walk in the woods

Let me rewrite the first paragraph of your original post to maybe help you see how offensive it is. I would like to hear from those who have first hand experience running units in poor intercity areas where ignorance is a badge of honor, families are mostly broken, most adults are drug users. Oh, did I mention cliquish because everyone has a gang affiliation. If our mods had an ounce of courage, your post would have been deleted. But bigotry against the "deplorables" is apparently an acceptable practice.

So a number of random thoughts, most of them pessimistic..... One might argue that the BSA was most relevant when communities were most relevant. By community I mean small groups of people living, working, and serving together (and actually knowing each others names) within a geographic region. Could be a small town, neighborhoods in larger towns, etc. It made sense for the local parish, church, Legion, Moose, Rotary Club to sponsor a youth program for the boys in their town or neighborhood. It helped keep the boys out of trouble, and, provided guidance for the next generation of leaders in that community. As community has become less relevant to American life, the organizations that were tied to community (all of those mentioned above and more) have become more and more irrelevant. Not because their mission isn't right and good, but, because there is no target beneficiary. I'd hold out 4H and FFA as organizations that have figured out how to keep connected to communities, particularly rural communities, and those programs continued success, but, they are more close tied to community and government (i.e. extension services and schools). At the same time as the decline of communities, we have the irrational rise in bubble-wrapped children. Whether that's due to people having fewer children, sensationalized TV news coverage, or whatever else doesn't matter. The program the BSA offered for decades (with @qwazse permission, boys hiking and camping independently with their mates) became totally out-of-date and dangerously irresponsible. Kids simply don't spend time outside like they used to, further making the program irrelevant. We live in a society today that at least some folks consider adolescence extending until 24 years of age (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/01/19/adulthood-now-begins-24-say-scientists-young-people-delay-work/). A program designed to breed personal leadership, independence, and responsibility in teenagers is hopelessly out-of-date. I think the BSA has also forgotten a simple truth about large organizations, that is, Simple Rules for Complex Societies. By attempting to nationalize everything, they've create a bureaucracy that nobody can love. The G2SS is seen as laughably restrictive in some places in America (squirt gun fights, really? How's that playing in Peoria?) and way too permissive in other corners of society. Advancement has been turned into paperwork drudgery that serves nobody but the bureaucrats. So to the question, how do you make the program relevant without changing it more? The short answer is you can't. The foundations that used to make the program relevant are gone or disintegrating, and new structures are growing up in their places. The program skills, well many, are viewed as irrelevant. We've heard people say society has changed and the BSA has to keep up. That may be true. But, it also means the BSA has to change, and it will be far beyond just membership changes. The departure of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints will be the vanguard of the migration of the BSA into a suburban/urban program, more so that it is already today. I've mentioned in other posts that beyond the remaining membership fights there will be battles about the BSA's relationship with the NRA, and guns in general, and the terror of boys carrying pen knives in open society, etc. The BSA will continue, but, it will be different, I suspect very different. Whether that's good or bad will depend on your perspective. I think for the OP the better question is, "what image do we want to project in 10 years?"

"Keep children away from open fires." Clearly a violation of the rules on a scout outing. Turn in your Totin' Chip for a corner cutting. Oh wait. Crap.

Interesting you mention karate. Some of my parents recently took their Girl Scout Troop to an Martial Arts gym for an outing. They loved it. Exercise, good lessons in bullying, when to fightback, etc. When the parents suggested it to the Cub Pack we had to decline because it was on the no-no-way-too-dangerous-we-don't-want-our-scouts-to-learn-fighting-skills-o-m-g-what-are-you-thinking-list!

Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps used to be a thing as well, see Madison Scouts.

They're all true.

Your response was on point. I wouldn't let OP within a country mile of boys I cared about. The OP was obnoxious, arrogant, and typical of blue bubble elitest mentality. Thanks but we don't need jerks with savior complexes.

It also fails to note that the BSA suffered a similarly sized membership loss between 1970 and 2000, long before Dale.

A non scouters buddy of mine said he'd seen some BSA advertising on t.v. He wasn't sure of the channel, TNT he thought. But he's seen more of the lawyers advertising for clients. His take on the commercial was generally positive and he commented the BSA was clearly trying to prepare the public for girls in the program. When I told him girls had been in the program for over a year he said "you're one of the 7 people in the country that know that."

We don't collect dues beyond the recharter fee so $72.

Room was very quiet. Lots of grumbling as people left following the meeting. Several families have already said they won't be back as a result. We're trying to find funds to help offset.

Front the Commissioners Facebook page: Dear Scout Executives, Over the past year, leadership of the national organization has been working tirelessly to empower our volunteers and staff to focus on delivering the mission of Scouting to more than two million young people, while also addressing our organization’s financial challenges. The work that each of us puts into this movement is vital, but to do our best on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America, we each must also look out for our own personal health. Today, I am reaching out to let you know that Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh is taking a medical leave of absence to focus on challenges that require his total attention. Although I know your support is immensely appreciated, I ask that you respect his privacy and remain focused on our mission of delivering a great Scouting program to youth and families in our communities. We wish him a full recovery. Given that this comes at an important time for our organization, National Chair-Elect Dan Ownby and I will be personally supporting the national professional leadership team. Within the next several weeks, the National Executive Committee will identify an interim leader for the national organization. Whether you come to the movement as an employee, a volunteer, a parent or a Scout, you quickly realize that we are all one Scouting family. As we look back on a year of exceptional milestones, from welcoming both boys and girls into Scouts BSA, to the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the World Scout Jamboree, this is a time for all of us to support each other, the organization and the movement. Scouting plays a vital role in our communities and in the lives of so many young people. Thank you for your support and all you do for Scouting. Yours in Scouting, Jim Turley ----- James S. Turley National Chair | Boy Scouts of America

I don't have enough thumbs to thumbs up this!

In the case of 4H, $0. The link has a couple of interesting jabs at scouting as well..... https://4-h.org/parents/ways-to-participate/

Like everything it's a balance. A few years ago I hiked a moderate trail down in the Great Smokie Mountains. Before I got finished I'd shared some water at the top of the hike with people who didn't bring any, gave up some moleskin to a blister sufferer, and gave up my TP to well, you can guess. None of those people would have died had I not been there, but, their experience was made better because I was prepared. In the immortal words of the great philosopher Mike Tyson, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

Those look like old Cub Scout segments (do a thing, get a segment, probably 2004, 2005, 2006 ish?). Also looks like a Jr. Ranger National Park thing on the left pocket flap.

Money. If you skip the participant shirt and keep the cost of an event the same, you make more money. Putting shirts, especially shirts for events that are out of date the following Monday, is a risk.

The highpoint in Alabama is Cheaha Mountain in the northeastern part of the state. Average temps in January are 48/27. Not cold by any stretch but if you spend most of your days on the Gulf Coast it could be challenging.

I'd challenge you here a bit @fred8033, lots of the boys I've worked with hunt and fish and camp with their families. They also drive ATVs, and snowmobiles, and farm equipment. When they experience the limitations in boy scouts it looks lame to them. I've had more than a few conversations with young men explaining to them the rules aren't written for them but for the average.

Another way to think about this is how unfortunate it is that in 1948 the Boy Scouts had to codify camping as a requirement rather than just operating under the assumption that camping was happening by default. Being at the peak of camping requirements isn't necessarily a good thing. I came up during the ISP, we camped all the time, requirements and practice are two different things.

This probably should be a different topic, but, did anybody attend/view the Thrive Webinar? I was just looking at the website, https://oa-bsa.org/thrive, does it really say that in 2018 only 57% of units held elections, only 71% of those elected are completing their Ordeal, and only 30% ever come back?

The statement you posted says: That's because they got outed in 2018:

And National is perfectly happy to walk the line with regards to outside vendors, anybody remember this, https://www.alamoareabsa.org/news/libertymutualmailing/?

True but the BSA is demanding a new and broader agreement than before so prudent folks will reevaluate the risk reward structure in light of the BSAs current political, financial, and legal environment.

Problem is, that check gets you on the IV list. Then, when those lists get subpoenaed in the next round of law suits, there your name is to be drug through the dirt, even if the check was wrong.