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Our Organizational is Not Agile
InquisitiveScouter replied to InquisitiveScouter's topic in Council Relations
Yes, why not just have a National Membership, with that registration portable through all councils and units. You can already establish multiple memberships in multiple units, with one remaining primary. Why not let the member determine where their primary membership resides? Seems like a no brainer to me, but I'm sure there is something I'm not seeing, or remain ignorant of, in spite of my best efforts to understand the system... -
Our Organizational is Not Agile
Eagle94-A1 replied to InquisitiveScouter's topic in Council Relations
Yet another reason I, and many others, do not trust National's IT systems. -
Sounds about right. The IT structure was built on the assumption of a certain number of staff available to address unique cases. Keep up those calls and this will get cleared soon enough.
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We have a Scout whose registration records are a bit messed up. His family moved here in 2024, from a different council. In getting him registered here, rather than transferring his primary membership from the other council, he was made a "Multiple" in his current Pack. I use the passive voice there, because we have no idea who did this. The Parents say they did not do this through my.scouting, the Pack Committee Chair says they did not do this through Scoutbook, and the Registrar says she did not do this. Parents say they filled out a paper application here, but no one can (or will) produce a copy to figure out how it happened. But that is minor, and will only show who took what actions. We need to fix the registration issue at hand... When the Scouts registration became due, the parent dutifully logged into my.scouting to pay it by credit card. But, the registration (and the parent record) was in the original council. So, when paid, registration renewed as primary in the original council. And the multiple membership here continued. No one in either council caught this. Scout has finished his Arrow of Light, but we cannot transfer him to the Troop because of his "Multiple" status in the Pack. We have been working with the Registrars for a while on resolving this... The parent has receipt and order number from my.scouting to show paid registration. Yesterday, our Registrar told me she (and the other Registrar) cannot fix this with the tools they have, and our Registrar has had to put in a help ticket to National to try to get this resolved. I am astounded. With no transfer to Troop, parents cannot see Troop calendar in Scoutbook to help their Scout look at upcoming events and RSVP, leaders cannot help track advancement in Scoutbook, and committee cannot track financials (dues payment and trip charges) in the Scoutbook tools. For the interim, we have told the council (and they agree) that we are going to forge ahead with this Scout in our Troop while they fix their system. The Registrar agrees to back-date his Date Joined Scouts BSA to the date we tried to initiate the transfer. (This is because he cannot have his Scout Rank, or any other advancements, earned before his Date Joined Scouts BSA.) We'll use his Scout Handbook to track his advancements, and have sat down with the Scout and parents to review all upcoming events for attendance and conflicts. I cannot help but see this as a symptom of a dysfunctional system between councils and National. Add this to the long list of IT-type complaints we have endured over the past years. With the tremendous burden of administration we already have to make a Scout unit function well, it'd be nice not to have friendly fire incidents like this.
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While this seems true, I am not convinced it is. On the other hand, I do perceive that many have turned inward, so to speak, and are tring to find the path that will allow the real Scouting to again bloom. But, I also am seeing far too many "giving up", or simply retreating to do what they feel will work, regardless of pressures from the outside. Scouting is best in my worn views when shared with a broader group of youth and adults. BP called it aa brotherhood, and it still is if we allow it. How to allow it with the issues we face is the greater struggle. I hope my great grand nephew, who has an Eagle father, and a Scouting believer as a GF will still experience the better possibilities. Would I live to see him also become an Eagle, or simply like his GF, a firm believer in the Spirit of Scouting. We have a gathering of Leaders locally at a breakfast on Saturdy coming, and the interhanges from the first two of these recently institued sharings has proven worthwhile. The Merit Badge events, for example have been over hauled and are getting better and more focused on the actual requirements. Also, they are nown being broken up to fewer badges, instead focusing on just a dozen or fewer. Still a long way to go, and I am still fighting with them to recognize the need to put our history forward, as well as sevice beyond the "big" events. Community is still silently behind the ideas of Scouting, but they too seem to be holding their brath to see if we can fight our way back. Time will tell, and hopefully I may hold on long enough to see the larger steps.
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At least in my area, parents are pressuring for Eagle. Units that do try and focus on adventure, fun, personal growth, etc instead of advancement do not get new Scouts as parents look elsewhere. Even my new troop is focusing on advancement. Yes it has. And be told by the rules lawyers you are "gate keeping," "adding to requirements," etc. @InquisitiveScouter sadly the leadership at the top is encouraging this, and they do not care what the old boots on the ground want who want to maintain standards want. Heck there is now a majority of volunteers support for them and their decline of standards.
- Yesterday
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Unfortunately, it is the new morality, which is "I got mine, the hell with the rules". I saw it when BSA started admitting girls, and Cubs were the "trial run", with supposedly separate-sex dens. Then supposedly separate-sex troops. I heard more than one "leader" on here and on FB admit that they had gone fully co-ed, because "that's what works best for us", while maintaining the charade on paper. I "retired" from Scouting in 2018 after having been a continuous member of the same Council since 1963 (Eagle 1970) as a Cub, Boy Scout, OA, Explorer, and adult leader in nearly all positions including District and Council Committees. When I let them know I would not be re-registering, the response was "ok, thanks" and thus it ended. I do not regret leaving as I feel the BSA has lost its way, as evidenced by the plummeting membership numbers.
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It does. And there is "chaos" and cheating all around. Be responsible for what you do. I have been asked many times to sign off something a Scout has not earned, or that I have not witnessed. I politely refuse. This is the best example we can give. And to admit our own mistakes and how we have tried to correct them. If you go looking for offenders, they are easy to find, but you will not win the day by identifying them, pointing them out, and imposing your will to make things right. In their hearts, they know they are cheating, being dishonest, or gaming the system. So do their parents. When their heart is right, they will ask you to show the way. Pray simply that God and our consciences will convict us, so that our hearts would be right, and that we will follow the truths of the Scout Oath and Law. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
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This old guy feels as if it does matter and we should stop accepting these types of things and putting some honesty back into our units and setting a better example. Probably, and sadly, you are likely to be more correct than I am, and we seem to have lost sight of much of the best Character examples we have tried to exemplify over time. But, maybe not??
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hedayatilaw changed their profile photo
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hedayatilaw joined the community
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Another lawsuit and of course Media hype. Follow the rules people.
Tron replied to skeptic's topic in Issues & Politics
I don't think either of these apply to this situation. If the narrative is correct that a 12 year old basically romper stomped a 5 year old; like how do you plan for that contingency? How is a total beat down that results in broken bones that occurs in a crowded room full of other youth, adult leaders, and parent partners even on the radar for non-jail based cub scout packs? -
I am not sure what your point is here. Putting yourself at risk by not following the advice of legal is always an option; but again go read the article, get informed, follow the rules or get burned. You're welcome for my warning.
- Last week
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Good idea. Currently there are more options within the required list than when I was a scout, but not like before. Apparently these always fluctuate. Sadly what is not fluctuating is the continued erosion of the mB part of the program by summer camps, "universities" and troop only counselors. Scouts are less and less benefiting from the mB process by having the badge be the sole aim.
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villagetalkies joined the community
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One of the things that has I have often felt as a leader is that the concept of breadth in merit badge options should be reinstated. IN the fifties and sixties we had the required badges of the time, but also a "selection" from a number of categories which broadened the picture. It was similar to the once required college breadth for graduation that included classes from the less common areas, including art and music. That, in my opinion, leads to a bit more depth of knowledge and the world in general. What might be the thoughts on this being reinstated in a more modern manner?
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This is a good point. For those of us at the far end of the org of a large corporation, legal requirements are just that, requirements. I was on a church board with someone who was pretty high up in a large org. When we said that legal said we shouldn't have wine at a church auction, some of were like that is settle, legal has spoken. This person made it clear "that is the advice from legal, but legal doesn't set the business direction". That was an eye opener for me when you are at the level of a company that sets the direction which may or may not align with legal.
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Another lawsuit and of course Media hype. Follow the rules people.
jcousino replied to skeptic's topic in Issues & Politics
I agree nothing is totally safe. But if you offered an event you are expected to show due care in the event. And attendie's understand the risks -
Another lawsuit and of course Media hype. Follow the rules people.
skeptic replied to skeptic's topic in Issues & Politics
Absolute safety is a mirage. Sometimes things just happen, even with every precaution. And every effort to find perfection will fail, no matter what. And in this country, the legal vultures constantly circle because we let them. -
"Little Libraries" are a very valued community project, often done as Eagle Service Projects. As to the idea of making them somewhat "Nature", "Outdoor Literacy" oriented, that too has been done and is a worthy goal. I have known of at least three Little Libraries done as either part of an Eagle Project or the Project itself. One was a nicely done one that involved TWO Little Libraries at two separate State Parks, the nature books specifically elicited and donated for them. https://littlefreelibrary.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Littlelibraries/
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When my son was 8, he broke his arm in a playground fall that occurred while he was participating in a day camp run by a well-known community organization. He fell just 2 feet but landed on his arm awkwardly. Our health insurance company wanted every detail about the situation so they could prove that << well-known community organization >> was liable and avoid playing the claim. It got to the point where we considered paying the $4,000 ER bill out of pocket because we didn't want to bring harm to the organization (who also provides us with reliable after-school childcare during the school year). They eventually dropped their attempt, but our deductible is pretty high, and we wound up covering the entire bill anyway. Given the extent of our troubles for a standard playground fall, I can't imagine the insurance nightmare this situation will be with a 12-year-old aggressor, a leader out vaping, and a wounded national organization that's just a walking claim-paying machine.
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""Is deestant cousin...""
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You should introduce them to Boris Badinov and Natasha.
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Another lawsuit and of course Media hype. Follow the rules people.
Tron replied to skeptic's topic in Issues & Politics
I think we're going to find out who's correct. I totally see your argument, and in the past that line of thinking has been 100% accurate; however, the way charters, membership agreements, council charters, bylaws, etc ... are structured versus before has compartmentalized the risk away from national. They are getting horrible PR right now, the damage is done [in regards to image].
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Posts
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By InquisitiveScouter · Posted
Yes, why not just have a National Membership, with that registration portable through all councils and units. You can already establish multiple memberships in multiple units, with one remaining primary. Why not let the member determine where their primary membership resides? Seems like a no brainer to me, but I'm sure there is something I'm not seeing, or remain ignorant of, in spite of my best efforts to understand the system... -
By Eagle94-A1 · Posted
Yet another reason I, and many others, do not trust National's IT systems. -
Perhaps being a 70s kid, I don’t see the point. Our scouts seem to be earning different elective MBs. And they’re doing it honestly. I would discourage revising a program around those who will try to short-change advancement. It only makes it more confusing for the straight shooters.
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Sounds about right. The IT structure was built on the assumption of a certain number of staff available to address unique cases. Keep up those calls and this will get cleared soon enough.
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By InquisitiveScouter · Posted
We have a Scout whose registration records are a bit messed up. His family moved here in 2024, from a different council. In getting him registered here, rather than transferring his primary membership from the other council, he was made a "Multiple" in his current Pack. I use the passive voice there, because we have no idea who did this. The Parents say they did not do this through my.scouting, the Pack Committee Chair says they did not do this through Scoutbook, and the Registrar says she did not do this. Parents say they filled out a paper application here, but no one can (or will) produce a copy to figure out how it happened. But that is minor, and will only show who took what actions. We need to fix the registration issue at hand... When the Scouts registration became due, the parent dutifully logged into my.scouting to pay it by credit card. But, the registration (and the parent record) was in the original council. So, when paid, registration renewed as primary in the original council. And the multiple membership here continued. No one in either council caught this. Scout has finished his Arrow of Light, but we cannot transfer him to the Troop because of his "Multiple" status in the Pack. We have been working with the Registrars for a while on resolving this... The parent has receipt and order number from my.scouting to show paid registration. Yesterday, our Registrar told me she (and the other Registrar) cannot fix this with the tools they have, and our Registrar has had to put in a help ticket to National to try to get this resolved. I am astounded. With no transfer to Troop, parents cannot see Troop calendar in Scoutbook to help their Scout look at upcoming events and RSVP, leaders cannot help track advancement in Scoutbook, and committee cannot track financials (dues payment and trip charges) in the Scoutbook tools. For the interim, we have told the council (and they agree) that we are going to forge ahead with this Scout in our Troop while they fix their system. The Registrar agrees to back-date his Date Joined Scouts BSA to the date we tried to initiate the transfer. (This is because he cannot have his Scout Rank, or any other advancements, earned before his Date Joined Scouts BSA.) We'll use his Scout Handbook to track his advancements, and have sat down with the Scout and parents to review all upcoming events for attendance and conflicts. I cannot help but see this as a symptom of a dysfunctional system between councils and National. Add this to the long list of IT-type complaints we have endured over the past years. With the tremendous burden of administration we already have to make a Scout unit function well, it'd be nice not to have friendly fire incidents like this.
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