David CO

Schools don't say preference. The most common word used by schools is expectation. Our expectation is... I don't agree that it is never going to happen. Most of the time, students and scouts will rise up to meet the expectations. So let's not set the bar too low. We can have consequences for those who don't meet the expectations.

This was a big problem in BSA. Executives were using the YP policy as an excuse to purge their councils of any opposition. This is one of the reasons I would be opposed to having a non-retaliation policy that applies to unit scouters. It would give SE's one more tool to silence and remove unit scouters. I often wonder if national opposed the public disclosure of the ineligibility files because it would reveal the extent of child molestation in scouting. They might have opposed disclosure because they didn't want anyone to know how many good unit scouters have been placed in the ineligible file simply because they voiced dissent in the council. My guess is there are more good scouters in the ineligible file than bad ones. I have no objection to those who advocate for non-retaliation policies within their Chartered Organizations. This should be a local issue.

Nature won't make an exception for them if they fall into the water.

Or in the case of a Cooking merit badge, a medium-rare exception.

I completely agree. Parents need to spend time with their kids. Yes, that should be encouraged. My comment was about parents spending time with other parents.

It is a moderators privilege to treat members any way they like.

That's perfect! Quibblers.

It is not very realistic to expect parents in a scout unit (or any youth activity) to all know each other. Many parents are very busy. They just don't have the time. I think it is a healthy thing for kids to develop a life outside the family and away from their parents. The family should be the most important thing in a kid's life, but it shouldn't be the only thing.

It's not the program that is at fault. The program is good. It is the executives who are at fault.

Downplaying the horrific child abuse scandal at BSA isn't going to do anyone any good. It certainly won't stop the lawsuits or the bankruptcy.

Then fold. Put the camp in a trust and fold. The camp will be missed. The council won't.

If we are going to worry about words, we should probably give less attention to innocent terms (like scoutmaster) and focus on the deluge of profanity we have been seeing so much of lately.

Dress as modern as you wish. I will still refuse to purchase blue jeans with holes in them. I don't care how trendy it has become.

Yes. There is something wrong with it. It is true that some words become obsolete. They fade out of use on their own. People just stop using them. This is different from legislating a word out of existence. It is very different from having an angry mob harass a word out of existence. We are quite right to be indignant when the mob mentality takes over. We are right to be more than just annoyed when spineless bureaucrats cow tow to the braying jackasses who demand the right to redefine and restructure everything in our society from the meaning of simple words to the legitimacy of our most cherished ideals and values.

That may well be true. Families might be very understanding about it not being your fault, but they might drop out of scouting anyway. Nothing personal. Some other program or activity is offering them a better deal.

Well of course they feel that way. They're absolutely right. They didn't get what they paid for. They paid for a full year of activities and only got half. No refunds on the registration fees. What's worse, if we're going to be totally honest with our parents, is that we can all expect the same thing to happen again this year. The only difference is that this year's fees have gone up. Compare this with the fact that many other youth activities are offering refunds if they get cancelled. It's very hard to compete with other organizations when they treat their participants more fairly than we do.

Don't know. I don't speak Dutch.

Eagle what? I wish you would stop using such big words on me.

You didn't mention the Chartered Organization. The CO owns the unit. Because the CO owns the unit, the CO calls the shots. This includes the selection and appointment of scout leaders. I expect both the youth and adult members to submit to the policies of the Chartered Organization. If any of them don't wish to do so, they are free to find a different unit. Of course, this may all become a moot point, since BSA is in bankruptcy.

I'm not sure what the age of the tent has to do with it, but we have some old tents they could use, if that would help.

Something to be truly proud of.

No. The public has this right. What BSA did was an abomination.

I think everybody, regardless of age or generation, is feeling this way right now. Why me? The answer to that question is really very simple. Participation in scouting is voluntary. We have 1 year registrations. We have no obligations before or after that 1 year. None at all. And nobody has to sign up. The only people who will have to pay up are those who sign up. And they will only have to pay during the year they sign up. That's it. Nothing more. Why me? Because you continue to sign up. That's why. No other reason. Your choice. Your $$$.

We had a statute of limitations. Nobody expected that 30 year old cases would come back to haunt them.

I have no doubt that the executives lied. They still lie. They lie all the time. Regardless of what the executives did or did not tell the insurance companies, the insurance companies knew about it. They always knew about it. Everyone knew. Even though the money is important, it is even more important that the insurance companies be made to acknowledge that they knew about it. It is infuriating that people are still insisting that they didn't know. Everyone knew. I think the victims want the truth to come out. People knew it was happening, and yet they still allowed it to happen. That is the real story here.