CommishJulian

Update: The Council just North of us always had great camps that my son really enjoyed. After attending two of them, I emailed their Scout Executive and we began a pen-pal thing. This week I asked if I could help with anything, and he connected me to a NYLT camp that really needed some help. I drove up, worked hard, and slept like a brick last night. -I'm helping them for two more days. I've concluded that you can't fix bad Councils. They're the Adult Scouts of America. -There's no way to even slow down their destruction. For me to achieve happiness, I defected. Not ideal, doesn't help the youth in my area one bit, but there comes a time when we, the adults, can say that we tried our best (and likely failed). I'm now happy as an adult volunteer, which is far better than being bitter and screaming at the wind. God bless all of you my brothers and sisters, for your support and comradery carried me through some dark times.

Again, I would pay money to be part of that environment for a year. Right here, I'm trying to practice democracy in Moscow.

I tried my best. I took the best stuff from others and passed it along. I loved my job. Kids happy, parents beaming, God is in his Heaven and all is well with the World. After thinking about it. If I could, I would pay the Council up to $1,000 a year if I could just help Packs go. Not to be someone important, just to be available to help deer-in-headlights parents get back on their feet. Ya, I'd pay a grand to be part of the solution. -The wife would be pissed as hell though. She hates all of it.

When I said "wholesome classic Cub Scout experience", I meant make it about the kids, and not power-tripping old farts. elitts All good ideas. Thanks for taking the time to share all that with us and all who find it via Google search. You're gonna do a lot of good with that.

I love this site because everybody has their own challenges, successes, issues, etc. What's killing my area, doesn't exist 10 miles North of me. I think it is very good that everybody who posts here has their own influencers acting on their District / Council. My burning question still is: If we gave elementary school families a wholesome classic Cub Scout experience, would they keep attending? Said another way, have kids changed so much in only 10 years that they don't want "fun with a purpose" any more? I can't believe that an iPad took away so much desire to camp, hike, and run around.

So sorry man. Same here. I feel your pain. Maybe you can answer something for me? I believe in my area, rich angry white people cause the environment to turn toxic and that drove away families. I believe that cub scouting done right, even by noob parents attracts and keeps families coming. I don't know if the decline of Scouting is just a sign of the times. I'd value anybody's opinions on this.

Re 1: They once had them, but they hated it when outsiders came, so the meeting disappeared. Re 2: None. All powers that be are wealthy locals. Re 3: None. Last time I saw minutes, all were has-beens, and appointees.

All good posts. Thank you for this site. I re-read my post above, and thought I nailed it rather well. What broke my heart is that I have a Masters in Commissioner Service, 3 PWD tracks, 92" Delta band saw, balloon launcher, space derby rig, sewing machine (with embroidery function), and so much more all ready to go... and I can't help any parents in my district or council because I won't ever support the ruling adults version of scouting. -I know I need to get on with my life, but I can't. The logic part on my brain knows it is time to go, but the kid inside refuses to budge. I've got issues. I think I desperately want to have one last event where I can be part of an event where things go the way they're supposed to: kids get to act their age, and everybody gets to go home happy.

People (you, me, parents, just about everybody on this site) still want the BSA org to go back to what it once was. I concluded that ain't gonna happen, maybe a year ago. Not trying to be my usual negative self here, just going to share what I've done to keep moving forward. I'm still the Cub Scout enthusiast, but now I'm a Unit Commissioner for anybody who wants me. I've helped a group of students in a homeschooling pod two doors down, gave my neighbor's kids wood to assemble a toolbox, lent out my PWD tracks several times, along with my balloon launcher. I'm also making how-to videos so even a noob parent can try to do these same activities with their children at home. Our Council is a private rich angry white club. The Council just North of us is the opposite. I can't control the appointed leadership, but I can chose what I can do with my remaining time here on this planet. Any youth with nice parents are Cub Scouts in my book. Helping them gives me the same satisfaction as before, just without the power tripping and hate. My logic is that since I learned from volunteers, I don't owe the BSA any royalties. Actually I paid a small fortune for a cluster of a Woodbadge event. My local Council is desperate for money, but it's customer satisfaction is nearing zero. And that is not my problem. So did I gave up? Or did I adapt? I flip flop between those two questions all the time. But really, I'm actually a lot happier being on the outside. No more hypocrisy, anger, made up rules that vary from person to person. I'm just an old guy that learned a lot and is willing to share and empower parents and kids. I feel like I'm doing God's work, just without the stress. I guess I'm giving any of you readers permission to keep helping kids even if your 'District and Council Are Doomed.'

While I seem to be super negative all the time, let me say that I truly appreciate this site and all your inputs. This is the only truly free forum about Scouting I've ever seen. Thank you for that. All the best friends. Julian

In a year or two, scouting may be a thing of the past. For me, I've given up and adapted. I bring all my old Cub Scout equipment to pods of regular kids doing group home-schooling. Kids are kids, weather they're in Scouting or not. I get to bring magic into their lives (one of three PWD tracks, space derby rig, balloon launcher, activities, etc), and I'll never have to deal with another belligerent "I was an EAGLE SCOUT!" dad ever again. -Their jedi mind tricks don't work any more. Ya I copped out, but now that I don't ever have to deal with a little monster ever again, there's very little to entice me back into the good-ole-boy club. My point is: Why would I ever go back to a place where a kid was able to bully another because pops was someone important in the BSA? And THAT is why kids are not in scouting like before. -In my opinion.

Noble of you. Some thoughts of my own, if you don't mind. 1) In society, even in modern more-secular society, we sometimes call a few people "angels" or "saints" due to their exceptional grace and kindness. That said, the universe needs to balance itself by building humans void of those qualities. Those unholy spawn tend to end up being the Den Leader's brat, or the son of a large donor to the Council. 2) My mother was a child psychologist. She literally went where angels feared to tread, and saved many children from a life of darkness and limited expectations. Even knowing that, some youth are bad news, no mater what God, Scouts, or even behavioral psychology has to say about it. The system needs to boot out these (unappreciative) youth for the sake of the other families (for the sake of program income, fundraising, and overall community goodwill). The former values of Scouting were once earned, now they are frequently bought. Resurrect a SM from the 1950's and have him evaluate today's stock, and I bet he'd kick half them out of the Pack/Troop within an hour. @RookieMom Thanks for having the courage and faith to post your frustrations here. Latin, I'm not dissing you here, I appreciate your dedication. I'm venting some of my own frustrations at the expense of your post. My closing point is that with so little families still left in scouting, little monsters need to be shown the door. On my business card I put "Practicing Kindness in Scouting." Everyone on this site should back RookieMom and say that the two bad apples need to go so the good ones don't end up leaving. In our case we went to another town's pack to finish Tiger; of the 7 boys that stayed, 6 left Cub Scouts before reaching WEBELOS. The only youth that bridged from the Pack 5 years later was the monster. 1 out of 16 is a true failure of Commissioner Service.

Eagle. I never thought in a million years I would have ever heard that said from a BSA Pro, current or former. I commend you for having the courage to lay it out here for all of us. I also commend the exceptional environment Scouter.com gives us in order to share, support and learn from each other's experiences in BSA's many micro climates and pockets of alternate realities. David CO, I do agree with you about executives only really caring about their livelihoods as an employee of Scouts BSA. Luckily, I been able to work with a handful of exceptional (now laid off) Scout Professionals who never got valued for what they kept bringing into the Districts and Council. With all that, I'll always have faith in Scouting; it's something far more. As Nick Fury said, ""Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.""

Well said.