Mr Mazzuca in USA Today

[John-in-KC]

Read it here...

 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2008-07-20-boy-scouts-advice_N.htm

 

Fair Warning: Some people on this Forum might launch after reading this...

[NJCubScouter]

What specifically did you find launch-provoking? It looks like he danced around most of the controversial issues, and to the extent he discussed anything controversial at all, he supported the existing BSA policies. I didn't see anything surprising.

[cubdadinnj]

Great article.

 

I'm glad he talks about what makes Scouting great.

 

And its interesting to read his words about some things becoming a bit arthritic. Our troop is almost 90 years old, and in the past year we've done a good bit of digging deep to rethink, update. We're working on our troop structure, leadership, and working towards more growth. Lot of love for scouting in our organization, as I believe there must be with Mazzuca and the national leadership.

 

/p

[John-in-KC]

There's a certain person who doesn't believe in the current program of BSA here... it is he who must not be named

 

 

Jim Terry, our former SE and the current Deputy and CFO of Scouting, brought Mr Mazzuca recently to the H Roe Bartle Scout Reservation. I believe 99 44/100% of all Scouters find him good people

[scoutldr]

I liked his answers...sounds like he was not in agreement with the past BSA administration's strategy.

[NJCubScouter]

Sctlader says:

 

sounds like he was not in agreement with the past BSA administration's strategy.

 

But, strategy about what, is the question. It sounds to me like his disagreement is with the public relations strategy of the past, but not any other aspect of strategy (or policy) that I can see. The sentences, "We were thrust into a situation that we weren't equipped to deal with. The decisions at the time were probably correct for the time.", could refer to a number of things, especially if taken out of context (as I just did.) In context, he was discussing publicity, although if you read what he says right after that, you have to wonder how the decisions could have been "probably correct for the time." He says the BSA abandoned all dialogue about Scouting, and that doesn't make sense... but it was "probably correct for the time"? I don't get the logic. Then in answer to the next question, he makes a somewhat curious statement, "We have become a pawn in political issues, because we've allowed ourselves to be co-opted." Co-opted by whom? I wonder if that's really the word he meant to use there.

 

I do have to give the guy credit for showing at least some candor, though.

[Mr. Boyce]

I agree with John-in-KC. It's good to see someone step up and more visibly present the BSA.

 

In fact, it's good to simply step up in favor of values, in our era in which any and all values are criticized and in which people are told they must not act upon values.

 

The BSA could do wonders if it would raise its public profile on a sustained basis.

[t4eagle137]

I was pleased with the article.

 

I'm looking forward to see how Mr. Mazzuca plans to portray Scouting in a way that will encourage young men to join a local Troop.

[hot_foot_eagle]

I think the article left some questions unanswered, but the overall tone of the article presented us in a fair light.

 

From what can I infer from the interview, I'm optomistic about the direction Mr. Mazzuca seems to be headed. The defensive attitude of the BSA (wrt public relations) has not been serving us well.

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

John,

 

Just one? I thought we had a number of members who don't like the current program.

[SR540Beaver]

I was glad to see his comments on the method of adult association and its value in teaching character by example. One of the aims of scouting is character development and some of the methods are ideals, adult association, personal growth and leadership development. I don't believe any aim or method is more important than another, that all are equal and work together to achieve an end result of citizens of good character. Uniformed boys in the outdoors grouped into patrols are the methods used to enable the lessons of character. While teaching boys the skills needed to care for themselves and their patrol mates and to be able to make wise decisions independent of adults is vastly important to the whole process, it isn't the whole process or purpose. The behaviors you want them to develop must be modeled by the adults in the program for everything to come together. It is like a puzzle and all pieces must be present to see the total picture.

[Twocubdad]

My older son read the article first and brought it to my attention, which, in-and-of itself, was nice.

I liked the article. I thought it was remarkably candid, especially considering the "I'll-talk-about-what-I-want-regardless-of-the-question-asked" responses you usually get from CEOs and politicians. I was particularly pleased regarding his comments relating to our need to promote the character building and leadership aspects of Scouting to the public. A big AMEN from this corner.

BSA spends too much time on the defensive. Locally, all our external communications make us look like Scouting is a program exclusively for underprivileged boys. We need to be selling the positive attributes of the program like leadership and character development.