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This is Scouting. Taken two days ago at just above 3250 feet at Middle Lion Camp in the Los Padres NF above Ojai, Ca. The group stayed there after hiking in, and woke up to snow. And they loved it. The scout is part of an all girl unit, though they do on occasion work with other units.

Kennedy isn't hard to find. I reached out online and shared your post. His comment was "I don't know why this person seems to have a vendetta against me. I hope he finds peace. We knew we wouldn't make everyone happy but I do appreciate the people who have kept in touch with all the TCC members and showed their appreciation. I haven't commented on the settlement publicly in a very long time and like others, I'm waiting for a decision on the appeal. So others know, I have not received A DIME from this settlement. I've heard nothing from the Trust regarding an award. I also have NOTHING to do with the Catholic Church. My lawsuit prior to the bankruptcy was against the BSA, local council, and my abuser; NOT the Catholic Church. Anyone who cares can search the New York State cases online and see those details. I filed as John Doe but it was the first BSA lawsuit after the window opened. Frankly, if I'm the last one to see a dollar from this I'm okay with that and anyone who says differently doesn't know me and is just plain wrong." My own two cents.... I get why people feel pro and con about the settlement. So much is the product of a bankruptcy system NOT designed for the Survivors of child sexual abuse. As far as Saint Kosnoff having all the answers, I can only shake my head at the reality that the BSA put its bets on the Coalition, of which Mr. Kosnoff was an initial member before the Court expedited his removal in an agreement with the remaining Coalition leaders. The Coalition, despite representing 65% of the total claims, then failed to deliver the remaining 10% of the needsd votes. This cost all Survivors a year and who knows how many died in the interim. But maybe the Coalition firms don't care because the claims live on, and so too does the 33-40% contingency to those firms. And the capper, the Court just issued a verdict that the Coalition should receive ZERO dollars from the BSA because their work provided NO substantial contribution and was duplicative of the work already being done by the TCC and other parties. Whether you love or hate the plan, facts matter. Here's some other facts that I'm sure will piss people off. At the time that the BSA declared bankruptcy some Survivors were days away from their cases going to court, those in open States lost their individual cases and what could have been a big award, and those in "closed" States had zero path to a lawsuit being heard in court. But, the plan included a one-year period when Survivors could mobilize in their States and have the SOLs changed so they'd be in a better matrix position. That happened in some States and continues to happen, perhaps too late for this bankruptcy but now allowing suits against abusers and other entities. That's equity and not equality; but was the reality at the time of the bankruptcy. That's "business" and not justice. That's bankruptcy. I don't like it and in a perfect world there would have been no closed States and a bottomless pit of money. Neither was the case then, or now. This whole "liquidate the BSA" fantasy is just that. Survivors are UNSECURED creditors and will be left fighting over the scraps after SECURED creditors are satisfied. As well, if that happens you'd better like your attorney and they'd better be ready to get your case heard ASAP before other BIG awards wipe out the available money. Oh, you're going to sue the insurance companies? You'd better be prepared to wait 7-10 years for that settlement AND hope others haven't beaten you to the policy limits. Uh...and if your attorney has hundreds or thousands of clients, start thinking about how you'll get in line early before every other Survivor who wants to do the same. It won't happen if your case needs a ton of discovery and work or is of low "value." Lastly, if you think the insurers will sit around forever waiting to pay, guess what, if the amount of claims exceeds their assets (like was the case with Century Insurers), they'll do this....file for bankruptcy and go into "runoff", again leaving some with nothing. I'm sorry to be a downer. I just want some who think the solution is for this plan to go up in flames to understand that some scenarios might be missing a bit of reality. Feel free to rip me up. I'm not going to debate hypotheticals. I'll see you after the appellate court chimes in and we can discuss reality. PS, the court is going to deny the appeal 😉

Because you care? And maybe because it's extra-rewarding to see a scout that has faced challenges be able to accomplish the 'top achievement'? It also sounds like you know this scout a bit more than perhaps others. A scout in our Troop went from not being able to write a paragraph without the lines drifting across the page, to taking AP European History. I think it's natural for us to root for the 'underdog' and want them to reach 'the pinnacle'.

So you you may have remembered I was depressed because it seemed one of my Scouts had given up. He had about 2 weeks before 18 and still needed a projected and 3 MBs. HE MADE IT! (And yes, I am shouting with joy!) He was able to get his project approved and completed within 10 days. Even had a nice write up about it too. As fro the MBs, he was able to find his paperwork from his old troop on one of them, one was finished at the meeting, and one was finished right before getting everything approved for BOR. He had the paperwork, but could not find it in time for the meeting. Just waiting for the EBOR. And we may be growing We had 2 Scouts visit this past month, and two more are scheduled to visit this week. Life is good.

That’s the propaganda being spouted by Doug Kennedy and the cabal of lawyers who stand to make hundreds of millions if it is upheld while their clients get bupkis. Kennedy has already cashed in by settling his Catholic Church part of the case for millions. The delay in finalizing the plan was delaying his real payday. Kosnoff’s vision is based on a couple of things One is the liquidation of BSA’s assets in a Ch 7 or liquidating Ch 11 after the plan is overturned. The ample insurance policies survive BSA’s demise and are the most valuable assets of BSA and the locals and sponsors. Expect those entities to start negotiating either before or after their own Ch 11’s. Century/Chubb will come in and attempt to settle out individual or clusters of claims on a state by state basis. Before the total capitulation by the TCC and Pachulski Stang at the confirmation trial in 2022, it had compiled insurance policy discovery and expert testimony (it never presented at trial bc it sold out the claimants) that showed insurance proceeds at between 90 and 120 billion dollars. That coverage springs back to life when this plan is allowed to collapse. This 90-to 120 billion does not include the thousands of other liability insurance policies owned by the multitude of charter organizations most of whom received releases and contributed not a dime to the settlement. These untapped unknown policies were never pursued by the TCC and PS. Total professional malpractice if not outright fraud. As for these massive statute of limitations percentage reductions, some as much as 90%, the survivors will be back in control and not subject to the arbitrary whims of Houser. This is where getting help from state legislatures will come in to play. Several states have passed special window statutes tailored only to scout survivor residents of their own states …OH, AR, IN to name a few. Others will do the same because it’s an easy sell to reluctant legislators—a narrow window bill (first done in Michigan in the Larry Nasser US Gymnastics case several years ago) won’t impact any other entities e.g. schools, churches, local governments, other private organizations etc, but only scout insurers. It represents millions of dollars of revenue to a small subset of their residents who pay taxes, make purchases, and thereby help local businesses. It’s not a difficult sell. Local scout councils free from the yoke of a defunct BSA can reorganize and BSA National with all of its wasteful expensive, nepotistic bureaucracy will be vanquished to the trash heap. Scouting will have a new birth of freedom, free to go back to its roots with freedom to innovate and adapt to local conditions and sensibilities. What works in CA may not in AL or FL. etc. I expect scouting will evolve into a federation of independent scout organizations - which will be healthier for the movement than what exists now or in the past. Finally, I personally hope to see the 1/2 billion dollars in legal fees approved by Judge Silverstein and wasted on these bankruptcy law firms clawed back into a pot for the claimants via a class action malpractice lawsuit on behalf of all the claimants This is how the case should have been approached at the outset. BSA could not survive if survivors did not get screwed . There could only be one winner in this showdown. Conversely, survivors would never get meaningful justice and accountability, if BSA was allowed to survive. Only Kosnoff understood this fundamental truth.

What if we leave the Youth program to the Youth?

The requirement isn't done, so the youth isn't due anything until it is. Therefore, there is no delay in receiving what is due because it isn't due yet. Downvote for explaining something factually and calmly? Noted. You're right, the Internet can be a hard mean place. That's why we scouts do better, right? May you also find happiness and contentment. I'm following swilliam's cue and sticking to my RL scouter friends for a while.

Or...a lot more work, enter his 8 activities in your Activities file and show one one attendee.

😞 Scout involvement / satisfaction is inversely proportional to the program being like school. Scouts didn't sign up for night school! As a nerd, I loved it. So, if we want to only appeal to the 1 in 15 or 1 in 30, keep it up!

A friend sent me these. EOY 2024 1030862 Girls 196657 Boys 834205 EOY 2023 1015027 Girls 176209 Boys 838818 Diff 15835 20448 -4613

Thanks for the input. As with everyone else, I check daily to see if there is anything new on the 3rd Circuit. Hopefully it will be very soon. Survivors are aging out by the day.

Statistically speaking the month picked does not matter as long as the long term trend is tracked on the same date. If SA has always used 12/31 as the date for the data point, continuing to use it will show the long term trend; we can't let ourselves get befuddled in the month-to-month membership numbers. We might not get a clear picture of the membership direction until we have 36 months under this new membership renewal system. 12/31/2027 might be the day that we really know what is going on year-over-year.

Soon to include Canada and Greenland?

Reality check: now that he’s making the effort, he may still fall short. But at least he’s making an effort. I think the thing that was depressing you was that period of lack of concern that befalls most teens. On some it happens at the most self-defeating moments.

UPDATE: Since the last post, the Scout has gotten off his duff and busting butt. Project got approved and is completed, he is in the post project paperwork. 1 MB that we both knew he had left is finished. The challenge is two 90 Day MBs. I know he started them prior to transfer, and I think he finished one of them with me back in his old troop. Sadly they do not use blue cards, so know record. The other I knew he started. Going to have a long chat with him at the meeting, but he will be cutting it close.

I try to be super duper involved, but also try to think I may have to walk away if needed. I don’t want to be so invested that I feel like I CANT walkway. It may be the healthiest thing to do if push came to shove.

I've heard lots of good exit interviews. The real challenge is reaching a meaningful solution such as just focus on outdoors, camping and fun. Then, let the rest happen naturally result.

..."The Roy Grindstaff Skilled Trades Center will provide scouts ages 13-18 the opportunity to earn the merit badges of automotive maintenance, electricity, home repair, painting, plumbing and welding. The facility will also include a classroom to accommodate hands-on skills presentations by volunteers who are experts in the trades’ fields." The center to be located at Boxwell Scout Reservation is scheduled to open next summer and was "made possible through a gift from the Maddox Foundation of Hernando, Miss. The Skilled Trades Center is a priority project of the Middle Tennessee Council’s Campaign for Boxwell Reservation. The $10.6 million effort (for renovating the whole camp - RS) is underway and just less than $7 million has been raised." More at source: https://www.wilsonpost.com/news/boxwell-reservation-to-break-ground-on-skilled-trades-center-for-boy-scouts/article_3315ac62-2d79-11ec-9512-1b8c46e5f7ea.html Why not use the classrooms, shops, and equipment at local schools? A Scout is Thrifty.

I would agree with your premise that the higher value claims pushed their way to the front of the line. Certainly in the Open state cases with attorney representation. The average will very likely drop. It looks like your over/under on eventual percentage to be funded is around 30%. That is more/less the number I had in mind for some time now. It would be great if the trust would be a little more transparent on this issue. Hopefully, once the appeal is cleared, that will happen. I do believe the trust had a better handle on this, all along. To indicate to victims that their cases were worth triple what they will actually receive is another gut punch. They had to have a basic idea of claim value and potential recovery. At this point, I hope they put some real money into the hands of victims, as many are aging to the point it won't much matter.

Too soon to estimate what the claims values will be vs how the Trust is funded? Maybe (and I listed some possible reasons why below) but as of January 1, 90% of the expedited distributions have been paid (at full value) and 10% of the matrix claims have been paid (at 1.5% value). Like the expedited distributions, the IRO is somewhat less important to the matrix but 2% of claims have been paid (also at 1.5% value). Current average expedited per claim: $3,284 * 6,027 claims = about $20MM Current average matrix per claim: $484,254 * 57,953 claims = a little over $28B Calculated as: ($42,268,754 paid out minus $698,000 advanced payments) divided by 5,723 disbursements = $7,264 per claim on a 1.5% payment (or a full share of $484,254). Same for the IRO below but no advanced payment adjustment. Current average IRO per claim: $900,000 * 275 total claims = about $250MM. Add it all up and it's... a little over $28B. The last estimate I saw was the the Trust had about $2.5B but let's say the Trustee gets really good returns on everything to make the math easy with $2.8B and it's looking like it's 10% funded. Maybe the Trustee also settles with a bunch of insurers adding another $2.8B to the Matrix and then it would be about 20% funded. Btw, disallowed claims are running less than 1% at this point. _________ One of the bankruptcy documents had a breakdown of votes, class and open/grey/closed designations. Assuming the matrix base amount for each class, the average claim based on that mix would have been $218,143 or half of the current average. Here some reasons why the current average might be higher than the final: claimants with a higher claim class were more likely to file timely claimants with a higher expected claim due to scaling factors were more likely to file timely law firms prioritized higher expected claims first in order to speed up payments they would receive claimants with the most documentation (and so maybe the more egregious cases) are more easily processed The Trust is finding more evidence of upward scaling factors than downward The percentage of disallowed claims will increase as the Trust asks for more information and it takes longer for these types of claims to be evaluated Anything else I'm missing? If the claims even out more to base levels with a similar mix as was in the bankruptcy document, the Trust would be 20-40% funded. Lastly, the trust noted that 25% of matrix claims were determined as of January 23rd. They also noted that $70MM has been paid to approximately 12,300 survivors (across all classes). Here's a back of the envelope estimate: assuming the great majority of those in January were matrix claims, since the last update 9.9MM was paid to about 1,150 claimants at 1.5%... for an average claim amount of $573,913 at about 12% of matrix claims processed. It seems at least for the next update, there won't be much of a downward change in the average claim amount. Incorporating this into the overall averages: $499,256 per claim for 57,953 claims = a little less than $29B.

Yeah, they keep changing the name of it. Originally the World Crest was an award for the BSA, then August 1, 1989,rules changed allowing everyone to wear it. Ticked me and the other Scouts on the bus in Canada earning off because that was one of the awards we were going to earn. Adults made it up by giving us the Canadian version of the emblem on a velvet background. They also had international recognition set with necker and patch. Sometime between 1989 and 1995, the International Youth Exchange Award was created. Don't remember the requirements, but i got it. Don't know when the current award came out. Requirements are https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/International-Spirit-Award-app.130-044-Rev.-June-2021.pdf and the patch is below.

To me, the natural solution is for him to join the scout corps in Ecuador since that's where he lives now (https://scoutsecuador.org/) and then just come visit your troop whenever he's around as a social and networking visit. My troop had some foreign visitors like that, although mostly scouters. Some of my patrolmates had expatriated also, and joined in that case Scouts NZ while they were there. When they came back to Sweden, they brought scouting contacts with them. All part of the worldwide siblinghood of scouting. Your troop would be in an excellent position to earn the International Spirit Award! You would have an old scouting friend to visit, perhaps at an Ecuadorean camporee. You would have a much easier time planning cool high adventure in Ecuador with a local scouting friend to help. Lots of cool possibilities there!

But what is stopping adults from doing that now, getting together with adults with similar interests and working on the same skills?

We're mostly set, with the exception of two scouts who haven't been to a meeting yet since the start of the year. We did ILST yesterday now that we have our Patrols and PORs. I think that it went pretty well, but after nearly 4 hours (45 minutes for lunch in the middle) we didn't hold a review at the end. The scouts actually enjoyed the games, though the 'trust fall' one became 'shove the scout in the center' instead of 'redirect the scout in the center'. I thought we'd be able to shorten the time a bit, but found that we couldn't get through everything in the hour allotted to each module. I made sure we had time to watch the videos on the various aspects of the Troop meeting, because there are two parts our Troop doesn't do that I think will help us. The videos were a little - can't think of the word I want - but anyway, the last one was of the PLC doing a review of how the meeting went and one scout said, "That (a game they had tried) devolved into chaos, as usual." I saw a couple of our scouts nodding or chuckling. It's good for them to see that imperfection is so normal and that this is somewhat typical. The best part was observing how the scouts handled aspects of the training. I did a fair amount of camping with the Troop when we first joined, then less as time went on. I forgot how rewarding it can be seeing them figure things out, make jokes, step in to help each other... and yes, even be obnoxious, lol.

For those folks, I listen, and then hand them this official Troop complaint form... https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/524-501.pdf

Test Lab Scouts work with a registered adult volunteer of their choosing on a new merit badge under consideration. After completion of all requirements, Scout must take a short survey which will result in a certificate of completion. When and if the merit badge is officially adopted, it will count towards advancement. Note test merit badges have no printed pamphlet (digital resources) and are hexagon shaped Merit Badges currently being tested until June 30, 2026: Auctioneering Wildland Fire Management Life Skills Unclear about adult volunteer feedback. More at sources, including Test Lab rules and PR release by National Auction Association. https://www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/test-lab/ https://www.newswire.com/news/national-auction-association-partners-with-scouting-america-to-launch-22520683

@Eagle1993Probably correct My friend said that over 10% of councils have less than 1000 youth and there are only 5% with more than 10K youth.

Great post, thanks. i used to teach the same approach. I believe the SM should have a feel for how a scout is doing before they are ready for the BOR. Like courious scouter, I may have signed off his SMC long before he completed the other requirements. For me, scouting is about personal growth. Some scouts have grown a lot, but they are in no hurry for advancement and that’s fine with me. I tend to have a good feel for simply by finding opportunities to have a quick chat asking how it was going. We might have something in common and I would bring that up or ask how a new patrol mate is dong. You can learn a lot about scouts at a SM conference, but few small chats tells you pretty much what you need to know. You can sign their book if they have it, or during a conference they request and use that opportunity to brag about them. Our CC told me of one scout during his BOR who didn’t remember having a SM conference with me after lunch earlier that day. When she reminded him of our chat while I bought him an ice cream bar, he was surprised to learn that was a SM conference. He just asked me how baseball was going. Any excuse to have an enjoyable chat with a scout. If I knew a scout was having a challenge with the scouting experience, I would try to get them to discuss it, and then I might ask if they felt they were ready for the advancement. Sometimes they would say no and set a goal to prove themselves. Even better when they want to grow. The sign off is important, but if it’s also fun, I can say 25 years later, it’s memorable. Barry

My council has sold off 3 of its 4 camps over the last decade or so. Each time, they promised to reinvest the funds in the remaining camp(s). I saw nothing of the sort, only investment in new hires whose sole purpose seems to be gathering videos to help fundraising efforts. We had some tremendous volunteers in my district who planned an amazing celebration of our Cub Scout camp many years ago (when the camp was turning 100 years old ... before it was sold off). The idea was a council wide camporee, climbing walls, various scouting events, food trucks, fireworks, etc. Council leadership cancelled it as it had the chance to lose money (ignoring the publicity it would have generated). This led to a few of our key district volunteers leaving, never to return. Our council does almost nothing for Scouts BSA outside of merit badge clinics. They invest heavily in Cub Scouts but seem to think the program ends at 5th grade. Our Troop has a few members of the executive board, but it seems like they have become disillusioned with what they have been able to impact. Personally, I hope my council is absorbed my one of our neighboring ones, which seem to be better at putting on events for Scouts BSA and investing in their camps.

I think one issue is that too many try and recruit from unit volunteers, many if not most are parents of youth. District/council would be best served finding younger adults (21 - 30) before they have kids or former unit volunteers (50+). I used to be more active at the district level, but as my kids got older and their interests were varied, I ran out of volunteer hours to give ... and all of mine will be at the unit level. That said, my kids are aging, one will be headed to college in 2026 and the other a few years later. I could see volunteering at council/district level at that point.

Agree with much that you wrote. Big dollar payouts to those in the legal system drove this case. But then again, that's how the system is setup. I watched the monthly bankruptcy billing invoices that paid firm partners far over a thousand an hour, other lawyers at $600 plus and hour and para-legal staff charging hundreds per hour. The whole case is about getting money out of deep pockets. Spent money won't be recovered. Courts approved the payments. The legal system won't start a major case against itself. Plus, it can be argued that this is the nature of complex cases especially when the Supreme Court changes case law interpretations. Legislative momentum for this has fallen off. Perhaps, a few states could start again. BUT, I really doubt it. It's old news at this point. Could very well be and it could be a good thing. It's more important to get youth outside having adventures than focusing on a single national scouting organization. This is where we all have different opinions. "My opinion" is that this case has never been about justice and accountability. This is about finding someone to blame for the ills of society.

Thank you kindly. It’s a simple philosophy that everyone should go home feeling good about their scouting experience. Barry

Their public image isn't near what it used to be since the big lawsuits. One would think their public facing employees are better trained to avoid negative publicity when possible. Human nature and egos sometimes get in the way it seems. It comes down to when do enough of the volunteers finally get off the sidelines and dig in their heels? We lost something in our country over the last few decades. The amount of people willing to say something when things go off the rails is rapidly dwindling. The entire movement is built upon the foundation that our morals and values are the guiding principles. Somewhere that got lost in the day to day fight to survive. Its happening everywhere in our society unfortunately.

LOL... that seemed to be their interpretation. But, correlation is not causation...

We recently lost a very old and loved camp in South Georgia, too. I feel like the rest of you, if the council camps closed they could build a couple more national sites then everyone could just go to a nationally owned and outlandishly expensive camps

I'm not sure what's happening here, but not happy. This forum has always been a great place for help, inspiration, and guidance. Being downvoted for using third-party software, which hurts NO ONE on this forum is pretty unbelievable. And not by one poster, but two. Tron gave incorrect information. I merely asked for help. Taking a break from this place for a while. Mad at myself a bit for letting this get under my skin so much, but there's enough negativity in the world that I certainly don't need another place for it.

Thanks for that info. I was unaware of the mandate from National. Hopefully SB is better now than it was when I used it three years ago. It was a nightmare. We had lost data, scouts removed from the roster, etc. I gave up the Advancement Chair job 2-3 years ago to take on other roles, so I'm just starting to refamiliarize myself with the program. We still use Troopmaster because of the reports. SB still doesn't have (as far as I've heard, and from the little I've seen while poking around) the functionality of TM in that regard. We do batch uploads to SB, so it's not all that much more work. Just saw that you've given me a downvote as well. What the hell, man??!!

This doesn’t sound like the cost of material, but rather labor. The bean-counters have been converting service hours to dollars for decades. Edited to add … @DuctTape undersold himself. Based on the amount of people that could be fed for that amount 50 years ago, his project must have taken hundreds of man-hours. Even with labor costs of the time, it could have been worth a thousand dollars.

I remember earning the world crest patch by going to an international event in Canada too and IIRC there were a few other requirements?. Our troop participated in the event for years. It was great. Does that mean I earned the current rendition of the award? LOL

Exactly! Adding to my satisfaction is that two of my fellow leaders went at the same time, so now we're working on improving how our unit runs at the same time. By the time our tickets are finished, we will have significantly improved operational efficiency and have incorporated all the new adventure requirements into the operations in a scalable, repeatable way. And now when we need something, we have contacts at council as well as other units. Much better situation to be volunteering from.

I finished mine last fall, one of the better trainings that I've been to so far. Volunteering dynamics became a LOT easier once I networked with other leaders and focused in on what I needed to do to be a better leader for our scouts, volunteers, and parents.

I found my people! Now I can reach out to people in the area to talk about scouting instead of the Internet. I came here to connect with other scouters in the time that I have - the in between times and late nights. Now I can text people I know personally instead. I quite enjoyed WB, and would recommend. The brief format made it a great reminder of things I already knew, I learned a few new things, but above all I got plugged into engaged scouters nearby.

Good morning read provides an answer. https://www.laconiadailysun.com/community/announcements/lakes-region-sea-scouts-train-with-gilford-fire-rescue-team/article_8f0322b0-d849-11ef-bffe-ab377d6ce4c4.html "Among the preventative skills taught by firefighters Lachlan Plache and Tyler Emond (Gilford, NH Fire & Rescue team) were checking ice thickness, use of personal flotation devices in uncertain conditions, the importance of whistles, and not going out alone. Should an emergency occur, Scouts learned the use of emergency ice picks to claw onto the ice and to roll away from bad ice. When assisting others, Scouts were reminded to call 911 first, then assist with reach poles, ropes or other means of pulling out a victim, then taking steps to treat hypothermia until help arrives." ... “A significant percentage of first responders nationally were Scouts as youth, as well as becoming leaders in their communities. That’s a great return on investment, and we’re grateful for the help of the Gilford Fire & Rescue team,” said Brian Beihl, Sea Scout Ship 72 committee member.

That’s been the strategy for 8 decades of membership decline.

One of my Scouter buddies who retired from BSA around the same time I did, was just voted "Potentate" of the local Shriners. Perhaps BSA should consider an "Adult Division" where those over 18 can continue in the program, but separate from Cubs or Scouts. Work on skills and activities with adult peers, not with the youth.

Sounds like a regular meeting night to me You will have a LOT of people telling you how to do the job. Some will tell you how terrible you are at it. Some will say that to you, others will just gossip about it. But ... you're in this role because you stepped up, or were suggested and importantly out of all options - you Chartered Org Rep approved you. I carry an index card with me and as scouts ask for time I scribble it down and try to set expectations "Hey bud, you're 5th in line and I have a few things to do before I can sit down for conferences. It might be after the close of the meeting - can you stay? If not, we'll get it next week for sure." You're new in the role so you will tend to want to do more, probably, to learn and hone your skill. You can definitely delegate. Use those older scouts if it's to get something signed off. If you know the Scout well, it's often better to delegate the SM Conf to an ASM. I like to "hoarde" conferences for Scouts I don't know well or see as much as a tool to get to know them better and have that touch but also - never stand in the way of advancement progress. Better to delegate out a conference than hold up a scout for 3-4 weeks. And when things get REAL NUTS (sounds like you have a larger troop) you can do things outside of meetings, minding YPT. I've done a LOT of conferences at Starbucks on a non-meeting night. I've done a LOT at campouts and in fact have a habit now on Friday night saying "If anyone needs a conference or is really close - see me tomorrow after lunch" or whatever. Remember too, SM Conferences do not have to be last. If they are 1-2 simple requirements away from "being done and needing one" - just do it now if it's convenient. Save the pressure that comes from leaving it last. Many thing it has to be the last thing. It's not a bad idea to encourage that and use the SM conf as a chance to make sure all looks square just before a board of review but you can do a SM conference ANY time for a rank. And I always sign off the requirement the moment I sit down to do it with the Scout. The requirement does not say "pass" a conference - it says "have" a conference. So I just check the book, sign off the conf, then focus on them for the duration. Takes the stress and anticipation of getting that initial out of the equation too and lets them engage better as well.

I think BSA should drop the age limit. This deadline causes so much unneeded frustration for families and Scouts, and a rush to get it done, cutting corners, and detracting from the experience. If we want to create a great outdoor experience, we do not need to overlay the pressure of doing it for an award you are going run out of time getting. This would also help integrate Scouts with different needs (I do not like the phrase "special needs") who need more time to complete things.

Scouting is going to survive; Scouting America is going to survive. I don't think Scouting America membership has bottomed out yet; and I think a lot of change is coming. I think quality control of adult leaders and of units in general is eminent; certain it will be a thing no later than the final ink is dry on the settlement. I've only ever heard of adults being threatened to be kicked out, and I've only ever heard of units being threatened to loose their charter; I've recently witnessed my first adult leader kicked out of SA after decades of service, and 2 units have lost their charter in the last month, a 3rd was supposedly told 1 more safety/ypt violation and they are gone. What I see is that Scouting America is going to get smaller, and then we are going to turn a very big corner and experience some real growth.

You’re right. Networking is one of the great benefits.

They told me that if you find a snipe and take it home, it will carefully peck all the old badge magic off your uniform.