Working with other organizations.

[Eamonn]

I'm unsure if there ever was a time when outside organizations welcomed Boy Scouts or any sort of Scouts with welcome arms.

Back home in the UK, with so many youth groups participating in the Duke Of Edinburgh Award

See http://www.theaward.org/

A lot of young people who really had no idea of what they were doing got into all sorts of problems! (Not the fault of the award!! It is good and worth while. I hold all 3 Awards.)

This at times gave the award a bad name.

While I'm sure I might be way off base. It seems to me that at times the BSA is suffering from the same sort of thing.

When I look at myself.

I know that I'm not an expert in any given field.

Sure I have been in Scouting for a while?

I can camp, cook, my back packing skills are a little above average. I can sail and have a certification in instructing Sea Kayaking.

My first aid skills are good. I have done a fair amount of rock climbing and repelling and used to be a Merit Badge Counselor for the climbing MB. I really do enjoy being outside, have taken courses in LNT and maybe one day when I'm not busy would like to become a Master.

I don't do much else with my free time but be a Scouter.

When I talk with outside organizations they seem to be very deeply involved in whatever it is they are involved in and for the most part only want to deal with people who want to get deeply involved!

The exception to all this is the person who is deeply involved and is also a Scouter.

I have to admit at times to finding some of these people a real pain in the neck. They are so "Expert" in what they are doing that they at times "Preach" or talk down to idiots like me.

Some units served by people like this seem to forget that they are part of the BSA.

Last fall when I took the LNT Instructor course, I was really taken back by what a bad rap Scouts and the BSA seemed to have! In fact most of the other participants and the instructors didn't have very many kind words to say about Boy Scouts!

When I was trying to get organizations interested in becoming CO's for Venturing, many of the organizations I talked with seemed to think that they didn't need us and were happy to do their own thing.

Am I way off base?

Ea.