Jump to content

LDS Youth Program for 2020


Recommended Posts

Are there Cliff notes for this? I got 30 seconds into it and it reminded me of talking to my 92 year old dad when he has something really important to tell me, but Can't. Get. To. The. Point.

I skipped and sampled and all I got was kids can pick what they want to work on.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
17 minutes ago, MattR said:

Are there Cliff notes for this? I got 30 seconds into it and it reminded me of talking to my 92 year old dad when he has something really important to tell me, but Can't. Get. To. The. Point.

I skipped and sampled and all I got was kids can pick what they want to work on.

Hah!  I listened for 20 minutes on the way home from work and eventually decided I was bored and gave up.  

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

My take (and yes, I endured this production to the end) is this...that their program is an exclusive for members only  in house program that is purposely crafted to insulates and protects  their youth from the real word, as well as to divide the genders into two separate and unequal classes.  The direct opposite of the Scouting USA program for inclusiveness. 

At least now, I thank I can sit around the campfire in quite discussions and ponder this with my fellow cohorts (but overall,  still somewhat baffled as to this wrong headed direction that I feel the LDS community is tacking into due to the political winds they feel are slewing their sails).

Link to post
Share on other sites
27 minutes ago, le Voyageur said:

My take (and yes, I endured this production to the end) is this...that their program is an exclusive for members only  in house program that is purposely crafted to insulates and protects  their youth from the real word, as well as to divide the genders into two separate and unequal classes.  The direct opposite of the Scouting USA program for inclusiveness. 

At least now, I thank I can sit around the campfire in quite discussions and ponder this with my fellow cohorts (but overall,  still somewhat baffled as to this wrong headed direction that I feel the LDS community is tacking into due to the political winds they feel are slewing their sails).

What causes the gendered classes to be unequal in this new program?

Edited by Saltface
Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, MattR said:

Are there Cliff notes for this? I got 30 seconds into it and it reminded me of talking to my 92 year old dad when he has something really important to tell me, but Can't. Get. To. The. Point.

I skipped and sampled and all I got was kids can pick what they want to work on.

First - the, I am assuming very nice gentleman, that started means well, but not sure if he is explaining or preaching.  There is a great deal of Mormon (LDS??) speak and their own language.  Not sure non LDS folks have the needed frame of reference.

Quorum of 12 disciples?  Ward and Branch councils? You have been prompted?

I wish them well as they progress along the covenant path.

Link to post
Share on other sites
16 minutes ago, Saltface said:

What causes the gendered classes to be unequal in this new program?

From the time of  it's founding (1830), only males are allowed to hold a  priesthood commission. Women are excluded. This separation is easily seen in this video....   

Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, MattR said:

Are there Cliff notes for this? I got 30 seconds into it and it reminded me of talking to my 92 year old dad when he has something really important to tell me, but Can't. Get. To. The. Point.

I skipped and sampled and all I got was kids can pick what they want to work on.

Note to self: never try to explain myself to @MattR in a video. ;)

I hope there is a transcript. I have several LDS friends, so understanding their speak is important to me. However, from @le Voyageur's synopsis, it doesn't seem much different than what I've seen outlined elsewhere. It's typical international youth ministry fare. In terms of methods of scouting it ignores Patrols, Advancement, Outdoors and emphasizes Adult Association (especially with parents), Leadership Development, and Personal Growth.

Don't let the gender-specific roles confound things. The young women's program involves leadership development in not so many words. And, BSA has no room to throw stones at sex-specific roles as long as it insists girls can't bunk with boys.

Link to post
Share on other sites
59 minutes ago, le Voyageur said:

From the time of  it's founding (1830), only males are allowed to hold a  priesthood commission. Women are excluded. This separation is easily seen in this video....   

The LDS faith isn't unique in believing men and women have different gender roles. But even still, that doesn't make this program unequal. If anything it has done the opposite, the local budgets for boys have been decreased to parity with that of the girls.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
26 minutes ago, Saltface said:

But even still, that doesn't make this program unequal. If anything it has done the opposite, the local budgets for boys have been decreased to parity with that of the girls.

This is a complete aside.  But one of the things that really struck me, coming from GSUSA into BSA was how much more the boy scouts had in the way of resources that the girls scouts.  Money?  Local BSA troops seem to be sitting on back accounts with thousands of dollars in them.  The GSUSA troops start and end each year with no money.  Resources:  The BSA camp has motorboats, kayaks, canoes, new-looking life jackets, bicyles,  rifle range, a fancy archery range, etc, etc, etc.    The GSUSA camp has battered aluminum canoes,  faded old orange life jackets, and a small shed containing a few bows for archery -- and this is one of the premier camps in the council.   I have just been astonished at much money boy scouts appears to have. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, Treflienne said:

This is a complete aside.  But one of the things that really struck me, coming from GSUSA into BSA was how much more the boy scouts had in the way of resources that the girls scouts.  Money?  Local BSA troops seem to be sitting on back accounts with thousands of dollars in them.  The GSUSA troops start and end each year with no money.  Resources:  The BSA camp has motorboats, kayaks, canoes, new-looking life jackets, bicyles,  rifle range, a fancy archery range, etc, etc, etc.    The GSUSA camp has battered aluminum canoes,  faded old orange life jackets, and a small shed containing a few bows for archery -- and this is one of the premier camps in the council.   I have just been astonished at much money boy scouts appears to have. 

Until recently with the changes of the program, the BSA was rich with Alumni support. That doesn't include other resources. Once a boy scout, always a boy scout at heart was the general reasoning. But even my 33 and 36  year old sons don't see today's boys scouts as the same program they came from. The structure is basically the same, but traditionalism seems to be fading. The discussions of OA's changes are a reflection of how many alumni feel about the whole program. If culture is to blame, then maybe scouting is an outdated idea. At least in the traditional outdoor adventure sense. But to your point, we will see how the resources hold up. Certainly camps are taking a huge hit.

Barry

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not aware of any transcript of the above video (other than the one generated by YouTube) but I wouldn't recommend starting there to understand the new program. That video was created to be shown to members of the Church during a Sunday meeting. If you're not familiar with the Church, there's going to be a lot of unfamiliar terms and references.

If you want the CliffsNotes on the new program, here it is:

1. There are four program areas: Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, and Social.

2. Groups (called classes or quorums), families, and individuals create goals and activities in each of the four program areas.

That's it. The details are all up to you. 

For example:

Physical: A quorum of 16-18 year old boys sets a goal to summit the three highest peaks in the state. They schedule warm-up hikes to ensure everyone is up to snuff for that kind of hike. They plan the meals, travel, camping, and schedule of the event with (preferably minimal) assistance from their adult advisers.

Intellectual: A class of 14-16 year old girls want to learn how to do metalworking. They ask a welder in their congregation to teach them about safety precautions, tools, and techniques. They make metal step stools.

Spiritual: A family sets a goal to daily read scriptures together. The children are in charge of choosing a time and gathering the family together. 

Social: The mountain-climbing quorum ask a grey-haired old couple from the congregation to teach them swing dancing. They invite the girls their age to join them.

  • Thanks 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Frankly, I'm glad that BSA is no longer so tied to LDS. I am not comfortable with the gender disparity, and have never been happy with how the BSA program was modified to fit the needs of one religion. BSA should have had more of an arms length relationship from the very beginning. This transition is very difficult, but I think it ultimately could be healthy. Scouting should work without any kind of special kinds of concessions for any kind of faith environment. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...