David CO

It's not the items/stuff/things that the current scouts bring or don't bring that makes me laugh and shake my head. It's the things that we did or didn't bring that makes me laugh and shake my head. Swim suits?

Yep. It helps me if I keep reminding myself that it was never my troop. The unit belongs to the Chartered Organization.

Our committee is chosen by the COR. The committee doesn't choose itself. We try to keep the number of registered adults as small as possible, as we don't like to pay any unnecessary registration fees. The committee usually has 4 or 5 members. We also have a lot of parent volunteers who are not registered leaders. I don't actually know how they put together a BOR. I would imagine that the committee chooses and schedules them at their committee meetings.

What a unique and helpful suggestion. Over the past 30 years, it just never occurred to me to read it.

Money. BSA want to collect all the course fees.

I understand that. I have seen it too. When my parish recently built an addition, my pastor expressly forbade having any name plaques on the building to recognize donations. He thinks such things are prideful. It has no place in a church building. I particularly dislike it when government bodies sell the naming rights to public properties. All of our parks are now named after big donors. The park district actually changed the name of one of our parks, which was previously named after a local civil war hero, to sell the name to the highest bidder. We had a bit of a flap over it. The Little League initially refused to change the name of the park on their game schedules, and continued to call it by its old name. After the donors objected, the Park District gave the Little League an ultimatum. Either they use the donors name or they lose the use of the baseball fields. You were absolutely right in your previous post. Your comment definitely applies to me. I am becoming very jaded and cynical. I think I have good cause to be jaded and cynical. It seems that almost everything today is for sale. In my state, we now have two billionaires competing for governor. How can we not become jaded and cynical?

I do think there is something inherently wrong with it. My parish doesn't give any public recognition for donations. Tithing is private matter.

But those medals went to deserving soldiers for heroic acts of valor. We didn't give military honors to wealthy civilians who bought war bonds.

Not enough information to choose. I started a unit from scratch, so I wouldn't be intimidated by a unit that still needs to grow and develop its program. My major concern would be the Chartered Organization. I would choose the unit whose CO supports the unit and has the goals/ideals/beliefs that most closely matches the needs of my kid.

No, it isn't. It is the opposite of judgmental. As a scout leader, I try very hard not to judge the personal relationships of the parents and scouts in my unit. It's really none of my business, and I wouldn't want to touch that conversation with a ten foot pole. It goes both ways. I wouldn't take any position, positive or negative, on whether or not the relationship is good for the scout. That is not for me to judge. As far as I can see, there are only two issues that should be considered. He is not a relative. He is a felon on probation. All the rest is just smoke and mirrors.

...or because it was in the newspaper. Either way, it really doesn't matter how the unit learned of his felony conviction or probation status.

BSA would probably agree with you. They think everyone should be scrutinized like a convicted felon on probation.

This is particularly true if the person has already been judged and found guilty. I don't think the scout unit is being asked to judge him. The scout unit is being asked to overlook or second guess a judgement that has already been made by the courts.

Mosquitos play a significant role in scouting too.

He is still on probation with the courts. I think it is fair if the scout unit considers him to be on probation with them as well.

Your reply made me look back at my previous post. I should not have used the word "sainthood" in my remarks. It is a common expression. In this case, it could be read as an inappropriate religious criticism interjected into a conversation that has nothing at all to do with religion. That is not how I meant it. Moderators should feel free to delete my remark.

You say that as if you don't think it is even remotely possible that any of us scouts and scouters might actually live by our principles. How sad.

It was originally supposed to be called Windows 666.

Not necessarily. I have been focusing on the question you proposed to us. Now you are talking about an entirely different issue. Next year, the unit will have several options they can choose from. They can accept him with open arms, they can deny his son from joining the unit, or they can avoid both extremes and choose some middle ground that they can live with. Of course, the ability to find and choose a middle ground depends largely on the cooperation of the parent. If you think the unit will have to "swallow it" and do more than "tolerate" his attendance, you are very sadly mistaken. You may feel that they are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, but they may feel that you are trying to make a molehill out of a mountain.

I would be satisfied if BSA would just allow scout units to have a little more freedom during scouting activities.

Why? So they can promote him?

That's a good start, but you still need to wipe that grin off your face. They can tell that you're thinking of something fun and adventurous.

...as opposed to all of the rest of us well-mannered, polite, and respectful scouter.com members?

You probably couldn't do that for very long in our unit before we would stop inviting you on campouts. We expect our adult scout leaders to have good sense.

I wouldn't let a football player go out onto the field without a helmet. Why would I let a scout go out into the cold or rain without proper clothing?