PACAN

Ventures/Sea Scouts are fading away on their own regardless of what National does or doesn't do. V/SS have less than 14K and E less than 17K youth. More disturbing is that the numbers show that there are more Scouts BSA than Cubs. Mergers might work some but as long as Exec Bds have to approve them, no one is likely to want to merge with a failing (cash poor) council. An ever growing number of councils have less than 1000 youth. Some parents are hesitant to join as they hear about the bankruptcy and may be waiting it out to see what happens.

@Eagle1993 do you think the almost 1 million (or a good chunk) previously registered will return or will this be new scouts who are willing to pay extra to join? any stats on numbers of youth that leave the program that return within the next year?

Someone told me they had seen a Feb 2021 report like the one cynical shared and the total BSA was about 950K

There is not much if any of a COVID reduction. March numbers reflect recharters which in this case LDS would account for the majority of the reduction. End of March 2020 total was 1143000, Dec 1199425 which is likely some of the fall recruiting.

I would love to see the breakdown of these girls: Ages: 18+, 16-17, 14-15, below 14 . The 18+ are no longer members of Scouts BSA. Hopefully the next older ones will stay until 18 and help out or will they follow a lot of the boys and vanish after their BOR/COH. How many were given extensions? We know there were a number who were doing the requirements from their college dorms. Wonder how many boys joined that later and asked for extensions? What size troops were they in? We know there were approximately 33000 girls in Scouts BSA at the end of 2020. What PORs did these girls have? A number of the pictures you see of the girls have them with the extra long sash full of MBs in 2 years or less. Don't see boys with that many. Just curious,

Why in God's green earth would a unit have a council hold their money?

This topic will be added a requirement for the DEI MB and rank.

Maybe we can close this thread and have cburkhardt and cynical and inquisitive summarize the status of the bankruptcy under a new thread like "bankruptcy 2021 status ". Or something like that.

@CynicalScouter Obviously (or maybe not) my comment was facetious. I've never seen the BSA return anything to the customer...seen many comments where even getting a $5 refund for a cancelled event was a major production I did like your #3 "adjusting expenditures to the new reality of income/revenue". I think a lot of councils are still in a fantasy world.

Wonder how many millions will be saved and returned to the scouts. The Requirements Book ($5) is really a book the scout, leader, parent can sit down and read through to see everything they can earn. Unless this is available as a single file, scouts need to click on each individual badge or award to see the requirements and peak their interest. A number of MBCs and leaders use the book all the time as a reference out in summer camp or just regular meetings instead of flipping through their phones if they even have connection. Might as well just put the handbook and filled in worksheets on the site too.

I think what @RememberSchiff is saying is that units never see these numbers until after the fact. The Activity Fee is mandatory vice FOS being voluntary. Some units are lucky in that their members still have money left after the national fee and unit fees to voluntarily give some more. In today's world not so much. Some parents walked away with the $25 extra fee just to join. A 3-5 year projected budget might be helpful but never seen one. With the huge reductions across the board in the BSA, most would want to see a corresponding reduction at their council...not pretty but reality. They see it possibly in their own paychecks and living expenses and something has got to give. They see an "always need more" approach. Throwing an 80% of FOS is spent on program means nothing to the average parent. JMHO

I think most units have their own EIN number and don't or can't use their CO but that doesn't mean they file Federal Income taxes or does it?

So now that recharter season is essentially over, how many of you have a council fee added to each scout/adult and if so, how much.

No worry. The Eagle workbook says you must use form 512-927. This form is 2021a.

@InquisitiveScoutergiven your process I'm surprised anyone would apply to be a MBC and if it takes 16 weeks you will have zero counselors before the 1 May date.

@InquisitiveScouter 10-16 weeks? What council are you in? That's ridiculous.

Remember although the MB is required if a scout wants to earn Eagle, there are supposedly going to be rank DEI requirements as well so it ripple through the entire advancement program.

Paperwork submitted.

I have all our blue cards filled out and ready to load into internet advancement on Friday.😇

@elitts I'll spot you the 500k LDS but that's still 500k other boys lost in one year. Has nothing to do with how many girls joined but not likely we get them back. @qwazse 13 was on a news feed but can't remember the location. Over achievers are fine. It's when you see the Mom with a day planner making sure he can fit you in his schedule for another MB that makes you wonder who is earning the MBs. IMHO

@CynicalScouter councils get these numbers every month @qwazse The age was just an observation of those I have seen. One girl was 13 with a sash of at least 50 MBs.

@Cburkhardt If your 130,000 girls in the program is correct, we have lost almost 1,000,000 boys since their arrival. End of October there were 1.1M total Cubs and Scouts. Start of 2020 about 2M. Seems like Surbaugh plan didn't work so well. Just a question as we see press releases around the country about the "first girl Eagle Scout". It appears that almost all the young ladies are 18 or close to it. So how many will remain with the program or will it be a "got mine" and gone.

Cynical.....and there is that too! the last brand new eagle mb was sustainability. Some of the same PC arguments were made then.

@CynicalScouter "this is going to be a mess" And this surprises you? Following the pattern of most other roll outs

@ParkMan not to worry. We know the BSA will provide succinct guidance to the MBCs which will include a completed worksheet to handout to the scouts.