DRAFT: DE&I merit badge requirements

[yknot]

I don't know that this badge will be the death of scouting but it has been so poorly implemented that it certainly hasn't helped. We lost several families over it. The ones who had issues with gender or orientation issues have been long gone, but this time it was families with connections to LEOs. It was really ill advised of BSA to throw this out there when they did. Instead of taking the time to do something more thoughtful and measured, it came across as a knee jerk reaction at a time when people were reacting very badly to reactionary things. While it can't hurt for scouts have discussions about some of these topics, it is to some degree overkill with what they are getting in every other aspect of their lives. The biggest problem for youth will be the confusion that results when their adult leaders and COs really aren't that tolerant of aspects of the badge that require tolerance. In this way in many cases it's going to be a very different situation in scouting from what they hear elsewhere from outside the scouting environment. 

[InquisitiveScouter]

@yknot, thanks for letting us know of some of the consequences.

I briefed our Troop Committee tonight on this, and, although here in these forums I have fervently expressed my personal views, I did present this in a neutral and diplomatic manner to them.  There was a mixed reception, as expected, and the dialogue exchanged was exactly along some of the lines presented here...understanding a need, but not accepting the implementation.

I asked them all to reserve final judgment (as I am doing) until the MB and rank requirements are formally released, which I guess we all expect within the next nine days.  We may get a product then that is somewhat different from what we see now.  I also have not seen the rank requirements, nor the MB counselor notes.

I would ask that you all keep your ear to the ground and share any official developments as they come in.

According to my faith, I wish you all a blessed Christmas.  If I could put a vaccination in your stocking, I would!

See you after the holidays,

Inquisitive Scouter

[PACAN]

Lots of good discussion but here is the bottom line:

They are going to implement this MB and evidently rank requirements.

This will be Eagle Required reducing the number of non required badges for scouts.

50000 scouts will earn this before May 2021.  A good number will be pencil whipped and completed in one hour.

Not sure how this one fits the  purpose of the merit badge program which is supposed to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career or vocation.

Finally...no one who is on the panel who came up with these requirements (and we can only imagine what the rank requirements will be) care what any of us think as they are on their mission.

 

 

 

[yknot]

28 minutes ago, PACAN said:

Finally...no one who is on the panel who came up with these requirements (and we can only imagine what the rank requirements will be) care what any of us think as they are on their mission.

 

Which is why my watch formally expires in 9 days. 

[qwazse]

1 hour ago, PACAN said:

... This will be Eagle Required reducing the number of non required badges for scouts. ...

The number of elective badges for scouts will remain 122. One less of those will be needed for Eagle, bringing the total elective MBs for that rank down to 7. That leaves 115 and allows those scouts who earn all available MBs to score a 23rd Palm. (DE&I is my shepherd, I shall not want ...)

[Jameson76]

10 hours ago, ParkMan said:

.....the BSA wants to get kids thinking about how they conduct themselves and in act in a country where different races, genders, sexual preferences, and gender identities are the norm.

I had one of my Scouts ask me about some of the musicians (that they all seem to listen to now) from the late 70's and 80's.  Specifically Bowie, Elton John, and Freddie Mercury.  Did we care they were bi or gay, was that an issue, what did we think of them.

My answer was that (and this sort of shocked them), they were more defined by their talent and what they actually did than their persona.  Did not recall if they were openly out or swinging at the time, but everyone sort of knew it, but we accepted that they were talented, that is what mattered.

I see the challenge today is that many are defining people NOT by their talents BUT more by their races, genders, sexual preferences, and gender identities.  It seems more important WHO you are and identify as than WHAT you can actually do.

We as a society seem to have gone backward to almost the days of who you were being defined by your family (replace family for whatever group(s) people may want to be identified as) and their place in society, not what YOU individually can do and bring to a group.

Edited December 23, 2020 by Jameson76

[fred8033]

11 hours ago, ParkMan said:

• It's well known that at Eagle Boards candidates often are asked how they demonstrate their Duty to God.  Further, they are required to submit a letter of recommendation from a faith leader or parent that supports that.

I've sat on many EBORs.  I've never seen a scout asked that question.  In fact, most boards avoid such potentially self-destructing questions like this.  That issue is between the scout and himself ... and maybe his family.  

Edited December 23, 2020 by fred8033

[fred8033]

10 hours ago, ParkMan said:

It's not about pushing an answer - it's about getting the kids to think about these topics.

Kids are already thinking about these things.  It's being shoved down their throat all the time.

[fred8033]

1 hour ago, Jameson76 said:

I see the challenge today is that many are defining people NOT by their talents BUT more by their races, genders, sexual preferences, and gender identities.  It seems more important WHO you are and identify as than WHAT you can actually do.

We as a society seem to have gone backward to almost the days of who you were being defined by your family (replace family for whatever group(s) people may want to be identified as) and their place in society, not what YOU individually can do and bring to a group.

I hugely agree.  Focusing on labels to promote equally and diversity is an oxymoron.  

 

[qwazse]

7 hours ago, fred8033 said:

I've sat on many EBORs.  I've never seen a scout asked that question.  In fact, most boards avoid such potentially self-destructing questions like this.  That issue is between the scout and himself ... and maybe his family.  

Our boards often, if not always ask questions on religion. No self-destruction ensued.

[ParkMan]

9 hours ago, fred8033 said:

I've sat on many EBORs.  I've never seen a scout asked that question.  In fact, most boards avoid such potentially self-destructing questions like this.  That issue is between the scout and himself ... and maybe his family.  

Maybe it's a regional thing. 

We know to "prepare" those scouts who might struggle with this question.  Of course prepare is a funny word because it's not a test - but still, we want it to be a positive experience and so we've always worked under the assumption that a Scout who has not religious affiliation ought to have some way to answering the question "How do you demonstrate your Duty to God?"

[ParkMan]

10 hours ago, Jameson76 said:

I had one of my Scouts ask me about some of the musicians (that they all seem to listen to now) from the late 70's and 80's.  Specifically Bowie, Elton John, and Freddie Mercury.  Did we care they were bi or gay, was that an issue, what did we think of them.

My answer was that (and this sort of shocked them), they were more defined by their talent and what they actually did than their persona.  Did not recall if they were openly out or swinging at the time, but everyone sort of knew it, but we accepted that they were talented, that is what mattered.

I see the challenge today is that many are defining people NOT by their talents BUT more by their races, genders, sexual preferences, and gender identities.  It seems more important WHO you are and identify as than WHAT you can actually do.

We as a society seem to have gone backward to almost the days of who you were being defined by your family (replace family for whatever group(s) people may want to be identified as) and their place in society, not what YOU individually can do and bring to a group.

Growing up as a kid in the 80's, I understand exactly what you are saying.

Where I lived in the 80s (metro Atlanta), the kids I grew up with did a pretty good job of respecting each other based on race.  It wasn't until I got to college in New England that I saw my first real examples of people age being racist - something I will never forget.

In that same time as a kid in the 80s and even in the 90s it was pretty well accepted to make fun of someone for their sexual preference.  Being gay was a slur that got tossed around even if you were not.  Being transgendered wasn't even really a discussed concept back then beyond the occasional talk of a sex change.

I do fully agree that back then people did earn our respect for who they were and what they accomplished.  Yet, at the same time it was very difficult growing up in many of these groups we talk about today.  People hid their sexual preference lest they be labeled or worse yet, snickered at.  So much of what has happened in the 40 years since then has been to stop making people feel bad or ashamed for who they are.  A person shouldn't feel that these characteristics are something that negatively impacts them. 

I too wish that we could stop having labels define us.  I suspect it's something natural that if a person has for a long time felt that some label is a sense of shame, once that shame goes away people want to be proud of what they once felt they needed to hide.  If someone, for example, felt their whole life ashamed that they were gay, once that shame goes away they feel a sense of relief and want to embrace it.  I suspect same is true for most any group we list - race, gender, religion, ethnicity, preference. 

I long for a day these labels no longer matter.  Someday, perhaps when there is a generation or two that never felt marginalized because of a label - I suspect this will go away.

[ParkMan]

14 hours ago, yknot said:

The biggest problem for youth will be the confusion that results when their adult leaders and COs really aren't that tolerant of aspects of the badge that require tolerance. In this way in many cases it's going to be a very different situation in scouting from what they hear elsewhere from outside the scouting environment. 

I'm sorry to hear about the impact of this badge on LEO.  In prior discussions on this, I had not recognized that law enforcement officers were feeling offended by the badge itself.  Yes, I can understand that.  

I would think the challenge to us all now is that we have to find ways to instruct on this merit badge that are productive and thoughtful.  This merit badge needs to not be a platform for the politics of the instructor, but instead a way for youth to think through the underlying issues here.

Perhaps the BSA national professionals who read this will find some way to incorporate stronger guidance for instructors into the merit badge itself.  Make this about being a leader in a multicultural world.  

[PACAN]

@ParkMan

 

not to worry. We know the BSA will provide succinct guidance to the MBCs which will include a completed worksheet to handout to the scouts.  

[yknot]

37 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

I'm sorry to hear about the impact of this badge on LEO.  In prior discussions on this, I had not recognized that law enforcement officers were feeling offended by the badge itself.  Yes, I can understand that.  

I would think the challenge to us all now is that we have to find ways to instruct on this merit badge that are productive and thoughtful.  This merit badge needs to not be a platform for the politics of the instructor, but instead a way for youth to think through the underlying issues here.

Perhaps the BSA national professionals who read this will find some way to incorporate stronger guidance for instructors into the merit badge itself.  Make this about being a leader in a multicultural world.  

I read somewhere that some YPT style adult training on this is coming for leaders. Seems to me though that should have come first.