David CO

No, you haven't got this straight. We are not complaining in the hope that BSA will fail. We are complaining because BSA has already failed us.

Offhand, I can think of several organizations that would like to replace BSA as the official boy scout organization in the United States. I'm not sure WOSM would recognize any of them, but I am certain that WOSM would recognize somebody to reorganize scouting. WOSM would not leave the USA without a scout association.

This is exactly what we disagree on. I am almost certain that a better version of scouting would replace BSA.

Ah yes, the good old days before YP.

Yep. I miss Beavah.

For good reason. There is a lot to be upset about these days.

Some scouters sound a lot like Baghdad Bob, who claimed at a press briefing that Iraq was winning the war (even though American tanks could be clearly seen rolling down the road behind him). There is a big difference between being positive and being delusional. There is just no way to sugar-coat either the child abuse scandal or the subsequent bankruptcy.

You're absolutely right. Nothing we say on this forum will have any effect on the decision.

I don't think they are two separate things. The way BSA is structured played a big part in the way it responded to the child abuse. BSA puts their institutional interests ahead of the needs of the kids. So when the initial reports of child molesting reached national, their first reaction was to protect the institution rather than the kids.

I do have a visceral reaction to the child sexual abuse scandal at BSA. No doubt about it.

I'm sure we're not.

I believe in the concept of original sin. I love kids. I get a big kick out of teaching them. But I don't think they are without sin.

I remember that. At the time it seemed rather shocking. Comparing those times with the extreme level of moral decay we are now experiencing in 2020 almost makes the 60's look quaint.

Voodoo economics.

Most kids don't choose to participate in scouting, and they don't feel that they are losing out on anything. There are lots of good youth activities out there for kids to choose from. If not scouting, they can do something else. People don't need to support a dysfunctional BSA, as if there are no other good alternatives.

BSA has been dysfunctional for a long time now. Long before the lawsuits.

Let's not kid ourselves. BSA exists to pay the executives' salaries. They couldn't care less about us. BSA is all about the $$$.

I don't think government should run everything. More government control isn't the answer. Personal responsibility is the answer. With responsibility comes accountability. BSA should be held accountable for its actions.

Yes, the numbers have gone down. That's because fewer kids want to participate. It's not because fewer kids are able to participate.

No. BSA is a corporation that profits off of kids participating in scouting.

I'm fine with other scouters contributing their 2 cents to the forum. But if your troop can afford all 3 trips (Philmont, Northern Tier, and the Summit), maybe you should kick in a few more pennies.

The CO. From the parent point of view, it really doesn't matter who made the decision to shut down. All of the other closed programs gave refunds, but not scouting.

I strongly disagree. BSA did not try to do their best. They did a horrible thing, and there is no excuse or justification for their behavior. None whatsoever. There are claimants and lawyers whose intent is to have BSA dissolved. I can't entirely blame them. They hear scouters defending the indefensible, and conclude that BSA not learned its lesson.

Yes. I too understand the financial need, but financial need is not enough to justify fees. There are many restaurants in my community who are closing due to financial need. That doesn't give them the right to charge me for meals and services they are not providing me during the shutdown. Need doesn't justify fees.

My troop is shut down until the school activities resume. No plans for this fall. Fall sports are also cancelled, so we aren't being treated any different from the other activities. Instead of looking at fall, I'm looking at winter. We lost 90% of the 2020 scouting year. Families didn't get what they paid for. I don't know how many will be willing to sign up and pay for registration fees again in 2021. I think BSA should waive the 2021 registration fees for scouts who paid the fees in 2020. It would be the fair thing to do.