InquisitiveScouter

As you eat this menu of annelids (you know...a Diet of Worms), when digested, would you mind giving us a synopsis, please??

I have personally coordinated completion of our last three charter agreements. Much of the time, we didn't even have a DE, so the Field Director was grateful for my walking the document around and working the Charter Agreement signatures. I'll wait until our recharter goes through at council before I work the next one. Yes, our council registrar has renewed unit charters without a new Charter Agreement in hand...don't know how they can do this, but they do it.

This is exactly what we did just last fall in changing CO's. Get it in writing, and no one can really argue otherwise...

Are you with a Methodist Church?? If yes, then they are not renewing charters just yet, but extending them until March 2022 (I think)

Like this?? Cool enough for you @Eagledad?? 😜 And, yes, that is the idea...a few weeks at different summer camps each week...much more exposure that way...

Bingo. And buy TSLA

OK, some initial thoughts, but many of these would have to be fleshed out, so take them with a grain of salt... Need: No, the Scouts don't need a Chief Scout, per se, but they do need an advocate who THOROUGHLY understands the program and remembers what the adventure is all about, and looks at things through that lens. The Chief Scout is more like the nation's Scoutmaster. BSA may not need a Chief Scout, but they sure do have an image, professional reputation, and PR problem, which they have not been able to solve for decades (?) Having a Chief Scout could be a positive. Requirements: 1. Celebrity? I have a tough time with this one. On the one hand, no, as it removes the idea of egalitarianism. On the other, the Chief Scout would need to be a personality that Scouts would be draw to / drawn by. Celebrity would certainly help in this regard, but it is not a requirement. My personal belief is that the Chief Scout should be a "normal" person, not someone who is several standard deviations from the norm... 2. The program has been around long enough...the Chief Scout should be an Eagle Scout, Quartermaster, or Summit (or have been an Explorer). There is no substitute for experience in the program, and experience as a youth gives the Chief Scout more street cred. Cub Scout experience a plus, but not required. Must be a "Scout's Scout". That is, must be a skilled outdoorsman who craves adventure and fun. 3. Must have a "Scoutmaster" image. I'm not intending to fat shame anyone, but if you look around at most Scouting events, many adults do not present a healthy image. Scouts need a good physical role model. 4. Available. Being the Chief Scout is a "full time" volunteer job. Chief Scout should not be an ancillary duty or "thing on the side." There are people out there who fit this bill, but they may be scarce... 5. Should have extensive experience at the unit level as an adult. Scoutmaster experience required. (Now that I cogitate on this...perhaps a team of adults...Chief Scout, Chief Explorer, Chief Venturer, Chief Sea Scout, and, sure, Chief Cub Scout (why the heck not?) with those people having experience in those programs.) Responsibilities: 1. Serve a four year tenure. Only one term, then pass the torch to a new Chief Scout. 2. Take office at the end of the National Jamboree. Serve each year visiting Troops (including overseas!) and attending a camping trip per month around the country (as a guest is fine). 3. Write a running PRACTICAL column for Scout Life, based (possibly) on their camping trip per month, or other adventures. Write it from the Scout's view and do not touch any BSA policy questions, or other "adult" concerns, at least directly. 4. First summer of tenure, attend National Camping School in an area director discipline of your choice and work at a Summer Camp for the season in that role. (Must not be your home council's camp.) 5. Second summer, attend a World Jamboree to represent, and also attend a High Adventure Base as part of a crew from a regular unit. Participate (observe) all planning and training in the lead up to the event. 6. Third summer, serve as a unit leader at Scout Camp (could be a running provisional unit). Then, participate in a long-term, unit-level high adventure activity. 7. Fourth summer, attend the National Jamboree. Say goodbye and introduce the new person at the end of the Jamboree. 8. Give input to Scout Handbook, Fieldbook, and to MB and Award requirements. Reduce "academics" and push adventure and practical experience. Lots more could be added to (or deleted from 😛 ) this...

An adult...

LOL! I had written quite a treatise to answer your request for requirements/duties/etc., but my scouter.com editor went wonky on me... I'll spend some time and write them again... Definitely should be a contributor to the Scout Handbook! As a Scout's Scout, the Chief Scout would bring the eye and viewpoint of someone who has been "in the trenches" with the manual, and make it more approachable and readable. (Should also contribute to MB's and awards requirements, where Chief Scout has particular knowledge first, and then from the viewpoint of the Scout's Scout for other MB's...) I could give you many, many examples of this...

Right now, a Scout can complete requirements for Scout through First Class concurrently, although the ranks must be earned in order. That is, technically, one could finish all the requirements for First Class before finishing the requirements for Scout rank. But, the youth will not be awarded First Class until earning Second Class. Theoretically, a Scout could earn all these ranks at the exact same time, having saved a single Scout rank requirement as the very last one to complete. This practice produces less than desirable results...but that is another post. Hope this helps.

Transformational...hmmm 1. Want quality local leaders? Find a way to incentivize it. The program is sufficiently complex that, to do it well requires more time and knowledge than the average group of people can devote as volunteers. Imagine a sort of professional Scoutmaster/teacher role... 2. Council and National senior position term limits. Five years as SE (etc.) and then out. Would require looking at career progression and making some sense of this. Maybe board limits, too, but probably a longer term. 3. Subsidize costs of adult training and support. (see #1) (Learn to apply for grant money for this.) For example, it's just idiotic that you want me to volunteer my time and expertise at a National Jamboree, and then pay you for the privilege. No thanks... 4. Have a Chief Scout (see separate thread...I love this idea from @RememberSchiff) https://www.scouter.com/topic/32886-what-if-we-dropped-chief-scout-executive-and-brought-back-chief-scout/?tab=comments#comment-536720 5. Allow youth up to 25 to earn Eagle Scout. 6. Bring in (or back) a cumulative knowledge and skills requirement. Stop the "one and done" for critical Scout and life skills. Allow Boards of Review to test Scout knowledge and skills for ranks as you go up the ladder.

Yes, you are very likely correct. My gut says another likely scenario is that the bankruptcy fails due to negative votes of claimants, judge not ordering a cramdown, and existing lawsuits (currently on hold) proceeding (with more likely to be filed) after the Chapter 11 proceedings are abandoned. Chapter 7 is definitely still a contender, sooner rather than later. Two to three years maybe... If Chapter 7, then what for the 200+ separate corporate council entities? Corporations without a united identity...will a coalition of a few powerful band together to form a more perfect union? Yhat will be a confusing mess for the years following Ch 7.

So, Genesis 18:16 is the start of that story...and Abraham pled mercy from God to not destroy it if 50/45/40/30/20/10 righteous in the city could be found. God continually relented and agreed if ten could be found, he would not destroy it. Abraham did not plead lower than that. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So, I'm having a little trouble with the analogy to your situation. Do you see yourself as Abraham, pleading with God on behalf of the city? Or do you see yourself as one of the ten (or the one), on whose account the city will be saved? Not to put too fine a point on it...be careful, because you yourself violate the rules from time to time. Guaranteed. There are such a massive amount of rules, policies and prohibitions in Scouting, that is is impossible to completely adhere to all of them in all situations. I know and adhere to the rules as best I can. Do I sometimes respond to a Scout's email without including another adult? Yes, from time to time, it happens, as I get possibly a hundred a month. Not intentionally... Have there been times when I was the only adult left at the meeting waiting for parents to pick up? Yes, but my son has always been there for no one-on-one. Still, a technical violation of two-deep. I hope you get the picture... This is where grace, mercy, and forgiveness come in. Do not be a martinet. This might be why things don't work out well (from your story)... People make mistakes, or find themselves in situations where they didn't intend to be. Learn to admonish and correct with love... and be aware of your own shortcomings. Looking for a Biblical idea to fit your bill? Maybe Ezekiel 22:30, "“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.” So much there to unpack...but I'll simply ask you to build up the wall and stand in the gap. Ahoalton

Why, yes, I could do that. Would prefer to do it with a musk ox, though, as we have those in Alaska...

And at least my wife thinks I'm handsome...

I'd do it. And I have the pedigree, the time, and a healthy dose of skepticism when dealing with the professional side 😜 Cover my expenses for travel, meals, accommodations, uniforms, etc. to fulfill the role, and I'm in...

Not if you are shot out of a cannon!! Enough initial velocity, and you could wrap around that bar no problem...of course, the force required to get to that velocity would probably injure the rider... Now, to help that kid in the video, he had the counterweight on top...no such thing on the chain swing...

Yikes! At $500K per (or five years in the hoosegow, pokey, slammer, etc.) that could potentially bump up the victim fund. But, I believe, since this is a federal court, monies from fines imposed only go to the US Treasury, and, so, only Congress could direct the disposition of those penalties to fund the fund. Good luck with that! Literally, an Act of Congress.

@SiouxRanger, Where you stand depends on where you sit 😜 The correct answer, from where I sit (at the unit level), is that the CO owns everything, and ultimately decides the disposition of all property and money. I'll elaborate on that, so that others can dissect the argument if they wish. From a legal standpoint (I'm no lawyer, but I actually did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express a few nights ago!), only persons and corporations can legally own property. Therefore, some corporation owns that property, including the money. Only two corporations (hopefully) can make a claim to yours, your CO and the local council. Take one piece of property in particular: your Troop trailer. Since that is a motor vehicle titled in your state, that state-issued title establishes ownership. Look at the title, and tell us who is the titular owner? (It should be your CO.) That is the only entity the state will recognize with claim to that property, and whose rights the state will uphold regarding it. (NOTE for all: if any of your troop's trailers, vehicles, or land is titled to an individual, you should take steps to correct that.) You can look at another example with money (or goods) through another question: If someone makes a cash donation to your Troop (or a donation of goods), and they ask for a receipt for tax purposes, who gives them that receipt, and what entity's EIN is on the receipt so the donor can legally claim that on their federal taxes? (NOTE: only the organization name is required on the receipt, not the EIN, but it helps ) https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contributions-written-acknowledgments "A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any contribution of cash, a check or other monetary gift unless the donor maintains a record of the contribution in the form of either a bank record (such as a cancelled check) or a written communication from the charity (such as a receipt or letter) showing the name of the charity, the date of the contribution and the amount of the contribution." Technically, you cannot write "Troop XX" on the receipt, since that is not the "name of the charity." We have always written the EIN (and name) of our chartering organization on on receipts for donations (with coordination, understanding, and permission.) This establishes "ownership" of those goods and cash. (We provide copies of any receipts to the CO for their tax purposes also. If you were to write "Boy Scouts of America" on the receipt, then, technically, you'd have to turn those goods or cash over to national for use; if you wrote "George Washington Council" on the receipt, then you'd have to turn over those goods or monies over to council for their use. SO, if the Troop should cease operations, the local council has zero "claim" to that property. It's all under the CO. This is the established pattern of behavior we have followed, with substantial documentation to demonstrate. (Side NOTE: check your bank account info also!! Your bank account should (or must?) have an EIN associated with it on file at the bank. We use our CO's. If you have used your local council's EIN, then, the council could "claim" those funds should the Troop cease.) A positive experience: Our Troop recently changed CO's (within the past two years). Things were a bit tangled. The CO was a PTO at a local elementary school (up to sixth grade), but the relationship was not strong, as most of our Scouts no longer attended the school, and the Troop rarely met there, because the local school district charged fees for each usage, which became burdensome. We located a church who wished to own a Troop, and got a signed Memorandum of Agreement from the PTO to move the Troop number, gear, and monies (indicated by bank name and account number, not amount 😛) to the new organization. The Troop trailer was titled to a Committee Chair from years past, so we had to work to transfer this to the new CO (somewhat costly). For the bank account, we simply showed the MOA to the bank to change the info on the account. And we also provided the MOA with the new Charter Agreement to our local council, so we could retain the historic Troop number (and our tenure!). This made the transition smooth. It took a good deal of coordination, even though all parties were amenable to the move. A negative experience: A local crew did not recharter. Their CO elected to keep the Troop trailer (it was titled in their name), but made the mistake of calling the council to ask what to do with the bank account. Of course, the council said "Write us a check and close the account. We will keep that money for you for a period of time (unspecified, of course), and, should you be able to re-establish a crew, we'll give it back to you." By the time any of the concerned parents and crew members asked about it, it was gone. They had the idea to donate this to another local charity in need, since it was monies from their dues and fund raising work. When they inquired if they could get it back to do so, they were told it was raised only for the purposes of "Scouting" and so it could only be used for that. (I'd beg to differ, but that's a topic for another post...) This made the many of the parents, committee members, and youth very upset, as some of the money had been paid as dues to provide for their recharter (which did not happen), and they thought they should at least have that returned to them. Finally, since you renew your charter agreement every year, please read it thoroughly! http://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annual-Charter-Agreement-Charter-Organizations-.pdf The current charter agreement says two things in particular (that a CO must do) : - Conduct the Scouting program consistent with BSA rules, regulations, and policies. Located on the My.Scouting website and online at: www.scouting.org/about/membership-standards/. {Which, when you drill down takes you here... https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rules_Regulations_Sept20.pdf} - Be a good steward of unit resources and adhere to BSA Fiscal Policies. ie. Unit Money Earning projects {No link is provided in the Charter Agreement, but here are the BSA Fiscal Policies as of March 2021: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fiscal_Policies_and_Procedures_for_-BSA_Units_20210513.pdf} If you read those three documents, they should further clarify or muddy the waters for you 😜 Hope this helps!

Is that per POC?

Awesome! Always need strong committee members working the administrative side! If your want further advice, sing out 🤪🤪🤪

Now on to seven or so years of Scouts!

This^^^^^^^^^

We would do a "dog pile!" for fun and celebration. When a Scout did something great, someone would yell "DOG PILE!" If the celebrated was a smaller-statured Scout, then, usually, one of the older Scouts would be the first to tackle the celebrated person and be on elbows and knees to help bear the weight of the jumping and wiggling crowd on top. We also had a safe word, "PINEAPPLE!" If anyone yelled it, we had to stop immediately. It was usually the older Scout if the weight began to be too much for him to protect the one on the bottom. This was never used as punishment...only for celebrating. Here's an example... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4inC-injkB4&ab_channel=SportsOnTheSide

Yes, looks like a medal from a historic trail. What council is the Scout in? You can find what your local trails are here, then look up the medals on Google to ID it. https://tap.scouting.org/bsa-historic-trails-index/ Or here... trailmedal.com