SCOUTING AMERICA:--A REORGANIZATION OF BSA

[CalicoPenn 729]

Bob White,

 

I have to disagree with you on the comparison to 4-H. I believe it is an aspt comparison.

 

This is what 4-H says they do: 4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning Leadership, Citizenship and Life Skills.

 

Sounds suspiciously like what the BSA does - teach Leadership, Citizenship and Life (including Outdoor) Skills.

 

This is what the 4-H equivalent to the Scout Oath is:

 

"I pledge my head to clearer thinking,

my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service

and my health to better living,

for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

 

I can compare that to the Scout Oath and the only real differnce between the two is Duty to God.

 

Do one's duty to country? It's in there, and adds community, and world!

 

Help other people at all times? "I pledge...My hands to larger service"

 

Keep Myself Physically Strong? "My health to better living"

Mentally Awake? "Clearer Thinking"

Morally Straight? "Greater Loyalty", "Clearer Thinking" and "Better Living"

 

I'd say the purpose of the Boy Scouts and the purpose of 4-H is pretty much a match - how they go about delivering the purpose is the biggest difference, and not that much of a big difference at that.

 

Calico

[Hiromi 9]

 

The death of Canadian scouting

 

Hans Zeiger

August 12, 2004

 

 

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/zeiger/040812

 

 

 

 

[Hiromi 9]

This report is very informative.

 

Strategic Plan Research Reaching the Next Multicultural Generation Reaching Generation X and Millennial Parents

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.scouting.org/media/research/02-1058.pdf

 

In 2006 the Boy Scouts of America introduced the new 20062010 National Strategic Plan to build Scoutings strength as it moves into its next century. As a part of this plan, 2006 was named the Year of Research so that we, as an organization, can better understand how to reach youth and parents, and provide a quality Scouting experience to all youth.(This message has been edited by Pappy)

[RememberSchiff 3689]

BW: Thanks I stand corrected, for 2006, 2.8 million members (down 2.4% from 2005) with 1.19 million adults (down 1.5% from 2005)

 

BSA membership

 

1960: 5,160,958

 

1967: 6,058,508

1968: 6,247,160 (late sixties)

1969: 6,183,086

 

Pappy: Thanks for link. I read it and found myself wanting more info. For example, in my limited experience with the mentioned groups, I have found a frequent misconception that a boy could not join scouting if he did not have health insurance.

 

 

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Pappy, the way I understand it is you want wholesale changes in the BSA because as the program exists today it does not appeal to today's youth. After reading your posts I have to ask, with respect, how much experience have you had with the BSA program? Did you ever run it, as prescribed? I dont mean for a few months, like for 5 years? Elected SPL, elected PL, a PLC that set the program schdeule? We have established that you barely follow the BSA right now and I realize that is up to you and your CO, but to say that the BSA is broken and it must be fixed when you have not tried to run the BSA program costs you some credibility

[Bob White 20]

you raise excellent points calico. The BSa and 4-h seem to share two out of the three basic principles, I am just not sure that I would be willing to give up God in order to be able to say that the BSA has X number more members than the 4-H has.

[Hiromi 9]

Old Grey Eagle,

 

You are right of course.

 

I wasn't applying for a job as the CEO of BSA.

 

And no, of course I don't follow the BSA prescribed format to the letter.

 

Whenever I make a point about scouting I usually give pretty exhaustive anecdotes from my own experience or explanations of my logic.

 

But yes, I am pretty inexpereinced.

 

Pappy

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Pappy)

[Gunny2862 11]

Okay, so YOU think Scouting is uncool?

Regional differences count.

Your perceptions count.

The Boys perceptions count.

 

But,

1)I'm not changing to baggy Jeans with my underwear showing, large necklaces (bling), Hoodies, a skullcap, walking like I've broken a hip and totin' my nine to fit in. Although that would be kuul wouldn't it? (Maybe I'll try it at church first and see if it flies? Could be a whole new look for me.)

 

2)Around these here parts our Scouts will actually wear Scout shirts, t-shirts, etc. to school - not things one does if the activity is uncool. Especially in Junior high and as Freshman and Sophomores, because Status counts.

 

However for BSA national as a BUSINESS - I could see the additional openings for new members this model would address - BUT it would kill their BRANDING and what many of us see as the reason why we do BSA and not 4H or Royal Rangers or whatever else is out there.

[hops_scout 9]

Pappy, your goal here is to radically change the program as we know it. YOU want that, maybe the boys you know want that. It doesn't appear to me that the people who run the ACTUAL PROGRAM want that. As far as your experiences go, to me, they mean NOTHING when we are talking about changing the program known as the Boy Scouts of America. You are a boys' club (or the 'Be a Man' club) that is operating under the BSA name.

 

What makes the Boy Scout program so good is that a Boy Scout is a Boy Scout a is a Boy Scout. With a standarized uniform, a standarized program (with small deviations), and standarized recognition a Boy Scout from New England is the same as a Boy Scout from Illinois and the same as a Boy Scout from California.

 

Your plan would totally destroy the Boy Scouts of America as we know it. The Brotherhood of Scouting would be gone.

 

I'd like you go come visit my troop and tell THEM that the Boy Scout program isn't wanted by the boys. I'd like for you to have seen our Lock-in we had with 3 other troops and tell me that the boys don't enjoy Scouting the way it's done. I'm in Illinois too.

 

How many of your boys have experienced a TRUE Boy Scout Troop program? I'm going to guess very few if any. They are a part of the "corps" that calls themselves Boy Scouts and they're wrong.

[Hiromi 9]

I'm happy to hear that is going so well for you guys.

 

What I think passes for cool in school I find offensive as well. And my scouts are a uniformed unit, and they are proud of their uniform (even if they are only pretending to be Scouts).

 

But like I said- the uniform in these parts is disappearing, and so are the units.

 

This must be a regional aberation.

 

I concede that I may be completely off the mark in my ideas about what scouting ought to do to imporve its image and program- if anything at all.

 

 

Pappy

 

 

[Eagledad 2781]

>>you raise excellent points calico. The BSa and 4-h seem to share two out of the three basic principles, I am just not sure that I would be willing to give up God in order to be able to say that the BSA has X number more members than the 4-H has.

[Gunny2862 11]

Pappy,

I will confess that currently, regardless of an example of wearing the uniform and what ever poor attempts I have made in trying to get the boys to wear the "Full" uniform that, we are not a uniformed troop.(I know, I know, but "Class A" shirts and Jeans or Troop T-shirt and Jeans or shorts - at least they all wear the same thing at the same time) Would I like to be? YES. Is it something I have control of - (realistically)NO.

 

On the other hand, our upcoming Arrow of Light crossovers chose us because the boys run the meetings, build the calendars, and we GO CAMPING. Which other Troops around us are not doing. I'll take it - at least for now.

 

Elephant - one bite at a time, one bite at a time.

[local1400 10]

Pappy, if the uniform AND units are disappearing in your area, did you ever consider it may be because other people and Scouts don't want their Scout unit to be confused with or associated with the potato-launching, push-up punishing, crazy ccsc unit? BTW, when you combine a pack and a troop, you get poop.

[Hiromi 9]

Nice try Local 1400.

 

The demise of scouting in my area began a few decads ago- and has been steadily declining ever since.

 

I am only one of two new units to form in the past three years. We have no access to the public schools - that is the domain of official-BSA-dom. They can take the credit or the blame for the FOS and the Roles in our neck of the woods. My net only stretches into the CO private school and a few Home Schoolers.

 

In fact- one troop, whose CO is a Baptist Church, built a potato cannon follwoing our lead- and they are the fastest growing unit in our area.

 

We will actually only continue to diverge the troop and pack as the boys matriculate. Right now we are heavy with WEB II and Boy scout first years. By next year we will have regular separate meetings and events for the BS patrol.

 

But I swear by the Denner system we have implemented. The boys really enjoy it.

 

Pappy(This message has been edited by Pappy)

[evmori 11]

Boy this stuff sure sounds a lot like our old pal brianbuff who thought cool duds & snappy catch phrases was the answer!

 

Maybe the answer is to support what the BSA stands for instead of trying to change it.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10