TAHAWK

Sounds right. So how do we get Scoutmasters to influence the Scouts towards exciting program? The answer used to be training, but the training materials seem less oriented towards adventure, less and less time is allocated to training, and little is done to encourage exciting program or to discourage unexciting program. E.g.: a weekend "lock-in" indoors to watch movies is a "weekend campout" for scoring Journey to Mediocrity," a principle tool, we are told, to promote "good program." 😍

As a practical matter, the right person has to ask - someone who they owe. It's been that way for decades. Too easy to say "no" - or ignore - strangers. When we had districts, as effort was made to force us into a "COMMUNITY LEADER" model. Only business execs [$$$$$$$$$$] - others elected were vetoed by the SE after the elections. Clean sweep of the volunteers who had led their districts - including those with membership growth AND over 100%of FOS goal collected. When the voters in our strongest district would not be dragooned and kept electing their choice, the districts were eliminated. Our district, to our shame, went along. We had four years of a "District Chairman" who was a CEO with almost no Scouting background who. He did nothing. He attended less than 20% of the District Committee meetings and felt it was totally the "professionals" job to fill the District Roster. As they were effectively strangers, they failed - no District Commissioner for half the time. No Training Chairman for 75%of the time. No Roundtable Commissioners for 80%. If not for the Program Chair becoming the de facto District Chairman, nothing would have happened. And then he and his committee were thrown under the bus with the death of districts. And it is much, much worse.

We no longer have districts. We have Service Areas run by Council employees with little Scouting background. Bankruptcy might be a good thing. "All hat and no cowboy."

Your instinct is correct. With narrow exceptions (health, safety, YPT), the Scouts are to decide who is in which patrol. A well-oiled machine is not an objective. Learning by experience how to at least try to deal with problems is part of leadership - one of our objectives. I am sure you have shared with the PL (and APL) your appreciation of the real effort they have made to lead their less-than-perfect team - and coached them on how to cope. What is "perfect" in the realm of imperfect humanity? Stay in long enough, and you WILL be faced with human challenges that are beyond our powers. I had a totally blind, autistic Scout who Mom had addicted to opiates to "settle him down." After nearly two years, we passed him on to a more qualified program after he was found behind a curtain beating his fists to a bloody pulp on a wall in frustration and rage after Mom left Dad for another "partner." But he got to backpack in PA, to listen to the falls of Johnnycake Run, and to hear a porcupine scrounging around the campsite at night. He got to smell the forest and experience other kids showing that they cared a lot about his happiness. And those others still remember how they felt then and what they learned, even as they raise kids of their own. Perfect.

Oh, they'e unique all right, just not uniform. I Scouted at one time in four councils, and so, as you know, had four BSA ID numbers. Hard to fix stupid.

"A Scout is thrifty. He does not wantonly destroy property. He works faithfully, wastes nothing, and makes the best use of his opportunities. He saves his money so he can pay his own way...."

Most of the expense in BSA - at least in our council - is salaries, wages, and benefits - over 90% of council income.

"Camp Stigwandish serves as a home to Adventure Camp and National Youth Leadership Training (Lake Erie Council) in the summer and also helps out with the Beaumont Scout Reservation summer camp program [overflow]. September through May, Stigwandish is open to units and families for weekend camping and service area activities! Stigwandish is the primary home to Scouts in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties (OH). This camp is a great place to return to nature, yet still being close to home!" -- until later in 2020 when it closes. Beaumont Scout Reservation is 15 minutes from Stigwandish but is already operating at capacity .

"What that would mean:" Can't really seeing such a long-distance secession. Macon seems more likely - just up the freeway. The Denver CSP will be great trade goods. No reason not to wear it. OA is, of course, a national honor society and service organization. If you meet the membership requirements, the unit elects you, not a lodge or council. I was inducted by 298, but there is no requirement that any particular lodge operate your Ordeal, merely that you must participate in the Ordeal. We "tapped out" Scouts from LA Council at a camporee in 1962. Scouts from San Bernardino attended our Ordeal in 1964. As a non-member of the local lodge in Columbus while teaching, I attended many OA events and even got to be a relatively ancient Kitchkinet again after many years, a role I loved. Membership is freely transferable. Leadership in Service - wherever the service may be. The Scouts and Scouters of the Denver troop located in Atlanta, will attend activities wherever they elect. In forty years as a district and/or council scouter I never saw a requirement that a unit could participate in an activity only if affiliated with a particular council. In 2017, our Summer Camp had two units from Florida - voting with their "feet." If the Scouts eschew Atlanta camporees, they are surrounded by other neighboring councils. If Atlanta turns them away, the choice to move is validated, and Atlanta needs new leadership. If Atlanta tries to bury us, we will not go quietly, having founded multiple Denver packs in Atlanta. Rocky Mountain, High Colorado!

My troop as a Scout was in business eighteen years before BSA showed up in Santa Ana. My troop for 25 years here formed in 1908 and was one of 99 troops functioning when BSA appeared in "Cleveland District" in 1912. All they "needed" was Scouting for Boys.

We were just told that another camp in our council is being sold. Capital improvements needed is the rationalization, although we are flush with $millions of capital improvement money that is not supposed to be use for payroll. The lady who managed the successful effort to raise these $millions - an actual professional - has been laid-off. Being Cold-blooded, we don't "need" the camp due to the horrific fall in membership here.

We have had no districts for two years. SE eliminate them, and hundreds of volunteers in the process.

He still smelled on the plane back to Cleveland - eight days and many washings later. Seems he was half awake and, all unknowing, took a swipe at "kitty," who was after the candy inside his sleeping bag. Quite a hole in the side of the tent.

"6. Each currently registered member of the troop will get a special unit number that we will only give to current members and burn the rest of them that don't get given away to members." Former SMs? Eagles?

Our council's fundraising plunged by 1/3 after the SE abandoned FOS in favor of a drive to convince potential donors to: 1) agree to an automatic monthly bank withdrawal of some amount ("Why should we have to ask every year?"); and 2) leave their estates at death to the council.

Perhaps better the wax than the pound package of saltwater taffy that got one of our Scouts introduced to a black & white around 2AM. 😵

If any public body, such as a school, were to allow some groups to use public property but deny that use to another group because of that groups religious belief, that would violate Article I of the Bill of Rights. That has been the law for decades. Even the [Some] American Civil Liberties Union agrees: "Student-organized Bible clubs are OK [on public school property] as long as three conditions are met: (1) the activity must take place during non-school hours; (2) school officials can't be involved in organizing or running the club, and (3) the school must make its facilities available to all student groups on an equal basis. So your Bible club couldn't be the only group allowed access to the school grounds. Neither could your school let other student groups use the building for meetings and events and deny your Bible club the same opportunity. The organized distribution of Bibles or any other holy book during the school day is unconstitutional, even if teachers aren't the ones actually handing out the Bibles, and even if they're not used as a part of the school's educational program. That's because the school building or grounds are still being used to spread a religious doctrine at a time when students are required to be there. That's what religious freedom is all about -- you are free to worship as you choose -- even if that means not at all."

The clothing a Scout wears in the outdoor program is described in the The Boy Scout Handbook, 13th Ed., (2015) as follows: "When you're headed outdoors to do something active, you can pull on a T-shirt with Scout pants [sic] or shorts, or wear other clothing that is appropriate for the events of the day." Id. at p. 21,. Similar language appeared in earlier editions of The Boy Scout Handbook.

The "Antelope" is said to be awarded for extraordinary service by persons of "exceptional character" "within a region." "Presented by the National Court of Honor on behalf of regions." The last Scouter I know of as receiving it has been very active in training on the Area, Region, and National levels for decades. It was awarded at an Area Training Conference last October. There is an incomplete list of recipients on line. Apparently, the reduction from twelve to four Regions since the award was introduced was the occasion for data loss.

The new SE said "No more." One DE apparently had hearing or comprehension issues, chartered an imaginary pack, and was shown the door by SE.

The year after he left Cleveland,the council took a 30% membership hit to eliminate fictional membership.

"f you can Dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball." The voice of experience?

The Ministry of Truth has been informed.