Category: the right way to do it
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Some council endowments are humongous
Several BSA councils have huge endowments. Reflecting this site’s insistence that all of BSA must serve the base, this analysis measures endowment size by its impact on each council’s youth member: total_endowment×4%total_scouts That is, we take the total endowment, pull 4%, which is fairly common and typically a sustainable annual pull, then divide that 4%…
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Dear NEB: up up down down left right left right B A B A (it’s time to unlock superpowers!)
Hey, National Executive Board (NEB)! It’s time to use the Konami code: unlock your superpowers! Your composition has changed: You’re smaller, and some of the old guard departed. You can be quite effective! You’ve got to save Scouting from its #1 existential threat: A culturally rotted, poorly performing national organization, that sees itself as its…
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Departed Scouts: letting them go usually is best
I was Cubmaster of a large pack for 5 years. The biggest waste of my time, in terms of return on value, was re-recruiting departed Scouts. What I learned: On poor den program, not supporting my Den Leaders enough may have been the #1 thing I would have changed if I had a do-over. The…
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The case for equity and inclusion: Ending BSA’s specious coed ban
In 2018 and 2019, BSA allowed girls into its boys-only programs. This inclusion was accompanied by a ban on coed Cub Scout dens or coed Scouts BSA troops. The coed ban is specious: It rests on misinformation and on sexist, racist, and harmful folklore. Its pile-on effects reduce youth safety, harm members, and harm the…
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Scout units should never have bylaws
(Editorial comment: Sacred cows are tasty. Apparently bylaws are sacred cows. Many comments are reacting to sentiments not expressed in this article. To be clear: It is good to document practices. It’s not good to turn them into formal bylaws.) While formal policy’s certainty may be appealing, it is a bad idea for Scout units.…
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Scouting must be fun, adventure, and meaning
I’ve talked to many who were in Scouting decades ago. Their best memories: fun, adventure, and meaning. Not badges. Do a two-point test on everything your Scout unit does: Is it fun or adventure, or does it get you there? Is it something meaningful that the Scout or family don’t get otherwise? (e.g., challenging family…