After tomorrow I am hoping all the hype dies down

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

10 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

One solution yes have some other guy or you offer to be scoutmaster for the girls Troop.

Not me. I am with another troop now, plus I have no daughters. It was bad enough when I had no children and/or unmarried in the program being a 18 - 30 year old ASM and other PORs. I had folks view me suspicion for being in the program still (even in the troop I grew up in, some parents were suspicious until they found out my history and/or got to knew me). I can only imagine what it would be like for a guy with no daughter or granddaughter in the troop, being a SM or ASM will be viewed as.

Also t I've seen first hand what an accusation will do to a Scouter: ruin their life. Friend of mine was accused of making a pass at a Scout. Her membership was revoked permanently ( she had to get special permission to attend the council banquet when her son was recognized as an Eagle), and a criminal investigation was done on the matter. She was found innocent, with no charges filed. All because she caught a Scout after hours being a peeping Tom at the ladies shower house after hours and he lied to not get into trouble.

As for another guy, they have been trying to get the troop started for 8 to 9 months now. No one is stepping up.

[shortridge 184]

23 hours ago, mashmaster said:

Is anyone else growing tired of the marketing and PR behind it and hoping that after tomorrow we get to just talking about scouting for all and enough about just the female troops. 

Aren’t you also tired about the constant discussion in the world about racial equality? I thought that after Brown v. Board we would have just gotten to talking about education for all and enough about people of color. <sarcasm>

Attention being paid to girls in Scouting doesn’t mean boys are being ignored. Please give that tired trope a rest.

 

[mrkstvns 486]

NPR ran a story today about girls officially becoming part of the new "Scouts BSA":

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/01/690024261/welcoming-girls-of-all-ages-boy-scouts-of-america-is-now-scouts-bsa

 

[shortridge 184]

On 1/31/2019 at 11:16 AM, mashmaster said:

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by shortridge

[Eagledad 2777]

28 minutes ago, shortridge said:

Aren’t you also tired about the constant discussion in the world about racial equality? I thought that after Brown v. Board we would have just gotten to talking about education for all and enough about people of color. <sarcasm>

Attention being paid to girls in Scouting doesn’t mean boys are being ignored. Please give that tired trope a rest.

 

Ya know Shortridge, you have a choice. I'm sure the moderators can explain it better, but you simply choose not to enter discussions or read the posts that you don't find personally useful. 

Barry

[mashmaster 783]

40 minutes ago, shortridge said:

Aren’t you also tired about the constant discussion in the world about racial equality? I thought that after Brown v. Board we would have just gotten to talking about education for all and enough about people of color. <sarcasm>

Attention being paid to girls in Scouting doesn’t mean boys are being ignored. Please give that tired trope a rest.

 

You clearly think I am not a fan of it.  I think all people should be treated equally no matter what.  

This is what I have posted publicly because it is what I believe.  I am sure some will disagree with my point of view. 

So today is the start of Scouts BSA. Girls will now be allowed to be members of all the types of scouts in BSA. Some are upset, girls have been in exploring/Sea Scouts for 50 years now, girls have been included in almost every other country for a while now. This is a historic non-event. What I mean by that is that I am very happy they are no included and able to scout with us. I look forward to seeing them thrive and breath life into the program. But the program hasn't changed, the youth are still in charge and will have the same adventures. Just because a Girl can now get Eagle or any other rank doesn't add or take away for any Boy that attained that rank before. She will earn it the same way he did and it will be her own personal story. Girl Scouts is a fine program and great for many people, if that is wonderful and I wish them success. This isn't us vs. them. It is allowing anyone who wants to scout the opportunity to scout in whatever form best suits them.

Welcome girls to our scout program, I wish you great success. I am equally as happy for all the boys in the program. Let's move on to focus on scouting and great adventures!

[Eagle1993 2160]

I’m sure these stories will pass soon enough and then future stories will once again focus on lawsuits, bankruptcies with a few positive highlights of Eagle Scout projects and Scouting for Food.

 It is sad that the day to day wins of Troops and Patrols helping to guide scouts down the path of following the Scout Law and Oath while developing leadership skills is rarely if ever shown.  I’ve see countless stories of how Football coaches help teach leadership.  Too many youth and parents are simply unaware of what Scouts truly offers.

[Jameson76 1481]

5 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

But the program hasn't changed, the youth are still in charge and will have the same adventures.

I think you are correct for right now globally. 

Yet at the same time I think fundamentally the program has changed because Girls are joining and the program name has changed.  Yes as we all have noted Youth are in charge, we teach leadership, they become self reliant.  While that is the case the addition of the young ladies will change things, not sure if that will be positive, negative, or imperceivable,  there will be changes.  If you study organizational dynamics the addition of new elements into an organization will cause change. 

Actually I am more concerned with the "Family" emphasis being put in the forefront and what that expectation will lead to for the Boy Scout aged program.  

[mashmaster 783]

5 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

I think you are correct for right now globally. 

Yet at the same time I think fundamentally the program has changed because Girls are joining and the program name has changed.  Yes as we all have noted Youth are in charge, we teach leadership, they become self reliant.  While that is the case the addition of the young ladies will change things, not sure if that will be positive, negative, or imperceivable,  there will be changes.  If you study organizational dynamics the addition of new elements into an organization will cause change. 

Actually I am more concerned with the "Family" emphasis being put in the forefront and what that expectation will lead to for the Boy Scout aged program.  

I am not sure about what you mean about the Family emphasis.  In my experience in Cub Scouts it already was family based, camping and activities had sisters around.  In Sea Scouts/Venturing the girls and boys plan and do things and family provides money and transportation.

[HashTagScouts 435]

3 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

I am not sure about what you mean about the Family emphasis.  In my experience in Cub Scouts it already was family based, camping and activities had sisters around.  In Sea Scouts/Venturing the girls and boys plan and do things and family provides money and transportation.

If you read some of @Eagle94-A1's post about what "family" can do to a program, that I would say is a concern.  I have posted similar experiences, so I have that concern.  It isn't really related to females in our programs, so I don't want to place blame on that.  

Personally, I am very glad the hype will dwindle.  Mostly because  I wish national had put half as much effort over the past 3 decades promoting the program as a whole than they have for the past 18 months.  Before now, you were fortunate you got yard signs, and a sentiment that YOU were the reason that numbers were dropping, because YOU were not doing enough recruiting...

[mashmaster 783]

8 minutes ago, HashTagScouts said:

If you read some of @Eagle94-A1's post about what "family" can do to a program, that I would say is a concern.  I have posted similar experiences, so I have that concern.  It isn't really related to females in our programs, so I don't want to place blame on that.  

Personally, I am very glad the hype will dwindle.  Mostly because  I wish national had put half as much effort over the past 3 decades promoting the program as a whole than they have for the past 18 months.  Before now, you were fortunate you got yard signs, and a sentiment that YOU were the reason that numbers were dropping, because YOU were not doing enough recruiting...

Agreed, I am happy it is positive press now vs. the bad stuff people want to focus on.  Active marketing is important and forgotten many times.  I used to work for a company that believed that if our product was good enough people would find it and buy it.    That company no longer exists and the company with an inferior product but superior marketing program is thriving today.

[Jameson76 1481]

2 hours ago, mashmaster said:

I am not sure about what you mean about the Family emphasis.  In my experience in Cub Scouts it already was family based, camping and activities had sisters around.  In Sea Scouts/Venturing the girls and boys plan and do things and family provides money and transportation.

The emphasis on Family Scouting.  Not that it is for Cubs, but the whole Family can take part in all aspects of the program.  While at the front line that is not actually how it should work, not sure how those expectations may be managed.

Families in Cubs is fine to a point.  Families in the patrol method on outings is a disaster

[mrkstvns 486]

5 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

Families in the patrol method on outings is a disaster

Most certainly.

I also don't buy into the "Family Scouting" theory when girls are in separate troops from boys.

Sooooo....let me get this "family scouting" thing straight....my son does camping one weekend with one troop and my daughter does camping on another weekend with an entirely different troop (or maybe the schedule conflicts and I have to decide which kid I'm going to support that weekend). Either way, my family is not scouting together. Instead we have a new potential friction point.   

If girls and boys can't be integrated in the same troop, it's really not "Family Scouting".

[mashmaster 783]

17 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

Most certainly.

I also don't buy into the "Family Scouting" theory when girls are in separate troops from boys.

Sooooo....let me get this "family scouting" thing straight....my son does camping one weekend with one troop and my daughter does camping on another weekend with an entirely different troop (or maybe the schedule conflicts and I have to decide which kid I'm going to support that weekend). Either way, my family is not scouting together. Instead we have a new potential friction point.   

If girls and boys can't be integrated in the same troop, it's really not "Family Scouting".

Put them in a Sea Scout Ship or crew and it is magically the same unit and works  out 🙂  Agreed on your point

[HashTagScouts 435]

32 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

Most certainly.

I also don't buy into the "Family Scouting" theory when girls are in separate troops from boys.

Sooooo....let me get this "family scouting" thing straight....my son does camping one weekend with one troop and my daughter does camping on another weekend with an entirely different troop (or maybe the schedule conflicts and I have to decide which kid I'm going to support that weekend). Either way, my family is not scouting together. Instead we have a new potential friction point.   

If girls and boys can't be integrated in the same troop, it's really not "Family Scouting".

I'm really not saying this to be negative and get everyone's ire, but 95% of the units in my area that are starting (or, as of today, have started) a "girls troop", it is going to be at the same meetings/same outings, SMs/ASMs dual registered to "both units".  I would love to say that the practical, sensible thing is to have the established boy troop be helpful in getting the girls troop going (teaching skills, showing them how to use the patrol method) for a short period of time- however, leaders from these units have been very vocal that they intend to keep it they way they have it.  Effectively, they have made a coed troop despite the stumping that this isn't what this change was intended to be.