Differences between BSA and GSUSA

[ScoutNut]

Nope, according to BSA Rules and Regulations, money raised for Scouting MUST be used for Scouting.

 

Money and equipment raised/purchased for the purpose of Scouting can not go into the CO's pocket to be used for non-Scouting purposes.

 

If a unit folds, the CO has a choice -

 

If they plan on starting up a new unit, they can keep the folded unit,s money and equipment in trust for their new Scouting unit.

 

If they do not plan on starting a new unit, then once all of the current unit's outstanding bills have been paid, the balance of the money and equipment reverts to the council to be used for Scouting purposes.

 

The same is true of GSUSA, but without a CO, there is no middle-man, so to speak.

 

[BDPT00]

Scoutnut,

You stated that GSUSA encourages girls to earn the Religious Emblem of their faith, and to wear it on their uniform vest/sash.

Can you elaborate on that? Encouraged at what level? Where does it go on the vest/sash?

I don't think they're encouraged at anything above the unit level.

BDPT00

[ScoutNut]

While GSUSA seems to have pared down the awards they show on their current "where to" uniform pdf's, the National organization lists religious recognitions under "Special Opportunity Awards" in their Insignia List. The National organization also mentions in various areas that religious recognitions are allowed to be worn on the GSUSA uniform.

 

This is from a section for adult volunteers - "The national organizations listed below have created religious recognitions to encourage girls to grow stronger in their faith. Each faith organization develops and administers its own program. Girls can wear recognitions earned through their faith organization on their Girl Scouts uniform."

 

Some councils go into more detail about exactly where religious recognitions can be worn.

 

For instance, from Girls Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania - "If the religious organization of the individual member provides an award, it may be worn on the right side of the Girl Scout uniform with the membership pin on the left."

 

For more specific detail, this is from the National site before their Insignia site was redone -

 

"Religious and Other Awards - Wear these awards in a single horizontal row on the right side of the uniform blouse, level with the Girl Scout Membership Pin, or on the vest in the area below the membership stars or troop/group numerals, and above the next official insignia already on the vest. On the sash, these pins go in a horizontal line below the membership stars."

 

"Note: Wear only three such awards at a time to avoid a cluttered shirt or uniform. Choose to wear those that are most meaningful to you."

 

[Brewmeister]

Comparing girl scouts to cub scouts is different than comparing girl scouts to boy scouts. The structure of a girl scout troop stays together rather than switching in 6th grade. It would be like a tiger den staying together until graduation.

 

Organizationally girl scouts focuses heavily on the younger girls, not just in recruiting but in programming. I don't have figures but my gut feeling is there is a more significant drop off of girls as they age in the program compared to boys. Also, girl scouts seems to go through more program changes and fiddling with its core beliefs and mission whereas the BSA knows what it is, comparatively speaking. There also seems to be more paid staff and investment in physical office facilities and comparatively minimal investment in camp or other facilities for the girls. But again that's just a gut feeling.

 

A properly functioning girl scout troop of older girls, however, can be very much like a patrol, or perhaps a venturing crew. A poorly functioning, top-down troop will not last long, just like any dis functional unit in any other organization.

[Pack18Alex]

Comparing girl scouts to cub scouts is different than comparing girl scouts to boy scouts. The structure of a girl scout troop stays together rather than switching in 6th grade. It would be like a tiger den staying together until graduation.

 

Organizationally girl scouts focuses heavily on the younger girls, not just in recruiting but in programming. I don't have figures but my gut feeling is there is a more significant drop off of girls as they age in the program compared to boys. Also, girl scouts seems to go through more program changes and fiddling with its core beliefs and mission whereas the BSA knows what it is, comparatively speaking. There also seems to be more paid staff and investment in physical office facilities and comparatively minimal investment in camp or other facilities for the girls. But again that's just a gut feeling.

 

A properly functioning girl scout troop of older girls, however, can be very much like a patrol, or perhaps a venturing crew. A poorly functioning, top-down troop will not last long, just like any dis functional unit in any other organization.

Plenty of Drop Off from Cubs to Troop as well. BSA leadership doesn't care and still focuses on the Troop. The only division growing is Venturing, and they still are focused entirely on the troop. That's a BSA cultural issue.

 

GSUSA is focusing Younger and Younger, Daisy starts in Kindergarten (and you can start in Pre-K once you hit 5), and they are working on a Pre-K/4 year old program. At Juniors+ (about the same age as the BSA Troop) you can use the Patrol method for organizing, or something called a Town Hall Method. Prior to that, they use the Girls Decide Troop method, which looks kind of like a Den only with more consensus building.

 

Also here, the Service Unit does events every month (the equivalent of our district), so instead of individual Troops planning stuff, most of them just piggy back on the district.

 

But you are correct, BSA Councils (at least mine) are very understaffed with professionals, but the professionals we have are front line. The GSUSA Council seems to have a lot of employees, but the employees aren't front line with Scouts, not sure what they are doing.

[qwazse]

Comparing girl scouts to cub scouts is different than comparing girl scouts to boy scouts. The structure of a girl scout troop stays together rather than switching in 6th grade. It would be like a tiger den staying together until graduation.

 

Organizationally girl scouts focuses heavily on the younger girls, not just in recruiting but in programming. I don't have figures but my gut feeling is there is a more significant drop off of girls as they age in the program compared to boys. Also, girl scouts seems to go through more program changes and fiddling with its core beliefs and mission whereas the BSA knows what it is, comparatively speaking. There also seems to be more paid staff and investment in physical office facilities and comparatively minimal investment in camp or other facilities for the girls. But again that's just a gut feeling.

 

A properly functioning girl scout troop of older girls, however, can be very much like a patrol, or perhaps a venturing crew. A poorly functioning, top-down troop will not last long, just like any dis functional unit in any other organization.

Pack18, venturing #s are down from last year as well. (http://www.scouting.org/filestore/AnnualReport/2012/324-168_2012AnnualReport.pdf page 25)..

[Basementdweller]

I don't care for the venture focus of this jambo I watched the opening ceremony and just didn't care for it......Just get the sneaking suspicion that this is a prelude to complete gender integration in the program.

[Brewmeister]

BSA doesn't promote Venturing enough. Simply a wonderful program.

 

Venturing solves most of the adult problems that everyone complains about in these forums. No helicopter parents or "high speed, low-drag" adults looking to move their child to the next rank...it's a pure program of youth-directed activity. Our council had a Venturing provisional camp at the same camp, same week, as "regular" boy scout camp. The boys were working on basketry and fingerprinting merit badges and sitting in class while my daughter was out rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking...just for fun...

[jr56]

True, Venturing is a great program, it should be taking off much more than it has.

 

[qwazse]

I don't care for the venture focus of this jambo I watched the opening ceremony and just didn't care for it......Just get the sneaking suspicion that this is a prelude to complete gender integration in the program.

There are scouters who see us going to the British model. I'm not one of them. If our numbers of scouts had been increasing since 2005, I'd buy the argument. But BSA's number of venturing (presumably co-ed) units has been shrinking faster than any other program.

 

IMHO the show of venturers at Jambo is to justify the "ruggedness" of the new venue. They may not deserve it, but that is what the green shirt has come to represent.

[Basementdweller]

I don't care for the venture focus of this jambo I watched the opening ceremony and just didn't care for it......Just get the sneaking suspicion that this is a prelude to complete gender integration in the program.

A shame that what once was once a rugged Boy Scout Program has become something less.

[Basementdweller]

BSA doesn't promote Venturing enough. Simply a wonderful program.

 

Venturing solves most of the adult problems that everyone complains about in these forums. No helicopter parents or "high speed, low-drag" adults looking to move their child to the next rank...it's a pure program of youth-directed activity. Our council had a Venturing provisional camp at the same camp, same week, as "regular" boy scout camp. The boys were working on basketry and fingerprinting merit badges and sitting in class while my daughter was out rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking...just for fun...

Really, the long enduring venturing programs in our area are very much adult led.

 

The boys from the troop really have no interest in leading and the gals coming in have no experience.. I have watched our crew start and stop a number of times over the last couple of years.

 

Just sayin.....

[Brewmeister]

BSA doesn't promote Venturing enough. Simply a wonderful program.

 

Venturing solves most of the adult problems that everyone complains about in these forums. No helicopter parents or "high speed, low-drag" adults looking to move their child to the next rank...it's a pure program of youth-directed activity. Our council had a Venturing provisional camp at the same camp, same week, as "regular" boy scout camp. The boys were working on basketry and fingerprinting merit badges and sitting in class while my daughter was out rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking...just for fun...

As always it depends on the understanding of adult volunteers of how the program is supposed to operate and their commitment to how things are supposed to run. Adult led scout troops are easier on the adults to stomach as well which is why they drift that way, and the only reason adult-led troops stay together is because the rotating crop of former den leaders care about getting their Eagle parent pin. Venturing offers no similar golden ring for mom and dad.

[Basementdweller]

BSA doesn't promote Venturing enough. Simply a wonderful program.

 

Venturing solves most of the adult problems that everyone complains about in these forums. No helicopter parents or "high speed, low-drag" adults looking to move their child to the next rank...it's a pure program of youth-directed activity. Our council had a Venturing provisional camp at the same camp, same week, as "regular" boy scout camp. The boys were working on basketry and fingerprinting merit badges and sitting in class while my daughter was out rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking...just for fun...

Supposed too.

 

what we see is the girls like the idea of outdoor adventure......But don't like sweating, being wet, too hot or too cold.....

 

We get one outing from a new crew and then the girls leave followed shortly by the boys.

[Brewmeister]

BSA doesn't promote Venturing enough. Simply a wonderful program.

 

Venturing solves most of the adult problems that everyone complains about in these forums. No helicopter parents or "high speed, low-drag" adults looking to move their child to the next rank...it's a pure program of youth-directed activity. Our council had a Venturing provisional camp at the same camp, same week, as "regular" boy scout camp. The boys were working on basketry and fingerprinting merit badges and sitting in class while my daughter was out rock-climbing and whitewater kayaking...just for fun...

Obviously you haven't met our girls.