Coalition, BSA Jointly Announce Formation of Survivor Advisory Working Group

[Eagle94-A1]

2 hours ago, T2Eagle said:

Yeah, I never heard of them reaching out to any volunteers.  I signed up, a friend of mine who owns a software company signed up, and neither of us got anything but that email. 

I doubt they reached out to any volunteers --- and their IT systems remain perpetually crappy.  Coincidence?

 

I had a friend who was a web designer and owned his own company. Had a fortune 500 company or two as clients.  He did one council's webpage for free, and it was one of the most user friendly websites. Then National mandated a set  format and program for all council websites. And here we are today: Websites that suck.

 

3 hours ago, skeptic said:

The more I review things here and on the FB page "Talk About Scouting", I feel our best opportunity to move ahead and remake our programs is to focus on LOCAL.  That means particularly the individual units...

Agree we got to get back to the outdoors. "OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING." We cannot be all things to everyone.

 

3 hours ago, skeptic said:

... and to some extent properly reworked, if necessary LC support.  The latter is a real issue now, as many are bare bones, such as ours, cut by about 80 percent if you include office and store.... The good thing is that the districts are doing more and even drawing in a new type of volunteer, so to speak.  

Sadly that is partially true in my neck of the woods. Our professional staff is down, but instead of focusing on helping existing units survive, the pros are being told to start new units and get membership up EVEN THOUGH NATIONAL HAS REPORTED LOSSES FOR THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS! (caps for emphasis). My DE is being told to start 10 NEW units, yet in one town alone you have  4 UMC units that are concerned what is going to happen after March, and one CO that is kicking their units out at the end of the charter year and are desperate to find a home. Yet the DE is not involved. District Commissioner has already tried 2 organizations and they both said NO.

As for the new type of volunteer, no the council wants "yes men." Folks who question council do not get their names past the Nominating committee.

[RememberSchiff]

26 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

I had a friend who was a web designer and owned his own company. Had a fortune 500 company or two as clients.  He did one council's webpage for free, and it was one of the most user friendly websites. Then National mandated a set  format and program for all council websites. And here we are today: Websites that suck.

Ditto, a fellow scouter in these parts created a wiki for his District that was easy and helpful.

Then the mandate. He left.

[ThenNow]

5 hours ago, MattR said:

I've always ignored them. Let's put it this way, if a problem really needs solving then the organization would turn its focus towards it. It would not need a new committee or group. The organization would be the committee. For example, any company that has a "quality committee" is not nearly as interested in quality as an organization that makes quality a day to day subject that everyone is involved in.

So, as has been said by others (and me), your assessment tracks with MYCVA. To whit, this Survivor Working Group is all show and no go, essentially a PR stunt by the two entities who support this Plan. From what I’ve heard from someone who knows, the survivors are very serious and sincere about effecting change and reform. Be that as it may, their belief that this will be a path to real change is likely in ignorance of the nature and history of such “groups” and “committees.” Not to mention toothless if the directives don’t exist within the Plan of Reorganization. Do I read you loud and clear? This is why I wanted to understand what these are and how the BSA has created them, then either validated them/the work or ignored them.

Oh. I also don’t understand why they wouldn’t include LC members, especially volunteers, who have to implement the on the ground measures. I’ve seen that you guys have many great ideas, many of which reinforce the TCC demands. Well, I know why, but it further erodes any confidence I might have in whether the BSA mean anything they’re saying about this SWG/Committee. 

[MYCVAStory]

On 11/5/2021 at 8:01 PM, ThenNow said:

To whit, this Survivor Working Group is all show and no go, essentially a PR stunt by the two entities who support this Plan.

The devil is ALWAYS in the details.  Survivors are voting on the Non-Monetary (youth protection) portions of the  settlement as well as the monetary portions.  The only thing "guaranteed", and for a short time, are the vague assurances of what happens AFTER Settlement approval.  Then....the Coalition has ZERO motivation to see that any changes actually happen.  THAT'S why the non-monetary must be as stringent as possible NOW.  I REALLY hope that the Coalition hasn't concocted its "working group" as a reaction to the TCC shedding light on the non-monetary weaknesses, pulled in very well-meaning Survivors, and uses them for photo ops and settlement endorsement.

[johnsch322]

Seems like two members of this Coalition/YPT advisory committee may; have quit according to Tim Kosnoff.  

My guess is that they did not want to be part of the dog and pony show.

Edited November 10, 2021 by johnsch322

[SiouxRanger]

On 11/3/2021 at 1:47 PM, ThenNow said:

running down Jim Stang and his firm

I want to comment on this sentiment, having watched at least 3 TCC town hall Zoom meetings at which Mr. Stang and Mr. Lucas were speakers.

There is this realization that comes to every young lawyer serious about his/her craft of the necessity of learning to speak "tautologically," that is, that every statement they make is true no matter what the circumstances it is applied to.   This is not easy to do, nor easy to learn, but it is a must to practice law at the highest levels, and with the greatest precision of analysis, and clarity of argument.  The ability to do so is the mark of a master legal craftsperson.

When a lawyer hears a question, looks away into the distance for a moment to form his or her thoughts, and then speaks, THAT lawyer has learned the skill to speak "tautologically."

Mr. Stang and Mr. Lucas have this skill down.

From what I have seen, the TCC could not be better represented.

(Being 45 years in myself.)

[johnsch322]

9 hours ago, SiouxRanger said:

I want to comment on this sentiment, having watched at least 3 TCC town hall Zoom meetings at which Mr. Stang and Mr. Lucas were speakers.

There is this realization that comes to every young lawyer serious about his/her craft of the necessity of learning to speak "tautologically," that is, that every statement they make is true no matter what the circumstances it is applied to.   This is not easy to do, nor easy to learn, but it is a must to practice law at the highest levels, and with the greatest precision of analysis, and clarity of argument.  The ability to do so is the mark of a master legal craftsperson.

When a lawyer hears a question, looks away into the distance for a moment to form his or her thoughts, and then speaks, THAT lawyer has learned the skill to speak "tautologically."

Mr. Stang and Mr. Lucas have this skill down.

From what I have seen, the TCC could not be better represented.

(Being 45 years in myself.)

I would like to add that I  feel like they are always confident.  No matter what they come across as hey we have this...don't worry....we are all in this together.  It is never doom and gloom.

[SiouxRanger]

12 hours ago, johnsch322 said:

I would like to add that I  feel like they are always confident.  No matter what they come across as hey we have this...don't worry....we are all in this together.  It is never doom and gloom.

When a young attorney realizes that they need to speak tautologically (at some point in the future) about something, they learn to THINK tautologically during their research, so that they can speak tautologically about it later.

Not just a big word, but THE difference between a hack and a master attorney. And a master attorney is one among thousands or tens of thousands.  They are rare.

[RememberSchiff]

Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice announced that some local councils will have survivors on their respective Boards.

https://ritzherald.com/coalition-of-abused-scouts-for-justice-secures-support-from-ad-hoc-committee-to-appoint-survivors-to-local-council-boards/

Edited November 19, 2021 by RememberSchiff