LDS loss, properties mortgaged

[Eagle1993]

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/12/17/mormons-pulling-youths/

Interesting highlights below:

"The reality there is we didn't really leave them; they kind of left us," high-ranking church leader M. Russell Ballard recently said about the split.

His comment upset Boy Scout officials, Perry said, because the organization went to great lengths to ensure the faith still had robust religious liberty protections after the Scouts welcomed openly gay troop members and leaders — even allowing the church to craft the language.

.....

As of 2013, there were more than 430,000 Latter-day Saint boys in the Boy Scouts. The latest tally of the Scouts' total youth membership was about 2.2 million last year, and its press office confirmed that the church exodus would push that number close to 1.8 million.

...

(About Philmont)...The Scouts says similar liens are in place for its other national properties, including its headquarters in Texas and “high adventure” bases in Minnesota, Florida and West Virginia.

[qwazse]

Also interesting from that article, the anecdote of a scouter and his wife who ...

Quote

... couldn’t imagine not giving their three youngest sons the same opportunity, so they launched a new Boy Scout troop earlier this year to carry on the tradition after the church alliance ends. Most of its 40 boys are church members and also will participate in the faith’s new youth program. ...

[their son, age] 12, said he’s happy he can keep going to camp, have fun with friends and hopefully one day become an Eagle Scout like his big brothers.

Moves like this could account for @Cburkhardt's noting an uptick in new units.

Edited December 17, 2019 by qwazse

[swilliams]

14 hours ago, qwazse said:

Also interesting from that article, the anecdote of a scouter and his wife who ...

Moves like this could account for @Cburkhardt's noting an uptick in new units.

I've been saying similar, but my (admittedly hopeful) estimated number of LDS scouts/families who go this route are higher than most folks here agree with.

[mashmaster]

I saw two pictures last night that yet again show differences in the current program.  I have seen very similar pictures over the last two years.  Both were just after their Eagle board of review and were consistent to the pictures I have been seeing.  First picture and status was for a boy that is in 9th grade and had a full sash of merit badges at least 60, has gone to many summer camps and high adventure camps.  His picture is of him alone signing his paperwork.  The second picture is of a boy that is in 8th grade, has 22 merit badges.  His picture is with 12 adults standing with him.

The programs are run very differently between the churches.  With the church leaving the program (BSA did not leave them no matter what others want to say), it has become much more parent run pushing the youth to complete before the official split.   The only scouts I see going to another troop are scouts that are close to completing Eagle to just get the rank.

[qwazse]

1 hour ago, mashmaster said:

...  The only scouts I see going to another troop are scouts that are close to completing Eagle to just get the rank.

That's neither the parents' nor the churches' fault. If a council with large number of LDS CO's is not aggressively marketing to those parents or scouts by introducing them to their neighboring troops -- especially those started by LDS leaders to continue scouting -- then they are doing their scouts a disservice.

Also, there are a leaders out their wondering how to handle the influx of older LDS boys to their troop. BSA should highlight scouters who've successfully done that. Because recruiting older LDS scouts and blending them into your troop is not unlike making sure boys feel welcome even if they weren't with you since they crossed over from a pack.

The message should be: "Sure, we're financially tight. Girls are scouting with us now. Liability's high. But boys still want to camp with us!"

[mashmaster]

42 minutes ago, qwazse said:

That's neither the parents' nor the churches' fault. If a council with large number of LDS CO's is not aggressively marketing to those parents or scouts by introducing them to their neighboring troops -- especially those started by LDS leaders to continue scouting -- then they are doing their scouts a disservice.

 

In our council, the church Wards put up a big wall between council and the scouts.  Those units don't attend any of the district events or council events.  They hold their own lock-in vs. camporees, and don't attend the council camps.  The council even moved them to close on Saturday evening so Sunday was not and issue with little change from the units.

When I was in a troop as SM the few LDS boys we got came over because of how poorly their church units were being run.  Ships are a bit different, and the co-ed factor seems to be a blocker for them even looking at us.

[Cburkhardt]

Well, standing in line at the United counter waiting to fly on a delayed flight ...  so no better time to respond to this.  Friends, all will be well with the BSA after a couple of years.  The female membership will be largely replacing the LDS and losses, our organization will be vigorously serving the entire family (just like the Scouters with daughters have been praying for for decades), we will have gotten past the liabilities of the YPT fails and bad business practices of the past, and yes — we will still have some great LDS families participating with us and providing adult leadership.  I want to write that book about how our fine BSA of today overcame our membership policy difficulties, excessive property ownership and provided some reasonable justice to those kids who were abused — and transformed such difficulties into tremendous strengths.  Yes, I’ll still be around here in a few years with my now-32 girl Troop (hopefully about 70 by then) and the millions of youth and leaders that will still very much be here.  I’m now sitting next to a French guy on the plane who is a professional soccer player in KC (heading back to Paris to visit family).  He says he loves America and is getting his green card so he can stay.  I share that because the BSA is still that idealistic organization that wants to provide the best for people.  This hand-wringing is misplaced.  Let’s exhibit confidence and get this transformation job done the right way.  We have important issues to process and will be different after the Ch. 11.  I’m thinking we will be a better, more balanced organization and our program and units will benefit.  Well, plane is taking off, so know on those optimistic thoughts if you wish.

[Cburkhardt]

Just landed in rainy Paris for a quick business trip and found out that our female youth membership already tops 150,000.  So, we are well on the way to building good membership mass with American girls.  This confirms there are good reasons to keep faith in the BSA.

[RememberSchiff]

@Cburkhardt , source link please. 

Does 150,000 include the previously enrolled female scouts in Venture Crews and Sea Scouts?

 

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by RememberSchiff