dcopel01

Hey John in KC, It is Mr. I guess you might have missed the part in my post where I said I do not agree at all with the policy of the ELCA and would leave the denomination if I were part of it. I still stick with my stand that my own definition of "duty to God" may differ from others and that we should respect as long as they are not forcing their own ways on us (Me). Give people the feedom to choose their own path to God and then let the big sort it out. Scouts (and parents) make a choice with picking a Troop/Church/Synagogue etc to join. Our country was founded on a belief in God and the freedom to choose how we express that belief.

There are many differences in our world of religion. We talk about duty to God and being reverent. I don't think we are here to define want this might mean to a Jew, a Baptist, a Muslim,a Methodist a Lutheran or any other religious organization. Do I agree with the policy of the ELCA? Absolutely not and I would leave the denomination in a heartbeat if I were a member! BUT...I am not here to judge them. The choice for my family would be simple in that we would just not be active in an ELCA charted Troop if it was promoting that kind of lifestyle. Heck, I know of a Baptist chartered Troop that requires all uniformed leaders to be saved in order to register. They can do that if they want and we would have a choice not to join that one if we knew in advance it was part of their policy. Let's respect the religous differences of others and as my Bible teacher likes to say "remember we are in sales and not in management" It is way past the time that the BSA should drop the policy.

I led the cycling merit badge this summer and it was a great experience for everyone involved. Many of the boys as well as adults are now excited about riding and will keep doing it I am sure. Most clubs and groups have custom jerseys to wear on group rides. It would be really great if the Scouts participating would have had this as an option. The cost is just too high for a small order and I am curious if anyone is aware of resource for a Scout branded/logo jersey. Given this is an Eagle required badge, there has to be hundreds of youth every year that are out riding.

I tried really hard to recruit some African American kids into our den when I was a Webelos leader. We did get one great kid who really enjoyed it. The problem was that most of his African American friends really made fun of him for being a Scout. When it came time to cross, all the Troops we found lacked any kind of diversity. He joined a Troop but has dropped out after less than a year. His culture and background also did not support any kind of campout or being outdoors. It was a shame the he did not keep going since as a son of a single mother, this would have been a great program for him. That community needs some male leaders to step up and be the ones who recruit some kids. It is a chicken and the egg kind of thing. A white middle class guy is just not going be as good to get things diverse. I do appreciate that we seem to be trying and to be talking a lot about this.

The key really I think is to communicate from every angle. I always communicate up front the information will be sent through e-mail and ask if that is a problem. Those very few who are not online let me know and those folks get a call. Our Troop is too big (50+) to spend time communicating individually. The youth are online and that is not the wave of the future but the reality of the present. I hope that the marketing will be effective to get the word out. I sign in the front stating "Troop ### Meets here Monday" is very unlikely to get someone in the door.

The Cubmaster that told you this certainly does not know what he is talking about. Your Webelos can camp as often as you have time with Troops. This is a great way to build relationships and let them see the exciting world of Boy Scouts. The key is just making sure the planned activity and location is a fit. See if the Troop has some guidelines for Webelos camping.

"Why? My son's troop is pretty tech-savvy but the troop web-site is largely ignored. It's up to date, slick, cool, and all that but no one goes there for information" Maybe I am in the minority but when we were looking at Troops to visit as Webelos we found it difficult to learn about the Units that were not on the Web This was important for our research. The Troop my son chose has a great website and information that was very valuable. The calendar function alone was key for our family. Busy families today need this as a resource. People will use your site if you given them a reason to do so and provide information that is of value. The web and e-mail are also the best way to get out information quickly to a large number of poeple.

It seems pretty clear that Scouting needs to join the digital age. Perhaps they could provide training for the non-tech savy adults and help to get every unit online.

Our family watched this program last night and I thought it was well done. We really need to get the word out so more people will watch. I also hope it will be available on DVD later.

I am new to Boy Scouts and to driving youth to the campouts. We are actually planning to discuss this topic in our next comittee meeting. Can you tell me more about the tax deduction? I have not heard of this.