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My son left scouting back in the mid 1990's.  I have enjoyed working with the boys since.  Now that the program is no longer what I signed up for, transitioning out is going to be easy.  I've paid my dues for 45+ years.  Time to find something with a lot less drama.

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My son left scouting back in the mid 1990's.  I have enjoyed working with the boys since.  Now that the program is no longer what I signed up for, transitioning out is going to be easy.  I've paid my

Well, I'm finally shaking this bronchitis I've had for the past few weeks, there's space in the SM's car for me and my gear, and it looks like a weekend worthy of my presence (some rain, temperatures

Make the most of these years with your son as they will never come again.  It does not have to be Scouting.

So I passed everything over to the new treasurer over the weekend, and we meet later this week to take me off the troop's bank account.....and at the end of the month my membership will lapse with the new charter.

I'm sad and happy at the same time.....sad for the loss of opportunity for my son.....happy to be getting out from under the constant conflict between what is (adult run) and what could be.  I no longer will get aggravated when receiving emails from adults about upcoming troop activities.... that clearly come from "the wrong" perspective....

But I'll still be checking in here likely, from time to time.... out of pure interest and desire to support.

 

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On 8/16/2017 at 12:01 PM, NJCubScouter said:

Maybe there is another troop nearby with better meetings?

This option should not be overlooked.  My nephew was in Boy Scouts for years.  He hated Troop meetings (boring) but enjoyed the outings.  His grandfather (my dad) is still heavily involved in his Troop (committee member and at council runs many EBOR) and has had arguments with his Troop leader (who plays favorites and invents requirements for advancement).  Last blow up came when she refused to sign off all of the scouts leadership positions (except her sons) when she didn’t think they performed them to her expectations.  My dad pulled my nephew from the Troop and signed him up with another.  The other Troop is small and building. After the 1st meeting with his new Troop my nephew stated it was the first Troop meeting where he had fun (they worked on art MB). 

So, if it is an option, there may be other Troops that are out there that could be an improvement.  Perhaps not, but it doesn’t hurt to look.

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Well, I'm finally shaking this bronchitis I've had for the past few weeks, there's space in the SM's car for me and my gear, and it looks like a weekend worthy of my presence (some rain, temperatures falling back to the teens, and snow in the evening) ... so I'm grabbing my hammock and my tarp and finding two solid trees near where my first SM showed me how to tie a taught line hitch. I asked the bugler to be ready to work his calls. His eyes lit up. Paycheck.

I work for smiles.

After PLC, I mentioned to the SPL that I'm available to help his older scouts plan an extended activity besides summer camp. Before I could finish the sentence he said, "I think we should to spend a few days in Dolly Sods, and if we go there, my dad would love to come."

Well, twist my arm.

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So....

Overheard a conversation in my district recently at a large training event. The leaders of my district, several others, and even council are saying they've effectively "given up" on Venturing since "girls are coming in to Boy Scouts, so what good is Venturing any way?" To test what I heard I arranged to meet with my DE and discuss how Venturing could be really promoted and showcased during 2018. She wouldn't even take the meeting, saying that "future events would dictate what happens to Venturing." :confused:

So what am I supposed to do with my Crew now? I can't even get support from my district to help grow the unit and the program. If this turns out to be what BSA has in store for Venturing, I've spent my last year in this uniform.

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4 minutes ago, Col. Flagg said:

So....

Overheard a conversation in my district recently at a large training event. The leaders of my district, several others, and even council are saying they've effectively "given up" on Venturing since "girls are coming in to Boy Scouts, so what good is Venturing any way?" To test what I heard I arranged to meet with my DE and discuss how Venturing could be really promoted and showcased during 2018. She wouldn't even take the meeting, saying that "future events would dictate what happens to Venturing." :confused:

So what am I supposed to do with my Crew now? I can't even get support from my district to help grow the unit and the program. If this turns out to be what BSA has in store for Venturing, I've spent my last year in this uniform.

Didn't someone else post within the past week that they are involved in a current district effort to INCREASE Venturing activity?  Maybe they said they had been appointed Venturing RT commissioner where there had not been anyone in that position before?  I could be wrong about that.  But if I am correct, it suggests that there is a difference in how different people are interpreting the signals coming from National.  If nothing else, it would seem to me that National would not want to lose the 18-21 youth members, although I suspect the numbers currently participating in that range are not overwhelming.

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7 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

Didn't someone else post within the past week that they are involved in a current district effort to INCREASE Venturing activity?  Maybe they said they had been appointed Venturing RT commissioner where there had not been anyone in that position before?  I could be wrong about that.  But if I am correct, it suggests that there is a difference in how different people are interpreting the signals coming from National.  If nothing else, it would seem to me that National would not want to lose the 18-21 youth members, although I suspect the numbers currently participating in that range are not overwhelming.

Oh, I suspect national has no clue what they are doing or going to do about Venturing. From this rather detailed conversation I hear, the plan (at least according to these folks who each tried to out-do each other in how "insider" they were to Irving) is to fold Venturing in to Boy Scouts again. Girls would go to girl troops and boys to boy troops. The thought was that why would girls join Venturing if they really wanted Eagle. One person claimed that Venturing would simply pick up the Boy Scout rank process.

Either way, my unit is in limbo. Sure we will continue to have fun like we always do, but growing the unit is impossible. I have no answers as to what the future holds. Who wants to join a group that cannot articulate their long term prospects?

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Col. Flagg, I found the thread I was looking for, and I see you have now posted in it as well.  (The one started by LeCastor.)  His district is starting new crews and revving up to support the program, and your district doesn't want to hear about it.  The contrast is rather striking for subdivisions of what is supposed to be the same organization.

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18 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

Col. Flagg, I found the thread I was looking for, and I see you have now posted in it as well.  (The one started by LeCastor.)  His district is starting new crews and revving up to support the program, and your district doesn't want to hear about it.  The contrast is rather striking for subdivisions of what is supposed to be the same organization.

Since I live in the shadow of national I don't know if the locals here actually know something or are just showing their proclivity for one program over another. Crews get little support as it is. Right now it looks like none will be forthcoming. We will continue as we always have but it makes long term planning difficult. My crew has just said if Venturing shuts down, we will start a youth group within the COR that's based on fun and high adventure.

 

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2 hours ago, Col. Flagg said:

Oh, I suspect national has no clue what they are doing or going to do about Venturing. From this rather detailed conversation I hear, the plan (at least according to these folks who each tried to out-do each other in how "insider" they were to Irving) is to fold Venturing in to Boy Scouts again. Girls would go to girl troops and boys to boy troops. The thought was that why would girls join Venturing if they really wanted Eagle. One person claimed that Venturing would simply pick up the Boy Scout rank process.

Either way, my unit is in limbo. Sure we will continue to have fun like we always do, but growing the unit is impossible. I have no answers as to what the future holds. Who wants to join a group that cannot articulate their long term prospects?

 

My council isn't saying anything about Venturing either, and yet National continues to ask us to go to Summit the Venturing birthday bash

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