New 2008 requirements

[oldsm 10]

I'm sure we're all aware of the new requirements vis-a-vis bullying.

 

I finally got a copy of the 2008 Requirements book from my Scout Shop. It lists the requirements.

 

All of the Scout Handbooks (and there was a whole shelf of them), were old - no updates to them at all.

 

How is a boy supposed to meet the new requirements? For almost all other requirements, there's at least basic information in the handbook. Not so for the bullying requirements.

 

1. Where is a scout supposed to get the information he needs to learn in order to meet the requirements?

 

2. What resources does BSA make available so that adult leaders can guide the boys toward meeting the requirements?

 

It seems as though BSA wanted to get the publicity of "Wow, BSA is really on the ball", but has dropped that ball when it comes to implementation. Have I missed something?

 

Comments and suggestions, please.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

We've had this thread a couple times

 

Here it is in Advancement Forum:

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=174698

 

Search on requirements in the advancement forum, there's another short thread as well.

 

Eammonn pointed the Collective to a pretty darn good Scouts UK resource in the thread I listed above.

 

[scoutmomma 10]

Here's the background info for Scouts to review in order to fulfill the new requirements:

 

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/rankchanges.html

 

We sent out this information to our Troop's email list and suggested that Scouts below the rank of First Class print it out, fold it and keep it tucked in their handbooks.

[Eamonn 61]

Eammonn?

How is that pronounced?

Any way, I was talking with a couple of Sea Scouts and somehow we got to talking about bullying.

It seems that the Internet is now being used as a tool for bullying. Sites like My Space are being used for name calling and spreading some really nasty stuff. Computer programs like Photo-shop are being used to alter photos, while some of this is fun some of it is intended to be be harmful and hurt the person being bullied. Kids are downloading some of this stuff and passing it on e-mailing it to other kids and sending it to each others cell phones.In a place like a high school it can spread like wild fire.

While this is a lot different that the bullying that went on when I was at school - Back then it was more about physical abuse and threats.

While many will say it's only name calling and "Sticks and Stones.."

This kind of thing does make some kids very unhappy and while the Scouts I was talking with said they didn't know anyone who had hurt themselves because of this, they did say that at school it has led to several fights, where both kids have been suspended.

I am really happy that the BSA is taking a stand against bullying. When we talk about making ethical choices? Choosing not to be a bully only seems right and helping kids who have been bullied know what to do and how to deal with it, before something happens, is just a good idea.

 

Eamonn.

[Gold Winger 9]

Boy, by today's standards, I'd have been a horrible bully. We used to make fun of the poor football players because none of them were in calculus. The poor sods didn't even realize that "da/dt" was an insult. They'd fume and say, "stop that or I'll pound you."

 

Of course, in college we were even more anti-social and evil because we'd do things like tie the freshmen's doors together so they couldn't get out of their rooms. Or, horror of horrors, we'd steal a guys robe when he was in the shower and he'd have to walk down the hall naked. Pranks like that last one are why my old school has revamped all of the dorms to give everyone a private bath.

 

Looks like we used up all the fun.