HashTagScouts

Can't speak to all parts of the US, but there have been several examples of Councils in New England trying different things. Narragansett Council effectively transferred ownership of their properties to an "outside" group- Rhode Island Boy Scouts, which in turn leases the properties back to the Council. That also allows RIBS to explore opportunities that can use properties for non-Scouting programs. One example they do at one property: Camp Norse Co-Op Spirit of Adventure Council, Daniel Webster Council and Narragansett Council are partnered to run weekend "Base Camp" half-day and full-day programs at various properties, which are open for sign-up to both Scouts and non-Scouts. Knowing several folks who have worked these weekends, their feedback is attendance could be higher if it were allowed to have one adult bringing their child and say 2-3 of their friends, but to ensure they are compliant for youth protection each youth has to be accompanied individually by an adult.

Too few adults, and resulting drop in expectations resulting by BSA are not a good combo. Not that many years ago, it was a requirement that at least one adult leader on a Scouts BSA overnight outing had to be IOLS trained. That is no longer the case (why the requirement that there had to be someone BALOO trained for Cubs, and not any requirement in Scouts BSA, IDK). IOLS can be run poorly, but by and large in my experiences those who staffed the trainings I was involved in knew what we were doing (at least within a certain skillset- I was usually woods tools and knots myself), and were dedicated to make it as fun and informative as we could, while emphasizing the real objective was to demonstrate the Patrol Method. I'd love to see some reports from a national level on just how many units don't have someone who has been IOLS trained. If you have units rolling with adult leaders who don't truly get the program, it's a big ask to who may have been the only willing volunteer to be a Commissioner and expect that person is going to impart anything onto that adult. Most of the Commissioners, whether they be Council, District, or Unit that I have interacted with in the last decade+ have been retirement age, long since been active to a unit, and often have been pressed into it. The results often were mixed, especially in light of the later part.

I'm glad you'll welcome comments. Membership started steady decline after 1999. Gay youth were not openly admitted until after 2013. How do you explain those years? “Good riddance,” SmartyPants might say. But the straight kid’s smile is the same as the trans kid’s smile when he learns to swim. But the straight kid is not at camp. Momma said, “Sorry kiddo. We’re not doing that.” 1 - 9 = -8. Don’t erase boys. Apparently, your presumption is that gay youth are not "real boys". As a youth, my son was a Scout. My son is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor recipient, spent years on camp staff, spent years as NYLT staff, Lodge officer, served stints as Den Chief, Quartermaster, Scribe, ASPL, and SPL for his troop. My son is also bi-sexual. He never hid that, it was never an issue that he felt was a necessary topic within Scouting and felt the same for anyone who is straight/gay/bi. That is who he is, and he who he has always been. Period. I would say your "smiles at the waterfront", while holding a bigoted view of those youth when you are away from the waterfront is far more of a problem than someone like my son having been a part of the BSA.

We may make more of that than is needed, just because many of us were around before and after the change, and we're more trying to find our own way on how adjust. Each country has their own flavor on how they have set up their program, but the comparable program to what many of us have known as "Cub Scouts" and "Boy Scouts" are just "Cub Scouts" and "Scouts" to them. Scouts UK Scouts Canada Squirrel Scouts 4-5 years Beaver Scouts 5-7 years Beaver Scouts 6-7 years Cub Scouts 8-10 years Cub Scouts 8-10.5 years Scouts 11-14 years Scouts 10.5-14 years Venturer Scouts 15-17 years Explorers 15-17 years Rover Scouts 18-26 years Network members 18-25 years Scouts Mexico Scouts Brazil Cub Scouts 6-9 years Cub Scouts 6.5-10 years Scouts 10-13 years Scouts 11-14 years Walkers 14-17 years Senior Scouts 15-17 years Rovers 18-21 years Pioneers 18-21 years

We'll get t-shirts and hang out in the lobby

I was thinking they were just not putting Venturing/Sea Scouts and Exploring on the plot line, but that was where the difference in the final numbers were. Slide 16, if expected total membership = 1,500,000 for 2028. Slide 17 Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA = $1,380,858 for 2028. Then expecting Venturing/Sea Scouts and Exploring to grow from ~37,000 in 2024 to 119,142 in 2028 I guess? The math ain't mathing.

The programs are still good. Locations are the issue. Nearly every lodge in our section would have several youth attend each year. Aside from one weekend in New Jersey, the next closest one for our Region is in Nashville, TN.

And you'd pretty much be shown the door... It was why I left. For the National org, they ultimately need to take a giant step back and re-evaluate what they do. I know that there was a lot of hand-wringing last year that NOAC attendance in TN didn't meet expectations (and looks to be the same this year in CO), and that NLS attendance has been a concern. Well, maybe having NOAC at a large university is no longer the need, and maybe a mid-sized university (or even Summit) is better. You won't quite have the hotels for staff and air-con dorms for youth attendees, but that isn't really the important part... As for NLS, under the new two-region structure, it's a great distance for many to attend. We used to rely on only having to go as far as NJ from New England for NLS (and got fortunate that at times they would hold one a year somewhere in New England). Now they want folks to travel to Pittsburgh, Maryland, Alabama, etc. Sorry, NLS is good, but it ain't that good that I'd spend $1,000 on airfare to travel for it, nor ask a teenager to do so.

During my time as Committee Chair, the UC would meet with me and the SM when they visited during a weekly troop meetings. Anything related to the unit, and what assistance we could use on items such as recruitment or program, we would discuss with the UC and bring back to the Troop committee as needed. A good UC is primarily focused on what the Council is doing and how the Council can support the unit, not how the sausage is being made at the unit level. In other words, the UC is not there there to be an HR manager and oversee every individual unit leader, they are there to be a coach to the unit leader to get the optimal outcome for the unit to flourish. Council (and by extension of the Council organization as fitting, District) should provide a UC to each unit, but it is not that each unit should provide a UC. UCs within our district do serve multiple units. Some may serve units that they used to belong with, but by-and-large those who serve as UCs generally are not hyper-active with any unit any longer (where they are still registered Scouters, they may still, depending on the individual, come and attend Pinewood Derby, Klondike Derby, OA events, etc.) as "district-at-large" representatives. This job description is good resource: NCST-Unit-Commissioner-Job-Description.pdf (scouting.org)

There were many. Scouting in World War II Detention Camps (scoutingmagazine.org)

Outside group is not participating in "Scouting programs". so would see it as at discretion to that council.

Merit-Badge-Counselor-Qualifications.pdf (scoutspirit.org)

If worrying about there's alcohol and smoking, then our troop would cease to exist- we meet at an American Legion Post, where there is a bar open for members while we are meting in the room next door. Been that way for over 70 years. We're OK for meeting weekly under such conditions, but not to use a range once a year? I could absolutely see having a checklist and stipulations on what is required when using a sportsmens club versus a commercial range- namely, a fully certified instructor must be present. I've never experienced a sportsmens club that would be OK with a member drinking at the bar and then staggering their way out on to the range. Can't speak for anyone else, but at my club, we absolutely will talk with other members if we see them doing anything that is a safety violation, and we absolutely have politely made some folks former members for not following rules. Apply similar requirements for what we do with any facility that would fall under "short term camping" provisions now and the council can have an "approved" list of facilities- it isn't that difficult, and not that time consuming.

Also factor in impact to unit planning. If your council is different than ours, God bless. I can look at our council calendar today for August-December, and there are no dates for camporee listed. I can see OA weekend dates and NYLT weekend dates. Our unit is not unlike many around us, that planning meeting with PLC will take place before the end of July. If we don't have event dates to consider, then those events are not going to be considered. We will give deflection to not plan our weekend for one of the months there is an OA weekend for those who wish to attend that, but we aren't going to plan around both months.

👀 At least we are exceeding levels from during WWII