Silver Beaver Association

[Basementdweller]

I can name about 6 or 8.......In their wake multiple Packs and Troops in shambles......Now a district in shambles......

 

I got my shiney ground hog so now I am gone...

 

(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[MVScouter]

Wow! It looks like another can of worms as been opened. Such negativity and scepticism. It looks like some of you guys went out of your way to view my previous posts from many years past, comments I have forgotten long ago. I don't have to defend what I wear on my uniform to anyone, and if anyone takes issue with it, that's your problem. Enough of that!

 

Did any of you take a few minutes to stop and think what kind of positive influence a group of experienced scouters could have on scouting's youth? This would not be some "scout good ole boys and girls club". If that where you are coming from, don't give this idea a second thought. Why is there an Alumni Association, the NESA, Council Eagle Scout Associations?

Do Scouts just pay their dues and brag about being a member? Maybe some do, but that is not the basis of my motivation. Those types of BSA organizations serve a specific purpose and so would a Silver Beaver Assoc.

 

Let me give one example of how a SB Assoc. can serve the scouting youth. Why not create a Silver Beaver scholarship that can provide a scholarship to a few outstanding college bound scouters. Another example would be assist in helping inner city youth. Our council has BSA's first urban base camp. The SB Assoc. can encourage inner ciy youth to attend this base camp and partake of its programs. Perhaps you can think of other areas where such an organization can use it's talents and experience.

 

I found at 5 other councils that already have Silver Beaver Associations, and there are probably more. Are they frivolous or unconsequencial? I can safely assume that any of those members would beg to differ with the opinions from desertrat77 or SeattlePioneer on the merits of such an organization. Let me state the obvious: Silver Beaver scouters were nominated by their peers, just like OA Vigils. They were evaluated by their actions and how they served scouting, whether it is through a unit, a district, a council, or any combination. That should answer the question distinctly.

 

And basementdweller, if that is where you live, if I am misguided, perhaps I should give back my Silver Beaver award because I guess I just don't understand what it signifies. Ya know.

[Cito]

I think I was generally positive.

 

In any case, my concern is that it's a club with no purpose besides being a club. Kinda opens the door for a DAM club and a Vigil club, etc. If it does more good then more power to you.

 

Do you have some specific councils and examples of what theyve done from your research?

[desertrat77]

MV, what is preventing SBs from doing those things right now? An engraved gold letter invitation?

 

By the level they served at to receive the award, they should be the most astute, connected scouters in any community. If they want to be involved, they'll find a way.

 

LOL, there is no doubt in my mind the members of a SB assoc would disagree with my observations. And speaking as a life member of one of the orgs you mentioned (NESA), I often wonder why it exists as well, for the same reasons I questioned the SB assoc.

[ScoutNut]

>>"Why is there an Alumni Association, the NESA, Council Eagle Scout Associations?"

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello MVScouter,

 

 

Thanks for providing a list of things you think a SB association would be useful to do.

 

One of my goals this year as district membership chair is to contact fifty people on the Scouting Alumni or NESA list and see if I can recruit some to help with district or unit programs.

 

I think there are a variety of reasons why you would want to maintain contact with former Scouts.

 

 

Frankly, I don't see Silver Beavers getting lost in the shuffle and needing an association. They are usually very experienced Scouters very well acquainted with Scouting. I don't see a need for an association for that purpose.

 

Setting up scholarships or serving inner city youth are programs most councils support --- I don't see a particular need or role for SBers in doing such things. And I do think there would be a real or perceived risk that a SB association would be seen as a group of insiders.

 

Personally, I think there a tendency for Wood Badge attendees to be seen as an in group in councils. Personally I would prefer to avoid that kind of thing.

 

Based on your own suggestions, I would oppose forming a SB association in my council --- and I was just Beavered up in March.

 

Sorry if you see that as "negativity," but you just haven't made a persuasive case for that as far as I'm concerned.

 

I'd rather see Scouters as a fraternity of equals rather than being chopped up into a variety of sub groups.

 

I still prefer the idea of spreading the manure around rather than collecting it in a pile.

 

 

But of course that's just my opinion, and you are certainly entitled to see if you can find people interested in that kind of association.

 

If my council decided to form such an association, I would probably attend one or more meetings to see if they had a program I was interested in. It's not something I would take a hand in organizing unless asked to do so by council leaders.

[Tokala]

We have a loose knit Silver Rodent association. It doesn't meet or have any officers. Each year for the Council banquet, anyone with the Silver Rodent is asked if they would like to contribute monies to help pay for the cost of the Silver Beaver reception and awards. That's it. There is no other need or purpose for an association in my Council.

[MVScouter]

For all you skeptics, check out the Cascade Pacific's Silver Beaver Association newsletter. You will read exactly what they do, when they do it, and who are the recipients of their efforts. You will also read their mission statement, which is a segment of the Silver Beaver Assoc. creed. There are many other councils putting forth the effort. How successful are they? I can't answer that question. All that can be done is to try. How can anyone pass judgement without reviewing and analyzing how it would function and act once such an assoc. is created.

 

As to the opinion of "another way for the Council to raise funds", just think of all of the ways Councils are doing this already. I've always felt that everything about Scouting is overpriced, but we all know why. Dues paid by the members would go back into the assoc. completely, unless the council wants its cut.

 

To address the "scouting club" issue, I could make a somewhat valid arguement that District or Council committees are clubs from a certain perspective. Members are generally seasoned scouters who can possibly think of themselves as elevated beyond "the unit." They wear a special patch. They make decisions that effect the units. They stand in front of crowds and make announcements and speaches. They use their knowledge to benefit of other scouters. Do these attributes make them stand out? Are they special? Or are they just a part of the "team," doing specific jobs and activities for the good of all. What is the difference? What is the definition of a "club", as it pertains to scouting. Someone enlighten me.

 

MV Scouter

[Eagle732]

If your proposed SB assoc. is affiliated with your council will the council take a percentage of any donations off the top for their own use?

 

I would support an independent organization that helped youth in Scouting directly.

[Eamonn]

While I have to admit that maybe if a letter arrived asking me to join a club /association and all that was needed was a couple of hundred dollars that I thought was going to benefit our end users. I would more than lightly write the check and hope that would all I have to do.

I enjoy the company of other Scouter's and have spend way too much time sitting around telling war stories and teasing the guys that I have worked with.

I don't enjoy meetings that drag me out of my nice warm comfortable home and waste my time.

There are people involved in Scouting who because they are involved in so many different organizations and sit on so many committees do bring a lot to the table.

I remember back when I was being presented with my SB, sitting next to this elderly guy.

The first thing that struck me was that I had no idea who the heck he was. Which was odd. I'd been around for a while sat on all sort of boards and committees and thought that I knew just about everyone. I didn't know this guy. Turned out that he had a PhD and when they started to read all the things, organizations and the like that he was involved with. I thought that we'd still be there for breakfast.

I suppose I should have been impressed. But rather than being impressed, I couldn't help but think that there was no way anyone who was involved in so many different organizations is really ever doing anything or getting anything done.

I'm now a little older and don't put in the time that I once did. There are a few committees that rarely meet and when they do I rarely attend, still my name is listed as being part of whatever comes out of these meetings.

I don't think that I deserve anything from these meeting or these committees. I sure as heck would never list them as being something that I accomplished.

Of course there is a very good chance the elderly guy didn't write all the stuff that was said about him and the people who pushed for him to get the SB listed any and everything?

I don't know if this guy is still alive or not? But I'd guess (I don't know.) That were the invite to join a SB association arrive in his letter box, like me he'd write the check.

Thinking about it. I tend to think that were the SE or Council President to suggest that our Council form such an association, I could name the the guys who would jump at the idea of forming it and getting it up and running.

While the guys I'm thinking of all have their heart in the right place, they are not a group that out of choice I would hang out with or go for a drink with.

I might be being unfair but the term "Brown nose" Comes to my mind.

We more than lightly can agree that Councils need money. We more than lightly could spend hours talking about the best way to spend any money that comes in?

Finding ways to get more money coming in, isn't always a bad thing.

The SB Club? isn't a bad idea.

But why not a Left Handed Scouter's Association?

I'm sorry but I value my SB.

Surely it means more than just saying that I have been elected to a group that can be hit up for yet another donation?

If in some way this association is going to lay a guilt trip on me saying: Hey Eamonn, we were nice enough to present you with a SB, now it's time for you to repay us for being so nice to you! Than maybe the Beaver doesn't mean and doesn't stand for what I thought it did?

Eamonn

[Eagle732]

I would support an independent organization that helped youth in Scouting directly. That would be any organization, not just a SB association.

 

I have not been awarded the SB nor am I ever likely to. I'm just a unit leader not deserving of a District award.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Eagle,

 

 

[Papadaddy]

We have an SBA. They wear a special CSP. They are/were very active Scouters, but as a group, I have no idea what they've done. Maybe they've done a lot and just don't advertise it, which would be a good thing.

[Eagle732]

SP, I am aware what the SB award is and that it is awarded by Council, I misspoke when I said "District award" I do not serve in a Council capacity therefor I do not expect to ever receive such an award.

 

I don't really care about awards. I'd rather take a group of boys backpacking.

 

My point was that I would support an organization who directly supports scouts.(This message has been edited by Eagle732)

[SeattlePioneer]

>

 

 

Pretty much all the people receiving the Silver Beaver have been unit leaders as Cub masters or Scoutmasters --- often both. Often for decades. Thirty years of service seems pretty common.

 

I imagine that most have taken many groups of boys backpacking, often while doing district and council positions as well.

 

Recognition of achievements is one of the methods of Scouting.

 

Not infrequently such recognition can shape behavior is positive ways, help motivate people and is a tangible way to say "Thank you!" to people.

 

If such things are of no interest to you, that's certainly fine.