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OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE: Girls as Youth Members, All Programs


John-in-KC

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I was a Scout since 2009 and no one asked us who or what we wanted in our program. Wouldn’t it be nice if young men were elected to national office in scouting to make decisions for the rest of us under 21? It seems wrong to have guys in their 50s (no offense) to try to imagine what it’s like to be 15 these days.

 

Actually, the National Chief (OA) is on the board, as well as 3-4 more youth. I think the National VOA President is one of those. Not sure how the others are selected.

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Actually, the National Chief (OA) is on the board, as well as 3-4 more youth. I think the National VOA President is one of those. Not sure how the others are selected.

The national venturing youth cabinet and the O/A National Chiefs have had a lot of sway on the board. Certainly for as twice as long as Back Pack has been a scout.

 

In a sense the board has held back overtures from many of them to open BSA to coed units for decades.

 

Not sure what they think of BSA4G. I met a couple of the National Venturing officers in April and then the precipitous decline in numbers of Venturers was an urgent concern.

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Actually, the National Chief (OA) is on the board, as well as 3-4 more youth. I think the National VOA President is one of those. Not sure how the others are selected.

Ok. So survey the other 2.1m of us. It’s our organization and not some old guys in Dallas or wherever.

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The Boy Scouts of America brand name is one of the best known brand names in the world so keep the name.

 

The truly valuable part of the name is "Scouts", and that's the part of the name the BSA is more than willing to defend in court against other organizations using it. Because, again, that's the valuable part of the name. I know of at least one organization that tried to use "scouts" in their name, even without using "boy" (they're co-ed), and the BSA still forced them to stop using the word "scouts". 

 

So the BSA could theoretically drop "Boy" and still retain most of the value in the brand name. 

 

Which, as it happens, is how I and a lot of folks already refer to this thing. In my house we don't say often say the full name "Boy Scouts" or "Cub Scouts", it's usually more like, "Go get dressed, we've got Scouts tonight." 

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Ok. So survey the other 2.1m of us. It’s our organization and not some old guys in Dallas or wherever.

 

That comment is out of line. There are a lot of "old guys in Dallas" who have dedicated their lives to this organization. I don't know what makes you think you have more right and say in it than them. Unless of course you don't think you need the old guys and your age group could just run the whole thing yourselves. 

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Ok. So survey the other 2.1m of us. It’s our organization and not some old guys in Dallas or wherever.

 

 

That comment is out of line. There are a lot of "old guys in Dallas" who have dedicated their lives to this organization. I don't know what makes you think you have more right and say in it than them. Unless of course you don't think you need the old guys and your age group could just run the whole thing yourselves. 

 

Maybe it is more misinformed than out of line. The average Scout/Scouter have no idea of the inner workings of BSA, even at a District or Council level. I'll admit I am very deep into scouting and the intricacies often confuse me and force me to go look things up.

 

But those old men and women, didn't get there by accident. And that starts at your local district and council. The people that make the committees and boards up have a very keen interest in Scouting, they make it go, giving and raising money, serving in various positions (at local levels often several positions, because they are the ones that step up when no one else does). They are nominated and elected to those positions by fellow Scouters (and Scouts) serving on committees, and without them the program would be much different, if it existed at all.

 

And contrary to popular belief the professionals are not the ones deciding everything. In fact, I think the only professional that has a vote is the National Chief Executive and that is only on the Executive Committee. Local Executives do not vote on the Council Committee.

 

Many, if not most, were scouts as youth, including the current executive (Eagle Scout) and Commissioner (cub, boy Scout and Explore). So, while they are old men, they got there through years of dedicated service to Scouting.

Edited by HelpfulTracks
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There are about 1,800,000 Girl Scouts, they are happy with the program, it is designed by women for girls and ran mostly by women I was part of a Girl Scout camp out and it was a much better experience  then the last Boy Scout camporee that I went to. The Girls Scouts ran an amazing camp fire program, while the Boy Scouts had to sit through the most boring and poorly done mess of a camp fire I have ever seen in my life and the camporee was mostly a bunch of flip chart classes with the aim of signing scouts off on different merit badge requirements so that the Boys can get that Eagle out by age 14 before they become interested in girls and cars. . . . . not much fun at all, most boys were just spacing out on their smart phones trying to tune out the screams of all the cub scout den moms in the back ground. . .   I was a Boy Scout in the 1970's and I can see why Boy Scouts is loosing numbers. . . Boy Scouts has become pretty boring.  

 

The only thing that keeps Girl Scouts from doing the very same fun things that the Boy Scouts are suppose to be doing is their leaders, too many of the women that run Girl Scout Troops, don't do long hikes, don't do snow some do not even like camping so the girls end up with a tame program.

 

I am seeing an increasing number of Boy Scout leaders are just like the Girl Scout Leaders, who do not want to go do the more interesting things that the Boy want to do. I have seen Boy Scout Troops do nothing but car camp with the adults doing all the cooking, everyone bored out of their minds playing with their smart phones, adults included.  Not a fun time at all.

 

I am sure bringing girls in will make the Boy Scout program more family friendly, bring more car camping, bring more smart phone apps, more safety, much less adventure and it will not be the fault of the girls at all, but with the new leaders that will be coming in with them in massive numbers. . . 

 

The problem that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are having is NOT caused by the kids, it is caused by bad adult leaders.  Yes, I have meet some great adult leaders, but there are too many bad adult leaders out there.  I have see too many good leaders driven out of the program by the bad ones gunning for them, it is heart breaking to so the good ones walk away, and end up stuck with horrible leader in a high position that no adult wants to follow, because they know they will regret it. 

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I am sure bringing girls in will make the Boy Scout program more family friendly, bring more car camping, bring more smart phone apps, more safety, much less adventure and it will not be the fault of the girls at all, but with the new leaders that will be coming in with them in massive numbers. . . 

 

 

 

 

Can I borrow your crystal ball?  I'd like to get the winning lottery numbers for next weeks Megamillions and Powerball.

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