MattR

Welcome to the forum, @UKScouterInCA.

I have another idea for a MB. Rather than try and solve our differences, let's embrace them. Forget the name for now. All of the requirements will be participating in a debate about the various problems in our communities, improving schools, drug additions, police, jobs, homelessness, all the big issues. It will require multiple scouts to do this at a time. As a group they will decide what the debate subjects are. They will need to understand both sides of each subject as they won't know which side they will have to debate until they do the debate. At the end of the debate, if they were prepared, they get the MB signed off. So, absolutely no describe, discuss and explain. It would include a competition. Scouts would be forced to understand both sides. How about Debate and Ethics? I think we just need to figure out how to get an I in there.

I'd rather see real plc meetings, including the screwing around and the sm giving the spl a hand signal to his watch. Can't they just bleep out names or ask them to use stage names? I also like the idea of staging meetings that go wrong. I did a training session like that where each scout was given a role to play, over eager, helpful, complainer, etc. The scouts really enjoyed it. They also asked to be the negative scout, if there was one. That's an easy one to have fun with.

Welcome to the forum, @Scouted2000, and good question. It could help knowing what we're arguing about.

I just spent too much time watching that. I've stated before and I'll repeat it now. Summarize the videos. Did you even watch all of this? This is not about BLM in the least, or even Seattle's CHOP zone. It's about mental health. But I did like the interview of the scout that got hooked on oxycontin and nearly died, so I guess that's why it's related to scouting? Or maybe it's that the US is a third world country, with how it treats the poor/those with mental health problems.

Welcome to the forum, @deafeaglescout. That's really fascinating history. Thank you for sharing. It would be great for you to give back to scouting in whatever way you can. That applies to all of us on this forum so this is a great place for you to be.

I noticed that @RememberSchiff keeps adding something along the lines of "just my $.02” at the end of his posts. I'm starting to wonder if he's expecting payment. Think about it. He has some 5800 posts. At 2 cents per post that's over $100. But maybe he's expecting the 2 cents from each person that reads a post? That is a whole lot of wisdom. Especially if he can collect. But, is it legal? What say yee? Let's have some fun with this. It's been a rough year and we should start the new year happy. The legalese 😁: keep it friendly, images are permitted, any punishment vetted on anyone will be carried out in jest just as soon as we all meet at a real campfire.

I think it's nice that they can all be seen.

Yep. Kind of like breaking up the phone company. If it helps the youth then I'm for it. Besides, the term scout is bigger than either of the 2 organizations. And I'm not talking about Israeli Scouts or Polish Scouts, both of which reside in the US and nobody seems too bothered by. Let Trail Life call themselves a scouting organization, because they are. Same for BPSA. Who doesn't think the S stands for Scout? There has to be a legal principal that if it walks like a scout, talks like a scout and eats like a scout, then it's a scout.

Speaking of monopoly, or rather charters, isn't it time to remove all the charters and end all of these issues about the rights to a word, scouts, that predates both the bsa and gsusa? It seems to me that everyone else in the world treats the term scouts as generic and hence no copyrights. Anyway, how many problems have occured because the bsa and gsusa thought they had a monopoly and didn't need to listen to their customers? Maybe adding some competition might just help the people the charter should be helping, the youth.

Done. Merry Christmas.

Since this topic is is about new ways to fund units, I'd say make a change to this rule about tips for service. The only difference between tips and a fixed price for service is when the price is negotiated. My troop picks up Christmas trees and recycles them. They ask for a donation. Some give $5 and some give $20. I see no issue with this. Further, it encourages the idea of council supporting units rather than the other way.

Welcome to the forum, @CharlieZ. It looks like the image has been fixed.

I can see how you're not happy with it. Yesterday there was a lot of really good discussion on this thread about how this MB wasn't going to work. I wake up this morning and there is suddenly a lot more posts that are starting to get heated. I'd rather see the good discussion. If there are points that the video makes that you want to bring up, go for it. This country is tearing itself apart because most people can't talk about anything without jumping into personal insults. As for this MB, I don't like it because A) it's just school work and B) there are people here that are very much against it, so it won't work anyway. At the same time, a good friend of mine is black and there's some truth to a lot of what the black community is talking about. I don't think this MB will help but at the same time just saying follow the scout oath and law won't suffice either. I'm not sure what the answer is. But when a video comes along with the title along the lines of "what the left won't accept" I know it's not going to help move things forward. Again, take the time to write up the points in your words, understanding that both sides are reading it, and I'd really interested in reading it.

No, censorship would be deleting the posts, locking the thread, and banning those that participated. Go ahead and discuss as much as you want. The reason we put in that rule was that it was too easy for people to create a bunch of content that reflected their anger about something without thinking about all of the content they've posted. That's where threads tend to go bad. What we want is for people to spend the time to pick their words carefully. That's not censorship. That's asking for civil discourse among people that disagree with each other.

@CynicalScouter is correct.

I removed the video because it's not helping, it violates the rules, we're running out of moderators, and I'm just tired of watching culture war. Nobody ever changes their mind once we hit this point. I'd suggest looking for a different approach.

Thanks! I don't have cable but the thought is appreciated.

Here's my proposal for a merit badge that might be more scout like (I.e., more doing and less talking). I realize this will never happen. Culture Shock Merit Badge. 1) with a parent, identify a family having a different cultural background than your own. This can be language, cultural heritage, economics, urban vs rural, disability or anything else that you've never been around. This family must also have children your age. A) live with this family for a bare minimum of 3 months. 6 months would be better and a year would be ideal. You must go to the same school as the children in the family, participate in their religious practices, go on any vacations with them. For the first month you are not to contact your family or your friends. You must have another adult that you meet with weekly and can contact at any time with any problems you are having. B) keep a journal that you write in at least weekly. Describe challenges you have and differences in how your host family does things compared to your family. Describe things that are better, worse and just different from what you are used to. 2) after completing req 1) review your journal with your counselor. 3) make a presentation to your troop about your experience. 4) make a first aid kit, because there is always a first aid requirement.

Welcome to the forum, @1980Scouter. I'm sorry to hear your news. I suspect a lot of councils are in a similar situation.

I think a patch showing Jupiter and Saturn crashing into each other would be a real hit.

We'll, at least there is a lot of diversity in the whining around here.

I like it. They must have read our discussions, it's much simpler and usable.

Welcome to the forum, @ADCMike.

That's nonsense.