Mr. Gates' Speech; Other Than The Gay Issue

[skeptic]

While I thought asking for a thorough reading of the speech, and comments regarding it, would mean we would see something outside of the "local option" and its related concerns.  Obviously, I was not as bright as that average bear.

 

So, please, if you have thoughts, rational and non hysterical, about other parts of it, please consider talking here.

 

Executive pay and contracts; getting back to the volunteer focus; dealing with fundraising, and so on.

 

 

Personally, I like the fact they have changed the Chief Executive pay package; though it still seems a bit too high to me.  It is a start in the right direction.

 

Whether or not the switch to more focus on the volunteer and units' success will happen is again a good idea; but will it actually happen?

 

In today's cultural environment, the funding issues are very difficult.  Finding working solutions is necessary, and we can hope they find some.

 

I would really like to see National come up with a way to stabilize councils and also save the local camps that still exist if at all possible.  If that means working to some extent from the top, then maybe that should happen, especially in the smaller, more budget challenged councils that NEED to not disappear.  

 

So, lets see how this one goes.

[Gone]

The exec pay thing was nice to see but that should be across the bord with all paid senior execs.

 

The focus on retention was campaign talk but nothing's substantive.

 

Recruiting seems to be focused again on underserved areas and groups. Again no solid tools or tips on how to do it.

 

Councils can be stabilized by hiring people who know how to run a business. Again they don't do that so councils go red financially.

[desertrat77]

There were a few odds and ends sprinkled throughout the speech that didn't pertain to the gay issue, but nothing much to speak of.

 

I lol'd:   "How about that STEM?   STEM is great!"

 

Chief Diversity Officer?   Might be to help the underprivileged or to support the gay transition.  Or both.   Certainly a PR angle to that too.

 

Makes me wonder about the water gun decision.   Was that the shiny object to divert attention away from the key issue on the horizon, referred to in Mr. Gates' speech?   Nah.   If National played it that way, it would show a sense of strategy (poor strategy, but strategy nonetheless).   More than likely, there was no coordination on the releases, they just pushed them out.   Another banner week for the BSA.

Edited May 21, 2015 by desertrat77

[RememberSchiff]

He threw a few crumbs our way.

 

I see the Chief automatically getting the 10% performance (for what?) bonus so just a 10% reduction. To be transparent, just explicitly state the new Chief salary range which IMO should be $400-500K.

 

I am not seeing the transparency. I am seeing more layers between myself and the information/help that I seek. Is it easier to become or remain a volunteer? Are we getting more volunteers? Again no numbers were presented.

 

Maybe I am reading between the lines, but I get the impression that STEM scouting is the future direction. 

 

My $0.01

[Gone]

7.4% drop in 2014.

 

6.2% drop in 2013.

 

Years previous the drops were half that.

 

'nuff said.

[Sentinel947]

Reminder to all that this thread is not for discussing the potential membership policy change. 

[qwazse]

The "Build an Adventure" pitch to parents and Cubs might work.

But for older youth, I think adventure has been oversold.

Until BSA returns to the pinnacle scouting experience of qualifying to hike and camp independently with your mates, kids who don't have Jambo or High

Adventure Bases in their sights will say "Why Bother"?

[Gone]

Reminder to all that this thread is not for discussing the potential membership policy change.

 

Now, now...the posting about the membership drop was tied to the Gates comments about the OTHER points. By point ting out those other points it's clear RETENTION is not working and these other "accomplishments" are out of touch with the primary problem: we are bleeding members, and have been for a while. That outflow just seems to be even worse the last two years and that has to do with failed policies and objectives all the way around.

 

On a side note, a friend working at national in membership says the current recharter numbers are down 5% again...and that's before the mid-year reconciliation (some call it ring out) which usually further down grades that number. The current projection is possibly 8%...that was before yesterday. Stay tuned.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Bad Wolf

[NJCubScouter]

I know this is not strictly on topic but I did not want to start a new thread just to ask a question and this was the closest thread I could find.

 

I had thought the big news out of this Annual Meeting was going to be the "unveiling" of changes to the Boy Scout rank requirements - including the specific requirement for discussion of "duty to God" for every rank. It also was my recollection, maybe from reading Bryan's blog, that there were going to be other changes including addition of service requirements at ranks that don't have them now, and some rearrangement of requirements between the ranks. There is a document saying the requirements were going to be released at the Annual Meeting, here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/program_update/pdf/Transitioning_New_Requirements_2016.pdf

 

Not only has Mr. Gates' speech overshadowed everything else, but I have not heard a single word about the advancement changes. I can't find anything about it on the Internet. Was I wrong about the timing, or did they change the schedule, or what? Does anyone know?

[Gone]

@@NJCubScouter, you recall correctly...at least from what I also read. I'd like to think this is BSA's way of obfuscating the minor changes with a major one, but that would assume a high degree of planning and coordination with intent; qualities BSA rarely possesses.

 

My understanding from someone on the task force is that most of these changes you note in the link will happen between now and Nov. The duty to God issue is being put on the back burner according to my friend.

[RememberSchiff]

Good point NJ.  I expected to hear a progress report regarding the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. Anyone hear anything about that?

Edited May 22, 2015 by RememberSchiff

[skeptic]

Very likely will be a number of issues and reports forthcoming once the meeting comes to a close.  So, be patient; you may even get the info you are speaking of.  The meeting is still in session as far as I know.

[NJCubScouter]

Very likely will be a number of issues and reports forthcoming once the meeting comes to a close.  So, be patient; you may even get the info you are speaking of.  The meeting is still in session as far as I know.

Patience? Well... I'll try.