scoutldr

CONGRATULATIONS! To my new Brother Eagle and to all to stood behind him and didn't give up on him! Way to GO!

I don't see where the boat operator must be a "trained lifeguard"....

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.

I am in favor of keeping the age limit. 18 is the legal demarcation between "minor" and "adult". Over the years, I have seen "adulthood" being pushed out older and older. At 26, you can still be on your parents' health insurance, even if they are married with their own families. Why, I have no idea. I have relatives who are 30 and still being supported by their parents. I say, "hold the line". We are in the business of helping young people grow up and be self-sufficient. Part of that is getting your act together to meet deadlines...or deal with the consequences.

I would be qualified and interested, too, if 20 years younger! BS in Environmental Health, Masters in OSH, Certified Industrial Hygienist, 40 years experience and Eagle Scout!...Been retired 8 years now and not looking back! I too appreciate you monitoring the forums and chiming in from time to time. Best of luck in the next phase of your life and may God Bless! Hope you continue to be a member here and give us the benefit of your wisdom!

We thought it could handle pedophiles, too. Yet, here we are.

I heard about a kid named Spielberg who might have experience.

What is the Lenape word for "blah, blah, blah"?

When I came up through the ARC system, I passed Sr Lifesaving and WSI. The instructor/victims were very active and almost twice my size. When I took BSA Lifeguard and became a BSA Lifeguard Counselor, I taught it the same way. When I signed their card, there was NO doubt that they were competent. Sadly, after that, the whole program got watered down as many other requirements in the BSA did.

BSA Lifeguard Certification Program Retiring After careful consideration and evaluation, Scouting America will transition away from the BSA Lifeguard certification program effective December 31, 2024. Moving forward, we believe that partnering with well-established certifying agencies such as the American Red Cross, YMCA, StarGuard Elite, and Ellis & Associates will still allow us to offer local councils access to top-tier lifeguard training. Individuals currently certified as BSA Lifeguards may continue to use their certification until it reaches its expiration date. Individuals who are certified as BSA Lifeguard Instructors will receive additional information on how to potentially transition to an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor. If you would like to learn more about this transition in person, consider registering for the upcoming 2024 National Aquatics Conference https://www.scouting.org/.../2024-national-aquatics.../ (Posted by Mike Walton on FB Page US Scouting Service Project

I just took a gander at our Council website and we have 53 Executive Board members! PLUS "advisory" members and "honorary" members. Is this the norm for a 500 level Council? I have some experience with Board Governance and was a Board member of a national professional board. Everything I know says this is far too many to be effective and unnecessary. Or, is this just a "resume entry" for large donors?

The Coast Guard and state laws refer to them as "Personal Water Craft" or PWC.

"Jet Ski" is a registered trademark of Kawasaki, not SeaDoo (a Bombardier company). Could be a cause for dismissal for a sloppy mistake.

I retired after a 40 year career in Occupational Safety and Health. The past few years of mask mandates from the "experts" have been a joke. A respirator (mask), unless it's NIOSH approved and tested, properly sized and fitted (with NO facial hair) is useless. There is NO respirator designed for children or those with very small features. They are designed to fit most working adults. The attempts at "protection" using cloth gaiters, plastic face shields, surgical masks, dust masks, etc, were not only useless, but imparted a false sense of security especially when worn with beards.. In a fire situation, the environment is considered "immediately dangerous to life and health" (IDLH) and NO negative pressure respirator is acceptable protection. While an N95 may filter out large particulate matter, it does nothing for the carcinogenic gases, vapors and lack of oxygen present around fires. My best advice for those in fire country...stay home.

Pencil whipping the requirements for Quality District.

To be clear a Commissioner's job is with the District and reports to the District Commissioner. They have NO authority in a unit for any reason. But we all knew that.

I'm with ya, Brother.

The requirement is: "Become familiar with your patrol name, emblem, flag, and yell. Explain how these items create patrol spirit." If no one knows where it is, I would discuss with my Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader. Your patrol should create one if one does not exist. Good Luck and Happy Scouting!

As a retired Occupational Safety and Health professional, I think the biggest factor is not global warming, but the lack of acclimatization of people, especially the youth. People who routinely work and play outdoors develop a physiological tolerance to heat, and not much of that happens anymore. Most of us arrive at Camp having just emerged from cool environments of home, office, cars, etc. Back in the 1900s when my kids were young scouts, we had a house rule that the AC didn't get turned on in the house, until we returned from Summer Camp. Up until camp, usually the week after 4th of July, we had the windows open and worked and played outside as much as possible to get "acclimated" to the heat. I worked in a shipyard, so had to be out on the ships and shops, not soaking up the AC in the office. I remember one week when the temp topped 100 every day and the low at night was around 90, with 80-90% humidity...in coastal Virginia. We survived by maximizing pool time and eating lightly and hydrating. No AC in the dining hall, only in the trading post and Admin building. Good times.

I have read that most bites occur as a result of trying to capture, kill or relocate a snake. Just give them their space and they will be on their way.

I love Mike Rowe. This echos everything I believe about the BSA and I was that young Scout, too.

"Normalizing" is not always a good thing.

And just like McD, they are pricing themselves out of the market. Last I heard, the only qualification to join GSUSA was to just say you're a girl. Have they now dropped all pretense?

What a surprise (not). We conspiracy theorists knew this was the plan all along. Now that the objecting religious sponsors are out of the way, time to make the move.

When my financial advisor found out I was a scout leader and taking other people's kids in my car and out camping, he recommended I carry umbrella liability insurance. I have done so for 30 years now. It is very reasonable in cost. You can be perfectly innocent and not at fault, but if you get sued or accused, it can cost you everything to defend yourself. Such is today's litigious society that feels if my kid gets hurt, SOMEONE has to pay, no matter the reason.