Anyone here in OSG?

[Spatulate]

Wondering about others' experiences with Outdoor Service Guides as an alternative to BSA?

Thanks-

[Eagle94-A1]

So that is what the Baden-Powell Service Association is calling themselves these days.

No experience with them whatsoever. Nearest group is over 3 hours away.

 

[qwazse]

Some conversations, including replies from a member, may be found here … 

 

[Spatulate]

3 minutes ago, qwazse said:

Some conversations, including replies from a member, may be found here … 

 

Thanks - I had not seen that one yet. 

[InquisitiveScouter]

3 hours ago, Spatulate said:

Thanks - I had not seen that one yet. 

@Spatulate... all Scouting is local.  Just like the BSA has some policies, procedures, and actions which many disagree with, you may find the same in OSG.  (They changed their name to OSG in order to "cancel" Baden Powell.)

 

[Spatulate]

That is what I am reading. Sigh. 

The path forward in some form of scouting is narrowing.

[InquisitiveScouter]

2 minutes ago, Spatulate said:

That is what I am reading. Sigh. 

The path forward in some form of scouting is narrowing.

It would be a bit of a pain, but you could just form a "youth group" with the Y, use the program without uniforms and badges, get some insurance, and have fun Scouting!

[Spatulate]

This did give me pause...

Posted March 10, 2021

I know this is a pretty old topic, but I feel I should contribute to your knowledge about this organization.

The principles BPSA-US is founded on are pretty sound. They draw material directly from the original organization and writings of Robert Baden-Powell. I love their current handbooks; they are practical and straight to the point. Even if you didn't join BPSA-US, there's a lot to get out of the handbooks.

I joined them April last year, excited to do Rover scouting because I never had an opportunity to scout growing up. However, a few months after joining, BPSA-US decided Baden-Powell, despite the amazing scouting legacy, is a racist "white Victorian male" (quoted from a reply from HQ to my disappointment in their decision) that no longer has a place in their program because of the whole Black Lives Matter movement. As such, they'll be changing the program name and removing B-P's influence altogether; in other words, it will no longer be a traditional scouting program. Funny how a program that touts inclusivity doesn't believe in forgiveness for a few mistakes a dead man made.

I was pretty disgusted by this announcement. It was B-P's writings that convinced me to become a Rover scout. Looking at the way the BPSA-US markets themselves now, it's easy to see they are just a front for activism for LGBT and BLM, and not really for traditional scouting. Scouting was not meant to promote political or social trends, nor cater to the whims of the politically correct. It's really disappointing that they're trying to fix something that isn't broken.

My membership in BPSA-US expires in April, and while I'm grateful to the organization for introducing me to traditional scouting, I'm not interested in being an activist under the guise of a scout.

[Spatulate]

2 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

It would be a bit of a pain, but you could just form a "youth group" with the Y, use the program without uniforms and badges, get some insurance, and have fun Scouting!

I think the Y would definitely be open to such as they are all about positive opps for youth. 

Thanks