Gone

@@Twocubdad, remember several of these examples given were of regular, everyday scout events like a day hike. The leaders STILL were unprepared. I know leaders who couldn't tell you what poison ivy looks like, or cook an egg, or how to put out a grade fire. These are all related to training (or lack thereof) and directly related to everyday camping units do. There's two things we established early on. First, there needs to be basic training everyone gets as part of just doing the outdoor program (aka, everyday camping). Seconds, for those units that do HA, there needs to be additional training to get the, prepared to manage, plan and execute those events. So I think we are in agreement.

I think most are just shaking their heads at the fact that, with all the problems in public education, spending $100k on white self-flagellation to take the blame for others' misconduct is silly. Glad to be living in a state and region where such silly stuff has not reached us....yet.

I agree the answer is not in one place, nor is it abundantly clear what is/is not in scope unless you really, really look. The webpage for uniforms and insignia has it buried in Section 1 of a pdf and then it is not clear and only references BSA "rules and regulations" without a link to that doc (which you provided, thank goodness). BSA leaves the unit lead as the say within the unit as to when wearing the uniform is appropriate. I guess BSA leaves it to him to enforce the sections of the rules and regulations (Section 2, Clause 2; Section 4, Clause 6&7). Since those sections are not very definitive either, it leaves one to think that the unit lead may have to consult council as to the whether any one event is "consistent with the rules and regulations" of BSA. I agree that logic would prevail here and that it would not be an issue. BSA wants that responsibility to fall with the unit lead. But we have seen in many instances where unit leads are not trained enough or simply don't care to look to find the standard (albeit well hidden and ambiguously defined) BSA answer. One could always say, "I looked and couldn't find the answer, so we wore the uniform". Given how poorly BSA has articulated this "rule", I would have to agree that's an acceptable course.

@@RememberSchiff, our SM (who is black) does not call himself "African-American". His reply? "I've never been to Africa. I am a Montana-American if I am anything."

Next someone will be heading to the Norman Rockwell exhibit to repaint the paintings to make them culturally neutral.

Exactly! But I think the problem that both @@JoeBob and @@Stosh point out is that finding anything from BSA in one, definitive place is nearly impossible. Information management is problem for them. They started this news portal to aggregate BSA information but even that is not as clear and concise as it should be. What is sorely needed at BSA is a information management audit where professionals can come in and help them consolidate and manage their content and how to present it to the public. Too many tentacles on this octopus.

What Technology Does Your Unit Use? In looking through the "technology section" here I did not find a thread that summed up all the technology that we use in running our program. I thought it might be useful to start a thread that collected various technology used in your units. Rather than be prescriptive, I thought it might be useful to just list out what you use and why you use it. I will offer up a sample from my unit. TroopMaster: We use the client-based software for troop management. We have subscriptions to their web application which also links now to an iPhone/Android app where you can make changes to data either from the client software, web or app. SOAR/MyTroop: This is our website. It links with TroopMaster and allows us to have a full-feature website with calendar, troop roster, mailing lists, newsletter, announcements, event registration, event payment, troop store, file archive and much more. Social Media: Facebook: We use as an online brochure. We post events, "like" scout-related entities and events, post stuff about the unit to raise awareness and serve as one place people interested in joining can find out more about us. Twitter: Used for internal troop communications. Limited to logistics such as when we will be coming home from camp outs, E-Prep activities, reminders, etc. Remind: Good one-to-many text tool. Use this to target text messages to specific groups (e.g., TFC, PLC, senior leaders, patrols, etc.). Blogger: This is used to update parents while on camp outs or summer camp. Nice way to allow parents or grand parents to see what their kids are up to while away. Photo Archives: Picasa, Imgur or Shutterfly allow you to privately share pictures taken with those who have a password. We take photos on trips and camp outs and post them to folders. People can download originals. On Shutterfly you can import them to make gifts or reprints. Google Docs/OneDrive: Use these tools for file sharing and archiving large volumes of data; mostly working documents. Final docs are moved to the website. Committees, groups and patrols will use these tools to share docs/presentations in development. Great for program planning. Has a desktop sync feature that allows you to share a folder from desktop to cloud so you always have your data. Since it is in the cloud you can access from any computer or mobile device. OneNote: Use this for the Scribe to send out and share PLC minutes. Same cloud-to-app feature as Google Docs and OneDrive. Those are a few of the resources we use. What does your unit use?

@@packsaddle Wagner? Holy Dutch Ovens, that's considered child abuse in some states. The only thing worse would be Chinese opera.

Lack of accountability is a poor reason to make a decision too. Look where that's gotten society lately. Everyone is a victim. No thanks.

The BSA website has a buried sentence about asking one's leader if in doubt on where to wear the uniform. The uniform guidelines mentions the BSA "Rules and Regulations" around when it's appropriate to wear the uniform. It would be helpful if all this was in one place, but this is BSA....we know better than to expect that.

Asked and answered. The harm is moving the line. Where does it end? When do we say no? You have your answer.

That's one way to keep kids out of your vehicle.

Why not let the guy who has 5 months and 30 days and not six months of leadership a pass? Why not give the guy who has an SMC one day AFTER his 18th a pass? Why is it okay to bend one rule and not another? Where does it end?

My answer is what I said above. I don't see that being a good scout running contrary to holding one responsible for their actions/inactions. If you use the "what would a good scout do" excuse one could wiggle their way in to ANY missed opportunity. Where do you draw the line when you do that? A good scout knows when to draw the line. People learn a hard lesson and move on. What you propose is the academic equivalent of helicopter parenting.

We've had a DE-a-year for about 5 years now. The longest I recall was in for two years over the last 12 years. They all go on to council or national...of course, none having really done anything other than some brown-nosing.

Good post, but I edited down to this sentence for a reason: In the OP a few of those who got in trouble were out on simple camp outs. Day hike with not enough water, no water source, no map, no GPS, they split their group, no food, etc. There are about a dozen or more violations of trek safely right there, and that should be basic training for any adult....not just those leading the activity. I suspect you agree on that point, and that is one of the points of the feedback so far: There needs to be more in-depth basic training for leader. Even if you don't have orienteering experience, a leader can follow trek safely, the ten essentials and learn how to use a map and compass to avoid getting in a position where the SAR team had to be deployed.

You had an adult, in a graduate program, too stupid to go to the Dean and ask, "What happens now that Mr. Smith is dead?" C'mon, really? At what point in our lives to we step up and take personal accountability for our action and our destiny, rather than to blindly slough around waiting for others to save us from ourselves? In your scenario, the guy is an adult. He was in a graduate program -- I hope to God not in medicine, law or anything where peoples' lives were at stake -- and he didn't have the brains to ask another prof, department head, dean, counselor or fellow students what he's supposed to do? Sorry, he got what he deserved...no degree. His fault. Oh well. As to this 65 year-old Scout, I blame the parents and him. THREE YEARS they sat around wondering what happens now? C'mon, people!! I really meant to buy Apple in 1978. I should call my broker and tell him that I really meant too, I was just too lazy to do anything about it back then but I'd love to buy now at 1978 prices.

If you're under 28, then I would agree with Eagle. If you're a 35 year old network engineer I don't care if you are Eagle or not. I *do* care if you have CISSP certification.

Actually @@JoeBob, I was putting together our unit's internal training program. You know I have nothing to do with district and council, so we are putting together our own training curriculum for leaders and youth. We will then go out and staff those courses and offer them up to our adults and youth. I was using this thread to see what other great ideas folks have. Some great stuff here. @@Stosh, from BSA the SM will get nothing in this area...though he should. There are plenty of resources out there that BSA could partner with to get this training in to the hands of the SMs and other leaders. Outside of BSA there are several organizations that offer distance learning, downloads, webinars and other free courses on how to manage kids on the spectrum. Admittedly the SM would have to do some digging. Yet another reason BSA should be working with these groups to 1) avoid re-inventing the wheel, and 2) getting the resources in the leaders' hands fast rather than moving at BSA's usual glacial pace...and then getting it totally wrong.

We are talking professional awards and achievements, right? No one cares you got a Silver Beaver if I am hiring you to run my call center or manage my sales force.

There are specific events where wearing the uniform is a no-no, hence why BSA says "Ask your leader".

BSA says ask the unit lead.

Wearing it to a political envelop-stuffing session?

He knows he could push the issue. He's come to terms with the fact he dropped the ball and is living with the consequences. It has made him one helluva scouter. He's making up for the fact he didn't get Eagle by getting all the training and experience he can in nearly everything else offered to adults. He laughs when he reads stuff like this. How can three years go by and NO ONE -- not even the then scout -- does anything to push this issue? 50 years later we award it? Just too comical.