qwazse

Let’s face facts. It costs real time and money on BSA’s part to vette volunteers. Those of us who are in “fee” positions are fronting the bill for those who are only in “no fee” positions. It’s worth it to us boots on the ground because we hate the thought of sending scouts to a sketchy adult just for the sake of a lousy patch that someone with a clear record could provide if we knew we needed to recruit them. Moreover, any further improvements to YPT are most likely coming from increased fees. So, if your only position is MBC, and you have more to offer a unit or district, consider setting aside funds (and time) for the registration fees and the training. In the long run, that will ease the burden on the rest of us.

What does the merit badge pamphlet say?

Being an MBC is tangential. ASM’s have to pay … to register as an adult leader with a unit unit dues (if any) to attend IOLS training Vehicle maintenance, fuel, gear, literature time taking YPT, hazards training, etc … advanced courses (BSA guard, Wilderness First Aid, Woodbadge, etc…) depending on how you choose to assist the SM. My unit pays for adult leader registrations, so I try to sneak the $’s back in … donating to fundraisers, getting snacks for an activity, etc … But the bottom line: if you want to be an ASM, set aside some coin for it.

I am afraid any resolution of the problem will not comfort the accused scout … If the accused scout’s defense is true, then the accusing scout is either delusional or manipulative. In either case, she can’t be trusted and is therefore disqualified as a scout. Such scouts in my troop or crew have been suspended for six months. We can work with crazy — a little; but lying crazy — not so much. Sadly, it can take years to recover from being suspended from a volunteer organization, and we have not had suspended scouts return. So the accused scout’s wish for reconciliation is unlikely to happen anytime soon. It doesn’t matter if lying scouts are removed officially or not. If they aren’t brutally honest about themselves, they will erode the life of their unit. What scout will want to tent with this scout? What leader will want to have any kind of personal relationship? It won’t be long before the unit suspends operation for lack of membership and adequate supervision. There simply aren’t a lot of winning scenarios.

Not necessarily. It may not be an actionable offense. (Most bullying is not.) Since the scout has been given scant information, we don’t know which authorities have been informed. Although we’d expect them to interview the scout by now, sometimes they do not. Moreover, it may be a false report. In which case the accuser could be in very deep trouble were this taken to the authorities. Even if it is not taken to the authorities, this could be a very difficult time for the accuser if her claim cannot be verified. @scoutlaw74, if your scout is a victim of a false report, he may need counseling in a few months. Vindication is not always enough to overcome the trauma of false accusation.

Good luck, but there’s room for pessimism.

That’s an interesting supposition. But, I think this is a reversal of causality. Without the discovery intrinsic to bankruptcy, such documentaries would be chalked up by many as “gotcha” journalism and constitute another few months of survivors not being believed. The collective response of survivors has done far more heavy lifting than any collection of documentaries. As to journalistic quality. I think that’s a non-issue. More people can easily produce content without the editorial oversight of a media conglomerate. I find that to be a good thing.

Sounds like a plan. Was just there (well Sea World, the kids outvoted Mrs. Q.) Enjoy the traffic. P.S. — One of my erstwhile scouts is a photojournalist for the Orlando Sentinel and has written several articles on off-the-beaten-path adventures.

Sorry to hear. You may want to get some assistance in coaching how to deal with this. Your DE or SE may be able to put you in touch with some good resources for youth leaders.

Question no longer, take a quote from this stranger on the internet and be certain: First class first year is a lie. The skills therein are difficult to master. I have seen classes of scouts get to Eagle no sooner if they earn 1st class early.

As I explain to our post-docs: there’s differential diagnosis, and then there’s the hair rising on the back of your neck.

@SiouxRanger without belaboring the details, me too. I was the next to last person to leave the water and did that last once-over scan that lifesaving instructors pound into your head, saw my friend struggling in the deep about to slip quietly away, reached out a hand, and forestalled death. It’s what we do. No fanfare required.

I've observed "cold starting" scouts do just as well as scouts who've been in since crossing over. They're coming in a couple of years older. They're a little more mature. Their reading comprehension is better. Such scouts have done a lot for the life of our troop. They are also very helpful because they question bureaucracy, and every once in a while, they're right!

Welcome, and thanks in advance for all you’ll do for the youth!

That’s a very key point. A patch is more valuable with thorough research as to its provenance. (E.g., who wore it? What does “476” signify? Any photos of it from that period?)

This 🙄. Sailors and LEOs who want to reach out to teens aren’t looking for a lot of meddling from BSA pros.

Some conversations, including replies from a member, may be found here …

Time to get serious with that welding MB.

The reason why this disturbs is that it supposed that mass murder could be a rational conclusion based on the environment in which one is immersed. Having known a few young men (all from good parents) who committed suicide (not all with firearms), I often wonder if one or two of them were motivated by an urgent need to prevent themselves from doing anything worse. Obviously I’ll never know, but I certainly wish they had the courage to talk it out with one or more of the many people who they could trust,myself included.

Flawed assumption: not all crews have an “outdoor adventure program.” Nor should they. A crew’s program goals may very well clash with the objectives of any of the nearest troop. E.g., the crew might seek to master pistol marksmanship. Also flawed. My crew was the most vibrant when it wasn’t being feed by a troop. It had a tangible purpose when non-scouts were in the mix, especially as leaders. Regarding an older scouts’ patrol/leadership corps/venture patrol, I challenge anyone to float it by your scouts to see who wants to start one now and see if it sticks. I foresee good things in store for @Cburkhardt’s leadership corps.

For my youth Venturing was a safe space to get away from all of the advancement chatter. A Venture Patrol does nothing for the relationships between 15-17 year olds and 18-20 year olds. Youth will leave BSA to pursue those associations. Merging with Exploring, IMHO, offers the greatest potential. All crews become posts. Harmonize award as needed, increase mobility between career exploration and the activities in venturing, have fun.

Too lazy to find the link to one of my earlier posts, so I’ll retype: An Italian exchange student in my crew was trying to get up to speed with translating her scouting experience into ours. Among the terms that perplexed her: “scouter.” Because, she said, “You know, once a scout, always a scout.”

If I were that scout, I’d ask DEC for the claws that poked my bag!

This . A very key point of venturing was our ability to take the senior venturer and say: "Hey, we've given you the skills. Consider starting a troop or a pack." Or, "This troop needs an adult leader for a weekend trek. You've got that Ranger award. Want to be the hike-master's #2?" Or, "Get together with your fellow council officers at a location of your choice, brainstorm, and at next meeting we'll discuss implementing the next big Council/Area/Region/National event." Or, "Write an article for the council newsletter about the last event." (The council wouldn't publish it because the SE wanted to dedicate more space to pitching summer camps. In other words, we could give an 18-20 y.o. tremendous autonomy to run program across districts and councils. But, regardless of the YP stats, letting that happen in this litigious environment is a huge liability to BSA. I'm afraid that until someone is able to underwrite that liability, youth will seek leadership opportunities in other organizations.

Those were the titles of my graduate courses, in that order.