David CO

Sure. Have some hats printed.

But they are not affiliated with WOSM. I think WOSM recognition would make a big difference.

Has the WOSM made any public statement about the BSA bankruptcy? Could the WOSM pull BSA's charter and start a new Boy Scout organization?

First of all, Congress doesn't own scouting. It has no ownership rights to assert. If BSA did somehow become nationalized, it wouldn't be the congress who would run it. It would be the executive branch. President Trump would probably get the authority to appoint the new executive board. So be careful what you wish for. Unless you want to go back to a more conservative Boy Scouts, and Make Boy Scouts Great Again, you might want to reconsider this position. Personally, I would love to have a retro version of Boy Scouts. Roll back all of the new liberal social changes. But I think it would be best to do it from within. All we need is a fair vote, and I think it could happen.

I mentioned, a few years ago, that I have a friend who owns a franchise restaurant. The franchise went bankrupt, but the existing stores are allowed to continue using the name and logo. It was the best thing that could have happened to him. He still has the restaurant, but he doesn't have to pay the franchise fees anymore. Business has never been better. Imagine if BSA and its councils all disappeared, and the existing Chartered Organizations are allowed to continue with their Boy Scout units without the interference and fees from BSA. It would be the best outcome that could possibly happen for my unit.

That's because we can't. If we had the power to do that, it would have been done years ago, and BSA would not be in the mess it is in today. The executive board and the employees are going to try to hang on right to the end. They won't give up their control of BSA until the lights go out.

Unfortunately, it is the only way to force change. Many of the people who are suing BSA aren't doing it just for the money. They are angry with the lack of transparency and positive change in BSA. They don't see much improvement. Frankly, neither do I. I question the wisdom in our society of using the court system to solve our ills. I would much rather they be solved by more democratic means. This hasn't happened, so the courts have become the primary instrument of change.

Maybe so, but I would settle for their removal from any further office of responsibility in scouting. True insanity would be to allow them to continue in office.

You have to charter with the council in your geographic area. Bitter? Yep, that's exactly where I'm at. We haven't participated at council for over 5 years. Yet they are still going to charge us a tax for all the services we don't use and don't want. It's maddening.

My understanding is that a bankruptcy court can go back and nullify any financial actions, including a mortgage, that was done to protect assets.

I suppose that is one of the issues the bankruptcy court will determine. Good luck with that argument. From a unit prospective, I can't see much of a separation between council and national. I think the bankruptcy court will see that too.

I totally disagree. The fact that my unit is highly autonomous will help to insulate us from the bankruptcy. The council is not so highly autonomous. It will have a much harder time showing the bankruptcy court that it is not a functional unit of BSA.

A scout is trustworthy, but a scout executive is not. That is why BSA is in bankruptcy.

Does anyone actually believe this is a program/activity fee? It is a legal fee. It is a bankruptcy fee. This money isn't going to go for programs and activities. This is a classic example of BSA's dishonesty.

It is a fair argument.

Great day. I am more hopeful now that real reform can happen.

Not.

Might I suggest that the parents be referred to the UC.

There ya go. That's exactly what we decided to do. We have far fewer problems now.

Dementia is an obvious possibility when dealing with people of my age. But don't overlook the possibility of substance abuse. You might be surprised to learn how many senior citizens abuse drugs. It's not just a teenager thing, you know. If a younger person exhibited the same behavior, you might have suspected something else. In any case, it is not your job to comment on or investigate the reasons for his incompetence. Just avoid him.

I wouldn't rush to judgement in deciding that this is a geriatric thing. You don't like it when men are condescending to women. So try not to be condescending to us old folks. There are plenty of people at council (who are incapable of consistent and coherent thought) who can't blame it on age.

I don't see the commissioner position as having any value to the unit. You could always try asking for a different commissioner, but I don't see the point. If you make it clear to a commissioner that you have no intention to listen to him or heed any of his advice, he will sometimes go away. Good luck.

I agree. It may have seemed funny 100 years ago, but it seems remarkably obsolete in this age of anti-bullying and anti-hazing policies.

That's no problem. We have 1 volunteer for every 3 scouts. Would you believe...1 volunteer for every 10 scouts? How about a retired Health teacher with a rusty pen knife?

The UC position is just another example of top down leadership. How can the council/district fix the units. You should to be looking for bottom up solutions. How can the units fix the council/districts? The current model doesn't allow for grassroots initiatives to improve council/districts. It's all top down thinking. That's why BSA will never improve.