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We could start by screening out certain influences that the BSA should not give a platform too. Are these appropriate comments to give to 40,000 BSA youth? “Boy, you have a lot of people here. The press will say it’s about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people. You set a record today. You set a record.” “I said, ‘Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts?’ Right?” “Today, I said we ought to change it from the word ‘swamp’ to the word ‘cesspool’ or, perhaps, to the word ‘sewer.’” “Many of my top advisers in the White House were Scouts. Ten members of my Cabinet were Scouts. Can you believe that? Ten.” “Some of you here tonight might even have camped out in this yard when Mike was the governor of Indiana, but the scouting was very, very important.” “We’re doing a lot with energy.” “He better get them. Oh, he better – otherwise, I’ll say, ‘Tom, you’re fired.’ I’ll get somebody.” “As the Scout Law says: ‘A Scout is trustworthy, loyal’ – we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.” “I’m waving to people back there so small I can’t even see them. Man, this is a lot of people.” “By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero?” “By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?” “I’ll tell you a story that’s very interesting for me when I was young. There was a man named William Levitt – Levittowns, you have some here, you have some in different states.” “Oh, you’re Boy Scouts, but you know life. You know life. So – look at you.” “He so badly wanted it, he got bored with this life of yachts and sailing and all of the things he did in the south of France and other places.” “And in the end he failed, and he failed badly. Lost all of his money.” “I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party.” “You have to know whether or not you continue to have the momentum, and if you don’t have it, that’s OK. Because you’re going to go on and you’re going to learn and you’re going to do things that are great.” “I have to tell you our economy is doing great.” “Do we remember that date? Was that a beautiful date? What a date.” “But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable, and they didn’t know what to say?” “And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College – popular vote is much easier.” “I went to Maine four times because it’s one vote, and we won. But we won – one vote. I went there because I kept hearing we’re at 269.” “But then Wisconsin came in. Many, many years – Michigan came in.” “Wisconsin hadn’t been won in many, many years by a Republican. But we go to Wisconsin, and we had tremendous crowds. And I’d leave these massive crowds. I’d say, ‘Why are we going to lose this state?’” “So I have to tell you what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again.” “And by the way, under the Trump administration, you’ll be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again when you go shopping. Believe me. ‘Merry Christmas.’” “They’ve been downplaying that little, beautiful phrase. You’re going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again, folks.” “I promise you that you will live scouting’s adventure every single day of your life, and you will win, win, win and help people in doing so.” “I’ve known so many great people.”

Furthermore (from the Wagstaff law firm https://www.wagstafflawfirm.com/boy-scouts-of-america-bsa-settlement-trust) . . . At their website there is the ability to ask their Senior Counsel about the case. I'd recommend you do that. I wouldn't be surprised if some outside firm is trying to scam by asking for $1,000. Due to an overwhelming number of claims for sexual assault damages against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the organization has recently filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. As a part of the bankruptcy proceedings, a Scouting Settlement Trust was established, offering a pathway for survivors to file claims and receive financial compensation for the harm they suffered. KEY FEATURES OF THE SETTLEMENT TRUST The goal of the Settlement Trust is to fairly and efficiently provide financial compensation to survivors, though the process will take significant time due to the sheer volume of claims and the complex nature of each case. The assets from BSA, its local councils, and other contributing entities, such as insurers, were pooled to create a compensation fund. The fund continues to increase as assets become available. Many survivors chose to file their claim as an “Expedited Claim” and receive a flat fee, likely a lower amount than Survivors who filed a “Direct Abuse Claim.” Survivors who filed Direct Abuse Claims prior to August 26, 2024 are eligible to have their claim processed and evaluated through the Trust. HOW THE TRUST VALUES CASES The Trust is responsible for determining the value of each survivor's claim. A “Claims Matrix” has been created by the Trust which establishes six tiers of abuse types and provides the potential value range for claims in each category. Each case is evaluated individually according to the Matrix, taking into consideration various factors specific to each claim. This ensures fairness, consistency, and efficiency. Factors That Influence Case Valuation: Severity of the Abuse: The Trust assesses the nature and severity of the abuse suffered by each survivor using the tiers established in the Claims Matrix. This includes looking at the type of abuse, number of times the claimant was abused, and duration of abuse. Impact on the Survivor: In addition to the severity, the long-term physical, emotional, and psychological impact on the survivor is considered. This can be evidenced by medical records, psychological evaluations, and other documentation. Connection to the BSA: The Trust also evaluates the direct connection between the abuse and the Boy Scouts organization or its affiliates (local councils or chartered organizations). Evidence of connection to Scouting can include names listed on membership rosters (many of these rosters are contained in a Document Repository and can be searched), photographs, or other memorabilia from Scouting. The Trust uses a scoring system or tier-based structure to assign values to cases. Survivors with more severe and long-term impacts are entitled to higher compensation than those with less severe claims. ISSUANCE OF SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS Once a claim has been evaluated and valued, the Settlement Trust will begin the process of distributing payments to survivors. However, there are important considerations survivors should be aware of in terms of payment timelines and processes. Phased Payment Structure: Initial Payment: Most survivors will receive an initial partial payment, which represents a portion of their total award. This is common in large settlement trusts where funds must be distributed across many claimants. Holdback Amount: The remaining portion of the settlement will be held back until the Trust finalizes all claims and ensures that there is enough funding to cover all eligible survivors. Full Payment: Once the Trust has a clear picture of the total number of eligible claims and available funds, the remainder of the settlement will be paid out. Estimated Timeline One of the most common questions survivors ask is, “When will I receive my settlement?” Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of each claim and the volume of claims (tens of thousands), the Trust cannot provide an estimated timeline for issuing initial payments of valid Direct Abuse Claims. Your legal team will be in touch with you as soon as any information is provided by the Trust about your claim. While the process of claim evaluation and payment distribution will take time, the Trust's framework is designed to fairly assess each case and ensure survivors receive the compensation they deserve.

From the Scouting Settlement Trust (https://www.scoutingsettlementtrust.com/s/article/7-34-How-Much-Time-Do-I-Have-to-Submit-a-Reconsideration-Request) To request reconsideration, you must do two things within 30 days of receipt of your Allowed Abuse Claim Notice (the “Reconsideration Deadline Date”). First, you must upload your Reconsideration Request Form to your Portal account. Second, you must pay your $1,000 reconsideration fee to the Trust (unless a fee waiver (discussed further below) has been granted by the Trustee). Again, both must occur by the Reconsideration Deadline Date. Completing and submitting the Reconsideration Request Form You must complete all fields within the Reconsideration Request Form and upload it to the Documents tab in your Portal account using the Document Type titled, “Reconsideration Request”. The Reconsideration Request Form is available on the Trust's website under “News and Key Documents/Trust Forms” or through this link. Once the Reconsideration Request Form has been uploaded successfully, you must email info@scoutingsettlementtrust.com to inform the Trust that you are filing a Reconsideration Request prior to the day of your Reconsideration Deadline Date. Please title the subject line of the email “Reconsideration Request SST-XXXXXX" and include your claim’s SST number. Do not attach your Reconsideration Request Form to the email; as stated above, the Reconsideration Request Form must be uploaded to your portal account. Submitting the $1K Reconsideration Fee or have obtained a waiver of the Reconsideration Fee Payments must be made in accordance with the Reconsideration Payment Instructions. Please email info@scoutingsettlementtrust.com to request the payment instructions with the subject line “Request for Reconsideration Payment Instructions SST-XXXXXX" and include your claim’s SST number. Is this legit? I'm no lawyer but it appears to be sketchy from where I am sitting but I'd talk to a lawyer to be sure.

An AI search produced the following: "Dive time" for National Outdoor Awards refers to the actual time spent underwater during a freediving or scuba diving activity, typically measured from the moment a diver enters the water until they resurface, and is used to track the duration of a dive for the purpose of earning an award based on specific depth or time requirements depending on the National Outdoor Award category. I know that does not answer your question however. For aquatics, requirement 4 is listed as: Complete the requirements for at least one of the following: Canoeing, Fishing, Fly-Fishing, Kayaking, Rowing, Scuba Diving, Small-Boat Sailing, Water Sports, or Whitewater merit badges or Ranger Award Fishing, Scuba or Watercraft electives. Complete at least 25 hours of on-the-water time, applying the skills that you learned in the merit badge or Ranger elective. I would interpret "on-the-water-time" for Scuba Diving as time in the water (on the boat) to/from the dive and prep time as you did, but within reason. As you state, if your son has 11 hours of dive time which includes 14 hours of travel and preparation on the boat that seems appropriate. Definitely, the time spend for prep time does fall into the category of "applying the skills you learned in the merit badge" but time simply riding on the boat getting to a location may not past muster. Those are just my thoughts, I'm not a merit badge counselor for Scuba Diving nor intimately familiar with the National Outdoor Awards.

FYI, David Montgomery (#5) is an Eagle Scout. Detroit Lions Running Back and Eagle Scout David Montgomery signed as a Scouting Ambassador

Yes. If the adults were not in the troop, no reason to report the incident to the boys CC or COR - a SE or Unit Commissioner may be a more appropriate resource. I believe what you are asking is does where they are from excuse the behavior. The answer of course is no.

you're

Maybe we should restrict males from joining the BSA?

Understood but is the new G2SS rules practical? For example, I've taken Scouts to public places that don't have separate restrooms for youth and adults. How should that be handled if one wants to follow the proverbial letter of the law?

For a few years during Scouting for Food, our troop would run the collection agency. All of the Patrols/Troops and Dens/Packs would bring their collections to us and we would load it into a huge 18 wheeler truck. We did this from about 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Anyway, as a sign of gratitude someone gave me (the Scoutmaster) about 10 tickets for Lions (NFL) game the next day. I asked who wanted to go and there were 9 boys. So what was I to do - take all nine with no other adults? No other adults wanted to go and tickets weren't cheap. The solution (this was 20 or so years ago before the ". . . and outside of Scouting" portion of the YPT in The G2SS existed)? My solution was to communicate to each of the Scouts parents that I would chaperone the boys to the game but it was definitely NOT a Scouting outing. Not sure I'd do that now.

At younger ages (say Kindergarten) females have better fine motor skills and can sit still for longer periods of time. Boys fine motor skills catch up quickly but they are more "active" learners. Want to punish a six year old boy? Tell the boy to sit still and quietly for 15 minutes. Go to any High School graduation ceremony of a public school and tell me which gender perform (grades) better? The females by a mile. Now go to a college and do the same thing. The males not only perform as well but often exceed the females in college. Think of how we teach children - cooperation, working together, don't disrupt, don't interrupt, etc. Conform! Women do that exceedingly well (as compared to males). What do we reward in the workplace and higher education? Think outside the box! Try new things. Be demonstrative. Be an innovator, a disrupter! Males exceed in that environment. Yes, the above are gross generalities but they do ring true in aggregate - at least in US culture.

Around 2004 our BSA Troop went to the Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee in Dorchester (London), Canada. It was my first exposure to girls in "Boy Scouts" (Scouts Canada allowed girls in their program long before the BSA). At the time I talked with many of the leaders (Scouters) in Scouts Canada about the pros and cons in allowing girls to join, how they handled having girls in the troops, etc. Overall, the positives greatly outnumbered the negatives but a few things stuck out for me. 1) Many troop had difficulty getting adult women leaders (a requirement for outings with girls present) to attend outings. Meetings and such wasn't a big deal but not many women wanted to go camping. 2) I noticed at DIBC in my own (all male BSA) troop that the behavior of the boys, especially those 14 and above, was much more mature when girls were present. Anyway, my involvement in BSA activities waned considerably right before girls were allowed to join due to my boys aging out and over a decade of being a Scoutmaster it was time to step back. Curious what pros and cons other may have with the recent changes.

Another issue/question: Private online communications (texting, phone calls, chat, IM, etc.) must include another registered leader or parent. So when a Scoutmaster, alone at home, receives a telephone call from the SPL, with his younger PL brother, the Scoutmaster can't take the call? Obviously, these "rules" appear to be written by lawyers and not driven by common sense.

That's hazy to me. "There are careers" - does that imply a paid position? Does that imply a full-time position? Does that imply a paid position for significant period of time? At one time, Boy Scouts could go on overnight camping trips with no adult supervision present (if a patrol outing and approved by the Scoutmaster to make sure it was a well planned out event). That's no longer allowed. Partly due to lowering expectations of our youth and more due to the allowing of female scouts. I'll admit, I haven't been actively involved with Scouting for a decade or more but I always told Scouters to look at youth protection rules as something to protect them (it was an easier sell and made them less defensive). Look at this from an extreme. You're home alone and a couple of girl scouts ring your doorbell in an attempt to sell you cookies. Are you saying the BSA doesn't allow you to answer the door?

Slow down everyone. Youth protection rules, per the Guide to Safe Scouting, only apply to Scouting activities. For example, if your 18 year old son is a phenomenal guitar play and wants to to give guitar lessons to a 15 year old - no issue. One on one contact is allowed. If however, your same son wants to be a merit badge counselor for the music merit badge, Guide to Safe Scouting rules apply - no one on one contact with minors (unless it is your own son or daughter). Now I'm not saying it's a good idea to ignore those rules outside of Scouting events but they don't apply outside of scouting events.

Let me be very plain - were the adults in question "Scoutmasters" or "Assistant Scoutmasters" and were they Scouters in your son's troop? Assuming they were either SM or ASM and a member of your son's troop, I'd talk with the COR, CC and/or the SM about your concerns one on one if possible.

I'm allowed to censor. Terry is allowed to censor. Twitter is allowed to censor. Facebook is allowed to censor. The USG is not allowed to censor. It's a really simple concept.

FWIW, I don't see anything at all wrong with the shirt. It brings to mind a hike we had at Double H (New Mexico/Backpacking) a couple of decades ago. One of the adult Scouters had on a pair of hot pink shorts (and I mean really short shorts). He wasn't in our trek but our boys couldn't resist teasing me (their Scoutmaster) and insisting I get a pair to match! It was all in good fun and out of earshot of the other group.

YPT issues are shared with the Scout Executive and all reports should be held in confidence. However, maybe I'm old fashioned but I would not characterize this incident as a youth protection issue. Was the Scoutmaster wrong in his behavior? Quite possibly. When you state your son was bullied by "two Scoutmasters" - did you mean the Scoutmaster from two different troops (quite possibly none of which belongs to your son's troop)? Or more probably, by two Scouters that were either the SM and/or an ASM of your son's troop? If that was the case (all parties were members of the same troop), I'd try to handle it internally and approach the COR and CC (Charter Organization Representative and Committee Chair) if you or your son don't want to deal with the SM/ASM directly. I can see a determination that is a judgment call on what is or what is not a "class b" (not really a scout term but widely used) but the predominant color of the shirt shouldn't be an issue.

Around 15 or so years ago, our Boy Scout Troop attended the Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee in Ontario, Canada. At the time of course, the BSA youth was all male but Scouts Canada was co-ed. When we attended I had some interesting conversations with Scouts Canada adult leaders about what they thought the plusses and minuses of "going co-ed" were for them. About the only negative they sited was the difficulty in finding female Scouters to attend camping trips. An intended benefit I saw from the boys in my troop were that the younger Scouts (not yet really interested in girls) didn't really care about the girls one way or the other but the older boys, not wanting to appear "uncool" in the presence of their female peers, curtailed some of their more undesirable shenanigans that can occur when a bunch of male teen get together. Those experiences were enlightening.

The best way to get involved is to talk to the Committee Chair and ask what areas the troop may need assistance from wrt a Scouter. If the response is "we're covered", well that could be a possible red flag. If the response is "we need help in the xyz area", determine if that is something you want to get involved in. What you don't want to do is go in being demonstrative about a bunch of changes needed (even if they are) right from the get go. IMHO, as a Scouter, do you want to work with the Committee behind the scenes or do you want to work with the youth in concert with the Scoutmaster? That is the first decision a prospective Scouter should ask themselves.

I believe this was in reference to a certain mustachioed former German leader's party.

Lions? That's a blast from the past.

Summary of comments Troopmaster ≡ Scoutmaster (correct term). The Scoutmaster is in charge of Advancement in the troop. FYI, Troopmaster is a software program. Merit Badge Counselors are not allowed to have one-on-one contact with Scouts (unless they are the legal guardian of that Scout) therefore the "at least two Scouts" rule which you may have conflated with "two merit badges." One does not need two adults to counsel merit badges. There does need to be two-deep leadership for outings. So if an outing is used to meet a merit badge requirement, two-deep leadership is required.

A few decades ago the "Issues & Politics" thread was created for the specific purpose to house many of the controversial areas of Scouting. Therefore, as a moderator, it was my belief to be slightly more tolerant of behavior that I thought was questionable - that is, something I may take an issue with in "Advancement" would get more of a pass in "Issues & Politics." But just like I tried to discuss in a Scout like manner on this forum why I thought the decision to ban avowed homosexuals was incorrect before the policy was changed (we could debate if it really ever was an official policy - IMHO it was not) we should be able to debate the policy now. But we should take great care and err on the side of caution not to disparage youth for their sexual identity regardless of what it is. That really falls out of our purview and should be up to the Scout's family and others. I treat religion in the same way - I've been a member of a Roman Catholic charter organization and an Episcopal charter organization and am a member of neither. I could answer questions about religion wrt the BSA but I made no attempt to "teach" the Scouts about certain denominations. That was a task for others.