Roy Williams will retire September

[Eamonn]

BSA President Rick Cronk has announced that Chief Scout Executive (CSE) Roy Williams will retire September 1st. Cronk has appointed a CSE Selection Committee to have a new CSE in place by June 1st. This committee consists of John Gottschalk, James Turley, Rex Tillerson, Aubrey Harwell, Wayne Perry, Tico Perez and Roy Roberts. Cronk will serve as chairman.

 

I don't know enough about Roy Williams or what he has done to really have an opinion about him.

A few minutes ago I was reading that Wal-mart is spiffing up the Wal-mart stores.

Their sales are still growing but they want to reach a wider market.

I thought to myself that maybe we are in need of a little spiffing up!

The person who takes the helm and tries to lead us into the 21st Century will have a lot on his or her? Plate.

On one hand we have the youth who see things, learn things and do things in a different way.On the other you have old codgers like me, who at times fail to understand the youth. The very people we are to be serving.

The organization needs the youth. Without them there is no need for an organization!!

But the organization still needs volunteers like me to deliver the program.

Sweeping changes might be needed to keep the youth, but sweeping changes might scare off the volunteers?

Kind of a catch 22! Scouting has to improve the image it has to attract more youth and my days of being cool have gone cold.

I wish Mr Williams a happy retirement, I hope the replacement is a person of vision who can lead us -All of us into the 21st Century -Even if we have some catching up to do!

If we keep doing what we are doing we will get what we got and what we got doesn't look very healthy.

I'm looking forward to the replacement sending all the Scouts a pod-cast message outlining his plan of action -No hang on I was dreaming!!

Ea.

[SR540Beaver]

If elected, I promise to fulfill ALL my campaign promises.

[OldGreyEagle]

If nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve...

 

(everyone can breathe easy now)

[SR540Beaver]

Well crud, there goes my running mate.

[SR540Beaver]

On a serious note, I agree with Eamonn concerning the need for some changes and finding a person of vision. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know there are those who think I'm one of the "enforcers" and might be shocked that I would welcome change. No, I just believe in delivering the program as designed. The program belongs to the BSA and it is not mine to change. I can either accept to work within the confines of the program or not. But I won't modify it because I think I know better than they do. So, let the changes rip and I'll deliver that program with the same enthusiasm as I do with this program.

 

Hmmmmmm, running mates. Perhaps Eamonn with his sexy knees, or Packsaddle, or......so many possibilities.

[SWScouter]

I'm looking forward to the replacement sending all the Scouts a pod-cast message outlining his plan of action

 

Do you mean something similar to the podcasts our National Commissioner Don Belcher is producing? See http://www.scouting.org/commissioners/podcast/index.html

 

SWScouter

[prairie]

Wise donkey question: Do podcasts come from pod-people?

[GernBlansten]

I would hope that if there were any changes to the program, that BSA would not do so in the vacuum of its own professionals and volunteers. A national survey should be conducted of non-BSA affiliated adults and children to find out what those who are not in the program might find of value.

[epalmer84]

WP has a biography of Williams:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Williams_%28Scouting%29

 

Its a "start-class" article, so it is not the highest quality. Feel free to add anything relevant.

 

Ed

[AntelopeDud]

I really don't think that alot of changes are in order. I would like to see the BSA improve it's image and make the program more attractive to youth. It always been kind of funny to me that the image that youth not in the program have of Boy Scouts is that nerdy little kids helping the old lady cross the road or those silly uniforms they wear. Truthfully, the thing that would attract a youth is that we do fun things that most kids don't get to do. Boys love to camp out, rock climb, canoe, etc. Sometimes I wonder if advertising that stuff might be worthwhile. The BSA has the Scoutzone website that really is a great glimpse into boy scouts;

 

http://www.thescoutzone.com/actionvideo.html

 

Or even something humerous. The Canadian Scouts have this hilarious ad:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCBHQNKKhGY

 

These are all different approaches to becoming appealing to youth. The values that we hold so dear appeal to the parents and we get a chance to instill those values once they join.

 

As an organization, I hope that the Boy Scouts resist as much change as possible. The only real fear I have with a major leadership change would be that the BSA compromises it's principles and caves in to the dreaded ACLU. Our steadfast values is one of the things that makes we most proud of the BSA. Please keep standing up against the ACLU. (I hope I haven't led this thread into a minefield).

 

-AD

[OldGreyEagle]

AntelopeDud, I have to ask, did you mean to have that name or was it supposed to be AntelopeDude?, either way you will always be the Duke of Dung to me....

 

Anyway, the ACLU comes up quite a bit in the Issues and Politics section although quite frankly that section has been pretty dead lately

 

Anyway, perhaps BSA could improve its image by focusing on what is "right" about scouts, and I don't along political lines (as Boy Scouts are Nonmilitary, Nonpolitical and NonClass). What about emphasis on the Community Service scouts perform, what Eagle Projects have done, where former scouts are now in the community, opportunities for scouts regarding adventure. There is enough of a media prescence that will focus on what the BSA doesnt do, we need to promote what it is we do do (Do do? another scatologically oriented comment?)

 

Anyway, we keep on talking about how to make the BSA relevant and I can see Brianbuf rubbing his hands together in glee and bringing back his website citing us as his greatest achievement...(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[AntelopeDud]

I'm a proud member of the Dud Patrol, the dedicated group of adult Scouters in my unit.

 

I agree with you OGE, it's always good to let everyone know what we are all about and what great things these young men do everyday. My comment wasn't really meant to counter the various and sundry political and news organizations that tend to paint a very misleading picture, my comment was really focused more on the issue of membership. I want to see more boys in Scouting. In my district, the public school system has kind of done an about face on support of the BSA and made it really hard to introduce boys to Scouting through schools. Where we once were able to put flyers in school backpacks and visit with kids and parents on orientation night, we are now looking at reaching people through the mail and inviting them to come see us. Membership has gone down as a result and the strain of postage for districts, units and CO is felt, and it really hasn't been a very effective approach.

 

 

[hops_scout]

Beaver, I'll run with ya!

[SR540Beaver]

Or Hops! How silly of me to ignore the youth vote!

 

Now I have to prepare my platform. Air conditioned and heated tents. All scout cookware must be teflon coated for easy cleanup. All campsites must have electrical hookups for the microwaves and DVD payers. Hmmmmm.....what else?

[OldGreyEagle]

I submit the public has a right to know where you sit on the dodo issue, or will you hide behind a tree?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)