. In particular, I think of the year where I didn't earn a single rank or merit badge. Not even the basketry MB at summer camp. Other MBs started but never finished. I showed up to meetings, went on all of the camp outs, but was otherwise an aimless, unremarkable scout. When I woke up and took stock in myself, I figured I should at least attempt to advance. Even then, there were set backs and detours (particularly my first couple months as a patrol leader, a remarkably poor performance). But I had some good adult and senior scout encouragement, and things started to click. My parents were supportive but silent. No lectures, no scheduling, no reminders, etc. "Lost" years and mistakes are a part scouting. Overcoming adversity and self motivation are vital qualities to learn as a young man. But a scout won't learn that if his path is swept clean by well-meaning adults.

And I thought military IT support was bad...BSA is on par or worse. Bad systems, ugly/unreliable software, and now clueless/unhelpful "support" staff. How they keep their jobs is a mystery to me.

Concur 100 percent.

Matt, excellent perspective, thank you!

So scouts will spend more time fiddling with their smart phones? At Philmont too? A step backwards in the progress of mankind. Several steps, actually. What a waste. Disconnected from the world. Experiencing life through apps on a plastic device. They may as well stay home and virtually earn their Arrowhead Patch.

Edited: Sorry, I my reading comprehension isn't so good tonight. Yes, First Aid MB was required for FC...I checked my old 8th edition, all of the MB requirements were in the back of the handbook. Some of them generated interest when I was a scout, prompting me to attempt them. I earned FC in '76. RememberSchiff: I agree, "Scout" should not be a rank.

That would be very interesting!

Sometimes those leftovers, in the form of Dead Horse steaks (well tenderized), are pretty darn tasty....

The BSA must love its crummy administrative system...it works to the BSA's complete satisfaction. We volunteers are just complainers and sloppy. After all, we should be happy to spend hours filling out and re-filling out paperwork. None of us have professions, families, studies, or other civic duties. Naturally it's our fault when the council or national loses paperwork. Or takes months to complete a simple transaction. Take the worst paper-based processes, combine them with unreliable/unintuitive software, and add a heaping spoonful of council/national neglect, and you've got the BSA administration system. Each fall, it's a delight to watch district and council staffers harp on the rechartering process, and how important it is to get it done on time. They'll brief the unit level scouters, at length, going over every little byzantine detail of the bloated, unnecessarily difficult, time consuming process. Then the same district and council staffers are disappointed and concerned about X number of units that failed to met the deadline. Surprised, even. It's like an oft-repeated campfire story, you know the ending will be the same each time. There have been some superb suggestions by others on how the BSA can improve its processes. Let's see National include these initiatives in its next 5 year strategic plan. As we discussed in another thread, National's previous 5 year plan was a resounding success, by National's estimation.

True. I'm no jambo fan either. But at least the Jamboree won't have scouting PR, WH PR, WH security, and numerous other functionaries hovering about your particular campsite 24/7.

A half of a year hence, Packsaddle's comment still resonates. I have loathed BSA popcorn sales since its inception in the '80s.