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Call me what you want it doesn't make it true.

In the actual wording it does not mention Jamboree. Is it the 2013 jamboree or the world jamboree? If its the world I would have no problem. Why don't done of you go to Mexico and see if they will adapt everything to your needs?

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Who exactly is "adapting everything" to whom?

 

The BSA (a private organization), in cooperation with another country's Scouting program, is offering a single, optional, one-time training course in a language other than English.

 

Yes our country did wrong things but its still the best place on earth.

 

Once an Englishman told me the exact same thing, except about England. So is the U S of A the "best place on earth," or is the United Kingdom? Or is it a tie?

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Well I'm sorry that I ever started this thread. I never thought it would get some of the type of negative responses it did. Maybe it's time to trash this thing. The last few pages acomplished next to nothing. Regardless of your personal opinions; it's not going to make a bit of differance what National does.

 

The email I received says:

The Boy Scouts of America, along with the leadership of National executive board member Jose Nio invite you to the first-ever

Spanish Wood Badge Course at the Bechtel Summit in West Virginia to be held in conjunction with our friends from Scouts de

Mexico. Certain segments of this course will also be conducted in English.

 

So National is putting on a wood badge course, done in spanish with the help with our Scouters from Mexico. Nowhere does it say it's about World or National Jambo. The way I read it; it's simply a spanish speaking woodbadge course. I took it to be that their target market is for adult leaders in this country that don't speak or understand very good english and probably work with our youth in the US that don't speak or understand english the oportunity to take woodbadge. Nowhere did I read where this is a goodwill gesture to our friends from Mexico.

 

I employ a fair number of spanish speaking citizens. Unfortuantly I've unknowingly employed a few non citizens. (who are now sitting in jail in Texas and will be deported once they finish serving their term in another 2 years) I choose to hire these spanish speaking people and therefore chose to learn a little spanish and spend money for some of our managers to learn spanish. In exchange, I expect these people to do their best to learn to comunicate in english the best they can.

 

Scouters that work with our spanish speaking youth have a difficult job but I feel these leaders first language should be english and their second spanish. I don't think it should be the other way around.

 

If this is a goodwell thing with Mexico....FANTASTIC but if it's just another "let's try to please everyone and keep the lawyers off our backs" Then National is wrong....IN MY OPINION.

 

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In Spanish? Awesome!

 

Do we have a lot of Spanish speaking citizens in the US? Yes

Does the BSA want to engage those folks? Yes

Does the BSA encourage International Scouting at home and abroad? Yes

Doesn't the BSA have a Spanish Task Force? Yes

Is the BSA partnering with Mexico for the 2019 WJ? Yes

Do youth earn Spanish interpreter strips? Yes

Has WB in the US been conducted in other languages? Yes - Vietnameese that I know of.

Isn't there a knot for Outstanding Spanish American Scouting? Yes

Does the BSA have Spanish Webpages? Yes

Does the BSA have materials printed in Spanish? Yes.

 

So what is the big deal??? Seriously.

 

Are we teaching the youth World Brotherhood and live together in peace and harmony or are we informally preaching racism.

 

Just because it's not what I do, does not make it wrong. Just because it's another language...should not make it... "We live in America, Learn English!

 

By the way...most of the early explorers to the Americas did not speak English, let alone the Native Americans.

 

If there is enough interest, adults, youth following, and BSA commitment to it...I'd say if there are other languages...Bring 'em on!

 

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"or are we informally preaching racism"

 

Yes, it does seem that someone is preaching racism. Someone seems to have lower expectations of citizens who haven't learned to function well in English. Someone seems to assume that folks who speak a different language must be a different race and must be lacking something that might enable them to remedy their linguistic isolation from the rest of the country. Someone advocates policies that will enable their continued linguistic isolation within the USA. It seems like someone would like to keep certain people down and do so under the guise of "helping" and "welcoming" them.

 

"most of the early explorers to the Americas did not speak English, let alone the Native Americans."

 

I hope no one is suggesting we adopt the early explorers' attitudes toward interaction with other cultures.

 

A person can be a good person no matter what language(s) they speak or don't speak.

But a good citizen of the USA functions well in English.

If there are US citizens interested in BSA but who don't speak English well enough to participate, teaching them is a service opportunity.

 

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I have no problems with Woodbadge in Spanish. My only question would be the staement: "...Spanish Wood Badge Course at the Bechtel Summit in West Virginia"

 

I realize the area needs the advertisment and use of others to get money but it sure would be more beneficial, imho, to have it in places like TX, NM, AZ, & CA. Cuts down on travel (a Scout is Thrifty), allows more participation (a Scout is Helpful), allows more US Scouters the opportunity to be sponsors for the international guest (a Scout is Curtious)...

 

I just hope that it works enough that NATIONAL will consider using Council Camps and supporting Council Camps in the future.

 

Just my $0.02

 

Rick

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Ok, I got it. Thanks!

 

English is ok, but if not, lets teach them.

 

And on the early explorers..."language = attitude".

 

I'm really starting to enjoy this forum. The leaps from one topic to another are simply amazing.

 

I read in another post on this thread....but in WV....why not Teaxs, CA, NM, etc? Maybe because spanish speaking folks like the opportunity of travel and interesting scouting experiences as well. Wait...they don't speak spanish in WV! They better stay in thier neck of the woods.

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The way I read it; it's simply a spanish speaking woodbadge course. I took it to be that their target market is for adult leaders in this country that don't speak or understand very good english and probably work with our youth in the US that don't speak or understand english the oportunity to take woodbadge. Nowhere did I read where this is a goodwill gesture to our friends from Mexico."

 

Yeah, but you also didn't read anywhere that this was an attempt by BSA to make "us" conform to or change "our way" of doing things to suit others.

 

Nowhere did you read that we were bending ourselves to fit other people. It doesn't say that it's targeting leaders here that don't speak english.

 

But...I read it is that we are offerening a class in a language that can be understood to our guests while they are here during a BSA event. It's called being a good host.

 

And if there are leaders here that do not speak english....so what?

 

How does somebody learn english anyways? Well, to start with, you have to speak their language and introduce english slowly. You sure don't just speak english only and hope they learn it.

 

Just like spanish. If you do not speak a word of it, having somebody just speak spanish to you will do nothing.

 

 

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The way I read it; it's simply a spanish speaking woodbadge course. I took it to be that their target market is for adult leaders in this country that don't speak or understand very good english and probably work with our youth in the US that don't speak or understand english the oportunity to take woodbadge. Nowhere did I read where this is a goodwill gesture to our friends from Mexico."

 

Yeah, but you also didn't read anywhere that this was an attempt by BSA to make "us" conform to or change "our way" of doing things to suit others.

 

Nowhere did you read that we were bending ourselves to fit other people. It doesn't say that it's targeting leaders here that don't speak english.

 

But you did read "...to be held in conjunction with our friends from Scouts de

Mexico."

 

 

You do understand that "in conjunction with " means working with them and that "from Mexico" mean that they are here visiting instead versus saying" friends IN Mexico"..which would mean they are still in Mexico.

 

 

Now...the way I read it is that we are offerening a class in a language that can be understood to our guests while they are here during a BSA event. It's called being a good host.

 

And if there are leaders here that do not speak english....so what? They are not supposed to learn? They shouldn't be allowed to be the best they can in scouting?

 

Last time I checked..camping, hiking, exploring or knowing what to do in an emergency is not limited to english speaking people.

 

How does somebody learn english anyways? Well, to start with, you have to speak their language and introduce english slowly. You sure don't just speak english and hope they learn it.

 

Just like spanish. If you do not speak a word of it, having somebody just speak spanish to you will do nothing.

 

"Well I'm sorry that I ever started this thread. I never thought it would get some of the type of negative responses it did."

 

I read this to mean" I never thought people would diagree with me, but instead take my side!"

 

But, just because I read it that way does not mean anybody else read it that way or that you meant it that way.

 

Basically, it means I used my own opinions and personal biases - that reflect my owm thoughts and ideala - and used that to interpret your sentance.

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The way I read it; it's simply a spanish speaking woodbadge course. I took it to be that their target market is for adult leaders in this country that don't speak or understand very good english and probably work with our youth in the US that don't speak or understand english the oportunity to take woodbadge. Nowhere did I read where this is a goodwill gesture to our friends from Mexico."

 

Yeah, but you also didn't read anywhere that this was an attempt by BSA to make "us" conform to or change "our way" of doing things to suit others.

 

Nowhere did you read that we were bending ourselves to fit other people. It doesn't say that it's targeting leaders here that don't speak english.

 

But you did read "...to be held in conjunction with our friends from Scouts de

Mexico."

 

 

You do understand that "in conjunction with " means working with them and that "from Mexico" mean that they are here visiting instead versus saying" friends IN Mexico"..which would mean they are still in Mexico.

 

 

Now...the way I read it is that we are offerening a class in a language that can be understood to our guests while they are here during a BSA event. It's called being a good host.

 

And if there are leaders here that do not speak english....so what? They are not supposed to learn? They shouldn't be allowed to be the best they can in scouting?

 

Last time I checked..camping, hiking, exploring or knowing what to do in an emergency is not limited to english speaking people.

 

How does somebody learn english anyways? Well, to start with, you have to speak their language and introduce english slowly. You sure don't just speak english and hope they learn it.

 

Just like spanish. If you do not speak a word of it, having somebody just speak spanish to you will do nothing.

 

"Well I'm sorry that I ever started this thread. I never thought it would get some of the type of negative responses it did."

 

I read this to mean" I never thought people would diagree with me, but instead take my side!"

 

But, just because I read it that way does not mean anybody else read it that way or that you meant it that way.

 

Basically, it means I used my own opinions and personal biases - that reflect my owm thoughts and ideala - and used that to interpret your sentance.

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The way I read it; it's simply a spanish speaking woodbadge course. I took it to be that their target market is for adult leaders in this country that don't speak or understand very good english and probably work with our youth in the US that don't speak or understand english the oportunity to take woodbadge. Nowhere did I read where this is a goodwill gesture to our friends from Mexico."

 

Yeah, but you also didn't read anywhere that this was an attempt by BSA to make "us" conform to or change "our way" of doing things to suit others.

 

Nowhere did you read that we were bending ourselves to fit other people. It doesn't say that it's targeting leaders here that don't speak english.

 

But you did read "...to be held in conjunction with our friends from Scouts de

Mexico."

 

 

You do understand that "in conjunction with " means working with them and that "from Mexico" mean that they are here visiting instead versus saying" friends IN Mexico"..which would mean they are still in Mexico.

 

 

Now...the way I read it is that we are offerening a class in a language that can be understood to our guests while they are here during a BSA event. It's called being a good host.

 

And if there are leaders here that do not speak english....so what? They are not supposed to learn? They shouldn't be allowed to be the best they can in scouting?

 

Last time I checked..camping, hiking, exploring or knowing what to do in an emergency is not limited to english speaking people.

 

How does somebody learn english anyways? Well, to start with, you have to speak their language and introduce english slowly. You sure don't just speak english and hope they learn it.

 

Just like spanish. If you do not speak a word of it, having somebody just speak spanish to you will do nothing.

 

"Well I'm sorry that I ever started this thread. I never thought it would get some of the type of negative responses it did."

 

I read this to mean" I never thought people would diagree with me, but instead take my side!"

 

But, just because I read it that way does not mean anybody else read it that way or that you meant it that way.

 

Basically, it means I used my own opinions and personal biases - that reflect my owm thoughts and ideala - and used that to interpret your sentance.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

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Last time I checked..camping, hiking, exploring or knowing what to do in an emergency is not limited to english speaking people.

 

But using a four letter word as an acronym for an inadequate teaching method is!

 

Hopefully the Spanish course will pick a sharper mnemonic that includes "reference".

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Is WB a US only program or are their different "variations" based on the different countries?

 

If you take WB at Gilwell...is that equivalent to a Bectel WB?

 

Is the material for a Spanish language WB significantly different than an English language WB? (Regardless of US or not).

 

I thought that WB was an International program. It originated at Gilwell in 1919 and has spread across the world.

 

 

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