InquisitiveScouter

From the BSA's COVID-19 FAQ "Councils make the determination, working closely with their council health supervisor and local health department, about when units can conduct in-person meetings and activities again. If the unit’s local council is allowing in-person activities but has restrictions in place (e.g., no more than 10, social distancing of 6 ft. etc.), the unit must meet and abide by those restrictions – even if the unit is traveling out of council/state." I was gonna ignore this one, but now that it has been emailed out to our council, I will engage. Unless your council has already published guidance for "back to normal", you need your council's permission/blessing to conduct unit meetings even when your state/county/municipality may have lifted restrictions? smh And if your Summer Camp is out of council/state, you must abide by your home restrictions when more stringent than your destination's? When in Rome...?

My daughter and her friends were in Venturing primarily for the outdoor program. They have that now in Troops. Most young men I have spoken with were in Venturing for the outdoor program, to get away from "babysitting" in Troops, to leave the advancement program behind, and for girls 😜 With the young women leaving for Troops, many young men are bailing out.

Oh, Lord, no! Not the berets 😰 Campaign or Expedition Hats!!

"Unexplained extreme fatigue or muscle aches" Wouldn't being a unit leader and an old fart always explain extreme fatigue and muscle aches??

In case you haven't seen this...National Model Pre-Event Medical Screening Checklist https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-057.pdf

Yeah, 7+30 drive time from Philly area, plus stops for meals/restrooms and gas? 35 Scouts? No, thanks 😵

+1 How many times have we done this over the years?

mashmaster, you missed my intent. I was answering the OP. At the end, I quoted you to agree that these situations are a fact of life...

Gradually, our culture has begun to value Eagle Scout (or just "Scout" in general) less and less. Someone previously mentioned, a Scout's rank was supposed to reflect what he can DO. Those days seem gone. I absolutely hate this "one and done" program. It fosters an extremely poor attitude towards learning and retaining skills, and encourages taking "the path of least resistance". They follow the lead of adults, because that is what their parents and our current culture have conditioned them to do. They (and parents) just want to have you teach the skill, let the Scout demo it once, get the req signed off, RAM dump it, and get the badge. This mentality will continue to erode the "brand", and eventually, our nation (seriously). Most Scouts I see now have no initiative. I seek to train young people to look for, on their own, what to do it, and without prompting, to do it. Maybe I am just an old fart, but this seems to be a more rare commodity. I perceived this in the military, too...as the years went by, the youngers seemed more reticent to take chances. However, it was awesome to empower them to make decisions, and then BACK THEM UP, even when they made mistakes. Then self-reliant, yet interdependent, leaders emerged. These are exactly the things BP saw over 100 years ago, and part of the reason he started Scouting...so I guess it is cyclical in societies. Are we at, or approaching, a low point now? Adults make great Senior Patrol Leaders...but that is not our job. An outdoor, skills-oriented program is a pied piper for boys...they love it. Have you seen the look on a young man's (or, yes, woman's) face when he chops down a tree? Or swims a mile? Or actually completes a TRUE orienteering course? Or when he gets up in the morning after spending the night under the stars at 25 Fahrenheit? Or finishes 20 miles hiking in a day? (And how do you feel when you still do these things?) Magic

"The Good Idea Fairy" (TGIF) TGIF: "We really oughta do this idea I have!" Me: "That's a great idea! Get started, and let us know if you need any help or funds to make it happen!" TGIF: "Oh, I don't really have time to do that. I was just suggesting it for the Troop to do. But it would be easy, and a great thing to do!" Me: 👿

First, be kind. Every person you know is fighting a great battle. Including you. What is their battle? Present them with facts and ask them to follow through. Offer to help only if you can (don't put another rock in your own rucksack). Focus on behavior, not the individual. "You said you would do X by the end of March. It isn't done. How can I help you complete the task?" A word of caution...make sure your own house is in order first... I am constantly managing our Committee Chair, but events in his personal life are understandably distracting him. We have no functioning COR. So, I am de facto COR and CC while being SM. Ain't nobody got time for that

At functions, every once in a while, someone will ask me why I don't buy a new sash because mine is so old and dingy... I just say "Thanks, but this one means a lot to me."

Concur...

Permission slips, explanation and written acknowledgement of risk, explicit liability waivers, and a long term quarantine/lockdown plan if there is a case. Anyone want to go camping for a month straight?

Don't see how National would weigh in on this. It would erode their bankruptcy argument that councils are autonomous. That is why they would only issue standards/guidelines to councils which choose to go ahead with their camps. The guidelines/standards is the CYA for National. Any departure from those is on the camp staff/ council that hired them. My bet is, most of the holdouts are biding their time hoping for some relaxation of restrictions or state guidelines that give them some room to operate. But hope is not a course of action 😁

Wonder if I should take the course, just for the cert?

Minsi isn't far from here...waiting for the other shoe to drop on our chosen camp

Curious...what state are you in? We are going to camp in NY...and it ain't looking good.

We have 34 Scouts signed up for Summer Camp, and a crew of 7 youth for HA. If they are cancelled, we will run our own programs, subject to state guidelines of course.

Lone Scouting for everyone! Parents sign off requirements; MBCs are contacted through Scoutbook; interaction with the Scouting community is virtual; no need for a council! Dogs and cats living together...mass hysteria!! Oh, National still gets your registration fee

Exactly...if it was first and foremost, then the reductio ad absurdum is to eliminate the Scouting program. All risk gone!

But National and councils recognize Unit Scouter Reserves, who do pay, as leaders for the two-deep requirement. Yet, they have no training other than YPT. Hence my sarcasm with policies as stated and implemented.

MBCs may only fill the two-deep requirement during a merit badge session when the Scout's parent or another registered adult leader is present. This would apply for on-line sessions or visits to a Scout's home, or a meeting in a public place like your local library or a restaurant. If a council running a camp says the MBC cannot fill any two-deep requirement, then that council will be supported by National in implementing that policy. An SE, as CEO of a separate legal entity [501c(3)], may implement policies more stringent than National publishes. Wanna dive deeper into the can of worms?

Only in certain merit badge situations, not something considered an outing. And that opens a new discussion about what constitutes a merit badge session, versus an "outing" Again, policies are often written with ambiguity to protect the BSA...not you, nor youth

Richard, An MBC is registered, and according to the same criteria... Completion of application including criminal background check and mandatory Youth Protection training Volunteer Screening Database check The only substantial difference between a MBC and a Unit Scouter Reserve, is that the MBC requires MORE training!!