Tampa Turtle

Look at our situation. The current adult leadership does not want a linked girls troop. We have parents saying they want girls in. We mention the "Linked Troops" option and they are shocked and basically say it is discrimination (the words were "Second Class Scout Troop") and inferring complaints will be made. Our CO leader is very proud of our Troop and (as father of daughters) has pretty much said he does not want to tell us what to do but we better figure something out. If you cannot find enough new leaders let the girls join you". Many of our Troop leaders, who are worked to death already, are taking that in terms of getting extra work, doing extra training, and dealing with new 'girl' issues (I think that is mostly a straw man) for a change they did not ask for. Therefore many key people are quietly leaving "stage left" as the main Scout year ends. No commitments past the summer camps and hikes, no "who will do what next year", few training renewals, etc. Some of the organizational and logistical fears are a result IMHO of National dragging its feet on pushing out practical details for the older program. Ignorance breeds fear. They should have cribbed some of the Canada and UK mixed gender training early--local folks want details.

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” Keep on Scouting (whatever they call it)

I think by the hundredth time you say it, parts start to embed in the back of the brain. When I start to do something like open my mouth to say something snarky (shock I know) my conscience nudges me "A Scout is Kind" and I keep my mouth shut. If my married eyes start to give some comely lass "a second glance" I hear "A Scout is Clean" and I am reminded to look away. The older I get the more I appreciate those Laws and Oath. Some will stick with you more than others. YMMV

I will miss @The Latin Scot he had a sense of humor, loved scouting, and was a voice of common sense. You could see this coming a looong way off still a bit of a shock. I can understand their dilemma. I am active in an international religious organization and the very conservative (and growing) members in Africa, South East Asia, and South America are much opposed to the social policies proposed to appeal to North Americans. You go where the growth is. But I too am sad that a story rich in Scout history is ending.😢

Boy Scouts must be saved from toxic masculinity by letting girls in ; Girl Scouts must be saved from toxic masculinity by keeping boys out. No negative messaging there.

In our Troop the leaders have touted the official line. Any negative responses has been from boys and parents. They tell us, don't ask. I asked a few who stopped showing up and I heard from three parents (who did not want to say so publicly) they just didn't like the direction Boy Scouts was going or that it is not what they thought they were getting into. I was surprised I could not predict by apparent 'politics'. I think the uncertainty from National after the announcement did not help with the older boys who had an issue with how it would affect THEIR Troop now. So it acted as a stimulant for some guys to hurry up. I would say the majority of the boys are not thrilled but don't care that much. 'Scouts BSA' hurt us leaders since we read statements that "Boy Scouts of America" was to stay the name. They do not buy the name gymnastics out of Irving. However we just got a new crop of 15 newbies and another set of 10 coming in so I guess those folks don't care. I am not sure who will be the leaders as most other adults are moving on.

Some folks are gonna be under some extreme pressure on that one. I still think someone will try to beat the official date and sue.

There is a nuance to the discussion that is unfortunately been entirely missed and would have been very worthwhile. I wish we would have had time to discuss it but that is not the way the organization made the decision. At this point as the decision has been made (and rather poorly rolled out) all we can do is decide what we as individual and units are going to do.

NPR had a segment with an epidemiologist that the biggest vector for tick born diseases seem to be not species like Dear (who are good for supporting populations) but urban "survivor" species such as Racoons and Rats and they are making inroads into urban areas as forest fragmentation and loss continue. A EMT at summer camp in 2010 told me IF a tick bites you or your scout to save the (live) tick in a container for a week or so in case you get symptoms. He said it would be a good help down the road if they could test the tick to narrow down exactly what you may have...could save a lot of time. I did so, put that sucker in a zip lock bag, forgot about it and unpacked 2 months later and that sucker was still alive.

It is a sheath knife.

I have also cooperated with a local GSUSA leader on a shared activity...and then she got in trouble.

Yes I found the older boys were quite aware of the social media but quite muddied by the official communications. Even among the ones who agree with the changes there was some resentment that existing Scouts are not being asked just future scouts.

Mine also. Trying to decide the next act.

Man, my wife said this was EXACTLY what was going to happen when I first mentioned it. She is right again. I hate that. She also said BSA was stupid to think any name change is not going to result in some sort of retaliation from GSUSA since we are definitely on their turf.

Scout-scout Sandies Genderless Ginger deLites Skort-si-dos Caramel Fiji's Scouter Frowns Linked Troop Trefoils* *Actually an empty box

Are you saying I should say "Scout-scouts"? As in "My son is in scout-scouts"

May I suggest: vive la difference

Maybe this will spur some interesting Patrol names.

There is a beauty in the logic. If one is looking for the exit he can just say "Scout Me Out".

"Scout Me In"?.... maybe the videos will sound better. I am a little underwhelmed. In Tampa we have had a number of these awkwardly worded noun/verb confusion slogans: (for Tampa visitors) "Tampa with me" and the hapless NFL Tampa Buccaneers "Siege the Day". Maybe we need @Cambridgeskip to teach us Continentals how to form proper simple sentences. I hear they got smart parents in his Troop. A really good slogan is hard to come by, (I know we got a few marketing types on here who probably know more.) My dad worked for National Airlines in the day and they had one of the most successful (and sexist now LOL) campaigns with the "Fly me" campaign ("I'm Cindy...Fly Me"). It was a huge win for a small airline...And of course the clean up campaign "Don't Mess with Texas" and "I (heart) NY". BSA consistently underwhelms. ("Be.Prepared.For Life") I think "Scouts BSA" is either transitional to 'Scouts USA' or National really believes those 3 magic letters are what people are nostalgic about. While I am a traditionalist it seems awkward and a clean break would have been better. I know they have to be careful about GSUSA and want to hang on to BSA for trademark purposes. I think the muddledness of the language comes from either a muddledness of thought OR the fact that existing BSA members are divided on the issue and they have to keep straddling the fence.

....shhh....there are no longer genders...what is wrong with you?

There you go again with that Cambridge logic. Maybe it will be the "NRA Scouts". That will confuse things. Anyway I got a COH and a ECOH to work on.

I would like to thank our host for adding the image feature a while back. It adds to the fun around the virtual campfire.

I expect a few folks to hit the "Boy" a bit loudly at the next meeting.