Robert Gates finished 2 year term; leaves BSA presidency

[RememberSchiff]

http://cjonline.com/news/2016-05-26/robert-gates-kansas-native-leaves-boy-scouts-presidency-defends-gay-adult-policy#

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gates-leaves-boy-scouts-presidency-defends-gay-adult-39414118

 

 

Fair use quote:

By Nomaan Merchant

The Associated Press

 

DALLAS —

 

On Thursday, Gates finished his two-year term by arguing the Scouts had overcome that challenge and were ready to reverse years of membership declines.

 

 

Moderator's Note:  We cannot quote entire articles verbatim; that's why this was snipped to a single sentence.  Copyright laws do attach, and Scouter-TERRY gives us this site as a gift!

Edited May 31, 2016 by John-in-KC
Article quote reduced to fair use sentence.

[RememberSchiff]

Thank you Dr. Gates for your leadership and service to Scouting and America.

[Krampus]

ROFL...those numbers they quote are HEAVILY messaged. Their own published numbers refute those numbers. We already had that discussion citing the BSA published numbers.

 

If a Scout is supposed to be "honest", why does BSA message their numbers so much instead of standing behind their previously published membership stats?

 

Those deep divisions they cite in the first paragraph are not gone. In fact, they may be worse than when he took office. He's just pleased one group while ticking off the other.

[NJCubScouter]

Krampus, when you're finished rolling on the floor, I have a question. Just out of curiosity:

 

Leaving aside the question of which way the numbers are going: Which way do you WANT them to go?

[Krampus]

Krampus, when you're finished rolling on the floor, I have a question. Just out of curiosity:

 

Leaving aside the question of which way the numbers are going: Which way do you WANT them to go?

 

Well, there is no question on which way the numbers are going. There is also no question how fast they are going that direction. The BSA re-worked the previously published membership numbers to make the decline look less ominous. We discussed this last year and I posted the actually year on year membership losses as reported by the BSA. It wasn't 4%. It was 6% and higher. Oddly enough, the annual 3% year on year losses INCREASED since the 2013 decision. Yet someone how Gates' decision is being lauded as having reversed the decline. I hate to say it, but that is pure horse pucky!! Their own numbers refute that.

 

What I want is for BSA to be honest about their membership numbers and not alter them to make their policy decisions look good.

[King Ding Dong]

There is much speculation he will be on the short lists for VP. The question is which one?

[RememberSchiff]

As to honesty, I would like to the see the membership numbers that were provided to Dr. Gates and by whom. There are facts and there are figures.

[Fehler]

Thank you Sec. Gates for your service and doing what needed to be done.

[Krampus]

There is much speculation he will be on the short lists for VP. The question is which one?

 

Well, according to their published annual reports, this is how the numbers stack up. Numbers for the year are reported in March of the following year for the year just ended.

• 2012:
  • Cubs= 1,528,673
  • Boy Scouts= 848,236
  • Venture/Varsity= 219,453
  • Total= 2,596,362
• 2013
  • Cubs= 1,417,034
  • Boy Scouts= 828,947
  • Venture/Varsity= 192,080
  • Total= 2,438,061
• 2014
  • Cubs= 1,293,564
  • Boy Scouts= 789,934
  • Venture/Varsity= 188,672
  • Total= 2,272,170
• 2015
  • Cubs= 1,261,340
  • Boy Scouts/Venture/Varsity= 840,654
  • Total= 2,101,994
  • Note: They combined reporting on Boy Scouts, Venture and Varsity to hide the decline in these groups. Combined in 2014 they had 978,606 and in 2013 they had 1,021,027. In 2012 they had 1,067,689.

So a 4% decline in 2014 was actually a 6.8% decline across all Scouting programs. The decline in 2015 is actually closer to 7.5%.

[T2Eagle]

• • Note: They combined reporting on Boy Scouts, Venture and Varsity to hide the decline in these groups. Combined in 2014 they had 978,606 and in 2013 they had 1,021,027. In 2012 they had 1,067,689.

So a 4% decline in 2014 was actually a 6.8% decline across all Scouting programs. The decline in 2015 is actually closer to 7.5%.

Krampus, do you know whether the numbers either previously or in 2015 reflect multiply registered individuals?  My own observation is that almost every male registered as a Venturer is also registered with a troop, either as a scout or as an under 21 scouter.

[Krampus]

Krampus, do you know whether the numbers either previously or in 2015 reflect multiply registered individuals?  My own observation is that almost every male registered as a Venturer is also registered with a troop, either as a scout or as an under 21 scouter.

 

I can only tell you what they report in their annual report. I suspect there might be duplications in some memberships but doubt that number is very high. They usually publish adjusted numbers each August but they don't do it with much fanfare. Those revised numbers are usually lower than the ones published in the annual report but not by much.

 

The folks I know who work with membership numbers at council and national will admit there is some double counting in membership, but they put that number as quite low. 

[blw2]

I'm still hoping for a Bear Grills type to take the job.... we need somebody hanging on the side of a helicopter, or doing other really cool stuff to grab their attention (and fixing it so the scouts can do some of that cool stuff too....)

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not they biggest Bear fan out there.... but you've gotta admit it looks like fun on tv

[qwazse]

I can only tell you what they report in their annual report. I suspect there might be duplications in some memberships but doubt that number is very high. They usually publish adjusted numbers each August but they don't do it with much fanfare. Those revised numbers are usually lower than the ones published in the annual report but not by much.

 

The folks I know who work with membership numbers at council and national will admit there is some double counting in membership, but they put that number as quite low. 

Thanks for the re-cap. You saved me hunting them down. I posted the figures in reply to a post praising the supposed signs of "stop loss".

[King Ding Dong]

I'm still hoping for a Bear Grills type to take the job.... we need somebody hanging on the side of a helicopter, or doing other really cool stuff to grab their attention (and fixing it so the scouts can do some of that cool stuff too....)

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not they biggest Bear fan out there.... but you've gotta admit it looks like fun on tv

"Make Scouts Great Again".

 

Maybe Jack Bauer can eliminate some of the opposition and teach some Finger Carving as well.

[desertrat77]

Great outdoors-folks like Bear and Mike Rowe, and others like them, will never get hired.   Sorry to say.

 

Remember, the same people that signed off on the water gun and bubble ball bans are the hiring authorities.

Edited May 28, 2016 by desertrat77