Learning For Life is inclusive, when will BSA mention that?

[Basementdweller]

As abel said Learning for Life is where DE's or SE's who need to exaggerate numbers go...

 

 

Supposedly there is/was a Learning for life unit at my childrens elementary. The principle doesn't know anything about it, The PTO president doesn't know anything about it......My calls to Miss C at Council office to ask for contact info went unreturned.

 

My thought was to get them to join our Pack or to take them camping with us and invite them to our Pinewood derby......Really hard to do when they don't exists....

 

 

[Oak Tree]

when will BSA mention that?

 

It doesn't matter. This won't help with any argument with anybody. If people believe it's wrong for the BSA to discriminate against gays, the fact that the BSA has an obscure subsidiary organization that is inclusive is not going to convince them to support the BSA.

 

[Abel Magwitch]

The BSA becomes very, very hypocritical having a program that does not live up to its strict interpretation of values and character. Scouts and leaders are dismissed from the BSA based on the organizations strong stance against homosexuals yet it is more than happy accepting funding for another program that in no way lives up to those values.

 

LFL really took off when United Way chapters started to withhold funding the BSA because of its policy of discrimination. Now the BSA has found a way to still get funding from United Way chapters by offering this so called LFL program.

 

In my opinion, LFL negates all the arguments supporting the BSAs anti-gay and religious stance. It shows that corporate BSA is willing to set aside its so called standards in order to get funding for their paychecks. If folks want to stand behind the BSAs premise that it is immoral to be gay and being an atheist prevents a boy from being the best he can be, then where is the outrage back at the organization for even having other programs where being gay or an atheist is ok?

 

[Tampa Turtle]

BSA can get away with it because no one knows or cares about LFL. More folks have heard about Sea Scouts than LFL.

[Abel Magwitch]

Shortridge writes:

 

Its participant numbers are also fairly small - 777,243 compared to 2,723,869 in the traditional membership

 

There was a huge drop in LFL membership in 2008. In 2007, the LFL membership made up 38.5% of the overall youth served. LFL showed incredible growth since its inception in 1991 - up until 2007. Then for some reason, the bottom fell out. Since 2007, LFL membership has dropped by an incredible 65%.

 

2007 Traditional membership - 2,855,833

 

2007 LFL membership - 1,788,276

 

[scoutingagain]

"Then for some reason,..."

 

LOL, I suspect some of the the bean counters in Irving would fit right in with those at some of the big financial institutions or Enron.

 

SA

 

 

[Abel Magwitch]

;-)

[NJCubScouter]

Abel, do those stats include Exploring or just the classroom-based programs? (And/or whatever else may be included in LFL, as I've said before I have read of at least one "Lion Cub" (kindergarten) den that was under the LFL umbrella somewhere.)

 

And if Exploring is included in the overall number, are the Exploring figures at least broken out anywhere? It would be difficult to believe that Exploring itself had declined by 65 percent in the past five years. It would mean posts disappearing all over the place.

[Abel Magwitch]

NJCubScouter,

 

Exploring by itself has seen a 35% decline. The classroom portion has seen a 68% decline bringing the overall LFL program down by 65%.

 

 

So the answer is both. The membership data can be accessed on the national website under Annual Reports. You can access national annual reports from 1997 2011. The classroom based programs showed the heaviest declines but Exploring also showed some substantial declines as well. The data with its gains and losses is on each annual report. All one has to do is take the time to review it. Nowhere has the membership shown such dramatic growth and declines as the LFL program. From reviewing other council's annual reports, I have found that these fluctuations are just as dramatic on the council level.

 

2006 LFL had 1,750,767 participants. The program was broken down like this:

 

172,291 explorers

 

1,477,850 classroom-based programs

 

100,626 special needs (not sure what special needs programs are, but I surmise it is part of the classroom programs).

 

 

2007 LFL had 1,788,276 participants:

 

170,294 explorers (-0.8 loss)

 

1,517,818 classroom-based programs

 

99,534 special needs

 

 

2008 LFL had 1,342,222 participants:

 

146,564 explorers (-14.3% loss)

 

1,139,042 classroom-based programs

 

56,616 special needs

 

 

In 2009 the membership data was not as detailed as in previous years. It was listed as follows:

 

2009

 

121,407 members of Exploring career based programs (-17% loss)

 

848,688 members of LFLs classroom based programs.

 

This would bring the grand total of LFL to 970,095

 

 

2010 LFL had 777,125 participants:

 

113,062 explorers (-7% loss)

 

486,982 classroom-based programs

 

31,972 special needs

 

 

And finally in 2011,

 

2011 LFL had 624,142 participants:

 

112,783 explorers (-.02% loss)

 

632,091 classroom-based programs

 

24,377 special needs

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by abel magwitch)