Protoclete

I just have to share an inspiring Scouting encounter. I am in Singapore this week with young adult scouters from four countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, with staff from WOSM and KAICIID, and the support of the Temasek Foundation (Singapore). Some of these young people are national commissioners, national program directors, national dialogue for peace coordinators for their entire NSO. All range from 18-35. They are so dedicated, enthusiastic, and open to learning and promoting new peacebuilding and dialogue initiatives. All speak English, but some are stronger than others, so I watch as they will translate for each other across national lines, to include everyone. The Thai team spends two hours every night after a long program to debrief everyone in Thai to make sure everyone is up to speed. The Scouting commitment to hands-on learning is so refreshing - I'm reminded what is great about Scouting world wide.

"Just curious, what does NSO stand for? I looked online and found the following:" Yes, NSO is National Scout Organization. That is the terminology used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement to identify national body (equivalent to BSA in the US). There is only one NSO per country. These are the official members of the World Scouting movement. If a country has more than one National Scouting Association, they can form a federation or umbrella group to act as NSO. [This is the case in Italy, for example, which has the Italian Scout Federation acting as NSO, which is comprised of two NSAs, AGESCI (Italian Catholic Guide and Scout Association) and CNGEI (National Boy and Girl Scout Corps, which is nonsectarian), and a couple of smaller organizations for German-speakers and Slovenians within Italian territory.] In the US, the BSA is the only recognized NSO. (The Girl Scouts of America belong to the World Association of Girl Guides and Scouts, rather than the World Organization of the Scouting Movement).

The BSA Far East Council runs what they call a "trilogy camp" - a rotating high adventure camp that occurs in a different part of the Council every year. This year happens to be Nepal. (The other two countries in the cycle are Mongolia and Thailand). https://scoutingevent.com/803-Nepal2023 You could either jump in on that or at talk with the team that plans it to get some ideas.

There's a good question there, one I'm trying to track down. What is the BSA procedure for adopting a WOSM program and is it different than allowing any Scout who has earned a WOSM badge to wear it on their uniform even if not a BSA adopted program? Like, who decided that we promote Messengers of Peace in the BSA but not Patrimonito? I don't know. Working on finding out. But, as far as i can tell, BSA scouts and scouters could wear any WOSM badge they earn in the temporary insignia area (or on a jacket, etc) unless otherwise indicated (like the MoP ring around the world crest), even if the program is not promoted by BSA in a specific way.

Yes, i was referring to the Catholic episcopal conferences. The Episcopal Church is something else altogether, and part of the Anglican Communion. Some bishops want to act as if they only answer to the pope, (and even then they don't like it) but that simply isn't Catholic ecclesiology.

No, as pointed out by the reference to the chances to the code of canon law, there are in fact decisions that can be made by the episcopal conference that are binding on all members. But of course, it is the bishops themselves who pass those laws, so if they don't want to agree to something they won't. But the charter for the protection of minors is one example. The USCCB could have decided to make a national decision, but instead opted to leave it up to the individual dioceses. (Which is their most common decision). Bishops are part of both a province and a national episcopal conference, as well as a particular ritual church, before they are part of the universal church, and answerable to each of those levels in different ways.

I recently started a term as a global consultant for WOSM, working with their "Better World Framework" programs. Given the popularity of Messengers of Peace with BSA scouts and scouters, I'm always surprised some of the other programs have not caught on as much. I'm particularly invested in Dialogue for Peace and the Interreligious Dialogue badge, but thought this might be a good place to draw attention to the others, too: Has anyone had experience with any of these? Mind sharing? Or maybe contacts through another country's scouting program that's done some of them? I'm curious to hear stories, or questions, from BSA scouters if they have any knowledge of or experience with any of them.

I'd just echo what a couple have said. Once they earn one award, they have earned that award and can keep wearing it even if they convert to a new denomination or religion. They can then earn the award(s) offered by the new religious org and have two or more religious emblems. Also, some of the emblems are open to be earned by scouts of any faith, while others require you be an initiated and/or practicing member when you earn it - but nobody "revokes" an emblem if the person leaves that faith. And it sounds like this scout would be in a prime position to consider the interreligious dialogue badge or dialogue for peace program, too.

And the Heart of Virginia Council.

Also found a pdf of the Piedmont-Appalachian College of Commissioner Science. Palmetto list of theses.pdf

In fact, if anyone has a council (or other) list of theses/projects could you add it here? These are the ones I have found: Atlanta Area Council Chicksaw Council Dan Beard Council Mid America Council Middle Tennessee Council NorCal College of Commissioner Science

I think its a good way to provide structure for ongoing raining and development for commissioners. But I've been in very different councils. One dropped the whole "college" and degrees language, as they found it a little too pretentious. Another only held one every couple years. The pandemic has done some good, at least, in encouraging more online colleges. Makes it easier to get some needed classes in. As for the 'doctorate', there is a wide variety of quality I have seen. Some are basically like woodbadge tickets. Others are serious research papers that would be worthy of a university term paper or a published journal article. My approach has been that I identified a pet project that required research, advocacy, and action. One that I'd want to champion anyway, and found a way to make it fit into the model for a college of commissioner science thesis/project. That's helped focus a little. And it's a good way to review the last few years of commissioner service and scouting activity and see what I've contributed. I am surprised there is no national database of theses. And only about a half dozen councils I have found seem to have lists online. It would be nice to have once central location so nobody reinvents the wheel, and can rely on the other work already out there, otherwise, why go to all the effort? As a real-life college professor, I have found some commissioner thesis that would be on par with a university term paper or capstone project, and others that are little more than collections of already existing resources and a short reflective essay on how this could work in the author's unit, district, or council. Certainly, nobody should be going around adding "PhD" to their name because they finish this. You get a nice little knot instead.

I was thinking of something like these, worn on the chest, like the training wards.

Just coming off our Council annual meeting and awards dinner, I am renewed in my only uniform pet peeve in Scouting. Too many adult medals around the neck. Certainly, most of us don't wear most of them most of the time anyway, and that is the nice thing about the square knots (when there is one), and even in formal settings choosing just one makes sense. But we have three minimedals that stand out as unusual (and, i think, exemplary) in this regard - the Scouter's Key, Scouter Training Award, and Den Leader Training Award. It always struck me as strange that there were only these three, and nearly everything else is a neck medal (or a plaque/certificate). Silver Critters, Venturing/Sea Scouting Leadership, Adult religious awards, NESA/Alumni awards, etc. Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't it be nice of all adult awards were just minimedals, so could be worn in combination? The miniature size keeps the emphasis on youth only having full size medals, and also helps diminish clutter around the neck? These days, it's at the bottom of the list of things to concern about, and probably just me anyway, but had to have my mini-venting session. Thanks!

Are there any Councils out there that do not have Districts, or in which Districts are not organized geographically? Someone raised the question recently in a Roundtable and I was stumped. Figured I'd throw it out there and see if anyone knows if there are, and, if so, how they operate.