InquisitiveScouter

1. Who is allowed? It depends on what's on the agenda. Some meetings are open (you may attend), some meeting are closed (you may not.) It varies by council as to whom will decide which it is. If all of yours are closed, it's a shame. These meetings should be on your council calendar. Call your District Key 3 and ask if you may attend. (Yes, start at a low level to gauge what the reception to your questions will be, and the volunteers may have some knowledge about your specific council.) Be prepare to answer the question "Why do you want to attend?" 2. Can I as ASM, OA,...? See above. 3. Past meeting minutes? Varies by council. And, if the meeting was closed, No. Google is your friend... here are some examples https://www.mississippivalleybsa.org/about-us/our-executive-board/ https://scoutingevent.com/Download/50968661/OR/Minutes__Council_Executive_Board_September_2020.pdf 4. Can you request the minutes? Sure, but the answer may be No. Start with your District Key 3. (I recommend your District Commissioner, then District Chair, then DE. They will help you "take the temperature" of the council and see if your inquiries will be welcomed or viewed with disdain. Start treading carefully... 5. Program Transparency? Supposed to be, yes. But there are times and instances where issues must be discussed behind closed doors to preserve anonymity of youth, privacy, etc. 6. Council Transparency? Same as above. You may find some of this helpful: https://www.scouting.org/council-support/cebo/ The "View" video links are inop, but you can download and view on your computer. Expect vanilla and pie in the sky. There is a difference between the ideal and reality 😜

OK, there is a lot to unpack there... and some new info which is disturbing. I'm not gonna delve any deeper from a thousand miles away. But I will offer the following: 1. You are young. Unfortunately, with a group of other adults (parents), your views are not going to carry much weight. They are asking themselves : "What is this college kid doing here? He should be off with his friends doing college-kid stuff." So, you are probably viewed with some suspicion for hanging around instead of "letting go." That's probably the origin of #1 and #3 above, but just a guess... It's a way for them to have you not be there. 2. From your posts, I take it you are under 21. BSA rules say "Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings." So, from your posts above, "...I arrived a bit early way before any scouts or other adults showed up and just waited. When the SPL arrived I asked him about returning something that I had loaned him..." They probably took this as a violation (from #2 in your post). 3. Someone in charge now does not want you there. So, go, before things get worse. Best thing for you and the Troop, ultimately. There are a million other things to do in Scouting. Find some. Does your college have an Alpha Phi Omega chapter? (No, start one.) How about a local NESA Chapter. How about OA? etc, etc etc. 4. You were diving into a Code of Conduct for the Troop. While the Scout Oath and Law applies to all, YOU actually have one to follow: The Scouters Code of Conduct. https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/bsa-scouter-code-of-conduct/ Make sure you follow it, always, in your other Scouting adventures. Happy Trails!

Not indefinitely. We have buildings that should be condemned (black mold, roof leaks, rotting structural members, etc.) because of deferred maintenance. I have repeatedly asked since I moved here to see our council's plans for camp... non-existent. Our new Ranger, whom I know well, is scheduled for NCS soon, has asked for same to review and take with him to Camp School... crickets... Not going to give money to pay for further mismanagement.

Lord, no! Nor would I. And why would I? I wholeheartedly believe we need to gut the bloated structure we have, consolidate councils, reduce unnecessary/unproductive labor overhead. Too many feeding at the trough as it is, with no value added to program, unit service, camp improvement, training, etc., etc., etc. After all these years, I'm not gonna throw good money after bad! A Scout is Thrifty!

I will never give an unrestricted contribution. For a myriad of reasons... But I have given hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars of materials to maintain our camp, which reduces the overall burden on their operating costs, and simply must be included in any intellectually honest discussions about camp properties. I have also given same to other non-profits in our area, and those efforts are much better received and appreciated than anything done for our council.

Ultimately the Board has a fiduciary duty to take actions in the best interests of the corporation. The way the system is constructed invariably leads to decisions that have nothing to do with the best interests of future Scouts. Money before people.

Read the thread. The code of conduct is the Scout Oath and Law. The idea is to set expectations and consequences. Then stick to them.

Only the portion of monies after you subtract the reasonable market value of the product you received. See page 4. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf So what is the reasonable market value? You'd have to make a comparison to a similar product. $3.00 for a 7 ounce bag in my local grocer. (That's retail.) So, if @SiouxRanger could itemize, you'd be looking at a $22 donation. Unless the council deems it a "Token Item" (also page 4) (what does a 6 oz bag of kettle corn cost the council?) "Token items. You don't have to reduce your contribution by the value of any benefit you receive if both of the following are true. 1. You receive only a small item or other benefit of token value. 2. The qualified organization correctly determines that the value of the item or benefit you received isn't substantial and informs you that you can deduct your payment in full. The organization determines whether the value of an item or benefit is substantial by using Revenue Procedures 90-12 and 92–49 and the inflation adjustment in Revenue Procedure 2020-45." LOL... would love to get rid of the tax code and go Flat Tax!!

So that you could not claim it as a tax deduction... Whenever you see Scouts selling popcorn, just give a donation. 100% of it goes to their unit.

And for games, here is a great resource. Pick about 10 games your Scouts like, and build your resource box based on that. https://troopresources.scouting.org/troop-games/ Many have videos that demo how to play the game!! See main site for lots of other stuff https://troopresources.scouting.org/ And another: https://troopleader.scouting.org/

The syllabus linked above was updated. Here is the current BSA syllabus for ILST: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/721-07218-ILST-Facil-Training_WEB.pdf Recommend you follow the syllabus for the first one you do. After that, modify and adjust content of course. Thanks for doing this!! Here is the main page, and you can get Troop Position Description Cards there also. https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/

A deal with the devil...

Dare you to post this as as a comment on that forum: Excerpt from a recent review of studies on video gaming: Frontiers Neural Basis of Video Gaming: A Systematic Review Background: Video gaming is an increasingly popular activity in contemporary society, especially among young people, and video games are increasing in popularity not only as a research tool but also as a field of study. Many studies have focused on... Video game use has been linked with reduced recruitment in the anterior cingulate cortex, associated with proactive cognitive control and possibly related to reduced attentional skills (Bailey et al., 2010). Likewise, exposure to violent content in video games is associated with lower activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, interfering with inhibitory control. The same team (Bailey and West, 2013) observed how video game play had beneficial effects on visuospatial cognition, but in turn had negative effects on social information processing. Lastly, video game exposition has been linked to delayed microstructure development in extensive brain regions and lower verbal IQ (Takeuchi et al., 2016). Another article: Playing shooter video games damages the brain, study suggests The Telegraph Playing shooter video games damages the brain, study suggests Playing “shooter” video games weakens the brains of young people and puts them at greater risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests. “Playing “shooter” video games weakens the brains of young people and puts them at greater risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests.” And another: This is Your Child’s Brain on Video Games Psychology Today This Is Your Child's Brain on Video Games Video games leave kids revved up, stressed out, and primed for a meltdown. “It’s not realistic to expect the brain to adapt to intense and artificial stimulation it was never meant to handle. It’s also not realistic to expect a child with still-developing frontal lobe to control their screen-time, whether that means managing how long they play a game, how they use or misuse social media, or how they behave afterward.” Another article on electronics and effects on our kids: Psychology Today The Mental Health Crisis is upon the Internet Generation Three ways that modern internet technologies are tearing our young people apart And one on limiting the use of social media: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression |... Introduction: Given the breadth of correlational research linking social media use to worse well-being, we undertook an experimental study to investigate the potential causal role that social media plays in this relationship. Method: After a week of...

And is that all programs? My crystal ball says yes. With many double counts. So... I was on the phone with the Scout office the other day inquiring about an account balance in the store... A professional gets on the phone and asks me "How many new Scouts do you plan on recruiting this fall?" "None!" I say. Because, paraphrasing... 'We took on 18 crossovers this year because, for most of them, their traditional Troops have folded. We gained three Scouts as transfers because their Troops folded (and are awaiting the decision from three more Scouts). We have four youth newly recruited to Scouts, many driving a good distance because the Troops in their area folded. We planned and budgeted for 8 crossovers and two new Scouts. We've exceed our target by 150%!!! How many units do you plan on starting up this fall?' "Thanks for the info! See you around!" LOL

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 200% 😛

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 100%

Going there this weekend, as our Scouts love TI! Glad you had a great experience. Cradle of Liberty Council sold the Treasure Island portion (in NJ) of the property to a local businessman for $500K in 2018. The local businessman allows the Friends of Treasure Island to coordinate FREE Scout camping on weekends outside of Memorial Day - Labor Day. https://www.friendsoftreasureisland.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Island_Scout_Reservation If you live within a reasonable drive, sign up for their email blast to get notifications of open campsites. The reservations go fast, and often a year in advance... If you are agile, there are often short notice cancellations you could take advantage of. Enjoy! For those interested in the history... the Marshall Island portion (in PA) was sold for $1M to the Port of Philadelphia as an environmental credit offset to their pollution. https://www.philaport.com/marshall-island/

An unenforceable edict??

The gold standard 😛

Welcome! No, it is not. But check with your local Scout Executive regarding a "waiver" to policy. YMMV.

Yeah, we just were camping in a PA State park two weekends ago. Some organization had a father-daughter thing going on about two campsites down. (Another Troop in between us.) Friday night, they were hooting and hollering after quiet hours, so I politely asked them to quiet down. They did for about 5 minutes, and then continued. (Dads had alcohol, btw...) I called the camp office and left a voicemail. They had no contact number for Ranger. I put in my ear plugs, but that wasn't enough. They finally went to bed about 2 AM. Next morning, I went to camp office to inquire about a Ranger contact number. The office said I should call 911 and ask dispatch to send a ranger out. I questioned this, and they confirmed that is what they wanted done. I smiled. When we went back by their campsite, noticed the ground was littered with trash, and coolers and totes overturned. Apparently, they did not know to secure all foodstuffs. Bears had ripped into everything. Schadenfreude. After we finished our day's activities, we had a discussion with PLC about the situation with neighbors, and now bears who were most likely to come back that evening. After a wonderful dinner, Dutch Oven dessert contest, and clean up, we packed up and went home. If they brought alcohol into a State Park (against the law), there's no telling what else might happen. Best to walk away from that kind of situation.

NOOOOOO!!!! This is why a quality UNIT staff including TRAINED and KNOWLEDGABLE volunteers is critical along with solid so that, ultimately, you have no need of district/council staff support. This should be the gold standard! Growing up unit volunteers so they do not need commissioners, district, council, national!!!!!

Hey, do den activity to make your own slide!!! A few pieces of cut PVC, glue, paint, and googly eyes... whammy!!! den creative activity and cost savings. Find some belt loop that counts for!! Ditch the BSA sliide!!!

Yes, we need a little more rigor in outdoor skills...

With a one-and-done scheme of advancement, this is, in fact, what you see now. Scout skills are dying out. Heck, most adults I meet don't know how to do requirements up to First Class. Most don't even bother reading or learning from the Scout Handbook. Anymore, few, and very few, are adept at Navigation, First Aid, Swimming and Water Rescue, Plant and Animal ID, basic Citizenship stuff, Wood Tools usage, Ropework & Pioneering, etc. etc. etc... it is disheartening...