Diversity thoughts?

[evmori 11]

On it's face there is little if any difference.

 

We have always had diversity in Scouting. There are many kids who are disabled either physically or mentally that do great in Scouts! There are many units that are racially & ethnically diverse & there are no problems. My question, is why, all of a sudden do we need to address diversity in Scouting? My opinion, to be politically correct! Which in my opinion is a bunch of whooey!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Vicki 11]

OK, Ed, gotcha. This could evolve (or devolve?) very quickly into an issues forum question. So I'll just move on...

 

Thanks for the clarification,

Vicki

[hot_foot_eagle 13]

At the risk of heading down the path of issue debate, I had a gut feeling that the intent of the course designers was to address the desire of BSA to deliver its program to more under-served demographic segments - race, disability, income, etc.

 

I think Vicki's examples are true to the spirit of the requirement, at least as I interpret it.

 

I worked my own ticket item in that spirit, but with the full knowledge that I had other options that perhaps would not have challenged me as much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Vicki 11]

This thread, to me, proves the importance of the diversity ticket as a required item in the national syllabus. As a poster on Scouts-L is so fond of saying, "all scouting is local."

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=179405&p=3

 

Vicki

[artjrk 11]

I struggled thru this issue as I went thru the course myself. Initially I took the broader route in the interpretation and wanted to introduce multi-age patrols in our troop. We seemed so stuck in our age-based patrols that older scouts were not interacting with the younger scouts. My advisor wasn't as keen on this idea. Now I am working with a team of Boy Scouts to develop an event for all the local Cub Scout Packs including the one serving the mentally disabled. All my tickets involve youth leadership. Listening to the boys discuss the various aspects involved in meeting all the needs the the Cubs, makes me value this ticket more.

[evmori 11]

This thread, to me, proves the importance of the diversity ticket as a required item in the national syllabus.

 

Kinda wondering how you came to this conclusion, Vicki.

[Vicki 11]

Ed, I'll try - to be honest it seemed so self-evident...

 

As I read that thread it seemed to me that this is exactly the sort of situation the diversity ticket is meant to address. It's so easy to sit back in our smug little world and make assumptions about how accepting we are of differences. If we are forced, just once, to stick our heads outside our "box" and actually look at how others might see us and how we could change the way we look at them, that's a good thing. I don't know if ahoydave's troop had any 21CWB'ers in it, I don't know if they did, if anything would have been different. All I'm saying is that scouting happens on the local level and, with the diversity ticket, national is trying to shake a little bit of complacency loose on the local level and that's not a bad thing.

 

Vicki

[GMitch 10]

Ed wrote:

 

" My question, is why, all of a sudden do we need to address diversity in Scouting? My opinion, to be politically correct! Which in my opinion is a bunch of whooey!"

 

I couldn't agree more. I think anyone who lives the Oath and Law is already covering the diversity bases as a result. We don't need contrived PC "hippie like" diversity. When we say "to help other people at all times" does anyone who really espouses the value system of Scouting say to themselves "only other white or black people that is"? When we say a Scout is Courteous & Kind do we specify "only to other Christians or other Jews though"? It just seems like a bunch of PC bullcorn to force the WB participants into such activities when I would guess that left to their own devices, Scouters would reach out and do very similar projects without being compelled to in the name of "diversity". Too often in our world today certain behaviors or lifestyles get the label of "diversity" when they are nothing more than "perversity". I prefer to keep such ideology out of Scouting thank you very much. But, they have my $250 I and start Thursday. I will "work my ticket if I can" for the second go around.

[evmori 11]

Vicki,

 

If we keep our heads in the box the only thing we will see is the box!

 

While I agree we need to see the entire world, I feel this can be done without the BSA having a CYA program like diversity training. Heck, diversity is all around us! If we follow the Oath & Law diversity is a non-issue!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[tommymcl1230 10]

I have to whole heartedly agree with Vicki and Ed.I used to be a fox and a good ol fox too

NE II-176

[Tokala 16]

Boy Scouts has been largely a white, middle-class organization. Sure there's an occasional unit with minorities or kids with disabilities. I think that National has finally decided that they can't remain white, middle-class and continue to grow. With a growing population of hispanics, asians, and many others in the US, they're attempting to reach out to different people. Including diversity is a sure way to get people to look at the program from a different perspective.

 

I don't view this a politically correct thing to do, it seems like the best thing to do if we want to see the BSA program delivered to more American youth.

[Vicki 11]

Tokala, agreed wholeheartedly. I, too, never equated the diversity ticket item with "political correctness." I find that a buzz phrase with almost no useful meaning, much like "liberal" and "conservative" in their current usage. Gmitch, I think to equate diversity with perversity is to attempt to inflame the discussion and I will not participate. You are, obviously, free to hold your own opinions. Congratulations and kudos for attending Wood Badge - you say this is your second time? Are you one of those few that is willing to surrender their beads in order to earn them again? There was a SM in the course I just staffed who did that - wow.

 

Vicki

[evmori 11]

Boy Scouts has been largely a white, middle-class organization.

 

Interesting statement. I would bet if you asked anyone at National if the BSA was a white middle-class organization, they would tell you "no, it never has been." And for those who think this, yup you need diversity!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Ed, what was the reason for that Cub Scout Soccer program again?

[BrentAllen 10]

Diversity - the condition of being different.

 

When the word is mentioned, most of us think race. To broaden your thinking, get with a group of co-workers for a few minutes and look at each other and list the ways they are all different. They might come up with a lot of ways - age, religion, sex, education, marital status, number of siblings, oldest/youngest in family, number of children, income, ethnic background, and on and on and on...

 

Hopefully one of the lessons learned in Wood Badge is that we tend to call on the same people when we need something done. And often those people look just like us. We know them, we know what we can expect from them. If you agree that diversity makes us stronger, then we should look carefully at who we are inviting into our groups - do they all tend to be the same, or are we looking for diversity? Do we invite new people to join us in running a Camporee or Webelos Woods, or are they the same folks who helped us last year, and the year before?

 

One of the members of the patrol for which I was a Troop Guide is an LDS Scouter. He said very few LDS Scouters attend the training courses put on by their district. He thinks this might be because none of the staffers are LDS members. One of his ticket items is to help staff their next SM Training, and push it with the LDS units. Hopefully they will see more LDS Scouters getting involved in training, and in other areas with the district. I think this is a very good diversity ticket item.

 

I don't think the diversity ticket requirement has anything to do with being politically correct, or worrying about not offending anyone. I think it is all about learning to recognize we are stronger through our diversity and finding ways to build on that strength.