Scouting Forward: A Plan to Lead Announced

[CynicalScouter]

10 minutes ago, dkurtenbach said:

The survey gives you a 2,000 character comment box for each recommendation that you'd like to comment on.  No canned responses.

But they set the recommendation. They only want to hear what they want to hear.

And as I recall the last time a survey was done (insta-palms?) the results were ignored and/or hidden.

They.

Don't.

Care.

[mashmaster]

reply to all the points

[dkurtenbach]

Just now, CynicalScouter said:

They.

Don't.

Care.

That sounds cynical.  😄   And you're probably right.  But a Scout is Loyal, so we have an obligation to speak truth to the organization we are loyal to.  A Scout is Helpful, so we have an obligation to at least try to help them onto the right path.  A Scout is Cheerful, so even in the worst of times we should act with optimism.  And a Scout is Thrifty, so spending a few minutes writing comments where there is a one-in-a-million chance they could improve Scouting for millions of youth in the future is an investment worth making.  😁 

[Eagle94-A1]

2 hours ago, CynicalScouter said:

But they set the recommendation. They only want to hear what they want to hear.

And as I recall the last time a survey was done (insta-palms?) the results were ignored and/or hidden.

They.

Don't.

Care.

No, the Insta-palms poll was the last one they published the results of. 18% Against and 76% Strongly Against. But they did it anyway.

The last poll they did was the membership changes one. They did not give enough time to conduct the prerequisite town hall meeting in order to take the poll ( which limited the numbers of members who could do the poll), the questions were biased as to what they wanted to do, a segment of the BSA's membership who took the poll were excluded from being included in the results (LDS members in the Western Region according to the foot note on something the BSA published about ht epoll) , and they never did publish the actual results of that poll.

Edited July 18, 2020 by Eagle94-A1

[Eagle94-A1]

2 hours ago, dkurtenbach said:

 So you can really let loose, if you want to.  Then you submit, indicate your relationship to Scouting (volunteer, parent, etc.), and your Council.  

Thanks for stating they ask for council. I have started the survey, but kept getting a 'minimum 2000 character" message for two questions. So I was really complaining about my council. Even though the council will be gone by 2022, they can still make my life miserable. I've seen SEs abuse their authority. 2 oustanding volunteers have had their membership revoked because they questioned the council to hard.

[PACAN]

@mashmaster 

What does the National Commodore think or know the true membership of the Sea Scouts is?

Again...how many are post 18? 

Are the over 18 primary registration Ventures?

What is the need or ramifications of the Sea Scouts not being attached to the BSA?

Thanks for any info he is willing to provide.

 

[mashmaster]

3 hours ago, PACAN said:

@mashmaster 

What does the National Commodore think or know the true membership of the Sea Scouts is?

Again...how many are post 18? 

Are the over 18 primary registration Ventures?

What is the need or ramifications of the Sea Scouts not being attached to the BSA?

Thanks for any info he is willing to provide.

 

I'll ask when I see him next.  I believe the number is in the high 3000's for registrations. Still a small number. I don't know the answers to everything else.

He did explain to me how Sea Scouts were part of Exploring for many years and advancement worked the same. So that isn't an issue in my mind anymore.

[dkurtenbach]

I thought these were two interesting recommendations: "Greater reliance on volunteers to offset national staff reductions," followed by "Rotate national volunteers back to local councils or new intermediate organization." So, greater reliance on volunteers at the National level, but NOT the current National volunteers, who should be sent home. Is that right?

[Momleader]

Are they aware that it’s the local leaders who are trying to implement and provide programming to the youth while filling out all their metrics for these JTE and recruitment quotas while working full time, raising their own families,  Selling popcorn, cultivating relationships with schools and chartered orgs and trying to keep current on the training?  This is the hardest volunteer gig there is

[mashmaster]

16 hours ago, Momleader said:

Are they aware that it’s the local leaders who are trying to implement and provide programming to the youth while filling out all their metrics for these JTE and recruitment quotas while working full time, raising their own families,  Selling popcorn, cultivating relationships with schools and chartered orgs and trying to keep current on the training?  This is the hardest volunteer gig there is

It is just 1 hour a week.....  

In all seriousness, I don't know if the Churchill group does or not. The committees that are formed to review and recommend the way forward from this report is made up of Scouting volunteers that have been donating their time for a long time so they are aware.

[Jameson76]

3 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

It is just 1 hour a week.....  

In all seriousness, I don't know if the Churchill group does or not. The committees that are formed to review and recommend the way forward from this report is made up of Scouting volunteers that have been donating their time for a long time so they are aware.

I question that, not that they have been donating their time for a long time, but are they really aware.  And I mean currently aware?

My concern is that things change.  Many things are constant, but the outside influences can vary.  There are many difference just over the last 10 years in technology and in many ways the expectations of participants.  As these key leaders are more removed from active work with actual Scouts, their frame of reference is not current, not saying bad, just not current.  When was the last time some of them went camping with a troop, ran a pack meeting, worked as a merit badge counselor.

Their references may be out of date, for example phones.  10 years ago you could call and text, maybe a downloaded game, and networks were sporadic.  The iphone was only introduced in 2007 and with it, an explosion of uses (some good and some not so good).  Now schools, families, and Scout units need to navigate that changed landscape.

[mrjohns2]

12 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

I question that, not that they have been donating their time for a long time, but are they really aware.  And I mean currently aware?

I agree. I keep thinking about to Green Bar Bill and his troop 1 at Schiff. He had to stay grounded and to experiment with different ideas. That was perfect.  I assume many of the top leaders are not in units. I know the design director of Boys' Life has Scouting age kids, but how many on the National Board have been on a campout with a normal unit or a den meeting with a den in the last 10 years? 

[mashmaster]

1 hour ago, Jameson76 said:

I question that, not that they have been donating their time for a long time, but are they really aware.  And I mean currently aware?

My concern is that things change.  Many things are constant, but the outside influences can vary.  There are many difference just over the last 10 years in technology and in many ways the expectations of participants.  As these key leaders are more removed from active work with actual Scouts, their frame of reference is not current, not saying bad, just not current.  When was the last time some of them went camping with a troop, ran a pack meeting, worked as a merit badge counselor.

Their references may be out of date, for example phones.  10 years ago you could call and text, maybe a downloaded game, and networks were sporadic.  The iphone was only introduced in 2007 and with it, an explosion of uses (some good and some not so good).  Now schools, families, and Scout units need to navigate that changed landscape.

I know two people on the committee. Both of them are extremely active. One of which is involved as an ASM in a female troop. He is also active in venturing and OA.

Both of them still work with scouts on a regular basis and spend a ton of time weekly with scouts including camping and treks. Have seen them both helping on Eagle projects currently along with working with the youth leadership for Venturing and Sea Scouts.

They both use digital tools with our unit and others.

So yes very currently aware. 

[John-in-KC]

On 7/18/2020 at 12:09 PM, mashmaster said:

 

He did explain to me how Sea Scouts were part of Exploring for many years and advancement worked the same. So that isn't an issue in my mind anymore.

They were part of Exploring because Exploring was the senior youth program of BSA, before the creation of venturing and lfl. 

[Eagle94-A1]

Yep, Sea Scouts were officially  Sea Explorers from sometime in the 1960s/early 70s until 1998. However, in my ship we still called ourselves Sea Scouts, every "Sea Explorer" I met outside of my ship called themselves a Sea Scout, and if memory serves, Sea Scout was used in Sea Explorer literature. Both the First Class Anchor and Exploring Anchor (below) were used.

During the Sea Explorer phase you had traditional ships that used the traditional Sea Scout program, and non-traditional ships (like mine) that did they own thing like Explorer posts. the unofficial terms Blue Fleet and Red Fleet to describe the two types of ships. The Small Boat Handler and Qualified Seaman badges were developed for the non traditional  ships. Advancement  was still around and anyone could earn it, but it was a lot harder to earn in a non-traditional ship.  I only got as far as Ordinary before diving into the OA.