Options other than the BSA

[TAHAWK]

As to knives, B.S.A. never prohibited sheath knives and only "did not encourage" "large sheath knives" -- except for fishing.

 

The GTSS was amended in 2011 to include the following statement:

 

"We believe we have a duty to instill in our members, youth and adult, the knowledge of how to use, handle, and store legally owned knives with the highest concern for safety and responsibility."

 

In my council, a short-lived ban on fixed blade knives at council's camp was eliminated this January.

 

So what is the point about "sheath knives."

 

As to Morse Code, would not semaphore be more "traditional"? And should we not use the Roman or Greek format as even more "traditional"?

[Eamonn]

I've had my fair share of moans and groans.

There has been stuff at the local level that has really set me off.

Stuff that comes down from the powers that be that sometimes makes me think that these guys have no idea what the heck is going on.

I don't think no matter what anyone says or posts that I'm ever going to be a fan of Venturing in its present form.

I think LFL is a bit of a joke.

But..

I do still believe that the kids who join Scouts are better for having been Scouts.

If you feel that Scouts and Scouting has become a parlor game, then it's up to you to ensure the program that is offered really does challenge the Scouts that you lead.

It's not hard to put Advancement on the back burner and take on new and exciting challenges just because they are new and exciting.

There is no rule that says that the activities of the past can't be reused.

The Action Centers at the 2005 Jamboree kept count of the number of Scouts who visited and participated in each activity. - The activity with the most visitors was the Buckskin Games!

When I posted "Local level" I was thinking about the Council. But there is nothing to say that a Troop that feels the Council is not helping or supporting them or worse still is getting in the way, can't tell the District and the Council in a very nice way to go and pound salt.

The real BSA is all of us.

Mostly volunteers who do what we do because we like kids and think that we maybe can help them.

Sure I've met and had to deal with a few twits, but these twits are far outnumbered by really good people who not only care but are for the most part great fun to be around.

To be fair, I've never been a member of any other youth organization. I wish them all the very best. Heck I even wish Venturing the very best!

LFL? Maybe not so much!

Ea.

[Kudu]

 

Eagle707 writes:

 

"I poked around and found that, while they stick with materials from 1938, they have updated their first aid training to fit the 21st century."

 

Baden-Powell Scouting is similar to "Vintage Base Ball" (VBB) in that you pick an arbitrary date and play the game according to the rank requirements of that particular year. 1938 was the last year that Baden-Powell himself edited his Rules on How to Play the Game of Scouting for Boys.

 

So the rank requirements remain the same, but (unlike VBB) the techniques to meet them can change with a) health & safety practices, b) environmental concerns, and c) light-weight camping technologies.

 

This is different from BSA Scouting where we start with an abstract goal (the "Three Aims," the corporate mission statement, business "leadership" theory, etc.) and work backwards, "modernizing" the rank requirements accordingly.

 

Signalling requirements catch most people's eye, but the real game-changer is the First Class Journey, where a Second Class Scout and his buddy test their First Class skills against the forces of nature without any two-deep "adult association."

 

First Class Journey adult how-to guide:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/hikes/1st_class_hike.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

 

[boomerscout]

"As to Morse Code, would not semaphore be more "traditional"?"

Morsae code more useful. Over distance you can use the wig-wag method. At night you can use a flashlight. Inside a rolled over cruise ship you can tap on the pipes.

 

 

 

"And should we not use the Roman or Greek format as even more "traditional"?"

Romans & Greeks had Boy Scouts? Cool!

 

[LeCastor]

This is a rambling post where I am just spitting out ideas:

 

I admire the BPSA-US for sticking to the principles of "Tradional Scouting". But as many of us have said, we have quite a bit of leeway in terms of guiding our Troops in the right direction. As members of the BSA, adult Scouters must fit their program within the framework provided by the organization but that doesn't mean we can't have an outstanding outdoor program. "Scouting for Boys" is an interesting read and we can still use many portions of it today in our Troop programs; but I think we must all evolve as we grow. Safety is an important issue and a lot of parents would be hesitant to let their children go off on a 14-mile hike alone...

 

And, Kudu, before you say it, I would love to have our Patrols camp 100 yards apart but there's hardly ever enough Scouts on our outings to make up more than one Patrol. We have a new(er) Scout Patrol and and older boy Patrol but participation on outings has been hit-or-miss in the past year. I think there's just been a feeling of malaise lately in the Troop and a move to too much adult intervention. This makes it less exciting for the Scouts on trips when the adults outnumber the boys and tend to hover.

 

But for 2012 I intend to steer our Scouts to the basics of woodcraft while staying safe, yet having a blast. Already, I have made an effort to keep the adults to one side and have the patrol(s) camp relatively far off from the Scouters. It's a continual battle, though..."I want to be able to see them," says one leader...

 

Also, we Scouters can take the initiative and make Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills an exciting, valuable training tool for adults. I took my course last October and left camp all fired up and ready to go into the woods! It doesn't have to be worthless training and I don't think it's fair to blame the trainers if it doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to. Like so many things, it's what you do to make it good that counts. You get out of it what you put into it.

 

In my opinion, we should be thankful we have the "infrastructure" and support from BSA. Sure, we might not always agree with one policy or another but that doesn't mean we have to throw in the towel and find another organization. I think we can all agree that we're here for the youth. Our job is to provide a quality program to young men and women and keep the promise of Scouting. We can still do that within the framework of the BSA. Right?

[TAHAWK]

"'And should we not use the Roman or Greek format as even more 'traditional?'

Romans & Greeks had Boy Scouts? Cool!"

 

 

Soma Hellinon Proskopon (Σώμα Ελληνων Προσκόπων, ΣΕΠ): http://www.facebook.com/pages/%CE%A3%CF%8E%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CE%95%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%AE%CE%BD%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%A0%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%83%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%80%CF%89%CE%BD/138314816192767

 

http://www.romascoutcenter.com/

 

(^____^)

[qwazse]

While in Athens one summer, my son tried to find the scout shop to by me their equivalent of a council patch. But the shop (or the apartement that served as their HQ) was closed.

 

I always kind of hoped it was because everyone was out Hiking and camping!

 

[Kudu]

 

LeCastor,

 

Perhaps the most significant difference between the two programs is the use of Physical Distance to test both Scoutcraft and Patrol leadership.

 

Sounds like a great "University of Scouting" PhD. dissertation!

 

Study two different Wood Badge courses:

 

Follow, to the letter, the course materials in the first course (I assume nobody explains the reason for the Patrol Hike) and see how many Wood Badge participants take the Patrol Hike back to their home units.

 

My guess is that it will be about 0% (zero percent).

 

In the second course, take three minutes to explain how Baden-Powell used regular adult-free Patrol Hikes to teach "leadership skills," and then challenge the participants to try them with their strongest Patrols.

 

Same with separating Wood Badge Patrols by 300 feet, if that is still the custom in your Council.

 

Such research might answer your question "We can still do that within the framework of the BSA. Right?"

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net