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In general, quiz games have limited education value. But, building fun into the process is always good. Zombie fences, first aid meets, water rescue drills, land navigation to dead-drops of dinner/dessert ... these are the things that build scout skills.

Let’s all stop thinking the worst of one another and roll back the last three posts. @SiouxRanger’s wishing contagion on the innocents among an adversary’s family is unacceptable ad hominem (even if no such man exists), and as we see, opened the gate to taking umbrage in kind. Think well of one another. Read twice before replying. Ask clarification rather than denounce. Make only one point, send, sleep on he other.

Well, you’re in for it now! (Welcome to the forums BTW.) Seriously, there was precious little more rewarding than advising Daughter’s crew. (It was also Son #1 and #2’s crew as well, but having spent 13 years on the outside looking in, I think it meant a lot more for her.) Identify your troop’s female ASM’s immediately and get them on the same training page. If the CO can recommend someone from their ranks — all the better. If you’re claiming to stand apart, you need a couple of adults with that frame of reference. FWIW - most of us on this forum push patrols to operate independently. So, what you envision isn’t much different than if you said your son and 8 friends were joining an existing troop. Also, brace yourself for younger scouts who want to kick it into high gear while those older boys want to camp so hey can kick back and relax. It’s a global phenomenon.

Mandates, historically, have tended to backfire in the long run. BSA’s statement is better nuanced. Although it may leave room for spread in units/districts where members are avoiding vaccination for reasons other than an established personal risk for adverse reactions, we do no service to our nation for people to avoid scouting in order to shirk a mandate.

You’re welcome. I assure you, setting up and maintaining shared passwords is a life skill that our kids will bear for the rest of their lives. But, maybe that’s not the important part of the “repair.” Mounting the router and running cable is probably more significant aspect. But you definitely have a lot of latitude with this one. You’ll find the biggest challenge with counseling this badge is that scouts might think it’s not a fun one to do.

Death is a strong word. Worst case scenario is the pack will be dissolved. Let me rephrase: Your family didn't fund the entire program, you all enabled a co-dependent relationship. Your wife doesn't want to give up her 50hr/week job for the sake of some scouts' smiles. We all have priorities. You did more than the adults were asking you to do. It's not fun to have your work go un-appreciated. The best favor you could do for everyone involved is for one pack meeting, announce "Sorry folks the kids will not be getting their patches because we couldn't fit in time to order them. We're just going to announce what they've earned." If nobody complains, you know you don't need that as part of your program. If someone does complain, you might have just found your next volunteer. I'm not criticizing your enthusiasm. But, enthusiasm needs to be channeled or burnout ensues. Let everyone know that your Mrs. ArmyMutt is done with extra jobs now. A family emergency is brewing and you all need to handle it. Ask your kid(s) what is the most fun thing about the program and commit to that. Everything else should be handed off to someone else or dropped.

There's a whole lot going on at the cub level. Just being a parent doesn't qualify them. They've had at least five years to find out how talented with kids they are (or not). As @David CO points out, the best some parents/guardians can do for the unit is bring their child and hang back. It's not merely a matter of them having an adverse history. It's that they know they aren't up for the task. Other parents/guardians have not learned that they may have a lot to offer. At the very least, they could hold the rest of you accountable. You really need them to surmount that training hurdle. If you've identified one or two folks like this ... it's time for you to become a cheerleader and let them know you think they are the right person for the job. Other parents have just said "yes" to too much. And this isn't just kids' activities. They've committed to some American dream with a house too big for them to clean/repair a lawn too big for them to maintain, vacations too far from home, and a financial profile that precludes hiring laborers. If one of them is right for your team, you're gonna have to convince them that they can say "no" to other things and do something that will yield biggest return on investment they have ever experienced. Sort through your parents, get to know a few a little better, and see if anyone seems to click. If nobody's available, some of your program will have to be curtailed. It really is just that simple.

@IndyDad, welcome to the forums. And, thanks in advance for all you do for the youth! If you have a scout with a baseball, and an old house, you have needed a pane of glass replaced! Yes, blinds can be made/replaced/fitted/repaired to your house. With old artwork, the paper backing can wear off of antique frames. Waterproofing is often a matter of reshaping a lawn or cleaning out clogged drains. But, we've also had our kids digging and chinking! If scouts do take you up on this badge, your are about to learn a lot of what a scout can do! Some "new house" projects: Run Cat-6 cable safely through a house to avoid tripping hazards, etc ... splice a connector on cable. . Replace an outlet with wall-mounted USB ports. Check the water temperature/pressure on the house main. Install a wireless router, determine it's optimal location, tune it to avoid interference with neighbor's signals. Install a rainwater collector. Test the quality of collected water and determine appropriate uses for it. Safely replace incandescent fixtures with LED. Install energy-saving timer switches. Help program a "smart" thermostat. That's what I like about this badge, there are lots of possibilities.

If you want to gripe about this organization's marketing doublespeak, you'll have to take a number behind a formidable list of parties. Case in point: at no time has BSA touted a sex-segregated program with the same awards and recognition for all, yet here we are.

Shame on Dave. The unit should report to the CO at least yearly. For churches, Scout Sunday is ideal for that sort of thing. If you don't have a meaningful conversation with your COR and IH (institutional head) at least once a year, you are doing your troop a profound disservice. Now, it's time for Dave to start having meaningful conversations with the new COR ... that would be Bob. Bob's belligerent, we gather. But, is he wrong? Has he met these leaders whose applications he holds in his hand? Has he called their references? Is he representing the CO well? If Dave is concerned that Bob is not representing the wishes of the CO to the troop, the only recourse is to contact the IH and make up for lost time.

There has been some psycho-social research internationally that touched on the topic of scouting in specific. If I find the articles (again) I'll share. I agree with @David CO -- not because of any concerns about socialism per se -- but because I think the cost-benefit in health-care dollars won't tip for or against underwriting youth programs. However, if the point of the class is to work through that calculus, this one is pretty creative. We all have taken the public health ramifications of youth education for granted. The ability, for example, for large numbers of people to swim in open water without dying is intrinsically linked to the proportion of individuals trained in aquatics, first aid, and lifesaving. Loss of life and limb due to forest fires is inversely proportional to the percentage of campers with training in fire safety. And so on ... FWIW - there are tax incentives for youth leaders (writing off travel, uniforms, fees, etc ...) if their contributions push them above the standard deductions.

The World Scout Jamboree is in 2023 (South Korea). Scouters will be spread thin regardless.

If it actually saves time. Keep an eye on that. If adults are adding to meeting agenda because it’s two units, it’s better to split the committee.

Simple? Let us remember that it's a big country. So there will be no single outcome. Getting beyond stats ... National Program (which, let's not whitewash it, is driven by some of the elite businessmen and women of America who saw scouting as a key to their success) will have roughly the same facilities and materials. However, delivery of facilities and materials will be passed on to volunteers -- or they will pay more for services. Registration costs and fees will increase. Local program will have lost facilities, and some scouts will have to travel longer distances to summer camp, putting them at increased risk for vehicular accidents, dismemberment, and death. Premiums for insurance will increase. Troops who lose CO's will be dependent on individuals offering meeting places and storage for gear. That increases the probability of lost/damaged gear, making it more expensive for scouts. Training burden will increase, discouraging some volunteers. Without generous donations from the neighboring communities, undeserved scouts will be shut out. On a world stage, WOSM will become dominated by up-and-coming organizations. With less money from US sales of purple patches, it will be increasingly supported by organizations from burgeoning economies in Asia, Europe, and Africa.

I don't consider anything a threat if it engages youth. Based on reports from the participants who I know, TL\USA is a whole lot of fun. But, not being chartered by Congress, the organization is not beholden to report any statistics. Their website reports "over 30K" youth in 600 units. But that stat has not been updated for quite some time. Much of their leadership are former scout executives. Many of their troops are housed in institutions that formerly housed BSA troops. So, it's only a matter of time and legal talent before an ambitious representative of abused victims connects dots, finds chinks in armor, and takes aim.

One problem with intense litigation: … it discourages voluntary reporting. But, from what I’ve come to understand, it depends. Formidable predators (let’s consider the adult serial rapist) may get their start at an early age … but avoid getting caught at the time. Some (not all) homosexuals who’ve talked to me about their history became sexually active at an early age with young women or men just a couple of years older. It is taken as gospel by those with a permissive sexual ethic that young people either have sex or talk about it or share images/videos about it a lot … often with someone of a different age. There is a movement that encourages that dialogue. Inevitably, in this world view, we will find conversations one participant is just over 18 and the other just under. All of this puts young ASMs in a precarious position. What they might consider “normal” is extremely threatening to the organization. Moreover a real predator could be masquerading under the veil of innocence.

Not just minors, but adults. Some legal departments in major health systems have been examining policies that would mandate a chaperone in every office visit involving a pelvic floor or breast exam. Practitioners are pushing back because of two reasons: the cost to hire chaperones and the likelihood that more patients — especially those with a history of abuse — would be harmed by a second person in the room

Fighting insta-palms? I only rail at those who made that decision. Now, I’m struggling to get new Eagle scouts to do the paperwork to acquire them! As to the topic at hand, it might be worthwhile to have an entire child sexual abuse forum, of which bankruptcy proceedings and other collections of topics would be sub-forums. There may currently be a lot of churn specific to the bankruptcy, but in the long run we’re wanting to know how to keep kids safe and help adults who were abused in childhood succeed as leaders and parents.

Well, I guess if there were racial disparities in access to firearms, ammunition, and shooting ranges, that would be a good start. I think a great service project would be firearm safety seminars in underserved communities.

lion DL’s need to up their game https://text.npr.org/1030924211

@SiouxRanger, I agree that bygone bathhouses would not stand a chance against video devices of today. I just don’t know if modern shower houses have provided any long term advantage against determined predators. Good scouters staying educated may be all we can count on.

Welcome!

If only bird-study were required for Eagle, there would be some great synergy between scouts and this sanctuary.

We (as in me and maybe two other scouters) prefer the term insignia wonk. With registration fees skyrocketed, something’s gotta give. I got nothing but respect for thrifty scouters.

Strange. I haven't seen a whole lot of natural instinct for organization among girls. I challenge young teens to build crews, the first step being getting them and five buddies to show up at my door and tell me they want to get started. That first step is very, very, hard for them. Among Girl Scouts, on the other hand, they are cracker-jack organizers. It was a group of girl scouts who rebooted our crew and then handed it off to a next generation. If BSA wanted to draw a solid line in the sand, they should of kept "Boy Scouts" and added a stand-alone "Boy Scouts for Girls." They clearly wanted to market to parents and scouters who wanted a little less "separate, but equal" while appeasing the other troops who wanted girls to be a trebuchet launch away. My scouts (boys) are pretty much divided. We had some good campfire discussions a summer camp. (They only place our boys spend time with girl troops for any length.) I maintained back-channel conversations with one troop's leaders because some of our boys were making friends in the course of a week and I was concerned about any imposition. The leader said that, on the contrary, their girls were grateful to have at least a few young men in camp who treated them like fellow scouts. One of my older scouts, on the other hand, told me that he did not like the situation and that he said as much -- respectfully -- to a female staff who asked his opinion. I'm not sure if it was in the presence of other female campers. But, he's was not the kind of guy who would be obnoxious about it. But he clearly felt that guys needed their space to do well. The boys were willing to agree to disagree on the matter, so I encouraged them to keep up the good work and not sweep anything under the rug.